Bharat Rakshak

3 ex-NSI men to be grilled together in 10-truck arms case

CID will jointly interrogate three detained former NSI officials, the top accused in the 2004 '10-truck arms case', as they previously gave conflicting information during separate questioning. Former director general of National Security Intelligence Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, former director Shahabuddin and former deputy director Liakat Hossain have all pointed fingers at each other while claiming themselves innocent, say investigators. Earlier in the day, a Chittagong court granted the TFI six days to grill Maj Liakat again in connection with the case.

Liakat had just completed four days' remand in police custody. But CID Chittagong zone's Muhammad Muslim said Liakat was "cautious" in giving information during the four days' grilling that ended on Sunday. He said Liakat gave some important information, but did not disclose enough for the sake of investigation into the 10 truckloads of arms seized during unloading at the port city's CUFL jetty in 2004. Liakat was arrested at his Dhanmondi residence on Monday following the statement of a former NSI director, retired wing commander Shahabuddin, arrested previously.

Another former NSI director general Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim and a former NSI field officer Akbar Hossain Khan, both held in the case, have also given statements in court following interrogation by the TFI. Rahim gave an eight-page written statement in court on May 28 denying his involvement in the arms trafficking case. However, CID officials told bdnews24.com that Rahim gave a "tricky" statement, evading many key questions. The CID on Sunday also asked for another 10 days to quiz Shahabuddin afresh.

Govt trying to 'sell out' country: Khaleda

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has accused the government of attempting to "sell the country", and shirking the pledges it made to the people in favour of keeping promises to India. Khaleda made the allegations in public speeches across the city as a three-day programme to mark the death anniversary of her late husband and former president Ziaur Rahman concluded on Monday.

The opposition leader reiterated her party's stance against the proposed Tipaimukh dam in the Indian state of Monipur, saying it would cause untold harm to Bangladesh's water resources. She also criticised the government's failure to keep prices of essentials under control. {Look, who is talking!} Khaleda called on all to thwart what she said was a plot to turn country into a 'failed state'. {The gumption of BKZ amazes me often times.} "A conspiracy is going on against the country's independence and sovereignty at home and abroad and all {Razakars and razakar-lites} have to be alert to it," she said.

"The country is now in great distress. The price of commodities is going up. There is no sign of things getting better," Khaleda said. She said the people had been without democracy for two long years. "But, no improvement has been seen even after this government came to power through elections." During the day-long programme, the former prime minister opened food distribution centres for the poor in Rampura, Khilgaon, Jatrabari and Demra staff quarters, to mark the 28th death anniversary of General Zia, widely acknowledged as BNP's founder. {And she could nt do all these stunts when she was in power?!}

JS body to decide on Tipaimukh

An all-party parliamentary committee will take a decision on whether to send a team of experts to the site of the proposed Indian Tipaimukh dam and hydropower project over the cross-boundary river Barak, the water resources minister said Sunday. "A meeting will be called soon following formation of the all-party committee," Ramesh Chandra Sen told reporters in the capital. He said the committee will decide if an expert team will visit the Tipaimukh dam, for which the Indian government has invited Bangladesh to "allay concerns".

Ramesh said, "Proposals about the Tipaimukh barrage came during the BNP government. We don't want to say anything about what their response was. However, I can say that this is the pro-liberation government and nothing against the country's interests will be allowed." {which just means that BNP is the anti-liberation government, no?! } Earlier, on May 27, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said that her government would form an all-party parliamentary body to report on the pros and cons of the proposed Tipaimukh barrage in India before taking a stance on the disputed project.

The next day, the main opposition BNP urged the government to send a joint team of technical experts instead of an all-party parliamentary committee to inspect the Tipaimukh dam construction site. BNP vice president and former water resources minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said, "Inspection by an all-party parliamentary committee is of no use. Besides, since the topic of Tipaimukh dam construction is controversial it is not right for the parliamentary committee to go there," he added.

India initiated the move to construct the dam in 2003 over the cross-boundary river, which enters into Bangladesh through Sylhet before meeting the Meghna, one of Bangladesh's major rivers. It started the construction later last year without consulting Bangladesh. Bangladesh environmentalists {:P} are concerned about the dam's impact on the Meghna greater Sylhet region in northeast Bangladesh. Bangladesh gets 7 to 8 percent of its total water from the Barak in India's northeastern states. Millions of people are dependent on hundreds of water bodies, fed by the Barak, in the Sylhet region for fishing and agricultural activities. India says that the hydropower project will not harm Bangladesh.

According to some reports, the proposed Tipaimukh dam across the river Barak in the Indian state of Monipur will be 162.5 metres high and 390 metres long to create a reservoir by permanently submerging some 2.75 square kilometres of land. India expects to generate around 1500 megawatt of hydropower from the project.

Mutiny followed failure in getting political response ---- Only a few BDR men knew about killing plot; govt hands summary of national probe report to media

Failing to get expected response from political leaders regarding their demands, a group of BDR personnel planned to hold their director general and other army officers hostage at the Darbar on February 25, says the national probe report on the carnage at BDR headquarters. "Only a few hardcore mutineers knew about the plan of killing army officers, including the DG, and other heinous activities while others only knew that a tough stance would be taken at the Darbar to realise their demands, but they did not have clear knowledge about the real nature of the stance," the report says.

Breaking previous governments' tradition of not making any probe report public, the Awami League government yesterday formally disclosed the findings of the probe into the sensational incident that took place on February 25-26 at Pilkhana. After working for about two and a half months, the probe committee headed by former bureaucrat Anisuzzaman Khan submitted the 309-page report to the home minister on May 21. Yesterday, however, the home ministry distributed a seven-page summary of the report among journalists at a press briefing held at the ministry.

The summary report under a sub-head "Plan of the mutiny and earlier efforts" says, "Centring the election [ninth parliamentary election] a section of BDR personnel started uniting for their demands and got an opportunity to meet political personalities." It says unrest was instigated among BDR members after failing to get expected response from the political leaders. The summary report does not mention the names of the political leaders the BDR members met. However, replying to a question, committee Chairman Anisuzzaman told reporters that the BDR personnel met with Awami League lawmakers Fazle Noor Taposh and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim before the election. "We have interrogated Taposh in this regard," he said.

In the summary, the committee has recorded statements of 107 people including BDR members, family members of army officers, detained mutineers, local civilians, media personalities, former BDR directors general, politicians, chiefs of different forces and agencies, ministers and lawmakers. Replying to another question, probe committee member Mohammad Golam Hossain said these political leaders are State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak, State Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs advocate Kamrul Islam, Awami League Whip Mirza Azam, Jatiya Party lawmaker Sheikh Golam Reza and AL lawmaker Taposh.

The committee admits that it failed to determine the "genuine" reasons and motives behind the heinous act of the members of the paramilitary force. So, it believes that further investigation is needed to determine the genuine reasons. The probe has, however, revealed that the existing "negative sentiments" among BDR soldiers about army officers and their dissatisfaction and resentment at the unfulfilled demands could be the primary reasons. {This is why I see it as a cop-out, all very suggestive, but with no meat, at least the summary given to the journos.}

"Analysing their demands, it will be evident that a few insignificant demands cannot be the main reason for carrying out such a large-scale brutal incident," the summary of the probe report says, adding that these demands were used to spread malicious influence among BDR soldiers. "Using these demands, the main architects of the carnage might have pulled the strings from behind to endanger the stability of the state," it says. Replying to queries the committee chairman also said they did not find any militant or foreign links to the carnage.

Answering another question a committee member said they had lack of ingredients, equipment and merit, which were required in investigation that police or Rab needed to glean information from an accused. {Thats another cop-out of gigantic proportions, we lack equipments.} He also said the statements of ministers and lawmakers were taken as they were directly involved and took part in negotiation to resolve the crisis.

In the sub-head 'Perspective of the mutiny' the summary of the report also said it's all about the grievances among the BDR members about their demands and some other issues in the force. The probe said the mentality of not accepting authority of the army had long been dormant among the BDR members. They had long been demanding appointment of their own officers in the form of BCS cadre, rise in border allowances and 100 per cent ration facility. Their demands also include sending BDR members to the UN Mission and change in their salary structures like that of the army. Besides, daal-bhat programme, punishment meted out to BDR jawans, lack of transparency in running BDR shop, luxurious lifestyle of high officials, corruption in running schools all these eventually boiled over into discontent among BDR men, the summary says. {This is the Occam Razor explanation, and does nt satisfy anyone.}

BDR members circulated leaflets at different times with the aim of venting their discontent and realising their demands. BDR authorities on different occasion raised their demands to the government to solve the problems. The summary mentioned names of BDR members who led the mutiny saying that a total of 107 army officers were present at Pilkhana on February 25 and only 50 of them survived. On the basis of information received from different sources it reads that most of the army officers were killed by 11 am on February 25. Of the 57 army officers, 52 were killed at the Darbar Hall and adjoining areas.

Some over-enthusiastic civilians led by former BNP ward commissioner Suraiya Begum, her two sons, local miscreant Masud and Leather Liton supplied clothes, food and water to the BDR members fleeing from Pilkhana. Some mutineers fled via Keraniganj and former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu provided them with engine boats to cross the waterway.

The prime motive of the rebellion was to destroy chain of command and render the BDR ineffective, discourage army officers to work in BDR on deputation in future and create conflict between the Bangladesh Army and the BDR. The report mentions the failure of the main intelligence agencies, their inefficiency, collision between the Rifles Security Unit (RSU) and mutineers, lack of necessary coordination between the BDR and the home ministry over demands of BDR members, electronic media's biased propaganda over the mutiny and the information ministry's lack of control over the media.

The report put forward eight short-term and 15 long-term recommendations, which include holding trial of all offences related to the carnage under the Military Law, forming a National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), forming central intelligence coordination committee and formation of counter-intelligence force of all intelligence agencies. It also includes separate inquiry into Daal-Bhat programme, BDR trust, school operation and tender activities. It suggested maintaining balance in salaries, allowances and other facilities between members of military and paramilitary and law enforcers.

Apart from the committee chairman, Home Minister Sahara Khatun, State Minister for Home Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj and the home secretary spoke at the press conference. The national probe committee members Golam Hossain, BDR Director General Maj Gen Mainul Islam, Brig Gen Rafiqul Islam, Air Commodore Sanaul Haque, among others, were present.

What is the cause of the mutiny?
19. The real cause and motive behind the barbaric incident could not be established beyond doubt. The committee feels that further investigation is required to unearth the real cause behind the incident. The negative attitude among the general BDR members towards the army officers, and their discontent over unfulfilled demands may be identified as the primary cause of the mutiny. Analysis of these demands give the impression that such small demands can not be the main cause of such a heinous incident. These points have been used to influence the general BDR soldiers. The main conspirators may have used these causes to instigate this incident, they themselves working from behind curtains to destabilise the nation.

Bangladesh ex-MP held for links to BDR mutiny

Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh police on Tuesday arrested an opposition leader for his suspected role in the bloody mutiny by the paramilitary force BDR early this year. Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu, a former legislator of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was held following requisition from Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the February 25-26 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) carnage, a police spokesman said. "The former (MP) has been was arrested from Supreme Court premises in connection with the BDR carnage and now is under detective branch custody and will be handed over to CID for interrogation following due legal procedures," he told PTI.

Pintu, who was on the run since the mutiny, was trying to obtain ad interim bail to avoid arrest for the past several days, evading police eye. He was the first high-profile politician to be arrested since the mutiny, when the rebel BDR soldiers killed 57 army officers serving the paramilitary force. The development came days after Bangladesh made public a report on the rebellion alleging the lawmaker had helped flee rebel soldiers following the carnage. Pintu was elected to Parliament on a ticket from ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's BNP in the 2001 general elections.

Nearly a dozen civilians including an ex-BDR solider was arrested earlier alongside some 1,400 BDR men in connection with the BDR carnage. Another 1,723 BDR soldiers were detained in 29 frontier districts for staging mutiny, breaking in arsenals and looting weapons when the rebellion broke out in Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka. A government committee report said the mutiny was staged using a sense of deprivation of ordinary BDR soldiers but only a few BDR men knew about the killing plot. But it admitted "without hesitation that the real causes and objectives of the gruesome incident could not be ascertained clearly and it requires further investigations."

Pintu caught from court ---- Arrested as his name surfaced in nat'l probe report on BDR carnage

Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu was arrested yesterday on the High Court compound in connection with the February 25-26 carnage at the Pilkhana BDR headquarters. Pintu, a former BNP lawmaker, is the first prominent political figure to have been arrested after the sensational incident. His name first officially surfaced when the report of the national committee for investigating the bloody mutiny at Pilkhana categorically said he helped mutineers flee by arranging engine-run boats to cross the Buriganga at Keraniganj ferry ghat.

During the investigation different sources mentioned the names of a few leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties as having links with the mutiny. Pintu was one of them. Detective Branch police rounded up Pintu along with his brother-in-law Mainur Rahman Apu around 5:15pm when they were coming out of the High Court on a motorbike. Pintu was wearing a black gown of lawyers and a helmet to dodge law enforcers, witnesses said. In the face of law enforcers' drive to arrest him, Pintu along with his lawyer appeared before an HC bench for an order to direct the government not to arrest or harass him without any specific charges.

Investigation Officer of the BDR carnage case Abdul Kahar Akand declined to say anything about the charges against Pintu. Pintu was taken to the Minto Road office of the Detective Branch (DB) around 8:20pm and later to the headquarters of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which in investigating the BDR carnage case. Walid Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of DB, told The Daily Star that Pintu was handed over to the CID officials around 10:30pm. BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain in a statement demanded immediate unconditional release of Pintu and Apu. Their arrest is nothing but part of a repressive policy of the present government, he said.

Monirul Islam, deputy commissioner of DB (south), told The Daily Star that they arrested Pintu following a requisition from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is investigating the BDR carnage. Earlier, Pintu came under the spotlight on several occasions for his alleged involvement in criminal activities, violence, tender snatching and corruption. Although he was arrested and sent to jail on criminal charges, as many as 76 cases against him were withdrawn during the rule of the 2001-2006 BNP-led government. Pintu also faces several cases as a former leader of BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal.

He was arrested during the rule of the last caretaker government and during his confinement in jail he again came under spotlight for assaulting a deputy jailer. The summary of the national committee's probe report, which was revealed on May 27, briefly mentioned Pintu's name as having link with the mutiny at the BDR headquarters. Under the sub-head "Fleeing of the rebels and their accomplices" the report said, "Some civilians aided BDR men to flee by supplying them with clothes, food and water. They were led by former BNP ward commissioner Suraiya Begum, her two sons, local criminals Masud and Leather Liton. Many mutineers used the Keraniganj ferry ghat for fleeing. Former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu helped them flee by arranging engine-run boats to cross the river. Rab arrested 76 rebels while they were fleeing."

Meanwhile, the HC bench Pintu appeared before yesterday declined to pass any order on a writ petition filed by Pintu's lawyer seeking a direction to the government not to harass or arrest Pintu without any specific case against him. After hearing the petition, the HC bench comprised of Justice Tariq-ul Hakim and Justice M Azizul Haque told Pintu's lawyer that the bench was reluctant to pass any order on the petition and asked him to move it to another bench. During the hearing of the petition, Pintu's counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain told the court that the law enforcers are raiding Pintu's residence and looking for him. He also alleged that plainclothes law enforcers have halted his private car at the main gate of the Supreme Court around 4:30pm yesterday and looked for Pintu.

Madrasa must use approved books ---- JS body recommends banning Moududi, other books

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education yesterday made strong recommendations for imposing a ban on use of 'unapproved books' in madrasas, including those written by controversial writer also founder of Jamaat-e-Islami, Syed Abul Ala Moududi. The committee recommended that all madrasas should follow books that are approved by the madrasa board. Chairman of the committee, Rashed Khan Menon, told The Daily Star after a committee meeting in the parliament building that his committee recommended to the government to introduce creative education methods in all public examinations in phases.

"We have recommended to the government that madrasas should follow only the books that are approved by the madrasa board, and no other," he said. "We have also recommended that the government bans in madrasas, books written by Syed Abul Ala Moududi," a ruling coalition lawmaker Menon, also president of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, added. The parliamentary committee also recommended that all madrasas must hang portraits of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in their offices.

It also recommended for madrasas to ensure that the national anthem is sung on the campuses everyday. "We have asked the madrasa authorities to observe different national days including Independence Day and Victory Day at all madrasas with due respect," Menon said. Different quarters allege that Moududi misinterpreted Islam in his books and spread Islamist radicalism in the sub-continent. Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat claim that Moududi first launched the anti-Ahmadiyya campaign in 1934. After the partition of the erstwhile undivided India, he settled in Pakistan and started spreading religious hatred with rejuvenated zeal.

Bangladesh Parliament on June 28, 2004 witnessed a 15-minute debate over Syed Abul Ala Moududi when the erstwhile main opposition Awami League (AL) threatened to walk out of a session. Jamaat Amir Motiur Rahman Nizami sparked the debate raising the issue during his budget speech. Nizami, also the then industries minister, lambasted AL for accusing Moududi of igniting violence in 1953 in the erstwhile united Pakistan, and defended the ideology of Moududi, who founded Jamaat in 1942.

Cancel 5th amendment to establish rule of law ---- Speakers tell roundtable

The 5th amendment to the Constitution should be cancelled to establish rule of law, ensure continuation of democracy and make sure that no army personnel can dream of assuming state power in future, said the speakers at a roundtable yesterday. They also hoped that the historic High Court (HC) verdict on the amendment will be uphold in the appellate division of the Supreme Court (SC). "No parliament can ruin the four pillars of the Constitution of 1972. The historic HC verdict on the fifth amendment was given on the basis of this spirit," said State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam.

He said if the appellate division of the SC upholds the verdict of the HC on the 5th amendment, it would be possible to return to the Constitution of 1972. "Army rule in any country is always illegal. One person cannot change the Constitution that was prepared by people's representatives after the liberation war,” said Justice Ghulam Rabbani. People voted in last parliamentary election to see that the Constitution of 1972 is restored, he added.

The roundtable was organised by online newspaper and news agency INB at Cirdap auditorium in the city. INB Chairman Barrister Zakir Hossain chaired the discussion where Advocate SM Rezaul Karim presented the keynote paper. It was moderated by Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Dutta. "Validity to such misdeeds was given at gunpoint. Such act in a civilised society is unimaginable," said Dr Alauddin Ahmed, education and political adviser to the prime minister.

Every citizen of Bangladesh has the right to hate and reject the 5th amendment, he added. Awami League presidium member Abdur Razzak said the Constitution of 1972 was written with the blood of freedom fighters. Any "illegal government" or “president” cannot change it, he added. He said those who carried out such activities that go against the spirit of the liberation war should be brought to justice. The 5th amendment was passed in the Jatiya Sangsad on April 6, 1979.

Ctg Arms Haul ---- Rezzaqul, Liakat placed under TFI cell for further interrogation

Former National Security Intelligence (NSI) chief major general (retd) Rezzaqul Haider and former deputy director (mechanical) major (retd) Liakat Hossain were taken under Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) cell in Dhaka yesterday in a six-day remand in 10-truck arms haul case for further interrogation. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) police brought the two former NSI chiefs from Chittagong jail at around 10:30 am for taking them to Dhaka. Rezzaqul along with another ex-NSI chief brigadier general (retd) Abdur Rahim was placed on a six-day fresh remand each on May 20 in the sensational Chittagong arms haul case.

The former two chiefs were arrested from the capital on May 16 while ex-NSI DD Liakat on May 26 following a confessional statement of ex-NSI director (security) wing commander (retd) Sahab Uddin. Liakat was placed on a six-day fresh remand on Monday when CID police produced him before the court after completion of a four-day remand on Sunday.

Linking Bangladesh to Asian Highway necessary for dev ---- PM tells Thai foreign minister

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for linking Bangladesh to the Asian Highway as she said the country does not want to remain isolated from the regional flow of development. She made the remarks when the visiting Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya called on her at her office yesterday. They also discussed other issues of common interest, especially trade, business and investment. “Bangladesh's inclusion in the Asian Highway is necessary for our country's rapid development,” she was quoted as saying by her Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad.

The country was late in getting onto the information superhighway passing through the seabed of the Bay of Bengal and now its joining in the caravan of nations along the communications superhighway has also long been stuck up in dithering, especially over its routing issue. The PM also called for Thai investment in every development sector of Bangladesh. In reply, the Thai foreign minister expressed their interest in making investment in Bangladesh's energy, food processing, agricultural, poultry, and fisheries sectors.

Kasit Piromya also said Thailand can help Bangladesh by providing training facilities for poultry, food processing, and fisheries industries as his country has “vast and long experience in these sectors”. The prime minister and the Thai foreign minister expressed satisfaction over the return of democracy both in Bangladesh and Thailand after going through political crisis. Hasina said the people of Bangladesh are now advancing towards peace and prosperity following the Awami League-led Grand Alliance's victory in the last free and fair parliamentary elections held on December 29.

“Without true democracy people cannot establish their rights and a nation cannot achieve its cherished development,” she told the Thai FM. Kasit Piromya hailed the wise and visionary leadership of Hasina as PM and hoped for Bangladesh's rapid and sustainable development during her tenure. He laid emphasis on closer relationship between the ruling AL and Thailand's ruling Democrat Party for further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and for the sake of democracy. The Thai FM expressed his deep shock at the death of over a hundred people in the cyclonic storm Aila and the death of noted nuclear scientist and Hasina's husband Dr MA Wazed Miah. Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni and former Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin were present.

Pintu instigated BDR mutiny ---- Says CID report as the ex-BNP MP placed on 10-day remand

Detained former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu instigated the BDR mutineers, who were involved in the carnage at their Pilkhana headquarters, alleges the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The CID made the allegation in its forwarding report submitted to a Dhaka court yesterday when the investigation officer of the mutiny case produced Pintu before the court seeking 10-day remand. The court granted five days to quiz the former lawmaker in connection with the charges. Earlier, the national probe committee on BDR carnage revealed Pintu's "involvement" with the BDR carnage in helping mutineers flee by arranging engine boats to cross the Buriganga at Keraniganj ferry ghat.

The allegation has also been mentioned in the forwarding report by the CID. Another allegation against Pintu came to light from the CID documents submitted to the court that he and his followers encouraged the mutineers by bringing out processions around Pilkhana in support of them on February 25. CID sources say Pintu's above-mentioned involvement came to light during questioning of arrested BDR mutineers and in the witnesses' accounts. The investigation officer, CID's Senior Assistant Superintendent Abdul Kahar Akand, said Pintu has been sent to the Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) cell where he will be kept during his remand period. He added CID representatives will visit the TFI cell and interrogate him.

The Detective Branch of police picked up Pintu along with his brother-in-law Mainur Rahman Apu on Tuesday afternoon from the High Court premises following a CID requisition to detain him. Apu was later released on a bond. The former lawmaker was taken to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka around 12:45pm in a prison van amid tight security. Earlier, Pintu's counsels submitted a petition seeking bail along with cancellation of the remand prayer. Moving the petition, the defence said their client was implicated in the case for political harassment and damage to his image in the society. They also told the court Pintu was implicated in the case in an attempt to divert the investigation and save the real perpetrators. The defence also argued that it is not clear on which basis allegation Pintu was arrested.

COURT PROCEEDINGS SUSPEND

Metropolitan Magistrate Mominul Hassan had to suspend the court proceedings for around 10 minutes and left the courtroom as there was a pandemonium due to the defence's 'unhealthy' competition on who will be the first to make submission. Pintu himself tried to calm the lawyers, but they did not even pay heed to him. At one stage Pintu shouted, "Why are you (lawyers) causing damage to me?" As the lawyers later promised not to indulge in such behaviour, the magistrate took his seat again and allowed Pintu to defend himself as per his earlier appeal to the court.

Pintu argued that if he was involved in the incident, law enforcers could arrest him at that time. He also said he has been suffering from heart ailment, chest pain, respiratory problem and lost sight in an eye. He said he even begged to a constable to buy him some medicine, but the policeman did not move. Former president of BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Pintu grabbed media spotlight every now and then not only for his alleged involvement in criminal activities, violence, tender snatching and corruption but also for his arrogant behaviour. During the immediate past BNP-Jamaat alliance rule, the government withdrew as many as 76 cases against Pintu, who still faces several cases.

Liakat supervised Ctg arms offloading ----- He checked in Ctg hotel as Abul Hossain; 2 sergeants led 10-truck ammo haul, identify the ex-NSI director
Abdullah Al Mahmud, Ctg

Detained former NSI deputy director (DD) Maj (retd) Liakat supervised the offloading of the consignment of 10 truckloads of illegal arms and ammunition after boarding at Hotel Golden Inn in Chittagong using a fake name two days before the arms haul, CID sources said. The hotel's register book showed that Abul Hossain from Lalbagh in Dhaka boarded room No-512 at the hotel on March 30, 2004. Sources said sergeants Alauddin and Helal Uddin, who helped seize the consignment, identified Liakat as the man who boarded the hotel introducing himself as Abul Hossain.

The sergeants were summoned to the Chittagong divisional headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) where they identified Liakat on May 31. Although Liakat boarded at the hotel using a fake name, he identified himself as a NSI official before the police at Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL) jetty. Hafiz Uddin, one of the main accused in the case, in his confessional statement said a person named Abul Hossain boarded at the hotel and supervised the offloading of the consignment. Liakat was given the responsibility to supervise the offloading as former NSI Director (Security) Wing Commander (retd) Sahab Uddin was suspected of being a double agent, said the sources.

Meantime, Sahab Uddin was placed on a fresh four-day remand yesterday. His counsel advocate Zahirul Islam filed a petition for withdrawing Sahab's confessional statement he made on May 15. Following his statement the investigators arrested former NSI chiefs Maj Gen (Retd) Rezzaqul Haider Chowdhury and Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim and ex-DD Maj (retd) Liakat Hossain. The defence lawyer in the petition claimed that the statement was obtained 'by force'. Rezzaqul and Liakat are now being quizzed at the taskforce for interrogation (TFI) cell in Dhaka.

Tipaimukh Dam ---- Bangladeshi experts' concern 'politically motivated'
Says Indian HC

Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty yesterday said Bangladeshi experts are raising their voice against the proposed Tipaimukh dam getting 'politically motivated'. “Your experts don't have any basic data. Some of them, I am afraid, are politically motivated. They are raising the issue for other reasons,” Pinak told reporters in reply to a question regarding the dam over the common river Barak while emerging from a meeting with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni yesterday. The Indian envoy reasserted that Tipaimukh is not a 'water diversion' project, but a 'hydroelectric project' and both Bangladesh and India would be beneficial from the mammoth project.

Traditionally, the project would generate electricity which can be shared, if possible, he added. “After the use of water for generating electricity, it would flow back into the river and flow its natural course,” he told journalists, explaining their design of the dam. Pinak further said that the project would also help in controlling floods as a lot of water rolls down the rivers during rainy season and causes floods in downstream areas of Bangladesh. The envoy said they offered Bangladesh team to visit the Tipaimukh dam project site to see themselves what is happening.

Replying to another question about detained Indian national Daud Merchant and his associate Zahid, he said they might seek consular access for the detainees as they are Indian nationals. The Indian diplomat said he mainly discussed the foreign minister's visit to India on invitation from the new Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna.

'India dam will create regional chaos'

Bangladesh and India will face instability if the latter goes ahead with its construction of Tiapaimukh dam and other proposed hydropower projects in the region, said the head of an environmental forum on Wednesday. "India is planning to generate around 50,000 megawatts electricity by building dams across 48 different rivers in its seven northeastern states," said Mozaffar Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA). "They aim to export power," he said. "But the entire region will face chaos with the construction of dams across the rivers."

Speaking to reporters at a round table on Climate Change and People, Mozaffar said: "The rivers of Bangladesh will dry up during winter and overflow during the monsoon with the construction of Tipaimukh dam." The former president of Transparency International Bangladesh stressed the need for raising public awareness about the negative environmental impacts. Referring also to infiltration by Indian separatists into Bangladesh territory in the past, he said," We will also fall into a volatile socio-political crisis if the proposed dam is constructed." {How are separatists and dams related?}

He said, BAPA would launch a movement against the Tipaimukh dam. Citing the example of displaced people during the construction of the Kaptai dam for power generation in Bangladesh, he said: "Similarly, the people of northeastern India are also protesting against the construction of the Tipaimukh dam."

Indians against it too

The Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Project (ACTIP) in India comprises academics, politicians, students and around 20 influential socio-political organisations. {See discussion below} They fear the dam will bring more miseries than benefit to most people and severe damage to the environment. The project will be one of the largest hydroelectric projects in eastern India to date and will be located 500 metres downstream of the confluence of the Tuivai and Barak rivers in Monipur, near the Mizoram border.

'India won't hold back water

Meanwhile, Indian high commissioner to Dhaka, Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarti, said Wednesday that although India will have sole control over water flow at the proposed dam site, it will not hold it back. The flow of river water and flood control will remain in the hands of India, he told reporters after a courtesy call with communications minister Syed Abul Hossain at the ministry. But, he said, Tipaimukh dam is a hydro-electric project that will generate electricity from the flow of water, and then will release the water back.

India expects to generate around 1500 megawatts of hydropower from the project, which concerns many in Bangladesh as three rivers—the Surma, Kushiara and the mighty Meghna—lie downstream of the proposed dam. Experts say it will reduce the natural monsoon flood patterns of the Sylhet region adversely affecting cultivation and livelihoods in the area on a vast scale. They also fear India could hold up water flow during the dry season.

Lt Gen Mubin next army chief

Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) Lt Gen Abdul Mubin was appointed as the new army chief. Confirming the news, a senior official of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the appointment letter today. Lt Gen Mubin will replace army chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed, who will retire on June 15. On April 6 last year, Moeen was given a year extension.

In these circumstances a reshuffle in the Bangladesh army was in order. To consolidate his position within Bangladesh army General Moeen removed two top-ranking army generals from key positions. Principal staff officer (PSO) lieutenant general Masud Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, considered the second most powerful general in the military, has been transferred to a low-key post of commandant of the National Defence College. Major General Abdul Mubin, the general officer commanding of the 24 infantry division based in northeastern port city of Chittagong, was appointed as the new PSO. While, NDC commandant Lieutenant General Abu Tayab Mohammad Zahirul Alam has been appointed as the new Bangladesh envoy to Australia, the area commander of the northeastern Bogra was transferred to replace Mubin in Chittagong. Masud Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury and Zahirul Alam were among the senior four generals whose positions were upgraded in May last year.

Lieutenant general Masud Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury was the most powerful General in Bangladesh army after General Moeen. He had held the crucial command of Nine Infantry Division based in suburban Savar during last year's proclamation of the state of emergency and installation of the current interim government. Moreover, he is also a relative of Begum Khaleda Zia. In an agitation like situation in Bangladesh, there was a possibility that Generals like him could have gone against Moeen. The reshuffle in the top brass of the army was brought in to pre-empt this possibility. It will also consolidate the hold of General Moeen. The changes came two months after President Iajuddin Ahmed extended the tenure of Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed by an year.

11 fishermen hurt in Nasaka firing in Bay ----- Bangladeshis forced to stop fishing near St Martin's island

Nasaka, the border security force of Myanmar, opened fire on a group of Bangladeshi fishermen in Batirdia sea channel under Teknaf upazila near Saint Martin's Island, Thursday morning, leaving 11 fishermen wounded, according to a delayed report. Bangladeshi fishermen have not been able to go fishing in the channel since the incident. Fishermen said Nasaka fired gunshots at them within the maritime boundary of Bangladesh in East Bay of Bengal and looted their fishing nets and other valuables. They said fishermen in Cox's Bazar area have been catching Hilsa fish in large numbers since June 1. Till Thursday they caught Hilsa worth about Tk 6 crore, they added.

"Nasaka entered into the channel Thursday morning and attacked us, so that we don't go fishing there," said a fisherman. He said Myanmarese citizens however have been fishing in the channel without any trouble since Thursday's incident. Amir Hamza, 45, who fled from the channel in the face of the attack, said Nasaka have been attacking Bangladeshi fishermen in a bid to establish control over the channel. According to witnesses, the Bangladeshi nationals were wounded when Nasaka opened fired on their trawler in Batirdia channel around 9:00am, forcing all Bangladeshis to flee the area, abandoning more than 100 trawlers and nets.

The same day, Nasaka also entered into Bangladesh's maritime territory through Sabrang border and looted Hilsa worth several lakhs of taka from a trawler, according to Bangladeshi fishermen. The Myanmarese border security force also beat up 13 fishermen of the trawler and threw them into the sea. The fishermen were rescued by another Bangladeshi trawler in the afternoon. Five of them were seriously wounded, who are Mohammad, 50, Shafiq Ahmed, 39, Nurul Islam, 35, Abdur Razzak, 32, and Abul Foyez, 35. They were admitted to Teknak Upazila Health Complex. Mohammad, who had been shot in the head, was later transferred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated, said Dr Md Lokman of the health complex.

President of Teknaf Boat Owners Association Rashid Ahmed said Bangladeshi fishermen are not secured in the sea, and are not wiling to go fishing following frequent Nasaka attacks on them. "We are unable to fish when Hilsas are found in great numbers in the channel," he said adding that Nasaka have been patrolling the channel, so only Myanmarese fishermen may fish there without any trouble. Rashid said two Bangladeshi fishermen were killed on April 8, when Nasaka opened fire on them. Lt Monjur Ahmad, who is in charge of Bangladesh Coastguard in Teknaf, said they did not receive any written complaint about Thursday's incident, but he heard that a few Bangladeshi fishermen had been wounded by Nasaka firing. It is not safe for the coastguard to patrol the area since Nasaka are firing shots there, he added.

Saint Martin Union Parishad Chairman Firoz Ahmed said Nasaka looted at least 10 trawlers in the area in the last four months. "They have been attacking us frequently, firing at fishermen and beating them, and also looting their valuables. In many cases, they kidnap our fishermen and release them after taking ransoms," he added. Fish traders in Teknaf, Syedul Islam and Bashir Ahmed, said they could not supply Hilsa to Dhaka and Chittagong because fishing in Saint Martin's channel had been suspended since Thursday's Nasaka firing.

Phensidyl smuggling up on lax border vigilance

Phensidyl smuggling has shot up since the February 25 carnage at Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters, as lax border control, because of a shortage of BDR guards, allowed smugglers to step up operations across the Indo-Bangladesh border. An internal security report, submitted to the government high-ups early this April, also observed that the post-BDR carnage period has been marked by sharp increase in illegal activities, such as trafficking of women and children, and drug and arms smuggling. This is reflected particularly in the sharp rise of Phensidyl smuggling, evident from the high number of recoveries in the last two months and a huge fall in street value.

According to a Rab statistics, the force recovered 21,052 bottles of Phensidyl in December, 28931 bottles in January, 35840 bottles in February. In March, Rab Phensidyl recovery shot up to 42,848 bottles and in April 44,603 bottles. In the Dhaka metropolitan sub-region alone, narcotics control department officials said they seized around 7,000 Phensidyl bottles in April, up from only 1,000 in January. Meanwhile, Phensidyl prices on streets have halved as the price of a bottle of Phensidyl in Dhaka now is at Tk 350 to Tk 400, which was Tk 650 to Tk 700 in early 2009. In the border areas, a bottle of the drug sells now at Tk 150 compared to Tk 300 before the carnage in Pilkhana.

A Phensidyl user from Dhaka Medical College Hospital area said Phensidyl traders are calling him repeatedly to sell it at abnormally low prices. "I often scare them that I'll inform the police so the dealers don't disturb me anymore," he said wishing anonymity. A Rab official seeking anonymity told The Daily Star, "Despite our relentless efforts a huge amount of Phensidyl is being smuggled into the country. This is reflected in the huge seizure of Phensidyl and fall in its street value." Police and BDR personnel have also recovered huge quantity of Phensidyl in the last two months. Different consignments of the contraband syrup were being carried in trucks, microbus and even cars.

However, seizure of heroin, hemp and liquor has not experienced such an abnormal surge, according to Rab recovery statistics. Director General of BDR Md Mainul Islam said they are stepping up BDR operations along the borders and taking actions against smugglers. Asked about the rise in Phensidyl smuggling, he said, "There will always be smuggling along borders. But we'll control it by taking effective measures." He hoped to secure the border soon. Bangladesh shares nearly 4,000 kilometres or 2,500 miles of land and maritime borders with its neighbours India and Myanmar.

The Rab officer said although the border guards are now patrolling the borders, their effectiveness is not satisfactory since BDR officers are still commanding their forces from different cantonments. "Earlier, officers used to visit different camps at least 15 days a month to monitor the border guards discharging their duty," the official said. Acting Director of Rab Intelligence Wing Major Azim Ahmed said they have alerted all Rab battalions, intensified search of vehicles, increased block raids and doubled patrolling in different border areas to check Phensidyl smuggling. Medicine expert Prof Mujibur Rahman of Suhrawardy Hospital said protracted consumption of Phensidyl causes various long-term side effects including gradual inactiveness of the brain, anaemia and clogging up of the lungs with liquid.

Daud has 20 paid women agents in Bangladesh

Police believe at least 20 women are working in the country to expand the network of international mafia godfather Daud Ibrahim. The investigators are yet to get details of those women and their whereabouts. They suspect that their job was to find and persuade people into the network of the underworld gang. Chhota Shakil, second-in-command of Daud Ibrahim's gang, used to pay those women through one of his Bangladesh-based gangsters Zahid Sheikh, a Detective Branch (DB) Police source said. Zahid, an Indian national, admitted to investigators that he recently received Tk 4 lakh from India. Investigators said they are now trying to find out the channel through which Zahid received money from India.

Zahid has been hiding in Bangladesh since 2001 and was in Brahmanbaria on May 27 with Abdul Rouf Daud Merchant and their Bangladeshi host Kamal Mian. Both Daud Merchant and Zahid are on an eight-day remand. "Checking Zahid's cellphone memory list we have come to know about the 20 women," an investigator told The Daily Star. Wishing anonymity, the investigator said Zahid maintained regular contact and relation with the women but he is yet to give details about them. "Once we arrest some of the women we will know more about their role and the network of Daud Ibrahim's gang," he said, adding that they suspect that more than 150 highly-paid agents have been working in the country for Daud Ibrahim.

Zahid disclosed sensational information to the investigators. He said Daud Ibrahim visited Khulna area in 1996 but he did not know details of the visit. He said he first met Daud Ibrahim at hotel Sayana in Mumbai. He used to know him as Raja Bhai, the DB official said. Chhota Shakil maintained the gang so efficiently that the gang members do not even know each other. Giving an instance, the DB official said while Zahid came to the country first through Benapole in 2001, Chhota Shakil sent a man with a blue car to receive him from a place near Zia International Airport in Dhaka. The man took him to Banani in the capital and from there another man took him to a hotel at Mohakhali where he stayed until he rented a house in Mohammadpur area. Zahid told investigators that he never saw the two persons again during his long stay in the country.

Meanwhile DB police interrogated Brahmanbaria Municipality councillor Faruq yesterday and they will interrogate the mayor of the municipality today. DB sources said councillor Faruq said Kamal Mian, who is known to him, took Daud Merchant to him and told him that Daud Merchant was a resident of the municipality. Councillor Faruq in good faith attested an application without verifying his nationality.

Rooppur nuke power plant in 5 years ---- Says minister

Rooppur nuclear power plant would hopefully start generating power in five years adding one thousand megawatt of power to the national grid, said State Minster for Science and Technology Yafes Osman yesterday morning. The state minister was speaking during his visit at Rooppur power plant under Ishwardi upazila in Pabna. He said the government had pledged to set up the plant and generate additional electricity in its election manifesto. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russia has already been signed regarding the project, he added.

A team of foreign experts would visit the site soon and the project would be on its way, said the state minister. Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Mosaraf Hossain, Project Director Md Shawkat Akbar, lawmaker of Pabna-4 constituency Samsur Rahman Sarif Dilu were present, among others, during the visit. Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was established during the 60's over approximately 260 acres of land most of which has since remained unused.

Touhid hid killings in talks with PM ---- Confesses to have led BDR carnage

Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Touhidul Alam yesterday confessed before magistrate of a Dhaka court to have led the planning of the BDR mutiny and all operations during the carnage. Terming the confession a big step forward, sources in the CID said Touhid, prime accused in the BDR carnage case, admitted that he had taken the leadership as rebel Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) jawans gave him the responsibility. Sources in the CID, which is investigating the case, said in the three-hour-long confession Touhid said he had led a team of 14 BDR mutineers to the talks with the prime minister at her residence Jamuna on February 25 to get general amnesty. He said he knew that the army officers were already killed but he did not reveal the information during the talks with prime minister and other government representatives.

Detained Sepoy Habib also made a statement yesterday admitting that he and Sepoy Muhit shot and killed director general of BDR Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed and other senior officers at Darbar Hall in Pilkhana soon after the revolt sparked. Metropolitan Magistrate AKM Emdadul Haque recorded the statements of Touhid and Habib. Arrested on March 3, Touhid was placed on remand four times. Touhid also mentioned names of several BDR men who abetted him in the February 25-26 carnage that left 74 people including 57 army officers dead. DAD Touhid tops the list of 24 people named as planners and implementers of the carnage in the summary of the probe report of the national committee, formed to investigate the bloodbath at the Pilkhana BDR headquarters. CID sources said Touhid's confession is regarded as a big step forward in the investigation and trial process of the BDR carnage case. Lalbagh police filed the case on March 1 against over 1,000 BDR men.

Human Chain at Amolshid of Zakiganj --- Tipaimukh to become another Farakka --- Speakers at discussion express fear

People of Zakiganj yesterday formed a human chain at Amolshid in the upazila protesting Indian move to construct a dam on the river Borak at Tipaimukh in the Indian state of Manipur. Acid Santrash Nirmul Committee, Sylhet, staged the protest against the controversial dam project, 100-km upstream of eastern border of Sylhet district. The river Borak bifurcated into two flows and entered Bangladesh as Surma and Kushiyara through Zakiganj border. Zakiganj Pourasava (municipality) Mayor Iqbal Ahmed and Sylhet City Corporation Councillor Koyes Lodi also joined the human chain programme.

On Friday night, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (Bela) organised a discussion in Sylhet city in observance of the World Environment Day. Chaired by Sushasaner Janya Nagarik Sylhet chapter General Secretary Faruque Mahmud Chowdhury, the speakers raised voice against the proposed Tipaimukh dam project. Sylhet Divisional Commissioner Zafar Ahmed Khan, TIB's Conscious Citizens' Committee Convener EU Shahidul Islam, Dr Sudhamoy Majumder, Advocate Syed Ashraf Hossain, Daily Uttar-Purbo Editor Aziz Ahmed Selim, Shahjalal University teachers Awal Biswas and Farzana Raihan, Press Club Vice-president Al-Azad, and Coordinator of Bela Sylhet chapter Ayesha Chowdhury were among the discussants.

The speakers said the people of 12 districts in the country's north-eastern region including greater Sylhet and Mymensingh and those of the Indian states of Assam and Manipur should raise their voice against the controversial dam project. Once the project is implemented, it will create havoc in the whole region, the speakers cautioned, urging the democratic and patriotic forces to unite against the Indian move to construct the proposed dam on the river Borak. The Indian government initiated the project about a decade ago, but could not go ahead in the face of widespread agitation from its own people at times. Even some 25 peoples' forums like that of Tipaimukh Dam Resistance Committee have been formed there to protest the move.

With reference to some experts' opinion, the discussion meeting was told that implementation of the dam project mainly aimed at producing electricity would cause a disastrous situation in the Meghna basin, especially the greater Sylhet and Mymensingh region, during the dry season due to withdrawal of water in the upper stream. Also, they said, there are apprehensions of recurrent flooding during the monsoon due to possible release of water. It will be another Farakka, the speakers said, urging the people to resist the move.

Two key-note papers--one on 'Tipaimukh dam: The Possible Disaster' and the other on 'climate change' were presented at the discussion by Prof Zahir Bin Alam of Shahjalal university of Science and Technology (SUST) and Zahrat Rishat of Bela. Divisional Commissioner Zafar Ahmed Khan said the Tipaimukh dam project issue should be resolved internationally. It would not only cause disaster in Sylhet or in Bangladesh but also in the Indian states of Manipur, Mizoram and Assam, he said. He said the Indian government is going ahead with the controversial project ignoring protests in the Manipur state.

Budget thoughts ----- Muinul Islam

IN Bangladesh, the negative effects of the global financial crisis are not yet that severe. In the financial year 2007-08, Bangladesh's export earning came to $14.1 billion. With the GDP in current prices amounting to $79 billion in that year, the export/GDP ratio was estimated at about 17.8 per cent. The import bills of Bangladesh amounted to $20.2 billion in the financial year 2007-8, giving an import/GDP ratio of 25.6 per cent. The recorded remittances during the same financial year from non-resident Bangladeshis and Bangladeshi migrants through formal channels amounted to another $7.9 billion, which amounts to 10 per cent of GDP.

The actual disbursement of official development assistance (ODA) amounted to $1.9 billion (2.4 per cent of GDP) and the net foreign direct investment (FDI) flow amounted to $650 million only, a paltry 0.8 per cent of GDP. Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) was a very negligible inflow. In the context of the above macroeconomic indices, it has to be admitted that the Bangladesh economy cannot remain immune to the on-going world crisis. But, there is no need to be panicky. There are six transmission channels of the contagion effects of the global crisis into the Bangladesh economy: a) export, b) import, c) overseas employment of Bangladeshis and the flow of remittances, d) foreign loans and grants, e) foreign direct investment, and f) the flow of foreign portfolio investment into or out of Bangladesh.

If we analyse these six channels of transmission carefully we will find out that Bangladesh has yet to experience the severe fall-outs from the current global crisis, and has largely escaped the negative impacts of the global slow-down. What is more significant is that the collapsing world prices of a number of very vital products like oil, food grains, fertilisers, consumer necessities, industrial raw materials, etc have rather helped the Bangladesh economy by largely dousing the inflationary fire of the years 2007 and 2008. Woven garments and knitwear account for about 76 per cent of Bangladesh's export earnings from goods. About 95 per cent of our exports in these two categories go to industrialised countries of the West, which have become direct victims of the current crisis.

Therefore, there is widespread fear among the exporters that sooner or later the negative effects of the slow-down of the developed economies will be affecting us through reduced orders and collapsing demand. But, Bangladesh produces mostly low-priced items, which may not face substantial demand cut immediately. Rather, the low-end products may even benefit from the so-called "Wal-Mart Effect" -- the diversion of consumer preferences in favour of low-priced garments in face of income loss and job-loss. This effect may be the factor behind the continued robust growth of export orders observed in both woven and knit-wear sectors during the first eight months of the current fiscal year.

However, some signs of decline in number of orders and volume of average order have been noticed in April 2009, which need to be monitored very carefully. We are still achieving positive rates of growth in both the sectors, though the rates will be lower compared to those of the last year. More importantly, our competitive edge over other apparel exporters cannot be allowed to be eroded through depreciation of their currencies or through export subsidies given by them to their exporters. The immediate need of the hour for us is for close monitoring of the unfolding scenario. But there is no need to be panicky in these two sectors.

In case of leather goods, frozen fish, shrimp, jute goods and raw jute and textile products, the wave of world recession has already reached our shores. Therefore, these sectors deserve adequate policy support in the form of cash incentives, loan rescheduling, interest rate cut, tax rebates and other types of fiscal stimulus. What needs to be ensured is that the adversely affected enterprises do not lay-off workers in large numbers. The stimulus package should be directed at saving jobs rather than at narrow coterie interests of the owners of the enterprises.

The government has already declared a stimulus package of about Tk. 3,424 crore, which has by and large addressed the immediate concerns satisfactorily. We are happy that the government has allocated Tk. 1,500 crore for subsidy to be given to the agricultural sector. The remittance flow into Bangladesh remains quite healthy, and the flow has been increasing at about 30 per cent growth rate this year compared to last year. What needs to be vigorously pursued is the search for newer job destinations. Diversification of overseas employment targets for Bangladeshi migrant workers other than the traditional job markets can reduce the risk of return flow of migrants, if the current global crisis lingers.

Skill development programs, enhanced efforts of economic diplomacy, smooth travel and emigration formalities, effective steps to alleviate exploitation and harassment of migrants during their journeys, fast and hassle-free procedures for remittances, etc should get the priority of our policy makers at the current juncture. The transmission channel of imports has brought positive impacts for the Bangladesh economy in the form of lower prices for many vital items of import like oil and petroleum products, edible oil, food grains, fertilizers and industrial raw materials. But, some faulty government policies, oligopolistic cartels and market syndicates have been depriving the consumers from reaping the full benefits of price decreases world-wide.

There is no indication of a sharp fall in ODA in the immediate future resulting from the global economic crisis. Moreover, any such fall in foreign loans and grants may be a boon in disguise for the Bangladesh economy, I think. The flow of FDI into Bangladesh is already low. The flow of FPI is almost inconsequential. So, there is no big danger from these two fronts. The fall of international prices has created some space for Bangladesh in the form of reduced import bills on many items. The government can use the money saved for providing fiscal stimulus to the adversely affected sectors. It can also provide some enhanced subsidies to the direct producers and the low-income consumers in the form of price supports and targeted rationing respectively. The government may resort to increased deficit spending in the field of infrastructure building to create employment opportunities. It can also use the extra food grains collected through the price support programs for providing extra purchasing power to the rural vulnerable groups of people.

B'baria officials quizzed over Merchant's false passport

Police are set to question Brahmanbaria municipal mayor Hafizur Rahman Mollah for aiding Indian fugitive Abdur Rauf Merchant, caught hiding out in the district last month, to obtain a false passport. The Detective Branch police will seek seven more days to grill Abdur Rauf, better known as Daud Merchant, to delve deeper into possible links between Bangladesh and the Mumbai underworld, said a police official on Saturday. Abdur Rauf, along with associates Zahid Sheikh and Kamal Miah will be produced in court on Sunday, Mahbub Alam, DB additional deputy police commissioner, told bdnews24.com.

"Much crucial information has been extracted from them during their eight-day remand that ends tomorrow (Sunday)," he said. "We need more time to interrogate them further on the basis of these pieces of information." Merchant was remanded into police custody on May 29 following his arrest in Brahmanbaria. Fellow Indian Zahid was arrested from the capital's Adabor area and Bangladeshi Kamal in Brahmanbaria, under the Foreigners Act and Passport Act for sheltering the Indian fugitive and furnishing him with a false passport.

Police say Merchant, convicted in 2001 for the murder of music mogul Gulshan Kumar, came to Bangladesh on orders from Mumbai 'mafia don' Daud Ibrahim. Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner ASM Shahidul Islam told reporters after the arrest last month that Ibrahim had sent Merchant to Bangladesh to extend his criminal network beyond India. Alam said on Saturday names of Bangladeshi contacts had been extracted from them in questioning.

"Some of these contacts may have developed ties with Daud Ibrahim in Mumbai through them," he said. "Most have now gone into hiding," he added. "However, we believe we are closing in one or two who will be arrested within a very short time," the deputy police commissioner said. Police have also questioned four other people in connection with Merchant's arrest, including a woman friend of Zahid and a Brahmanbaria municipal councillor.

Brahmanbaria municipal mayor Hafizur Rahman Mollah will also be questioned on Monday. On the councillor's recommendations, the mayor certified Merchant for procuring a Bangladeshi passport. Merchant began serving his sentence in 2002. After serving eight years and four months, he was released in April this year on a 14-day furlough to see his ailing mother, in Mumbra, a small town about 40 km from Mumbai, but was reported absconding by Indian police earlier this month.

Merchant has denied any link with Ibrahim. He told reporters at his remand hearing that he had fled his country fearing he would be shot dead in an 'encounter' with Indian law enforcers. He also claimed he was innocent and had no role in the 1997 murder of Kumar. He said he had been falsely implicated and 'trapped' in the case. Gulshan Kumar, renowned owner of Indian music company T-series, was shot dead on the streets of Mumbai on Aug 12, 1997. He was believed to have been murdered by contract after refusing to pay extortion money to gangsters.

Dhaka: At least 50 Indian gangsters, part of international mafia don Dawood Ibrahim’s network, frequently visit Bangladesh and enjoy local political patronage, media reports here said.

“We have found a four-page list of 50 Indian gangsters, along with their local addresses, who often visit Bangladesh and have the blessings of some influential politicians,” a senior Detective Branch official told the New Age newspaper.

The list of gangsters was found during a raid on the rented house of Zahid Sheikh alias Muzahid, said to be an Indian national, in Dhaka.

“After seeing the addresses in the list we conducted raids in different parts of the city and its outskirts on Friday,” said the official. “Two of the 50 Indian gangsters have been staying in Khulna for a long time,” he added.

The Indian gangsters have helped Ibrahim employ 20 Bangladeshi women agents whose job is “to find and persuade people into the underworld gang”, The Daily Star newspaper quoted a Detective Branch official as saying.

Chhota Shakeel, Dawood’s second-in-command who operates from Pakistan and Dubai like his boss, has been sending large sums of money to finance the local network.

The Bangladesh authorities have come up with much information about Dawood’s network and are probing the local connections since the arrest last week of Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant, who fled India after being convicted of the murder of Bollywood music baron Gulshan Kumar in 1997.

Merchant had been hiding in a village near Brahmanbaria in eastern Bangladesh for the past several weeks, shortly before he was to fly out to Dubai on a fake Bangladesh passport that he acquired during his stay here.

Police say Merchant had also acquired a nationality certificate with the help of Brahmanbaria civic chief and another municipal councillor. They are now being questioned.

The documents with Merchant and his mobile phone memory have revealed the names of Indian operatives and their local agents, including women, said the newspaper.

Merchant, who jumped furlough — two week home leave available to a convict under Indian law — claimed he was in Bangladesh in hiding.

The Bangladesh authorities are, however, investigating if he was there on a “mission”.

Mother caned in Bangladesh for talking to Hindu man

By Shafiq Alam – 16 hours ago

DHAKA (AFP) — A Muslim mother has been caned for talking to a Hindu man in Bangladesh, police said Saturday, prompting fresh concerns about a rise in cases of harsh treatment of women under strict Islamic law. ………….........

AFP via Google

Some politicians helped Daud spread crime web ----- Another aide to the mafia don arrested

Detectives have found some political leaders and influential people in Bangladesh to have close relations with international mafia don Daud Ibrahim. The police suspect the influential people maintain close link with Daud to get his support in expanding their businesses in Dubai, a stronghold of the Mumbai-based mafia don. "The names of a number of political leaders and influential people surfaced during interrogation of two detained accomplices of Daud. We're now verifying what kinds of relations they maintain with him," Deputy Commissioner (DC) Monirul Islam of Detective Branch (DB) told The Daily Star. He however refused to reveal the names and identities of the influential people at this stage of investigation.

Meanwhile, the detectives arrested another accomplice of Daud Indian national Arif Hossain at Krishi Market in Mohammadpur in the city Saturday night. The police have so far arrested three of Daud's accomplices since May 27 who are either convicted or accused in criminal cases including for murders. The police claim they came to Bangladesh to accomplish the gang's long-term assignment, but the arrestees say they were just hiding here. DB sources say the arrested Indian criminals came to Bangladesh at the directive of Chhota Shakil, who is next to Daud Ibrahim. The sources add Shakil handles his network in Bangladesh over cellphone so tactfully that his operatives here even don't know each other.

ARREST OF ARIF

A DB team raided the Krishi Market area after squeezing information out of detained Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant and Zahid Sheikh and arrested Arif. During interrogation at the DB office on Minto Road, Arif said Chhota Shakil sent him Tk 1.5 lakh through Western Union last week to provide legal support to Rauf and Zahid, sources say. The sources also say Shakil was keeping regular contact with Arif over cellphone to discuss means to free Rauf and Zahid on bail. Arif was running a meat shop at Krishi Market since he came to Bangladesh and residing at a rented house in Mohammadpur Housing Society.

He told The Daily Star at the DB office that he is accused and arrested in connection with a murder in India. Sakil sent him to Bangladesh in 2001 as he was freed on bail in 2000 after serving around seven years behind bars. "I received Tk 10,000 per month but after my marriage I am receiving Tk 16,000. In this country I was registered as a voter and was living here as a stranded Bihari." Arif admitted without hesitation that he and another gangster gunned down Amar Sohana Bhaskar Shethe in Mumbai in 1993 at the directive of Shakil as Shethe allegedly led the damage to the historic Babri Mosque. He said he was arrested the same year in connection with that murder. Arif married a Bangladeshi national and the couple has two daughters, he said, adding they are trying to settle in Bangladesh by becoming citizens on Shakil's instruction.

REMAND

DB sources say they produced Adul Rauf, Zahid and their Bangladeshi host Kamal with a prayer for 10 days' remand on completion of earlier eight-day remand yesterday. The court however granted six days' remand for Rauf and Zahid and another five days for Arif.

DB MEN THREATENED

DC Monirul said, "I got some ring from Indian cellphone numbers and an ADC received an SMS from a Bangladeshi cellphone number threatening him not to proceed with the matter of Daud Imrahim's aides."

War Crime Trial ---- Shafique slates Pak official's remark

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said yesterday the reported comment of a Pakistani official on Bangladesh's planned trial of war criminals is beyond diplomatic norms. Pakistan's Additional Secretary for Asia-Pacific Masood Khalid reportedly told some Bangladeshi journalists in Islamabad on Saturday that relation between Bangladesh and Pakistan would be cooled if Dhaka goes on with the planned trial of war criminals. Talking to newsmen at his secretariat office, the law minister said the government will try only those Bangladeshi citizens who had committed offences against humanity in collaboration with Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War in 1971. "The issue of holding trial of the war criminals is our internal matter. We will not try any Pakistani citizen. Pakistan should not make any comment on this issue as per international laws," he said.

Army seeks to form crisis unit --- Proposed Quick Reaction Force to tackle internal security; can be sent for UN peacekeeping; JS body to discuss the proposal

Bangladesh Army seeks to form a special unit named, Quick Reaction Force (QRF), to ensure the country's internal security, particularly to tackle on an urgent basis -- incidents like mutinies and bombings. Terming such an unit 'indispensable' for the country 'under the current circumstances', the army in a report claimed that QRF troops will be able to neutralise the threats to the nation much quicker, sources said quoting from the proposals stipulated in the report. Placed for discussion before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Defence Ministry on last Thursday, the report also suggested that the government approves formation of a QRF brigade.

In the report the army termed the absence of QRF as one of its weaknesses in relation to rendering assistance to the government for maintaining internal security. If QRF is formed, it can also be sent to UN peacekeeping missions on short notice, which will elevate Bangladesh Army's image in the international arena, the report claimed. The report also suggested forming a national crisis [management] committee in light of the 'current reality' to deal with all possible future crises. The national probe committee investigating the recent BDR mutiny, in its report submitted to the government last month, also suggested formation of a national crisis management committee at the top level. The February 25-26 BDR mutiny this year, left 74 people dead, including 57 army officers who had been working in the border security force on deputation.

The proposals for the formation of the national crisis management committee came after the National Security Council, the highest consulting body on security affairs, had become defunct, observed security experts. "The absence of a national crisis management committee comprising all ministries and forces, might result in a lack of coordination and waste of time. That could create a national crisis, or the public might lose confidence in the security forces," said the army's report. The report also focused on threats to the country's security, and on possible grounds for Bangladesh to get involved in unwanted internal and external wars.

Internal reasons identified in the report, for which Bangladesh Army might get involved in conflicts are: if the Chittagong Hill Tract separatist movement is revived; if any non-state force or terrorists adopt the policy of an uneven warfare, or if any terrorist base inside the country threatens global peace and stability; and if law and order deteriorates and the government's authority is challenged by anti-people activities of drug and arms dealers. "According to Bangladesh's foreign policy, we will not initiate a war. But, Bangladesh might inadvertently get engaged in a conflict due to various reasons. A recent analysis stated that since 1990 militaries of the world got involved in 30 to 40 small and large conflicts a year. Most of those conflicts did not involve a foreign country, but were caused by internal disturbances or clashes," the report said.

The army in the report expressed faith that it will be possible to implement all necessary measures required to keep the army always prepared, if the proposals are placed before the parliament and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through the parliamentary standing committee. The prime minister is currently holding the portfolio of the defence ministry, along with the control of the Armed Forces Division. Since formation of the current government, the prime minister pledged to transform Bangladesh Army into a modern force, the report said hoping that the army will continuously be strengthened by implementation of the prime minister's pledges and by the parliamentary committee's prudent guidance.

The report said the army's vision, objective, and mission is to protect and defend the integrity and sovereignty of the country from internal and external threats, by building a modern and skilled force. The parliamentary standing committee at a meeting on May 28 opened a discussion on the army's proposals, problems, and possible solutions to those. In its report the army also focused on the needs for formulating a national defence policy to specify terms and references, organisational importance, and guidelines for all armed forces.

The parliamentary body echoed the view, and asked the defence ministry and the Armed Forces Division to place the draft defence policy, which is already prepared, at the committee's next meeting for discussion. Ruling Awami League (AL) in its electoral manifesto, pledged to formulate a national defence policy, and to build modern and skilled defence forces to safeguard the country's independence and sovereignty against any threat.

New army chief Mubeen to get 4 stars

Lieutenant general Md Abdul Mubeen, appointed new army chief, will be promoted to the rank of general with effect from June 15 when he takes office, the defence ministry said in a statement Sunday. Mubeen's three-year tenure succeeds that of General Moeen U Ahmed, who goes on retirement from June 15 on completion of an extended term, said the ministry. A former GOC in Jessore and Chittagong, Mubeen was made Principal Staff Officer to the Armed Forces Division a year ago, on June 4 2008, in a major reshuffle of top army posts.

He also came to the fore giving a well-received televised statement on the night of Feb 27 to clarify that the government's announcement of a 'general amnesty' during the Feb 25-26 BDR mutiny did not mean that mutineers involved in killings, arson and other crimes would go unpunished. Moeen U Ahmed is widely regarded as having had a key role in the '1/11 takeover' and formation of the new caretaker government after a state of emergency was imposed Jan 1 2007 during a period of extreme political turmoil.

On April 6 last year, Moeen's term was extended by another year. The extension took effect from June 15 that year. Mubeen, meanwhile, served as the coordinator of the national coordination committee against corruption during the caretaker government's antigraft drive against top politicians and businessmen.

'NSI infighting' led to 10-truck arm haul

Infighting among National Security Intelligence officials may be responsible for the 'tip-off' that led to the sensational seizure of ten truckloads of weapons in Chittagong in 2004, say CID officials investigating the case. Former NSI director general Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury and deputy director Liakat Hossain during lengthy interrogations have continued to deny any links to the arms consignment, said investigators on Sunday. Special superintendent of CID in Chittagong, Md Muslim, told bdnews24.com that the two former NSI officials will be produced in court again on Monday.

Rezzakul and Liakat were sent back to Chittagong on Sunday after six days of questioning by the Task Force for Interrogation in Dhaka, during which they both pointed the finger squarely at co-accused, former NSI director Sahabuddin. Internal power struggles among NSI officials in the port city at the time apparently ended up bringing the arms consignment to the notice of law enforcers. Sahab informed police about the consignment to "falsely implicate other NSI officials", Rezzakul has said during interrogation.

Investigators did not say whether Sahabuddin would be remanded for a third time for further interrogation. A CID official said Liakat had agreed to give a confessional statement in court, whereas Rezzak, who revealed a great deal of information during interrogation, refused to give a recorded statement.

He was rushed to Rangamati Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared him dead at 3:30pm. His death certificate stated that it was a case of 'Cardio-respiratory failure due to acute myocardial infarction (MI) and hypertension'.

Brig Gen Chowdhury Fazlul Bari, who was posted to the Bangladesh mission in Washington DC during the caretaker government rule, is being considered an absconder by the military authorities, army sources say.

Fresh remand for Pintu sought ---- Hearing on Jun 16

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has identified some people from the call list of former BNP lawmaker Nsiruddin Pintu's cellphone during the BDR carnage, but the rest in the call list are yet to be identified, according to a report placed before a Dhaka court yesterday. The CID placed the report with a fresh ten-day remand prayer for Pintu and also produced him in the court. Metropolitan Magistrate Mominul Hassan, however, deferred the remand hearing due to Pintu's illness and sent him to jail. The court also fixed June 16 for the next hearing.

In the report, CID's Senior Assistant Superintend of Police (ASP) Abdul Kahhar Akond, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, mentioned that during the two phases of remands, Pintu gleaned important information, including the call lists and several names of his accomplices. ASP Kahar Akond also said he could identify some people form the call list but to find out the rest, Pintu needed to be quizzed in a fresh remand as the three-day remand ended yesterday. Pintu had been on remand for eight days in two phases in connection with the BDR mutiny case so far.

Take steps to resolve dispute over enclaves to ensure HR ---- Speakers urge govt

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday demanded urged the government take necessary measures to resolve the dispute over enclave issue between Bangladesh and India to ensure human rights and security to the people of both the countries. They also called for implementation of the 'Enclaves Exchange Treaty' signed by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the then Indian premier Indira Gandhi in 1974. They placed the demand while addressing the roundtable on 'Life in enclaves: Looking into the perspective of citizenship, human rights and security' organised by organised by Centre for Human Rights, Development and Human Security (CHRDHS) at the National Press Club in the city.

CHRDHS Executive Director Fazlus Sattar said, “The people of these enclaves have been suffering a lot for long. They are deprived of all the civil rights and government facilities as they are not enlisted in the voter list and they have no national identity. We hope that the government will take necessary steps to ensure their civil rights and security, as the major duty of a state is to ensure its citizens' social security, dignity and establish fundamental rights,” he added. “The people of these areas cannot move freely, as both the Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) never allow them to come out of the fenced areas. They cannot have education, because the neighbouring school authorities do not allow the admission of children belonging to a family of the enclave areas.”

Sattar said the people of these areas are facing tremendous problems in getting married. They cannot marry another one outside the enclaves. That is why, they have to be married with their neighbours or relatives which accelerates the tradition of multi-marriage system. In some enclaves, people sell or buy lands signing in a white paper because of absence of the government office or law enforcement agencies. The speakers called on the civil society members as well as media men to come forward to eliminate the sufferings of people, because coordinated effort can only save them from being in a state of helplessness.

Former adviser to a caretaker government Major Gen (retd) Moinul Hossain Chowdhury called on the NGOs to extend their activities in enclave areas by providing different assistance and creating awareness. Former foreign secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and CHRDHS President Abu Musa Md Tarek also spoke, among others.

Defence spending up

The government has raised military spending to Tk 8,382 crore in the proposed budget. Finance minister AMA Muhith, in his budget speech on Thursday, also proposed to raise it from Tk 7,967 crore in the current fiscal to Tk 8,196 crore in the revised budget for FY 2009-10. He told parliament that the government was set to keep the armed forces "above all controversy." "Currently, we do not have any codified defence policy," Muhith said and added that they would follow a participatory approach in formulating a National Defence Policy. The finance minister also stressed reinforcing diplomatic initiatives along with restructuring the defence system to ensure national security.

UAE won't recruit workers now

The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday it will not recruit more Bangladeshis during the ongoing economic recession but promised to take people in after the Gulf nation gets over the downturn. The UAE's foreign minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during an eight-hour visit to Dhaka, also pledged to resolve problems Bangladeshi workers face in his country. At a joint press conference with foreign minister Dipu Moni, he said his country would invest in Bangladesh after signing deals on avoidance of double taxation and protection of investment.

Nahyan had talks with prime minister Sheikh Hasina and foreign minister Dipu Moni on UAE investment in power, infrastructure, tourism and agriculture sectors. "We are very much interested in investing in tourism, but before we get into these details we have to have the right and proper dynamics, then we orgainse it. "That is why, I have mentioned the importance of having and finalising an agreement on avoidance of double taxation and the importance of finalising an agreement on protection of investment," Nahyan told reporters at the foreign ministry before leaving Dhaka for India.

Dipu Moni said, "They have shown interest in investing in the infrastructure, power, agriculture, tourism and other sectors. "But the joint commission, which last met 17 years before, headed by the finance ministers, will meet sometimes before September to finalise the deals on investment protection and avoidance of double taxation," she said. "The two deals are at the final stage of signing." The bilateral trade volume between Bangladesh and the UAE is about $350 million. On recruitment of more workers, the UAE foreign minister said, "Of course, I have heard that from the foreign minister asking for more Bangladeshis to be appointed.

"But for the time being, it will be very difficult to do that. As you know that the UAE economy is privately driven. "It is very difficult for us to come up with quotas or ask our private sector to bring one more national. "But I believe the Bangladeshi workers are quite professional." The minister said more Bangladeshis would be appointed after the current economic slowdown was over. "I tell you one good news that the global economic meltdown has not been as bad as many of experts have predicted. So, it may not last long," he said.

He admitted that 700,000 Bangladeshi workers had been facing problems from the recruiting companies. "There are some problems. We do not undermine it anyway. "But the UAE has been taking the lead in our part of the world in solving these issues and preparing the infrastructure to ensure better way of life including health and education," he said. Nahyan said the Gulf emirate had already implemented a decision on providing workers the salaries through banks. The minister arrived in Dhaka at 12:30pm and left at 8:30pm.

Envoy to 'trace war crimes footage'

Dhaka, June 09 --- The new Bangladeshi high commissioner to the UK has said one of his main tasks will be to help the government get documentary evidence on 1971 war crimes from the British authorities. "Britain provided all possible assistance for Bangladesh's independence in 1971," Sayeedur Rahman Khan, who joins his new office on Wednesday, told bdnews24.com in an interview. "So we expect they will provide us with the available evidence on war crimes committed by the anti-liberation forces for fair and transparent trial to which the government is committed," he said. Foreign minister Dipu Moni during a trip to London in May talked to her British counterpart David Miliband and sought documentary support from his country.

"As a nation we are grateful not only to the British government but also to its people and media for their active support during our war of independence in 1971," said Khan. "In fact, London became the centre of overseas activities supporting our struggle for independence. So, I feel extremely happy to go to London to represent Bangladesh as high commissioner," he said. Many British newspapers and television channels captured killings of civilians, by the Pakistan army and its local collaborators in 1971, on film and footage.

Khan, a former vice chancellor of Rajshahi University, spoke of his challenges as high commissioner since he had little prior experience in diplomacy. "I am a teacher and I spent about 40 years in teaching and research. In that context this is a new avenue in my career. But I believe, if one is committed, sincere and honest in his or her duties, to a cause, he or she must succeed," he said. "I have been studying and trying to learn the details of the diplomatic activities which I shall have to undertake. The bilateral relations between the UK and Bangladesh are excellent, and I will definitely try to strengthen that relationship even further," said Khan.

He said he would work to guarantee uninterrupted flow of aid flow to Bangladesh. "The UK is the largest bilateral donor to Bangladesh for development in many sectors. The ongoing global economic recession has hit Britain and other partners. But I am sure Bangladesh will not be deprived of getting development assistance from Britain," he said. "I will try my best to convince the British government to continue the assistance they normally provide."

The professor said he would also look after the interests of Bangladesh exporters. "I will try to see that export of Bangladeshi goods to the UK to remains unaffected." Khan said he would try to solve the problems of the huge number of British Bangladeshis working in the UK curry industry. He said the proposed catering institute in Sylhet should start functioning immediately. "I will also see that the industry is not affected due to the shortage of skilled or semi-skilled workers in the sector. Many other such institutes can be established in the country in order to meet the need for skilled human resources in the curry industry. Such institutes will also help curry restaurant workers learn—communicate with customers—in the UK. Of course I will give a patient hearing to all the problems facing the British Bangladeshi community in the UK and try to play my part to resolve them gradually," he said.

Peace still a far cry in the hills ----- Shirin Lira

THE Awami League Election Manifesto of 2008 said -- "The 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord will be fully implemented. More efforts will be directed towards the development of underdeveloped areas, and special programmes on priority basis will be taken to secure rights of the ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples and other communities, and to preserve their language, literature, culture, and unique lifestyles." Unfortunately during the last six months of the present government, there have been no significant initiatives to implement the CHT Accord.

The government has only started to reconstitute different committees and appoint members but no impact has been seen in the field on the lives of the people in the hills. The practical situation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts is extremely uncertain and human rights violations including torture, killings, harassment of Buddhist monks, sexual violence against women and children and the dispossession of indigenous peoples' lands by Bengali settlers and military personnel are regularly reported.

Land grabbing by settlers, military, political leaders, multinational companies, NGOs are increasing day by day and the poor hill people are slowly losing more land. The hills remains heavily militarised and people are facing regular checking at the checkpoints in CHT, which reveals the human rights violation committed against paharis in the region. 'Operation Uttoron' and pacification programmes for the military forces are still ongoing. The government still has not declared any steps or set any time-limits for withdrawal of all the temporary camps of military forces as per CHT Accord. The CHT accord recognises CHT as a tribal-inhabited region and introduces special political arrangement for CHT with formation of CHT Regional Council (CHTRC), as an apex political body of the region and three Hill District Councils (HDCs).

The CHT Regional Council has never been able to work with full function in the last eight years. It is very important for the government to take effective measures for strengthen CHTRC soon otherwise it will become a useless institution. The Accord also provides establishment of Land Dispute Settlement Commission, demilitarisation of the region, rehabilitation of the victims etc. Very recently the government has reconstituted the Peace Accord Implementation Committee led by Sajeda Chowdhury but no action plan for implementation of the CHT Accord has been published. Unfortunately, the government plans to appoint the Chairman for CHT Lands Disputes Resolution Commission without amending the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2001 in conformity with the 1997 Accord.

On the other hand we are moving far away from the demand of the constitutional guarantee of the indigenous people living in Bangladesh. The movement for constitutional recognition has become "out of agenda" nowadays as neither the government nor the civil society is raising the issue anymore. Though Bangladesh Awami League used the term 'Indigenous People' in their Election Manifesto, but nowadays the ministers and other government officials are not willing to use the word 'Indigenous' or 'Adivasi' either formally or in documents. Awami League achieved the absolute majority in the general election held on December 29, 2008 and now they are the majority in the parliament, so they could easily take an initiative for the constitutional recognition of the indigenous people, but no good initiatives have been noticed yet in this regard.

If we take a look at the constitution of the new republic of Bangladesh that was adopted in November 1972, the document did not explicitly recognise the ethnic identities and self-government systems of the indigenous peoples of the CHT or of those living in the other parts of the country. According to the Bangladesh Constitution our country is a unitary state and the state language is "Bangla" whereas almost 45 Indigenous communities are living here and they have their own languages. There is no provision for indigenous people or affirmative discrimination or action towards IP's in this constitution. There are no constitutional safeguards for the ethnic diversity and culture of IPs living in Bangladesh. However, for the sake of integrity, development, democracy and human rights, constitutional recognition of these indigenous people is a must.

The Bengalis who fought for their language can also respect and recognise other communities' languages and existence. It is a universally agreed notion practiced by the leading states of the world that the beauty of democracy lies in diversity, be it ethnic, cultural, religious, lingual and so on. Bangladesh contains all these diversities and glories, but with no official political recognition. By denying rights of our own people, we are embracing disgrace rather than achieving dignity as a nation in the eyes of others in the world. If the government changed this trend, it could bring peace, prosperity, and stability in the country. We are looking forward to seeing peace in CHT through ensuring rights of the indigenous peoples by the present Government. By constitutional guarantee, full implementation of the CHT Accord and other affirmative actions.

Govt guns for long term power goal
Leans on coal, nuke, import options to solve gas, power crisis

Touching upon energy and power issues in his budget speech, the finance minister outlined a long-term vision to solve the gas and power crisis at present and in future, and as part of it proposed an allocation of Tk 4,310 crore for the sector in the next fiscal year (FY). The allocation is 48 percent higher than that in the revised budget for the current FY. The finance minister's speech flashes the government's consciousness about various issues related to energy, usually overlooked in the past. For instance, he talked about environment friendly energy technology, greater use of renewable energy like solar power, tapping coal in an environment friendly way, setting up a gas development fund for Bapex, conservation of energy and greater emphasis on partnership between private and public sectors.

AMA Muhith also tabled government plans to import gas from neighbouring countries through pipelines on the basis of mutual cooperation. He adds, “We are continuing dialogue with our neighbouring countries to import power for mitigating the power crisis on a short term basis.” He declined to give a definitive deadline for building a nuclear power plant but said the government plans to implement a 1,000 megawatt nuclear power plant in Rooppur with self-finance. The government is seriously considering using coal along with gas for power generation, Muhith said. “We shall set up coal fired power plant using environment friendly technology for extraction of coal. If required, coal may be imported to run these power plants.”

He said the government is also considering importing environment friendly energy technology in the “context of current level of environmental degradation”. To enhance capacity of the national oil and gas exploration company Bapex, the government is considering setting up a gas development fund. Bapex's Shahbajpur gas field in Bhola is ready to supply 45 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas for a 250 MW power plant proposed to be built there. The country's gas reserve is depleting. The proven reserve now is 7.3 trillion cubic feet (tcf) while probable reserve is 5.5 tcf more. This situation demands that the country must find new gas fields or face diminishing gas supply from 2011. For this, it is important to take up on-shore and offshore exploration for new reserves.

The government is also looking into the prospect of viable extraction of coal at deeper layers. “A time-befitting energy and coal policy is nearing finalisation,” he mentioned. To ensure energy security, the government is working for a three-fold increase in oil refinery capacity. Muhith pointed out that when Awami League came to power, it was aware of a huge gap between demand and supply, but it was not aware that the snag is not only in the supply of gas and generation of power but also in the transmission of power. There had been 'serious neglect' to taking up new initiatives regarding known gas fields.

As a result, the present government has been compelled to set up “expensive dual-fuel power plants that can use diesel or furnace oil and also gas,” the finance minister said. “Only 45 percent of our entire population have access to power. Currently our per capita power consumption is only 172 kwh, which is 325 kwh in Sri Lanka, 408 kwh in Pakistan and 665 kwh in India.” Against the average power demand of 5000 MW at present, the existing power plants can generate only3800 MW, he said. “We are determined to take appropriate steps to increase power generation assuming its demand to be 20,000 MW by 2021.”

This year additional power will be generated by four projects under public sector and 440 MW by 11 projects under private sector. The bidding process for building 450 MW Bibiyana power plant is underway. “If we go ahead as planned, we hope that by 2013, 2810 MW of power will be produced through 13 projects under public sector and another 1,350 MW through three private sector projects,” the minister said. The government is also working for efficiency enhancement of management and efficient use of power. During the boro season this year, the government through load management diverted 300 MW power for irrigation to achieve bumper boro harvest.

“We have taken up a Tk 105 crore project to produce energy saving bulbs. Once this project is implemented, there will be a saving of 350 MW electricity,” Muhith said. For transmission-distribution of power, the government has a three-year plan. An additional 837 km power grid line, 17 sub-stations and 15,000 km distribution line will be built. The country now produces 20 MW power from renewable energy, mainly in rural areas. Now the government is taking initiatives for use of solar energy and biogas technology also in urban areas. To address gas issues, the government plans to drill in 2009-11 period five development wells, four work-over wells and four production wells to get an additional 208 mmcfd. Offshore exploration will start soon.

Myanmar firm keen to export 500MW power to Bangladesh

A Myanmar company is interested to set up a 500-megawatt hydroelectric plant in Rakhine state and export electricity to Bangladesh, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said yesterday. The minister said she talked to the authorities of the company, Shwe Taung Development Co, during her recent visit to Myanmar. Besides, a local company that has already got lease of land in Rakhine state to set up two power plants would consider exporting electricity to Bangladesh after meeting the demand of the state, she said. Dipu Moni said this at a seminar on Bangladesh-Myanmar Relations organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on its premises in the capital.

Technical experts from the ministry of energy will visit Rakhine state to make a feasibility study on the prospects of electricity import as Myanmar government has agreed to Bangladesh's proposal to arrange a visit to the state in this regard, she said. A team of the power ministry is expected to visit Myanmar in the first week of July, Dipu Moni said. The amount of bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Myanmar will be increased from the present $140 million to $500 million during 2009-10 fiscal year, she said. “This figure was envisioned during the last visit of Myanmar's Vice Senior General Maung Aye,” Dipu Moni said, adding that Bangladesh is putting its efforts on going back more to normal trade than only border trade.

She said rail and road connectivity with Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries and China, which is underway, will create enormous scopes for trade and cooperation. She noted that presently neither Bangladesh Biman nor any airline from Myanmar is operating flights between Dhaka and Yangon. To facilitate trade and tourism, bi-weekly direct flights on the route or Mandalay-Cox's Bazar could be operated by any Bangladeshi private airline. “We are also working to establish direct banking facilities for the benefit of businessmen of both the countries,” Dipu Moni said. The government is also preparing an updated list of Rohingya refugees, upon request of Myanmar, to repatriate them to their home country, she said. Presently, around 22,000 Rohingya refugees and an estimated two to four lakh illegal Rohingya settlers are staying in Bangladesh. Major General Sheikh Md Monirul Islam, former ambassador Ashfaqur Rahman, Brig Gen (retd) Salim Akhtar and Prof Syed Anwar Husain of Dhaka University also spoke.

Bangladesh: BNP - Jamaat Terror Web --- By Bhaskar Roy

There is “something rotten in the Kingdom” of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) in Bangladesh, to quote William Shakespeare in context. During their government from 2001 to 2005, the four-party coalition which was mainly BNP and JEI were involved in national and international acts of terrorism and criminal conduct, as recent investigations reveal. They defy imagination, but the acts do not cease.

The report of the Anis-uz-Zaman Committee under the Home Ministry in the February 25-26 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny gives a glimpse of the deadly machinations of BNP-JEI even when out of power. The 23 paragraphs of the preliminary report released to the media on May 28 clearly state that the rebellion was instigated by people “who do not believe in the independence and sovereignty of the country”, those who do not believe in democracy, and attempted, “to reach their vile goals by putting the BDR and the army on collision course through the BDR mutiny”. Fifty seven army officers including the Director General of the BDR headquarters were killed at Pilkhana, Dhaka on February 25 morning. Even the wives and children of army officers were not spared, reminding one of the massacre of the Bengali people in 1971 by the Pakistani army.

While the Anis-uz-Zaman Committee recommended further investigations to unearth the real cause behind the incident, it said the main conspirators may have used these causes (disgruntlement in BDR over pay and allowances) to instigate this incident “working from behind the curtains”. The report named two persons, former BNP MP Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and former BNP Ward Commissioner Suraiya Begum and her two sons who helped many BDR mutineers flee. Pintu has since been arrested and is under interrogation.

The report also added that on February 25 and 26, some processions were brought out near the Pilkhana area chanting different slogans in support of BDR mutineers. It is well known that these processions were brought out by the JEI cadres and workers of the nearby areas. Although no foreign involvement was mentioned in the report given to the media, there was mention of a particular “High Commission” which was also involved and Taka 15 crores given by some individuals or entity to the BDR rebels for preparation for the mutiny.

There were media reports quoting unnamed investigators to say that arms, ammunition and a vehicle were found which were neither used by the BDR nor by the Bangladeshi army. Recent reports also say that both on February 25 and 26, several calls were made to people in Dhaka by satellite phones from Dubai, in connection with the mutiny. It is alleged that the calls were made at the behest of Tareque Rehman, elder son of BNP chairperson and former Prime Minsiter Begum Khaleda Zia. Tareque is currently on parole in UK for medical treatment, and a large number of criminal cases are pending against him. He is also the former senior Joint General Secretary of BNP, and used to run his political and criminal activities from Hawa Bhavan in Dhaka. Hawa Bhavan had become BNP’s power centre from 2001 to 2005.

The full story is yet to come out, and reports from two other committees are still pending. But the available official and circumstantial evidence does not leave any doubt who the BDR mutiny instigators were, their aim, and their foreign and domestic supporters. Failure of intelligence agencies to report anything about the mutiny which was being planned for almost three months, suggest there are still strong and influential sections in the intelligence community and the bureaucracy who are acting against the current Awami League government. This is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. More revelations are expected in coming weeks and months when the concerned “High Commission” in Dhaka is publicly identified along with the “main instigators”.

The BDR mutiny case does not stand in isolation. As noted by the Aniz-uz-Zaman Committee report, the aim was to create anarchy in the country and oust the Awami League government with the help of a foreign state and international criminals. In this connection, the April 2004 case of illegal import of 10 truck loads of arms in the Chittagong Port, and the August 21, 2004 attack on Prime Minister and Awami League leader, Sk. Hasina which left her seriously damaged in one ear, would be seen as a chain of events to turn Bangladesh into an anti-India base for Pakistan.

The confessions of many of the accused in the Chittagong arms case read like a master spy thriller. The huge load of arms and ammunition was meant to be transferred to the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) to fight against the Indian state. Bangladesh’s main intelligence agencies, the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) had started supplying arms to the ULFA from late 2001 when the BNP-JEI government came to power. Several ministers and MPs were also involved, as per interrogation reports. The ULFA and the Naga insurgent group, the NSCN (I/M) and some other Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGS) were given a free run in Bangladesh, ULFA Commander-in-Chief Paresh Barua set up his command headquarters in Dhaka quite openly, and ran a flourishing business under the benevolent protection of his Bangladeshi benefactors. Paresh Barua and NSCN (I/M) leaders possess Bangladeshi passports and visit China’s Yunan province periodically to procure arms, ammunition and communication equipment. But nothing compared to the number and scale of the April 04 arms haul, which could set Assam ablaze.

In 2006, a Bengali language newspaper in Kolkata carried a report about a meeting between Tareque Rehman and Pakistan-based international criminal Dawood Ibrahim under Pakistan ISI’s protection, in April 2004, in a Dubai hotel. The report went unnoticed in New Delhi, but received some attention when the story was quoted in a Bangladeshi newspaper. It is said Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was so upset that she summoned the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka for a dressing down. The High Commission had no idea of the Kolkata newspaper report. Some enterprising journalist in Kolkata may have procured the information from across the border.

In that meeting, Tareque was accompanied by his close friend, businessman Giasuddin-al-Mamun, and the NSI Chief. The meeting was arranged and supervised by the ISI which has a strong presence in Dubai. This may have been just one of a long series of meetings between the various parties involved, but the revelation of her son’s meeting with a criminal who is being sought by the Interpol was politically upsetting for Begum Zia.

The ongoing interrogation of former Director General of NSI, Brig. Gen. (Retd) Md. Abdur Rahim, and former Director (Security) Wing Commander (Retd) Shabuddin Ahmed have revealed a mine of mind boggling conspiracies of the ISI with Tareque Rehman, the most powerful and feared man in Bangladesh at that time, to destabilize India through terrorism and subversion, and help the BNP-JEI coalition to perpetuate their hold on power. Assassination of opposition political leaders was also on the agenda.

Wing Comdr. (Retd) Shabuddin has given substantial details of the ISI operation including his meetings with Director General ISI in Dubai and London, various meetings with Dawood, ISI officers, and the owner and Managing Director of the Dubai-based company, ARY, which acted on behalf of the ISI in the arms smuggling case. The ARY is owned by a Pakistani businessman named Abdur Razzak Yakub. Yakub started his television company in London for news broadcast to Pakistanis and other South Asians on events in the subcontinent. The head office was shifted to Dubai as the company began to grow. The ARY has eight television channels, operating from Pakistan, Dubai and London, and also deals in gold and real estate. There are reports that the ARY was suspected to have assisted the Al Qaeda in the Kenyan Embassy bombing, handled funds for Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q.Khan’s nuclear black market, and also assisted in gold smuggling for Baitullah Mehsud’s Pakistani Taliban, the TSNM. The TSNM was created by the ISI in 1998 to assist the Taliban government in Kabul. The depth of ARY’s involvement with ISI-backed terrorizing needs no further elaboration. They continue to work out of UK nevertheless.

In his confession to the court, Shabuddin mentioned one meeting in Dhaka in the Director General, NSI’s personal safe house. Those present with the DG were ULFA Commander-in-Chief Paresh Barua, two officials of the ARY Group and officials of the Pakistani High Commission. The Pakistani officials mostly involved were ISI officers Brig. Mogisuddin and Col. Shaheed Mahmud. The Pakistani High Commissioner in Dhaka, Manzar Shafiq, was also closely associated within the ISI operations including meeting with Paresh Barua.

Dawood Ibrahim obviously extracted his pound of flesh for his services to Tareque Rehman and his associates, the NSI and the DGFI. The recent arrest of his nephew Dawood Merchant @ Abdul Rauf and his associate Zahid Sheik revealed further plans in the offing. Merchant, the main accused in the murder of the video moghul Gulshan Kumar of Mumbai, jumped furlough. They had orders to assassinate Prime Minister Sk. Hasina. He further disclosed they had established the Dawood network in Bangladesh, and Dawood’s right hand man, Chotta Shakeel who controlled their terror and smuggling network in Malaysia and Hong Kong was also in charge of Bangladesh. Merchant was to recruit around 300 paid and dedicated gangsters in Bangladesh.

This takes us back to the three assassination attempts on the life of Sk. Hasina, the last being on August 21, 2004 in which she barely escaped but more than 20 were killed including, senior party leader Ms. Ivy Reheman. How is it that the Dawood gang gained access to politicians in Bangladesh to set up their network? Once they get active, people with money and important political figures will no longer be safe. The Dawood gang assassinate on payment, and they would already have been paid the “supari” by someone interested in Sk. Hasina’s life. The main attacker on “August 21”, ex-HUJI Chief Mufti Hannan was given protection personally by former BNP Minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury. The Chittagong arms case and the “August 25” incident were kept in cold storage by the BNP-JEI government. The accused and suspects form a long list of “who's who” in Bangladesh. Apart from Tareque Rehman, the others include JEI Amir and former Industries Minister Motiur Rehman Nizami who controlled the Chittagong Fertilizer jetty when the arms were landed, former Home and Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury; former Home Secretary and JEI activist Omar Faruk; JEI leader Ali Ahsan Mojadid; BNP Minister and former Razakar Salauddin Qader Choudhury whose ship was reported to have carried the 10 truck loads of arms; and, of course, the various intelligence officers and bureaucrats. Begum Khaleda Zia’s role is not clear yet, and she may get away because of political expediency. The list is, however, definitely going to expand unless another upheaval sweeps Sk. Hasina away. The links with HUJI and Jamatul Mujahid Bangladesh (JMB) are being established. Much more investigation is required to establish forays by the Al Qaeda with JEI assistance.

Some foreign embassies in Dhaka are under threat. The US Ambassador James Moriarty, took up this issue with the Bangladesh government sometime ago. The media pounces on immediate events and incidents and forgets the past. One has to go back to illegal foreign money that came into Bangladesh for terrorist and radical religious groups and involvement of Gulf and some other NGOs links with these organizations. Tareque Rehman’s link with and patronizing of organizations like the JMB, Khatme Nabuwat movement and others is well known. His cohorts like Pintu and Dulu, former Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and others are yet to come to the courts. They should, without delay.

There are two overlapping components of threat to Bangladesh’s sovereignty and democracy. Pakistan is involved in both. One is the war of attrition against India which has extended to Bangladesh soil with a few Bangladeshis involved. The USA and the west who are fighting terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan must be alert that Pakistan sponsored terrorism could ruin another secular and democratic Muslim country. Once this disease takes hold it is very difficult to eradicate. The other is the Pakistani historical mental occupation with Bangladesh, former East Pakistan. Islamabad could never forgive the Bengalis of Bangladesh winning their war of independence. The Pakistani army could never live down the humiliation of the 1971 defeat in which India had to intervene on the side of the Bangladeshis. But the victory was for the people of Bangladesh and by the people of Bangladesh.

The Pakistani establishment, especially the army, holds the founding father of Bangladesh, Sk. Mujibur Rahman squarely responsible for the break up of Pakistan. Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on August 15, 1971`in a conspiracy. Pro-Pakistan elements began to take over in Bangladesh and the JEI was given a new lease of life by late Zia-ur-Rehman, Begum Khaleda’s husband. Prime Minister and President of Awami League, Sk. Hasina is, therefore, anathema to the Pakistani establishment. It is not that Sk. Hasina did not try to bury the past and establish friendly relations with Pakistan. The Pakistani establishment never trusted her. That was a mistake. Pakistan continued to sabotage her party and her government, instead. Islamabad started creating an anti-India community in Bangladesh using “Hindus” against “Muslims” plank. It worked, and Pakistan has stepped up efforts to highlight rise of Hindu fundamentalism against Muslims in India.

Sk. Hasina’s open declaration to try war criminals of 1971, and open investigations into Sk. Mujibur Rehman’s assassination has further aggravated Pakistan’s composure. In the war criminals’ list the names of several senior Pakistani officers figure. Investigations into Sk. Mujibur Rahman’s assassination in which most of the family was killed save his two daughters Sk. Hasina and Sk. Rehana, can open a can of worms. Pakistan’s friends and collaborators in Bangladesh would be exposed, and may even destroy the legitimacy of the JEI. Without Sk. Hasina on the scene these trials and investigations could be stopped.

Therefore, since three earlier attempts on Sk. Hasina’s life were unsuccessful, Dawood Ibrahim has apparently been enlisted for the job.

Ctg Arms Haul ----- Sahab makes confession again

Detained former NSI director Wing Commander (retd) Sahab Uddin yesterday gave another confessional statement to a court here in the much talked-about Chittagong arms haul case. Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman began recording his statement under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code at 4.15pm. The proceedings were on as of filing this report at 1:00am. Court sources said Sahab was detailing the source, destination and other issues with regard to the 10 truckloads of arms and ammunition seized in the port city on April 2, 2004. The Criminal Investigation Department produced him before the court at 2:30pm.

After arrest on May 2 in the case filed under Arms Act, Sahab Uddin was first remanded for three days on May 4 and then for six days at the Task Force for Interrogation cell on May 8. His latest remand began on June 3 and ended on June 6. Less than 12 hours after his first confessional statement on May 15, CID in the capital arrested two former NSI chiefs--Major General (retd) Rezzaqul Haider and Brigadier General (retd) Abdur Rahim--for alleged links to the weapons seizure. Ex-NSI deputy director (mechanical) Major (retd) Liakat Hossain was held on May 26.

US asst secy Blake arrives, meets Khaleda

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O Blake arrived in the city yesterday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh. He met Leader of the Opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office last night and discussed issues of bilateral interests. “They had talks on wide ranges of issues to further strengthening the bilateral ties. The BNP chairperson told Blake that her party is committed to strengthening the relations between two countries,” said chairperson's adviser Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury after the meeting.

He quoted Khaleda as saying that the party prefers sustained development of the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the United States as the US plays significant role in development of the country and expected it would be continued in future. In his brief remarks, Blake told reporters that it was his first visit to Bangladesh and the meeting with the opposition leader was “very productive”. “We discussed how to strengthen the relations between the two countries.” During their one-hour meeting, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, former state minister Reaz Rahman and chairperson's adviser Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury accompanied Khaleda Zia, while Ambassador James F Moriarty was with the US assistant secretary.

Robert O Blake is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and Home Minister Sahara Khatun today and hold a press conference on the outcomes of all meetings. According to sources in American Centre, Blake landed at the Zia International Airport around 4.50pm. “He will discuss a number of bilateral issues between the US and Bangladesh,” said a statement of the US embassy. This is his first visit to Bangladesh as an assistant secretary. Earlier, his predecessor Richard A Boucher visited Bangladesh in February to meet the leaders of the newly elected government here.

Mafia don Daud's 3 aides sent to jail

Detective police are trying to find out whether the detained accomplices of Mafia don Daud Ibrahim have any links with militancy or arms and drug trafficking or have been involved in criminal activities in the country. The Detective Branch of Police said this in a report placed before a Dhaka court yesterday. The DB police submitted the report while producing the two accomplices -- Indian nationals Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant and Zahid Sheikh -- and their Bangladeshi host Mohammad Kamal before the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tania Kamal at the end of six-day remand. The court sent the three to jail. However, the three did not have any defence lawyers, court sources said.

In the report, DB Inspector Md Ashraf Hossain, who is the investigation officer (IO) of the case, said that the three have already given some important information and that they need to be grilled further for the sake of investigation. The detectives are now verifying the information extracted from the criminals and also arrested another Indian Arif Hossain from Mohammadpur following their information, he said. He said if the criminals get released on bail, they might flee to India.

More fund sought for modernising army
Only 6pc of its allocation spent on defence purchase; 83pc goes to salaries, services, supplies

Defence purchase of Bangladesh Army is dependent on a derisory 6 percent of the fund allocated for the force while over 83 percent of the share is spent on salaries, allowances, services and supplies. The acute shortage of fund stands in the way to modernisation of the force, says a report of the army, analysing the allocations and expenditures of the last four fiscal years. The report was placed before the parliamentary standing committee on defence ministry on May 28 for discussion to elicit recommendations to resolve the problem. The Daily Star obtained a copy of the report.

The report says Tk 192 crore has been allocated in the four fiscal years since 2005-06 for procuring armament and ammunition against the army's requirement of Tk 403 crore for purchasing ammunition alone. It says 65.79 percent of the allocated fund was spent on salaries and allowances of the force in 2004-05, 69.30 percent in FY 2005-06, 72.03 percent in FY 2006-07 and 64.52 percent in FY 2007-08. For services and supplies, which include pension, uniform, food, etc, 15.43 percent of the fund has been spent in the last four fiscal years since 2004-05. The expenditure was 14.30 percent in FY 2004-05, 15.91 percent in FY 2005-06, 15.90 percent in FY 2006-07 and 15.59 percent in FY 2007-08.

The report terms the budgetary allocation very inadequate for modernising the force as only 5.6 percent of the allocated fund was spent on defence purchase in FY 2004-05, 5.9 percent in FY 2005-06, 5.1 percent in FY 2006-07 and 7.2 percent in FY 2007-08. The defence purchase for UN peacekeeping mission was on an average 8.46 percent in the said four fiscal years. The report says the army could never meet its needs for ammunition because of budget constraints. The force sought Tk 70.49 crore for just purchasing ammunition in FY 2005-06, but only Tk 1.41 crore was allocated for procuring both armament and ammunition. In FY 2006-07, the army got Tk 68.48 crore for purchasing armament and ammunition against a demand of Tk 61.56 crore for ammunition alone, Tk 79.97 crore in FY 2007-08 against a requirement for Tk 133.21 crore, and Tk 43.27 crore in FY 2008-09 against a demand of Tk 138.43 crore.

The report identifies insufficient funding as the "key problem" to starting replacement of outdated weaponry. "Most of our weapons are from the 1960s and '70s, which belittles our overall military prowess," it says. According to the report, 90.3 percent small arms and 89 percent field artillery guns used by the army were bought during 1960s-80s while all the tanks are from that period. The report also focuses on the shortage of manpower in the force and says talented youths are discouraged to join the army as facilities in the civil and corporate professions are better than those in the military service. It suggests making the military service attractive by increasing salaries and other benefits.

The report points out that the number of engineer battalions is very inadequate for implementing development activities in different parts of the country. There is also a shortage of equipment to deal with natural disasters like flood, cyclone and earthquakes. Referring to the "Forces Goal 2020", a set of goals outlined in 2004 for the modernisation of the army in accordance with the country's economic reality, the report says accomplishing those goals will help plug the force's organisational shortcomings and increase its operational capacity.

Bemoaning the fact that the lack of fund is making those targets harder to attain, the army maintains that the government should approve the Forces Goal 2020 in principle. The report mentions that the defence budget of India is 2.38 percent of its GDP, 3.2 percent in Pakistan, 6 percent in Sri Lanka, 3.3 percent in Myanmar, and 1.7 percent in Nepal while it is only 1.1 percent in Bangladesh. In the proposed budget for FY 2009-10, the government has announced that it wants to restructure the country's defence system to ensure security of the country and the people and continue to improve defence capability. "Enhanced provision in terms of higher training, modern military hardware and other facilities for the army, navy, air force and border security forces will be provided, so that they are fully prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century," Finance Minister AMA Muhith said in his budget speech on June 11. The finance minister proposed increasing the original allocation of Tk 7,967 crore for FY 2008-09 to Tk 8,196 crore in the revised budget and allocating Tk 8,382 crore in the budget for FY 2009-10.

Woes of mango traders

Mango traders in Chapainawabganj, the largest mango producing district in the country are making serious losses due to import of huge quantities of mangoes from India. According to Sonamasjid land port officials, at least 33 trucks of Indian mangoes made inroads into country in March, 186 trucks in April, 388 trucks in May and 211 trucks this month till June 10. Those mangoes cost around TK 15 a kg, while the local varieties are sold in the market between TK 40 and 60 per kg, sources said. While visiting the local markets, including Sadar Ghat and Kansat in the district, this correspondent found that the popular local varieties were hardly sold at prices upto the expectation of the traders. They were compelled to sell a maund of Gopal Bhogue at Tk 1800-1900, Khirshapat (Himsagar) at Tk 2000-2200, Langra Tk 2200-2500 and Guti varieties at Tk 1000-1400 only.

Most mango traders alleged that due to consumption of low quality imported mangoes their business is now at stake. Asadullah and Rabbul Hossain, two traders at Sadar Ghat in the town said, this year they had expected higher prices due to less production of mangoes in the area. But import of low priced Indian mangoes in different parts of the country has turned their dream into nightmare. "If the import of low quality mangoes at such low prices continues, our investment will make no returns and the orchard owners may have to rethink about the trade," said Asadullah.

Shafiqul Islam at Kansat Bazar in Shibgonj, the largest mango market in the district said the importers bring immature and low standard mangoes from India just for higher profit while the local traders count huge losses. Abu Bakkar Siddiqui of Kansat said, he leased a mango orchard this year for Tk 18 lakh. But till date he could recover only Tk 3 lakh and feared he might incur a loss of Tk 7 lakh. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials, about 22,300 hectares were marked as mango orchard in five upazilas in the district. DAE fixed a target of 1.5 lakh tonnes of mangoes this year, which is 53000 tonnes less than the previous year.

However, the mango traders informed that the production was much less than the DAE target. Taking advantage of this the importers went for huge quantity of mango from India, they said. Nazrul Islam, president of district mango traders association admitted that the mango orchard owners and traders are making financial loss due to the import of Indian mangoes. "To save our industry we had requested the authorities not to allow mango import at least for three months from May to July every year," he said.

BNP asks govt to act quick on Tipai dam {while what remains unsaid is that BNP sat on its fat ass over the expiry of its term}

BNP yesterday urged the international community to take effective steps to prevent India from building the Tipaimukh dam and asked the government to adopt prompt measures to stop India implementing the project. "We as members of the United Nations are urging all and if necessary we will seek the international community's cooperation through formal letters and we will not accept the Indian attempt to build a dam on the Borak river," BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday. He said it is the duty of the government to protest and mount pressure on India so that it stops the project. "The Tipaimukh dam will be the life and death issue for Bangladesh but the Awami League government has failed to voice protest as it has no moral strength," he said.

Strongly criticising the government for keeping mum, he said the BNP would do everything it can to stop the controversial Indian project if the government fails to take effective initiatives. Former water resources minister and party Vice-president Hafiz Uddin Ahmed read out a written statement regarding the project and steps taken against the project by the BNP-led government when it was in power. "All governments except the Awami League-led government protested the Indian project. Khaleda Zia's government took a firm stance against the project from the very beginning. The BNP government protested twice verbally on April 16 and May 18, 1992," he said.

Hafiz, who was acting secretary general of the party's so-called reformist faction, attended for the first time any programme with Khandaker Delwar Hossain, once his rival in the party, since Delwar was made secretary general on September 2, 2007. "Experts and people believe that the proposed dam will be turned into a death trap for Bangladesh that is why we demand the government's formal protest against the project," Hafiz said, adding that people will take all necessary steps if India continues with the project ignoring the interest of Bangladeshi people.

Providing minutes of Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting, Hafiz said his Indian counterpart promised that they would provide all data before going to implement the project but India is yet to share any information with Bangladesh about the project. Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Moniruzzaman Mian and BNP leader Rizvi Ahmed were also present.

There is no doubt that India is a regional superpower, but we also have an ace up our sleeve. India may be a rising power, but it hardly has any friends in the region. We have been the best friend to them.

With his death, 26 BDR jawans died since the February 25-26 mutiny at BDR headquarters in the capital.

A BDR press release said Mazid went to Matiranga Bazar, some seven kilometres off the battalion headquarters, yesterday morning. He later felt sick and got into a local vehicle, it said.

The release also said Mazid reached the battalion headquarters shortly. Then he was rushed to Matiranga Upazila Health Complex at about noon where doctors declared him dead at 12:20 pm, it said.

sum wrote:BDR seems to be having a lot of heart patients!!!

chetak wrote:The BD govt (CID) seems to have arrested paresh baruah, the ulfa military chief. His photos have been sent to New Delhi for verification.

That is a nice change of heart.

What gives?

10-truck Arms Haul in Ctg ---- Top leaderships of DGFI, army linked ----- Claims Sahab in his judicial confession

Former NSI director Wing Commander (retd) Sahab Uddin yesterday hinted at links of a former top army official and an ex-DGFI high-up to the 10 truckloads of weapons seized here five years back. The two attended the last meeting before arrival of the consignment of arms and ammo, Sahab said in his second confessional statement in the sensational arms haul case. The meeting was held at a hotel in the capital's Gulshan area two days before the seizure at the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Company Limited (CUFL) on April 2, 2004, said sources quoting the statement.

Paresh Barua, operational wing chief of northeastern Indian insurgent group Ulfa, participated in the meeting disguising himself as one Amir Bhai. Sahab gave his first confessional statement under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code on May 15. Less than 12 hours after that, the Criminal Investigation Department arrested former National Security Intelligence chiefs Major Gen(retd) Rezzaqul Haider and Brig Gen (retd) Abdur Rahim for alleged involvement in the weapons shipment. His yesterday's statement is similar to the one he made to the investigators after arrest on May 2, added the sources.

CID produced him before Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman at 2:30pm Saturday. Recording of the 31-page confession began at 4:15pm and went on till 2:35am. The ex-NSI director (security) gave every detail of the botched attempt to have the arms transported through Bangladesh for the United Liberation Front of Assam. He shed light on two more meetings that took place in Dhaka on March 28 and in Dubai on an unspecified date. Brig Gen Rahim was in the meeting in Dubai with officials of Dubai-based ARY group and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Sahab said Pakistan high commission in Dhaka was involved in the bid aided by NSI and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence. He also said the weapons were coming in from China. He however did not name the destination and the ship that carried the consignment into Bangladesh waters. In the statement, Sahab once again accused among others Rezzaqul and Ex-NSI deputy director (mechanical) Major (retd) Liakat Hossain. He claimed that the consignment was seized as Rahim pocketed all the money given for transportation. He said a total of Tk 1.60 crore was received from ARY group. Of the amount, Rahim deposited Tk 1.20 crore in his account and bought a Lexus jeep with the rest. Sahab was first remanded for three days on May 4 and then for six days at the Task Force for Interrogation cell on May 8. His latest remand began on June 3 and ended on June 6. Liakat was held on May 26.

Water minister plays down Tipai fear
Tells JS govt taking steps to conduct joint survey on Indian bid; Tk 1,159cr projects on the cards to dredge rivers

The government has a plan to implement two projects at a cost of Tk 1,159 crore for carrying out dredging in rivers including Buriganga, one of the rivers considered as lifeline of the capital city. Replying to lawmakers' queries, Water Resources Minister Romesh Chandra Sen yesterday disclosed the government's plans in parliament. On the lawmakers' angst over construction of Tipaimukh dam, the minister said the Tipaimukh dam project is not like the Farakka barrage and Indian government assured Bangladesh of not diverting water through the planned dam on the Borak river.

He said the government is taking steps to conduct a joint survey as per the decision of the 14th meeting of Joint Rivers Commission in 1978 to assess the possible benefits in areas, including flood control. "It's learnt from diplomatic sources that the Tipaimukh project will be a waterpower project and also be aimed at controlling flood. India assured Bangladesh of not diverting water through this project," the minister said. He said the government has decided to send a parliamentary delegation to visit the project area. The government will take necessary actions on receiving the report of the delegation, the water resources minister said in a scripted answer.

He said discussion on construction of Tipaimukh dam on Borak river has been taking place since 1972. Workers Party lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Party lawmaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, BNP lawmaker Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anne and Awami League lawmaker Apu Ukil raised questions on Tipaimukh dam project seeking answers from the water resources minister. In response to a query of AL lawmaker Nazma Akhtar, the water resources minister said the government will implement a project titled 'Augmentation of Buriganga flow by restoring silted links with Jamuna' with a cost of Tk 610.70 crore to increase navigability of the river and to reduce pollution in it.

In response to another query of AL lawmaker Apu Ukil, he said the government has taken up a project titled 'Rehabilitation of embankments and excavation of rivers/khals' with a cost of Tk 547.95 crore to re-excavate rivers and canals across the country. "The government is considering to begin the project soon and the project is under approval,” the water resources minister said. Besides, the minister said the government wants to implement another project titled 'Development of the capital; dredging and action plan for the river system of Bangladesh' to carry out dredging in the inland major rivers. He said terms of reference for the project have been finalised. On approval, a feasibility study on the project will begin.

US on war trial, BDR deaths ---- Calls for fair trial, probe

The US has urged Bangladesh to be cautious in trying war criminals of 1971, saying the issue should not be politicised. No action should be taken that might be considered a mechanism to weaken democracy in the country, said visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert O Blake yesterday. About numerous custodial deaths of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers being investigated in connection with the recent mutiny in the border security force, he said the matter should be probed seriously and persons responsible for the deaths should be brought to justice. "We talked how it is important for the government to investigate those, to carry out a credible investigation and to bring those, who might have been responsible for the deaths in custody, to justice," Blake said referring to his meetings with Bangladesh government leaders.

He underscored the need for investigating all extra judicial killings as well. "In all our discussions with our friends in the government of Bangladesh, we emphasised the importance of investigating those extra judicial killings, and bringing those responsible for those killings, to justice," he said. He however avoided a direct reply to a question regarding whether the US supports Bangladesh government's move to try war criminals. "Let me say on the question of war crimes, that the United States believes strongly in the importance of accountability, but in my discussion with our friends here in the government, we also urged for this not to be a politicised issue," he told journalists.

"Your country just had the freest and fairest election in your history… democracy is being strengthened. It's important that no action be taken that could be considered by the people of Bangladesh as a mechanism to weaken democracy, and undermine the progress that has been made," Blake said at a media briefing in the American Club. He said Bangladesh government must walk a very fine line and maintain a fine balance in respect to war crimes trials. {Wow, such rhetoric did not come around vis-a-vis I-rack, Afghanistan etc.}

Blake, who came to Dhaka on a two-day visit on Saturday, met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Home Minister Sahara Khatun, and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni yesterday. He also had talks with Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Khaleda Zia, members of the civil society, and the business community on Saturday. "I wanted to see first hand, how we can work with the new government here and the people, to expand the good cooperation we already enjoy. My visit is to show the importance of the relationship of our two countries," said Blake, whose visit to Bangladesh was his first since being appointed to his current post.

He said although his visit was short, he learnt a great deal about Bangladesh, and was impressed with the important changes that had happened here, and the opportunities that had been created. Elaborating on the outcomes of his talks with the leaders of the country, Blake said he offered cooperation in strengthening democracy, ensuring development, clean energy, dealing with climate change, and in countering extremism and terrorism. "Not only the maritime security aspect, but security at land borders are also required, to make sure that terrorist groups like Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, and transnational terrorist groups cannot use the territory of Bangladesh, and operate from Bangladesh to threaten their own country and other nations," said Blake, supporting Dhaka's move to form a South Asian joint taskforce to combat terrorism in the region. He, however, made it clear that the US has no role to play in the proposed taskforce.

"We will continue to support Bangladesh as it extends its democratic roots. We also are here to help you develop your economy, to help you protect your people against terrorist threats, and from those who wish to destabilise your democracy," he said. He appreciated Bangladesh's effort to expand women's literacy, and the government's move to reform madrasa education through modernising the curriculum, which he said, could spread to parts of the Arab world too. Asked about sustaining democracy in Bangladesh when the opposition is boycotting the parliament, Blake said his government welcomed the 'freest, fairest and most transparent elections in the history of Bangladesh'.

"At the same time Bangladesh faces new challenges, the finance minister just delivered the budget speech, and in many ways this now is a new beginning…a new beginning for the opposition and for the government to work together. The US government hopes that the opposition will participate in the new parliament and work constructively with the government to not only exploit the new opportunities, but also to face the challenges." He said he was carrying a message of friendship on behalf of the Obama administration. "Now with new governments here and in the United States, we believe there are opportunities to expand our friendship and cooperation."

Asked whether the US has any plan or programme to help Bangladesh in mitigating and adapting to climate change, he said, "We are just beginning the discussion. I myself is not the person responsible for it…we have special negotiators, and I will be going back to talk to my colleagues about some of the possibilities." Blake said climate is one of many new areas in which his government thinks it might have cooperation with Bangladesh. On President Obama's recent visit to Cairo, he said the US president is committed to improving relationship with the Muslim world, based on mutual interests and respect. Robert O Blake left Dhaka late last night.

War trial set to be delayed ---- 2 more weeks needed to finalise amendment to law

The trial of war criminals will not begin this month as the Law Commission still working to make recommendations for amending the law for the trial needs two more weeks to complete its job. The government earlier announced that the trial would start under the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973 by the end of this month. Sources said the commission requires more time to do the job as most of the legal experts, asked to submit their views on the law by June 11, failed to do so. Moreover, some of them have sought a few more days from the commission. The commission asked about 31 legal experts, including some senior lawyers and former judges of the Supreme Court and teachers of law at universities, to give their opinions on the law. So far, only four have tendered their opinions to the commission.

Besides, the office of the Law Commission that planned to complete the job by June 20 on the basis of the experts' opinions is not equipped with enough manpower and logistic support to do it by this month. Moreover, recently appointed Law Commission member Prof Md Shah Alam informed the chairman of his inability to join office before June 28. The government last month asked the commission to make recommendations for amending the law. While talking to The Daily Star, Law Commission Chairman Justice MA Rashid hoped that they would be able to send the government their recommendations on the law by the end of this month.

He said if the government accepts the commission's recommendations and parliament amends the law, the trial of war criminals will start in July. Law Minister Shafique Ahmed, however, said the government would start probe into 1971 war crimes soon after the passage of the next budget. He expected the trial process to begin at the beginning of July. "We shall not wait for the law commission's opinion on the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act to start the trial process,” he said.

Foreign office awaits major shake-up

A major shake-up is underway in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a new foreign secretary taking over soon and a number of new ambassadors and high commissioners being appointed, highly placed sources said. Some of the new envoys are getting contractual appointments. Several diplomats seeking anonymity however said this might demoralise the serving career diplomats, while others feel that there is a shortage of experienced diplomats now in the foreign service. Incidentally, the ruling Awami League (AL) while in power in the past had discouraged contractual appointments. However, over the last two decades, 30 percent of diplomatic positions were filled up by qualified personnel appointed on contract.

Mijarul Quayes is taking over shortly as foreign secretary. Quayes passed from the National Defence College and holds an ndc degree. After serving as high commissioner to the Maldives, he is now ambassador to Russia. Sources said the government has decided to remove incumbent Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain, and is likely to appoint him principal of the Foreign Service Academy. Touhid, who was promoted to this position during the previous caretaker government's tenure, seeks posting in Washington as ambassador, the sources said.

Humayun Kabir, presently Bangladesh ambassador in Washington, has been called back. He is due to retire in September. Sources said Kabir is lobbying for an extension of service, and even if he gets it, he may be sent to Canada. Two others, who have been short-listed for the post of ambassador in Washington, are former envoy Akramul Kader and former foreign secretary Syed Muazzem Ali. One source said yesterday Kader might get the post. Former ambassador to US Ahmed Tariq Karim is due to succeed High Commissioner to India Liaquat Ali Chowdhury, who will retire. Tariq retired from foreign service and was appointed on contract ambassador in Washington during the tenure of the previous AL government. He held the post for a short period. Sources said Karim will go to India on a two-year contract that has been almost finalised.

Gyashuddin, who served as a junior diplomat in Bangldesh High Commission in UK during the previous AL government's tenure, is getting contractual appointment as ambassador to Germany. Career diplomats, who are getting new posting as envoy, include AKM Atiqur Rahman and Supradip Chakma. Atiqur Rahman, now envoy to Bhutan, is tipped to be high commissioner to Malaysia, and Supradip is to be envoy to Vietnam. Besides, Imtiaz Ahmed, now envoy to Nepal, is moving to Sweden as envoy. Besides, MAK Mahmood, who recently served as an additional secretary (UNCLOS, Research & ICT), has been made OSD. Sources said Mahmood was trying to become foreign secretary.

Ismat Jahan, ambassador and permanent representative to Bangladesh Mission in New York, is yet to move out to Brussels, where she has been posted five months back. Sources said the government is looking for a competent person for posting in New York. Since there is a shortage of serving diplomats, it may go for political appointment. Meanwhile, two diplomats are still at large or 'missing'. They are former high commissioner to Malaysia Maj (rtd) Khairuzzaman, who has refused to return home on recall order, and Brig Gen Chowdhury Fazlul Bari, posted as defence adviser in the embassy in Washington. The latter has reportedly asked for asylum in US but this could not be confirmed.

And Yasmeen Murshed, high commissioner to Pakistan, who was appointed on contract during the previous caretaker government's tenure, may be asked to return home shortly, sources said. The government has recalled Ambassador to the Maldives Selina Mohsin.

Experts to review coal issues, policy

A panel of eight expatriate Bangladeshi experts begin today an exclusive brainstorming session to give the government a fresh perspective on coalmining issues and the pending coal policy. The energy ministry and Petrobangla organised the four-day session to be held at the Jamuna Resort. The expatriates have been asked to focus on four issues -- Barapukuria coalmine's land subsidence and how to make it efficient in future; what should be the main mining option for the Phulbari coal resources irrespective of Asia Energy's proposal; the draft coal policy; and how the nation should handle water resources and rehabilitation while implementing a coal project.

Double PhD holder from the UK and Australia on minerals, Dr Nasir Ahmed is acting as the coordinator of the expatriate group. Ahmed is serving as a UNDP consultant and working on coalmine for the last 20 years in New Castle, Australia. All the expats are coming from either Australia or the USA. A few panel members who arrived in the city last week have already collected data and visited Barapukuria underground coalmine, which is causing land subsidence and drainage of underground water.

"The Barapukuria mine is operating amid very high risk. Its ventilation system is very poor. There is no ventilation plan. The safety and environment status is very poor compared to any mine in Australia," said Salek Sufi quoting observation of his colleagues. Sufi is a former official of Gas Transmission Company Ltd (GTCL) now working on mines and minerals with Queens Monarch University, Australia. He added wherever the land subsidence had occurred in Barapukuria coalmine, the untapped coal seams underneath have been completely damaged.

"These coal seams cannot be extracted in any method. In the present circumstances, this mine should complete its underground mining before anyone can consider other options like open pit mining," he noted. Other expatriate experts are Dr Saad Analip, professor and the chair of marketing, Pennsylvania State University, USA, Dr Khalequzzaman, head of geology department of Lock Haven University, Pennsylvania, US-based environmentalist Dr Sarwat Chowdhury, mining engineer working in Queensland coal and iron mines Masud Hossain, and Melbourne-based Global Positioning System and Global Information System expert Sultana Nasrin.

Energy adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikram, five parliamentarians from North Bengal, representatives from the parliamentary standing committee on energy and secretaries of the ministries of power and energy would be present at the event financed by Petrobangla. The chairmen of Petrobangla and Power Development Board (PDB), members from Geological Survey of Bangladesh, Bureau of Mineral Development, Barapukuria Coal Mine Company, Dr Hossain Monsur of the geology department of Dhaka University, and representatives from the Rajshahi University and the chemical engineering department of Buet will also take part in the session.

Govt doubles bounty for BDR fugitives

The government yesterday doubled the earlier announced Tk 50,000 bounty for helping arrest each fugitive BDR member suspected to have been involved in the February 25-26 mutiny and carnage at the BDR headquarters. The home ministry said in a press release Tk 1 lakh will be given for providing information to nearby police stations or law enforcers about each absconding BDR jawan. Identity of the persons giving such information would be kept secret, it said. Earlier on April 7, the home ministry announced the Tk 50,000 bounty.

The number of BDR jawans, who went into hiding soon after the mutiny and are still at large, is 24, according to the BDR authorities. The authorities on May 19 released to the media a list containing the names and photographs of 25 BDR jawans as fugitives, out of over 7,000 earlier said to have fled their Pilkhana headquarters. A week later, the authorities corrected the list saying the number of fugitives is 24. Interestingly, the authorities gave the media varying numbers of BDR fugitives -- 2,000, 1,800, 1,000 and 250-- since the mutiny.

If and when any ULFA honcho is arrested in BD, it will be for safekeeping (literally to protect him) or he will be bumped off in a vaccum burst or heart attack episode.

sum wrote:Indians actually do such "un-Gandhian" things in BD or do the ULFA guys fear the local gangsters?

Oli blamed for route chaos ----- He calls accusers liars

A whimsical decision by former communications minister Col (retd) Oli Ahmed in choosing the entry/exit points for the proposed Asian Highway (AH) that would go through Bangladesh, has been delaying the country's inclusion in the network, said experts. The former minister chose a mountainous route, instead of a short and more viable one for all, without offering any explanation. His decision neither reflected the interest of Bangladesh nor did it help the interest of any other member-country of the network, rather the decision seems just a result of the erstwhile government's bias against India, the experts added.

But former communications minister Oli Ahmed emphatically denied the allegation to The Daily Star over the phone last night, calling the accusers 'liars'. According to official records, the routes proposed by Bangladesh under the leadership of Oli Ahmed and finalised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), are AH1 that passes through Benapole-Jessore-Kanchpur-Dhaka-Sylhet and Tamabil, and AH2 passing through Banglabandha-Hatikamrul-Dhaka-Kanchpur-Sylhet and Tamabil. Both international sea ports -- Chittagong and Mongla -- are connected to AH1 and AH2 by AH41, so the ports may also serve the regional trade needs.

Bangladesh initially offered four entry/exit points for AH including two at the north-east corner of the country, when UN-ESCAP in 1993 asked member countries to indicate which roads of their national networks could become parts of the network. One of the two entry/exit points in the north-east of the country was at Tamabil and the other was at Astagram, both of which are in Sylhet. The route through Astagram was much shorter for linking Tamu of Myanmar with the AH network through Imphal, the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. Tamu is a border point between India and Myanmar, which the latter offered for AH connection.

But in 1995 the then communications minister Oli Ahmed scrapped the proposed route through Astagram, and retained only the route through Tamabil in the north-east. "The Tamabil route is about 600 kilometres to Imphal from Sylhet. It was a suicidal decision for Bangladesh," said Dr M Rahmatullah, former director (transport) of UN-ESCAP. "There was no reason for choosing this route, since the other route through Astagram could have been much shorter with a distance of only around 200 kilometres." Showing maps and documents, the transport expert said the only route now chosen in the north-east, passes through a mountainous region across four Indian states, through which travel is time consuming and costly.

Sources said the Tamabil exit/entry point is neither suitable for India and Myanmar, nor for Bangladesh. When countries submitted their route proposals in response to UN-ESCAP request, India proposed a route through Karimganj of Assam into Bangladesh via Astagram. An independent study of UN-ESCAP also found the Astagram route as the most suitable. "But the then Bangladesh authorities were unable to understand it," said Rahmatullah, now transport policy adviser for the Transport Sector Management Reform (TSMR) Programme of the Bangladesh Planning Commission. He said the only reason for not choosing the more viable route through Astagram, was the then government's bias against anything proposed by India.

"I heard some communications ministry top policymakers saying: since India had offered the route, it must have some vested interest in it…..so, we couldn't go for it," he told The Daily Star last week. The present route-related trouble of Bangladesh, where the country is wanting to change the proposed routes once again, but being vetoed by India, has been the outcome of the wrong decision taken in 1995, Rahmatullah said. In 1998 the last Awami League government tried to revert the route proposal, and offered Astagram as the entry/exit point again, but failed to get India on board. Later the successive BNP-led four-party alliance government offered a completely new route through Teknaf, but failed to get any attention from any member country.

Rahmatullah said Bangladesh could still resolve the route dispute by becoming a member of the network through signing the AH agreement, which it has been putting off for decades now. For amending the proposed route, Bangladesh now must convince both India and Myanmar, he added. Asian Highway, a proposed international network of 1,41,000 kilometres of standard highways criss-crossing Asian countries with links to Europe, was conceived in 1959 with an aim to promote regional cooperation among the main land countries of Asia. Once Bangladesh becomes a part of this global network of roads, it will be connected with countries located both on the east and the west. The transnational highway will also open up enormous economic opportunities for Bangladesh.

OLI'S REBUTTAL

Col (retd) Oli Ahmed vehemently denied that he had chosen Tamabil as the entry/exit point. "Rather it was Rahmatullah and some officials of the World Bank, who tried to push the route through that point, with a vested interest of keeping all entry-exit points only with India." About the current proposed routes on the book, he said UN-ESCAP finalised those not any Bangladeshi government. "Asian Highway can never enter from and also exit to the same country. It must connect capitals of multiple countries," Oli asserted. He said Bangladesh has always been trying for a route through Chittagong-Cox's Bazar to reach Gundum of Myanmar, which complies with all criteria for the network stipulated by UN-ESCAP. {And Cox's Bazar is a tiny sliver that connects BD to Burma in the south-east, funny....}

In November 1996, the then Awami League government also proposed the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar route in a meeting held in Japan, but that was not accepted, he added.

Asian Highway routes get cabinet nod

The cabinet yesterday decided in principle to sign the Asian Highway Network (AHN) agreement, accepting the proposed routes, and make Bangladesh a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). The proposed three routes of the AHN are Benapole-Jessore-Dhaka-Kanchpur-Sylhet-Tamabil, Banglabandha-Hatikamrul-Dhaka-Kanchpur-Sylhet-Tamabil and Mongla-Jessore-Dhaka-Kanchpur-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar-Teknaf-Myanmar border. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the cabinet meeting, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the meeting.

Meeting sources said the cabinet initially emphasised the importance of the third route to avoid controversies. They said the BNP-Jamaat coalition government held three cabinet meetings on the issue but failed to make any decision, which the cabinet yesterday termed very unfortunate. The decision will be made into a bill and placed at the parliament for its verdict. During the meeting, held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Hasina wanted to know from the communications minister and secretary whether Bangladesh has any option to negotiate the proposed routes. They replied that becoming member is a prerequisite to negotiating for route changes.

"We cannot remain aloof in the age of globalisation. We have to go forward with the network in the interest of socio-economic development of the country," Abul Kalam told newsmen quoting Sheikh Hasina as saying. The cabinet also approved in principle the Islami University (amendment) Act, 2009, and the Government Water Body Management Policy, 2009. As per the Government Water Body Management Policy, 2009, fishermen will get lease of government water bodies. Azad said there are 28,879 government water bodies and 25,674 of them are smaller than 20 acres. He said the Upazila Water Body Management Committee would deal with the smaller water bodies while the district committee will deal with water bodies larger than 20 acres.

Another jawan of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) of 46 rifles battalion died of heart failure at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) yesterday. The deceased, Nayek Subedar Munshi Belal Hossain, 53, hailed from Khulna Sadar, was recruited in BDR in 1976. With his demise, the number of unnatural death of BDR jawans rose to 27 since the February 25-26 mutiny at BDR headquarters in the capital.

Life sketch of new army chief

The newly appointed army chief General Md Abdul Mubeen, NDC, PSC, was commissioned as a second lieutenant with the third Short Service Commission in Bangladesh Army on Nov 30, 1976. Gen Mubeen, appointed for three years and promoted to the rank of General, had previously discharged his duties as the principal staff officer at the Armed Forces Division, according to an Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate release made available on Monday. As far as Gen Mubeen's command experience goes, starting with different battalion command offices, he commanded two infantry battalions, an infantry brigade and two infantry divisions.

As a staff officer, he worked as a brigade major at an independent infantry brigade, as general staff officer-grade 1 (GSO-1) at an infantry division and Bangladesh Military Academy, as personal staff to the army chief at the army chief's secretariat and also as a director at the training directorate at Army Headquarters. He served as the director general at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and commandant, Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC). Gen Mubeen is a graduate of both DSCSC and National Defence College, Mirpur.

As a peacekeeper, he discharged responsibilities as the Chief of Staff (Northern Region) in UN operations in Mozambique. In his eventful career, Gen Mubeen successfully completed various training from China and India, besides attending numerous seminars, conferences and workshops at home and abroad. A Widely travelled man, he is married to Syeda Sharifa Khanoom and they have two sons and a daughter. Gen Mubeen, a veteran of the army hockey team in his early career, enjoys playing golf and is keenly interested in all games and sports.

Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 15 – The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has no words from Dhaka on the reports of detention of ULFA commander-in-chief, Paresh Baruah, even as speculations over the identity of the detained militants continued for the second day today. Sources in the MEA said that upon learning about Baruah’s detention in Bangladesh, top officials contacted Indian Embassy in Dhaka. However, the official was told that the Embassy has not been contacted by the Government of Bangladesh regarding this issue.

Sources said that if at all somebody has been picked up, he may not be Paresh Baruah. Had they picked up Baruah, it would be to please India and in which case they would notify New Delhi, the official argued.

He added that India has been telling Dhaka that lot of these guys were taking shelter in the country, but so far no major action has been taken.

Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs also refuted media reports that a team of intelligence officials has left for Dhaka to identify Paresh Baruah.

The suspicion has arisen because of the reported detention of Baruah’s bodyguard, Khanindra Medhi alies Lebu. He is believed to be part of a group of six detained by Rapid Action Battalion from Dhanmondi. The other militants are believed to be ATTF cadres, sources added, conceding that someone big has been caught though they are not yet sure, who.

Sources speculated that it was unlikely that Baruah who has reportedly shifted base to China would visit Bangladesh at this juncture, when investigation in to the Chittagong arms haul case has reached a critical stage. Paresh Baruah’s role in the case has come out in the open, with several of the top Intelligence officials, who were part of the conspiracy, have since been arrested.

Arrested former director general of National Security Intelligence (NSI), Brigadier General (retd) Md Abdur Rahim and former director (security)’ Wing Commander (retd) Sahabuddin Ahmed had been arrested and both the officials had given statements alleging involvement of ISI of Pakistan and ULFA. They claimed that the arms consignment was meant for ULFA in Assam and Baruah was part of the operation.

As reported in a few Bengali newspapers, they informed that Dubai-based business firm ARY Group and Pakistan’s army intelligence service Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) were involved with the plan of smuggling the seized arms.

The Director General allegedly held meeting at his personal safe house besides his residence. In that meeting Ulfa military chief Paresh Barua, two officials of ARY Group and officials of Pakistan High Commission were present, it was alleged.

EC for cancelling SQ Chy’s JS membership

The Election Commission (EC) today decided to recommend the Parliament Secretariat to cancel the parliament membership of BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for providing false information about his educational qualification. The EC decided to send a letter to the Parliament Secretariat seeking annulment of Salauddin’s membership, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Shakhawat Hossain told reporters at the EC secretariat. Salauddin, who was elected MP from Chittagong-2 constituency, mentioned in the affidavit attached with the nomination form that he had no educational qualification. The commission, after an investigation, found that SQ Chowdhury gave false information since he obtained BA (Hons) in Political Science from Punjab University in Pakistan.

His educational qualification was mentioned in a book published by the Parliament Secretariat on the biography of lawmakers of eighth parliament. The commission however asked him to submit all his educational certificates by June 5. But, the BNP leader did not submit the documents to the EC until the due date. As per the Representation of the People's Order (RPO), candidacies of Salauddin was supposed to be cancelled as he did not submit attested copies of his educational certificates along with the applications, seeking to contest the polls. But on his verbal promise to submit copies of certificates of educational qualification 'as early as possible', the EC allowed him to contest the ninth parliamentary election.

EC, Speaker can't touch me: SQ Chy

Dhaka, June 16 (bdnews24.com)—BNP MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury says the Election Commission and the Speaker do not have the power to strip him of the right to represent his electorate. Speaking to bdnews24.com by phone from Singapore on Tuesday, he claimed that he had not provided any false information in the nomination affidavit about his educational credentials. "Both the commission and the speaker know that they don't have the power to do anything due to legal drawback." The Election Commission said earlier in the day that it will ask speaker Abdul Hamid to strip the MP from Chittagong-2 of parliamentary membership ahead of last December's elections. He went to Singapore on Monday night for medical treatment.

CHowdhury said: "I have said in the affidavit that I don't have education qualification. If there is any wrong let the commission prove it and collect my certificates. Then I will say what is true and what is false." On providing two types of information about his SCC exam, Chowdhury said: "I didn't submit any biography to the commission. It might have collected it from the parliament secretariat. There is no provision to submit biography to the commission. If the commission does so many things based on it I have nothing to say."

Replying to a question, he said: "People have been sending me to the parliament for the last 30 years, which proves my eligibility. I don't think there is any need to prove my eligibility. I don't feel honoured that I sit in parliament but where I sit becomes celebrated. I owe people and nobody else as they have sent me to the parliament." The BNP leader said: "My biography is known to the people. A number of newspapers print or publish my biography almost every day to increase their publicity. If the commission gets the biography from there I have nothing to say on the matter," he said.

Training aircraft crashes in Bay, pilot unhurt

A training aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force crashed in the Bay of Bengal near the outer anchorage of Chittagong port this morning. Sources at Zahirul Haq Airbase said the pilot of the aircraft, Flight Lieutenant Mamun, managed to escape by parachute after the aircraft crashed in Patenga. The divers of Bangladesh Navy with the help of some local divers rescued him and rushed to nearby Naval Hospital, said Commander Anwar of Naval Academy at Patenga in the port city. The pilot was out of danger, he said. The FT-6 type aircraft took off shortly after 11:30am. Shortly after the takeoff, the aircraft appeared to have developed technical glitch. It caught fire just before falling into the sea near the Karnaphuli estuary.

The naval rescue team was searching for the wreckage of the aircraft in the sea at the bravo point of outer anchorage area of Chittagong port. “The aircraft made a big bang and then started bumping and faltering in the air before it caught fire,” said local diver Jasim who along with three others rushed and rescued the pilot from water in the Karnaphuli estuary. Bangladesh Air Force Chief Air Marshal Ziaur Rahman flew to Chittagong immediately after the accident. The air force chief visited the pilot at the hospital.

Razzaq to lead Tipai team

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources today formed an all-parliamentary committee led by committee chief Abdur Razzaq to visit Tipaimukh dam site. Sources said the committee was manned by lawmakers from both the ruling and the opposition parties, experts from the Water Development Board and some neutral experts. Razzaq told The Daily Star that they would visit the site soon after consulting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He came down hard on the critics of construction of the dam and asked people not to talk about the fact they were not aware of. The parliamentary body asked the ministry of water resources to submit a report within one month on if there were any irregularity or corruption in the ministry and the Water Development Board over the last seven years.

Pintu remanded again

Former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu was taken into fresh remand today for one day for interrogation in the BDR mutiny case. Metropolitan Magistrate Mominul Hasan approved the time of interrogation in remand following an appeal of the Criminal Investigation Department seeking seven days to quiz him. Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahar Akand filed the appeal on June 11. The court did not hear the appeal that day because Pintu was ill. Pintu, former president of BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, was interrogated in remand for eight days in the case. On June 8, the same court placed Pintu on a three-day remand on completion of five-day interrogation. Pintu stand accused of instigating mutineers. The national probe committee on BDR carnage revealed Pintu's "involvement" with the BDR carnage in helping mutineers flee by arranging engine boats to cross the Buriganga at Keraniganj ferry ghat. Another allegation against Pintu came to light from the CID documents submitted to the court that he and his followers encouraged the mutineers by bringing out processions around Pilkhana in support of them on February 25.

Pinak on Tipaimukh: Indian control won't mean water held back

India will have sole control of the flow of water at the proposed Tipaimukh dam, but will not hold back water, said Indian high commissioner to Dhaka, Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarti, on Wednesday. The flow of river water and flood control will remain in the hands of India, he told reporters after a courtesy call with communications minister Syed Abul Hossain at the ministry. But, he said, Tipaimukh dam is a hydro-electric project. It will generate electricity from the water flow, but will not hold it back, said Chakravarty. By some accounts, India expects to generate around 1500 megawatts of hydropower from the project.

The hydro-electric project by India concerns many in Bangladesh where three rivers—Surma, Kushiara and the mighty Meghna—lie downstream of the proposed dam across the river Barak in the Indian state Monipur. Experts in the country say Tipaimukh dam will reduce the natural monsoon flood patterns of the Sylhet region adversely affecting cultivation and livelihoods in the area on a vast scale. They also fear India could hold up water flow during the dry season.

Transit

Communications minister Syed Abul Hossain, meanwhile, was asked by reporters outright whether Bangladesh was giving India transit facilities by road and rail. "Why shouldn't we? It is profitable for Bangladesh," said the minister of the much discussed transit question that has also stirred controversy since the new government came to power in January. Concerns remain that Delhi would benefit more than Dhaka from such a move. "Don't you want Bangladesh to profit through transit, new roads and rail services?" asked the minister.

"Bangladesh has sought financial and technical assistance from India for the development of railway communications since the Indian railway is a profitable sector," said the minister. There have been discussions about setting up new roads and rail lines because Bangladesh wants an alternative road for Benapole land port for increasing revenue, he added.

Fact-finding delegation to Tipaimukh ---- Inform the people fully and expeditiously

The news we have been anxiously waiting for has come about. But not in as complete a form and with as much sense of immediacy as we would have liked it to be. Even so, we welcome the initiative getting underway now through the formation of a nine-member parliamentary team including some experts as well, against the backdrop of a raging controversy interspersed with trepidation centring on the question of India constructing Tipaimukh Dam. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's decision was to send an all-party lawmakers' delegation to the site to assess the situation first-hand and report back to parliament for deliberation and taking a stance on. However, the team that has been formed does not include any BNP lawmaker, although a Jamaat-e-Islami MP is in it. Actually, what has happened bears a mark of ingenuity in that all the members of the JS standing committee on water resources ministry have simply co-opted into the parliamentary delegation. In a sense, therefore, it is representative, but not wholly representative, because BNP, the main opposition party which has so much to say on the issue, is left out. So, we would urge the government to earnestly try and include BNP in the fact-finding mission.

It is of utmost importance, given the lack of official knowledge about the Tipaimukh Dam that the fact-finding team is sent to the site expeditiously so that they can get to grips with all the details and ramifications of the massive Indian project keeping the interests of the lower riparian Bangladesh uppermost in their mind. Actually, longer it takes to undertake the visit greater will be the confusion.

For, even before undertaking the trip, Abdur Razzak, MP, head of the parliamentary delegation, has taken the experts to task for what he said 'commenting on Tipaimukh Dam without having necessary information'. To our mind, the honourable member can be blamed for the same reason that he is accusing the experts of. If he had sufficient information on the project he should have shared it with the parliament, the media and the experts. Isn't the visit of the delegation he is heading all about gathering sufficient information on Tipaimukh Dam? So, why is he commenting on it before making the trip? We believe it is important that more of our experts of national and international repute as well as media representatives, both print and electronic, should be involved in the appraisal missions. People must be fully informed about this dam and whatever action our government decides to take later must have the people's backing behind it.

Sea Boundary Claims of India, Myanmar ----- Dhaka to lodge protest at UN

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said in parliament Bangladesh will soon send a diplomatic protest note to UN against the claim of India and Myanmar over extended continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal. "Bangladesh's permanent mission at UN is preparing the protest note in consultation with local and foreign experts and it will be submitted to UN soon," the premier said in a scripted answer responding to a query of BNP lawmaker Zafrul Islam Chowdhury. Besides Bangladesh, neighbouring India and Myanmar have share over the Bay. The two countries have submitted their claims to UN over the extended continental shelf on May 11 and December 16 last year, she said. The premier added Bangladesh would have to submit its claims to UN over 150 nautical miles or more area beyond 200 nautical miles of the extended continental shelf of the Bay by July 27, 2011.

"Bangladesh is making all preparations to submit its claims to the Commission on Limits of Continental Shelf [CLCS] of UN before the deadline," Hasina said. She said the preparatory work is going on under supervision of the foreign ministry. The CLCS will make its recommendations after examining all facts, which is a time consuming matter, she added. Hasina said Bangladesh has already declared 12 nautical miles of the Bay as its territorial sea, 18 nautical miles as contiguous zone and 200 nautical miles as economic zone as per the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1974. The prime minister said the area of extended continental shelf claimed by Bangladesh is 29,000 square nautical miles. This conflict with the claim of Myanmar while 22,000 square nautical miles are in conflict with the claim of India, she said reviewing the two neighbouring countries' claims submitted to the UN.

ASIAN HIGHWAY

In response to AL lawmaker Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Hasina said the cabinet has already approved in principle to join the Asian Highway. On approval of the cabinet, a proposal to this effect will be sent to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The work for implementation of the Asian Highway will begin upon approval of ESCAP.

Govt restructuring intelligence agencies ----- Measures also taken to coordinate their activities; move comes on the heels of intelligence failures, criticisms

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government has taken effective measures for restructuring intelligence agencies and coordination of their activities. The premier's statement came in parliament in response to a query of Workers Party lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon. This was a longstanding issue as questions were frequently raised in recent years about the role and efficiency of the agencies for their repeated failure in preventing terror attacks. The recent highly criticised issue was the role of intelligence before the bloody mutiny at the headquarters of paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in Pilkhana in the capital.

On the agencies' failure to warn the government about the BDR mutiny on February 25-26, Hasina said it is true various intelligence agencies could not come up with advance information. Reviewing the functions and jurisdictions of National Security Intelligence (NSI), Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Military Intelligence (IMI) and Special Branch (SB) of Police it was determined that the internal matter of BDR was not under their jurisdiction, Hasina said. "These agencies do not have necessary manpower to do such a task," said Hasina adding that only a four-member small team of DGFI get involved in BDR at its sector level to collect information on trans-boarder issues.

The national probe committee on BDR mutiny also pointed finger to the "failure of the main intelligence agencies, their inefficiency and organisational failure, collusion of the Rifles Security Unit (RSU) with the mutineers…" as some of the subsidiary causes played direct/indirect role behind the mutiny. The committee in its report submitted to the government gave some long-term recommendations including "Redistribution of responsibility and duty of all intelligence agencies and formation of a permanent Central Intelligence Coordination Committee (CICC) at highest level". The committee also recommended "Formation of counter intelligence forces for all intelligence agencies including the Rifles Security Unit (RSU)".

Hasina yesterday said her government is actively considering all recommendations by the national probe committee on the BDR carnage. The committee among other recommendations has asked to restructure all intelligence agencies to improve their structural conditions, the premier added. Hasina, also leader of the House, said the RSU is assigned to collect information on BDR's internal security and information on smuggling. There is no mechanism for coordination and exchange of information between RSU and any other national intelligence agencies.

She added ordinary soldiers of BDR collect information at field level and inform the officers. The authorities could not notice information in advance on the mutiny as ordinary RSU soldiers were found involved with the mutiny, Hasina continued. Failure and dubious role of the intelligence and investigation departments have also been discussed following many tragic events when the nation experienced some major terror attacks in and outside the capital and also some misleading investigations over some major crimes. Assassination attempt to Sheikh Hasina on August 21, 2004 at the heart of the capital also raised the same questions.

Besides, the role of some intelligence agencies and their officials has also sparked controversy following allegations of torturing political bigwigs in confinement during the caretaker rule. A number of top tier leaders from ruling Awami League and main opposition BNP also raised their voice in and out of parliament against "torture" by the intelligence officials in the name of interrogation. Former commerce minister and AL General Secretary Abdul Jail, who was in prison for one and a half years during the caretaker rule, in January alleged in parliament of excruciating torture on him by DGFI after 1/11 changeover. He also called for a parliamentary probe into that matter. Jalil demanded that those responsible be meted out exemplary punishment. He also said operations of the intelligence agency be restricted to the armed forces so that the people are not subject to their "torture" anymore.

Besides torture, politicisation of the agencies or use of intelligence agencies for the ruling party's political propose were also among other highly discussed issues as there were many allegations in this regard. Strong allegations were rife that the intelligence agencies and investigation departments were highly politically motivated during the five-year tenure of BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government. Many farcical probes into the major terror incidents including the August 21 grenade attack, assassination of former finance minister Kibria are the evidence of wrong and politicised probe. Some former officials of Criminal Investigation Department are already facing charges of misleading probe. Most recent arrests and statements of the arrested ex-NSI officials stunned the nation as the chilling information about the role of intelligence officials with the arms smuggling came under the spot light.

Speaker to decide SQ Chy's fate ----- EC deems he's unfit to be an MP for violating electoral laws

The onus is now on Speaker Abdul Hamid to scrap parliament membership of BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for concealing educational information in the affidavit he submitted while seeking candidacy for the ninth parliamentary election. Convinced of the findings of its investigation, the Election Commission (EC) has decided that Salauddin is no more qualified for continuing as an MP, but it refrained from cancelling his parliamentary membership and passed the matter to the speaker. The EC Secretariat yesterday sent a letter to the Parliament Secretariat, asking it to take necessary steps on the matter in consultation with the speaker, EC officials said.

"Salauddin Quader Chowdhury has violated article 12 (3b) of the Representation of the People Order 1972. Besides, he violated his pledge to the commission by not submitting a copy of his educational qualification. Therefore, the commission thinks such person who gave false information is not qualified for continuing as a member of parliament," the letter said. Legal experts, however, say as per the constitution and the Members of Parliament (Determination of Dispute) Act 1980, the EC itself has the authority to strip Salauddin of his parliament membership.

Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain yesterday said if the speaker asks the EC to do something, the commission will take up next course of action. "If the speaker thinks it is a dispute, then he will refer it to the Election Commission to settle," Sohul told a group of reporters at his office. Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda declined to make any comment on the issue. Senior officials at the Parliament Secretariat said the speaker might ask the EC to take necessary actions as per laws. Speaker Abdul Hamid told The Daily Star that he would send his opinion after going through the EC's letter and that he might consult with the attorney general on the matter.

Explaining the constitutional provision in his book "Constitutional Law of Bangladesh", eminent jurist and former attorney general Mahmudul Islam says under article 66(4) of the constitution the EC is to hear and decide a dispute as to whether a member of parliament has become subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in article 66(2), or whether a member should vacate his/her seat after resigning from the party which nominated him/her as its candidate, or he/she voted in parliament against the party. The EC earlier vacated membership of BNP lawmaker Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman in the seventh parliament as he joined the House ignoring the BNP Parliamentary Party's boycott decision. In response to the BNP's application, the then speaker sent the matter to the EC to settle.

Legal experts also said the EC could have vacated Salauddin's seat under the Members of Parliament (Determination of Dispute) Act 1980 by taking his offence into cognisance for trial. According to section 3 of the act, within 30 days after a dispute arises the speaker shall prepare a statement containing the facts relating to the dispute, the name and address of the lawmaker who caused the dispute and those of the person who raised it and send the statement to the EC to hear and determine the dispute. The act says for the purpose of hearing and determination of a dispute, the EC shall have the powers of a civil court to summon and enforce one's attendance and examine him/her on oath, require discovery and production of any document, receive evidence on affidavit, and issue commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents.

Any proceeding under this act shall be considered as a judicial proceeding within the meaning of section 193 of the Penal Code. However, in Salauddin's case, the EC itself filed a petition with the speaker through the Parliament Secretariat to determine the dispute, triggering a fresh dispute as the EC itself raised the complaint and it will have to settle the dispute itself. Election Commissioner Sohul Hussain said they sent the letter to the Parliament Secretariat to inform the speaker about the dispute. But officials at the EC Secretariat said the matter is new to the commission and it does not find any such precedence. Legal experts said the EC itself could take Salauddin's offence into cognisance. Besides, the EC can use its inherent power to take action against Salauddin for violating the electoral laws by concealing information in the affidavit.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has given a clear statement about the inherent power of the EC in the Noor Hossain versus Nazrul Islam case. The apex court observed that time and again it held that it is the responsibility of the EC to see that the election is conducted justly, honestly and fairly. If the election is not being held in that manner, then after being satisfied about correctness of the report or allegations the EC would be justified to cancel the result of the election and direct re-poll, observed the Appellate Division.

Daud's aides not involved in crimes in country ----- Says DMP chief

The arrested accomplices of Mafia don Daud Ibrahim took shelter in the country after committing crimes in India, but they are not involved in any criminal activities in the country. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner (DMP) AKM Shahidul Haque made the comment to reporters after attending a seminar at his office. He also said the three Indian criminals had regular contacts with Chhota Shakil, who is the second man of Daud Ibrahim's illegal empire active in India. "After committing crimes, they came to the country to evade arrest in India, but the police did not find out their involvement with any criminal gangs in the country during the grilling at TFI cell," he said. So far, three Indian criminals were arrested by detective police. In the first phase, two Indian criminals -- Abdul Rauf Daud Merchant, Zahid and their Bangladeshi host Kamal -- were arrested from Brahmanbaria town and according to their information detective police arrested Arif from Krishimarket in the city's Mohammadpur area. They were interrogated by detective police and TFI cell in several phases.

3 battalions to find no room in Pilkhana ----- BDR reform proposals handed to Faruk Khan

Against the backdrop of last February's bloody mutiny, three out of the four BDR battalions now based in its headquarters at Pilkhana are likely to be moved outside the capital. Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) sources said a set of proposals for BDR reforms was prepared by a sub-committee, formed earlier and led by the BDR's director general (DG). The committee in a meeting at Pilkhana placed the set of proposals for BDR reforms, including its probable new name, before Commerce Minster Faruk Khan yesterday evening. The moving of the three battalions was in the proposals, sources said.

Faruk Khan heads a committee, formed in the wake of BDR carnage, for coordinating measures of the Prime Minister's Office and the home and defence ministries. Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam, DG of BDR, told The Daily Star last night, "Considering all aspects, we gave complete proposals on the reforms of the force. Its organisational structure, functions and all related matters are in the proposals. If the government approves the proposals in principle, we will go for the next step--implementation," said Gen Mainul declining to give any details about the proposals.

Representatives of the home ministry, Armed Forces Division, Army, Police, and Ansar are members of the sub-committee. The National Defence College extended support to the secretarial work of the sub-committee. "We proposed five new names for BDR. Of the five, the most voted names are 'Bangladesh Border Guards' and 'Border Guards of Bangladesh'," said a source. The source said, "BDR headquarters would remain in Pilkhana but we have proposed to move three of the four battalions out of the headquarters." Bangladesh Rifles 24, 36, 13, and 44 Battalion are based in the BDR headquarters and soldiers of these battalions took part in the bloody mutiny on February 25-26 which left 74 persons killed including 57 of the army's finest officers who were on deputation there.

A source in the BDR said three battalions were not proposed to be moved out of the capital because those battalions were involved in the mutiny. The source said, "In fact, the four battalions at the headquarters are reserve forces. If needed we could deploy these battalions anywhere outside the capital. But now we think it is better to move their base out of Dhaka which would allow us to deploy them in the border more quickly when required." Sources say that the BDR now has 12 sectors and the sector headquarters command their forces. The committee proposed a new modus operandi dividing the map of the country into three regions and bringing the sectors under those regions.

"We have proposed moving the three battalions to three proposed regional headquarters as reserve forces," said a BDR source. Only one battalion would remain in Pilkhana headquarters as reserve force, the source said. The committee proposed keeping the old slogan of BDR "Shimanter Otondro Prohori", the sources said, adding that they also proposed changing the existing badge of the BDR. "We proposed keeping a picture of a border pillar at the bottom of the two crossed rifles in the present badge," source said. Sources said the committee proposed three possible options for appointing officers and personnel of other ranks in BDR.

As per one of the three options, all officers of the force would be military officers and other personnel of BDR would be recruited directly, the source said. "As a large number of BDR personnel would lose their jobs for their role in the mutiny, we proposed filling up the vacancies temporarily by bringing in personnel of same rank from the army, police, Rab and Ansar," said another source. "A few years later when the border force will have enough number of its own personnel, those from the army, police, Rab and Ansar would be sent back," said a source. The source said another option is to have cent percent officers from the army and fill 70 percent of other positions with BDR and the remaining position with army, police, and Ansar personnel.

"This 30 percent men would join the force on deputation just prior to their retirement," said a source. Another option is to have 90 percent officers from the army and 10 percent from the police and Ansar. Army, police and Ansar men on deputation would fill half the other posts and the other half would be appointed directly from the BDR. The sources said they proposed a BDR uniform similar to the army's but of a different colour than that of the BDR.

JMB IT 'chief' captured

Rab arrested the chief of information technology (IT) wing of banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from his residence in the city's Pallabi area on Sunday. Rab men raided the house of Emranul Haque alias Rajib at around 9:00 pm and arrested him along with JMB 'Ehsar' (full-time) member Abu Bakar Siddiqui alias Abu Hanif, 20. Hanif is on charge of Pabna district of JMB. Five detonators, two casings of grenade, one high resolution binocular, one laptop, a number of jihadi books and some bomb-making materials were also seized during the raid. "Rajib's arrest help us to understand that many highly educated people and brilliant students are involved with the banned outfit," said Director (operations) of Rab Lt Col Mizan at a press briefing at Rab headquarters in Uttara yesterday.

In a separate raid at Muktagaccha of Mymensingh district on the day, the crime busting force arrested JMB's 'Gayre Ehsar' (part-time) members Mohammad Saiful Islam, 28, and Shirin Shapla, 18, wife of another detained JMB 'Ehsar' member David. Following confessional statement by her husband, Rab men arrested Shapla. The JMB IT chief was given task to download information about explosives from internet for providing those to detained JMB explosives expert 'Boma Mizan' after translating those into Bengali. Rab sources said JMB has also its website. Rajib, also known as Mainul, Abu Toba and Iqbal, had also worked as research associates at Water Resource Engineering Department of Buet for a few years.

Lt Col Mizan said on information they raided Rajib's residence. Sensing presence of the elite force, he tried to flee from his rented house but was caught finally, he added. Though the four JMB men were kept at the briefing, journalists were not allowed to ask them any query on plea of fair investigation. At one stage, Rajib was allowed to brief the newsmen. Rajib started his briefing with the name of Allah and said about his student life and his duty as the IT chief. He said he got involved in JMB through Mostafiz, a former Dhaka University student. He had visited India twice--once for a training as an engineer and another for personal matter.

Rab sources said Mostafiz is a teacher of a school in Gazipur and a hunt is going on to arrest him. "I download information on explosives from internet, translate those in Bengali and send those to Mizan through Bashar," Rajib said. Bashar, now a key-figure in JMB, is the son of incumbent JMB Ameer Saidur Rahman. Son of a retired railway official, Rajib hails from Chuadanga district. He passed SSC in 1994 and HSC in 1996 from two institutions in Darshana and secured first division both in the examinations. Later, he got admitted in Buet and passed BSc engineering from Civil Engineering department.

Navy in need of logistics ---- Seeks JS body's help to resolve problems

Bangladesh Navy yesterday said it is facing difficulties in safeguarding the country's economic interest and exercising maritime control within the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf due to lack of modern equipment, manpower and fund. In a report, placed before the parliamentary standing committee on defence ministry, the navy also sought prudent directives of the parliamentary committee for overcoming their limitations so that the force is able to fulfil the nation's expectation, sources said. "Bangladesh Navy today made a presentation before the committee highlighting their problems and possible solutions. The force is facing a dearth of equipment, modern ships and manpower in discharging its duties," M Idris Ali told reporters after the meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

The navy made a set of recommendations that include formulating the defence policy and national maritime policy, taking measures for increased participation of navy personnel in the UN peacekeeping mission, ensuring representation of competent navy personnel in important policymaking bodies. Idris said all members of the parliamentary body agreed that the navy should be strengthened in the national interest. Idris, also former defence secretary, said almost all of the navy ships are very old. Two of the four frigates of the navy are over 50 years old, he added. "We will discuss whether the old frigates can be upgraded," the committee chief said. He said the past BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government decommissioned the modern frigate Bangabandhu due to their "narrow-minded" politics.

The last caretaker government, however, had re-commissioned the frigate, which is now one of two crucial ships for the navy, he said. Without elaborating, the committee chief said there was a suggestion for purchasing new frigate. "We will be clear about the needs of the navy only when the defence policy is finalised," Idris Ali said. Bangladesh Navy was established in 1972 to keep secure Bangladesh's territorial waters, safeguard Bangladesh's economic interest and exercise maritime control within the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf and to protect Bangladesh shipping lines and its merchant fleets.

A committee member quoting the navy's report said the process of modernisation of the navy is also in trouble due to shortage of fund. On budgetary allocation, the navy in its report said it was allocated 16.10 percent of the total fund for defence forces in 2008-09 fiscal year. The army got 67.92 percent and the air force got 15.98 percent, a meeting source said quoting the navy's report. The committee chief said they would discuss the navy's report in another meeting. On holding discussion on the draft defence policy, the committee chief said they could not begin the discussion yesterday due to time constraint. "We will sit again in the next two weeks and discuss the draft defence policy. It is a very serious matter and we will try to seek public opinion on the policy," Idris Ali, also ruling Awami League lawmaker, said. He said public debate might be held on the policy.

On demarcation of maritime boundary, the parliamentary body asked the government to initiate necessary steps by resolving disputes with the neighbouring countries--India and Myanmar. Bangladesh will face difficulties in collecting resources if the maritime boundary is not demarcated, he said. Idris Ali said Bangabandhu's government in 1974 had opened discussion with the two neighbouring countries to resolve disputes over maritime boundaries. After 1975, successive governments failed to give due importance to continued dialogue, he said. To beef up the navy's activities to conduct survey in the sea, the parliamentary body asked the government to set up a hydrographic unit under the defence ministry, he said. He said in absence of the unit, the navy is facing difficulties in discharging its duties.

Some key JMB men hide in Pakistan {where else?!}

Some key members of banned Islamist militant organisation Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), wanted in the list of law enforcement agencies, are now staying in Pakistan for 'taking military trainings or fighting in favour of any militant group'. Wishing anonymity, a top Rab official said they have so far information about two 'Ehsar' (full-time) members who have been staying in Pakistan for the last three months. Earlier, detained JMB explosives expert Zahidul Islam alias 'Boma Mizan' disclosed the information about the flight of two members--Sayeed and Shiplu-- during interrogation.

'Boma Mizan' said the two 'Ehsar' members opted to flee to Pakistan for evading arrest. But law enforcers suspect that they are staying in Pakistan for taking military training from any militant group or fighting in favour of any of them. Around three months back, a travel agency in the city's Fakirrapool area helped them to leave for Pakistan, which is experiencing intense fighting between Pakistan army and Taliban fighters. Quoting the detained JMB man, the Rab official said family members of the two 'Ehsar' members provided the fund for their trip. But he suspected that the organisation might have provided the fund as both Sayeed and Shiplu were more influential among around 500 'Ehsar' members.

He said they are investigating whether the organisation provided the fund. Law enforcers suspect the number of JMB members who had fled to Pakistan might be more. Executed JMB supremo Shaikh Abdur Rahman had visited Pakistan on numerous occasions and had his arms training and mastered of the art of bomb-making while fighting against the former Soviet Union forces in Afghanistan. Earlier, 'Boma Mizan' had revealed about JMB's small-scale organisational activities in India. During the investigation, he confessed that an 'active member' of JMB from Bangladesh who has been staying in India near Rajshahi border in the guise of a cloth trader for long, sends explosives to his militant group.

MIZAN REMANDED

A Dhaka court yesterday again placed 'Boma Mizan' on a three-day remand in a case filed against him on charge of possessing huge arms and explosives, recovered from a 'mini-munitions factory' in his residence in the city on May 14-15. Metropolitan Magistrate Tania Kamal granted the three days' remand after investigation officer of the case had prayed for seven days' remand. Rab men arrested Mizan in the city on May 14 and seized firearms and huge amount of explosives after raiding his two rented houses.

To keep the population boom under check the committee also approved import of 14 million contraceptive injections and 15 million birth control tablets worth Tk 141 crore under the health ministry.

In an unusual move, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has demanded the “immediate withdrawal” of Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty for “meddling in the nation’s internal affairs.”