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Leading News

People confused, frustrated by present situation
Ainul Haque Royal and Amena KhatunUrmee

Centering the service extension of army chief Moeen U Ahmed, the common people are in grip of uncertainty and confusion as to whether the next general election will be held and their suffering due to recent abnormal price hike of essentials will be mitigated or not but especially political leaders and businessmen did not want to make any comments in this regard.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today on Monday common people who are engaged in various professions, said in the long run, military interference in the country’s politics and administrations would not be able to bring any good for the commoner and poor.
"If the armed forces led by incumbent army chief could do better for the people, the price of essentials specially rice, oil, wheat and pulse could be controlled and the common people would be able to arrange their minimum two times meal. But we see many people are leading inhuman life without food," they said.
As the president has thought, if Moeen continues for another one year, the interest of the public would be served. But we public are not understanding what interest will be served by Moeen, they also said.
It is very difficult for us to run our life under these circumstances. We do not want to see any suffocating and disastrous situation. We want election. We want to exercise our voting right in the next general election by the end of this year.
Whoever, politicians and business leaders did not make clear their stand but said "we don’t feel comfortable in discussing the issue."
Besides, a student of Dhaka University told the Bangladesh Today regarding one year extension of services of the Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, "It nothing but a conspiracy and it proves that the national election will not be held as per the EC-announced road map by the end of this year."
She also said, "So far the army-backed government has failed to curb the price spiral, the sufferings of the people are intensifying day by day, as army is leading the government, so total responsibility goes to the army chief, but on Sunday an ISPR press release describing the cause of his extension of service said, it has done for the public interest; how could he play a positive role in the coming days."
Talking to this correspondent, Miti, an employee of telecom sector said, "This extension has been done for his personal interest, not public benefits and sufferings of common people would persist for the longer period as I think the election may be delayed."
Some people also welcomed the government decision of the Army Chief’s extension, saying, "Army Chief has done a lot of good deeds including continuing the drive against the corrupt political and business bigwigs which is really praiseworthy."
Meanwhile, expressing great concern detained AL president and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Jatya Party Chairman H.M Earshad on Monday said, there is no possibility for holding national election within stipulated time frame. Sheikh Hasina was talking to her lawyers while she was produced before the special court in a corruption case. Quoting Hasina her lawyers said AL president expressed her doubt and confusion about holding the stalled parliament election by the end of this year. Sheikh Hasina further said the Government has totally failed to control the abnormal price of essential commodity.
After a presidium member meeting held at Banani party office Jatya Party Chairman Ershad said the next national election would not be held within this year. "National Election will be held next year. Works on preparing voter list will be completed within the month of October. Then, the EC will announce the schedule of the upazila election. So the parliament election will be held next year" replying to queries he told reporters.

Consensus needed among political parties: Speakers at MIPP
Staff Correspondent

There is no option but to ensure political stability in Bangladesh as no nation can ensure economic stability in a country amidst an unstable political situation.
Economic stability is a must for ensuring sustainable economic growth in the country, this observation was made by speakers at a discussion on "Dialogue: the Need for National Consensus before the Upcoming Election," organised by the Media Initiative for Public Policy (MIPP) at the National Press Club on Monday.
In the past, national development was hampered again and again in Bangladesh because of confrontational political culture and lack of mutual confidence among the political parties, resulting in an endless loss to the country. So, all the political leaders must reach a national consensus that no political party will observe any militant programmes like hartal, blockade, they will work jointly to ensure rule of law and to give democracy an institutional shape and above all, they will refrain from all activities destructive to national progress and stability, the speakers opined. Before taking part in a government-sponsored dialogue, the political parties have to reach a greater consensus among themselves in this regard, they stressed.
Democratic system must be introduced in all the political parties as a political party devoid of democratic leadership can never play a proper role in establishing an effective democracy and rule of law in the country, they said stressing the need for massive reforms within the political parties.
The country witnessed huge bloodshed, endless economic devastation and moral degradation due to political confrontation, unrest and violence since independence.
So, the political parties have to make commitments to the nation that they will never boycott the parliament and adopt anti-democratic means against their political rivals in the future, the speakers said.
Stressing the need for student politics, they said, student politics plays a significant role in building leadership qualities among the students, but student politics should be free from party politics. There should be a consensus of opinion among the political parties irrespective of their ideals and manifestoes.

 Famine-like situation in country: Khaleda Zia from jail
Staff Correspondent

The detained BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Monday expressed a grave concern over the sky-rocketing price hike of essentials and termed the country’s food crisis a famine-like situation.
Begum Khaleda Zia expressed her concern through her two counsels, Ahmed Azam Khan and Nasir Uddin Ahmed Asim, when they met her separately at the special sub-jail situated at the Jatiya Sangsad complex at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Azam Khan entered the sub-jail at 3.40pm and discussed different aspects of legal process for around one hour. Later, Asim met Begum Zia.
"She (Begum Khaleda Zia) is very much concerned over the people’s plight caused by the abnormal price-hike," Azam Khan says at the sub-jail gate after coming out of the jail, adding, "She termed the present situation a famine-like situation."
"The people of the country are suffering most now and spiraling consumer prices have almost choked the nation. Hungry people are scuffling over rice," Begum Zia was quoted by Asim to have said.
Begum Zia also demanded of the government to take necessary steps for better treatment of her political rival Sheikh Hasina, also now in jail for corruption charges, setting her free and sending her abroad.
"She wants Sheikh Hasina to be treated on her own choice. The government should take necessary steps to provide Sheikh Hasina with proper treatment in the way her family wants," Azam Khan quoted Khaleda.
"Through reading newspapers, Begum Zia came to know about the health conditions of her two sons –Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko–and she feels that they are not being treated properly in the country and that’s why they are immediately needed to be sent abroad for better treatment," said Khan and quoted Begum Zia as saying, "Tarique Rahman should be sent to Germany for the treatment of his spinal cord and Koko should be allowed to have treatment in Singapore where he has all along been undergoing treatment."
Asked about the cases against Tarique and his family, Khan said, "Begum Zia has expressed concern over the ACC’s move to give charge sheet against the wife and mother-in-law of Tarique Rahman as she thinks the ACC’s case against them is false and fabricated and filed with an ulterior motive just to harass them."
In reply to a question, Khan said, "Begum Zia is hopeful of getting the High Court verdict in favour of her in the writ against the election commission’s decision regarding holding reform dialogue with BNP, which is scheduled to be delivered on April 10.

 AL negotiating with govt, various diplomatic channels to free Hasina

Sahidul Islam Rana

Awami League leaders are negotiating with the representatives of the present Caretaker Government and different diplomatic channels to ensure release of detained party president Sheikh Hasina, now suffering from multiple complications including acute problem in partially damaged ears, eyes and blood pressure, according to a party sources.
Sources preferring anonymity said to The Bangladesh Today, the senior AL leaders held a secret meeting with the government representatives including four high officials of law enforcing agencies on Sunday requesting the authorities concerned to ensure the release of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on humanitarian grounds. "But the government remains rigid in their earlier decision to implement the much-talked- about ‘minus-two-formula’," said a source adding that "Hasina and Khaleda may be freed under one condition that the arch-rival leaders and their family members will never be involved in politics in future."
"Hasina may be sent abroad, if she agrees not to take party in any election in the country," a party insider narrated. About the decision of the detained Hasina, he said, "The AL president will abide by the decision of the party councilors." Sources said, the meeting was attended by some nine persons including five AL leaders. Earlier, AL also discussed the matter with the Government’s representatives at Zillur Rahman’s Gulshan residence on Friday night.
Later, AL Presidium Member Amir Hossain Amu while talking to a private television yesterday said, they are negotiating with different channels to reach a fruitful solution.
Meanwhile, Amir Hossain Amu on Monday at a meeting reiterated his party demand for immediate release of detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ensuring her treatment abroad as per the recommendation of physicians. "Sensing the sentiment of mass people as well as partymen, the Caretaker Government will free Hasina for her proper treatment in the United States as early as possible," he hoped.
Referring to attachment of common people in the upcoming movement, he urged the AL leaders and activists to gear up the organisational activities across the country.
The former AL minister urged the present Government to consider their letter earlier submitted to the Chief Adviser’s Office - requesting the release of Hasina and sending her the USA for her proper treatment as early as possible.

 Decision on structured question system in two weeks time, says Hossain Zillur

UNB, Dhaka

Education and Commerce Advisor Dr Hossain Zillur Monday said the Education Ministry will take a decision within a couple of weeks regarding the structured question system that has raised concern and controversy among teachers and guardians.
Zillur, who addressed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) at the Establishment Ministry, asked the DCs to ensure quality of education at schools through constant supervision by managing committees and regular inspections.
Talking to reporters, the Advisor said DCs can play a role in stabilizing market prices, saying that the state cannot be a trader. But it has to be ensured that traders conduct their business properly while consumers are not affected by soaring prices. The Advisor said the government main objective is to control the market and for that different short and long-term schemes are being implemented. The DCs should monitor the market and send information regularly to the Ministry about the market situation.
Narrating some measures, he said OMS has been expanded to meet people’ s demand while VGF, Food for Works and Food for Money have been strengthened to alleviate plight of the people.
Zillur expected a bumper Boro harvest this year and hoped prices of rice will come down with the harvest of new Boro towards the end of April. "There is enough food stock in the country and we are planning to build up a stock for one-year," he said.
The Adviser noted that the government will not allow a situation that creates panic among people. In this context, he said newspaper headlines sometime create panic which also influences the market.
Earlier, Foreign Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury addressed the DCs explaining the government’s 10-point foreign policy and 7-point overseas employment policy.
Chowdhury also gave them certain directions to enhance their image as civil bureaucrats. Besides, he apprised them of Bangladesh’s role in international arena.

Back Page

2008-’09 Budget to be placed in June
Steps to help poor fight food price hike

UNB, Dhaka

Apart from widening and deepening social protection, the next budget would consider new measures to create employment opportunities in rural areas during the lean period to help the poor face the challenges of increased food prices.
"If they (poor) cannot be provided with jobs, they would be provided with some compensation," Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam told reporters after a meeting of the Budget Monitoring Resource Committee at Finance Ministry Monday.
"It can be a mix of physical work and cash (compensation)," he said, replying to a question about the possible nature of the budgetary measures to help the poor face the price situation. The details of the measures would be worked out later.
The Finance Adviser expected the budget for the fiscal 2008-09 to be placed in the first week of June.
He said the revised budget for fiscal 2007-08 would be of around Tk 85,000 crore (excluding expenditure for Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation-BPC), raising it from the original allocation of Tk 79,614 crore.
Earlier, the National Economic Council approved the revised ADP of Tk 22,500 crore for the current fiscal, cutting Tk 4,000 crore from the original allocation of Tk 26,500 crore.
Dr Aziz said the expenditure during the current fiscal year is going to be doubled on account of subsidies provided against increased import of food and food related items, fertiliser and petroleum products. He added that the subsidies could be even more than double by the yearend, as demand from different ministries is much higher.
As a result, he said, the overall budget deficit in 2007-08 would increase to some extent, but expected that it would remain below 5 percent of GDP due to better performances in revenue collection and foreign aid. The budget for fiscal 2007-08 had estimated at overall deficit of 4.2 percent of GDP. "The revenue (collection) position is good with 24 percent growth so far while the external assistance disbursement is going to be historically high this year," said the Adviser.

 No restriction on BD workers,
says Saudi Deputy Minister

UNB, Dhaka

Saudi Deputy Minister for Labour Ahmed Abdulraham Al Mansour on Monday categorically said their government did not impose any restriction whatsoever on recruitment of workers from Bangladesh.
"We've updated our labour laws and we are trying to bring about a balance among the incoming labourers in Saudi Arabia," he told reporters after a meeting with Foreign Affairs Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, where the two sides agreed to resolve any outstanding issue through discussion.
The visiting Saudi Minister said those Bangladeshi workers who are working in Saudi Arabia are virtually living in their second home. "They (Bangladeshi workers) are participating in different development works and they are partners of our development." According to official estimate, around 17.5 lakh Bangladeshis are working in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Minister is in city to attend meeting of the Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission to discuss various bilateral issues. He said all issues could be resolved through bilateral discussions, thereby strengthening the bilateral ties. The Foreign Advisor said the relationship between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia is the closest possible. "We in Bangladesh have the highest admiration for his Majesty the Guardian of the two holy Mosques who is greatly admired throughout the Muslim ummah, including Bangladesh, and who has placed Islam as moral force in the contemporary world."
Iftekhar said Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh have relations based on sharing of great faith in Islam and other common interests.
The Advisor of the caretaker government noted that Bangladesh has its huge workforce in Saudi Arabia and thanked the Saudi Minister for hosting them.
During the talks, they discussed various matters pertaining to Bangladeshi labour issue. "We've decided to resolve through discussions those issues of mutual interests," he said.

44th DU convocation marked by jubilation, protests
DU Correspondent

The 44th convocation of the University of Dhaka was held on Monday amid jubilation in tight security and protest by a student organisation over the participation of President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at the function.
The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, also the chancellor of the university attended the programme as chief guest. Language Movement hero Abdul Matin was the convocation speaker and the university conferred honorary doctor of law degree on him and another hero of the movement, Gaziul Haque.
Son of Gaziul Haque, Rahul Gazi, received the certificate and crest on behalf of his father as the veteran language movement hero could not participate the convocation due to ill health.
The Dhaka University campus wore a festive look as thousands of jubilant students attired in convocation costume enthusiastically received their degrees.
In his speech, President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed called upon the graduates to work for the welfare of their own families, society as well as for the country. "Session jams in public universities are increasing alarmingly that escalating education expenses and many prospective years are being dropped from one's life. I call upon all students, teachers, guardians, civil society members and national leaders to deeply think about this matter," he said.
Some 3385 graduates participated in the convocation including 2042 female and 33 of them received gold medals, 24 M Phil degrees and 29 PhD degrees.
Representatives of the Embassies and High Commissioners, army personnel, former DU Vice Chancellors and members of the senate, syndicate and academic council were present. President and Chancellor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed presided over the function. The programme began at 9:30 am with a colourful 'Chancellor's procession' from the Carzon Hall where members of senate, syndicate and academic council and teachers of the university as well as heads of the affiliated institutions were present. The convocation, held at the university playground, continued till 12:30 pm.

Crime

Young man found dead
UNB, Sirajganj
A young man, who went missing Saturday evening, was found dead in river Karatowa at Kachuapara village in Shahjadpur upazila on Sunday.
Police said Shaheen, 19, son of Abdur Razzak of the village went missing after he went out of his house for going to a local market.
Local people found his body in the river Sunday morning and informed police. Police later recovered his body and sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy.

Man injured in clash succumbs at hospital
UNB, Gaibandha
A man injured in a clash at Jagadishpur village in Gobindaganj upazila on Sunday succumbed to his injuries at Bogra Medical College Hospital early Monday.
Sources said one Tajul Islam of the village locked into an altercation with his co-villager Shukur Ali Sunday afternoon following theft of a mobile phone set. At one stage of altercation Tajul along with his associates attacked Shukur and beat him up mercilessly.
Hearing Shukur's cry when his relatives including elder brother Moyenuddin came forward to rescue him Tajul and his associates chopped Moyenuddin, leaving him seriously injured.
Moyenuddin was admitted to the Bogra Medical College Hospital where he died at about 2:00 am.
Police arrested Tajul Islam and Moksed Ali. A case was filed with the local police station.

Housewife killed
UNB, Lalmonirhat
A housewife was slaughtered by miscreants at frontier Uttar Balapara village in Kaliganj upazila Sunday.
Being informed by local farmers, police recovered the body of Maleka Begum, 32, from a maize field at noon.
Police said after being abandoned by her husband recently she came to her parents' house along with her one 12 years old child.
Police suspected that previous enmity might be the reason behind the murder. Victim's brother Awlad Hossain filed a case.
In another incident, an alleged criminal Akkel Ali cut off the right ear of a farmer, Shukur Ali, 50, Sunday morning as the victim saw him stealing potato from the field of another farmer at Amjhol village in Hatibandha upazila Sunday morning. The injured farmer was first admitted to the upazila health complex and later shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital following the deterioration of his condition.
A case was filed.

Settlement office 'Peshkar' held while taking bribe
UNB, Gaibandha
Members of elite force RAB arrested Gobindaganj upazila settlement office 'Peshkar' while he was taking bribe on Sunday.
Acting on secret information, a team of RAB raided the office and arrested Abdul Hye while he was taking Tk 3,800 as bribe from a man promising him to help his land related works.
Later, RAB personnel handed him over to local police station. A case was lodged against him.

Five robbers injured in mob beating
UNB, Shariatpur
Five robbers were injured in mob beating at Dashampara village in Damudya upazila early Monday.
Local people said a gang of six bandits entered into the house of Tota Mia at about 3:00 am breaking the door open and stabbed him indiscriminately when he tried to resist them, leaving him critically injured.
Hearing the screams of the house inmates, local people surrounded the robbers and beat five of them mercilessly.
On information, police rescued the five dacoits identified as Aminur, 22, Chan Miah, 28, Solaiman, 25, Rony, 26, and Abu Taher, 22, and admitted them to Damudya Health Complex in critical condition.
Villagers also caught another robber named Russell and handed over him to police.
Injured Tota Miah was also admitted to the upazila health complex.

Case filed against six in connection with touchstone recovery
BSS, Brahmanbaria
A case has been filed accusing six persons in connection with the recovery of two touchstone worth about Tk 50 crore from the Akhaura residence of Humayun
Khadem, former chairman of RAJUK on Sunday.
Sources said members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) seized two touchstone weighed 174 kg from the bedroom of Humayun Khadem's house at Kharampur of Akhaura pourasabha and arrested caretaker of the house Dula Mia.
A local source said that the touchstones were at the mazar of Shah Peer Hazrat Kalla Shaheed for a long time.

7 frauds held, fake gold biscuits seized
BSS, Brahmanbaria
Police arrested seven frauds on Saturday at Nabinagar upazila in the district.
The arrested were Islam, 35, Humayun, 25, Anwar, 27, Shahjahan, 20, Selim, 32, Sohag, 23 and Suman, 18.
Police said all the frauds of Moddamohalla of Brahmanbaria municipality bordered at a hotel at old bus station in the Nabinagar municipality for selling the fake gold biscuits.
On secrete information, police raided the hotel and arrested them with five 'bhory' fake gold biscuits.
A case was filed against them with concerned police station.

Editorial

Herok Rajar Deshay

“Herok Rajar Deshay” is the title of a famous film by an equally famous Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The film depicts the differences, the dichotomies and the contradictions between the perceptions of those who govern and the realities of those who are governed. While the Emergency Government is claiming that there are no shortages of rice, that only “price has increased, but no crisis”, the people are demanding “I want rice. Give me rice. I don’t want to listen to anything except getting rice” - this truly reflects the differences between what and how the Government perceives a certain situation and what and how the people are really living that situation. The truly worrying aspect is that the gulf, the divide between the Government and the people is so wide that there is now no scope of bridging it, not unless the Emergency Government immediately comes out of its “Herok Rajar Deshay” syndrome.
The “price has increased, but no crisis” theory fails to take it into consideration that it is exactly the prices which is the bane of the people; prices of food commodities are beyond the monetary reach of people, beyond the incomes people are capable of earning. This has happened because of various reasons chief among which are: the Government’s lack of foresight in importing sufficient quantities of food grains when prices are not high in international markets; the Government’s inability of getting food grain to the market in sufficient quantities to keep prices stable at affordable levels; the Government’s inability to forecast the demands for food grains consequent to the destruction of crops by floods and cyclone and last but not the least the Government’s inability in instilling and gaining confidence of the people in its efforts at tackling this unprecedented situation.
It is not merely “price and rice” which is the problem; it is a crisis of confidence of the people in the abilities of this Emergency Government to deliver the needs of the Nation that is creating all these uncertainties in every sphere of national life; someone stocking up on four bags of rice is a reflection of that uncertainty. This Government is clearly lacking in acumen to understand what is and is not of public and national interest. Consider, for example, the Government announcement on 06 April 2008 that the tenure of CAS Bangladesh Army has been extended till 15 June 2009; the Presidential order cited “public interest” as the cause for that extension. By what stretch of imagination has the Government come to the conclusion that it is of “public interest” to extend the tenure of the CAS, when the entire Nation’s focus is on food prices and the terrible miseries this is causing the people. This is besides the other areas of public interest and concern which include holding of national elections within 2008, the fate of the anti-corruption drive and the threats of AL and BNP to launch mass agitations and movements to free their jailed leaders. Under the circumstances the "public" is not in the least bit interested in who is or is not the CAS.
If the Emergency Government refuses, is unwilling to understand the pulse of the people, their interests, concerns, needs and aspirations, it will soon become irrelevant to the Nation and the Nation will demand its replacement. We cannot afford to long live in a Herok Rajah’s Desh because that would be tantamount to denying our existence as individuals and as a Nation-state.

Tough Time for Print Media

The country's print media is faced with a severe crisis due to another round of sharp rise in the price of newsprint. At a time when the newspaper industry has been beset with manifold problems and struggling to survive, the price of newsprint has been raised by about Taka ten thousand per ton over the last few days. Following a fall in the import of newsprint from abroad because of high import duty, the use of local newsprint by the printing industry specially the newspapers is increasing fast. Taking advantage of this growing demand the local manufacturers of newsprint have raised the price of it arbitrarily plunging the printing and publication industry including the newspapers into a severe crisis.
There are a number of mills in the country which produce different kinds of newsprint. As the demand for their products are on the rise, they are trying to monopolize the business and enhance the price at their sweet will. The abnormal rise in prices of rice, atta, edible oil, pulse etc is attributed to escalation in the import costs. That may be acceptable to some extent. But what is the justification of raising the price of locally produced newsprint by Taka ten thousand per ton suddenly? Nothing, absolutely nothing as it has been done just as part of greedy businessmen's campaign for earning more profit. Alongside, the price of white paper has also been raised threatening the education sector and publication industry with further crisis.
The newspaper industry is passing through a state of serious hardship as the total publication cost has soared sharply while the rate of government advertisement has not increased over the last one decade and on the other hand lion's share of the private advertisements is going to the electronic media. Against this backdrop, the mill owners should revise their decision to increase the price of newsprint. And, the government should take action to check unjust price spiral of newsprint and make newsprint import duty-free for newspapers on the one hand and enhance the advertisement rate, on the other with a view to helping the newspaper industry survive.

Analysis

Letter from Toronto 5

Dhaka city is growing rapidly, but we are far behind in per capita park and recreation space for our children and adults. Water fronts are ideal sites for creating parks. We all have natural affinity towards water.

Shahriar Shibley

On October 12, 1954, Hurricane Hazel from Atlantic Ocean caused massive devastation in Haiti. Hundreds of people lost their lives in the coastal areas. In the inland, heavy rainfall caused mudslide from a mountain. 260 people of the village of Berly were wiped out by sliding mud, rock and water, while they were sleeping at night. On October 15, the hurricane passed over United States causing 47 people to loose their lives. The storm moved north to Canada over Lake Ontario. Reaching Toronto, it caused rainfall equivalent to 25 million tons of water in eight hours. Over 80 people died in Toronto. The hardest hit area was around Humber river (often called Humber valley). The river rose 20 feet within an hour washing away 14 homes on the bank along with 36 dwellers. The tragic incidence 54 years ago greatly impacted the city planning of Toronto in later years.
Toronto has three rivers and several creeks. All these rivers and creeks flows from the north into lake Ontario which is on the south of the city. Humber river is on the west side of the city. All along the river is low land. Because of the devastation of Hurricane Hazel, the city government never issued any housing permit in Humber valley. Instead, they developed playgrounds, golf courses, parks and forest all along the river. It is a unique scenario in an urban setting of 2.7 million inhabitants, busses, trains, subway system, airports and high rise buildings. When you walk along the river (named discovery walk) you feel like you are in a different world. You will feel like you are walking in a remote jungle. Humber valley also plays the role of wildlife sanctuary. Skunks, squirrel, raccoons, snakes and Canada geese roam around freely in Humber valley among joggers, picnickers and bikers. Skunks are nuisance. If you hit one by a car, the whole neighborhood smells bad for days. If you come across one while walking and get sprayed upon, that will ruin your day. You will have to wash yourself with tomato juice to get rid of the pungent smell. Raccoons often nest in the chimneys and breed. That can be problem to home owners. You are not legally allowed to kill them. You are only allowed to catch them and transport them to wilderness. Canada geese are beautiful to watch and often remind Torontonians of South Asian descent of duck curry. It is hard to resist the temptation of catching one and taking it home to cook. But, they seem to smile back at you, knowing that they are under the watchful eyes of park employees and police. The species of snake that is frequent in Toronto area is called Garter snake. They are one to two feet long, green in color and absolutely non-poisonous.
Humber river is a small river. In most of its length, it is about 10-15 feet wide and in dry days its water level is about a feet high. One can easily walk across it. But in a rainy day or in a day when the accumulated snow is melting, it can flood nearby parks, golf courses and playgrounds. The mouth of the river is pretty deep and wide and is a good place to fish different species of fish including Salmon. Little bit inland from the mouth of the river, there is sewer processing plant whose end products are drinking water and soil. Recent tests revealed that traces of common medicine (cholesterol, blood pressure and other) are present in Toronto drinking water. The presence of these medicines is minute and does not have any medicinal effect on the consumer. The reason for such presence of medicines in drinking water is human body’s inability to metabolize all the medicines it takes and people’s habit of flushing excess and/or expired medicines down toilets.
Don river runs north to south, little east of Yonge street. Yonge street divides Toronto into east and west and is claimed the longest street in the world. Don river is much smaller and up stream it is only 2-3 feet wide. Once I told a Canadian friend of mine, what you call river here, we call drain in Bangladesh. He almost hit me with his cell phone (jokingly of course). Don river has similar parks, playgrounds, forest and golf courses all along it. Rouge river, which is in the east side of the city, has the most afforestation along it. On the top of that, Toronto zoo is also located in Rouge valley, covering a huge area and is an open air zoo to some extent. None of the rivers and creeks of Toronto have any navigational use other than pleasure boating.
Parks along rivers and creeks are vital to Toronto’s mental health and city planners are determined to keep a certain minimum amount of per capita park and recreation space for all residents. Rivers and creeks are part of the flood control measure along with storm sewer system. Last but not the least, forests along the waterways is examples of good urban afforestation and conservation efforts.
Dhaka city has a population of 12 millions and is growing. We have to do some serious planning to make it a nice city. In doing so we should bring the factors of natural calamities into the equation. The buildings we construct should be earthquake proof and the city overall should be flood proof. Seems like, every other year we have our streets flooded, we suffer the consequence and then forget about it, as if nothing ever happened. We ask for international co-operation in helping our flood victims, but we do not host international conference on how to prevent our flood. Our country is flood prone. We have high rainfall. And due to global worming, chances are, we will have more rainfall. We have to make sure that water drains off our land as soon as possible. One of the ways to do that is to make our rivers and waterways deeper. Years ago our slogan was “Dig canals”. Now it should be “Dig rivers”. We have to make sure that rivers like Buriganga and its branches do not become landfills and illegally occupied. City planners should come up with specific plans for our waterways for the sake all the residents of the city. Storm sewer system should be upgraded. It is definitely expensive to do so, but it is cheaper to prevent flood than suffer the consequence.
Dhaka city is growing rapidly, but we are far behind in per capita park and recreation space for our children and adults. Water fronts are ideal sites for creating parks. We all have natural affinity towards water.
Our water dispute with India is ever increasing. Seems like, they will build dams in all the rivers flowing into Bangladesh to suffice their electricity needs, or protect ports or whatever. They will ignore all environmental issues and contradict all international norms. And in the rainy season, when flood gets out of hand, they will open the gates to allow the water into Bangladesh. We should be prepared for it. We should dig our rivers deeper on our side of the boarder so that we can handle the situation. Or accumulate some rain water in them when available. When you neighbor shuts the water valve on you, what choice do you have but look for alternatives.

(Shahriar Shibley, email: globalsymi@msn.com)

Building Ecotopia: Clothes Made of Beer?

As environmental awareness increases, the fashion industry has begun to respond. Major designers have begun to incorporate organic materials into their designs.

Chuck Hall

Some of the most comfortable natural garments are made of linen. Linen is made from flax. Flax is another plant that needs fewer chemical fertilizers and pesticides than cotton. It does well when grown organically. Linen jeans are especially comfortable and durable, and many men’s suits have traditionally been made of linen.
A rather novel new approach to garment making is clothing made from beer and wine! In this process, the bacteria that ferment the wine are left to convert the wine into a vinegary substance. This slimy residue is then painted onto an inflatable mannequin layer-by-layer and left to dry. When enough layers are accumulated, what remains is a garment made of natural cellulose with a texture similar to latex. These garments have to be kept moist, or they become brittle and tear easily. The Bioalloy team at University of Western Australia developed this process and they hope one day to make the material durable enough for daily wear. So one day you could wear a shirt made of your favorite beer!
There are also natural fibers that come from animals. This is a somewhat controversial area, because traditionally the use of animal products has led to the cruel treatment and exploitation of the animals. If you don’t mind using natural fibers from animals that come from farms where they are treated well, you might want to consider some of the options listed below.
When buying organic wool products, check with the manufacturer to see how the animals are treated. In addition to allowing them to roam freely, consider whether they are given any growth hormones or other chemicals in their diet. Also check to see if they’ve been dipped in any chemicals on a routine basis. You can contact many manufacturers of wool directly to get this information. If they are unwilling to talk to you about their processes, you can rest assured that they’re probably not using organic methods for growing and harvesting their wool.
Traditionally, the manufacture of silk requires either boiling or gassing the silkworms to death. If this is an issue for you, there is an alternative. Tussah silk, a product of India, is harvested in the wild after the moths have left the cocoon. This means that there is no killing involved in the processing of Tussah silk. They also carry a great collection of natural dyes, if you’re an old hippy like me, and love to tie-dye.
There aren’t really any sustainable alternatives to natural fur or leather. Fake furs and leathers are petroleum-based, so buying fakes to save an animal is just trading one set of woes for another. Fur isn’t as much of a fashion statement as it once was, as more and more people become aware of animal exploitation, but leather might be more of an issue, especially where shoes are concerned. The good news is that besides being made of leather, shoes can also be made from hemp, cotton, or recycled materials. I have a pair of hemp hiking boots that I’ve worn on Appalachian trails for over a year now, and they’ve held up better than the genuine leather pair I owned previously.
As environmental awareness increases, the fashion industry has begun to respond. Major designers have begun to incorporate organic materials into their designs. Look for this trend to continue in the future. Materials like hemp and bamboo are enjoying increased popularity, but organic cotton is by far the fabric of choice for most green clothing designers. According to Organic Exchange (www.organicexchange.org), a nonprofit committed to expanding the use of organically grown fibers, global retail sales of organic cotton products increased from $245 million in 2001 to $583 million in 2005. This trend shows no signs of waning in the near future. Organic clothing is ‘in!’

(Chuck Hall is an internationally renowned freelance columnist writing on environmental and climate change issues. You may contact Chuck by
email at: chuck@cultureartist.org.)

Arabs Divide; Israel Rules

Linda Heard

As the Damascus Arab League Summit has illustrated the principle of Arab unity has rarely been as fragile. For the people of this region this is a tragedy. The more Arabs are divided on crucial issues affecting their lives, the more unprotected and powerless ordinary people feel. For in the world of geopolitics small is definitely not beautiful. Every crack that forms within the Arab nation represents another vulnerability that offers its enemies a quicker route to fulfilling their own goals. For instance, on Sunday, an Arab League statement warned Israel that the league's continued support for the 2002 Saudi "Arab Peace Initiative" was contingent upon Israel's actions.
The Israeli papers have reacted by suggesting the offer isn't workable anyway because it relies on the agreement of all 22 Arab League member countries, many of which are currently at odds with one another. Such divisions have given the Israelis an excuse to pour public scorn on the Arab Peace Initiative, which they never intended to take seriously anyway since they have little intention of pulling back behind pre-1967 borders or handing over East Jerusalem to become the capital of a new Palestinian state. Put simply, the more Arabs can't get along the more Israel is strengthened. The current animosities between Lebanese are music to the Israeli government's ears because a strong, unified and economically viable Lebanon might emerge as a potential threat on its borders. Similarly, the ideological and political split between Palestinian factions is a bonus for Israel which is able in all good conscience to proclaim it doesn't have a partner for peace.
This is a chasm that was engineered by the US State Department as we now know from leaked memos and which is being promoted by Israel every time it offers concessions to the West Bank while heaping more pain on Gaza.
The ousting by the West of Israel's archfoe Saddam Hussein was cheered on by Tel Aviv, which also benefits from the inter-fighting within Iraq that precludes it from re-emerging as a power any time soon even if the occupation forces were to pack up and go. Arab disunity was at the core of a 1982 paper titled "A Strategy for Israel in the Nineteen Eighties" written by Oded Yinon, an Israeli journalist attached to his country's Foreign Ministry, and published by the Association of Arab American University Graduates. "The plan operates on two essential premises," goes the introduction written by Khalil Nakhleh.
"To survive, Israel must first become an imperial regional power and secondly, must effect the division of the whole area into small states..." The paper itself accurately predicts the dissolution of Iraq into three autonomous regions and describes Lebanon as being "a state in which there is no centralized power but only five de facto sovereign authorities." Lebanon "is torn apart and its economy is falling to pieces," Yinon wrote more than a quarter-of-a-century ago. "Egypt is in the worst situation," he writes. "Millions are on the verge of hunger, half the labor force is unemployed. Who would have believed that 26 years on Egypt is facing a shortage of wheat that has led to bread riots while 20 percent live below the poverty level even though unemployment has been reduced to ten percent!" The author of the 1982 paper points out that Egypt relies on US aid, which it still does today. This state of affairs begs this question. Why does a country considered the mother of the Arab nation have to rely on handouts from a Western power when this region is one of the richest on the planet? Why aren't wealthier Arab countries ready to step in with cash to ensure Egypt's independence? This question is especially pertinent after the recent Suez Canal incident whereby a cargo ship under contract to the US Navy shot and killed a 27-year-old Egyptian cigarette vendor plying his trade by motorboat within his country's own waters. And instead of being detained for questioning, the ship's crew were allowed to continue their journey unimpeded. The father of two children was buried last Tuesday without anyone being held responsible. Why is it that, while the rest of the world's nation states are forging political, economic and defense links with allies, the Arab world is fragmenting?
The EU has become a bloc of 27 countries with a joint population of almost 500 million with disparate cultures, traditions and languages. Canada, the US and Mexico will join forces if the touted North American Union ever gets off the ground. South American states are unifying on the lines of the EU. The Caspian states have found common purpose. Russia is reclaiming its former status as a major world power. China and India are developing economically and militarily. In a nutshell, this is not the time for feuding between Arab states if the Arab world expects to maintain any clout within the international arena. Such bickering not only feeds into Israel's Long-term strategies it also facilitates the regional grip of oil-hungry foreign powers.
An Arab world united toward achieving the common good of its 300 million people would be a force to be reckoned with. If European countries could put aside cultural differences and mend rifts brought about by wars, then surely Arabs with so much in common can do it too provided there's a will to trust and forgive.

Source: www.arabnews.com

Viewpoints

NATO for Compromise on Expansion

Let us hope that reconciliation continues, an endeavor that, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.”

Dvir Abramovich

The crucial 02- 04 April three-day summit of leaders from the 26-nation NATO alliance in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, billed as the biggest in the alliance’s 59-year history, concluded in a compromise solution that allowed all competing sides to claim victory. The NATO enlargement and efforts to rally support for the NATO-led force in Afghanistan dominated the agenda. Taking a balancing course on its expansion move and getting more troupes for Afghanistan with Russian help for its operations in the troubled Afghanistan, NATO told the two former Soviet republics that they were not getting immediate MAP status but could be sure of membership at some point in the future.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told the BBC he supported membership for the former Soviet states. “There’s no way that the door will be locked for Ukraine and Georgia,” he said. “The NATO Treaty very clearly states that European democracies fulfilling their criteria for NATO membership are welcome.” Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he understood Russian concerns but added that the “final decision will be taken by the allies and not by anybody else”.
Croatia and Albania were also invited to begin negotiations to join the organization. The delegation from Macedonia left the summit prematurely after hearing that it would be denied membership for the foreseeable future.
 US president George W. Bush, seen as the prime-mover, came to the meet with a prime objective of seeking NATO expansion and he repeated his call for NATO to expand eastwards. Speaking in Romania ahead of NATO’s summit in Bucharest, he said the former Soviet states of Ukraine and Georgia should be offered clear paths to membership. In a joint press conference, Bush said he “strongly believed” Croatia, Albania and Macedonia should be able to join NATO as full members. He strongly supported calls by Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina for “intensified dialogue” on membership. “We ought to open the door to closer co-operation with Serbia,” he also said. He added that “NATO membership must remain open to all of Europe’s democracies that seek it, and are ready to share in the responsibilities of NATO”. Greece had demanded that Macedonia first change its name, because there is already a Greek province called Macedonia.
There has been mistrust among the NATO members about the goals of its operations in Afghanistan and hence have not sent sufficient troops there. Bush said “we cannot afford to lose Afghanistan” and urged more NATO states to “step forward” with troops. Many countries, including France have come up with supplying troupes to Afghanistan. NATO supplies currently reach Afghanistan by air or across the hazardous Pakistan border. Russia and NATO members have repeatedly denied suggestions of a deal where Georgia and Ukraine would be sacrificed in return for a deal on Afghanistan access. NATO is keen to seek Russian territory to transit supplies to Afghanistan. NATO members have become committed to sending more troops to Afghanistan.
The decision was announced at the NATO summit, where Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer confirmed an extra French battalion would be sent immediately. Other countries would be pledging smaller numbers. NATO said that it wanted to work more closely with the Afghan government to allow it to eventually take over more tasks from the organization.
Bush appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept US missile shield installations in Europe. The US says they are needed to counter a potential threat from Iran, though Moscow fears they could be used against Russia. Bush also spoke of his forthcoming talks with outgoing Russian president Vladimir Putin - whom he will meet at the summit, and again at private talks in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi at the weekend. The US leader said he would make clear to Putin that “the Cold War is over and Russia is not our enemy”. “This is a good chance for me to sit down and have yet another heart-to-heart with him,” he said.
However, it seems there is rift among the European members on enlargement issue. The move was opposed by Russia, Germany and France and effectively blocked, since NATO must agree unanimously on new members. The prospect of more ex-Soviet states joining NATO is opposed by Russia, while NATO members France and Germany have warned that it will worsen relations with Moscow. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said his country would not sulk over the expansion plans - but stressed that they would not “go unanswered”. “But we will respond pragmatically, not like small boys in school who sulk at those who bully them, run out of the room, slam the door and start crying in the corner. We must concentrate on increasing our economic power and taking our defense capabilities to a higher technologic level.”
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said of Ukrainian and Georgian membership: “We think that it is not the correct response to the balance of power in Europe.” Macedonian officials said the rejection was a “huge disappointment” that would undermine stability in the Balkans. Georgian diplomats earlier said the expected “no” would be a victory for Russia, which has voiced concerns at NATO’s eastward expansion. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said Ukraine and Georgia should have a long-term prospect of NATO membership, but that now was not the time for Membership Action Plans (MAP) to be extended to them. “We have reached the conclusion that it is too early to give both countries MAP status,” she said.
While Russia objects to NATO admitting Ukraine and Georgia, Greece has said that, if no last-minute compromise is reached, it would veto an invitation to Macedonia to join NATO because it objects to the country’s name. Macedonia is also the name of a province in northern Greece, and Athens worries that this could imply a claim on its territory. The BBC’s Jonathan Marcus in Bucharest says the invitations for Albania and Croatia are a damage limitation exercise after the summit atmosphere was poisoned by the diplomatic wrangling. 
President Bush has got what wanted and expected of the meet among the European nations. He’s fully aware of the opposition by Russia and other few member-states of NATO, but agreed with the NATO for going slow with expansion move, possibly, till President Putin leaves Kremlin. Russia strongly opposed the membership of the two former Soviet bloc countries and called the NATO decision ‘a huge strategic mistake’ and hence the revised strategy of NATO. 
Pursued rigorously by Bush, NATO leaders also agreed to fully endorse US plans to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe. US President George W Bush has said he is pleased by NATO allies’ responses to calls to send more troops to support the government of Afghanistan. To put it bluntly, USA obtained a tactical victory over not only Russia, but even the European allies of the Western Alliance. That is how matters have been ever since NATO came into being on April 04, 1949.

(Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal is a Research scholar, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal University, Delhi 110067)

 Arab unity? Dream on

The Arabs are as divided as ever. Ironically, no single group anywhere in the world has so much in common. The Arabs not only share a rich, ancient language and one of the world's oldest civilisations and cultures.

Aijaz Zaka Syed

Libya's Muammar Gaddafi reminds one of those irrepressible Shakespearean wits. The Bard employed them not only for necessary comic relief but also to offer his own commentary - steeped in old-fashioned common sense - on way of the world.
The Libyan leader has made a tradition of speaking his mind whenever he finds himself in the exalted company of fellow leaders from Arab League, OIC and African Union. Now Col Gaddafi doesn't obsess too much over diplomatic niceties and decorum of the high office he holds. Which is why it's such fun to listen to him.
You can loathe or laugh at Gaddafi, as most Arab leaders did during their summit in Damascus this past week, but you can't ignore him.
Interestingly, Gaddafi gets away with saying things that most leaders can't or daren't for obvious reasons. And like the jibes of those Shakespearean jesters, his rants often show his fellow leaders the reality they don't want to confront.
The Libyan leader was in his element once again at the Damascus summit, slamming the Arab world for its inability to prevent the tragedy of Iraq.
Talking about the sack of Baghdad and subsequent execution of Saddam Hussein, the Libyan leader reproached his fellow Arabs: "How can we accept that a foreign power comes to topple an Arab leader while we stand watching?" Then came coup de grace: "Your turn is next!"
Gaddafi went on in the same vein: "Where is the Arabs' dignity, their future, their very existence? Our blood and our language may be one but there's nothing that can unite us."
Explosive stuff, huh? But this isn't the first time Gaddafi has lectured the Arab and Muslim leaders. Almost every platform of such nature sees the Libyan leader in a sermonising mode. He's an inveterate iconoclast, demolishing all taboos and slaying all holy cows.
Which is why the Arab and Muslim leaders have learned to laugh at and ignore Gaddafi's regular outbursts as some bad jokes. That's what they often are.
Besides, Gaddafi himself is no paragon of virtues. Having championed the oppressed everywhere and fought the 'Western imperialism' for nearly three decades, our hero stunned everyone five years ago by capitulating before the almighty America.
Libya 'turned itself' in by offering to dismantle its antiquated programme of totally useless Weapons of Mass Destruction. To top it all, the Arab republic recruited itself in America's war on terror, whatever that means.
Gaddafi's detractors blame the abrupt change of heart on what happened to yet another champion of the Arab-Muslim world. The US invaded Iraq in March 2003 and in Dec 2003 Gaddafi came forward to cooperate with the democratic West. It's this metamorphosis that persuaded Bush his strategy for the Muslim world was indeed working!
This is why it's so interesting to see the Libyan leader reproach fellow Arabs for not standing up to the big bullies. But regardless of Gaddafi's compulsions five years ago and his motives for bringing up the matter now, there's no doubt that the issue he raised remains as relevant as ever.
The Arabs are as divided as ever. Ironically, no single group anywhere in the world has so much in common. The Arabs not only share a rich, ancient language and one of the world's oldest civilisations and cultures, they are welded together by a great vibrant faith. And they are strategically spread over a vast area of land that straddles two continents.
Yet no other group with so much in common has been as divided as the Arabs have been. In fact, perhaps never in the past were they so disunited in the face of great peril as they are today. And they are conspiring and plotting against each other to the absolute delight of their common enemy.
So is it any wonder then that a tiny, isolated entity like Israel with a population of 7 million and sparse resources has repeatedly snubbed the 400-million-strong Arab world?
And despite sitting on the world's largest pile of most precious natural resources and abundant human resources, the Arab world has little clout on the world stage.
Given the world's growing dependence on the two crucial sources of energy, oil and gas, you would think the world community would shudder at the mere thought of upsetting the Arabs.
But do you see that happening anywhere? While the West, and rest of the world, depends on the Arab oil and gas, it is Israel that they seem to listen to all the time.
The UN has passed countless resolutions asking Israel to stop the persecution of Palestinians and vacate the Arab land it has occupied for nearly half a century. In addition to the Palestinian land, the Israelis have been in illegal possession of territory that belongs to Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. And all the mighty Arabs, who once ruled the seas between Africa and China and the earth from Morocco to Mongolia, can do is plead with Israel to please behave.
This Arab summit, just like so many others in the past, was yet another grand spectacle of all that is wrong with the Arab and Muslim world. Gaddafi may be a hopeless cynic. But is he way off in his diagnosis? The Arabs as well as the rest of the world know he isn't.
Let alone leading to some concrete outcome, the high point of this summit was persuading the members to attend it! And as in the past, some honourable guests had a couple of issues with the host, who in this case happened to be Bashar Assad of Syria. How dare his minions hassle our friends in Lebanon?
This was a heaven-sent opportunity to get even. So the righteous talk of Arab and Muslim unity goes out the window! And who cares if this ends up helping the enemies of Arab and Muslim world. Big deal if this offers the world another opportunity to laugh at the Arab-Muslim world. So what if the Arabs are passing through one of the most difficult times in their history and issues like Palestine and Iraq cry out for their urgent attention? Yet the Arabs bemoan their weightlessness and powerlessness to fight the injustices they face on a daily basis.
At the Damascus conference, the Arabs warned Israel that they would be forced to review the so-called Arab peace plan if Israel continued its crimes against Palestinian people.
That's so profound! I can almost hear the Israelis tremble in their pants. This must have come as a huge shock to the Zionists. After all, they had banked so much on this Arab initiative!
And that powerful call from Damascus has delivered the Palestinians and the rest of the Muslim world of all their woes.
After this, Israel wouldn't so much as look in the direction of the Palestinians again. And our American and European friends wouldn't ever again dream of defending and protecting the Zionists. No more swatting of Palestinians like flies. And no more US vetoes in the UN.
And all this of course is the result of exemplary unity in the Arab and Muslim ranks. When is the next summit?

Aijaz Zaka Syed is a senior editor and columnist of Khaleej Times. Write to him at aijazsyed@khaleejtimes.com

International

Indian PM reshuffles cabinet as polls loom
AFP, New Delhi

India's prime minister Manmohan Singh reshuffled his cabinet Sunday adding seven new junior ministers but leaving key portfolios unchanged ahead of mid-2009 elections.
Among the new faces is Jyotiraditya Scindia, the 37-year-old scion of a royal family from central Gwalior region and son of late ex-minister Madhavrao Scindia.
Another new name is former election panel chief and ex-bureaucrat M.S. Gill, a Sikh from northern Punjab state who has been given charge of the sports and youth affairs ministry.
The reshuffle comes as Singh's Congress-led left-leaning government is entering the final phase of its five-year tenure.
Speaking to reporters after a swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace, ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi said she had been keen to include her son Rahul Gandhi in the cabinet.
"I wanted Rahul to be in the government but he declined," she said. "He said he has the responsibility of youth Congress and would not be able to do justice to both the positions if he was given a ministerial berth," she said of the 37-year-old MP, grandson of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
Sunday's reshuffle was a "feeble attempt to streamline the functioning of the government, inject young blood and enforce accountability," political analyst Rasheed Kidwai said, adding the moves also come ahead of local elections in five major states in November.
Singh's government, elected in May 2004, has been buffeted by sharp criticism from its communist allies and the opposition for failing to stem spiralling inflation that last week touched a 39-month-high of seven percent.
Talking to reporters after the cabinet changes, Singh said his government was concerned about the spike in inflation.
"The Cabinet Committee on Prices met and took certain decisions. Whatever more can be done, will be done," he said.
 

Sri Lanka urges world to ‘wake-up’ on terror
AFP, Colombo

The suicide assassination Sunday of a top Sri Lankan minister should be a "wake-up call" to the international community to combat terrorism, the foreign minister said.
Sri Lanka's highways minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, 55, was killed together with 13 others in a blast at the start of a marathon outside the capital Colombo.
The government has blamed the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
"This should serve as a wake-up call to the international community to redouble its efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said in a statement.
He said Colombo had firmly resolved to eradicate "terrorism and freeing the long-suffering people in the last remaining pockets of the north (of the island) from the tyranny of the LTTE."
Government forces are currently locked in combat with Tiger rebels, who are resisting a military onslaught against their de facto mini-state in the north of the island.
Sri Lanka's international backers, including the United States, the European Union and Japan, have called for an end to hostilities in Asia's longest-running separatist conflict and have urged all sides to stop violence.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the long-running conflict. The LTTE took up arms in 1972.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Tigers, a Sri Lankan rebel group responsible of killing about 4,000 people in the past two years, have quietly established a US presence to help finance their separatist campaigns, The Washington Times reported Monday.
Citing various US government sources, the newspaper said the organization was trying to acquire millions of dollars worth of anti-aircraft weapons, automatic rifles, grenade launchers, ammunition, explosives and other military equipment.
A suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber assassinated Sri Lanka's highways minister as he opened a marathon Sunday in an attack that killed 13 other people and wounded 100, police and officials said.
Senior minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, 55, was killed in the town of Weliveriya outside the capital Colombo.
The defence ministry said 22 more rebels the separatist group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had been killed in fresh fighting over the weekend, raising to 2,653 the number of rebels said to have been killed by security forces this year.

23 killed as Shiite fighters, US forces clash in Baghdad
AFP, Baghdad

Fierce clashes on Sunday between Shiite militiamen and US forces in Baghdad killed at least 20 people while three American soldiers died and 31 were injured in rocket attacks, officials said.
The surge of violence came as Iraqi leaders called for all militias to be disbanded ahead of provincial elections in October.
Security and defence ministry officials said women and children were among the 20 dead and 52 wounded in clashes in Baghdad's eastern Sadr City district that erupted at around midnight and continued sporadically through the day.
The US military said it launched two air strikes in Sadr City, bastion of the Mahdi Army militia of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr at around 8:00 am (0500 GMT) in which nine "criminals" were killed.
An "air weapons team" (AWT) fired a Hellfire missile and killed three fighters who were "firing rocket-propelled grenades at Iraqi soldiers," said US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Steve Stover.
"The team identified four more criminals fleeing the scene and attempting to hide their weapons in a vehicle. The AWT fired a missile and destroyed the vehicle and killed the six criminals," he said in a statement.
In the afternoon, Jamila food market, one of the biggest in Iraq and located in Sadr City, was set ablaze during a firefight, sending thick black smoke billowing skywards.
Local resident Wessam Jaffar said the market caught fire after a nearby joint Iraqi-US outpost came under mortar and gunfire attack.
Stover blamed "criminal elements" whom he said attacked the market with 107mm missiles "while it was packed with shoppers."
He said the US military has deployed Bradley and Abrams tanks as well as Stryker armoured troop carriers in Sadr City in operations designed to "take away mortar and rocket sites."
He said "criminals" were firing mortars and rockets from the area into Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, seat of the Iraqi government and the US embassy.
A US military spokeswoman said that separate rocket attacks mid-afternoon on the Green Zone killed two American soldiers and wounded between 17 and 19 others.
Another attack around about the same time on a US military base in Rustumiyah in eastern Baghdad killed one soldier and wounded 14, she said.

Nepal’s divisive king faces the boot
AFP, Kathmandu

King Gyanendra of Nepal will be the last ruler from his centuries-old dynasty if the Himalayan nation-as expected-abolishes the world's only Hindu monarchy after landmark elections this week.
The April 10 polls are the culmination of a peace deal between republican Maoists and mainstream secular parties that ended a decade-long insurgency aimed at toppling the monarchy and which claimed 13,000 lives.
The ex-rebels and the parties have already agreed the king will step down and that Nepal will be declared a federal democratic republic after the polls, which are to elect a body that will rewrite the constitution.
Maoist leader Prachanda said at the weekend that Gyanendra, 61, can remain in the country as an "ordinary citizen" if he wishes.
But while it seems the king has all but already been booted out, staunch royalists have warned of a violent backlash.
"If the Maoists can take up arms and come to power, Hindus will also take up arms. It will be worse than the Maoists' war and many people will be killed," royal aide Major General Bharat Keshwer Simha said in a recent interview.
The elections come seven tumultuous years after Gyanendra ascended the throne following the massacre of his popular brother Birendra and most of the royal family by the drink-and-drug-fuelled crown prince, who later killed himself.
Conspiracy theories linking Gyanendra and his unpopular son Prince Paras to the massacre have made him "the most unpopular man in Nepal," said Kunda Dixit, editor of the English language weekly Nepali Times.
Gyanendra happened to be away from the palace at the time, while his only son, who was present, escaped unhurt.
Paras' playboy reputation has also hurt the king, although his son is said to have become more spiritual since suffering a heart attack aged 36.
However, many people in the Hindu nation continue to revere the king as an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and consider the monarchy to be important for the small but impoverished country.
"The latest polls have shown about half the population would prefer to keep some kind of symbolic monarchy," said Dixit.
"The people make a distinction between a vote for the person of the monarch and the institution of monarchy."
Sujata Koirala, daughter of Premier Girija Prasad Koirala and seen as his political heir, said she felt a "cultural monarch"-not the current king-would suit Nepal and its distinct Hindu-dominated culture.
Gyanendra faced huge opposition after firing the government and seizing direct control in February 2005 on the grounds that the parties had failed to end the war with the Maoists.

 Putin, Bush agree to cooperate on missile defence
AFP, Sochi

US President George W. Bush hailed a "breakthrough" Sunday at his final summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin after they agreed to consider a joint anti-missile defence system with Europe.
"I happen to believe this is a significant breakthrough," Bush told journalists after the summit at Putin's residence near the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
A joint statement issued after the talks reiterated that Russia "does not agree" with the US deployment of an anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. However, the declaration noted that Moscow saw US confidence-building measures as "important and useful" and that Russia shared the United States' "interest in creating a system for responding" to potential missile threats.
Crucially, the declaration held out the possibility of Moscow and Washington working together on the anti-missile question-one of the most divisive areas over the last year of increasingly tumultuous relations.
"Both sides expressed their interest in creating a system for responding to potential missile threats in which Russia and the United States and Europe will participate as equal partners," the declaration said.
This was the last summit between Bush, whose term ends at the start of next year, and Putin, who hands over to Dmitry Medvedev on May 7.
Putin's acknowledgement that Washington has taken steps to defusing the bitter row marked an important thaw in the long-running dispute.
Moscow has until now dismissed US claims to be setting up the shield against emerging military powers such as Iran, saying that the system was instead aimed at Russia.
At a joint press conference, Putin said he felt "cautious optimism concerning a final accord" on the US anti-missile plan. "It seems to me this is possible."
Bush said that "Russia appreciates confidence building and transparency measure we have proposed and have declared that they will be important in influencing Russian concerns."
Bush also met in Sochi with Medvedev, who was eased in as Putin's successor in an election this March that was carefully controlled by the authorities. He has never held elected office and has little foreign policy experience.
Bush said he looked forward to getting to know Medvedev "so we'll be able to work through common problems." The Russian president-elect said he wanted "to act so that our relations develop further without interruption."
Observers say Putin and Bush were keen to end their presidential relationship on a high note after eight years that have seen NATO expand closer to Russia's borders and growing tension over what critics say is Putin's authoritarian rule.
The pair were as friendly as ever before the talks, taking a walk by the sea at sunset on Saturday after an informal dinner at Putin's seaside residence.
"We have met a lot over the past years, I have come to respect you," Bush told Putin when the two met Sunday morning. "You are not afraid to tell me what's on your mind and after it is all said and done we shake hands."
The US anti-missile plan foresees installing interceptor rockets in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic to guard against potential attacks from what Washington terms