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Leading News
PM urges farmers for efforts to
make BD food-sufficient
Agri-input Assistance Card, Cash
Assistance programme launched
UNB, Netrakona
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday urged farmers to go
workaholic to make Bangladesh self-sufficient in food as
her government launched a new helpline to assist the
peasantry in cash and kind.
"Make best use of all facilities sponsored by our
government. Increase food production to build a
food-sufficient Bangladesh so that we do not have to rely
on others for food. If we want to save the country, our
farmers and agriculture will have to be saved," she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing the inaugural function
of the newly-introduced Agri-input Assistance Card and
Cash Assistance program for the country's farmers on
Balikandi Madrasa premises in Teligati union in Atpara
upazila.
The function virtually turned into a grand rally as
thousands of people-farmers, women and children and Awami
League workers-thronged the venue and the adjacent paddy
fields.
To begin with, the Prime Minister distributed cards among
20 farmers. A total of 1.82 crore farmers of the country
will get the incentives under the recipe.
With the Agriculture Input Assistance card, the farmers
will receive money from banks as cash subsidy to buy
diesel. For drawing the subsidy and monetary transactions,
the farmers can open bank account for only Tk 10.
Moreover, the condition for keeping minimal money with a
bank account also has not been tagged to operating the
farmers' accounts. Also, the farmers need not have any
identifier to open the account. The agriculture-assistance
card will be considered final identity for the farmers.
Under the scheme, first-ever such agriculture-welfare
agenda in the history of Bangladesh, some 10 million Boro
farmers will be given money through banks as direct
subsidy on diesel used for irrigating croplands for the
dry-season rice farming.
Marginal farmers will get Tk 800 and big farmers Tk 1000
as cash incentives.
The Prime Minister also pledged proper distribution of
khas land and providing homeless people with houses for
free under the people's welfare agenda.
Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Manjur Kader
Koraishi MP, Agriculture Secretary CQK Mustaq Ahmed,
Depart-ment of Agriculture Extension Director-General M
Sayeed Ali also addressed the function. A farmers'
representative and a FAO representative also spoke on the
occasion. The Prime Minister in her address hoped that
such banking facilities would be used for further
facilitating the farmers in future.
Renaming
ZIA, repression on opposition
BNP to stage protest demo tomorrow
The Communication Ministry, without conducting any
feasibility study, has been moving to implement the
much-talked Dhaka Elevated Expressway (DEE) project.
And what is more, even before doing any preliminary works,
the Ministry has sought approval of the Cabinet Economic
Affairs Committee to appoint a consultant for the project
without any tender process.
According to official sources, the Communication Ministry
initially moved a proposal in this regard to the Cabinet
Economic Affairs Committee last month. The committee is
likely to sit on February 18 to consider the proposal.
As per the plan of the Communication Ministry, the
four-lane Dhaka Elevated Expressway will be of 32.10
kilometer length from Gazipur to Narayanganj and it will
be implemented at a cost of Tk 861.70 crore (equivalent to
US$ 1.24 billion) in three phases - 10.80 km in the first
phase, 10.10 km in 2nd phase and 11.30 km in the final
phase.
The monorail and underground subway network was suggested
to be integrated into the project. Despite huge
involvement of different modes of systems, so far no
feasibility study was conducted on such a mega project.
Experts in the infrastructure sector wondered how the
Communication Ministry could move with a mega
infrastructure project like the elevated expressway
without any feasibility study on which the entire Dhaka
city's communication system, including rail and roads,
will depend.
They said such eager haste with any project may lead to
big trouble in future and invite more complications
instead of yielding a solution to the problem.
After assuming office in January 2009, the Awami League
government announced that it would implement the proposed
elevated expressway project with a view to ease the
traffic congestion in the capital city.
Subsequently, the Communication Ministry moved a proposal
in June last year and the Economic Affairs Committee gave
its nod to the proposal asking to implement the elevated
expressway project through the private sector, either on
build-own-operate (BOO) or build-own-transfer (BOT) basis.
Handling
climate funds
No to WB’s role as middleman
UNB, Dhaka
The government and the donors got down to making a
modality of handling climate funds as Bangladesh refused
to accept the World Bank as the middleman in channeling
and use of the money in tackling severe climate-change
problems in the country.
Although a consortium of Bangladesh's development-partner
countries and agencies-commonly known as donors-held a
two-day meeting with the government in Dhaka, the two
sides were yet to reach consensus on managing the
administration of Multi-donor Trust Fund for Bangladesh to
address the adverse impacts of climate change.
"There are some differences with the development partners
over the administration of the donors' fund," State
Minister for Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud said
at a press briefing on the climate session at the
Bangladesh Development Forum meet.
Few development partners want to provide grants to
Bangladesh through the multilateral donor agency, World
Bank, which created some differences as the government
seeks total administrating power over the fund.
However, Hasan Mahmud hoped that the differences between
the country and its development partner would be ironed
out within one or two weeks as the government is
continuing negotiations with the donors about the modality
of managing the money that will be provided for managing
disasters like floods and droughts, cyclones and salinity,
the silting of rivers, sea-level rise and so.
Replying to a question, the state minister said the
government would certainly accept the funds pledged by
development partners since the assistance is coming in
grants and not soft loans.
Donors pledge bigger doses of assistance for
Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka
International development financiers ended a two-day meet
here Tuesday endorsing the revised Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper (PRSP-II) and pledging bigger doses of
financial and technical assistance for Bangladesh's
development.
The government, in line with the suggestions from the
development partners at the Bangladesh Development Forum
meet, also agreed to strengthen the basic democratic
institutions like the parliamentary standing committees,
the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the judiciary. In
a high-priority area like power-hungry power sector, the
development partners endorsed a required amount of US$ 9.5
billion for funding schemes to raise the country's
electricity production to 7000 megawatts by 2013.
"We submitted the document 'Steps Towards Change' before
the development partners. We think that they have not only
accepted it but also will continue and expand their
technical support in this regard," said Finance Minister
AMA Muhith, revealing the outcome of the two-day event at
Bangabandhu Int’l Conference Center. He said that the
funding for the energy sector would come from the
government, development partners and mostly from the
private sector.
Responding to the donors' recommendation for establishing
an institution regarding renewable energy, Muhith said
that the government would consider their suggestion.
On the important issue of increasing prices of gas, energy
and coal, he said that they would have to fix the rates at
a point where they would be able to attract foreign
investment and, at the same time, deliver the services to
the poor. "We will have to strike a balance between these
two, also have to consider the rate across the border ---
and to redesign the power of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory
Commission (BERC)," he said.
He said that from the Forum they decided to sit on regular
basis and will sit again in June next year just after the
finalization of the 6th five-year plan.
BNP MPs walk out for fourth day
UNB, Sangsad Bhaban
Opposition BNP members staged walkout from parliament for
the fourth consecutive day Tuesday in a latest protest
against the government decision changing the name of Zia
International Airport.
Senior BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed, who spoke for
the first time in the present parliament after winning a
Bogra byelection, led the walkout at about 3:45pm. They
returned after 15 minutes.
"No government is the last government… Next government may
again change this decision. I am saddened at the
government decision," said the ex-law minister before
leading the BNP lawmakers out of the assembly chamber.
Barrister Moudud, who has rich experience in power
politics, said the airport was named after slain President
Ziaur Rahman in 1981. "What's the reason for changing the
name of the airport after 28 years?" he asked. Even while
in power in 1996, Awami League did not change the name, he
said.
"This decision reflects shabby mind and politics of
vendetta of the party in power," said Moudud, adding: "If
the government thinks that changing the name of any
institution would erase the name of Zia, then the
government is living in a fool's paradise."
Mentioning the recovery of a bomb near BNP Chairperson's
Gulshan office Monday, he demanded proper inquiry into it
and placing the report in parliament.
"We think it is part of a conspiracy," he said and
demanded adequate security of the opposition leader and
ex-PM, Khaleda Zia.
Referring to abusive and indecorous words used against the
slain president Zia, Begum Khaleda Zia and her family
members, Moudud, once Leader of the House during the
Ershad era, said this has undermined the image of
parliament to a large extent.
He was critical of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her
remarks about the dead body of Ziaur Rahman. "We did not
expect such undignified and untrue words from the Prime
Minister."
He also criticized Awami League front-ranking member
Sheikh Selim for letting out invectives against Ziaur
Rahman. "Sheikh Selim and I were in jail together and I
used to know him as a gentleman. Now I feel sorry for
him," lamented Moudud.
Referring to the expunging of unparliamentary words by the
Speaker, he said there is no efficacy of that since people
watch parliamentary proceedings live on television and
read those in newspapers.
However, he requested the Speaker to inform the House the
unparliamentary words he has deleted from the proceedings.
Stern action against bid to destabilize
country: Sahara
UNB, Dhaka
Home Minister Sahara Khatun Tuesday cautioned that tough
action would be taken if anyone tried to create
instability in the country over the Rajshahi University
incident of campus rioting, which led to police crackdown
on Jamaat-Shibir axis.
Talking to reporters after attending a prize-giving
ceremony at Maghbazar Shah Noori Model School, she said
investigation into the incident is on and action would be
taken against whoever found involved, including
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami.
Asked about the opposition threat to launch
anti-government movement, the Home Minister said, "There
is no ground created in the country for movement. The
government will resist if the opposition goes for any
movement even then."
Sahara indicated a political counteroffensive in case the
BNP-led opposition went for movement as she said the
ruling Awami League is the most experienced party for
movement as it is a pro-movement party.
"Awami League also knows how to tackle the movement," the
minister said about possible face-off on the street apart
from the occasional government-opposition standoff in
parliament.
United movement
inevitable: Nizami
UNB, Dhaka
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami on Tuesday said
that launching united movement against the "failures of
the government and repression on the opposition is an
inevitable demand of the people."
Talking to UNB at his office, Nizami gave a broad hint
that the four-party alliance would be expanded with
like-minded parties, but he would not elaborate on this
point.
"There is no doubt about the united movement… 4-party
alliance is already on the street and time will say who
else will be in the movement," he said, analyzing the
trends of similar anti-government movements on different
issues in the past.
The Jamaat Ameer alleged that the Awami League-led
government could not fulfill any of its pledges and said
"everyone with political or non-political background
started speaking against its activities."
Refuting allegations that Islami Chhatra Shibir activists
cut tendons of Chhatra League workers at Rajshahi
University, he said he had thrown a challenge in the fifth
parliament on this issue, but none came up with any proof
that Shibir was involved with politics of cutting tendons.
"Such allegation has no reality. This is part of a false
campaign to undermine the Chhatra Shibir," Nizami said.
Replying to a question, he said the unfortunate incident
at Rajshahi University was a "pre-planned move to divert
the public attention" from the failures of the government,
particularly the failure of the Prime Minister's visit to
India.
He said: "By staging the incidents at Rajshahi University,
the government prepared the ground for launching the
combing operation against Jamaat-Shibir. This has become
clear from the recent statements of the Home Minister and
the State Minister for Home."
The Jamaat chief alleged that the government wants to stop
the path of constitutional politics, but he said "people
would never ever accept any undemocratic political system
in the country."
Back Page
PM
tells CPA UK branch
Govt fighting against terrorism, extremism
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday said that her
government is fighting against terrorism and extremism as
people voted her party to power to do it.
"We are fighting against terrorism and extremism, because
people of this country voted us to the power to do so,"
she said when a 10-member Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association (CPA) of UK branch called on her at her
official residence Jamuna.
David Borrow MP led the delegation. Other members of the
delegation are: John Austin MP, Collin Challen MP, Harry
Cohen MP, Fraser Kemp MP, Baroness Scott of Needham
Market, Bob Spink MP, David Wilshire MP, Derek Wyatt MP
and Andrew Tuggey MP.
The Prime Minister told the delegation that Bangladesh is
a place where religious harmony prevails at its highest
level. Describing her various steps to tackle terrorism
and extremism, the Prime Minister said she herself came
under grenade attack on August 21, 2004 while she was
addressing a rally organized to protest the grenade attack
on former British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury.
During the meeting, they also discussed cooperation at
parliamentary level and human rights among the CPA member
countries.
The CPA delegation lauded the role of the Prime Minister
regarding climate change and its adverse affect.The Prime
Minister said that democracy in the country has been
restored after free, fair and acceptable election held on
December 29, 2008.
She said the country could achieve development only the
democracy.
On global recession, Hasina told the delegation that due
to timely and effective measurers of the government, the
worldwide recession could not make any adverse impact on
Bangladesh economy. She said the government reduced the
prices of fertilizers, maintained a smooth supply of power
and diesel that are essential for irrigation.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that the foreign policy
of the present government is friendship to all and malice
to none.
"We are trying hard to create a strong base of democracy
in the country," she said, adding that her government
formed 44 parliamentary standing committees. Of them,
members of other parties head seven parliamentary standing
committees.
Hasina said that equal participation of women in
development activities is vital. She said that five women
ministers are now her government and highest number of
women MPsfrom her party, including 19 are elected
directly. Besides, 45 MPs are from reserved seats in the
Parliament. The Prime Minister said arrangements have been
made to recruit women in all occupations, including
bureaucracy, police and armed forces.
Publishers happy with
buying spree at Ekushey Book Fair
BSS, Dhaka
Visitors at the Ekushey book fair jump into a buying spree
this year, belying the apprehension of publishers about
poor sale caused by exorbitant paper price and its
subsequent effect on the books.
The fair also draws huge crowd every day. The selection by
visitors varies from books on rhymes to collection of
serious essays. Humayun Ahmed still continues to top the
list of popular writers and he is followed by Muhammad
Zafar Iqbal, Imdadul Huq Milon and Anisul Huq, salesmen at
different stalls said A number of other off- track titles,
comparing with the popular one's, are also selling well.
Novels by a psychiatrist, Mohit Kamal, are going better,
they said. Shamsur Rehman and Al Mahmud are topping the
list of collection of poems.
The publishers, who have brought out their works, are
happy to have a good return on their investment. Titles of
translated foreign literature are also going better. The
stall attendants at Oitijjhya, Anwesha and Shandesh said
the translated tiles are on better demand.
The senior visitors are interested to complete works of
different classic writers. Sabrina Sultana from Mirpur
bought Mujtaba Ali's complete works. Title on nature also
attracted the visitors. Mahaashathther Sandhane by
Nawajesh Ali and Kurchi Tomar Lagi by Dwijen Sharma are
among those. The information centre reported arrival of 92
titles on Thursday.
The Bangla Academy held a discussion on the language
Movement.
ADB pledges $1.2b
assistance to BD per annum for 3 years
UNB, Dhaka
The Asian Development Bank made a commitment of providing
$1.2 billion in assistance to Bangladesh per annum over
the next three years, as international development
financiers concluded their meet here Tuesday with
assurances of enhanced aid.
The pledge from the multilateral Asian donor agency came
at the meeting of the Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF)
that reappraised the country's development needs and
priorities. According to a release, the visiting
Director-Gen-eral of ADB's South Asia Department Sultan
Hafeez Rahman disclosed his agency's promise. He said ADB
will provide $1.2 billion in assistance to Bang-ladesh per
annum over the next three years.
Sultan Hafeez Rahman said ADB is committed to helping
Bangladesh sustain progress on the MDGs and become a
middle-income country by 2021 as pledged by the
government.
"As a major development partner of the Government, ADB
will continue to support the Government's priorities,
including construction of the Padma Bridge, improving
power production and mitigating the climate-change
impacts," the DG said.
"We are also firmly committed to assisting the government
in scaling up the pace of infrastructure development,
improving the quality of education, supporting urban
sectors, promoting regional cooperation and continuing
governance reforms."
The Asian Bank provided around $600 million in aid to
Bangladesh per annum during 2006-2008. As a longstanding
development partner of Bangladesh, ADB is currently
supporting a wide range of development programs with 59
projects of the government worth around $4.5 billion as of
end-January 2010, the release said.
Police foil Juba Dal
procession in city
TBT Report
Police on Tuesday foiled a procession of Jatiyatabadi Juba
Dal brought out from party's Nayapaltan central office
demanding immediate arrest of Aha-mad Hossain's killers.
Demanding immediate arrest of Dhaka City Corp-oration 70
No ward councilor Ahamad Hossain's killers and protesting
the countrywide ongoing criminal offences, Juba Dal an
associate organisation of the party brought out the
procession to submit memorandum to the Home Minister
yesterday. Thousands of leaders, activists and workers of
different associate bodies of the party including Juba Dal
assembled in front of the party's Nayapaltan central
office at around 10 am and started marching towards the
Home Ministry at about 11:30 am carrying festoons, banners
and placards protesting the on going political and
judiciary terrorist activities in the country.
Several hundred police personnel created a barricade in
front of the Bijoynagar crossing when thousands of Jubo
Dal leaders and activists reached there at about 12 noon
on their way to the Home Ministry to lay the siege. Jubo
Dal president Barkat Ullah Bulu led the marchers and
addressed the agitated leaders and activists of the
organisation on the street where they sat in an imp-romptu
demonstration.
Bulu said the killers will have to be arrested within
seven days. Law and order in the country will have to be
improved and price hike of daily essentials will also have
to be curbed.
Giving up one-eyed politics, the government should take
measures to combat extortion, tender and admission
manipulation business of its activists or else failure of
the government is a must. Later, a team led by Barkat
Ullah Bulu went to the Home Ministry and submitted the
memorandum.
Govt takes 6th
five-year plan to boost fish production
BSS, Dhaka
The government is planning to implement the 6th five- year
plan from 2010-2015 in the fisheries sub-sector with an
aim to attain self sufficiency in fish production and to
fulfill the nutritional demand of almost 85 per cent
people within the plan period.
The ministry of fisheries and livestock officials said
that the government has prepared the work plan for
achieving sustainable development in the fisheries
sub-sector through fulfilling the nutritional demand and
income generation of around 20 per cent poor people under
the vision 2021, which has already been designed by the
government.
According to the plan, they said the country will attain
self-sufficiency in fish production by 2013 and about 85
per cent people have standard nutritional food by 2021.
The plan would increase GDP growth up to 8 per cent by
2013 and 10 per cent by 2017, they added.
The main objective of the plan is to enhance the annual
production of fish nearly by 4 million tonnes, alleviate
poverty through enhancing employment and improve
socio-economic condition of the country's fishermen and
fish farmers.
Fulfilling the demand for animal protein up to 60 per cent
by increasing per capita consumption of fish and shrimp by
56 grams in a day, enhance economic growth and export fish
and shrimp would be the target of the plan. The officials,
however, said there are huge constraints and challenges to
implement the plan, which are; over-fishing, use of
destructive gears, silting up of water bodies, closure of
natural fish passes, non-fishermen's control over the 'jalmohals'
through malpractices in lease and by encroachment, and
pollution of water bodies by agrochemicals, industrial
waste and urban sewers etc.
FDI needs for economic
dev
UNB, Dhaka
Members of the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce &
Industry (FICCI) have stressed the need for simplification
of investment procedures and removal other bottlenecks
standing in the way of direct foreign invest in
Bangladesh.
Participating at a discussion on 'Foreign Investment in
Bangladesh:
Prospects and Challenges' in the city Tuesday they listed
the problems they have been facing. The problems the
foreign investors are facing include lengthy investment
procedures. They suggested for simplification of
procedures, streamlining payment of tax and VAT, avoid
double taxation, simplification of royalty remittance
procedure, enforcement of contracts and consistency of
policies.
BOI executive chairman Syed A Samad assured the
prospective foreign investors all necessary supports in
facilitating their investment. He told the FICCI members
that BOI will strengthen its facilitating and advocacy
role for policy reforms and other areas.
Chairman of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Comm-ission Syed
M Yusuf Hossain outlined fast tracking the ongoing
investment activities including reforms in procedure
stages. NBR chairman Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed informed the
meeting that the customs, VAT and income tax rules were
under review. He assured that taxation system will be made
simpler, automated and taxpayers friendly. A consultation
meeting in this regard will be held soon, he added.
Editorial
Acute fish crisis
Bangladesh
now faces acute crisis of fishes as there is wide gap between
the demand and production. Besides, the shortage has increased
due to large scale legal exports as well as smuggling out of
hilsha fish from the country. The huge shortage contribute
largely to the skyrocketing of fish prices in the local
market. Fishes are among the most delicious and popular food
items of the people of Bangladesh. But fishes are scarce and
dearer due to scanty supply caused by production shortfall.
The country's fish deficit at present stands at 1.37 lakh tons
with the production being 25.63 tons as against the demand for
27 lakh tons annually.
As many of the rivers, canals, waterbodies, and ponds have
already dried or are drying up the natural breeding grounds of
fishes have been destroyed. Dearth of water in ponds, haors,
beels and other water-bodies and pollution of available water
are the main reasons for the shortfall in the production of
fishes in the country. As fishes can neither survive nor lay
eggs in polluted water, the natural water-bodies and breeding
places are becoming fishless with the passing of time.
Moreover, at a time when fishes continue to be dearer with
every passing day, press reports said that at least 57
indigenous species of sweet water fish, particularly small
ones, in the southern region are disappearing fast. Frequent
and indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers
on agricultural lands, farming hybrid and carp varieties of
fish are responsible for destroying the fish resources.
Excessive fishing to cope with the rising demand of the
growing population, environmental crises like siltation of
rivers and drying up of canals, ponds, enclosures, sharp
declining of spawning, breeding areas, pollution of water
bodies by industrial wastes, chemical fertilisers and
pesticides, and lack of fish sanctuaries led to such a
situation.
Climate change, deforestation and desertification are some of
the major global problems nowadays. Unfortunately, as a nation
we are affected by all these and our country is witnessing
frequent floods and other natural calamities while the forest
areas are shrinking and rivers, canals, ponds etc are drying
up. As a result, the country is running short of adequate
water bodies resulting in serious shortfall in fish
production.
There exists a real threat that sweet water fishes would be
extinct from the country if the government fails to take
effective steps to protect the canals, water bodies, haors and
rivers and ensure the proper atmosphere for spawning of
fishes. If we want to preserve our fishes used as delicious
food items we will have to protect our canals, water bodies,
haors and rivers. Simultaneously, we will have to identify the
causes behind the destruction of water bodies and canals
Without taking these measures, thinking about increasing fish
production will be a useless.
Government leaders including the Prime Minister have called
for increasing production of fish and livestock to ensure food
security to keep consistency with nutrition demand of the
people. They have urged the scientists as well as researchers
to innovate new technologies and developed species of fish and
underscored the need for expansion of the technologies and
fishes. The call for increasing fish production has come at a
time when the country is faced with a severe fish crisis and
the situation continues to deteriorate.
Against this backdrop, the government should take effective
steps to protect the canals, waterbodies, haors and rivers and
ensure the proper atmosphere for spawning of fishes. All out
efforts should be made to increase fish production.
Ensuring safe
blood
Many
serious patients need blood transfusion in course of medical
treatment to save life, but availability of safe blood
continues to remain a big problem An estimated 100,000 people
are being infected with hepatitis-B and syphilis every year
due to unsafe blood transfusion both at public and private
levels, according to findings of Bangladesh Health Watch
2009.The health watch report, third of its kind first launched
in 2006, reveals that among the numerous hospitals and clinics
in the country, only four percent implement government's 'safe
blood transfusion programmes'. It said the estimated annual
demand for 'whole blood' varies from 250,000 to 350,000 bags
of 350 to 450 milliliters per year and hardly half of those
are screened as per mandatory government guidelines to test
hepatitis B and C, syphilis and malarial parasites before any
transfusion.
A recent study shows, the country still highly relies on
professional blood donors, who meet 70 percent of blood
demands commercially, putting ailing people in a grave danger
of infection from transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs)
that also include HIV/AIDS.
It says at least one in three professional blood donors suffer
from different communicable diseases, which can be easily
transmitted to ailing people through such unsafe transfusions.
In other words transfusion of unsafe blood for medical
treatment of patients rather causes spread of diseases instead
of helping recovery. This is very alarming specially because
there is no improvement in the situation despite demands being
made by different circles for corrective measures. The
government should take up the matter seriously to stop
transfusion of unsafe blood and also make public awareness
about this. The doctors working in hospitals also can play an
effective role in this regard. All concerned should work hard
to ensure transfusion of only safe blood in patients' bodies.
Analysis
Talks based on economics
As the experience of Europe shows, economic
integration among states with a history of hostility towards
one another is a good way of easing tensions.
Shahid Javed Burki
There
has been a significant shift in the positions of most
countries involved in the current Afghan conflict. The process
started with President Barack Obama's speech on Afghanistan
last December.
Another important development has been the decision by New
Delhi to give up its position that it would not talk to
Pakistan on the resolution of issues souring ties unless
Islamabad took to task those who masterminded the terrorist
attack on Mumbai in November 2008.
On Feb 4, New Delhi proposed the resumption of talks at the
foreign-secretary level but did not suggest an agenda. The
response from Islamabad was quick. The Foreign Office
spokesman said that if India dispensed "with its traditional
inflexibility there [was] a possibility of moving ahead.
Pakistan has always believed that it is only through genuine
and meaningful talks that Pakistan and India can resolve their
disputes".
On the same day P. Chidambaram, India's home minister, said in
New Delhi that the handler of the group that penetrated Indian
defences in the 2008 Mumbai attack may have been an Indian.
"When we say he could be an Indian, he could be somebody who
acquired Indian characteristics. He could have been
infiltrated into India and lived here long enough to acquire
an Indian accent, familiarity with Indian Hindi words…," he
said.
On Feb 5, Shahid Malik, Pakistan's high commissioner in India,
met Nirupama Rao, India's foreign secretary, to discuss the
timing and content of the high-level meeting between the two
countries. "All possible issues which are of concern to
Pakistan or India will be discussed," he told the press after
the meeting. "Kashmir is an issue we have been raising with
India at every possible opportunity and forum. Terrorism will
certainly be one of the areas of discussions because we have
issues relating to terrorism and this is something that
affects Pakistan."
The news that India was prepared to restart its dialogue with
Pakistan, begun in 2004 but suspended in 2008 after the Mumbai
terrorist attack, was received in Pakistan with a mixture of
relief and triumph. Most policymakers were of the view that
the position Pakistan had taken following the Mumbai carnage
had been vindicated. Its neighbour had begun to recognise that
there was no official Pakistani involvement in the attacks.
The terrorist activity by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in
2009 was a clear indication that Pakistan was also a victim of
terrorism. Hundreds died in attacks on major cities and in
several small towns in the NWFP.
The fact that there was some disagreement over the content of
the dialogue once it began is a good indication of the nature
of the relationship between these two countries. Even
relatively minor issues became contentious. India initially
indicated that it only wished to discuss terrorism while
Pakistan wanted to go back to the composite dialogue which
covered most contentious issues that had caused so much
hostility between the two South Asian neighbours.
This may be a good time to completely change the framework
within which India and Pakistan have been discussing their
relations ever since 2004. Then, at the sidelines of a
regional summit, Gen Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had agreed that the two
countries should attempt to resolve their differences through
dialogue. In the context of the history of India-Pakistan
relations this was a major breakthrough.
As was always the case, Islamabad wanted to focus on the issue
of Kashmir. New Delhi was in favour of discussions that
covered the many reasons for continuing tensions between the
two countries. These included territorial issues other than
Kashmir. For a number of years India and Pakistan had been
fighting over the Siachen glacier in the eastern part of the
disputed territory of Kashmir. There was also a dispute over
Sir Creek on the western side between the two states. The
Indians suggested that movements on these issues would build
confidence and ultimately lead to the resolution of more
difficult problems, including Kashmir.
The two countries are now debating once again the content of
the dialogue expected to be resumed in late February.
According to a newspaper report, the issue of what should be
the right approach to the Indian initiative was discussed at a
brainstorming session at the foreign affairs' ministry in
Islamabad where some concern was expressed that unless the
composite dialogue was fully restored, Pakistan should not
participate in the discussions.
However, the diplomats left the final decision to the
politicians who, it was said, might be able to think outside
the box to find a way to depart from the entrenched positions
in the two bureaucracies. The Indian position dealt with
terrorism as the main focus of discussions and Pakistan's
position was that the entire relationship should be on the
discussion table.
If thinking outside the box is to be encouraged my suggestion
would be that Islamabad should base the dialogue on an
entirely new consideration: how to bring about greater
economic integration between the two countries.
The objective should be to develop a stake for India in the
Pakistani economy and also in its stability. This would entail
a number of things including unhindered flow of trade between
the two countries, encouraging the private sectors on either
side of the border to invest in each other's economy, the
opening up of the border that separates the two parts of
Kashmir to trade and movement of people, and grant of transit
rights to each other for trade with third countries.
As the experience of Europe shows, economic integration among
states with a history of hostility towards one another is a
good way of easing tensions. Taking that approach would
constitute real thinking outside the box.
Who sets the
political agenda?
The electronic media has taken the lead in framing the
issues, changing opinion (repeal of the Hudood Ordinance)
and transforming the public sentiment (on fighting
militancy by galvanising support for last year's military
operation in Swat).
Dr Maleeha Lodhi
Politics
and political life are being transformed across the world
by the dynamics of the digital era. The broadcast media's
reach and direct action by citizens and civil society
using the media and communication technology are changing
the nature of political engagement. This is encroaching
upon the traditional sphere of political parties, which
are no longer the only determinant of the political game.
Pakistan is no exception to this global trend. The rapid
advance of the broadcast media and the growth of a more
diverse and vibrant civil society have helped to
dramatically alter the political landscape. TV viewership
is reported to have risen to over eighty per cent of
households. The country has the highest teledensity in the
region, with over a hundred million mobile-phone
subscribers. Internet access has also grown significantly.
All this is changing how people relate to and think about
politics, parties and governance. Greater "connectivity"
is providing people with information and the tools to
empower themselves, as well as monitor government
performance more effectively. This has helped to
invigorate the democratic process.
But it also means that political parties are not the only
vehicles or avenues through which the public engages with
politics or communicate their views on issues that affect
them.
What is perhaps distinctive about this phenomenon in
Pakistan is that it has occurred in a context of weak
political institutions. This asymmetry has implications
and poses dilemmas that are specific to Pakistan. The
broadcast media has acquired a more pronounced role and
wields greater influence here because it is also filling a
political vacuum left by fragile democratic institutions
including parliament and political parties.
Usually the media and other civil society organisations
supplement and therefore strengthen the institutions of
democracy, but when they begin to supplant many of their
functions, that raises questions about their future
evolution.
Pakistan has in recent years witnessed the fast expanding
electronic media act as a vigorous watchdog, scrutinising
government and opposition conduct, exposing corruption and
highlighting social ills and human rights violations. It
has also enlarged the space for political dialogue and
promoted a culture of debate. More robust political
debates now take place on the television screen, not the
floor of parliament.
TV networks have provided avenues for expression to a
larger segment of the public, who through this process
have empowered themselves and gained the self-confidence
to engage more actively with issues. It has offered a
voice to marginalised groups and to victims of abuse
seeking redress.
Civil society organisations representing a more assertive
middle class have pressed their views and interests -
outside the framework of political parties - to offer
different paths to civic and political engagement. The
most spectacular example of this was the lawyers' movement
in 2008-09 for the reinstatement of the chief justice
which achieved its goal last year.
Advocacy groups have been engaging more actively on a
range of issues including governance matters - by taking
their case to the media or undertaking campaigns to enlist
public support. A host of new civic and professional
forums have also emerged to inform and influence public
debate. For instance, associations of former civil
servants have articulated views on public policy in
efforts to shape wider opinion.
All of this has served as a political game changer and
accelerated pluralism. Increasingly, the political agenda
is being set by the media - and sometimes by other civil
society groups - with political parties responding to this
rather than initiating policy debate. Examples abound.
From the rental-power projects to the power crisis, the
rehabilitation of IDPs, US drone attacks in Pakistan's
tribal areas and mismanagement of state enterprises, media
pressure has prompted parties to take positions and their
leaders to make spirited interventions in parliament.
The electronic media has taken the lead in framing the
issues, changing opinion (repeal of the Hudood Ordinance)
and transforming the public sentiment (on fighting
militancy by galvanising support for last year's military
operation in Swat).
It could even be argued that a more effective "opposition"
has emerged from within civil society, led by the media.
The quintessential functions of an opposition - to hold
the government to account, subject executive actions to
rigorous oversight and suggest policy alternatives - have
increasingly been performed by the media rather than
political parties.
The media has also charted a political direction in key
areas. The national consensus against militancy that
emerged last year was forged in the first instance by the
media, well before political leaders decided to follow
suit. In the case of the restoration of the chief justice,
it was the public mobilisation undertaken by civil society
and supported by the media that created the dynamic that
opposition parties reinforced and leveraged.
But there are limits to the role of both the media and
newly empowered civil society organisations. They can
frame the agenda and raise issues in people's hearts and
minds but it is parties that enforce and execute that
agenda when they win power. Civil society activism cannot
by itself take the country to the endpoint of good,
responsive governance.
More often than not, one-issue groups mobilise public
pressure in order to push political parties to lend
support to their cause. Alliances formed around a single
goal - for example the campaign for the judges'
reinstatement - usually dissipate once their objective is
achieved.
While the democratic dividends of these newer forms of
political engagement are evident they cannot supplant the
primary function of political parties - to contest for
power. Parties have a vital role to play and are the only
means to structure competition for representation.
But Pakistan's parties have been slow to respond to the
changes wrought by the communication revolution as well as
the past decade's social and economic developments, which
together have outpaced their skills and structures.
Political parties, whether in government or opposition,
have been stuck in a traditional mode. They continue to
accord primacy to patronage over policy. They also give
little sustained attention to issues, other than releasing
rather perfunctorily framed programmes at election time.
Instead of embracing the new channels of political
expression by feeding the issues raised in this manner
into their agendas, the major parties have continued to
focus on working patronage networks.
They have remained fixated on their traditional
constituencies, rather than seek to expand them and tap
the aspirations of a growing middle class. Today the
country's middle class is estimated to be around 30 per
cent of the population, but is there a national party that
really represents this significant constituency? It would
be a great loss for democracy if a large section of this
burgeoning, educated middle class was to join the already
substantial number of non-voters.
The extraordinary challenges Pakistan faces today create
the imperative for the major parties to shake off their
intellectual lethargy and think and act imaginatively to
address the issues critical for the country's future. But
have they equipped themselves with the expertise and
organisation to do this?
To avert a "crisis of representation" parties have to do
better to hear people's new voices, engage their
participation, and respond to their changing needs. They
have to acknowledge that sound policies that assure
delivery of public goods to all citizens, and not
patronage for the selected few, is the guarantor of
political success. Pakistan's political leaders also need
to develop capacities in their parties for policy
thinking, and move away from the overwhelming concern with
patronage which hobbles their evolution as modern parties.
Until parties develop new toolkits to deal with
present-day challenges Pakistan's democracy will not be
able to deliver the quality of governance its people
deserve and desire. Instead, a shallow democracy will be
in place in which political parties will continue to
alternate in power. but denuded of the capacity to align
governance to public purpose and expectations.
The writer is a former envoy of Pakistan to the US and
the UK, and a former editor of The News.
Viewpoints
If coffins were carried
Thousands
or, depending upon when you start the count, millions of
natives of Pakistan and Afghanistan have died because of
Western actions there and these terrible numbers greatly
underestimate the real damage done.
Charles Ferndale
Some
time in October last year a thoroughly unpleasant group of
extremists proposed that they be allowed to march through the
small Wiltshire village of Wootton Bassett, carrying a coffin
for every Muslim killed during the war in Afghanistan and
along Pakistan's north-western border. Wootton Basset is near
the Royal Air Force base at Lyneham, and all British personnel
who die in the Af-Pak conflict are carried through the main
street of the village, so mourners can pay the nation's
respects to their fallen soldiers.
Clearly, the group which proposed carrying coffins through the
streets of Wootton Bassett for every Muslim killed in the Af-Pak
region were trying to stir up trouble between the different
religious groups within Britain, their interest was almost
certainly only to advertise their dull presence in the
country, and their request earned them nothing but opprobrium,
not least from Britain's Muslim community. Nevertheless, there
was a kernel of truth in their proposal, because if one were
to observe only the coffins of British dead carried through
the streets of Wootton Bassett, one would have observed only
245 such casualties (to date), whereas over 600 Pakistani
civilians have died in the last two months alone as a direct
consequence of the Af-Pak wars.
Thousands or, depending upon when you start the count,
millions of natives of Pakistan and Afghanistan have died
because of Western actions there and these terrible numbers
greatly underestimate the real damage done. So counting the
British dead passing through Wootton Bassett gives a wholly
inaccurate idea of the devastation the Western forces have
wreaked upon the hapless people of that region, whose only
crime is to want independence from Western geopolitical
designs, especially those connected with energy resources.
I have yet to hear a single honest justification for the
presence of Western forces in the Af-Pak region. Nor do the
people of the countries that supply the soldiers get a
remotely accurate picture of what their military forces are
doing there. Nor do they get even a sketchy idea of how their
forces are seen by the local people who are paying the real
price of utterly dishonest enterprises in the region. The
views no British newspaper will print, are those of the
civilians in the firing line. The British media are,
therefore, in no sense impartial about what their government
(with others) is doing to the very poor people of the region.
The British, for example, are given to believe that their
soldiers are heroes. Whether that perception is justified
depends upon which side of the conflict you are on. Prince
Harry made much of wanting to 'see some action in
Afghanistan'. Apart from the fact that when he went out there,
briefly, he was, of course, kept far from any danger and that
the whole exercise was simply a publicity stunt, 'seeing some
action' in Afghanistan can only mean trying to kill Afghans in
their own country. I did not notice Prince Harry visiting
orphanages.
So trying to kill Afghans and Pakistanis in their own homes
is, I take it, what most of the NATO troops (and their
mercenary contractors) are out there to do. It should be
remembered that NATO is using the most sophisticated means of
industrial-scale murder ever devised on a pre-industrial,
largely illiterate, mostly starving population of farmers and
nomads, who scratch a living in one of the poorest countries
on earth. In so far as heroism carries with it a hint of
virtue, how should 'seeing some action' out there then be
viewed as heroic? What virtue can there be in it? Certainly
there is none that the locals can comprehend. Has anyone asked
why coffins are not carried through the streets of Afghan
villages to commemorate the deaths of NATO soldiers out there?
Can a single Afghan or Pakistani-outside the circle of bribed,
intimidated or naturally corrupt officials - be found out
there who would mourn the death of Western soldiers who are
laying waste to their homes, small farms, animals, families
and friends? Can any such person be found who genuinely thinks
the Western forces are out there, in countries not their own,
for the benefit of the natives of the region? Of course not.
For the people of that region, who are as yet a people of real
conscience, everything is personal, all that matters is done
face-to-face. To them, modern industrial warfare is grotesque.
To the natives, the idea that a stranger might draw a large
salary to kill in their own homes, from afar, using the most
sophisticated killing technology ever devised, men, women,
children who have done their killers no harm is far from being
heroic; it is repugnant, cowardly and without conscience . So
is this psychopathic war one in which obedient professional
killers can become heroes? Not for the locals it is not; but
then native opinions, like native casualties, are never
counted.
So, yes, something should be done to bring to the attention of
the British people, the Americans, and the world, the
atrocities that are being committed in the Af-Pak region. Here
are my suggestions. We might as well start in Britain.
Firstly, all that I am about to suggest should be organized by
non-Muslim Britons, so that no one can use these actions as an
excuse to persecute the loyal Muslim citizens of that country.
Then all the orphaned children of Afghanistan and Pakistan, if
they wish, should be brought to Britain, given citizenship and
should housed, raised, loved and educated at British expense.
And all who wish to stay behind should be given equal
privileges there. All the maimed, crippled, physically
disabled people of all ages, should be paraded through British
streets, along with the orphans (a high proportion of whom are
also disabled) and should also be given all the privileges of
full British citizenship, if they want them, or given the
similar benefits in their home territories.
All those driven mad with grief, suffering, loss and war
weariness, should also be brought to Britain and paraded
through the streets and should be given all the privileges of
full citizenship, if they want them, or equal privileges at
wherever now counts as home for them. Every house in
Afghanistan that has been damaged or destroyed should be
rebuilt rapidly to its original form (or better), or its
owners should be given immediately all the resources they need
to rebuild their destroyed property themselves. Every pet
killed should be paid for handsomely, as should every dead
farm animal. All the soil poisoned by munitions should be
treated effectively to make it once again viable. Every person
who contracts cancer from exposure to depleted uranium shells
should be compensated massively. All the wildlife exterminated
by the use of obscenely indiscriminate and destructive bombs
(most notoriously, daisy cutters and thermobaric bombs) should
be paid for handsomely and a massive effort should be made to
restore the natural habitat, even though in most cases it will
be impossible.
Every native victim of a mine should be treated as a hero;
indeed every victim of all NATO munitions should be treated as
a hero in Britain. The NATO countries, in proportion to the
casualties they have caused (most of whom remain uncounted),
should pay for the restoration of Afghanistan and the North
Western Frontier of Pakistan to the imperfect, but still
better, condition in which the those areas were before Western
governments started their nefarious engagements there. Yet,
even if all this were done, the aggressor nations would then
still have done very little to compensate the people of the Af-Pak
region for the wholly undeserved destruction over decades of
all they hold dear.
Over the last 30 years, the whole structure of Afghan society
has been destroyed during wars that have either been financed
directly by America (and her allies) or by Russia, or both.
None of these wars was intrinsic to Afghanistan. None of them
would have occurred without foreign meddling. Here are a
people upon whom a partial genocide has been committed by
Western powers (amongst whom I class the Russians), showing a
complete indifference for the rights and interests of the
indigenous populations. Where, in such an appalling story, is
there room for heroism on the part of paid Western killers (a
high proportion of them being mercenaries, supplied by
privatized war industries in which Dick Cheney, for example,
has shares)?
To present the fallen invaders of the Af-Pak region to the
decent British public as having been involved in a heroic
struggle for good, as does Gordon Brown, is repellently
dishonest. Only by doing all of what I have suggested here
will the British public become even partially aware of the
true cost of the Af-Pak wars to the people who, undeservedly,
have to endure them.
It is amazing how efficiently Western governments, and their
allies in the media, have managed to persuade their
populations that the poor tribals who live in the mountains of
Afghanistan and Pakistan are a serious threat to the security
of Western people in their homes. Fear, generated by
propaganda, is a powerful weapon against which only honest
reasoning can stand. So it cannot be said too often that no
Afghan, nor Pakistani, from the Af-Pak region has ever
perpetrated an attack in any Western country. And we should
try to remember also that if all the casualties from all
Islamic terrorist attacks against Western targets perpetrated
ever since the US and Britain started financing Islamist
terrorist groups (originally against Russian communism) in the
early 20th Century are added up, they comprise but an
insignificantly small fraction of those that have resulted
from unprovoked Western aggression against Muslims in the same
period.
The writer has degrees from the Royal College of Art,
Oxford University, and the Institute of Psychiatry, University
of London. Email: charles ferndale@yahoo.co.uk
Feminism and
the Veil
So why is the
inclusion of the young Ilham Moussaid on the Vaucluse list
so controversial? Because she wears a Muslim veil is the
answer.
Iman Kurdi
There
has been a storm of controversy in France over a candidate
for France's regional elections. Ilham Moussaid is a
candidate for the NPA party in the Vaucluse, a department
in the Provence region of France.
The NPA is a new party and stands for Nouveau Party Anti-Capitaliste,
or New Anti-Capitalist party, a trotskist (yes, they still
exist!) party led by the charismatic and popular Olivier
Besancenot.
So why is the inclusion of the young Ilham Moussaid on the
Vaucluse list so controversial? Because she wears a Muslim
veil is the answer.
It is a first it seems, not just for the infant political
party but for France as a whole. Never before has a woman
with a veil on her head appeared as a candidate in a
French election, be it local, regional, presidential or
European, none.
The other parties have been quick to attack this apparent
attack on French republican values. Martine Aubry, the
leader of the Socialist Party, stated that she would not
accept the presence of a veiled candidate on one of their
lists. Sarkozy's ruling UMP party have also attacked NPA's
choice with the Prime Minister, François Fillon, calling
it a 'manipulation'. It's a polemic that is hard to
understand from an outsider's point of view. There is no
issue with a Muslim presenting herself for election.
Indeed there are a number of Muslim women candidates up
for election. The issue is purely one associated with the
veil or hijab.
I find it rather amusing that Moussaid's style of hijab is
so French that it would not pass as an acceptable hijab in
the Middle East. She would certainly not have her id card
approved in Saudi Arabia dressed that way. Her veil
consists of a scarf tied over her hair, with her ears and
the top of her neck visible.
This is no niqab, just a modern interpretation of the
hijab. It is similar to that worn by the French singer
Diam's, who has also caused controversy by her decision to
start wearing the Muslim veil. Diam's veil was descibed by
Fadela Amara last week as 'a real danger for young
women...because she is presenting an image of women that
is a ?negative image'.
There is no denying that the hijab has a negative image in
France. Moreover there is the implicit notion that the
hijab is anti-feminist. When Olivier Besancenot responded
to critics by saying that a woman can be a feminist, a
secularist and veiled, it created hoots of derision in the
press. So can a woman who chooses to wear a hijab be a
feminist and a secularist?
The secularist is more important in terms of the
controversy over Ilham Moussaid. Secularism or Laicité is
a core value of the French Republic, it is enshrined in
its constitution. Not only does it formally separate
church and state by a law passed in 1905 but it firmly
pushes religion into the private sphere. 'Religion is a
private concern and has no place in the public sphere' is
an argument that you will hear again and again.
Hence, it is argued that Ilham Moussaid is free to
practice her religion in private, but when she wears a
religious symbol on her head, she is taking her religion
into the public sphere and cannot become a representative
of the ?French state.
I can just about see the logic of the argument and yet
when I hear Ilham Moussaid say she is committed to secular
values, I find her credible. I don't see why wearing the
hijab is in itself contradictory to a view of the world
where religion is considered a personal choice and where
religious dictates are to be excluded from governmental
decion-making.
Moreoever, secularism is based on a strong assumption of
equality. The idea that underpins it is that all citizens
should be equal and that no citizen should be favoured
over another because of religious affiliation. Similarly,
gender equality is also a core value of the French
republic. So can a woman who wears the hijab be a
feminist?
It is interesting how in parts of the West, and perhaps in
parts of the Arab world too, the hijab is associated with
conservative views and thought of, to quote Fadela Amara
once again, as something which gives a negative view of
both Muslims and women. At core the image of covering up
is key.
The mental image of forcing women to cover up implicitly
assumes both a sense of shame in revealing female flesh
and a sense of holding women back, of keeping them
restricted. Intuitively wearing the hijab suggests a lack
of freedom and consequently also a lack of equality.
But coming from the Middle East this question sounds
baffling. In a country where it is the norm to wear the
hijab, you quickly notice that it is shared between women
of many different political persuasions. Hence you can
come across an extremely conservative woman who believes
men have superiority over women as easily as meeting a
fiercely feminist woman who campaigns for equality between
men and women yet wears a hijab.
In reality wearing the hijab is neither incompatible with
feminism nor with securalism. When Olivier Besancenot says
that a woman can be feminist, secularist and veiled he is
right, she can be, though she might not be. The truth is
that the majority of pious Muslims are not secular by the
very nature of what they believe in. Islam as a religion
sets out an overt social and legal code which can negate
the idea of religion as a purely private concern.
Though you can be a Muslim who believes in the separation
of church and state and who believes that all religions
are equal, many are not.
Similarly, wearing the hijab neither makes you a feminist
nor stops you from being one. It is your beliefs and not
what you wear on your head that determines who you are,
even if you choose to wear a veil on your head out of
religious conviction.
Iman Kurdi is an Arab writer based in Nice, France. For
comments, write to opinion@khaleejtimes.com
It is not just corruption
Palestinians, unfortunately, do not have a monopoly over
corruption. Many other regimes in our region have that
problem.
By Hassan A. Barari
Few,
if any, were shocked by the news that senior Palestinian
officials close to President Mahmoud Abbas were involved
in various kinds of corruption.
One report after another has revealed corruption in the
Palestinian Authority (PA) unparallel anywhere else in the
Middle East. Indeed, one of the reasons behind the
electoral fall of the Fateh movement was the widely held
perception of a highly corrupt PA under Fateh rule.
As such, it is not that the phenomenon is unknown. It is
about the timing for revealing the issue and the identity
of the one exposing the corruption.
Palestinian officials insist that disclosing the
"unfounded" stories and running them on Israeli TV is an
indication that Israel has stepped up its diplomatic
pressure on Abbas to cave in to Israeli conditions for
resuming negotiations. Moreover, Palestinians accuse the
Palestinian officer who revealed of these stories of being
an Israeli collaborator trying to discredit Abbas. This
claim seems to weigh much on Abbas and his close
colleagues.
Two points on this. First, it is clear that as the Obama
administration was gearing up for a fresh attempt to
relaunch the peace process, the Israeli government was
looking for a scapegoat, someone to blame for the failure
of the American attempt. Abbas' insistence on a complete
freeze of the settlements as a precondition for resuming
talks provided the Israeli government with ammunition to
weaken him.
Abbas has been consistently rejecting talks simply for the
sake of talking, aware that the Israeli government is not
serious about peace. Had it been intent on attaining
peace, Israel would have helped Abbas by moderating its
position on settlements, even for a short period of time.
Second, I believe the argument that the Israeli government
has been complicit in airing the corruption scandal. But,
the PA will do itself a big favour by conducting an
in-depth and transparent investigation into the problem.
Continually blaming Israel in this issue is somewhat
misleading. Instead, Abbas should sack all involved
officials to preserve a clean image of his office.
Defending the "corrupt" officials who stole millions of
dollars and abused their offices for sexual favours is not
wise. That said, one should not lose sight of the broader
picture. Abbas finds himself between a rock and hard
place. On the one hand, he is targeted by the Israeli
government for his rejection to collaborate with it
against Palestinian interests; on the other, he is losing
ground to a more popular and "cleaner" Hamas. Abbas seems
to be in a losing position.
Palestinians, unfortunately, do not have a monopoly over
corruption. Many other regimes in our region have that
problem. These undemocratic regimes that suffer from lack
of transparency and lack legitimacy are prone to cave in
to external pressure.
The lesson that should be learnt from the PA problem is
that Arab regimes should take reforms seriously. They
should run the affairs of the state in a transparent way.
This is the only guarantee that what happened to Abbas and
his "corrupt" men will not happen to them.
International
Taliban’s top
military commander captured
AP, Islamabad
The Taliban's top military commander has been arrested in
a joint CIA-Pakistani operation in Pakistan in a major
victory against the insurgents as U.S. troops push into
their heartland in southern Afghanistan, officials said
Tuesday.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group's No. 2 leader
behind Afghan Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar and a
close associate of Osama bin Laden, was captured in the
southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, two Pakistani
intelligence officers and a senior U.S. official said.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to release such sensitive information.
One Pakistani officer said Baradar was arrested 10 days
ago with the assistance of the United States and "was
talking" to his interrogators.
Baradar is the most senior Afghan Taliban leader arrested
since the beginning of the Afghan war in 2001 following
the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States.
His capture represents a significant success for the
administration of President Barack Obama, which has vowed
to kill or seize Taliban and al-Qaida leaders in
Afghanistan and Pakistan. It follows the ramping up of CIA
missile strikes against militant targets along the border
between the two countries that have reportedly killed many
midlevel commanders.
It was unclear how Baradar was tracked down. Pakistan's
spy agency has been accused in the past of protecting top
Taliban leaders believed sheltering in the country,
frustrating Washington. Moving against Baradar could
signal that Islamabad increasingly views the Afghan
Taliban, or at least some of its members, as fair game.
There was also speculation that the arrest could be
related in some way to a new push by the United States and
its NATO allies to negotiate with moderate Afghan Taliban
leaders as a way to end the eight-year war in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has an important role in that process because of
its close links with members of the movement, which it
supported before the Sept. 11 attacks.
Musharraf says Afghan peace
undermined by withdrawal talk
AFP, London
Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf said Monday
that efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan were being
undermined by talk of withdrawal timetables for
international forces.
Speaking in London, Musharraf backed the current military
assault on a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan,
the US troop surge and political efforts for peace-but
said world powers must make their commitment clear. "We
have sent 30,000 more troops, American troops, an
operation is going on-very good," he said in a speech at
the Chatham House think-tank.
"But when we are talking of running away and going after
two years and all that, if I was the Taliban commander, I
would leave all the places and not offer any resistance."
The retired general added: "We must give them (Afghans)
the hope and strength that we are going to stay behind
them and support them-not that we'll be leaving in two
years, and we'll leave you in the lurch."
Musharraf warned that beating Islamists in Afghanistan and
the border areas of Pakistan was vital in defeating
extremists all over the world.
"The centre of gravity of all this is Afghanistan and the
border regions of Pakistan. You want to defeat all of it?
Defeat the centre of gravity," he said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai won international backing
last month for his plan to reconcile moderate Taliban
insurgents by giving them jobs, education and protection
in return for laying down their arms.
Musharraf said this was harder then it would have been
when international forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001,
when the Taliban were weakened, because a policy of
treating all Pashtuns as the enemy had left them
"alienated".
"Unfortunately back in 2003, after 9/11, when I was going
on the political path and having deals with the Pashtuns
and weaning them away from the Taliban-all the mis-perceptions
of me double-crossing, double-dealing with everyone in the
West-whereas now they are doing exactly what I was doing
in 2003," he said.
Pak constitutional reform
committee becomes first casualty of judicial row
Dawn Online, Islamabad
Proceedings of a 26-member parliamentary committee on
constitutional reforms became the first casualty of the
government-opposition row on judicial appointments on
Monday when it decided to suspend its work for a week.
The committee, which was formed by the National Assembly
speaker in accordance with a resolution of the joint
sitting of both houses of parliament in November last
year, has completed the bulk of its work in its 51
meetings held so far.
Sources told Dawn, the committee in its brief meeting
before adjournment discussed Article 177 relating to the
procedure of appointment of judges and decided to wait
till a decision by the Supreme Court.A source privy to the
committee proceedings said it was true that the only
contentious issues before the committee were the procedure
of appointment of superior courts judges, federal
legislative list in the provincial autonomy and to some
extent renaming the NWFP.
The Minister for Local Government, Abdul Razzaq Thaheem,
informed the National Assembly earlier that the only issue
being discussed with regard to appointment of judges was
whether parliamentarians should make an oversight
committee, as provided by Charter of Democracy, or to
become a part of the judicial commission to be headed by
the Chief Justice.
Taliban bombs hinder Afghan
offensive
AFP, Marjah, Afghanistan
US-led troops waging a huge offensive against the Taliban
in southern Afghanistan risked becoming bogged down
Tuesday, running into pockets of resistance and scores of
planted bombs.
The assault on the militant stronghold of Marjah is the
first major test of US President Barack Obama's strategy
to crush an eight-year insurgency and one of the biggest
since the 2001 US-led invasion brought down the Taliban
regime.
US and Afghan military officials said remote-controlled
bombs were hampering the progress of the assault on Marjah
in the Nad Ali district of the southern province of
Helmand, controlled for years by militants and drug lords.
Facts: Marjah - heartland of the Taliban. The bombs, the
main weapon in the Taliban arsenal and the principal
killer of foreign troops in Afghanistan, are being
discovered in their hundreds, said the Afghan army's chief
of staff.
"Hundreds of mines have been discovered in different
areas," Besmillah Khan told reporters, referring to
improvised explosive devises, or IEDs. "We are advancing
slowly because areas have been mined," he said on the
fourth day of the offensive in one of the world's largest
opium-producing areas.
US Marines are leading 15,000 troops in the assault dubbed
Operation Mushtarak ("Together" in Dari), to drive out
militants and allow the Afghan government to re-establish
control. Scene: On the ground with the Marines
Of the 75 foreign troops killed in Afghanistan so far this
year, most have been from IEDs, which US intelligence
officials say are responsible for up to 90 percent of
foreign troop deaths.
A spokesman for the US Marines, which are leading the
operation, said troops have been surprised by the number
of IEDs found during their advance. "We are definitely
finding more than we expected," said Lieutenant Josh
Diddams, of Taskforce Leatherneck, adding: "It's a slow
process." He said progress was being slowed "in some
pockets" as Taliban fighters stood their ground and
fought, or used guerilla-style hit-and-run tactics, firing
on combined troops from residential compounds or mosques.
Questions about health as N
Korean leader turns 68
AP, Seoul, South Korea
North Koreans celebrated "peerlessly brilliant" leader Kim
Jong Il's 68th birthday Tuesday as questions persist
abroad about his health and the future of the
impoverished, nuclear-armed nation.
Depressed and chronically ill, Kim relies on rare, costly
and sometimes outlawed remedies such as rhino's horn and
the bile of bear gall bladder, one South Korean official
told The Associated Press. Another intelligence expert
said North Koreans have gone twice to Beijing since 2008
to buy prized remedies, spending more than $610,000 on one
shopping trip.
Both spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the
sensitivity of matters involving the authoritarian North
Korean leader.
Though noticeably gaunt, Kim appears active and even
cheerful in photos distributed by state media. Dressed in
a heavy parka, he has been shown in recent weeks guiding
construction of a hotel, visiting a mine and even watching
a dance performance.
However, Kim is undergoing kidney dialysis and suffers
from depression, said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst
at the private Sejong Institute think tank outside Seoul,
citing a "very credible" source. He declined to identify
his source.
And though Kim's health is a tightly guarded secret, U.S.
and South Korean officials believe Kim suffered a stroke
in August 2008 that kept him out of the public eye for
months. Kim's lopsided smile in recent photos suggest he
is still recuperating from a stroke.
Kim's health is of keen interest because he leads his 24
million people with absolute authority. There are concerns
that his sudden death would trigger instability and a
power struggle in a country staggered by poverty and
economic woes.
Maoists kill 25 in Indian
police attack
AFP, Kolkata
The death toll from a Maoist rebel attack on Indian police
rose to 25 on Tuesday after more bodies were found in a
ravaged security camp in the east of the country, police
said.
About 20 rebels riding motorcycles launched the assault in
West Bengal state's restive Midnapore district late
Monday, killing police in a hail of gunfire and exploding
landmines which started fires.
On Tuesday, police said eight more bodies were pulled from
the charred remains of the centre, 200 kilometres (125
miles) west of state capital Kolkata, including seven
policemen and a student who was caught in the crossfire.
"This is the worst-ever attack by Maoists on securitymen
in West Bengal," state police inspector general Surojit
Kar Purokasyatha told AFP by telephone.
Seven other policemen have been hospitalised with bullet
and severe burn injuries.
In other recent major attacks, about 30 policemen were
killed in two separate ambushes in the neighbouring state
of Chhattisgarh in July last year. In October, 17
policemen were gunned down in western India.
The latest assault came amid a security offensive in
several Maoist-infested states to flush out the outlawed
insurgents from their strongholds.
The Maoists claimed responsibility for the attack in an
interview with local TV channel Chabbis Ghanta (24 Hours),
saying the assault was in response to arrests and an
anti-Maoist government offensive called Operation
Greenhunt.
"We will attack more camps in the area," Maoist leader
Kishenji told the TV channel if offensives against
suspected Maoist tribes in the area were not stopped
immediately. The government has offered talks with the
Maoists, which it considers the most dangerous home-grown
security threat, but only if they renounce violence.
Sri Lanka's opposition
appeals defeat in court
AP, Colombo
Sri Lanka's jailed and defeated opposition presidential
candidate appealed to the country's highest court Tuesday
to overturn the results of last month's election, a
lawmaker said.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa secured a wide victory over
his former army chief and main rival Sarath Fonseka in the
Jan. 26 election, according to official results. But the
opposition claims the poll was marred by widespread fraud
and has rejected the result.
Lawyers for Fonseka - who was arrested last week after the
government said he was planning a coup - have asked the
Supreme Court to annul the results of the vote, said Tissa
Attanayake, an opposition lawmaker. The appeal cites
alleged government involvement in vote-rigging, use of
state resources on behalf of Rajapaksa and other
violations. It was not clear when the court would consider
the case. The campaign between Rajapaksa and Fonseka was a
bitter one. The two were allies when they worked together
to defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels last year, but fell out
after the war.
Fonseka denies plotting to stage a coup, and the
opposition says he was arrested because he dared to
challenge Rajapaksa.
The dispute has spilled over onto the streets and even
into the Buddhist temples of the island nation off the
southern coast of India. For the Sinhalese Buddhist
clergy, both Rajapaksa and Fonseka are considered heroes
for defeating the Tigers and ushering in a period of
peace.
The country's top Buddhist monks have urged Rajapaksa to
release Fonseka immediately.
Saudi
asks Clinton for 'immediate resolution' over Iran
AFP, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia fueled doubts on Tuesday about whether it
backs new UN sanctions to end the Iran nuclear crisis, as
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prepared to return
home.
Clinton defended the US-led push for tougher sanctions
when she again charged that "evidence doesn't support"
Iran's assertion that it is pursuing a peaceful atomic
programme.
US officials travelling with Clinton on the mission to
drum up support for tougher action against Iran expressed
satisfaction and said they were "very pleased" following
her lengthy talks with King Abdullah on Monday.
But Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal raised
some doubt about Riyadh's support for further sanctions
against Tehran when he termed the measures as a "long-term
solution."
"We see the issue in the shorter term because we are
closer to the threat ... We need an immediate resolution,"
Saud told journalists said after meeting Clinton.
It was not immediately clear whether Saud was calling for
a tough and immediate UN Security Council resolution or
another solution to the perceived threat from Iran.
On Tuesday, a Saudi foreign policy official stressed that
Riyadh was not advocating military action but rather a
linkage with the Middle East peace process as a faster and
more effective means to ease regional tensions.
"There is no point in our spending all our time on
sanctions which will not have an effect in the short term.
We need something more tangible," he said, asking not to
be identified. "We don't want a military strike ... A
military strike, we still believe, will be very
counter-productive.
"We need to do something on Israel and the Palestinians
... For instance, the US could get Israel to halt (Jewish)
settlements" on the occupied West Bank. "There is a
credibility issue with the US administration on promises
it cannot fulfill," he said, referring to the stalled
peace process.
France used troops as
nuclear ‘guinea pigs’
Reuters, Paris
France deliberately exposed its soldiers to nuclear
explosions in Algeria in the 1960s to study the effect of
radiation on humans, a newspaper reported on Tuesday,
citing confidential documents.
The French government promised last year to compensate
victims of nuclear tests in Algeria, carried out between
1960 and 1966, recognising a link between the explosions
and veterans' illnesses such as cancer.
While the government has said the tests were conducted as
safely as possible, newspaper Le Parisien quoted an
official defence report from the period as saying that the
army deliberately sent its soldiers on risky manoeuvres on
April 25, 1961.
One of the aims was "to study the physical and
psychological effect of atomic weapons on humans, in order
to obtain necessary elements for the physical preparation
and training of morale of the modern combatant", Le
Parisien quoted the report as saying.
Defence Minister Herve Morin told the paper he had no
knowledge of the report. "The (radioactive) dosages
received during the tests were very low," he said.
Some veterans who worked on the experiments in Algeria,
and subsequent tests on French Polynesian atolls, have
said they were ordered to lie down and cover their eyes
during the explosions, wearing nothing but shorts and
T-shirts.
Le Parisien said that about 300 soldiers participated in
the 1961 test, and that patrols were ordered to enter the
affected area right after the explosion and head for the
point where the device was set off.
"A patrol of cross-country vehicles was ordered to carry
out a raid on point zero to study the possibility of
attack in a contaminated zone," the newspaper quoted the
document as saying. France ran nuclear tests in French
Polynesia between 1966 and 1996. Several veterans have
said they were told to sail into affected areas
immediately after the blast to examine the impact.
Ahmadinejad warns powers
will 'regret' if Iran sanctioned
AFP, Tehran
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on Tuesday that world
powers would regret any moves to slap new sanctions on
Iran, while stressing that Tehran was still ready for a
UN-brokered nuclear fuel deal.
His latest salvo came as US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton toured the Gulf to seek backing for possible
sanctions against Iran for defiantly pursuing its nuclear
programme.
"If anybody seeks to create problems for Iran, our
response will not be like before," the hardline Iranian
president told a packed news conference in Tehran.
"Something in response will be done which will make them
(the world powers) regret" their move, he said.
Ahmadinejad said negotiations over a UN-drafted nuclear
fuel exchange were "not closed yet," and expressed
readiness to buy the material even from Iran's arch-foe
the United States.
Last year the International Atomic Energy Agency proposed
sending Iranian low-enriched uranium (LEU) abroad for
further enrichment, denying Tehran refining capacity world
powers fear could be used to help build an atomic bomb.
The offer would have seen the uranium returned to Iran in
a high-grade form for use in a medical research reactor,
but the plan has been rejected by the Islamic republic.
Ahmadinejad insisted on Tuesday that the exchange had to
be "simultaneous," an Iranian stance that has led to a
deadlock over the deal.
"We are ready for an exchange even with the United States.
The US can come and give us their 20 percent fuel and we
will pay them if they want, or we can give them 3.5
percent fuel," Ahmadinejad said.
Dubai to issue warrants for
11 in Hamas killing
Reuters, Dubai
Dubai will issue arrest warrants soon for 11 Europeans
identified by police and suspected of the killing of a top
Hamas commander, and does not rule out Israeli
involvement, the police chief said on Monday.
Hamas military official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was found dead
in a luxury Dubai hotel last month, and the Palestinian
Islamist militant group has accused Israel of being behind
the killing.
Israel has refused to comment but a security source there
has said Mabhouh played a key role in smuggling
Iranian-funded arms to militants in the Gaza Strip and
Israel's media have been unanimous in linking Mabhouh to
the Gaza arms supply.
The 11 identified suspects include British, Irish, German
and French passport holders, police chief Dahi Khalfan
Tamim told reporters. A government source said six other
people, not yet identified, were also suspected of
involvement.
A leading suspect, who carried a French passport, had left
Dubai for Munich via Qatar, Tamim added.
"We do not rule out (the Israeli intelligence agency)
Mossad, but when we arrest those suspects we will know who
masterminded it. (We have not) issued arrest warrants yet,
but will do soon," he said, adding that one suspect was a
woman.
"Israel carries out a lot of assassinations in many
countries, even in countries that it is allied to," Tamim
said, adding that Mabhouh may have been killed by
electrocution.
Mossad is widely believed to have stepped up covert
missions against Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah militia, and
Iran's nuclear project. Among killings attributed to
Mossad were that of Hezbollah commander Imad Moughniyeh in
Damascus two years ago.
Facing death, freed Iraq
detainees may fight again
Reuters, Ramadi, Iraq
Many Iraqis released by U.S. forces after being detained
for suspected links to Sunni insurgents have been killed
by tribes seeking revenge or are being driven back into
the arms of al Qaeda.
Their desperation adds to fears that Iraq's March 7
parliamentary election will fail to quell a Sunni
insurgency by drawing former militants into the political
process, and help heal the wounds of a sectarian war which
has killed tens of thousands of Sunnis and Shi'ites since
the 2003 U.S. invasion.
In the desert province of Anbar, families say they are
paying thousands of dollars in "blood money" to prevent
their sons from being executed when they are released from
U.S. military detention.
If they can't find the money, their sons often
disappear-sometimes back into the ranks of insurgents.
"This has become a phenomenon in Anbar," said Ali Hammad,
a prominent sheikh in Anbar who works on national
reconciliation issues and mediates between warring tribes.
"It is difficult for criminals to leave Iraq, and because
they are rejected by the community and face tribal
prosecution, they end up joining the same groups and
killing again."
Iraq's Sunni heartland of Anbar was once an al Qaeda
stronghold after its tribes sided with al Qaeda to fight
U.S. forces. The tribes switched their allegiance to the
U.S. military from 2007 after finding that the Sunni
Islamist group was usurping too much power and imposing
draconian intolerance.
Under a security pact that came into force last year, the
U.S. military has been handing over to Iraq the thousands
of people it detained during the war-some for alleged
links with Shi'ite militia and others for ties with the
Sunni insurgency.
Obama seeks return to
campaign-style discipline
Internet
Facing criticism that President Barack Obama isn't
connecting with the American people, the White House is
infusing its communications strategy with some of the
ironclad discipline and outside-the-box thinking that made
the Obama presidential campaign famous - and successful.
Sensitive about talk that the president was sometimes
overexposed during his first year in office, the
administration now is more discriminating about how and
when the president deals with media - and about whom he
talks to when he does.
Aides say there's no formal reevaluation of the
administration's communications strategy as the president
embarks on his second year in office. But with Obama's
poll numbers flat-lining, his agenda on the ropes and
Democrats increasingly worried about losing ground in
November's midterm elections, the White House is taking an
approach to getting out the message about the president's
accomplishments and goals that is at once more aggressive
and more streamlined.
That includes:
More direct, rapid response to criticism. Through blog
postings on the White House Web site by a small cast of
Obama aides and unsolicited e-mails from press secretary
Robert Gibbs blasted to the White House's vast press list,
the administration seeks to more quickly and widely
counter perceived misinformation.
Italy says Swiss
misused Schengen in row with Libya
Reuters, Rome
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Tuesday
Switzerland had misused the Schengen agreement and taken
its members "hostage" by slapping a ban on Libyan
officials which prompted retaliation by Tripoli.
Officials said on Monday that Libya had stopped issuing
entry visas to the 25 European nations covered by Schengen-some
of which are not in the European Union, such as
Switzerland-in response to a Swiss entry ban on 188 of its
citizens, including Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his
family.
"The Swiss government has put them on the Schengen
blacklist. But this is not the Schengen agreement that we
know," Frattini said in an interview published in La
Stampa newspaper. "By acting in this way, Switzerland has
taken hostage the other countries of the Schengen zone."
Libya has for months been locked in a row with Switzerland
over the brief 2008 arrest of one of Gaddafi's sons in
Geneva, and the subsequent prosecution in Libya of two
Swiss citizens.
Frattini said Italy, whose Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi has forged closer ties with Gaddafi, had asked
Tripoli to reconsider its decision.
But he said Schengen was supposed to be used to protect
its member states from criminals and terrorists.
"It is not right that Schengen should be twisted by
Switzerland into a means of exerting pressure: there are
other ways of resolving the bilateral problem with Libya,"
he said.
Business/Economy
IMF
lauds BB progress in automation, reforms in banking sector
BSS, Barisal
International Monetary Fund (IMF) lauded Bangladesh Bank's
role in reforms measures and progress in automation in its
operations in order to make the country's financial sector
a sound and efficient one, central bank officials here
said.
A 10-member IMF mission recently visited different
departments of the central bank and talked with various
institutions involved in these activities under the
Central Bank Strengthening Project aided by the Manila
based multilateral donor agency.
During the visit, the mission members discussed various
reform measures taken by the Bangladesh Bank under the IMF
aided Financial Sector Reforms Programme taken in 90's.
"IMF mission appreciated the role of Bangladesh Bank and
expressed their satisfactions over the progress in a
number of key areas like automation and IT", officials
told BSS.
The IMF mission found a tremendous progress in automation
and application of IT in the operational functions of
Bangladesh Bank, they added.
"Bangladesh Bank has already introduced e-commerce, e-
banking and automated clearing house which is a historic
move towards achieving higher productivity in all economic
sectors including agriculture and SME through use of ICT",
IMF officials said.
Bangladesh Bank Dr. Atiur Rahman already have announced
that the central bank would be turned into a paperless
institution within the shortest time and interbank market
would be made completely digital by 2010 in order to
increase efficiency and transparency, reduce risks and
corruption in the country's fragile financial sector.
He also said the central bank is going to introduce a
digital trading system in interbank market to ensure
transparency, increase efficiency and dealing with call
money, securities, bonds and foreign currencies in line
with international trading practices.
The central bank has already asked commercial banks and
non- bank financial institutions to improve their ICT
base.
The IMF mission also found that the central bank has
already engaged commercial banks in major programmes of
upgrading their IT platforms with ample processing powers
and online connectivity, to enable efficient data
management, processing and analyses for risk management
purpose and reporting to BB.
Simplification
of investment procedures to attract more FDI stressed
BSS, Dhaka
Top officials of regulatory bodies at a discussion here
today underlined the need for simplification of the
investment procedures for attracting more Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) in the country.
Board of Investment (BOI) and Foreign Investors' Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have jointly organized
the meeting on "Foreign Investment in Bangladesh:
Prospects and Challenges" at a city hotel.
Chaired by BOI executive chairman Dr Syed A Samad, the
meeting was addressed, among others by chairman of the
National Board of Revenue (NBR) Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed,
Chairman of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC)
Syed M Yusuf Hossain and FICCI representative Dr A Qayyum
Khan. Executive Member (Additional Secretary) of BOI made
a power point presentation on the prospects and challenges
of FDI, said a BOI release.
The meeting underscored the significance of foreign direct
investment (FDI) in the economic development of the
country.
It was also observed in the meeting that attraction of FDI
in the areas like infrastructure, power, energy, ICT,
agro- processing and labor intensive industries are
crucial. The participants laid emphasis on simplification
of the investment procedure, streamlining payment of tax
and VAT, realization of the benefits of double tax
avoidance treaties, simplification of royalty remittance
procedure, enforcement of contracts and consistency of the
policy regime.
Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed informed the meeting that the Custom
Act, VAT Act 1991 and income tax ordinance are now under
review. He assured that taxation system will be made
simpler, automated and taxpayers friendly. A consultation
meeting in this regard will be held soon.
Syed M Yusuf Hossain outlined fast tracking the ongoing
investment activities including reforms in procedure
stages. Dr Syed A Samad assured all necessary supports in
facilitating local and foreign investments.
He mentioned that Bangladesh has become a destination for
FDI. There is no single instance that a foreign investor
made loss because of the prevailing investment climate in
Bangladesh, he said adding that the BOI will strengthen
its facilitating and advocacy role for policy reforms and
others areas.
US Trade Show tomorrow
UNB, Dhaka
The thee-day 'US Trade Show 2010' will begin at Hotel
Sheraton on Thursday to attract the Bangladeshi people
showing US products and services. President of the
American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) Aftab
ul Islam made this announcement at a press conference at a
city hotel on Tuesday afternoon.
The AmCham and the US Embassy in Dhaka will jointly
organize the 19th annual US Trade Show.
Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Dipu Moni is expected to
inaugurate the trade show as the chief guest while US
ambassador in Dhaka James F Moriarty will attend the
inaugural session.
Speaking in the press conference, Aftab ul Islam said as
the purchasing capacity of the Bangladeshi people is
increasing gradually, the US companies and business
institutions are enthusiastic to invest in the country.
A total 72 leading American companies occupying 135 stalls
will participate in the fair as against the participation
of some 56 exhibitors having 94 stalls in the last trade
show in 2009.
The show will remain open to the public for all three days
from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. First Secretary of the Economic
and Political Affairs of US Embassy Heather Variava and
AmCham executive director A Gafur were also present in the
press conference.
BD offered zero-tariff entry
to Bhutan
BSS, Dhaka
All Bangladeshi products will get zero-tariff entry to
Bhutan, a preferential trade facility, which is expected
to help increase trade and business relations between the
two countries. Khandu Wangchuk, minister for economic and
trade affairs of Bhutan made the offer today at a meeting
here with some local businessmen. International Business
Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) organized the meeting at its
office in the city.
Members of the trade organisation participated in
discussions on exploring new avenues of trade and business
between the two countries. The businessmen identified some
sectors including housing, energy and power, cement,
garments, packaging and tea where Bangladesh and Bhutan
could strengthen their relation for mutual benefit. Khandu
Wangchuk said that his government would consider the
proposals and offered Bangladeshi exporters zero-tariff
entry facility to Bhutan.
Welcoming the offer, IBFB President Mahmudul Islam
Chowdhury hoped that the trade relations between the two
countries would grow further. Ambassador of Bhutan in
Dhaka Desho Bapkesang was present at the meeting.
JICA to provide $400m loan to BD
in implementing four projects
UNB, Dhaka
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide
loans totaling US$ 400 million to Bangladesh for
implementation of four projects under communications,
power and rural development sectors. JICA Director General
Masataka Nakahara made this assurance when he called on
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister
Shafique Ahmed at his office on Tuesday.
During the meeting, Masataka Nakahara said JICA is willing
to provide loan amounting to US$ 400 million for the
Chittagong City Outer Ring Road Project, Bheramara
Combined Cycle Power Plant Development Project, Rural
Electrification Up Gradation Project and South-Western
Bangladesh Rural Development Project under its 31st Yen
Loan Package.
He also urged the Law Minister to sign a final treaty with
JICA by the first week of next March to receive the loan
package. Recalling the contribution of Japan in country's
development, Barrister Shafique Ahmed said that Japan has
been a development partner of Bangladesh for a long time
and both countries will extent their cooperation in future
to develop both countries.
After the meeting, replying to query, Shafique Ahmed told
the reporters that the government is working hard towards
the trial of the war criminals.
"We expect that we will be able to start war crimes trial
through appointing investigative agencies and prosecutors
within the first week of March this year," he said.
Sri Lanka records lowest trade
deficit in four years
AFP, Colombo
Sri Lanka's trade deficit fell to a four-year low in 2009
as both imports and exports fell due to the global
economic downturn, the central bank said Tuesday.
The deficit fell 52.5 percent to 2.8 billion dollars in
2009 from 5.9 billion dollars a year earlier, the lowest
deficit since 2005, the bank said in a statement.
Earnings from garments, tea, rubber, cinnamon and
jewellery exports fell 12.7 percent to 7.1 billion dollars
in 2009 from 8.1 billion dollars a year earlier.
The island, which produces no oil of its own, benefited
from falling crude oil prices that helped the country's
import bill to fall 29.5 percent to 9.9 billion dollars in
2009 from 14.0 billion dollars a year earlier.
The bank said Sri Lanka also imported less vehicles and
electronic goods and this helped reduce the import bill.
However, worker remittances in 2009 hit 3.3 billion
dollars, up 14.1 percent compared to 2008, helped narrow
the full-year trade deficit, the bank said.
The island's foreign currency reserves fell to 5.1 billion
dollars in December 2009, from 5.3 billion dollars in
November, but the reserves were enough to pay for over six
months of imports, the bank added.
Crisis-hit Toyota to idle two US
factories
AFP, Tokyo
Toyota Motor will temporarily halt production at two US
factories after sales were hit hard by a string of safety
problems behind the recalls of millions of vehicles, a
report said Tuesday.
Toyota will suspend output at its Kentucky plant producing
Camry and Avalon sedans for four days, the Tokyo Shimbun
reported, citing unnamed sources.
It will also suspend production of Tundra pickup trucks at
its Texas plant for a total of 10 days in March and April,
the newspaper said. The decision is part of Toyota's
effort to cut stockpiles of its vehicles after a drop in
its US sales owing to high-profile problems linked to
accelerator and brake systems that have tarnished the
company's reputation.
Immediate confirmation of the report was not available.
Toyota, which in 2008 dethroned General Motors as the
world's biggest car maker, has pledged to fix more than
eight million vehicles worldwide, more than its entire
2009 global sales, due to safety problems.
Toyota's president Akio Toyoda is due to provide an update
on the progress of the massive recalls at a news
conference on Wednesday. Toyoda, the grandson of the
Toyota founder, plans soon to fly to the United States,
where the company faces a congressional grilling and a
host of lawsuits.
Last week, Toyota expanded its global recall to include
more than 400,000 of its newest petrol-electric Prius
models as well as the plug-in Prius, the Sai and the Lexus
HS250h, which use the same braking system.
Earlier this month the company temporarily halted
production in North America of several models whose sales
were suspended over sticking accelerator pedals.
Toyota also suspended production of the Sai and the Lexus
HS250h in Japan on Saturday until it developed a fix for
their faulty braking system.
Foreign investors shunning
Philippines
AFP, Manila
The Philippines has lost ground as a destination for
foreign investment during President Gloria Arroyo's nine
years in power, a business consultancy said Tuesday.
"Almost everything today is worse than it was in 2000. You
see the deterioration of most factors," said Peter
Wallace, president of Manila-based AYC Consultants, which
advises foreign investors. Arroyo, who is required by the
constitution to step down as president on June 30, has
launched a media blitz in recent weeks to highlight what
she has described as the country's economic gains since
she took office in 2001.
But Wallace said that foreign investment in the
Philippines, if adjusted for inflation, would be lower
under Arroyo than other presidents.
In a report released on Tuesday, AYC Consultants said net
foreign direct investment only averaged 340 million
dollars a year from 2001-2008 compared with the average of
588 million dollars from 1994 to 2000. This is despite the
effects of the Asian financial crisis for the earlier
period, which began in late 1997, the report said.
Arroyo took office in 2001 after a popular uprising
toppled her scandal-tainted predecessor, Joseph Estrada.
She won re-election in disputed polls in 2004. Wallace
said the Philippines had enjoyed low inflation and high
international reserves and a stable balance of payments
under Arroyo.
But he attributed this to the actions of the central bank
and the huge remittances of millions of Filipinos working
overseas.
He said most Asian countries, except small ones such as
Cambodia and East Timor, were getting more foreign
investment than the Philippines.
AYC Consultants economist Benvenuto Icamina said that, to
attract more investment, the Philippines would need to
revise certain "discriminatory taxation" policies that
favour local companies over foreign ones. He also said the
country needed to upgrade and modernise its infrastructure
while improving its governance and cutting "non-tariff
barriers" such as red tape.
National
Plans to modernise Ctg port
BSS, Chittagong
The authorities have undertaken plans for renovation and
expansion of the dry-dock and modernization of the
Chittagong Seaport to take forward the decision of giving
port transit to neighbouring countries.
Initiatives have also been taken to build new dockyards
under public-private partnership (PPP) to deal with the
additional ships to come to the port after offering the
transit facilities.
Chittagong Dry-Dock Limited Managing Director Engineer
Enamul Baki told BSS that the seventh meeting of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industries Ministry
underscored the need for renovation of the dry-dock and
observed that it would be able to make a huge contribution
to the national economy. He said a two-member
parliamentary sub-committee visited the Chittagong
Dockyard on November 23 and presented its report to the
standing committee on December 31 with recommendations for
modernization of the dry-dock. The meeting recommended for
balancing, modernization, renovation and Expansion (BMRE)
of the dry-dock to make it a modern industry and setting
up a new dry-dock. The project to be implemented to this
end under PPP at a cost of Taka 200 crore would generate
employment for 4,000 people. Enamul Baki said the
container handling is increasing in the port by 10 percent
every year. Besides, the Chittagong port activities would
expand, if transit is offered to India, Nepal, Bhutan,
Myanmar and China.
Currently about 2,000 ships arrive at the Chittagong port
annually, and some 800 additional ships will come with
goods after offering the transit to neighbours. After
renovation and expansion of the dock, Chittagong Dry- Dock
sources said, it would be able to build and export modern
ships of 10,000 to 15,000-metric-ton capacity.
Enamul Baki said the dry-dock is being developed so that
it can make contributions keeping pace with the present
democratic government's Vision-2021. After renovation of
the 25-year-old machinery, the dry- dock would reach the
standard of Singapore and Colombo, he added.
The dry-dock managing director said the government of
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in
May 1975 decided to build a shipyard at Patenga for
construction of quality sea vessels. It was approved by
the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).
Nutrition intervention reduces anemia among under-2
children, mothers
UNB, Dhaka
Specialist physicians at a seminar in the city Tuesday
emphasized on taking a life-cycle comprehensive approach
on nutrition interventions for reducing anemia among
under-2 children and their mothers.
They also said that exclusive breastfeeding until six
months of age could keep their babies free from anemia.
The Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN) organized
the seminar titled 'Evidence based interventions in
Nutrition' at its auditorium.
Health and Family Welfare secretary Shaikh Altaf Ali was
the chief guest at the seminar, chaired by IPHN director
Prof Fatima Parveen Chowdhury.
Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, senior scientist and Head of Nutrition
Programme, ICDD'B, presented a keynote paper on
'evidence-based multiple micronutrient powder
supplementation'.
Addressing the seminar, the Health and Family Welfare
secretary said the government would take special steps to
ensure absolute breastfeeding through full operation of
all community clinics across the country.
"A total of 20,000 health workers will attend some 24 lakh
of pregnant mothers at the community clinics every year
and they will closely disseminate information for creating
awareness for breastfeeding." He urged the people to
refrain from taking chemical or artificial nutrient powder
and take their nutrition through regular foods which are
collected from the nature. "Nutrition is an integral part
of health system," Shaikh Altaf Ali said.
Physicians, representatives of NGOs and officials from
concerned ministries attended the seminar.
JS body places report on Bangabandhu Novotheater
Bill-2010
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Science and
ICT Ministry on Tuesday placed its report on "The
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novotheater Bill -
2010".
Committee Chairman Alhaj Dabirul Islam placed the report
with a recommendation for passage of the bill in an
amended form.
Earlier on February 10, State Minister for Science and
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Architect
Yafes Osman introduced the bill for setting up a center of
excellence in space research.
While highlighting the aims and objectives of the bill,
the state minister said under this bill, initiatives would
be taken to create enthusiasm among the new generations to
be eager to pursuit space research for enriching their
knowledge and wisdom.
Going back to the past, he said with an objective to
generate attractions and enthusiasm among the younger
generations, the past AL government set up "Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novotheater" in 1997.
"This 275-seat Novotheater, has, among other
facilities, most modern planetarium, astronomical
exhibits, a 150-seat auditorium and a conference room," he
said.
Low
price of potato creates concern for growers
UNB, Bogra
Potato growers in Kahalu upazila are running into trouble
with the bumper output of their products because of lower
price in the market. The growers said they are compelled
to sell potato in the markets at low price due to lack of
storage facility.
"Although the upazila experienced a bumper production of
potato this year, the growers are waiting for a hard time
as the potato price continued to fall. Each maund of
potato is being sold at Tk among 250-380 in the local
markets," said a visibly upset Balu of Buril village.
Another potato grower Abdus Sattar of Paikor union
parishad said growers could not preserve their production
due to space crisis in the cold storages.
Taking the advantage, a section of dishonest middlemen are
buying their production at a cheaper rate to make windfall
profit.
According to Upazila Agriculture Office, 9,250 hectares
have been brought under the potato cultivation this season
than that of 10,675 hectares in previous season.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Shafiqul Islam informed the
growers are now showing their interest in mustard farming
instead of potato because of higher price and availability
of quality potato seeds.
Report on ‘Bangladesh Hi-Tech
Park Authorities Bill placed at JS
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Science and
ICT Ministry on Tuesday placed its report on "The
Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authorities Bill 2010".
Committee Chairman Alhaj Dabirul Islam placed the report
in the House with a recommendation for passage of the bill
in an amended form.
Earlier on February 10, State Minister for Science and
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Architect
Yafes Osman introduced the bill for setting up
technology-based industries for creation of
job-opportunities for millions of unemployed youths at
home and abroad.
While moving the Bill, Osman informed the House that
initiatives would be taken under this bill to set up
knowledge and capital-intensive hi-tech industries that
would be based on Information Technology [IT] ,
Information Technology Enabled Services [ITES] and
Research and Development [R&D].
He further said that once the bill is passed, the existing
IT Park, IT Village, Technology Park and Science Park
would come under this authority.
News
in Brief
Quarter to be constructed for
BIWTA employees
UNB, Dhaka
Shipping
Minister Shajahan Khan said that staff quarter will be
constructed at the land of BIWTA in Narayanganj for
solving the residential problem of employees of BIWTA.
Arrangement would also be made for a rest house at BIWTA
Bhaban in the capital, he said this when a delegation of
BIWTA Employees Union, Floating Workers Union and Master
Pilot and Staff Union called on him at the ministry
Tuesday.
Led by BIWTA Employees Union president Abdur Razzak, the
delegation sought all-out cooperation of the minister on
different issues, including regularization of daily basis
employees, fulfilling vacant posts and solution to
residential problem of the employees.
The minister assured them of solving their existing
problems.
3 killed in separate incidents in
Gazipur
UNB, Gazipur
Three
unnatural deaths were reported in Shreepur and Kaliakair
upazilas on Monday night, police said.
One of the victims was identified as a microbus driver
Ikram Moral, 26, of Bagerhat district while the identity
of two others could not be known immediately.
Witnesses said, some unknown people came to Parama village
in Sreepur upazila by a microbus at 10pm. They left the
bodies of Ikram and another unidentified man on the bank
of Shitalakhya River and fled the scene with the microbus.
They suspected a car lifting gang might have killed them
and took away the vehicle.
In Kaliakair, a young man, aged about 30, was found dead
at a water body near the upazila bus stand in the morning.
Police recovered all the bodies and sent to hospital
morgue for autopsy.
Separate cases were filed.
100 mounds ‘jatka’ seized in
Chandpur
UNB, Chandpur
Police, in
a raid, seized about 100 mounds of jatka (Hilsa Fry) from
Puran Bazar in the district town Monday noon.
Acting on the secret information, police raided Harishava
area and seized the 22 drums containing the jatka while
being sent to elsewhere. Sensing the presence of the law
enforcer, the jatka traders fled the scene leaving the
jatka behind. Later, the hilsha fries were distributed to
the orphanages in the town.
Sports
Bangladesh downs Tajikistan 2-1
TBT report
Bangladesh scored a stunning 2-1 victory against Tajikistan in
the opening match of the AFC Challenge Cup on Tuesday.
After a battling first half at Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo,
Sri Lanka, Enamul Haque-who was discarded from the original
list for the eight-nation meet-put Bangladesh 1-0 ahead in the
67th minute.
The celebration, however, did not last long as last year's
runners-up Tajikistan leveled the scores three minutes later
through Yousuf Rabiev.
But Atiqur Rahman Mishu sealed the victory for Bangladesh in
the 74th minute to brighten the chances of a semifinal spot
from Group A that also involves Myanmar and the host Sri
Lanka.
It was a great result for Bangladesh, who had lost four games
out of its previous five matches against Tajikistan, who won
the first edition of the Challenge Cup in Dhaka in 2006
including a massive 6-1 win against Bangladesh in the
quarterfinals.
Bangladesh's only draw against Tajikistan came in the
pre-qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup when it held Tajikistan
1-1 at home before crashing to a 5-0 defeat in the away match.
Bangladesh takes on Myanmar in its second match tomorrow at
the same venue.
Bangladesh Team: Aminul, Nasir, Mintu, Rezaul, Waly Faisal,
Shakil (Nasiruddin), Mishu, Mamun, Komol (Sabuz), Enamul (Mithun)
and Emily.
Massive
total puts New Zealand on top
Cricinfo Online
A terrific 339-run sixth-wicket stand between Martin
Guptilland Brendon McCullum put the hosts firmly in the
driver's seat on the second day of the one-off Test at Seddon
Park.
Both batsmen came agonisingly close to maiden
double-centuries, before falling to an inspired Rubel Hossain
spell soon after drinks in the second session, and New Zealand
later declared with a massive total. Bangladesh started their
innings in smashing form, with Tamim Iqbal looking comfortable
against the New Zealand bowlers, but the visitors still face a
mountain to climb.
Guptill and McCullum had batted faultlessly until that point,
scoring heavily on both sides of the pitch in the first
session by making full use of a surface that had significantly
improved for batting from day one.
The Bangladesh attack was unimaginative in the morning,
continually bowling short with men back on the square
boundary, even as the New Zealand batsmen picked the gaps
between them with deft precision.
Guptill exploited the short pitched bowling well, repeatedly
flaying errant deliveries to the backward point fence, and
brought up his maiden Test century from 188 balls early in the
day. McCullum too, was especially brutal on the pull, heaving
Shafiul Islam over the square leg boundary to bring up his
fourth Test ton and his second against Bangladesh.
The batsmen continued to make merry in the morning, preying on
lacklustre bowling and wearing down the opposition fielders
with some slippery running between the wickets. McCullum was
the first to reach 150, with Guptill following suit just
before the break, after a spate of boundaries off the
Bangladesh pacemen towards the end of the session. Shakib Al
Hasan's ploy to relax his aggressive field placings after
lunch made for a more sedate start to the second session, in
which a revitalised Bangladesh did well to dry up the
boundaries for ninety-five consecutive deliveries. Guptill and
McCullum had little trouble negotiating the second day pitch
however, picking up the singles on offer and converting the
ones into expertly judged, lightning speed twos.
A renewed Rubel, in his first spell of the afternoon, was to
be their eventual demise, dismissing McCullum first with a
fuller delivery before inducing a top edge from Guptill a few
overs later to pick up his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests.
By the time the mammoth partnership ended, the duo had broken
the record for highest sixth-wicket partnership for New
Zealand, missing out on the world record by 12 runs, while
McCullum's 185 was the highest by a New Zealand wicketkeeper.
Daryl Tuffey and Jeetan Patel then came out playing shots and
boosted the hosts total to an utterly dominant 553 for 7 until
the declaration came on the stroke of tea.
Tamim and Imrul Kayes began at a breakneck pace for Bangladesh
in the evening session before Daniel Vettori brought himself
into the attack to cut the opening stand short, at 79. Tamim
in particular took the New Zealand pacemen to task, bringing
up his fourth Test half-century in just 39 deliveries.
He ended the day unbeaten on 56 when bad light stopped play,
in an innings that featured 10 boundaries, leaving Bangladesh
on 87 for 1. The tourists require their top order to cash in
on a surface getting better for batting on the third day, in
order to avoid a massive first innings deficit.
Bahrain cricket team plays
one-day match today
TBT report
A one-day match between the visiting Bahrain National
Cricket Team and the GP-BCB-National Cricket Academy
Invitational XI takes place today at Sher-e-Bangla
National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.
The match is scheduled to start at 9:30am.
Bahrain National Cricket Team is playing the match as part
of its development programmes.
The tourists will leave here for Nepal on February 18 to
participate in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division
5.
The GP-BCB NCA Invitational XI is made of former and
current Academy cricketers.
The teams
GP-BCB-NCA Invitational XI: Tanvir Hayder Khan
(Captain), Nurul Hoque (Wicketkeeper), Imtiaz Hossain,
Myshukur Rahman, Saikat Ali, Abul Bashar, Kamrul Islam,
Tasamul Hoque, Ariful Hoque, Arman Badshah, Kamrul Islam
Rabbi, Alauddin Babu, Nabil Samad and Shaker Ahmed
(Players), Waheedul Ghani (Head Coach), Sabbir Khan (Team
Manager), Mahbubul Alam Zaki (Assistant Coach), Azmal
Ahmed (Physiotherapist).
Bahrain National Cricket Team: Yaser Sadeq,
Muhammad Ashraf Mughal, Mirza Azim Ul Haque, Imran Sajjad,
Zafar Zaheer, Mohammad Tahir Dar, Fahad Sadeq, Halal
Abbasi, Mirza Ashraf Yaqoob, Mohammed Adil Hanif, Ashgar
Abdul Majeed, Shahzad Ahmed, Mohammed Qamar Saeed, Mirza
Rizwan Baig (PLayers), Mohsin Kamal (Coach), Ayaz Ahmed
Ghulam Jilani (Manager).
Shoaib Akhtar pays massive fine
AFP, Karachi
Scandal-hit Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar had 83,000
dollars docked from his pay cheque for discipline problems
Tuesday, one of the heaviest fines imposed on a Pakistani
player, the board said. Akhtar was fined seven million
rupees (83,000 dollars) for criticising the cricket board
in 2008. He has faced a series of controversies over the
years, including hitting a player with a bat, and
contracting genital warts that prevented him playing in a
match.
"A fine of seven million rupees has been deducted from
Akhtar's payment due for January to November 2009,"
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Nadeem Sarwar told
AFP.
Akhtar has been on probation since October 2007, when he
was fined 52,000 dollars and banned for 13 matches for
hitting bowler Mohammad Asif with a bat, ahead of the
Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa. The paceman
features in the current national one-day tournament but
has yet to shine.
Akhtar was dropped from Pakistan's list of 15 contracted
players in January 2008 after a disappointing year on the
field, prompting him to criticise the PCB publicly-an
offence that landed him a five-year ban in April 2008.
A PCB-appointed tribunal reduced the ban to 18 months, but
ordered the seven-million rupee fine. Akhtar appealled to
the Lahore High Court, which suspended the ban but upheld
the fine in July 2008.
Tenerife dents Mallorca's surge
AFP, Barcelona
Tenerife secured a vital 1-0 win against Real Mallorca in
its bid to avoid relegation in their First Division clash
on Monday.
The Canary Island side are now just one point from safety
while the result means that high-flying Mallorca have
failed to return to a top-four place.
Despite enjoying one of the best season's in their
history, Mallorca's away record has not been so impressive
and they went behind to a Juan Nino goal after 13 minutes.
Tenerife had a further chance to add to their lead through
Nino before Mallorca presented their first real danger
from a Mario Suarez shot, and then an effort from distance
by Borja Valero was saved well by keeper Sergio Aragoneses.
In the second-half, Mallorca pushed forward but they left
space at the back and Tenerife went closest to scoring
again through Julian Omar but he was denied by a fine
block from keeper Dudu Aouate.
Barcelona's 2-1 defeat away at Atletico Madrid means that
their advantage at the top of the table is down to two
points with Real Madrid having made no mistakes in a 3-0
win over Xerez. The reigning champions were forced to
field a makeshift defence with so many players out and
Atletico had little problem exposing their weaknesses with
first half goals for Diego Forlan and Simao Fonseca.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored Barca's only goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo had scored a double as Real beat bottom
side Xerez to put the pressure on Barca.
A cool Juan Mata strike rescued a point for a battling
Valencia side who drew 1-1 against Sporting Gijon and
Sevilla gave their Champions League hopes a boost by
beating Osasuna 1-0 in a workmanlike performance. A stormy
finish saw three-men sent off as Villarreal drew 2-1 with
Athletic Bilbao.
Deportivo la Coruna slipped up losing 2-0 away at Espanyol
while Getafe conceded a late injury time equaliser to only
draw 2-2 with Almeria.
Honours were even as Valladolid drew 1-1 against Zaragoza
in a crucial relegation battle and Malaga gave their own
survival hopes a boost with a comprehensive 3-0 win away
at Racing Santander.
India piles up 643-6 against South Africa
AFP, Kolkata
Venkatsai Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni slammed unbeaten
centuries to put India in firm control of the second and
final Test against South Africa on Tuesday.
Laxman hit 143 and Dhoni made 132 as India piled up a
record 643-6 before declaring its first innings shortly
before stumps on the third day at the Eden Gardens in
Kolkata.
The tourists, trailing by 347 runs, were six for no loss
in their second knock when play was called off due to bad
light after just five deliveries from Zaheer Khan.
India's powerful batting boosted its chances of squaring
the series after it lost the first Test in Nagpur by an
innings and six runs.
A drawn series will also enable Dhoni's men to retain
their number one position in the official Test rankings.
India's total was their highest against South Africa,
surpassing the 627 during the Chennai Test in 2008.
"We expected India to come back strongly," said South
Africa's batting consultant Kepler Wessels.
"They're a very good team under their own conditions. We
certainly expected them to put up this sort of fight. If
you don't take your opportunities against a good side,
you're going to pay the price."
Laxman and Dhoni put on 259 for the unbroken seventh
wicket as India lost just one wicket, of nightwatchman
Amit Mishra, during the day.
Laxman, who missed the Nagpur Test due to a finger injury,
played some trademark pulls and drives for his 15th Test
century and the fourth at the Eden Gardens.
Dhoni, dropped on 23, clobbered part-time spinner
Jean-Paul Duminy for two sixes in a row and another off
Paul Harris to underline India's dominance over the
second-ranked Proteas.
There were four centuries in India's innings after
Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar made hundreds on
Monday.
The South Africans, who made 296 in their first knock,
squandered a few chances in the field, which could prove
costly as they seek their first Test series victory in
India for nearly a decade.
Duminy spilled his second catch of the match when he
dropped Laxman on 48 at backward point off Wayne Parnell
(0-103).
Duminy had also grassed Sehwag on 47 while fielding in the
slips on Monday. Sehwag went on to make 165 and set the
platform for India's huge total.
"You can't drop good players and expect to get away with
it, particularly on good surfaces like this," said Wessels.
"It's challenging but you have to adapt and take the
opportunities that come your way. We didn't.
"We're in a position where we have to save the game to win
the series. "There are two days of tough Test cricket
ahead and we'll fight as hard as we can."
Resuming at 342-5, Laxman flicked a couple of boundaries
in the first over of the day by Dale Steyn, who conceded
115 runs while taking just one wicket.
Laxman faced 260 balls during his nearly six-hour stay at
the wicket.
Mishra (28) enjoyed a brief flourish and a couple of
reprieves before falling to an ambitious upper cut which
was plucked by Jacques Kallis off Morne Morkel (2-115) at
second slip.
Four South African bowlers conceded more than 100 runs
each, with left-arm spinner Harris being the most
expensive with figures of 1-182 from 50 overs.
Favourite Wozniacki survives wobble
AFP, Dubai
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki survived an edgy wobble
before reaching the last 16 of the Dubai Open on her first
visit to the two million dollar tournament.
The charismatic Dane had to summon resilience and
level-headedness to fight back from 1-5 down against an
in-form Dominika Cibulkova to win 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).
The buoyant and mobile Slovakian belied her world number
30 ranking to get the better of some athletic baseline
exchanges in the middle of the match, and was within two
points of taking the second set while serving at 5-2.
"I was getting a bit nervous," admitted Wozniacki. "But I
went out there and I fought and didn't give up, and felt
like I was in there all the time.
So I thought it might be just a matter of time.
"It's a bit difficult to play here because the ball fies a
bit, but the courts are pretty slow. You have to get used
to it."
Wozniacki did that by making one break of serve for 3-5
with some carefully controlled, yet still forcing drives;
then she broke again for 5-5 with the help of a successful
appeal to the Hawkeye electronic replay system.
Cibulkova's bubbling baseline presence had pressured
Wozniacki into a counter-hit which looked as though it
might have landed long, and was called out.
But the Dane's appeal to the computerised replay showed
the ball just clipping the outside edge of the baseline,
preventing her from slipping to 30-love down, and enabling
her to get the point replayed.
Had this not happened Wozniacki might well have found
herself a coupls of minutes later at 40-30 and set point
down rather than of 30-40 ahead in that crucial Cibulkova
service game.
Instead Wozniacki converted that break point for 5-5 with
an enterprisingly early backhand cross court return of
serve which landed plumb on the sideline.
By the time the tie-break came along two games later she
had re-acquired enough ground-stroking momentum to carry
her steadily to a hard-fought victory.
Wozniacki next plays Shahar Peer, who yesterday became the
first Israeli woman to compete in a UAE state, and who
scored a high quality win for the second successive day.
Having beaten the 13th seeded Yanina Wickmayer in the
first round, Peer now outplayed Virginie Razzano, last
year's runner-up, by 6-2, 6-2.
Chittagong takes
123-run lead against Rajshahi
UNB, Dhaka
Chittagong Division took an overall 123 runs lead over
league leader Rajshahi Division scoring 183 for 5 in the
2nd innings on the 2nd day of the four-day super league
match of the EBL National Cricket League at Shaheed Chandu
Stadium in Bogra Tuesday.
Chittagong Division (198/10 in 1st innings) opened their
2nd innings today and scored 183 for 5 in 40 overs at
stumps on day-two.
Faisal Hossain of Chittagong scored not out 62 runs off 52
balls with five fours and three sixes while Mominul Haque
made 34 off 46 balls with five fours and a six. Besides,
Gazi Salah-uddin (25), Mahbubul Karim (18), Rezaul Karim
(14) and Elias Sunny (batting 14) were the other major
contributors for Chittagong.
Saqlain Sajib captured two wickets while Shuvashish Roy
and Nasir Hossain took one wicket each.
Rajshahi Division, which resumed their first innings this
(Tuesday) morning with overnight 125 for 3, were dismissed
for 258 runs despite 101 runs in the 4th wicket
partnership between Farhad Hossain and Anisur Rahman.
Night watch batsman Anisur Rahman (58) made team highest
70 runs off 91 balls with 10 fours and two sixes while
Farhad Hossain batting with 30 runs scored a patient 56
runs off 183 balls that included five fours.
Nasir Hossain (24), Delwar Hossain (20) and Jahurul Islam
(24) were the other notable scorers for Rajshahi. Iqbal
Hossain, Elais Sunny and Kamrul Islam claimed two wickets
each for 47, 51 and 58 runs respectively.
In the day's other league match, Khulna Division took a
comfortable 331 runs lead after dismissing Dhaka Division
for 111 in the first innings on the 2nd day of the
four-day super league match of the EBL 11th National
Cricket League at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in
Chittagong.
Replying to Khulna Division's first innings total 244
runs, Dhaka Division resumed the first innings Tuesday
with overnight nine runs for no loss and were bundled out
cheaply for 111 runs in 40 overs.
Shen, Zhao claim first gold for
China
AFP, Vancouver
Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo gave China their first ever
Olympic figure skating title when they won gold in the
pairs event in Vancouver on Monday while ending Russia's
50-year domination of the event.
The husband-and-wife team led a Chinese 1-2 ahead of
teammates Pang Qing and Tong Jian with Germany's reigning
two-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin
Szolkowy taking bronze after the free skating final.
It was the first time since 1960 that a pair from Russia
or the former Soviet Union have not taken the gold.
Shen, 31, and Zhao, 36, had returned after retiring for
two years in their bid to claim gold after winning bronze
at the past two Olympics. And although they had a less
than perfect programme to Adagio in G Minor by Tomaso
Albinoni it was enough to seal victory by a 3.26 margin on
Pang and Tong.
"We've had this dream for many, many years," said
three-time world champion Zhao. "We've won other titles
and every time we heard the national anthem and the
raising of the flag we wished it was the Olympic Games."
Concerning the end of Russia's domination, he added:
"Records are there to be broken at some point."
Shen and Zhao faced a tense wait to see if they had
secured the title following a stunning free skate by Pang
and Tong which gave them a new world record mark of 141.81
in the free skate.
Tong, 30, kissed the ice after earning a standing ovation
for a routine to the music Impossible Dream by Joe
Hisaishi which saw the 2006 world champions surge from
fourth. The scored 213.31 overall.
"I don't know what got into me when I kissed the ice,"
said Tong.
"All the spectators gave us the power and courage to put
out a complete and perfect programme."
Shen and Zhao took to the ice next and could only applaud
the performance.
"We saw them finish their programme and it was excellent,"
said Shen.
"I just thought 'now it's my turn to finish in the best
way I can'. I knew I had to remain focused and execute
every element in the finest way possible."
They placed second in the free skate after a shaky Axel
lasso lift but it was enough for the veteran pair to
secure victory with 139.91 which gave them a new world
record overall mark of 216.57. As for their future plans,
Shen quipped: "It's hard to continue skating, maybe it's
time to have a baby."
The Germans dropped to third after Szolkowy fell on a
double axel, giving them 134.64 for the programme and
210.60 overall.
"I think it was the pressure that built up that was on my
mind," said Szolkowy. "Our performance was not the one we
wanted to show."
Russia's Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov, third after
the short programme, dropped to fourth after Kavaguti
fell.
A fall also pushed Olympic silver medallists Zhang Dan and
Zhang Hao of China into fifth.
WWF
slams Russia over Sochi construction
AFP, Moscow
Russia is ignoring environ-mental concerns as it prepares
for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a leading activist
group said Tuesday, threatening to cease cooperation with
the authorities in protest.
The Russian branch of WWF accused the government of
inflicting "huge damage" on nature in its rush to build
infrastructure for the 2014 Games in Sochi, a Black Sea
coastal resort town in southern Russia.
"We believe that Olympic preparations have gone out of
control, the quality of construction is low, and huge
damage has been done to the environment," WWF Russia chief
Igor Chestin said in a statement quoted by Russian media.
WWF said tens of thousands of hectares (acres) of nature
reserves had lost their protected status to allow
construction and roads were being built through virgin
forests without adequate steps to compensate for
deforestation.
It said WWF, Greenpeace and other environmental groups had
met repeatedly with officials to discuss their concerns
but further cooperation was "in question" because their
recommendations were being ignored.
The state-owned company overseeing the construction,
Olimpstroi, denied it was ignoring environmental concerns.
Olimpstroi has "taken into account the experience of
foreign countries in the field of 'green' construction,"
it said in a statement distributed to Russian state news
agencies.
Meanwhile the top environmental official for the ruling
United Russia party accused the WWF of being unpatriotic.
"The fact that WWF made this statement during the
Vancouver Olympics shows the environmentalists want to
negatively influence the image of our Games for everyone
who is there," the official, Konstantin Tsybko, told the
Kommersant daily newspaper.
Sochi pulled off a stunning victory to win the right to
host the Games at the International Olympic Committee vote
in 2007 beating off favourites Pyeongchang, from South
Korea, and the Austrian resort of Salzburg.
However, since then Sochi has been beset by problems over
the speed of the work in building the infrastructure
required and environmental concerns as it gears up to
become the first Russian venue to host the Winter Games.
Pitch invader fined 8,000 dollars
AFP, Sydney
A spectator who ran onto a cricket pitch and wrestled
Pakistan's Khalid Latif to the floor during a one-day
international in Australia was fined 9,000 dollars (8,058
US) on Tuesday.
Perth resident David James Fraser, 37, pleaded guilty to
one charge of trespassing onto the WACA ground and one of
common assault, and was fined 6,000 dollars and 3,000
dollars respectively, reports said.
Latif slightly injured his neck when he was grabbed from
behind in the January 31 incident, which prompted calls
for stiffer penalties for field invaders.
Perth Magistrates Court heard that Fraser was affected by
alcohol at the time of the incident and had been dared to
run onto the ground by a friend.
But Magistrate Giuseppe Cicchini said Latif was vulnerable
as he "was not expecting anyone to come over the fence and
tackle him".
"The injuries were not particularly serious and he was
able to continue playing. Nevertheless he was injured and
it was totally and utterly uncalled for," Cicchini said,
WA Today reported on its website.
The magistrate said the fines were significant because
they were designed to send a strong message that "this
type of conduct is not acceptable and not appropriate."
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