THURSday, FEBRUARY 18, 2010 FALGUN 6, 1416, RABIUL AWAL 3, 1431 Hijri

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Leading News

Executive, judiciary, legislature
Government to establish accountability: PM

UNB, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday said her government wants to establish accountability in all spheres, including the executive, the judiciary and the legislative, for a smooth run of the country towards progress.
Addressing the foundation-stone-lying function of the multistoried building of Dhaka Bar Association on Dhaka Judge Court premises, she called upon lawyers and judges to work in a way so people can get justice without hassles.
The Prime Minister informed her audience from the lower judiciary that appointing some 100 judges is under process for quick disposal of the pending cases.
Sheikh Hasina said all acts of injustice of the past, like killings, bombings and gunrunning would be tried.
"We are working to establish transparency and accountability in the executive body and, likewise, we want to establish transparency and accountability in the legislative and the judiciary also," she told the function.
She observed that a nation cannot step forward if the three organs of the state-legislative, judiciary and executive-do not work properly and harmoniously.
Prime Minister Hasina made it clear that her government would not allow injustice in the country and would try all injustices that had taken place in the past. "We will try all anti-state activities, including the August 21 grenade attack, ten-truck arms case. We shall also try the November 3, 1975 killings."
She also said that her government wants to eradicate terrorism and militancy from the country to give a safe place to the people to live in. "We want to build such a Bangladesh where peace and plenty will prevail."
Hasina also told her audience that her government has taken steps to develop the rural areas of the country in terms of economic uplift. "We have to provide a strong economic base in the rural areas for development of the whole of the country."
She described her government's various activities for the welfare of the judiciary and said, "We never showed disrespect to the judges."
In this context, she mentioned that the BNP-led 4-party alliance government did not make permanent 22 judges of the Supreme Court as they were appointed during Awami League's previous tenure.
"They were sent back. But during our tenure, we did not do that as Awami League knows how to show respects to the judges," she said. She said that assuming office after the December 29, 2008 election her government appointed more than 200 judges to the lower courts and appointment of another 100 judges is under process.
Hasina urged the lawyers to look after people's cause so that they could get justice in the quickest time. "One of the major aims of this government is to provide facility to the poor so that they could get justice," she said.
She mentioned that her government has taken initiative to introduce Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system in the country to save time and money of the people.

 Govt running country in BAKSAL style: Khaleda
TBT Report

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has accused the govt of indulging politics of controlled democracy and changing the 'Names' instead of resolving the burning problems of the people.
Addressing as the chief guest the extended meeting of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at Diploma Engineers' Institute Auditorium in the city on Wednesday Begum Zia said the govt has already ruled the country for 3 years including the 2 years period of Fakhruddin and Moeen government.
Criticising the government bitterly the BNP Chairperson said they have come to power riding on a 6-horse cart and hence it has concluded anti-national deals. The anti-state conspiracy which began on 11 January 2007 is still continuing, she added.
Begum blamed present government for running the state in BAKSAL style and so it is speaking of controlled democracy. She said their is nothing called law and order in the country and murder, violence and crimes has become order of the day. She also said about loadshedding their lying and people are facing serious crisis of water, gas and power. Naked interference is being made in the judiciary and people are not getting justice.
She also accused the ruling party of patronising the criminals to perpetuate power. Plundering of people's resources and grabbing of govt lands are being committed by the pro-government people. The student wing of the ruling party is committing violence and even murder besides admission business in the educational institutes. People have reached the brink of their patience and their ready to take part in anti-government movement. The time is not far away when the people will rise against this repressive government she said.
Presided over by JCD president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku the meeting was also addressed by Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Anny, Amanullah Aman and Fazlul Haq Milon among others. Senior leaders of BNP attended the meeting participate by JCD representative from different districts.

 BSF kills farmer, holds meeting with BDR
95 Bangladeshis killed on border in 13 months

TBT Report

In continuation of its killing spree on the Bangladesh border Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has killed yet another Bangladeshi farmer on Wednesday although BSF and BDR held a high level meeting on Sylhet border on the day.
A UNB report says: BSF fired across the Madhupara border of sadar upazila in Panchagarh killing a farmer on Wednesday afternoon. Confirming the incident BDR deputy commander Major Hasibul Hossain said Islam Mia of Madhupara village was cutting grass at about 3 pm when BSF of Singimari outpost fired at him. He died on the spot. BSF troops intruded into Madhupara and took away the body of Islam Mia, 38.
The BDR official said they have strongly protested the killing of the innocent farmer and demanded immediate return of his body.
Meanwhile BSS report says: a high level meeting between Bangladesh and Indian border guards got underway on Wednesday on Tamabil frontier in Sylhet here to defuse border tension sparked by shootouts earlier this week.
Officials said deputy director general of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Brigadier General Mohammad Obaidul Haque and inspector general of Border Security Force (BSF) of India Pritvi Raj were leading their respective delegations in the talks at the district council Dak Banglo at Tamabil. The meeting began at 12.15pm.
BDR officials said the meeting came as the frontier guards traded gunshots on February 4 when a BDR soldier was injured while the shootout erupted again on February 14 injuring three Bangladeshi labourers.
BSF killed 95 Bangladeshis in the last 13 months. The number of Bangladeshis killed by BSF during the nine years period from January 1, 2000 to February 17, 2010 stands at 820. BSF also injured 858 and abducted 897 Bangladeshis in the same period.
The killings of unarmed Bangladeshis by the BSF on the border are continuing in clear violation of the spirit of good neighborliness as well as international law and despite repeated pledges by the Indian authorities to stop it. In every meeting between BSF and BDR and also between the higher level officials of the two countries, the Indian side assures that killing of Bangladeshis by its forces on the border would come to an end immediately. But this pledge is seldom implemented.

  Jamaat blames govt for killing 2 Shibir activists
UNB, Dhaka

A Jamaat rally in the city Wednesday accused the government of killing two of its student wing Shibir activists in Rajshahi and Chittagong 'at the behest of its alien masters'.
The rally demanded judicial inquiry into the killing and resignation of the Home Minister and State Minister for Home.
Speakers at the rally were critical of the government for alleged repression on Jamaat-Shibir workers and leaders, large-scale arrest and implicating them in false cases. They demanded withdrawal of all cases and unconditional release of them.
They urged the government to stop undemocratic actions with a warning of serious consequences.
City Ameer Rafiqul Islam Khan, AHM Hamidur Rahman MP, Nurul Islam Bulbul, Maulana Abdul Halim are among those addressed the rally which was followed by a procession.
In Chandpur, ten Jamaat-Shibir activists were injured as police charged baton on their protest rally in the district town Wednesday, in the wake of a countrywide drive following the Rajshahi University troubles.
Witnesses said the Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out a procession in protest against the countrywide crackdown on the party men from Paler Bazaar at about 11am.

   PRSP-II outlines major cost estimates
BSS, Dhaka

The government has given highest priorities to education, training, research, infrastructure development, power, energy, social protection, good governance, public services, health and agriculture.
In the revised poverty reduction plan for 2010-2011, costs for programmes on education, training and research have been estimated at Taka 582.30 billion, the highest among 18 thematic sector-wise fields, which is 20.69 percent of the total projected cost.
The second highest priority has been given on infrastructure development including power, energy and communications costing Taka 536.66 billion, which is 19.07 percent of the total projected cost, according to ERD sources. The cost for social protection has been estimated at Taka 319.39 billion, 11.35 percent of total projected cost, while it is Taka 300.95 billion or 10.69 percent for promoting good governance and public services, Taka 207.94 billion or 7.39 percent on health, nutrition and population planning and Taka 180 billion or 6.39 percent on agricultural growth towards poverty reduction.
The estimated costs in some fields of the revised PRSP-II have been increased from previous PRSP-II which was formulated by the caretaker government.
Under the social protection, the estimated cost has been increased by Taka 175.25 billion in the revised PRSP-II from the previous cost of Taka 144.14 billion. The cost under agricultural growth towards poverty reduction head increased by Taka 30.72 billion from previous estimation of Taka 149.28 billion.
The estimated cost for private sector development programmes has marked a major jump of Taka 24.64 billion or 81.81 percent from the previous estimated cost of Taka 30.12 billion.
The increase in the estimated costs under infrastructure development including power, energy and communications was Taka 6.72 billion from previous Taka 529.94 billion, for health and nutrition and population planning by Taka 4.01 percent, for education, training and research by Taka 2.96 billion, land use policy and management by Taka 1.18 billion, and technology policy including ICT and biotechnology by Taka 0.72 billion.

   Storm kills one, injures many
Dwelling houses, paddy damaged

TBT News Desk

Season's first northwesterly storms lashed different parts of the country Wednesday, leaving a girl dead, many others wounded in Jhenidah and damaging kutcha houses and standing crops in Barisal, according to a news agency.
According to Met office forecast "rain or thundershower accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at one or two places" over Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions and the regions of Noakhali, Comilla and Sylhet in the next 24 hours to 6pm today (Thursday).
It was learnt that the twister lasted only 10 minutes from 10:15 am, when the sky was also overcast across the country and there were drizzles.
The nor'wester also damaged more than 200 houses, including tin-shed and mud-made houses. Innumerable trees were uprooted, and banana, tobacco, maize, and rabi crops were also damaged.
The 16 affected frontier villages are Bashbaria, Gopalpur, Kola, Nichintapur, Mominpur, Polyanpur, Vago-battala, Raipur, Kazirber, Mokordanga, Sundarpur, Nepa, and Chunnirite. The extent of loss of crops, trees and houses in monetary terms could not be estimated immediately.
In Barisal, nor'wester lashed different parts of the district in the afternoon, damaging mud-huts and standing crops. Reports received from different upazila administrations said strong winds coupled with hailstorm swept over Agailjhara, Uzirpur and Hizla upazilas in between 12:30pm and 2pm and lasted few minutes.
Barisal city experienced a light rain while the sky remained covered with clouds. Barisal port office sources said water transports were asked to move cautiously on river routes.

Back Page

President asks student bodies to shun destructive activities
He directs NU to follow rules in recruitment

UNB, Dhaka

President Zillur Rahman on Wednesday called upon the country's student organizations working at the universities to give up their destructive activities for greater interest of the nation. "Whole nation becomes sad and heartbroken seeing what happens in some universities in the name of student politics," he said, addressing the 4th convocation of University of Asia Pacific (UAP) at the Bangabandhu Intern-ational Conference Center in the city.
The President suggested the student organizations to nourish the country's tradition of harmony existing over thousands of years.
Saying that the country's universities in the past had made huge contributions in the nation-building activities, he mentioned that the people deeply remember the role of the student unions during various movements, including the language movement of 1952, mass upsurge in 1969 and the great war of liberation.
"We, today, feel proud of their activities. At those times, the student movements were for greater welfare of the nation," he said.
President Zillur said although there would remain different opinions in the democratic system - and it is normal also - but all should be united on issues of national interest.
He said that as citizens of an independent and sovereign country, the thoughts of the people should be production oriented and tuned to public welfare. Congratulating the new graduates, the President asked them to keep their pursuit of knowledge open beyond just seeking jobs. "Remember that the convocation cannot declare end to formal education, rather it opens the door into the kingdom of knowledge," he said.
Australian High Commissioner in Dhaka Justin Lee was the convocation speaker while Vice Chancellor of the university Prof Abdul Matin Patwari also spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, President Zillur Rahman Wednesday directed the National University authorities to strictly go by the rules in recruitment of employees and student admission, without harboring irregularities. "No irregularities will be tolerated," the President warned when a three-member delegation of the National University (NU) called on him at Bangabhaban and reported malpractice of the past.

   Food minister blames traders’ machinations for rice-price hike
He admits Aman procurement target failure

UNB, Dhaka

Food Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque Wednesday squarely blamed a section of traders for jacking up market prices of rice through machinations.
"The traders always incr-ease the rice prices through machinations. They are still trying to do so," he told rep-orters after inaugurating a regional conference on climate change and natural disaster at a city hotel.
Asked about identification of those traders who are involved in machinations and any action against them, he said: "I don't want to raise any dispute commenting on this matter."
About the government's target of three-lakh-ton Aman procurement by February, the minister hinted that they could not achieve the procurement target due to high prices on the local market compared to the government-fixed rate.
"About 30,000 tonnes of Aman rice could be procured as the market price is higher than the price set by the government," he said.
Razzaque said the government has more than enough stock of rice and wheat for the period till boro harvest. "So, people should not worry about the procurement."
The government on December 7 last year initiated a move to procure up to three lakh tonnes of Aman rice at Tk 22 a kilogram within February 28. The minister informed that about eight lakh tonnes of rice remained in government stock to meet any exigencies.
Meanwhile, coarse rice sells at Tk 26-28 per kg while medium and fine-quality rice sells between Tk 36 and Tk 45 on the retail market in the capital.

   Govt to construct elevated expressway, activate waterways around Dhaka

BSS, Dhaka

Minister for Information and Culture Abul Kalam Azad on Wednesday said the government has taken a number of steps to make Dhaka city a developed one to ensure smooth communication by constructing elevated expressway, activating waterways and modernizing railway transport around the capita.
The minister made the assertion while inaugurating a three- day International Seminar on the History Heritage and Urban Issues of Capital Dhaka at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhry Senate Bhaban on Dhaka University campus. The minister said the present government led by Sheikh Hasina is very much keen to develop Dhaka and would welcome any fruitful suggestions and recommendations in this regard Azad said Dhaka city witnesses many important historic events and social changes during the last four centuries. In this regard referred to the changeover in 1947, language movement in 1952 and war of liberation in 1971 and said we got independent Bangladesh under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Since than, Dhaka becomes a symbol of hopes and aspirations of the people of Bangladesh, he added. Azad urged local and foreign scholars, rese-archers and academics to place their recommendations to the government for adopting specific policies and measures for transforming Dhaka city into a modern metropolis.
Asiatic Society of Bang-ladesh organized the seminar, marking the celebration of 400 years of the capital Dhaka. As many as 200 scholars from home and abroad are talking part in the discourse. Over 90 keynotes will be presented at the seminar highlighting Dhaka's urbanization problems like housing, water, power, communication side by side with its history and tradition.
The main objective of the seminar is to find ways and means for a healthy and prosperous growth of the capital Dhaka by maintaining its century old heritage.
Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique spoke on the occasion as the special guest chaired by senior vice president of the Asiatic Society Professor Amirul Islam. Dr Arefin Siddique said Dhaka is one of the most important historic cities of the subcontinent. The establishment of Dhaka College in 1841 and the Dhaka University in 1921 have opened the door for practicing secular and free thinking and knowledge, he said adding that the two institutions also make the Dhaka a centre point for Bangladesh politics that led to movements against all repression and oppression at different times.
Siddique expressed the hope that the seminar will enrich our thoughts and ideas and help adopting effective plans and programmes in terms of developing Dhaka structurally, academically and intellectually. Among others, general secretary of the Asiatic Society Professor Mahfuza Khanom delivered the welcome speech at function in which chief coordinator and deputy chief coordinator of the conference Professor Dr Sharif Uddin Ahmed and Dr AKM Golam Rabbani spoke respectively.

   Water supply in city to rise by 67.50 cr liter within 2014: PM
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban

Water supply in the city will be increased by 67.5 crore liters within 2014 after completion of two more water treatment plants.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said this in the House on Wednesday while replying to questions from lawmakers. "Saidabad Water Treatment Plant (phase-2) with the capacity of supplying 22.50 crore liters of water will be completed by June 2012," she said. Sheikh Hasina said construction of Pagla/ Keraniganj water treatment plant having the capacity of supplying 45 crore liters of water will be finished by June, 2014.
Saidabad water treatment plant will treat water from the Shitlakkya river and Pagla/Keraniganj plant will treat water from the Padma River. Under Dhaka Water Supply Sector Development Project, the Prime Minister said feasibility study is going on with financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for construction of another water treatment plant at Khilkhet area with the capacity of supplying 50 crore liter water a day.
She said all rivers around Dhaka are being re-excavated to improve navigability, increase water flow and remove wastes. The Burig-anga River Restoration Project is now waiting for government approval, she said.
Similar water supply programmes were taken for Chittagong with the support of donor agencies and government, the Prime Minister said. She said the government has attached importance on using surface water along with harvesting and use of rainwater.

    ‘Jobless rate to be cut to 15 percent by 2021’
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government has undertaken important programmes for creating jobs to solve the unemployment problems and free the youth community from the curse of unemployment.
"The unemployment rate will be brought down to 15 percent by 2021 from the existing 40 percent," she told the House while replying to a scripted question raised by treasury bench member Alhaj Advocate Rahamat Ali.
"Technical training is being provided to the unemployed youths through 38 technical training centres," she said, adding that 42,000 youths were imparted training in 38 trades in 2008 and the number would stand to 49,000 this year.
The Prime Minister said 8,75,000 Bangladeshi workers went abroad with jobs in 2008 and the government has taken initiatives to expand foreign job markets.
She said the government has taken steps to build 30 technical training centres in those districts with no such centres. Five institutes of marine technologies in Munshiganj, Chandpur, Bagerhat, Sirajganj and Faridpur will also be established, she said.

    32 officials including a DIG, four Addl DIGs and 27 SPs transferred

BSS, Dhaka

The government on Wedn-esday made a major reshuffle in the police department by changing 27 superintendents of police (SPs), a deputy inspector general (DIG) and four additional DIGs.
According an official circular of the Home Ministry, the government has asked the officials to join their new assignments immediately.
According to the circular, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Headquarters Dr Aftab Uddin Ahmed was transferred to Sylhet Metro-politan Police (SMP) as its commissioner while the Acting Commissioner of SMP Syed Tawfiq Uddin Ahmed was posted to Rapid Action Battalion (RAD) as its director.
Rawshan Ara Begum, a former additional DIG of Dhaka Range and who recently came back from United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan, was posted to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) while the transfer order of Additional DIG Mohammad Obaidullah to RAB-3 and another Home Ministry order for transferring Additional DIG and Director RAB Headquarters Md Bakhtiar Alam to Commandant Police Training Centre (PTC) Rangpur were cancelled.
Besides, Deputy Commis-sioner (DC) Motijheel of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Atiqul Islam was transferred to the Police Headquarters as its assistant inspector general (AIG) while SP Barisal Md Mahbubur Rahman was posted to the DMP as its DC. DC DMP Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir was posted to Barisal as its SP while Acting DC of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Md Sajjadur Rahman was transferred to the Special Branch (SB) as its special superintendent (SS).

 Proposal to set up 300mw power plant with Chinese soft loan

UNB, Dhaka

A state-owned Chinese power company - China National Machinery and Equipment Import & Export Corporation (CMEC) has offered the government to set up a 300 MW thermal power plant in Khulna with its own credit, for which memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed twice between Dhaka and Beijing.
According to official sources, the project was initiated in 1994 as Khulna 210 MW Thermal Power Plant. A feasibility study was conducted by the CMEC in 1995. In September 1996, a MOU was signed in presence of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to China. But no major progress was made in this regard in the following years.
The first tender was floated for the project in 2001 when BNP assumed power. The CMEC became the substantially qualified bidder with the lowest financial offer.
When Chinese Premier Zhu Rongii visited Bangladesh in 2002, another MOU was signed between Dhaka and Beijing on the implementation of the project. Despite signing the second MOU, the project was again stalled for several years for reasons not known. A re-tender was called in June 2008 during the caretaker government but no result came out of the re-tendering, as the state-owned Power Development Board and the CMEC failed to reach an understanding on the financial arrangement of the project.
Sources said the CMEC has again become active to move ahead with the project. It submitted a fresh proposal to the Power and Energy Ministry expressing its keen interest to implement the project with Chinese credit.
The proposal said: "CMEC would like to help re-initiate the project by proposing Chinese Soft Loan for its implementation. Furthermore, CMEC would like to propose that the capacity of the power station be 300 MW instead of 210 MW, so that the efficiency can be enhanced."
When contacted, an official of a local company, which looks after the CMEC interest in Bangladesh, told UNB that the CMEC wants to arrange a Chinese credit with a very soft interest rate. The interest rate could even be about 2 percent, which is much less than any commercial loan, he said.
The official also cited the recent Chinese credit to the state-owned mobile operator TeleTalk. The Chinese government recently announced that it would provide about US$ 110 million to TeleTalk.

 No Saudi national in Bangladesh jail
BSS, Dhaka

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday rejected a newspaper report saying several Saudi nationals were languishing in Bangl-adesh jails along with more than 300 foreign prisoners despite expiry of their terms.
A Saudi embassy statement said only one detained foreigner earlier claimed to be a Saudi national but the verification by the Saudi authorities proved the claim to be untrue.
"In respect to the only person who claims to be a Saudi national and is still in a prison having no official documents to prove Saudi nationality, the Saudi competent authorities had been requested to verify his matter. After verification it was found that the aforesaid man is not a Saudi national," the statement said. The Samakal newapaper on February 5 carried a report saying the jail authority was in problem with 705 foreign detainees while over 30 of them already exhausted their terms. The report said that among the prisoners there were some Saudi nationals who were waiting for returning to their homeland.
The embassy statement said they also informed "outright" the verification result to Bangl-adesh's foreign ministry.

 Crackdown on Jamaat-Shibir
Seven activists rounded up

UNB, Rajshahi

City Jamaat-e-Islami General Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and former president of Islami Chhatra Shibir's Rajshahi Polytechnic Inst-itute unit Tareq were arrested Wednesday in a continuing hunt for the suspects in the February 9 Rajshahi University mayhem.
Boalia thana police held Azad in the city's Bongram area at about 4:45 pm.
Earlier, ICS leader Tareq Saifullah was run in from near the Institute while he was going to the institute campus to sit for his examination at about 2:30 pm.
On February 10, police and Chhatra League Rajs-hahi University unit general secretary Majedul Islam Opu filed two cases accusing around 600 Jamaat-Shibir activists in connection with the RU violence during which a BCL worker was hacked to death. The pro-government Chhatra League filed murder case in connection with the killing of Faruk Hossain, also a final-year student of Mathematics department, against 64 suspects, inclu-ding 35 named Shibir leaders and workers.
Earlier on February 11, police arrested Rajshahi city Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Ataur Rahman on allegation of masterminding the RU campus troubles.
Meanwhile, police in overnight drive arrested five activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir from different areas in Kolaroa and Tala upazilas Monday night.
The arrested are accused in the BCL leader Faruk Hossain killing case in Rajshahi University, police said. The arrested are Amirul Islam, 25, of Ram-krishnapur village, Jamal Hossain, 24, of Srira-mpur village and Abu Syed Sabuj, of Jalalabad village in Kolaroa upazila, Mojahid Hossain, 23, of Raghuna-thpur village in Tala upazila and Zillur Rahman Jewel, 24, of Katia Registry Para in the district town. Acting Police Super Syed Mosh-fiqur Rahman said police arrested them after they came to know that houses of several Shibir activists who were involved in RU incident are located in different areas here.

Editorial

World’s second worst city

According to a report published in a national daily on Thursday, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has been rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) as the second worst city in the world in terms of living conditions. The Dhakaites even would not have been surprised had their city been placed at the very bottom of the table of the 140 global cities in the survey conducted by the EIU, the business information arm of the London-based Economist Group, elbowing out the Zimbabwean capital Harare.
The survey found Dhaka with a population of over 13 million scoring below the average marks in five broad categories that citizens of cities most care about: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Actually, Dhaka city has become un-livable mainly because of indifference, mismanagement and wrong planning, continuing over the years in an uninterrupted sequence. The people suffer most because of the lack of necessary infrastructures; power and gas supply is highly erratic, water crisis is most common during summer, drainage and swear system is extremely under-developed. Nearly one-third of the population lives in slums having no basic amenities of life, the report said.
An AFP report in the past had said that Singapore has edged out Tokyo and Hong Kong as the best city in Asia for expatriates to live with Dhaka is the worst, according a survey. In order from number four to ten the other most livable cities are : Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Bandar Seri Begawan, Taipei, Seoul and Beijing.According to the survey, at the other end of the scale, Dhaka won the gong for the last livable city, just ahead of Karachi. Dhaka is plagued by instability and poor infrastructure and the strains upon the foreigners are increasing.
Dhaka is our favorite city. But we can hardly disagree with the findings of the surveys mentioned above. According to a report: With the increase of population by one million every three years, the capital Dhaka will become the fourth populous city of the world by the year 2015. At present with over 13 million city dwellers, Dhaka ranks as the eleventh populous city in the world, said a survey report of the UNFPA. With a population growth of 5.5 per cent annually, Dhaka's inhabitants will reach 21.3 million by the year 2015.
The population of Dhaka was 2 lakh in 1931, 3.61 lakh in 1951, 5 lakh in 1958, 5.57 lakh in 1961, 78 lakh in 1995 and 91 lakh in 1991. The population here increases at a rate over three times higher than national population increase rate. In view of the existing alarming situation here, it can be presumed that Dhaka is going to become a jungle of men, women and children with manifold problems including acute shortage of space to live and move.The government will find it very difficult to arrange educational facilities, health care, sewerage system, water, and power for them. Most of the big cities of the world are plunged in manifold problems. But no where perhaps the problems are as acute as in Dhaka. The city dwellers here seem to be destined to live with enormous problems.
The main problem of Dhaka city is its huge population. The other problems are related to transport, housing, health, education, law and order and security. No body want a city that lacks healthy environment, fresh air and safe drinking water. But unfortunately we are living in a city where all these are scarce tending to make Dhaka a city of nightmare. In these circumstances, a comprehensive plan should be drawn up and implement it to get rid of the bad name of world's second worst city and also to make Dhaka a modern city with all facilities and amenities of the 21st century.

  Extra-judicial killings

There seems to be no end to the much criticized extra-judicial killings in the country. The government is committed to stopping this, but still it is continuing. One more alleged terrorist was killed and another RAB member injured in a 'gunfight' between RAB and criminals in Kafrul thana of Mirpur in Dhaka early on Tuesday taking the total of such extra judicial killings to 98 in six and half months from August 1, 2009 to February 16, 2010. This is the sixth such extra judicial killings in the new year 2010. Earlier, an outlawed party leader, a ringleader of a robber gang, a criminal and an outlawed party leader were killed in shootouts on 9, 11, 12, 30 January and 10 February respectively.
Odhikar, a leading human-right watchdog, claimed recently that 138 people have been killed "in the name of crossfire or encounter" since January last year. RAB recently said as many as 577 people were killed in 'crossfire' in 472 incidents until Aug 31, 2009 since the formation of the RAB on March 26, 2004.
Extra judicial killings which include deaths in 'shootout' and 'gunfight' and elimination of arrested suspects in so-called 'crossfire' and deaths in the custody of law enforcers during interrogation to extract confession have been under severe condemnation and criticism at home and abroad. The issue was discussed at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva also. Different political parties, civil society members and human rights organizations have been pressing constantly for stopping extrajudicial killings. The court has ruled against extra-judicial killings as these are clear violation of law and human rights. The government has also assured repeatedly of stopping these, but did it implement the assurance. It is now the time for the government to stop such killings.

Analysis

“Gotterdamerung” in Pakistan?

For once the Army, despite many attempts by Zardari (and his cronies) at baiting them to come into the fray, is staying on the sidelines. In the meantime the legal countdown has begun.

Ikram Sehgal 

While Pakistan is in the midst of a full-blown political crisis, the security situation, which had reached its worst point in April 2009 when the Pakistani version of the Taliban took over Swat (and adjacent areas) lock, stock and barrel, has taken a turn for the better against the run of play. While it is far from being resolved soon, the military's success in counter-insurgency operations gives hope that the situation may be actually on the mend.
The abject surrender by the National Assembly (NA) in sanctioning, almost without debate, that the Taliban could administer territory where the laws of Pakistan would not apply, came to its natural conclusion in April 2009 when Sufi Muhammad discarded his camouflage of piety and proclaimed that he did not believe in the Constitution nor the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan or the Provincial High Courts.
From here on the "domino theory" was imminent, only a matter of time before the precedent was emulated in other areas in Pakistan. Sufi Muhammad's brutal son-in-law Fazlullah proceeded to enforce his own brand of Islam over the hapless people of Swat, the beheadings and the floggings woke the people of Pakistan up to the "clear and present danger", not only to their own way of life, but also to the existence of the State as a civilized entity.
What the Army has done in Swat, and since than in South Waziristan Agency (SWA) of the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), has been nothing short of magnificent. Though at grievous human cost to itself, a calculated risk was taken in surrendering surprise by announcing the military operations in advance, creating a mass exodus of 2 million plus Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). This substantially limited the civilian collateral damage from the tragedy it could have become.
Using overwhelming force the Army raced against time to accomplish in 6 weeks what most military analysts had expected would take 6 months, or even longer. Within 2 months most IDPs were back. These tactics were duplicated again in mid-Oct against the fortified Al-Qaeda stronghold in SWA. With underground tunnels for storage of arms, ammunition and explosives, field hospitals, etc these militant bases were considered impregnable. The denial of such space has made militant leaders vulnerable, Mullah Baradar's recent capture in Karachi being a case in point. Our military planners should be satisfied that Gen Stanley McChrystal is following the same tactics in Morjah in Helmand Province, publicly announcing impending military operations to contain civilian collateral damage while dominating space, an absolute must in trying to win the hearts and minds of the populace.
The change in military command in Nov 2007 changed the military mindset from its comfortable peacetime ceremonial role, a 180 degree turnaround in transforming themselves mentally to take on the mission. Democracy (of sorts) gave the army the public support that is a necessity in counter-insurgences, without that the military effort could never have succeeded.
Countering insurgency is far different from countering terrorism. We do not have capacity or the capability within the civilian law enforcement agencies to counter terrorism. Alienating the population in such an exercise, the Army will lose the goodwill it has gained through great sacrifice in sweat and blood. Because of the long-running Shia-Sunni strife, the Afghan War and the freedom struggle in Kashmir, militants have strong roots in many urban and rural areas throughout Pakistan. Terrorist cells of many different kinds proliferate throughout the country, money, material and human resources abound in quite some numbers, it will take dedicated and concentrated effort by a wholly separate entity, well equipped, well-trained and well led, to destroy their capacity and potential to spread harm and grief.
In the 80s and 90s poppy cultivation and drug smuggling astride the Durand Line had become a menace to the State. Set up with the help of US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has had phenomenal success targetting durglords and dismantling their vast empires.
Having their own inherent intelligence set-up, ANF should be fast-tracked into the nucleus of a Counter-Terrorism Force (CTF). Since drug money plays a big part in sustaining terrorist forces, and organized crime skills are necessary to obtain fake documents, money laundering, etc, there is an unholy nexus with terrorism that makes the ANF-route a potent one.
When Zardari tried to prevent the restoration of the Chief Justice (CJ) of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, the streets supported the lawyers in taking up the challenge. Defiantly posturing that he would never back down in the face of the "Long March", on March 15, 2009 Zardari did just that.
Zardari's worst fears came true nine months later, his incumbency has been thrown into doubt, with the restored SC declaring the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) null and void ab-initio. This judgment re-opened all corruption cases against Zardari and the small clique that control PPP, it was only a matter of time before the Empire struck back, on Sat Feb 13, 2010 the notification of judges' appointment became a test case of will. The great danger that terrorism poses aside, Pakistan is now faced with another debilitating confrontation, this between the Presidency and a resurgent superior judiciary bent upon imposing the rule of law. For once the Army, despite many attempts by Zardari (and his cronies) at baiting them to come into the fray, is staying on the sidelines. In the meantime the legal countdown has begun.
Meeting a cross-section of the world elite as well as the common man over the last three weeks, in the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, in the US and subsequently during the "Worldwide Security Conference" in Brussels, the unanimous view is that Zardari is considered corrupt, some say it vehemently and some with the indifference (and hypocrisy) for corrupt leaders of the third world, of whom there are many.
Having declared the NRO illegal, why is the SC silent on his eligibility for President? Why not focus on this critical point alone? Everything else thereafter becomes infructuous! One thing is certain, there is no danger to democracy, or even the Gilani govt. As a political animal the Honourable PM may blow hot and cold but will not commit political Hari-Kari by taking on the SC.
Richard Wagner's famous quartet of operas, "the Ring of the Nibelung", was completed in 1876, the last opera's name "Gotterdammerung", as used in English refers to a disastrous conclusion of events. Zardari has let it be known he will go down in the full glare of the International media if the SC opts to requisition support under Article 190 of the Constitution.
Will Pakistan go down in flames alongwith this man's Presidency? Not likely, on the Ides of March 2009 Zardari blinked despite all his bravado and bluster. He will do again what he is best at, withdraw the notification and thus try and gain time. Can Pakistan continue to be in a state of limbo and, while Zardari (and cronies) play one "card" after the other, be subject to debilitating crisis time and again? (Extracts from the talk given at International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague on Feb 16, 2010).

Ikram Sehgal is an internationally renowned columnist and the Editor of the Pakistan Defence Journal

  The Idea of India

As India and Pakistan return to the dialogue table, it might even give them something to really talk about.

Jyoti Malhotra

A text message on my mobile phone just the other day was crisp and unambiguous : As we celebrate Valentine's Day with roses and chocolates and sock it to the Shiv Sena when we go out and watch 'My Name is Khan', remember that on this day in 1931, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrashekhar Azad were hanged by the British in defence of India.
The message-sender, even if he got his dates wrong - Bhagat Singh was hanged on March 23, not February 14 - left me in no doubt at all about his convictions. He didn't mind the great Indian middle class buying tickets for Shah Rukh Khan's movie with both hands, not at all, but when was it also going to redeem its own sense of history?
That question returned over the past week, collapsing both history and geography, as I flew over the meandering Ganga and the mighty Brahmaputra rivers, en route to Bagdogra, a tiny airport in north Bengal, while the Teesta kept me company on the road journey beyond to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim in India's north-eastern region. We were already 2000-odd km away from Delhi, but another 50 km was needed to reach Nathu La, or the Pass of Listening Ears, that was opened for border trade with China in 2006.
Fresh snow had fallen only the night before, the hired Toyota Innova car was readying to give up after some whinnying, but the unflappable Sikkimese drivers wouldn't hear of it. On the pass itself, save for the excitable voices of a few school-children, it was all peace and quiet - the Indian military attested to the fact. Only, the overwhelming sense that India was still trying to catch up with the world's second largest power, China, was especially strong.
Strangely, this sense was manifesting itself in the urgent need of the tourists, largely from Bengal and Gujarat, to have themselves photographed alongside the terribly young paramilitary Chinese soldiers from China.
As their gloved fingers depressed the camera button, the subjects of the photo-ops - friends and families, also mostly Bengali and Gujarat - clung to the sleeves of the unsmiling soldiers, uncaring about the intervening barbed wire, and grinned for posterity.
Perhaps that was the Indian way, to smile instead of standing up to the opponent, to bend and compromise and accommodate instead of rebelling. And while the deeds of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrashekhar Azad, India's greatest revolutionaries, remained forever imprinted on the Indian imagination, they couldn't match the shrewd and wily strategies of Mahatma Gandhi, who outwitted them all by transforming non-violence into a weapon of choice. Moreover, the Mahatma more or less lasted the course.
Bhagat Singh & Co, on the other hand, just like the other revolutionary Subhash Chandra Bose, weren't able to influence the swivel of history beyond a point. (It's a moot debate, whether or not India encourages self-abnegation instead of revolution, sacrifice instead of action.) Perhaps that's why the rich and the powerful evoke such an exaggerated sense of awe. Plucking at the sleeves of the unsuspecting Chinese soldier, such an embarrassing me-too gesture, allows a consummation with his achievements, if only for a short second. It doesn't matter that the object of gratification is on the other side? of the barbed wire.
How does one reconcile this self-contradictory, sometimes schizophrenic, spirit? Through the great Indian middle path, of course. So Shah Rukh Khan, when most of Bollywood refuses to stand up for him on the eve of the release of 'My Name is Khan', points out that he doesn't mind that at all, because you see, there IS a great deal of money that rests on the film and that he understands the fear of the producer, the film distributor, etc, etc. In fact, adds Shah Rukh bravely, his speaking out against the Shiv Sena is not about politics, it's really about the freedom of speech and expression which is really about art.
Poor Shah Rukh. Even Barkha Dutt, as she interviewed him on NDTV, knew there was little point in further publicising his misery. What could the poor chap do if his compatriots preferred to walk the fine line between Shiv Sena dictate and a weakening conscience?
So when the Sena caves in and Shah Rukh wins, the euphoria engulfs us all. It's as if we wanted very, very much for the good guy to win, except we were just a little afraid to come out in his support when he needed us most. But when he won, well, he vindicated us all, didn't he? Who can argue with victory?
It's the most exhilarating, the most joyful, the most ecstatic thing in the world. And yes, part of the reason we're so gratified is because Shah Rukh Khan rescued us from being ashamed of ourselves. Bring on the chocolates and the roses, open up the champagne! India's libertarian spirit is alive and well. From here, it's a short lunge to exhorting the democratic disposition and announcing the emergence of the newest ?regional power.
Might be a good idea to hold on to that thought and ask if emerging powers have a sense of history. If the answer is yes, what place, then, for Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrashekhar Azad in the national imagination?
Perhaps Bollywood has the answer to that as well. The last time we saw him on the silver screen, in the 'Legend of Bhagat Singh' in 2002, the story enabled Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis to jointly celebrate something. Perhaps, it's time for a new movie on the sub-continent's beloved troika. As India and Pakistan return to the dialogue table, it might even give them something to really talk about.


Jyoti Malhotra is a renowned Indian journalist and commentator. For comments, write to opinion@khaleejtimes.com

Viewpoints

Chilling memories of US mass murder

Today, Al Amiriya shelter stands as a monument to the dead; its walls adorned with photographs of victims, commemoratory brass plaques, prayers and flowers.

Linda S. Heard

February 13 marked 19 years since the US bombing of Baghdad's two-storey Al Amiriya bomb shelter when 480 civilians were literally incinerated by two American 2,000 pound laser-guided "smart bombs", designed to penetrate multiple layers of concrete. Most of the victims were Iraqi, but there were also a number of Syrians, Jordanians, Palestinians and Egyptians who were consumed by the blasts.
It was 4.30 in the morning on February 13 1991, when the pilots of two stealth bombers released their deadly cargo. Until then, the women, children and elderly inside had felt they were safe in the purpose-built facility designed to protect against nuclear attack - and equipped with bunk beds, televisions, bathrooms, kitchens and a clinic. Their spirits were high after celebrating Eid Al Fitr the previous evening, but some were worried about fathers, brothers and husbands who had remained in their homes to ensure that there was enough room in the shelter for their loved ones.
In the event, their own lives were tragically cut short. Those sheltering on the upper floor were burnt to death; in some instances their silhouettes - carbonised by high temperatures - were eerily seared onto the walls, including that of a woman clutching onto her baby. Most of those in the lower hall were killed by boiling water that gushed from the shelter's two enormous water tanks following the impact of the bombs.
Only 14 survived, but they could hardly be considered the lucky ones since the majority sustained terrible injuries from the blasts. Rescuers who rushed to the scene were frustrated by a lack of electricity to power their equipment and a thick steel door that was so hot it was glowing. All they could do was listen to the screams and the cries of the dying.
The US government initially claimed that it had received intelligence reports that the bunker was not a civilian shelter, but one of Saddam Hussain's military command centres.
However, the US Department of Defence later admitted that they knew the facility had previously been used for civil defence purposes. No evidence that the site had been used by the military was ever found, but that didn't deter the White House from accusing Saddam of using "select civilians" as a cover for the facility's true mission. Like many other US accusations this turned out to be untrue.
Today, Al Amiriya shelter stands as a monument to the dead; its walls adorned with photographs of victims, commemoratory brass plaques, prayers and flowers. Visitors who must steel their emotions before entering often emerge traumatised. Writing about the experience Na'eem Jeenah relates: "A feeling of revulsion and disgust towards these creatures we call human beings and for the ease with which we allow ourselves to become less than human."
Ebrahim Alloush says anyone with "one tenth of a heart and one per cent of a conscience will shake with rage and anguish as they try to hold back the tears".
Outside Iraq and the Middle East, the story of Al Amiriya was soon forgotten as the world celebrated St Valentine's Day just hours after the attack. Now, a young Moroccan-born French filmmaker based in Dubai is determined to keep alive the memories of those who died such a terrible death.
Fervent hope
For her first short film Faces of Wrath that focused on the horrors in Gaza, Siham Jouhari received an award from Al Jazeera's fifth International Documentary Film Festival 2009 in the category 'New Horizon'. It is her fervent hope that her second - and much more ambitious - film Al Amiraya: The Shelter will be completed in time to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Al Amiriya tragedy.
The script is a simple, uncomplicated yet poignant account of real people who lost those they cared for most, such as Abu Ali and his wife Saoussan who were robbed of their four children. It also recounts the story of a taxi driver Yousuf who lost his entire family, save one son, and Ahmad, a young man in love, whose burns were so severe that he had to be sent abroad for treatment, but who never stops searching for his beautiful childhood sweetheart Bouchra.
We will never know what extraordinary accomplishments these ordinary people could have achieved had they been allowed to continue with their lives, but they deserve to be acknowledged and remembered - firstly, as a reminder to mankind to never again sink to such depths and, secondly, to honour their memories and the memories of all the innocent victims of Iraq.
For some, Al Amiraya: the Shelter may be hard to watch, but its essence is one of hope and courage. Those of us who are appalled at the callous way big powers write-off innocent deaths as "collateral damage" can only wish Jouhari well with her respectful and loving mission to ensure that there's one American valentine signed in blood that we must never ever forget.


Linda S. Heard is a specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She can be contacted at lheard@gulfnews.com.

  New Russian military doctrine   

Under the new doctrine, Russia will continue developing and modernising its nuclear capability to overcome missile attacks by a potential enemy.

Faisal Al Rfouh      

On February 4, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a new military doctrine, which Russia will be following through 2020 and which reserves the right of the country to use nuclear force in response to a nuclear attack or one of equivalent magnitude.
According to preliminary media reports, the new doctrine does not specifically authorise a preemptive use of nuclear force by Moscow. Some experts had earlier speculated that the new doctrine might allow for a nuclear strike as a means of fending off an overwhelming conventional attack or another major threat. The new doctrine reserves Russia's right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction against Moscow and its allies, as well as in case of "an aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons jeopardising the very existence of the state".
According to some strategic experts, Moscow faces dangers from the spread of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear-armed states, NATO expansion and US plans to deploy strategic anti-missile systems in Europe.
Russia had vigorously opposed Bush administration's plans to deploy missile defence systems in Poland and the Czech Republic and Moscow continues to have reservations about the Obama administration's revised initiative to deploy missile systems in Europe.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Munich, on February 6, that the new Russian military doctrine identifying NATO expansion as a threat did not reflect the real world and undermined efforts to improve ties between the Western military alliance and Moscow.
Russia is apprehensive of a NATO move to accept Georgia and Ukraine, former Soviet republics, as NATO members, because Moscow still regards these nations as part of its sphere of influence. Recently, NATO has shown keenness to develop strategic partnership with Russia and to expand cooperation in Afghanistan, where the two sides reportedly share security concerns.
During his visit to Moscow in December last year, Rasmussen presented proposals as to how the two sides could further their engagement in Afghanistan. However, Russia did not make immediate firm pledges of additional assistance in Afghanistan, including expanded transit options, helicopters and more support for training Afghan security forces.
While asserting that military conflicts will be transient and selective, with a high degree of damage caused to targets, manoeuvrable troops and fire, and with the use of various mobile groups of troops, the doctrine notes: "The seizure of strategic initiative, dominance on the ground, at sea, and in aerospace will be the decisive factors in attaining goals."
Russia's nuclear triad consists of land-based ballistic missile systems, nuclear-powered submarines equipped with sea-based ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers carrying nuclear bombs and nuclear-capable cruise missiles.
Under the new doctrine, Russia will continue developing and modernising its nuclear capability to overcome missile attacks by a potential enemy.


The writer is president of the Orient Centre for Studies and Cultural Dialogue. alrfouh@hotmail.com

  Israel’s Stink Bomb

Netanyahu is delivering a tremendous gift to Hamas, which does not want to negotiate. Odd? Perhaps not.

Uri Avnery   

This week the Israeli government let off a stink bomb under the chair of Mahmoud Abbas. For months now, Abbas has angered prime minister Netanyahu.
He has refused to start "peace negotiations" while the settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are continually expanding. Everyone knows that the proposed negotiations are meaningless and will lead nowhere. Netanyahu needs them to deflect the US pressure. Barack Obama needs them to show some achievement, tiny as it may be. But Abbas knows his acquiescence would help Hamas to present him as a collaborator.
Now Netanyahu has decided to teach Abbas a lesson. For three days, day after day and programme after programme, Channel 10 (Israel's second biggest TV station) has broadcast shocking "disclosures" about financial and sexual scandals at the top of the Palestinian Authority. A person who was presented as a "senior commander" of the Palestinian Security Service, with the rank of general, appeared on Israeli television and accused the leaders of the PA and the Fatah movement of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars and committing disgusting sexual offences. The "disclosures" may endanger the very existence of the Authority and Fatah.
Such material would not have been broadcast if the Israel Security Agency (known as Shin Bet) had objected to it. The happy father of the scoop was Tzvi Yehezkeli, the "correspondent for Arab affairs" of Channel 10. I have been following Yehezkeli's broadcasts for years, and it is hard for me to recall a single word of his that does not show Muslims in general or Arabs in particular in a ridiculous light. In this he is nothing exceptional in our media. Most "Arab affairs correspondents" are alumni of Army Intelligence, and are part of the great propaganda enterprise against the Arabs. Many of them enjoy the generous assistance of certain institutions financed by American billionaires, whose sole function is to poison the wells of peace and understanding.
Who is the whistleblower? Fahmi Shabaneh, a former chief of the Palestinian security service in Hebron, is being pictured by Yehezkeli as a hero ready to die for the cause of moral purity. Why would this Palestinian patriot appear in the Israeli media of all places? Why did he not present his merchandise to an Arab station or newspaper? The argument that nobody would have published it does not make sense. Would Hamas have refused? This material serves, of course, the ?Israeli occupation.
However, the quality of the disclosure does not depend on the character of Tzvi Yehezkeli and Fahmi Shabaneh. Incriminating information often comes from tainted sources. It must be judged on its own merits. Until now I have seen five broadcasts on this affair. They were full of accusations but empty of proof. Shabaneh spoke about boxes full of evidence. He brandished files and papers. But he did not present any paper in a way that would have allowed its examination. Proof means, for example, the presentation of a bank document in a way that makes it possible to read it properly, study its details and draw conclusions. The documents that were flashed on screen for a split second did not allow any of this.
Even more suspect is the video clip that was shot, so it was claimed, in the apartment of a Palestinian woman who served as bait for Rafiq Al-Husseini, Abbas' chief of staff. Al-Husseini belongs to one of the most noble families of Jerusalem. According to Shabaneh, Husseini and his secretary came to the home of the woman, who had applied for a job on Abbas' staff. Husseini demanded a sexual bribe, and she helped Shabaneh to set a trap for him. When the camera shows Husseini in the company of the secretary and the woman job seeker, he tells her that "Arafat was a thief, Abbas is a thief, they are all thieves".
Is it plausible that the No. 2 man in the office of the Palestinian president would talk in such a way to a stranger, a mere job seeker in the presence of a witness? I dare say that I have a nose for such 'disclosures'. At this stage, after viewing the broadcasts, my impression is that the matter is fishy.
Without doubt, there is a lot of corruption at the top of the Palestinian Authority. It already started during the days of Yasser Arafat. He himself was clean. Material possessions and the good life did not interest him. In this respect he was like David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin, only in infinitely harder circumstances. While the people around him built mansions for themselves, he had no home of his own.
Once, in Tunis, he boasted to me that he lived in airplanes. That helped him in warding off attempts on his life (for decades, his life was in mortal danger at every moment) and also saved time. His "private" bank accounts served to assure his personal control of the money, a large part of which served for clandestine purposes, such as the acquisition of weapons, the arming of the Palestinians in the Lebanese refugee camps and their defence against the murderous Phalanges out to annihilate them, keeping the political missions throughout the world that conducted the fight in the diplomatic arena, etc.
But Arafat did not fight the corruption of his aides. I think he considered it one of the instruments of control over people and factions. Arafat thought that the corrupt businesses of his people would help him control them, but as a matter of fact the corruption helped the Shin Bet to bribe Palestinian personalities and blackmail them, corrupt the leadership and blunt their struggle for liberation.
Palestinian corruption is quite shabby: Dubious joint transactions with Israeli businessmen, many of them former military governors; pocketing commissions, winning phony tenders. It is negligible compared, for example, to our own all-encompassing legal corruption. Our prime ministers leave politics for a short time and make tens of millions by using the connections and information acquired in office. Retired generals sell arms and pay bribes all over the world. Twenty oligarchs control practically the whole of the Israeli economy, with the help of ministers and senior officials owned by them. Not to mention the US, where lobbies buy senators and congressmen quite openly with campaign contributions.
Back to the virtuous Fahmi Shabaneh. Some months ago, the Israeli police arrested him. He is a resident of East Jerusalem and has an Israeli identity card. He was accused of serving the Palestinian Authority - a manifestly absurd indictment, since hundreds of East Jerusalemites work for the authority. So why was Shabaneh arrested? To give him credit in Palestinian circles and divert suspicion from him, on the eve of his becoming the anti-corruption hero? He was released on bail (quite unusual in such cases) and his trial is pending.
Now he is the "Good Arab", the hero of the Israeli media, which are an integral part of the well-oiled propaganda machine. From the entire sordid affair, there remains one paramount question: What is the purpose? After all, whoever decides to blacken the face of Abbas knows that he is adding to the power of Hamas, a movement considered by the Palestinian public as untainted by corruption. While dealing a mortal blow to Abbas, with whom he ostensibly wants to conduct negotiations, Netanyahu is delivering a tremendous gift to Hamas, which does not want to negotiate. Odd? Perhaps not.


Uri Avnery is an Israeli peace activist and the founder of Gush Shalom peace movement. For comments, write to opinion@khaleejtimes.com

International

Pak government accepts judiciary’s recommendations
Dawn Online, Islamabad

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday that his government has accepted the recommendations of the Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Gilani told reporters after a meeting with the chief justice that Justice Saqib Nisar has been elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court, while Justice Khwaja Sharif will remain the chief justice of the Lahore High Court, as per CJ Chaudhry's recommendations.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry met with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at the latter's official residence to resolve the points of contention existing between the executive and the judiciary.
On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Gilani paid a surprise visit to a dinner being hosted by the Chief Justice in honour of Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday.
The Prime Minister and the Chief Justice exchanged pleasantries.
Prime Minister Gilani informed Chief Justice Iftikhar that he had some 'good news' that he would soon share with the nation.
The executive recently came under heavy criticism for elevating Justice Khwaja Sharif to the Supreme Court without consulting Chief Justice Iftikhar. Justice Khwaja Sharif was the sitting Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court and was to be replaced by Justice Saqib Nisar.
However, both judges refused to accept their new postings, as they had yet to receive Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry's seal of approval.
APP adds: Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Wednesday announced that Justice Khawaja Mohammed Sharif will continue as Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC). Two judges of the Lahore High Court Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Asif Saeed Khosa will be elevated as Judge of the Supreme Court.
The Prime Minister also announced that a Justice (Retd) Khalil ur Rehman Ramday who retired as judge of the Supreme Court last month would also be appointed as ad-hoc judge of the Supreme Court for a period of one year.
Earlier notification of the President for appointment of Justice Khawaja Mohammed Sharif as judge of the Supreme Court and Justice Saqib Nisar as acting Chief Justice Lahore High Court will be superceded by another notification.
The meeting of the Prime Minister and Chief Justice continued for more than two and a half hours.

  Taliban using human shields
AP, Marjah, Afghanistan

Taliban fighters are increasingly using civilians as human shields in the assault on the southern town of Marjah, an Afghan official said Wednesday as military squads resumed painstaking house-to-house searches in the Taliban stronghold.
About 15,000 NATO and Afghan troops are taking part in the offensive around Marjah, which has an estimated 80,000 inhabitants and was the largest town in southern Helmand province under Taliban control. NATO hopes to rush in aid and public services as soon as the town is secured to try to win the loyalty of the population.
With the assault in its fifth day, insurgents are firing at Afghan troops from inside or next to compounds where women and children appear to have been ordered to stand on a roof or in a window, said Gen. Mohiudin Ghori, the brigade commander for Afghan troops in Marjah.
"Especially in the south of Marjah, the enemy is fighting from compounds where soldiers can very clearly see women or children on the roof or in a second-floor or third-floor window," Ghori said. "They are trying to get us to fire on them and kill the civilians."
The Marjah offensive is the biggest joint operation since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and is a major test of a retooled NATO strategy to focus on protecting civilians, rather than killing insurgents.
Ghori said troops have made choices either not to fire at the insurgents with civilians nearby or had to target and advance much more slowly in order to distinguish between militants and civilians as they go.
Even with such caution on both the NATO and Afghan side, civilians have been killed. NATO has confirmed 15 civilian deaths in the operation.

  Military confirms Mullah Baradar’s arrest
Dawn Online, Islamabad

Pakistan on Wednesday confirmed for the first time that it has the Afghan Taliban's No. 2 leader in custody, and officials said he was providing useful intelligence that was being shared with the United States.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was arrested around 10 days ago in a joint operation by CIA and Pakistani security forces in Karachi, US and Pakistani officials said on condition of anonymity Tuesday. The army on Wednesday gave the first public confirmation of the arrest.
Background
"Mullah Baradar was a close friend of Mullah Omar and both are of the same age group. He was among some 30 people considered founders of the Taliban movement," said Pakistan-based Taliban expert Rahimullah Yusufzai.
Baradar is the most important Taliban leader to be captured since the 2001 US-led offensive that ousted the Afghan militia from power after the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Born in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan to the Popalzai tribe, Baradar fought in the war-covertly backed by the United States and Pakistan-to expel the Soviet forces that occupied Afghanistan in the 1980s. When the Taliban rose to power in 1996, Baradar's ties to Omar helped secure him the position of deputy defense minister, before the hardline Taliban regime was toppled by the US-led invasion in 2001 for sheltering Al-Qaeda.
Baradar was in charge of the Taliban's military operations and leadership council, and reportedly a close associate of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden before the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

  US, UK, Australia issue warnings to citizens travelling to India

APP, Islamabad

The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have issued travel advisories to its citizens in view of the critical security situation in India.
Recently, a bomb blast at a bakery frequently visited by foreigners in Pune has raised suspicions that Indian Hindu terrorist organization, which can go so far to block celebration of St Valentine Day, may carry out further attacks on foreigners.
According to media reports, a US travel alert said "American citizens have been advised to be alert to the continued possibility of terrorist attacks in India as terrorists and their sympathizers are capable of attacking US citizens." In its travel alert, updated after the blast, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the UK government said: "British nationals are reminded to remain vigilant in public places".
"There is a high general threat from terrorism throughout India. Recent attacks have targeted public places, including those frequented by westerners and expatriates."
Australia, in its alert said: "We advise you to exercise caution in India at this time because of the high risk of terrorist activity by militant groups...We continue to receive reports of possible threats against prominent business and tourist locations, including of possible threats against prominent business and tourist locations, in Mumbai and New Delhi".

  UN envoy ‘meets prisoners in Myanmar’
AFP, Yangon

A UN envoy visiting military-ruled Myanmar to inspect progress on human rights ahead of elections has met prisoners in the country's remote northwest, officials said Wednesday.
Special rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana, on the third day of a five-day trip to the Southeast Asian nation, travelled to Butheetaung prison in Rakhine state on the border with Bangladesh, they said.
"He will meet with some prisoners in Butheetaung prison. He met some prisoners already in Sittwe (the state capital) on Tuesday. He will go back to Yangon on Thursday morning," a Myanmar official told AFP.
He did not specify whether or not they were political prisoners.
But a relative of a prominent student activist who is serving a 65-year jail sentence at Butheetaung prison said they hoped Quintana's visit would bring about change.
"I haven't heard whether the UN envoy will meet with my brother. But I hope that there will be change because of the UN human rights envoy's visit there," Khin Mi Mi Kywe, a sister of Htay Kywe, told AFP.
"I visited him last month at Butheetaung. He was in good health. I hope the authorities will allow him to meet the envoy," she said.
Htay Kywe was arrested after mass protests led by Buddhist monks against the ruling junta in 2007 and he is serving his jail term in Butheetaung prison together with some of his colleagues.
Myanmar's ruling generals have promised to hold elections in 2010 but have not yet set a date. They have also continued a crackdown on dissent launched after the protests three years ago.
The UN says there are around 2,100 political detainees in the country, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained for 14 of the last 20 years.

  Impasse feared in Philippine talks with rebels
AP, Manila

Muslim guerrillas said Wednesday they have rejected the Philippine government's latest autonomy offer, making it difficult to forge any peace accord before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo leaves office in June.
Government negotiators and the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has fought for Muslim self-rule in the southern Philippines for decades, last month resumed talks following a yearlong hiatus.
The Philippine Supreme Court in 2008 declared unconstitutional a preliminary peace pact, leading to fierce fighting that killed hundreds and displaced about 750,000 people. Clashes subsided last July but about 100,000 people remain displaced, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The rebel front is the biggest of at least four Muslim rebel groups that have waged a bloody rebellion that has killed more than 120,000 people in Mindanao, the southern homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic Philippines.
During last month's talks brokered by neighboring Malaysia, government negotiators offered a type of limited autonomy that the guerrillas had already rejected twice in the past because it gave them too little power in a limited territory, said rebel negotiator Mohagher Iqbal.
The guerrillas, in turn, submitted a draft of a peace accord that would grant Filipino Muslims greater authority in a larger region that would fall under the central government in Manila, Iqbal said.
He warned that the talks may again stall if the government will insist on its position.
"They will continue to be the king and we will be their subjects under their offer," Iqbal told The Associated Press. "There's going to be an impasse if they will not move from their position."

  Sri Lanka monks put off meet fearing unrest
AFP, Colombo

Sri Lanka's top Buddhist monks postponed Wednesday a gathering to press for the release from military custody of defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka, citing safety concerns.
The conference, bringing together the heads of all the island's major Buddhist sects, had been scheduled for Thursday.
"Given the current political climate in the country and considering the safety of the monks and laymen, the chief priests decided to put off their gathering," the monks said in a joint statement.
The postponement followed strong criticism of the monks in the state-run media for dabbling in politics, after they sent a letter to President Mahinda Rajapakse condemning former army chief Fonseka's arrest and urging his immediate release.
As the battlefield architect of the victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels last May, Fonseka was feted as a national hero for finally crushing their 37-year campaign for an independent Tamil homeland.
After falling out with Rajapakse, he quit the army in November and ran against the president in elections on January 26. Rajapakse won comfortably, and two weeks later Fonseka was taken into military custody.
He is currently awaiting court martial on unspecified charges of conspiring against the government while he was head of the army.
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition submitted by Fonseka's wife calling for his arrest to be ruled illegal.
Fonseka's detention has triggered violent protests in Colombo and other parts of Sri Lanka and drawn expressions of concern from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and several other countries.

 Clinton spread ‘lies’ against Iran in Gulf: Khamenei
AFP, Tehran

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, saying she had spread "lies" against the Islamic republic during a tour of the Gulf.
"Those who have turned the Persian Gulf into an arms depot in order to milk regional countries for money have now disptached their official to go around the Persian Gulf and spread lies against Iran," Khamenei said referring to Clinton at a meeting with visitors from the northwestern city of Tabriz.
Clinton wrapped up her visit on Tuesday to the Gulf where she drummed up support for new round of UN sanctions against Tehran for pressing ahead with its sensitive uranium enrichment programme in defiance of repeated Security Council ultimatums.
During her trip, Clinton said that Iran was moving towards a "military dictatorship" and that there was no "evidence" to support Tehran's claim that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful. Clinton's tour of Qatar and Saudi Arabia aimed to isolate Iran from its Arab neighbours and to put pressure on Tehran's ally Beijing to drop its resistance to UN sanctions targeting mainly Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Last week, Iran began enriching uranium to 20 percent purity, which Washington and other world powers say adds to evidence it is seeking a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies the charge, insisting its goal is peaceful nuclear energy and research.
On Tuesday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad adopted a twin-track approach warning world powers against imposing sanctions but suggesting that Iran could suspend its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity. "If anybody seeks to create problems for Iran, our response will not be like before. Something in response will be done which will make them (the world powers) regret" their move, Ahmadinejad told a Tehran news conference.
Ahmadinejad also said Iran could suspend enriching uranium to 20 percent if world powers supply it with the fuel required for a Tehran medical research reactor.

  US warship on schedule in Hong Kong despite China tension

Reuters, Hong Kong

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz sailed into Hong Kong on schedule on Wednesday despite a Chinese pledge to suspend military exchanges with the United States after its announced arms sales to Taiwan.
Speculation had swirled on whether China might prevent the Nimitz from visiting over the $6.4 billion arms sales and in retaliation for a planned meeting between the Dalai Lama and U.S. President Barack Obama in the White House on Thursday.
"For us, this is a routine port visit," said John Miller, the Commanding Officer and Rear Admiral of the Nimitz strike group.
"We had a request pending, and about a week or so ago it was approved and we've been on our way ever since," he told reporters aboard the aircraft carrier, which had sailed from Malaysia with four accompanying ships.
He offered no comment, however, when asked whether military exchanges would be held with China during the four-day visit.
Hong Kong has been a favourite destination for U.S. sailors on R&R since the Vietnam War. Some of the nearly 6,000 sailors in the strike group, anchored in the western reaches of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour on a cold and wet day, soon spilled ashore to the lively Wanchai bar district.
Tensions with Washington have arisen over issues from trade and currencies to the U.S. plan to sell $6.4 billion of weapons to self-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.
Miller played down tensions, calling China a "like-minded nation" while praising its role in multilateral anti-piracy missions off the Horn of Africa.

  Israel makes life very hard for Palestinians, says ICRC
BBC Online

Israeli restrictions continue to make life "extremely hard" for Palestinians in the West Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross has said.
For Palestinians, getting to school, work or hospital is virtually impossible, it said in a statement.
They are also frequently harassed by Jewish settlers, says the report.
Living a "normal life" is virtually impossible, and the ICRC calls on Israel to find a balance between its security and Palestinians' rights.
Restrictions linked to Israeli settlements have deprived many Palestinian farmers of their land, meaning an estimated 50% of the West Bank's population live in poverty, said the Red Cross.
"The ICRC has repeatedly called for action to be taken to allow Palestinians to live their lives in dignity," said ICRC head of operations in the Middle East, Beatrice Megevand-Roggo.
"We reiterate our call on Israel to do more to protect Palestinians in the West Bank against settler violence, to safeguard their land and crops, to allow families to repair their houses and to assure that all Palestinians can get to hospital or to school without delay."
In November, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a 10-month cessation of building new settlements in the West Bank, a precondition demanded by the Palestinians for peace talks.
But according to information released by the Israeli government, around 30 settlements are still being developed in defiance of the order.
US attempts to revive peace talks have stalled over the Jewish settlement issue.

  Ukrainian election results suspended on appeal
AP, Kiev, Ukraine

Ukraine's presidential election results giving victory to Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych were suspended Wednesday pending review of his rival's appeal.
Ukraine's Administrative Court said it would rule on Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's appeal by Feb. 25, when lawmakers had planned to inaugurate Yanukovych.
Until that ruling, the court said, it was suspending the Central Election Commission's declaration that Yanukovych had won the Feb. 7 vote by just 3.5 percentage points was suspended.
Tymoshenko has refused to concede, claiming the election was tainted by fraud.
On Tuesday, she delivered what she said was evidence to the court, and urged a full re-count of the vote.
She asked her supporters, however, not to hold street demonstrations - as they did in what became known as the 2004 Orange Revolution. Those mass protests lead to a court's overturning Yanukovych's presidential election victory that year and ordering a rerun, which was won by Tymoshenko ally Viktor Yushchenko.
International observers have deemed Ukraine's latest election free and fair, dealing a blow to Tymoshenko chances of mounting a successful court challenge. President Barack Obama and other leaders have already congratulated Yanukovych.
Yanukovych campaigned on promises to improve ties with Russia, which became strained as pro-Western Yushchenko sought NATO and EU membership for Ukraine.

  Russian official says missile delivery to Iran delayed
AFP, Moscow

The delivery of advanced Russian-made S-300 air defence missiles to Iran has been delayed for technical reasons, a senior Russian official told the Interfax news agency on Wednesday.
"The delay is due to technical problems.
The delivery will be carried out when they are resolved," Alexander Fomin, deputy head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, was quoted as saying.
Russia's contract to sell the S-300s to Iran has raised hackles in the United States and Israel, which believe that Tehran could use the sophisticated air defence missiles to defend its nuclear facilities against attack. Western powers suspect that Iran is seeking to build an atomic bomb under the guise of its civilian nuclear energy programme, although Tehran says the programme is peaceful in nature.
Neither the United States nor Israel have ruled out air strikes in order to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Analysts say that S-300s could greatly complicate such air strikes. Fomin, whose service oversees Russian arms exports, made the comments in an interview with Interfax while attending a defence exhibition in New Delhi, DefExpo India 2010.
He did not clarify what the technical problems were or how long it would take to fix them, Interfax reported.
Russia has been secretive about the Iran missile contract, but Interfax has reported that it calls for Moscow to sell Tehran five batteries of S-300PMU1 missiles for around 800 million dollars (530 million euros).
The S-300PMU1 -- codenamed the SA-20 Gargoyle by NATO-is a mobile system designed to shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles.

  Britain probes fake passports in Hamas killing
AFP, London

(a) British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged a "full investigation" Wednesday into how fake British passports were linked to the killers of a Hamas chief, amid calls here for Israel to explain its role.
"We are looking at this at this very moment," he told London's LBC radio, a day after Britain said it believed six British passports held by members of an 11-member hit team which killed Mahmud al-Mabhuh were fraudulent.
"We have got to carry out a full investigation into this. The British passport is an important document that has got to be held with care," he told London's LBC Radio.
"The evidence has got to be assembled about what has actually happened and how it happened and why it happened and it is necessary for us to accumulate that evidence before we can make statements."
Mossad is facing questions over the killing of Mabhuh, a founder of Hamas's armed wing, as at least seven Israelis of dual nationality said their identities were stolen by the assassins.
Dubai's police chief this week released the photos and names of the 11 European passport holders-six from Britain, three from Ireland, one from Germany and one from France-alleged to have been members of the hit squad.
Menzies Campbell, a member of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, said answers were needed over "speculation" about the involvement of Israel's Mossad secret service in the killing in Dubai last month.
"If the Israeli government was party to behaviour of this kind, it would be a serious violation of trust between nations," said Campbell, a former leader of Britain's third biggest party, the Liberal Democrats.

   Astronauts open shutters on space station view port
Reuters, Houston

Astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station on Tuesday to put the finishing touches to an observation deck that gives residents a panoramic view of the Earth below.
On the last of three spacewalks planned for shuttle Endeavour's 14-day mission, astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick removed insulation that protected the viewport's seven windows during its trip into orbit. Later, Patrick removed bolts that held the windows' shutters closed, and the circular cover on the dome-shaped observation deck's biggest window sprang open to reveal its first view of the Earth 200 miles (322 km) below. "It will give us a view of the entire globe," said astronaut Jeff Williams from inside the cupola. "Absolutely incredible."
The $27 million, Italian-built port gives the station crew a commanding view of Earth and approaching cargo vessels. Robot arm operators aboard the station now rely solely on camera views, with no direct view outside.
Major construction on the $100 billion orbital outpost is complete, and NASA has only four more shuttle missions planned to ferry spare parts and supplies to the station, a project of 16 nations that has been under construction since 1998.
After the shuttle missions end, travel to the space station will rely on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Endeavour and six astronauts blasted off on Feb. 8 for a 13-day construction mission. NASA added an extra day to the flight to help the station crew get the new modules ready for use.

Business/Economy

Govt working relentlessly to build prosperous industry sector: PM

BSS, Sangsad Bhaban

Prime Minister and Leader of the House on Wednesday said that after assuming power the present government has been working relentlessly to build a smooth and prosperous industry sector.
"The dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was to build a self-reliant 'Sonar Bangla' through simultaneous development of agriculture and industry sectors. His dream was also to turn Bangladesh into industry-based economy from agriculture-based economy gradually," he said while replying to a written question from ruling party lawmaker Mamtaz Begum.
The Prime Minister said that the present government is also pledge-bound to materialize the dreams of the Father of the Nation, and to achieve these goals, the government is continuing its relentless efforts.
"Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) is working to create employment for unemployed youths by developing and flourishing the small and cottage industries at private level side by side with the government organizations," she said. As a result, Sheikh Hasina said, employment for a total of 3.42 lakh people has been created in 3,589 mills and factories of 74 BSCIC Industrial Estates. To expand this sector, she said, some projects are being undertaken and implemented side by side with strengthening existing activities of the BSCIC.
The projects include setting up the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Industrial Park, the Leather Industrial Estate at Savar with an aim to shift tannery industries from Hazaribagh and the revival of the Sirajganj Industrial Park, she said.
The Prime Minister also said that the government has undertaken a number of projects, including Shatrangi (Mat) Project, Benarashi Shilpa Unnayan, Garments Industry Park, Plastic Industry Estate, Automobile Industry Estate, socio- economic development of the monga-hit people through small and rural industries, Mirsarai Industrial Estate, Kumarkhali Handloom-based Specialized Economic Zone and expansion of BSCIC Industrial Estates.
Through implementation of those projects as well as under the proposed sixth five-year plan (2011-2015), she said, employment for 20.35 lakh people will be created in the small and cottage industries sector through investment at public and private sectors.
Besides, Sheikh Hasina said, the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and Bangladesh Industry and Technical Assistance Centre (BITAC) under the Industries Ministry are implementing projects and providing training to the unemployed youths.

 Economists, civil society leaders term 2-day BDF successful
UNB, Dhaka

Economists and civil society leaders termed the two-day Bangladesh Development Forum successful as it was held in a transparent way while the development partners pledged to continue and extend their financial assistance to implement the government's development schemes. Talking to UNB, Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad Chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, "I would say that the BDF was held successfully and transparently."
He said that this version of BDF was held in a different way and was more effective as the NGOs and civil society members were allowed to take part in different sessions as well as to have their say. "This was totally different in terms of transparency."
The renowned economist said that rather than bargaining for funds, the government apprised the development partners on what they were doing in different sectors and what are their future plans.
The donors also endorsed the revised Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-II (PRSP-II) and emphasized on agriculture and rural infrastructure, he said, adding that the development partners also accepted the government's decision to simultaneously run the 6th five-year plan and the PRSP-II in 2011.
On the issue of climate change, QK Ahmad said that the donors praised the government for its role and action plan on climate change. On corruption, he said that the issue was discussed in the Forum with importance, suggesting the government to strengthen the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).
The issue of strengthening the local government and resource mobilization also came up at the forum where the government had also vowed to make active decision in the matter. "The government has to address these issues as we have emphasized in the past."
Executive Director of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Mustafizur Rahman said that overall the BDF meeting was good and it ended with a positive note.
"The government submitted their position on different matters, the donors also came up with positive note, and finally it creates a platform for the government and the donors."
About the positive features of the Forum, he said that there was equal participation from both the government and the development partners for the first time where the co-chair were Economic Relations Division (ERD) secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and DFID country representative Chris Austin.
"The dominating role of the donors was not seen this time as in the past… preparation of the government was much better and the whole process was transparent."
However, the CPD executive director said that the government could have presented the documents before the Forum after consulting those in a broader scale to ensure more transparency.

  ‘Corruption an obstacle to women SME entrepreneurship development’

BSS, Dhaka

Women entrepreneurs on Wednesday said corruption is a bottleneck towards development of small and medium entrepreneurship in the country.
Listing a number of impediments the women entrepreneurs are facing, they said sometimes promising women entrepreneurs could not come out from formal sector to informal one due to corruption.
Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) in cooperation with USAID-PROGATI organized the seminar on 'Anti-Corruption Reform Efforts for Women Entrepreneurs' at a city hotel here. Commerce Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan addressed the function as the chief guest while BWCCI president Selima Ahmed presiding.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh James F Moriarty spoke as guest of honour and additional secretary of the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Shahidul Haque on the occasion while women entrepreneurs shared their bitter experiences of obstacles in expanding trade endeavors.
Faruk Khan listed the government's varied steps for curbing corruption including strengthening the anti-corruption commission (ACC), asking for wealth statement. Lauding the contribution of women entrepreneurs to flourishing the SME sector, he said women entrepreneurs are more advanced in terms of loan repayment than men ones.
Admitting that the corruption still exists in some sectors, Faruk Khan said the 'social disease' has been reduced drastically in last year due to the unified efforts of the government and media. James F Moriarty described the women entrepreneurs as forefront across the globe and said they have created jobs and many other opportunities for many. New policy is inevitable to curb corruption, the US Ambassador said and urged policymakers to take recommendations of women entrepreneurs seriously.
Shahidul Haque underscored the need for having monitoring mechanism in each ministry to oversee whether any ministry is not following necessary laws.
Access to finance and promotion of women entrepreneurs are major challenges, Selima Ahmed said adding that corruption eat up three percent of national gross domestic product (GDP) every year.

  GP keeps driving DSE index
BSS, Dhaka

GrameenPhone (GP) keeps driving the index at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) when price of the largest listed issue shot up with huge transaction.
The DSE index rose to a new high at Wednesday's closing, crossing 5800-point mark when GP shares got dearer by 7.38 percent to trade at closing for Taka 387 from Tuesday's closing of Taka 360.
The issue gained around Taka 100 in the last 30-day trade and the price increase was around Taka 150 from the debut trading of the issue, which entered into the market in November 2009.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) already curtailed netting facilities to the company in a bid to decelerate its price spiral. The commission is also investigating some allegations of unusual trade of the issue. But the GP share price continued rising, effectively dodging all the cooling measures.
A rumour, however, was spread widely on the market that the trading of GP shares would be suspended for few days to help simmer off its boiling price.
A DSE official denied any plan for such an action, but SEC's comment on the issue was not available.
Some stockbrokers claimed that the recent rise of GP had mainly been influenced by the foreign and institutional buyers.
Referring to the huge volume of transaction, they said the foreign and institutional buyers were taking GP into their portfolio when small investors were on profit-taking selling.
The brokers, however, did not have any good answer to the question on the reason that influenced the foreign and institutional investors buy the issue at an upward market.
Some of them, however, assumed that the buyers were expecting good stock dividend from the company, which would eventually bring their buying prices to a lower level.
The trade volume of GP shares was 2,973,800 on Wednesday when the price varied between Taka 395 and Taka 364.5.
Besides GP, some other big issues, including Beximco, also advanced but a significant number of traded issues incurred a loss on selling pressure.

  Crisis forces 17m Asians into deep poverty: ADB, UN
AFP, Manila

Seventeen million Asians have fallen into extreme poverty due to the global financial crisis, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations said on Wednesday.
And another four million could this year slip into the same situation due to the effects of the slump, officials from the two organisations said at the launch of a joint report on poverty alleviation in Manila.
This is on top of the 900 million people in Asia who are already living in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than 1.25 dollars a day.
Asia had shown great progress in bringing people out of poverty in recent years, ADB vice-president Ursula Schaefer-Preuss told reporters. "But gains are being reversed due to the economic crisis," she said.
UN under-secretary General Noeleen Heyzer said that people in the export and tourism sectors in Asia had lost and were still losing their jobs due to the crisis, which swept across the globe in late 2008.
Less foreign investment, aid and remittances from overseas workers were further hurting Asia's poor, Heyzer said.
The report said more women, who form the majority of Asia's low-skilled and temporary workforce, than men had been forced back into extreme poverty due to the crisis.
UN assistant secretary-general Ajay Chhibber said the Asia-Pacific was doing quite well in areas such as infrastructure in achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals that are aimed at bringing people out of poverty.
"But it lags woefully behind in social issues," he said.
Even Latin America and Eastern Europe had better "social protections" than Asia such as pensions and unemployment insurance, Chhibber said.
Only two to three percent of gross domestic product in Asia goes to such social protections, he said, adding that this figure should ideally be four to six percent.
This meant large numbers of Asians could fall back into poverty during the crisis or even during natural disasters, he said.

  BB to start weeklong road show in March to create awareness

BSS, Dhaka

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) will begin a weeklong road show in late March to enhance awareness among the people on development of industry, checking money laundering and disbursement of agricultural loans.
The road show will begin at Teknaf in the southern district of Cox's Bazar on March 26 and end at Tentulia in the northern Panchagarh district on April 2. Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman will inaugurate the show.
The central bank sources said rallies and opinion exchange meetings would be held at 13 spots in between Teknaf and Tentulia.
The spots are in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Feni, Comilla, Tangail, Sirajganj, Bogra, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Tentulia.
The BB has made 13 commercial banks as the main banks at the 13 spots. The banks are AB Bank, NCC Bank, National Bank, Prime Bank, BKB Bank, One Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Sonali Bank, Jamuna Bank, Uttara Bank, Islami Bank and BRAC Bank.
BB General Manager (SME) Sukomal Singh Roy told BSS the road show aims at creating awareness on financing small and medium enterprises (SME), disbursement of agricultural loans, checking money laundering, and sending remittances through the legal channel instead of illegal 'hundi'. He said if awareness is created among the people on those issues, the financial institutions would come forward to finance the SMEs and disburse agricultural loans. The BB official said the central bank's money laundering prevention department has already prepared a concept paper on the occasion of the road show. As per the concept paper, the entrepreneurs would be informed about the ways to remove obstacles to the way of SME development and the entrepreneurs would be encouraged. The BB thinks that money laundering is a threat to the flourishing of SMEs.
Though Bangladesh is an agricultural country, most of its farmers are landless and they do not have clear idea about how to get agricultural loans, the terms and conditions and other relevant issues.

  Rich nations give record sums to poor, but fall short: OECD
AFP, Paris

Rich countries will give record amounts of aid to poor nations this year, but their contributions come to only about a half of what was pledged five years ago, the OECD said on Wednesday. A meeting of the Group of Eight industrial powers in Gleneagles, Scotland and another on the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals in 2005 pledged to increase aid by 48 billion dollars over 2004 levels.
Of that total only 27 billion dollars (19.6 billion euros) in the additional aid has been allocated, leaving a shortfall of 21 billion dollars. Of that figure 17 billion dollars is the result of lower-than-promised giving, according to the OECD, while 4.0 billion dollars reflects weaker than expected economic growth in donor countries.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said its estimates were based on national aid budget plans for 2010. Africa, in particular, will receive only about 12 billion dollars of the 25-billion-dollar increase it was allocated at Gleneagles, according to the OECD, blaming the shortfall largely on "underperformance" by European donors.

  India offers $250m, foodgrains to Nepal
PTI, New Delhi

Reaching out to Nepal, India yesterday offered to it foodgrains and a soft loan of USD 250 million and the two countries signed four pacts, including one on opening up air traffic and another on building of railway infrastructure at five border points. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also offered India's assistance in Nepal's peace process and Constitution-drafting which he hoped would be concluded within the stipulated time.
Singh, who held detailed discussions on the peace process in that country and the bilateral relations with visiting Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav, underlined the "special" and "unique" relationship between the two neighbours.
During the talks, India offered USD 250 million in soft loan through EXIM bank to Nepal. It also offered 50,000 tonnes of wheat, 20,000 tonnes of rice and 10,000 tonnes of yellow peas to Nepal to enable it meet food shortage, sources said.
India expressed readiness to give 2,000 tonnes of wheat more, if required.
Yadav expressed gratitude to India for its consistent support, they said.
After the talks, the two countries signed a revised Air Services Agreement, that will open up air traffic between the two countries with a total 'open sky' arrangement in cargo operations and substantially higher number of passenger flights.
The new air agreement has the potential to spur greater trade investment, tourism and strengthening the cultural exchange between the two countries besides bringing it in tune with the developments in the international civil aviation scenario.

National

Plans to raise food assistance for fishermen
BSS, Dhaka

Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Abdul Latif Biswas on Wednesday said that the government is planning to raise per capita allocation of alternative food assistance for the fishermen living at the coastal region.
The decision was revealed during a meeting at the fisheries and livestock ministry here as part of preparation for upcoming Jatka Conservation Week 2010, scheduled to begin March 27, with the minister in the chair.
Under the decision, each fishermen will get at least 40 kgs food grain per month as an alternative food assistance provided by the government during the jatka conservation period.
Aiming to this, the demy official (d/o) letter already has been sent to the Food and Disaster Management Ministry this month asking to increase per capita food grain allocation for the fishermen under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) which was earlier only 10 kgs in a month, the minister said in the meeting.
Presently, some 2.24 lakh fishermen living on Hilsha fishing in the 20 districts across the country including the coastal regions while the number of fishermen during the last year was only 1.43 lakh.
According to the Fisheries Act, catching, selling and transportation of jatka, hilsha fries less than 9
inches, are totally prohibited from May to November
season.
Regarding the total allocation of Taka 2 crore for jatka conservation, the minister reiterated that the concerned officials of the Department of Fisheries (DOF) have to identify the real fishermen for the assistance to make the jatka conservation programme a success. Latif Biswas said the government is not providing the assistance for the people who are affiliated to different political parties including the 'mohajote'.
Referring to the list of the fishermen of the Lakhipur district during the last year, the minister said it was reported that the list of the fishermen enrolled from the district was not true and which ultimately deprived the real fishermen.
Twenty districts like Dhaka, Naryanganj, Munshiganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Rajbari, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Jhalkhati, Pirojpur, Lakhipur, Chandpur, Chittagong, Gaibandha, Faridpur, Noakhali, Kishorganj and its ninety-two upazilas have been identified as jatka prone area.

  BPDB-Indian NPTC to sign MoU to set up joint-venture coal-fire power plant

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Thermal Power Company (NTPC), India to set up a 1320 MW of coal fired power plant in joint venture.
According to the sources in power division and BPDB, the MoU would be signed during two-day first steering committee meeting on grid connectivity during the visit of HS Bharma, the secretary for power of India on February 19. "The working committee will fix all the issues and areas of join venture in power sector, however, a MoU would be signed on different areas including the coal based power plant", a top official of the power division told BSS on Wednesday.
M Abul Kalam Azad, Secretary for power division said the NTPC has huge experience in installing mega coal fired power plant.
"We could share with them in this area as in future our mode of fuel would be coal", he added.
According to the BPDB the meeting will fix the share and equity, tariff and other related issues of the proposed joint venture coal power plant.
According to the power division the committee will discuss on preparation of feasibility report for two coal fired power projects (at Khulna and Chittagong, approximate 1320 MW each). Earlier NTPC offered to develop one of these projects in joint venture with BPDB.
"We (Bangladesh-India) will sign the MoU as per discussion and suggestion of the technical committee's meeting", he added.
"NTPC will conduct the study as consultant," PDB official said.
PDB official said the Indian power secretary Bharma will visit Ghorasal power plant. To improve the efficiency of this power plant NTPC will take up its O&M (operation and management).

 Char Fashion upazila court resumes after 17 years
UNB, Bhola

Activities of the Char Feshion upazila civil and criminal court resumed Tuesday, nearly 17 years after transferring the court to district headquarters.
Upazila chairman Nurul Islam VP, UNO Mohammad Mostafa Kamal and local people were present.
A large number of people after taking part in a milad mahfil were seen rejoicing over the resumption of the court, 70km away from the Sadar upazila.
The documents of 2,200 cases were sent to the court for disposal and, on the first day, hearings of 45 cases were held.
Established during the rule of HM Ershad, the court was transferred to district headquarters in 1993.
After the assumption of power by the present government local lawmaker Abdullah Al Islam Jacob had sent a proposal to the Law Ministry for shifting the court to Char Fashion upazila citing the cause of sufferings of the local people.
On the basis of the proposal, the President in an order on January 5 transferred the court to the upazila, benefiting 5 lakh residents of the upazila, said local sources.

   BAF command safety conference held
UNB, Dhaka

The 33rd Annual Command Safety Conference of Bangladesh Air Force was held at the Falcon Hall here Wednesday.
Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman attended the conference as chief guest and gave away Flight Safety Trophies among the recipients.
BAF Base Matiur Rahman was awarded Inter-Base Flight Safety Trophy for the year 2009 and 11 Squadron, BAF was awarded Inter-Squadron Khademul Basher Flight Safety Trophy, said an ISPR release.
Air Commodore Shahe Alam, Air Officer Commanding of BAF Base Matiur Rahman, and Officer Commanding Wing Commander Md Mostofa Mahmood Siddiq of 11 Squadron received the trophies on behalf of their respective bases.
In his concluding speech, the Air Chief said that avoidable aircraft accidents could be further reduced by more vigilance, close supervision, enhancement of knowledge and strict adherence to regulations.
Stressing the need for sharing flight safety related knowledge, he further said that awareness and information sharing are the keys to reducing accident.
The Air Chief urged everyone to strive harder and promote flight safety awareness at all levels in BAF.
Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations and Training) Air Vice Marshal Abu Esrar delivered welcome address while Director Flight Safety Group Captain M Aminul Islam reviewed the previous years' flight safety activities of the BAF.
Air Officers Commanding of different Bases spoke on flight safety matters. Open discussion were also held at the conference.
Among others, representatives of Ministry of Defence, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Biman, Army Aviation, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Flying Club were present.
Senior BAF Officers from Air Headquarters and all Bases and senior Airmen from BAF Flightlines also attended the conference.

 Detained BDR jawan dies in Gazipur Sadar Hospital
UNB, Gazipur

A BDR jawan, who was detained at Kashimpur central jail since June 26 last year in connection with the BDR mutiny, died at Sadar Hospital early Wednesday.
However, the cause of death of nayek subedar Golam Mostafa, 47, who hailed from Baisa village in Jhikorgachha upazila of Jessore, could not be known immediately.
Jail authorities said he was taken to the hospital after he lost his senses at about 3:20am. He was declared dead by attending doctors after his admission there. Other details about the jawan were also not available.

Jute godown gutted in fire in Manikganj
UNB, Manikganj

A jute godown was gutted in a fire at Baira Bazaar in Singair upazila Tuesday.
Witnesses said the fire broke out at the godown at about 4:30pm. Local people tried to extinguish the blaze with their own efforts, but failed.
Most of the 1500 maunds of jute kept at the godown were burnt down in the fire before the arrival of fire service personnel, who later put out the blaze.
Dulal Mullah, owner of the godown, alleged that someone out of enmity might have set it on fire. He estimated the extent of loss from the fire at about Tk 28 lakh.

Sports

Mahmudullah, Shakib rescue Bangladesh
Cricinfo Online

A rousing seventh wicket stand between Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah rescued Bangladesh from the follow-on the third day at Seddon Park. New Zealand batted for five avers before bad light intervened, but lost the wicket of BJ Watling, to finish 154 ahead at stumps.
Shakib and Mahmudullah combined with Bangladesh reeling at 196 for 6, and added a stroke-filled 145, in the process setting a new Bangladesh record for the seventh wicket, to propel the score past 400.
Earlier in the day, the New Zealand seamers, supported by the ever-threatening Daniel Vettori had run rampant, demolishing the touring top order by picking up five wickets for 127 runs in the first session. Chris Martin and Tim Southee set the tone early, bowling a niggardly line and length to induce fatal errors from the overnight pair. Tamim Iqbal's innings retained little of the breathtaking panache from the previous evening, and he was out to a Southee delivery that was not short enough to pull. The remainder of the Bangladesh top order crumbled spinelessly under the relentless pressure, and things looked bleak going in to lunch at 211 for 6.
The New Zealand captain had the cushion of runs to play with, and it showed. The slip cordon was jam-packed for the seamers all morning, and a veritable swarm of close-in catchers encircled the Bangladesh batsmen while the spinners were in operation. The familiar Bangladesh collapse that ensued suggested that the match was heading to yet another embarrassing defeat for the tourists, but Shakib and Mahmudullah were on hand to arrest the slide and save face for Bangladesh.
Both batsmen were circumspect at the start of their partnership, seeing off testing spells from Chris Martin and Daryl Tuffey, before being spurred into action by the introduction of spin from both ends. Using their feet to negate the gentle turn on offer, the pair flayed the slow bowlers to all corners in the afternoon session. A series of powerful drives was punctuated with lovely instances of deft touch, Shakib in particular using the lap-sweep and the scoop shot productively. Jeetan Patel was the primary victim of the duo's assault, ending wicketless in the innings after having conceded 53 runs in 10 overs.
Chris Martin broke the resistance soon after tea with the second new ball, though replays showed that Shakib's under-edge bounced well short of Brendon McCullum, who claimed the catch instantly. It was an unfortunate end to a special innings from Shakib, who had overseen Bangladesh's rescue-operation only to fall in sight of a well deserved maiden ton. Mahmudullah however, was not to be denied and, reached the landmark soon after Shakib's departure with a boundary to square leg. He was eventually trapped in front by Daniel Vettori for a fantastic 115, while the rest of the tail perished around him. Bangladesh were all out for 408, their sixth highest total in Test matches, but still 145 runs adrift of New Zealand's first innings score.
The New Zealanders then batted out five overs of spirited bowling from the Bangladesh seamers, who created enough pressure to have BJ Watling brilliantly run out by Shakib for 1. The hosts are still well in control of the test match, ending the day effectively at 154 for 1, but Bangladesh showed encouraging signs of fight, and will hope for early wickets tomorrow if they are to challenge a New Zealand, who will hope they have seen the best that their opponents have to offer.

  Rain interrupts India’s victory charge  
AFP, Kolkata

Bad weather brought brief respite to South Africa as India pressed for a series-levelling victory in the second and final cricket Test on Wednesday.
The tourists, trailing by 347 runs on the first innings, lost three key wickets on the rain-curtailed fourth day to stutter to 115-3 in their second knock by stumps at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Just 34.1 overs were sent down during the day as a wet outfield caused by overnight rain delayed the start by 90 minutes and overcast conditions interrupted play regularly.
In the brief period of action, leg-spinner Amit Mishra sent back skipper Graeme Smith (20) and Jacques Kallis (20), and Harbhajan Singh dismissed Alviro Petersen.
Hashim Amla was unbeaten on 49 and Ashwell Prince had yet to score when the umpires finally called off play for the day.
India, which lost the first Test in Nagpur by an innings and six runs, will hope for a clear day on Thursday as they attempt to draw the series and retain their number one Test ranking. The second-ranked South Africa will take over from India if the match ends in a draw, giving the Proteas a 1-0 series win.
South Africa still trail by 232 runs with seven wickets in hand.
India declared their first innings on a mammoth 643-6, built on centuries by Virender Sehwag (165), Venkatsai Laxman (143 not out), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (132 not out) and Sachin Tendulkar (106).
Smith and Petersen played with caution after resuming at the overnight total of 6-0, when Mishra was brought into attack in the 13th over.
Mishra struck off his first delivery, trapping Smith in front of the wicket to cap a miserable outing for the South African skipper in the series. Smith scored just 30 runs in three innings.
Off-spinner Harbhajan gave India the breakthrough in the post-lunch session when he got rid of first-innings centurion Petersen (21) in his second over after the break.
The debutant opener was foxed by a delivery that found the inside edge of his bat and popped up to short-leg where Subramaniam Badrinath took a head-high catch on second attempt.
Kallis shaped up to defend against Mishra, but offered an outside edge to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps. He shared 57 runs for the third wicket with Amla.
The Test series will be followed by three one-day internationals at Jaipur (Feb 21), Gwalior (Feb 24) and Ahmedabad (Feb 27).

  AFC Challenge Cup Football
Bangladesh faces Myanmar today

UNB, Dhaka

With a sweet memory of beating mighty Tajikistan 2-1, the SA Games Football champions Bangladesh will play stronger neighbor Myanmar today (Thursday) hoping to win their 2nd Group A match of the AFC Challenge Cup at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The morale of Bangladesh team runs high after stunning Tajikistan in their 6th meeting Tuesday to take a sweet revenge of their 1-6 defeat in the quarterfinal of the First AFC Challenge Cup on home soil in 2006.
Bangladesh needs a win in their remaining two group matches to achieve their initial target of reaching the semifinal of the meet for the first time.
Myanmar, the semifinalist of 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, is also flying high after outplaying hosts Sri Lanka by 4-0 goals in another Group A match on Tuesday at the same venue.
Bangladesh's coach Saiful Bari Tito expressed his optimism to win the match against Myanmar playing attacking football like the previous match, keeping his winning combination intact. Bangladesh, placed in Group A with Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan, will play their 3rd and last group match against hosts Sri Lanka on Saturday.

  India promises safe sports events amid security fears
AFP, New Delhi

India vowed Wednesday to "protect every player" in upcoming major sports events in the country after a weekend bombing and alleged new threats raised fresh concerns over security.
"We will provide full protection to every player, every coach, every official who participates in the forthcoming hockey, cricket and Commonwealth Games," Home Minister P. Chidam-baram told reporters.
New security worries surfaced ahead of the field hockey World Cup later this month after last Saturday's bombing at a restaurant in the western city of Pune which killed 11 people.
A previously unknown Islamist splinter of a bigger Pakistan-based group claimed responsibility for the attack in a call to an Indian newspaper.
The group, calling itself Lashkar-e-Taiba al-Almi, linked the attack to upcoming peace talks between India and Pakistan, set for February 25.
On Tuesday, the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online news website said it had received a warning from Al-Qaeda-linked militant Ilyas Kashmiri about attacking sports events in India. The Pakistan-based extremist reportedly warned competitors against going to the hockey World Cup, which runs February 28-March 13, the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament in March and the Commonwealth Games in October.
"We cannot be deterred and we are not deterred by what Ilyas Kashmiri says," Chidamabaram said.
The latest threat led New Zealand officials to delay the hockey team's departure for India until a security update had been received.

   Rooney double inspires United to first win in Milan
AFP, Rome

Wayne Rooney was the hero as Manchester United made AC Milan look old in a 3-2 win in the Champions League last 16 first leg clash here on Tuesday to record their first ever victory in the San Siro.
Rooney scored a brace as Milan's old legs finally caught up with them as United came from behind to win at a canter until some late drama that saw United's Michael Carrick dismissed in injury time for a second booking.
Ronaldinho gave Milan an early lead but after Paul Scholes's fortuitous equaliser Sir Alex Ferguson's side gradually took control and by the end they threatened to run up a cricket score.
Substitute Clarence Seedorf's clever backheel finish from Ronaldinho's cross five minutes from time was the only thing that gives the Italians hope for the second leg at Old Trafford.
"I thought we were coasting at 3-1," said Ferguson."But we've given them hope by allowing them to score towards the end. "We just have to do the job at Old Trafford and win the match." Ferguson admitted that it hadn't been a great performance by his side in the first-half. "It was a catalogue of errors," said the Scotsman. "Once we settled, though, we did a lot better."
His AC Milan counterpart Leonardo could scarcely believe his side had lost.
"We did not deserve to lose this match," swaid the Brazilian. "But nothing is finished. We have to win 2-0 in England, which is certainly not beyond us. When we got into our stride, we dominated United.
"Indeed the first-half could have ended 3-0 in our favour." Rooney for his part was not best pleased with some of his team-mates for the first-half struggles.
Milan were off to a dream start, taking the lead after only three minutes and appropriately United old boy David Beckham was involved.
His free-kick into the box was only helped on by Patrice Evra and fell kindly to Ronaldinho at the back post who caught it on the volley and a wicked deflection off Carrick took it past a helpless Edwin van der Sar.
United drew level on 36 minutes. If Milan's opener owed something to luck, United's equaliser was no more lacking in that department. Darren Fletcher crossed from the right for Scholes arriving in the box but he missed with his swinging right foot and the ball hit his standing left leg, spun beyond Dida and trickled in off the post.
Milan almost caught United napping again three minutes into the second period as Pato stole in unchecked onto Giuseppe Favalli's deep cross but the young Brazilian headed over.
Nani was having one of his more erratic days and Ferguson replaced him with Antonio Valencia halfway through the second period, a move that bore fruit within a minute as the Ecuador flyer got to the byline and crossed for Rooney at the back post to flick a floating header over Dida for his 25th goal of the season.
United were now content to hit Milan on the counter and Rooney flashed a shot just wide on 73 minutes but a minute later he ran onto Fletcher's dink into the box past a static defence to head easily past Dida.
United were cruising until a late lapse allowed in Seedorf, who had replaced Beckham, to lift the crowd and give the visitors a nervous last few minutes.

  Embattled Peer stuns top-seed in Dubai
AFP, Dubai

Shahar Peer increased the security dilemma surrounding her presence in the United Arab Emirates by producing a stunning 6-2, 7-5 win over the top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki to reach the quarter-finals of the Dubai Open.
The former Israeli soldier is the first woman athlete from her country to compete in the UAE and all three of her matches have been scheduled in the easier-to-protect outside courts.
But after victories over Yanina Wickmayer, the 13th seed, Virginie Razzano, last year's runner-up, and now Wozniacki, the world number three from Denmark, the pressure to take the risk of scheduling her on the centre court has increased.
With Hamas having alleged that a founder member of its organisation was assassinated last month, and fears of tit-for-tat reprisals, Peer has been operating with guards everywhere, separate chan-ging facilities, cameras filming everyone coming in and out of the arena, and secret interviews at hidden locations
But once again she played with an icy intensity redolent of someone having a cause beyond herself and, apart from slightly wavering in the second set, she was more consistent, more tactically varied, and more calmly determined than the favourite.

  Pakistan to assess India hockey cup security
AFP, Lahore

Pakistan is sending a delegation to New Delhi to assess security for this month's Hockey World Cup, an official said Wednesday, after a reported threat against sporting events in India.
New security fears surfaced after a bombing Saturday at a restaurant in the western Indian city of Pune, which killed 11 people.
"On our request, the government has cleared the visit of a two-man delegation to New Delhi to ascertain the security situation there," Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Asif Baja told reporters.
Associate PHF secretary Rana Mujahid and marketing representative Shahid Bhindara will fly to New Delhi on Friday and will be briefed about the arrangements for the Pakistan team on Saturday, Bajwa added.
The 12-nation World Cup, held every four years, opens in New Delhi with an India-Pakistan clash on February 28 and runs until March 13.