|
Leading News
74.28 pc pass HSC
exams
29,004 secure GPA-5, Madrasa Board tops with 86.55 pc
success
UNB, Dhaka
The results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and
its equivalent examinations held in April were published
on Thursday, with a record 74.28% success, 1.5% percent
higher than the last year.
The Madrasa Board, with 86.55% pass, came out as the most
successful of all 10 educational boards. The pass
percentage of all boards including Diploma in Business
Studies (DIBS) is 74.31.
The Rajshahi Board followed with 75.43%, the Technical
board 82.48%, Comilla Board 73.13%, Jessore Board 67.73%,
Dhaka Board 72.10%, Sylhet Board 76.12%, Barisal Board
74.34%, Chittagong Board 72.65% and Dinajpur Board 67.54%.
A total of 7,21,941 appeared for the examinations,
5,36,439 of them came out successful compared to 4,44,399
last year.
Of the successful students, 2,88,546 are male, and
2,44,823 female. Male pass percentage is 74.62 while the
female 73.87. 29,004 students secured GPA-5 (Grade Point
Average compared to 20,322 last year.
All students from of 714 colleges came out successful.
None from 25 colleges passed.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid announced the results
at a press conference in his office. Simultaneously,
results were sent to the colleges. Earlier, he handed over
the results to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gonabhaban
in presence of the chairmen of all the education boards.
In Dhaka Board, 1,40,548 came out successful out of
1,94,925 students appeared in the examination. 11,020
secured GPA-5. A total of 82,174 students appeared under
the Rajshahi Board of which 61,987 passed. 5,602 secured
GPA-5.
In Comilla Board, 39,444 students out of 53,934 came out
successful, 1,168 securing GPA-5. 78,801 examinees
appeared in Jessore Board, of which 53,370 passed, 2,236
securing GPA-5.
A total of 31,224 examinees of Chittagong Board passed out
of 42,976 appeared. 1,618 secured GPA-5. Under the Barisal
Board, 35,141 students appeared, 26,125 passed, 1,457 got
GPA-5.
In Sylhet Board, 19,420 students appeared, 15,087 passed,
597 got GPA-5.
In Dinjapur Board, 72,852 students appeared, 49,202
passed, 1,814 secured GPA-5.
A total of 73,890 students appeared in Alim examinations
under the Madrasa board of which 63,864 students passed,
2,957 got GPA-5.
In Technical Education Board, 52,518 students passing out
of 63,671, 202 secured GPA-5.
The Education Minister claimed that the record success
rates in the HSC examination testified the government's
commitment to enhancing the quality of education. He
revealed that the results had been e-mailed to all
colleges.
Referring to the high success rates in English and
Mathematics under the Dhaka Board in last SSC
examinations, Nahid said schools had been directed to take
special care to raise the standard. Similar direction was
issued to the colleges to improve the quality of English
and Mathematics.
He said the HSC results were published within 57 days of
completion of the examinations that were held from April 1
to May 18.
Govt
committed to improving quality of education: PM
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed satisfaction over
the HSC results and its equivalent examinations of 2010.
Receiving the results from Education Minister Nurul Islam
Nahid at Ganobhaban Thursday morning, she congratulated
the successful examinees and suggested unsuccessful
students to be more attentive to their studies and appear
successful in the future. Hasina said she wishes to see
every student passed in the future examinations.
"You, those who could not pass this year do not get
frustrated. I know you are also talent. Study more and
more and come out successfully next year," she said.
Chairmen of 10 Education Boards were present at the time
of handing over the results. On the occasion, the Prime
Minister talked with teachers and students of Government
Bangabandhu College, Gopalganj; and Sylhet Mahila College
through video conference.
"Our all boys and girls are meritorious. They all can pass
the examinations if they are given proper supports and
guidance," Hasina said.
She expressed gratitude to teachers for their hard mental
and physical work to teach their students.
The Prime Minister also thanked the education ministry,
all education boards, teachers and students for their
contributions to complete the examinations successfully.
She gave special thanks to the Education Minister and the
Chairmen of all education boards for publishing the
results within just 57 days since the examinations
completed.
About teachers, Hasina said teachers' facilities need to
be increased to improve the standard of education. Without
increasing the facilities, it will not be possible to
ensure quality education for all.
"The teachers have to work hard to make their students
eligible for passing examinations. The teachers are
building future of the nation. At the same time, maximum
facilities have to be ensured for the respected teachers,"
the Prime Minister said.
She said her government is strongly committed to improving
the quality of education at all level. She mentioned that
the highest allocation in the new budget has been given to
the education sector. "We will do everything for raising
our education standard to the highest level," she said.
DMP
launches drive against unfit vehicles in capital
UNB, Dhaka
Four models out vehicles were seized and 236 cases filed
during the crack down on old and faulty vehicles on the
first day on Thursday in the capital.
The drive is an attempt to improve the city's nagging
traffic situation and stop frequent road accidents.
Besides, Tk 1.94 lakh was realized as fine from faulty
vehicles or vehicles without proper documents during the
operation.
Fifteen mobile courts comprising members of police and
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), each headed by
an executive magistrate, are conducting the drive against
buses and minibuses older than 20 years and trucks older
than 25 years.
Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Amitabh Sarker is
coordinating the mobile courts. Besides, BRTA is also
operating a mobile court.
Talking to UNB, Amitabh Sarker said the crack down started
following a decision of the Communi-cation Ministry.
The ministry formed a 7-member coordination committee
headed by Amitabh Sarker last Wednesday. The mobile teams
are being coordinated by the coordination committee, he
said.
Meanwhile, most of the model out and faulty vehicles were
absence in the city streets as their owners came to know
about the crack down.
Passengers had to suffer due to lack of adequate number of
passenger buses and minibuses.
He, however, said the sufferings will be reduced next
month as the authority permitted to ply more buses in two
routes-Uttara-Motijheel (air-conditioned buses) and Mirpur-
Motijheel. "We have already talked with owners of the
buses who agreed to run new buses on the two routes," he
said.
PDB signs 2
more contracts with rental power plants sans tender
UNB, Dhaka
The state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) on Thursday
signed contracts with two companies to purchase
electricity from two Quick Rental Power Plants (QRPP),
each having 50-MW capacity.
Like other QRPPs, the two contracts were also awarded
without any tender process. The number of QRPPs rose to
nine with total generation capacity of 1117 MW.
Of the two latest rental plants, a commercial enterprise
of Bangladesh Army will set up one while another will be
set up by a private sponsor.
As per contract, Bangladesh Diesel Plant (BDP) Ltd., an
enterprise of Bangladesh Army, will set up a diesel-run 50
MW rental power plant at the Pagla Army Camp in
Narayanganj within next 120 days.
PDB will purchase electricity from the plant at Tk 13.96
per kilowatt hour (per unit) for next three years.
However, BDP has formed a special company - BPA Power
International Ltd - in joint venture with local firm
Primodial and German-based Agrotech AG for the purpose of
setting up the power plant. Agrotech AG is a sister
concern of German diesel engine manufacturers Deutz AG.
According to the other contract, local private firm Sinha
Power Generation Company Ltd will set up a 50 MW furnace
oil-run power plant at Chapainawabganj within next nine
months.
The PDB will purchase electricity from the plant at Tk
7.77 per kilowatt hour for next 5 years.
PDB Secretary M Abdul Aziz signed the contract on behalf
PDB while Bangladesh Diesel Plant's managing director Col.
Mohammad Ali and Sinha Power's executive director M Mamun
Haider signed the contracts on behalf of their respective
sides.
Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Bangladesh Army's Quarter
Master General and Chairman of Bangladesh Diesel Plant Lt
Gen Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan and PDB chairman ASM Alamgir Kabir
were present at the signing ceremony at the PDB office.
Dhaka Board
Mymensingh Girls Cadet college gets topmost position
TBT Report
Mymensingh Girls Cadet College secured the top position in
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations 2010-this
is the first such achievement for the institution.
Traditionally, colleges of Dhaka city dominate the top-ten
list. The institutions got the positions in terms of
students registered with the college, percentage of
regular students, percentage of successful students, the
number of students getting GPA-5 and the number of
examinees.
Of the top 10 institutions, one is from Mymensingh, one
from Tangail and the rest are in Dhaka city. Mymensingh
Girls' Cadet College and Mirzapur Cadet College
respectively have 89.6 and 85.36 rank point, according to
new criteria of education ministry.
Mirzapur Cadet College secured the second position
followed by Holy Cross College, Rajuk Uttara Model School
and College, Residential Model College respectively. The
other five colleges among the top ten are Notre Dame
College, Dhaka City College, Viqarunnisa Noon School and
College, Bir Shrestha Noor Mohammad Rifles Public School
and College and Dhaka College.
Three top
Jamaat leaders
High Court rejects plea for scrapping remand orders
UNB, Dhaka
The High Court Thursday rejected the plea for scrapping
the lower court order granting remand as prayed by the
police to interrogate detained Jamaat leaders Motiur
Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Delwar
Hossain Sayedee in Uttara conspiracy case.
Passing the order, a division bench comprising Justice
Syed Mohammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AKM Zahirul
Hoque, however, asked the police not to torture the
accused during interrogation. The bench also directed the
authorities to allow lawyers for the accused to meet them
for legal consultation and to take steps for physical
check-up of the accused before and after interrogation.
A Dhaka court on June 30 placed the three Jamaat leaders
on police remand for interrogation in the sedition case
filed with the Uttara police station. Police arrested the
three top leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on June
29, complying with a lower court's arrest warrants in
connection with a case accusing them of hurting religious
sentiments of the Muslims. Barrister Abdur Razzaq appeared
for the Jamaat leaders.
Meanwhile, Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad
Mojahid was give to 3-day police on Thursday in genocide
case filed with Pallabi thana. He was produced before CMM
court at the end of 4-day police remand in Farooq killing
case of Ramna thana.
Chy Alam’s missing
still a mystery
UNB, Dhaka
Police is yet to unearth the mystery of reported missing
of DCC ward councilor and BNP leader Chowdhury Alam.
According to Alam's family, members of the law enforcing
agency arrested him from city's Indira Road (Garments Goli)
while he was going to a relative's house by his car on
June 25 night.
However, the law enforcing agencies, including police and
RAB denied his arrest.
A General Diary was filed with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar
police station stating the incident on June 30. On July 1,
a case was filed with the same police station under
sections 341 (wrongful restraint) and 365 (kidnapping or
abducting with intend to confinement) of the Penal Code
implicating 5-6 persons.
Talking to reporters after monthly Crime Conference at
Rajarbagh police line, DMP Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haq
Thursday said the case is being now investigated by
detectives. Replying to a question he said they have no
information whether Chowdhury Alam is alive or not.
However, he hoped that the incident will be digging out
soon.
Meanwhile, the DMP Commissioner said crimes have
significantly reduced in June compared to May as police
has been showing zero tolerance in tackling crimes. He
also said that the number of filing cases also decreased
in June compared to May as a number of minor complaints
were resolved through local arbitration by community
police.
Suspected question
paper scam money detected
UNB, Rangpur
Police have detected Tk 20 lakh bank deposit suspected to
be question paper leakage scam money.
The money was deposited with National Credit & Commerce
Bank, Rangpur town branch, by local businessman Shafiur
Rahman, who was involved in the racket of leakier of
question paper for recruitment test of secondary school
teachers.
The government has earlier frozen three bank accounts of
Shafiur who recently deposited Tk 95 lakh with Prime Bank
and Tk 28.50 lakh with Janata Bank in Rangpur town.
ATM Mostafa, BG press compositor, during interrogation in
police custody had disclosed that the question paper sales
proceeds were kept with his relative Shafiur Rhaman. He
was arrested on July 8 from a guest house in Gongachara
upazilla along with others. Shafiur admitted to the police
that Tk 20 lakh was deposited in another account with NCC
bank. Police Super Saleh Mohammad Tanvir said steps have
been taken to freeze the new found bank account of Shafiur.
Back Page
President urges accountants for
establishing financial transparency
BSS, Dhaka
President Zillur Rahman on Thursday urged accountants to
prepare correct and transparent financial statements for
both the private and public sectors to uphold an
investment friendly atmosphere as well as boost
investments.
"I believe, proper utilization of accounting will make the
economic foundation very strong," he said while addressing
the convocation of Institute of Cost and Management
Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) at Hotel Sheraton in
Dhaka.
The President said ambition of making huge profit,
mismanagement, lack of transparency, preparing wrong
financial statement violating standards and codes of
accounting were the major reasons behind the recent global
economic recession.
"I hope, the country's accountants will prepare and
publish correct and transparent financial statements of
the public and private organizations following the rules
and regulations of accounting," he said.
He said a transparent and correct financial statement
could act as unlimited source of information to provide
true socio- economic picture of the country to the
investors as well as the common people. Mentioning that
accountability is a must for ensuring economic freedom and
sustainable development, the President said country's
accountants could play a vital role in bringing
accountability and transparency in the social and national
life.
"It is a matter of satisfaction that cost and management
accountants are serving both home and abroad with high
skill after getting higher education from ICMAB," the
President said.
Congratulating the new accountants, the President urged
them to keep up the confidence and trust of the people
bestowed upon them and put the expertise in their
professional arena keeping national interest above imbued
with honesty and patriotism.
During the convocation, a total of 12 students received
certificates from the President for their brilliant
results.
Commerce Minister M Faruk Khan spoke as the special guest
while vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AAMS
Arefin Siddique gave the convocation speech.
ICMAB President M Abdul Aziz, past presidents Zahir Uddin
Ahmed and AKM Delwar Hussain also spoke on the occasion.
Follow rules in
recruitment, posting, and promotion in armed forces: PM
BSS, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the
authorities concerned to strictly follow the rules of
seniority, qualification, merit and efficiency in case of
recruitment, posting, and promotion in the armed forces.
"I think that faith in the spirit of Liberation War,
professional efficiency, leadership, discipline, honesty,
truthfulness, loyalty and effectiveness of appointment
should be considered while giving promotion as the
promoted officers will lead the armed forces in future,"
she said.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the Army
Headquarters Selection Board-2010 at Dhaka Cantonment on
Thursday afternoon.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Defence Minister, said she had
confidence in the wisdom, judgement and impartiality of
the senior officers and hoped that they would select the
appropriate persons for promotion rising above personal
liking and disliking.
She said the Armed Forces that started its journey with a
limited number of officers and soldiers during the
country's War of Liberation is now very experienced and
well-organized.
Sheikh Hasina said Awami League government always believes
in development, expansion, and modernization of Armed
Forces and it implemented massive programmes for
strengthening the Armed Forces during its previous tenure
from 1996 to 2001.
Referring to her initiative to recruit female officers in
the army, first ever in the country's history, Sheikh
Hasina said it is her government which improved the
quality of food, including introduction of rice in two
meals of the army.
After assuming office this time her government has
undertaken a number of projects, including bringing parity
in giving ration to Army, Navy and Air Force, increasing
budgetary allocation for per capita protein intake,
implementing new pay scales and constructing multistorey
housing complex for members of the armed forces.
She said her government has adjusted the ranks of
officials of Bangladesh Army to international standards in
order to strengthen their participation in the UN
peacekeeping missions abroad.
Besides, she said her government during its previous term
established Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support
Operation Training at Rajendrapur so the Bangladeshi
troops can serve more smartly in peacekeeping missions.
She said Bangladesh is the first country to send
Integrated Brigade to peacekeeping missions.
SC dismisses Alamgir's appeal
against rejection of his nomination paper
BSS, Dhaka
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday
upheld a High Court order that rejected a writ petition
filed by Awami League leader Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir
challenging the Election Commission (EC) decision.
A High Court bench on December 15, 2008 by an order
rejected Alamgir's writ petition that challenged the
Election Commission decision of cancelling his nomination
to contest the December 29 poll of 2008.
The returning officer of Chandpur on December 3, 2008
cancelled Alamgir's nomination paper saying he was jailed
for several years in a graft case by a special court.
He submitted nomination as an Awami League nominee to
contest the Jatiya Sangsad polls from Chandpur-1
constituency. He won the election.
A special court on July 26, 2007 awarded him 13 years
imprisonment for concealing information about his assets
in his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC).
Being aggrieved with the returning officer's decision,
Alamgir filed an appeal to the Election Commission (EC),
but on December 10, 2008 after hearing his petition was
rejected upholding the returning officer's decision.
Later, Alamgir filed a writ petition before the High Court
Division of the Supreme Court challenging the EC's
decision and a two-judge bench on December 15, 2008 after
hearing rejected the petition summarily, saying it is not
maintainable as proper forum was not followed in seeking
justice.
At last Alamgir moved a provisional leave petition before
the Appellate Division seeking stay of the HC order and
also a directive on the EC to accept his nomination paper.
Chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md. Joynul
Abedin on December 18, 2008 stayed the operation of the
High Court order and issued the directive on the EC to
accept his nomination paper. It also asked him to file
regular leave to appeal.
On hearing the leave to appeal, the full court of the
Appellate division headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Fazlul
Karim, on Thursday, dismissed the petition by upholding
the High Court order. Meantime, the High Court Division as
well as the Appellate Division on hearing the appeal
petitions filed by Alamgir against the special court's
verdict acquitted him of the graft charge.
Bangladesh-Nepal transit deal early next year
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh and Nepal will finalise the much-discussed
transit agreement early next year, allowing transportation
of goods between the two countries.
The two countries signed the transit deal on April 2,
1976, but the agreement remained on paper only as it did
not incorporate operating modalities. Bangladesh Commerce
Secretary Ghulam Husain told journalists on Thursday that
they had finalized the operating modalities for the
transit at the two-day secretary-level meeting, which
began in Dhaka Wednesday. Ghulam Husain led the 15-member
home team at the meeting when his counterpart Purushottam
Ojha headed a six-member Nepali delegation.
Briefing on the outcome of the meeting, Ghulam Hussain
said the agreement would be finalised by the higher
authorities of the two governments early 2011.
The commerce secretary said the route for transit would be
Banglabandha-Panchagarh-Thakurgaon-Sayedpur-Rangpur-Bogra-
Natore-Dasuria-Pakshey-Kushtia-Jhenidah-Jessore-Khulna-Mongla
and the rail route would be Rohanpur (Rajshahi)-Rajshahi-
Ishwardi- Khulna-Mongla. He said initially only transports
from Nepal could come to Bangladesh through India because
Bangladesh at present does not have any agreement with
India to use its roads for the similar purpose.
He expects that Bangladeshi transport would also ply side
by side with Nepali transports once Bangladesh and India
reach an agreement to use their roads.
He said Nepal would get entry-fee waiver for the transit
as per the earlier agreement, but other charges and
businesses from this transit would bring significant
benefit to Bangladesh. Nepali Commerce Secretary
Purushottam Ojha said the transit would strengthen further
the trade and investment relations between the two
countries. He said Nepal would use Mongla Port only though
it could use Chittagong Port as well after the agreement.
"Chittagong is too far when Mongla is convenient to use as
an alternative port to Kolkata, which landlocked Nepal has
been using as the nearest port facility," he said.
Setting up of
172 UZ fire stations planned
BSS, Dhaka
The Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate (FSCDD) is
planning to set up 182 fire service stations across the
country this year.
The FSCDD has taken up the step in the wake of increasing
fire incidents and casualties in the country.
The directorate hopes that the fire service stations, once
set up, will strengthen the capacity of fire fighters and
help them manage emergency situation like what arose after
the recent devastating fire incident in the old part of
the capital city. Out of the total, 172 fire service
stations will be set up at upazila level and the remaining
25 at important places of the country, director general of
the FSCDD Brig Gen Abu Nayeem M Shahidullah told BSS on
Thursday.
Shahidullah said the important places where fire service
stations would be set up on priority basis are in the
Secretariat, Planning Commission and Cox's Bazar Sea
Beach. Two projects involving Taka 900 crore are awaiting
approval of the ECNEC. The DG said, "We are expecting to
start setting up the fire service stations this year as
the Planning Ministry is expected to place the projects
before the ECNEC."
Once the projects gets the ECNEC nod, the FSCDD chief
said, first round tasks including purchasing equipment,
acquiring lands, construction of pumps and buildings will
be completed as soon as possible.
The FSCDD chief termed the Prime Minister's decision of
modernizing and strengthening the directorate by setting
up fire service stations in each upazila as an
epoch-making step and said the civil defence authorities
already started works accordingly. The planned 20-bed
hospital at the city's Mirpur training complex would be
increased to 50-bed for treatment of the injured in fire
incidents.
26 Jamaat
activists denied bail in Khulna
UNB, Khulna
Twenty six leaders and workers of Bangladesh
Jamaat-e-Islami, including city Ameer and former lawmaker
Mia Golam Parwar, were denied bail by a court in Khulna on
Wednesday. Judge of speedy trial tribunal Mohammad Abu
Shamim Azad after a hearing rejected their bail petition.
The court also accepted the investigation report of police
and fixed July 19 charge framing day. Jamaat-Shibir
activists from a procession brought out on June 30
demanding release of their leaders went berserk at Dak
Bungalow crossing, leaving some police officials and cops
injured and disrupting traffic movement.
Later, Sadar thana Sub-Inspector Rezaul Karim filed a case
against 150 to 200 unidentified people with naming 21
under Speedy Trial Act.
Editorial
Crackdown on old
vehicles
Dhaka
Metropolitan Police (DMP) has launched a drive against old and
faulty vehicles in the capital from Thursday. Police started
the drive against over 20 years old buses, minibuses and over
25 years old trucks as well as faulty vehicles .DMP has
already constituted 15 teams and each team, led by a
magistrate, would conduct the drive mainly aimed at solving
traffic jam and checking environment pollution. The DMP
Commissioner has said that the seized vehicles will be dumped
into a place at Kamalapur.
According to a report, the crackdown has been launched on the
thousands of decrepit and dangerous vehicles that ply Dhaka's
busy roads in a bid to ease chronic traffic congestion. A team
of magistrates has been appointed to identify and remove from
service an estimated 12,000 buses, minibuses and trucks that
are over 20 years old. Communications Minister Syed Abul
Hossain said."This drive will greatly help reduce traffic jams
and accidents in the capital," he said. Buses that are older
than 20 years are already banned from the capital's streets,
but the law is routinely ignored. Local media reports say
illegal buses are involved in the majority of road accidents
in Dhaka.
Dhaka is one of the most congested cities in the world.
According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA)
the city has 527,285 licensed vehicles, but this is growing by
about 20,000 a year in line with the city's population growth
-- which is up from 20,00,000 in 1974 to 12 million in 2010.
As the city dwellers are groaning under the pangs of mounting
traffic congestion, some experts have put forward a valuable
suggestion saying that the government should build pro-people
communication systems with mass transport and wide footpaths
in the capital city to remove the acute traffic jams.
Severe traffic jam is one of the major problems gripping the
people living in and around the city. This problem continues
to be complicated as the population of the city is growing
fast, the pressure of commuters is mounting on the roads and
the influx of vehicles is increasing. The city dwellers are
facing the severest ever traffic jam in the capital in recent
days. One of the major causes of this situation is that new
vehicles are coming to the street everyday worsening the
crisis. Experts think, to ease the traffic jam in the city,
the activities between DCC and traffic department should be
integrated, traffic rules should be implemented strictly, and
violators of the rules should be seriously dealt with.
Meanwhile, the large scale import of small vehicles should be
discouraged by imposing duties at a higher rate and use of
public transports in increased number should be encouraged
under well planned traffic system. Besides, some more flyovers
and by-pass roads should be constructed on urgent basis.
It is clear that the existing communications facilities based
on private cars could never help reduce the traffic congestion
in the city; rather it would help increase the traffic jam.
But use of private car cannot be stopped either. So it will be
wiser to encourage use of mass transports and creation of wide
footpaths in the capital city and discourage use of private
cars to ease the acute traffic jams. The crisis is aggravated
by old and faulty vehicles plying the roads. So it is a timely
and correct attempt to remove these vehicles from the capital
in the public interest.
It may be recalled, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently
spelt out in parliament her government's detailed plans to
free capital Dhaka from unbearable traffic congestion. The
plans include shifting of long distance bus counters from city
centers to inter-district bus terminals, introduction of IC
Card Ticketing System (E-ticketing),formulation of parking
policy, construction of five overpass/flyovers at Mirpur-Zia
Colony, Maghbazar-Mouchak (combined) flyover, Jurain Overpass,
Kuril Interchange, and Jatrabari-Gulistan flyover. The Prime
Minister has dealt with a very important issue which calls for
urgent resolution. Traffic congestion is a long standing
problem that disrupt the normal life in the city.
Protecting RMG
sector
Speakers
at a discussion on Wednesday expressed concern over the state
of the country's Ready Made Garments ( RMG) sector. They said,
Conspiracy, low wages for workers and lack of congenial
working environment are the main reasons behind the recent
violence and unrest in the RMG sector that almost brought the
highest export earning sector to near extinction, They
suggested balanced wage structure for workers, introduction of
trade unionism, developing internal intelligence unit,
permanent platform of discussion, skilled and trained
workforce, and strong public relations body towards resolving
the prevailing crisis by protecting the interests of both
workers and owners.
The discussants including editors of leading national dailies,
economists, university teachers and garment manufacturers,
made the observations at an opinion exchange meeting on
'Present Crisis in RMG Sector' held in the city. Bangladesh
Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
arranged the meeting, which was presided over by its president
Abdus Salam Murshedy.
The speakers suggested that the people want to see a balanced
wage structure for the RMG workers. They hope the minimum wage
structure, likely to be announced on July 28, will match our
assumption and expectation. They said it is urgently needed to
have an acceptable wage structure through blending the
workers' expectation and the owners' interest for protecting
the garment sector. They sought political consensus for the
protection and further flourishing of RMG sector keeping the
RMG units out of political programmes including hartal.
RMG is a vital sector contributing immensely to the national
economy. But there are continued conspiracy and ill-designed
activities to cripple and even destroy this sector to cause
harm to the country. So all possible attempts should be made
to protect this sector and to that end the workers should be
given reasonable wages so that they can sustain.
Analysis
Overcoming the Challenges in Financing Power Sector in
Bangladesh
The large bulk of the estimated USD 9.0 billion
investments over five years will have to be spent on import of
the needed plants, equipment and technical servicesfrom
abroad.
Dr. Atiur Rahman
1. Despite low per capita power consumption (220 kwh in 2009)
by regional comparison, Bangladesh now faces power shortage of
1500-1800 mw against peak demand level of 5800 mw, impeding
output activities and routines of day to day life. Power
import from grids of neighbors can to some extent ease the
shortage (arrangement lined up with India for 250 mw may
eventually provide up to 500 mw), but rising demand within the
growing neighboring economies limits near term prospects of
imports sufficient to cover the demand gap.
Highest priority has therefore been accorded to adding
sufficient new domestic power generation capacity. Bridging of
the demand gap by 2011, and raising of output to 8500 mw and
11500 mw respectively by 2013 and 2015 are targeted; with
commissioning of total 9426 mw new generation capacity by
2015. The power and fuel sector 'roadmap' June 2010 issued by
the Finance Ministry lays down phased plan of setting up a
total of 57 smaller (up to 150 mw) and 12 larger (200 mw and
higher) new power plants by year 2015, with total generation
capacity of 10741 mw. Of these, 25 plants with 3780 mw
capacity are planned to be solely public financed, 5 plants of
total 2820 mw capacity are planned to be financed in
Public-Private Partnership (PPP), and 39 plants of total 4141
mw capacity are expected to be financed solely by private
sector.
In the roadmap document, the total cost is estimated at about
USD 9.0 billion, of which USD 8.0 billion is expected as
private sector investment. (it is unclear however how USD 1.0
billion can be enough for new public sector plants of total
3780 mw capacity and for PPP participation in some others, if
it costs USD 8.0 billion for the private sector to set up
plants of total capacity not exceeding 6961 mw including PPP
participations). Plans for the new installations aim to avoid
the existing overdependence on natural gas; using a more
diverse range of fuels including diesel, furnace oil, coal and
nuclear, besides natural gas. Renewable energy (solar, wind,
biomass) based power generation is also planned to be raised
to five and ten percent of total output respectively by years
2015 and 2020.
Financing of the estimated USD 9.0 billion investments by year
2015 will be a challenge, but not an intractable one if
properly planned and managed. The aforementioned apparent
imbalance in cost estimates indicates that public investment
may need to be higher, more so if private sector response
turns out to be slow.
The large bulk of the estimated USD 9.0 billion investments
over five years will have to be spent on import of the needed
plants, equipment and technical servicesfrom abroad. Sole
reliance on domestic investment will therefore be impractical,
putting too much pressure on current inflows and reserves in
foreign exchange, neither of these now on rapid rise. The
financing plans for power sector investments will therefore
need to welcome and attract external equity and longer term
debt investments, besides local investments to the extent the
domestic markets can provide without undue strain.
2. The GOB and BB have already initiated steps to activate and
facilitate mobilization of domestic and external investments
in the power and fuel sector, including holding of road shows
in major global financial hubs. It will be helpful to look at
the financing challenges and options in a disaggregated way,
according to plant sizes and investment sources planned for in
GOB's power and fuel sector 'roadmap'.
a) As earlier mentioned, the 'roadmap' plans for 20 new
smaller plants of total 2010 mw capacity and 5 new larger
plants of total 1770 mw capacity by year 2015 financed solely
by public sector. Besides, 3 smaller plants of total 220 mw
capacity and 2 larger plants of total 2600 mw capacity are
planned to be financed partly by public investment, in
partnerships with the private sector (PPPs). For the bulk of
the foreign exchange component of the public sector outlays in
power sector infrastructure (including transmission lines,
natural gas import terminal and power plants), GOB can
approach multilateral and bilateral official development
partners for concessional long term loans. As a low income
developing economy, Bangladesh remains eligible for
concessional ODA from development partners.
The local expense components of the planned public sector
outlays can be financed with GOB's routine domestic borrowing
for deficit financing; but earmarked borrowing for
infrastructure sector by issuing freely tradable long dated
(10-20 year) 'infrastructure bonds' in Taka will be a more
appropriate option, helping deepen the domestic bond market.
Like the existing treasury bonds, the infrastructure bonds may
be kept available for non-resident investors as well; with
free convertibility and repatriability of coupon interest
earnings and secondary sale/ redemption proceeds of bonds held
by them, net of taxes if any. Partnership modalities in the
PPPs will presumably vary somewhat from project to project,
the example of Jatrabari flyover project now being implemented
under public-private partnership may be instructive for the
power sector PPPs.
b) The 'roadmap' expects sole private sector sponsorship of 34
new smaller and 5 new larger plants with total capacities
respectively of 2641 mw and 1500 mw by year 2015 (including 14
rental plants of total 1647 mw capacity expected to be
commissioned within year 2010); besides the earlier mentioned
private sector participation in PPPs for 3 smaller and 2
larger plants of total 2820 mw capacity. As at present, the
smaller private sector power plant projects can be financed
mainly by the domestic debt and capital markets, supplemented
where needed by external term borrowing with clearance from
the BOI Scrutiny Committee. Greenfield entrepreneurs in the
sector will need to put up own funds as initial equity, while
those with past track records will be able to access the
capital market with public issue of equity.
To facilitate accessing larger sized local borrowing for power
projects, recently BB has temporarily waived single borrower
exposure limits on bank lending to these projects. Further, a
USD 50.0 million IDA supported credit line titled Investment
Promotion and Financing Facility (IPFF) administered by BB has
co-financed with local lenders in term lending to seven small
power projects. With the initial allocation utilized fully,
the IPFF is being replenished with a larger (USD 257 million)
new infusion from IDA.
External borrowing in foreign currencies by private sector
projects in the power sector has also been facilitated by the
recent first ever sovereign credit rating of Bangladesh (by
S&P, Moody's); placing Bangladesh favorably, only behind India
in the South Asian region, with stable outlook. To further
facilitate foreign currency term borrowing by the power
projects (and other projects seen as high priority) at the
more favorable end of the prevailing market rates, it is
possible to set aside a portion from the foreign exchange
reserves (say, a couple of billion USDs) for foreign currency
term lending to the projects (particularly the smaller ones
with little familiarity with external borrowing), disbursable
through the co financing domestic banks that will guarantee
repayments in the currency of borrowing. Besides more
affordable rate for the borrowers, this option will improve
somewhat the prevailing low earnings on reserve investments,
albeit with tradeoff in liquidity. Such an arrangement will
require legal empowerment for using part of the reserves as an
investment vehicle somewhat in the nature of a sovereign
wealth fund.
c) Renewable energy technologies are still evolving, and with
high initial costs despite tax breaks and other incentives are
yet to attain cost competitiveness as commercial proposition.
Large scale commercial ventures in wind or solar based power
generation appear unlikely in the near term, GOB's 'roadmap'
for up to year 2015 mentions modest plans for 4 solar power
units of 10-15 mw capacity each and a wind farm power unit of
100 mw capacity.
Support from the UN sponsored carbon trading mechanism and
from international philanthropies are available for mitigating
the higher costs and risks in renewable energy projects,
exemptions/waivers in govt. taxes/duties for such projects are
also generous. With the projects making use of these supports,
financing needs of the smaller scale renewable energy based
power projects are likely to be adequately met by the domestic
debt and equity markets. Quite appropriately, solar power
units were introduced in Bangladesh firstly in household scale
for dwellers in remote off grid areas; more than half a
million home solar units are by now in use. Urban households
now seriously afflicted by frequent load shedding will also be
interested in solar power units, with appropriate promotion.
Concessional refinance is available from BB against loans for
installation of renewable energy projects including solar
power units. A comprehensive program can be taken up
collaboratively by the BB, banks/financial institutions and
the concerned government department to scale up several fold
the lending (and refinance support) activities for renewable
energy based power generation (including solar, biomass and
wind powered).
In general, renewable energy is unlikely as yet to be
perceived by businesses as cost competitive for their
manufacturing operations, but significant part of power needs
of their offices and commercial outlets can be met using
renewable energy based power units, as in the examples in the
honorable Prime Minister's Office and in BB HO. The
comprehensive program suggested above can motivate and urge
the private corporate sector to go for use of significant
extent of power generated in renewable energy based plants
(they can be advised to treat the higher cost involved as a
CSR expenditure). The program will also need to be proactive
in helping renewable energy based projects in accessing
technical know how and financial supports available from
external sources including the globally active philanthropies
and the carbon trading mechanism.
The likely total contribution of renewable energy based power
in meeting the demand gap may remain modest in size, but will
still be significant in smoothing out spikes in load on the
national grid during peak demand periods. The environmental
benefits must also not be forgotten.
d) The larger scale power projects in the 'roadmap' earmarked
for private sector and PPP sponsorships (particularly the
gigawatt sized ones) are likely to need larger financing than
what the domestic markets can readily provide. These would in
general be suitable for part or sole participation of foreign
equity. Risk sharing mechanisms in financing such larger
projects exist in WB's Multilateral Investment Guarantee
Agency (MIGA); credit lines and guarantees are available also
from export credit agencies of developed and emerging market
countries. Besides conversion and repatriation guarantees on
current income from nonresident investments inherent in
current account convertibility of Taka, the Foreign Private
Investment (Promotion and Protection) Act 1980 and a host of
bilateral investment protection agreements with foreign
governments protect foreign private investments in Bangladesh
from expropriation and from restrictions on convertibility and
repatriability of disinvestment proceeds.
3. Against the above mentioned facilitations and incentives
for local and foreign private investments in power sector in
Bangladesh, the cash strapped financial position of BPDB (the
purchaser of power for the national grid from private sector
power plants) is seen as a significant discouraging factor.
BPDB's receipts at subsidized user prices fall short of
amounts payable to private sector power producers, causing
irregular settlement of their bills, with uncertain timing of
PDB's receipt of subsidies from govt. budget allocations. A
durable remedy would be in BPBD being allowed to recover full
cost from power users, enabling it to make timely payments for
purchases from private producers. The government can make
separate arrangement of direct payment of subsidies to
deserving users, including low income households consuming up
to, say, 50 units a month (as in India), farmers using power
for irrigation, and manufacturing establishments including
small and cottage industries using power for their output
activities. Exclusion of better off households and commercial
establishments from subsidized power tariff will relieve the
government's budgetary burden significantly.
4. Summing up, comprehensive institutional arrangements are in
place for addressing the financing challenges in the urgently
needed power sector investments in Bangladesh, of course with
scope for further development and expansion as needs expand.
It will be useful for GOB's Energy and Finance Ministries, BB
and BOI to work in close co-ordination in ensuring flexibility
and responsiveness of the available arrangements to the needs
of undertakings of various sizes and types. Regular periodical
contacts and consultations of these authorities with power
sector entrepreneurs and the financing community will also be
important in tracking and promptly addressing the needs and
issues as they arise.
Dr. Atiur Rahman is the Governor of Bangladesh Bank
Dangerous
ignorance of history
Jonathan Power
If the Jews of
Israel want to go back to the memories of their war
against the Arab nations after they had been attacked
following the handover of the British in 1948; if they
want to go back to the Holocaust; if they want to go back
to the anti-Jewish violence, the first so-called "pogrom"
in 1819 when the Jewish ghetto in Frankfurt was ransacked;
or to twelfth century England when began the libel that
the Jews ritually murdered Christian children to mix their
blood in the unleavened bread baked at Passover, then they
should recall some equally important other events.
What about the welcoming of the large numbers of Jews by
the Muslim Turks when they were expelled from Spain in
1492? What about the long period up to the 12th century
when Jews lived unpersecuted for the most part in Europe?
What about the centuries up to the twentieth when the good
periods of tolerance outnumber the bad years of
repression, discrimination and, ultimately, the gas
chambers? Let us interrupt this history a while and recall
Shakespeare's great work of dramatic art, the Merchant of
Venice, where Shylock was treated as an unpleasant Jew
(with a lovely, self-effacing daughter!) who dealt mainly
in shady usury.
His speech to the court is one of Shakespeare's most
remembered: "Hath not a Jew eyes? / Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? /If you
prick us, do we not bleed? /If u tickle us do we not
laugh? /If you poison us, do we not die? /And if you wrong
us, shall we not revenge? But what if we turn this around
and now ask these questions to a Palestinian? Four decades
have passed since Israel in 1967 crushed a new Arab
attack. It was following that, that Israelis started to
settle beyond the border of their state in contravention
of international law which prohibits an occupying state
from transferring population into seized territory. For
around two-thirds of its history Israel has been an
occupying state, one that by fear has extended its
settlements.
The state of Israel has been free of the malignancy of
occupation for only nineteen years of its existence. The
vast majority of the 7 million Israelis do not know any
other reality. The vast majority of the 4 million
Palestinians who live under occupation similarly do not
know any other reality.
It was not that long ago Israel's Defence Forces
intelligence division submitted a document to the head of
military intelligence. They recommended that an
independent Palestinian state should be established in the
territories of the West Bank as quickly as possible, based
on the 1947 truce, with minor adjustments. "In order to
enable an honourable agreement", the document said, Israel
"would examine the possibility of relinquishing some Arab
villages in its territory."
Moreover, Israel would "take upon itself to solve the
refugee problem once and for all and head an international
project to rehabilitate and settle the refugees." If
implemented the document's proposals would have changed
the recent history of Israel and, indeed, that of the
whole of the Middle East
Contemporary records do not record if these officers were
aware of their nation's long history. Probably not, for an
overwhelming majority of rabbis of this and the last
century have shunted it on one side. If the Jews could
face up to their history and to the events from 1949 on,
the world would no longer be threatened by the
Israel/Palestine dispute and the madness of this conflict.
Israel would not have nuclear weapons and Iran, if it is,
would not be trying to build nuclear weapons of its own.
The lion would lie down with the lamb.
Jonathan Power is a London-based foreign policy
commentator
Viewpoints
Washington reflections
Nevertheless, close cooperation between the US and Pakistan in
promoting 'reconciliation' in Afghanistan that brings peace
and stability to that country is an initiative worth pursuing.
Tariq Fatemi
July
is traditionally a month when things slow down in the US
capital, with key figures in the administration as well as
Congress taking time off to take stock of what has been
achieved and what needs to be done.
But this has not been the case this year, as the
administration keeps getting buffeted by bad news every day,
both domestic and foreign. It is sad to see a leader who
generated great hope and expectation only a year ago appear to
lose his bearings. Such has been the change in his fortune
that the Republicans are seriously hopeful of gaining control
of at least one house of Congress and thereby creating the
kind of gridlock that will prevent Barack Obama from being
able to enact major legislation. Vice-President Joe Biden
recently protested that he did not expect his party to suffer
a "grand debacle" in the November elections!
But it is Afghanistan that has been the subject of interest
during my current stay in the US capital, especially as there
is growing recognition that with little hope of any meaningful
improvement in the economy, it is Afghanistan that is likely
to define the Obama presidency. Having accused his predecessor
of neglecting this theatre and declaring it the "war of
necessity", Obama now finds himself in an engagement far more
frustrating than what he had bargained for.
Admittedly, Gen McChrystal's gaffe was a rare break for the
president. It allowed him to display the kind of resolute
leadership that goes down well in this country. More
importantly, it allowed Obama to place responsibility for the
Afghan war in the hands of the only general who could sail
through congressional confirmation without triggering a
Republican attack on his policies.
But these are at best tourniquets on a massive haemorrhage
that the Afghan war has become. Washington insiders claim that
Obama is convinced that the war cannot be won and yet he
cannot abandon the battlefield, for that would permit the
Republicans to literally chew him up. Nor can he approve
increased troop levels either, as it would drive his already
disillusioned supporters into deep despair. That leaves him
with a dilemma, which may explain the urgency with which the
administration is seeking an exit strategy to allow him to
start bringing home combat troops in a year's time and on the
back of this somewhat dubious 'victory' seek re-election in
2012.
But achieving even this minimal goal will be extremely
difficult and fraught with serious risks, particularly in view
of the conflicting interests of the various parties with
stakes in what happens to Afghanistan.
Nevertheless, the effort to seek Pakistan's assistance in this
venture appears to be the administration's current focus. To
this end, it has begun by acknowledging that Pakistan's
concerns vis-a-vis its eastern neighbour may be exaggerated
but not unfounded, which has prompted it to use its influence,
gently and gingerly, to urge India to resume the dialogue
process with Pakistan. It has also recognised that Pakistan -
thanks to its historic linkages with the Afghan Taliban - may
be the only country that could play a helpful role in the
process of 'reconciliation' in Afghanistan, which is being
seen increasingly as the only option that just may permit the
US to disengage itself militarily from Afghanistan.
This has led the administration to claim that US-Pakistan
relations are better now than at any time in the past many
years, as it seeks a relationship that is durable, not
episodic, focusing on assisting the people rather than on
propping up individuals. It also acknowledges that the Afghan
war cannot be 'won' without establishing ties of trust and
confidence with Pakistan, which explains efforts to address at
least some of its concerns, as evident from the passage of the
Kerry-Lugar Bill, such as the sale of sophisticated weapons
systems and engaging in a multi-sectoral 'strategic dialogue'.
But as Secretary Hillary Clinton heads for Islamabad next
week, it would be a huge mistake to ignore the many minefields
that could still blow away this nascent understanding. It may
sound clichéd but it is nevertheless true that a major trust
deficit continues to plague the US-Pakistan relationship,
reflected in the fact that a Gallup poll in Pakistan a year
ago had 59 per cent of respondents seeing the US as a bigger
threat than India, while a Pew poll indicated that only 16 per
cent of Americans had a positive view of Pakistan. Not
surprisingly the Atlantic Council, in a report last month,
characterised US-Pakistan relations as "precarious".
Admittedly, Pakistanis continue to hark back on a "history of
betrayals", claiming that US interest in them is
"transactional", fearing that they will be left to handle the
mess once US troops leave Afghanistan. In support of their
misgivings they point to the absence of large, effective and
high-impact American assistance, and the fact that
notwithstanding assurances at the highest levels, no
meaningful action has been taken on such symbolic steps as the
Reconstruction Opportunity Zones or market access. Nor has the
US done anything to ease Pakistan's desperate energy needs, an
initiative that would have had a powerful impact on public
opinion in the country.
Nevertheless, close cooperation between the US and Pakistan in
promoting 'reconciliation' in Afghanistan that brings peace
and stability to that country is an initiative worth pursuing.
Its benefits for the region - possibly the world - would be
immense. But it will be an extremely difficult process, not
only because of the huge challenges that it will face from
domestic actors within Afghanistan but also because of the
fears and concerns that it is likely to arouse in the region.
While Russia and Iran would be most unhappy with the return of
the Taliban to power in Kabul, it is India that has made its
opposition known in no uncertain terms, seeing this
development in terms of its rivalry with Pakistan and fearing
the loss of its investment and influence in Afghanistan. To
India, a Taliban-dominated Kabul is a nightmare and it would
do anything to avert this, as evident in the views of retired
US ambassador Robert Blackwill, articulated in an article in
the Politico of July 7.
Long known for his openly pro-India views, Blackwill accused
Pakistan of showing "no willingness to end support for their
long-term Afghan Taliban proxies, or accepting a truly
independent Afghanistan". He then acknowledges that since "the
Taliban will inevitably control most of its historic
stronghold in the Pashtun south", he calls upon Washington to
"ensure that north and west Afghanistan do not succumb to
jihadi extremism", even if this requires the administration to
"accept a de facto partition" of Afghanistan, while focusing
on defending the northern and western regions, including
Kabul.
This may be a minority view, but it confirms the belief that
bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan will be a long and
tortuous process that will require great imagination and
ingenuity, as well as vision and statesmanship on the part of
the interlocutors. But failure could plunge us all in a
disaster of unimaginable consequences.
The ghosts of
Kashmir
Omar looks like his own ghost, a paler version of his
flamboyant self. Gone are the gravitas and chutzpah.
Aijaz Zaka Syed
It
looks like only yesterday that Omar Abdullah was elected
amid much fanfare and crowned as Jammu and Kashmir Chief
Minister. Rahul Gandhi, probably India's next prime
minister, personally campaigned for Omar. When Omar and
Rahul hugged each other amid much cheering and
sloganeering in Srinagar, we were all euphoric.
It felt rather good to identify with the two young leaders
representing a new India. No wonder every television
network vied with each other to have Omar as a guest in
their prime time slot. The guy has the gift of the gab,
even if he isn't in the league of his legendary
grandfather, or even his doctor father known for his
weakness for good life.
Today, though, India's youngest chief minister is fighting
for survival. He was struggling for words in his rather
sombre interview with NDTV's Barkha Dutt this week. Omar
looks like his own ghost, a paler version of his
flamboyant self. Gone are the gravitas and chutzpah. I
almost feel sorry for him as he assured Barkha he doesn't
have "time to introspect" if he has made "any mistakes."
But introspect Omar Abdullah must: Why's Kashmir burning
and how he squandered the goodwill and euphoria he earned
himself only two summers ago? The army is back on the
streets of Srinagar after 15 years in a desperate attempt
to rein in violent protests and clashes with security
forces that have rocked the state for months now.
Thanks to the endless curfew and the army's deployment,
the government may have managed to enforce some semblance
of order. But this uneasy quiet could be the proverbial
lull before the storm.
Under the watchful gaze of the army, the unrest may appear
to have settled down for now. But as Barkha says, "it's
like trying to cover a boiling cauldron of water -sooner
or later, it will spill over."? Kashmir increasingly looks
like Gaza, even if the comparison isn't politically
correct, with angry, stone-pelting kids and youth clashing
with the security forces. Since January, scores of young
boys have died in police firing, one after another,
constantly rocking the Valley and bringing thousands of
people out on the streets.
In fact, the army was brought out on the streets only
after Delhi realised the situation had gotten out of the
hands of the hopelessly clueless chief minister. Even as
the angry Kashmiris protested over dying youth and more
died in the process, Omar talked about the "war of ideas"
being fought on the streets of Srinagar, defending the
killings by blaming the protesters. "They're provoking
security forces by pelting stones," he pointed out to the
BBC.
Provocative the stone pelting protesters may be. But is
this how you respond to protests in a democratic society?
Violent demonstrations of this kind are hardly unusual in
other parts of the world's largest democracy. Not just
stone pelting but from burning buses to derailing trains
to roughing up public figures, just about everything is de
rigeur. No protester is shot dead though. At least, I
don't recall anyone dying in police firing in recent
memory.
So why's this honour exclusive to Kashmiris? Why're we
ever ready to respond to the slightest provocations with
bullets? When will we realise that with every bullet
fired, we are driving more and more Kashmiris away? How
long will we stand and stare while the Valley burns and
its people punished for being born in this beautiful
prison? When will our politicians and democratic
institutions and civil society wake up to the tragedy of
Kashmir?
The current wave of protests is even more dangerous thatn
the mayhem of 1990s. Because even at the height of the
militancy in 1990s, there was a government in place in
Srinagar and it controlled the administration including
security forces. Today, it seems, there's no government,
no authority, no rule of law in the state despite the
heavy presence of security forces. More important,
security forces are not fighting the militants sent from
across the border as they did back then.
Today, guns have given way to stones and street protests.
And as history of another distant conflict would tell you,
fighting guns with guns and violence with greater violence
is any day easier than fighting the humble but more potent
stones of the protester. ?Omar blames Hurriyat and
opposition PDP for encouraging protests. Home Minister
Chidambaram and opposition BJP agree the protests are
being orchestrated by forces from across the border.
Statements like these not just insult the intelligence of
Kashmiri people but also add fuel to the cauldron that is
the Valley. Especially when for the first time the Valley
protests have evoked no response from Pakistanis, who are
busy fighting the fires closer to home. Most Pakistani
papers haven't had a Kashmir story on their front pages
for months now, a fact registered wryly by a BBC
commentator. Kashmir is burning because of the decades of
failed policies and actions of the shortsighted,
self-serving politicians in Srinagar, Delhi and Islamabad.
This surge of violence and protests, ostensibly in
response to police firings and faked encounters, is
actually a result of decades of suppression, injustice and
deprivation. The long pent up volcano of Kashmiri anger
and frustration has burst open. And it threatens to
consume everyone and everything in its path. ?This is a
movement that is now not in anyone's control, not the
dithering Hurriyat, not the PDP, not even Pakistan. This
is a people's protest, a protest against their own leaders
for letting them down, against Pakistan for exploiting
them and a protest against Delhi for not keeping its
promises all these years.
What Kashmir urgently needs is a healing touch and some
dramatic, bold steps by the government in Delhi. If India
is keen to win back Kashmiris, perhaps Congress president
Sonia Gandhi, not Manmohan Singh, should visit the Valley
and talk to ordinary people, especially those who have
lost their loved ones over the past few months. As a
mother and as a woman who's lost her own husband to
violence, she'd bring the soft touch that the Valley badly
needs. She has already won a billion hearts with her act
of self denial. She could win Kashmiri hearts and minds
too by reaching out to an alienated and angry people. Mere
rhetoric and empty gestures won't work anymore though.
?The first step to peace and normalcy in Kashmir is a
normal approach to the state: That is, stop treating it
like a war zone and get more than half a million troops
deployed there out. Secondly, and more importantly, start
talking to both Kashmiri leadership and Pakistan to sort
out this mess once and for all. I mean, real and
meaningful talks, not the kind of photo opportunities we
have had so far. This is the only way to bring peace to
this breathtakingly beautiful, but cursed land.
The K knot came closest to resolution under Vajpayee and
Musharraf notwithstanding the BJP's and the General's
hawkish posturing and tough rhetoric. When the Congress
coalition took over, many thought it would carry forward
the initiative. But it was not to be. The Congress hasn't
quite mustered the courage. Under Sonia and Manmohan Singh
though, the UPA government has a historic opportunity to
put the ghosts of Kashmir to rest forever and gift South
Asia a lasting legacy of peace. Soft borders, greater
economy or a special status recognised by both India and
Pakistan…some solution ought to and must work for God's
sake! Kashmir deserves a break now.
Aijaz Zaka Syed is Opinion Editor of Khaleej Times.
Write to him at aijaz@khaleejtimes.com
Somalia’s
forgotten war
Somalia has been embroiled in a bloody civil war, which
has left this once promising country in tatters, for more
than 20 years.
Osama Al Sharif
Al-Shabab's
celebration of the Kampala attacks is bad news for Africa
Sunday's twin suicide blasts in Kampala, which killed more
than 70 people mostly football fans, are a grim reminder
of the festering conflict in Somalia. The radical Al-Shabab
movement has claimed responsibility and threatened to
carry out more attacks against Uganda and Burundi unless
the two countries withdraw their forces from Amisom, the
African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
Somalia has been embroiled in a bloody civil war, which
has left this once promising country in tatters, for more
than 20 years. The tragedy of Somalia is compounded by the
fact that no one really cares about what's happening
there. Its conflict has become invisible. But this is
proving to be a costly mistake, as the terrible attacks in
Kampala have shown. Somalia's disintegration as a country
has produced a number of anomalies such as pirates, but
the biggest threat is the rise of extremist movements in
the midst of total anarchy and their quest for control.
Baghdad and Kabul are like Scandinavian cities compared to
Mogadishu, Somalia's decrepit capital. The daily reality
there is made of street wars, bombings, beheadings and
tribal fighting. It's a forgotten war that now threatens
to bring to power a regime that is more ruthless than the
Taleban. But what is worse is that if it succeeds then
Al-Qaeda and other fanatics will have a base from which
they can destabilize other countries in Africa.
But getting involved is costly. Those who did were
eventually chased out. The US, under President Bill
Clinton, intervened briefly but left in a hurry after
suffering 19 Marine casualties in Mogadishu. The UN too
sent two peacekeeping missions between 1992 and 1995 only
to see its coalition forces attacked by power hungry
warlords. It finally abandoned the country and few months
later the government collapsed.
As Somalia became engulfed by civil war, its neighbors,
primarily Ethiopia, stepped in. Addis Ababa had previously
supported the armed insurgency that ended the long rule of
the country's dictator Mohammad Siad Barre. But that only
led to Somalia's partition with Somaliland, the
northwestern part of the country, declaring independence
in 1991. By then the various Somali parties and coalitions
had declared war on each other and a long and brutal
fighting ensued. The result was disastrous for civilians
and famine claimed the life of no less than 300,000 people
in the mid-1990s.
By the onset of the 21st century Somalia had been divided
largely along tribal lines with Somaliland and Puntland
autonomous regions in the north and in the Horn of Africa
while the south slowly fell under the control of Hizbul
Islam and Al-Shabab movements. The federal government,
recognized as the legitimate power in Somalia, could
barely keep hold of parts of the capital and nearby
regions.
When the Islamic Courts Movement briefly took over in the
south, including the capital, in 2006 and imposed Shariah
law, Ethiopia and the African Union quickly responded.
Ethiopia invaded the south dislodging the Islamic Courts,
but that only led to the birth of more radical off-shoots
including Al-Shabab.
Al-Shabab was able to regroup and become a considerable
force. They defeated the Ethiopians in a number of battles
and finally drove them out the country. Now they have
managed to neutralize the interim federal government and
wage war against fellow Islamist rivals, including Hizbul
Islam and others. The small African Union force is what
stands in their way.
Al-Shabab movement will almost certainly take over
Mogadishu and overthrow the government in the coming weeks
and months. It will impose a strict Shariah law and turn
what is left of the country under their control into a
closed society run by arbitrary laws and ironclad rules.
But that should be the least of the world's concern.
The collapse of Somalia will have catastrophic results on
all of its neighbors and most of Africa. The Kampala
attacks prove that Al-Qaeda-like tactics, adopted by Al-Shabab,
can easily move across borders with lethal results. The
fact that the African Union peacekeeping mission there is
hapless and could soon abandon the country is frightening.
Somalia is an ancient civilization and a land that has
played a key part in East African history. Like many of
its neighbors it has a checkered past and a complicated
tribal and ethnic make-up. Now major chunks of this
country have been impregnated by extremist militants.
Piracy is only one face of Somalia today. This Arab League
and African Union member state has been abandoned by the
world community. But leaving it to its fate will not be
easy or free of cost.
Somalia could prove to be more dangerous to world
stability than Afghanistan and Iraq put together. It is
true that it is an impoverished land, with little
strategic assets, but allowing a radical Islamist movement
to take over will have severe consequences on Africa and
the region.
It is a tough challenge. The country has been allowed to
succumb to innumerable failings in the past 20 years that
it is almost ridiculous to suggest a solution. Al-Shabab's
celebration of the Kampala attacks is bad news for Africa.
Osama Al Sharif is a veteran journalist and political
commentator based in Amman.
International
Thousands protest
in Indian Kashmir
AFP, Srinagar
Thousands of protesters poured into the centre of the main
city of Indian Kashmir on Thursday after authorities
lifted restrictions for the first time in five days.
The Muslim-majority region has been wracked by
demonstrations since June 11 when security forces were
accused of killing a 17-year-old. Since then, another 14
protesters and bystanders have been killed.
As violence spread, local authorities slapped rigid
curfews on most of the region, arrested activists and
ordered the army onto the streets to stage flag marches in
the summer capital Srinagar.
Kashmiris, mostly young men chanting "We Want Freedom!"
and "Allah Is Great!", staged sit-in protests at several
places in Srinagar on Thursday, heeding a call by hardline
separatists opposed to Indian rule in the region.
"We are watching the situation closely. If need arises we
may reimpose restrictions on the movement of the people,"
a police officer, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
Shops, schools and offices also remained closed for the
fifth day running Thursday on the call of separatists
opposed to Indian rule.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which
administer it jointly but claim it in full. An anti-India
insurgency in the part ruled by New Delhi has claimed an
estimated 47,000 lives.
Pakistan wants to
work with India to eliminate terror
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistan on Thursday urged India to work in unison and
share intelligence to counter the menace of terrorism at
key talks seeking to revive the nuclear armed rivals'
stalled peace process.
India's foreign minister met Pakistani leaders in
Islamabad for the third high-level contact in a six-month
thaw since New Delhi broke off peace talks after Islamist
gunmen killed 166 people in Mumbai in 2008.
The agenda had been expected to focus on Indian concerns
about terrorism, violence in India-administered Kashmir,
rivalry in Afghanistan and allegations that Pakistan's
intelligence agency was behind the 2008 attacks.
The meeting was also overshadowed by comments that an
Indian newspaper attributed to India's senior civil
servant in the home ministry, G. K. Pillai, blaming
Pakistani intelligence for masterminding the Mumbai siege.
"Pakistan is against militancy and terrorism in any form
and in any location and both the governments needed to
work more closely for eliminating this menace," President
Asif Ali Zardari said in a statement. "The president
stressed for timely information and intelligence sharing
between the two counties to prevent any incident of
terrorism and violence," his office said. India's S.M.
Krishna met Pakistan's Shah Mehmood Qureshi, then Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Zardari in the heavily
guarded "Red Zone" that is home to government and
diplomatic missions in the centre of Islamabad.
With the talks underway, a suicide attack killed five
people in the northwestern district of Swat, spotlighting
Pakistan's own struggle against Islamist militants who
have killed more than 3,500 people in three years.
India and the United States accused Pakistani militant
group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) over the bloody siege, which
India considers its own September 11.
Pakistan has admitted that the attacks were planned partly
on its soil and an anti-terrorism court has charged seven
suspects in connection with the violence, including
alleged mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
Indian newspapers called on Krishna to spell out alleged
new evidence that Pakistan's intelligence agency
orchestrated the Mumbai attacks.
Pillai told the Indian Express newspaper that Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence had controlled and coordinated
the attacks, based on questioning of David Headley, a
suspect under arrest in the United States. Headley, the
US-born son of a former Pakistani diplomat and an American
woman, was arrested in Chicago last year and has pleaded
guilty to scouting the hotels and other sites in Mumbai
that were targeted by the militants.
Although the ultimate goal is to resume peace talks,
analysts say Thursday's talks were unlikely to yield
concrete agreement beyond possible trust-building measures
that could help ease deep distrust. A scheduled news
conference was delayed more than four hours with both
sides trying to craft a joint statement, a Pakistani
official said. Krishna on Wednesday conveyed a message of
"peace and friendship" but called on Islamabad to act
decisively against terrorism, saying "the cancer of
terrorism needs to be rooted out completely".
Relations between the two countries, which have fought
three wars since the subcontinent was divided in 1947,
have been plagued by border and resource disputes, and
accusations of Pakistani militant activity aimed at India.
Pakistan also raised issues of India's control of regional
water resources and Kashmir, where Indian security forces
are trying to quell protests after being accused of
killing civilians.
Former Aung San Suu Kyi
aide freed from Myanmar jail
AFP, Bangkok
A former personal assistant to Myanmar democracy icon Aung
San Suu Kyi was released from prison on Thursday after
serving a 14 year sentence, friends said.
Win Htein gained his freedom as Myanmar is poised to hold
its first elections in two decades -- without the
participation of Suu Kyi's now disbanded National League
for Democracy (NLD).
"We have got confirmation of his release, but we do not
know yet where he is," Nyan Win, a former spokesman for
the NLD told AFP.
Win, who was imprisoned over a video he is thought to have
shot during a trip with Suu Kyi, was released from Katha
prison in the north of the country. Nyan said the former
military captain, who he said was 69, had been set free at
about 8am (0130 GMT), but he did not know any further
details about his plans.
Nyan added that he was "encouraged" by news of the
release.
Nearly 40 parties have so far been allowed to register for
the elections -- rumoured to be planned for October or
November -- despite widespread fears they are a sham aimed
at shoring up the junta's half-century grip on power.
But the NLD has opted to boycott the vote because of rules
laid down by the junta that would have effectively forced
it to expel Suu Kyi and other members in prison before it
could participate. NLD vice-chairman Tin Oo said he was
"very glad" to hear of Win's release.
"But I felt very sorry from the beginning. He is very
honest and his family has suffered during the last 14
years," he said.
The NLD won Myanmar's last polls in 1990 by a landslide
but the military never allowed the party to take power and
Suu Kyi has spent much of the past 20 years in jail or
under house arrest.
Win, who served as personal assistant to Suu Kyi in the
days when she was permitted to travel around the country,
was in a prison cell during the last vote, having been
detained for several years in 1989.
He was briefly released from his most recent jail sentence
in 2008 during an amnesty, but was re-arrested hours
later.
N.Korea holds first talks
with UN Command on ship sinking
AFP, Seoul
North Korea's military on Thursday held its first talks
with the US-led UN Command since the sinking of a South
Korean warship, as Washington announced naval exercises to
deter the communist state.
The two sides met for 90 minutes at the border village of
Panmunjom to discuss the sinking, according to a spokesman
for the command, which has backed up South Korea's
military since the 1950-53 war. The talks between a US and
a North Korean colonel were aimed at preparing for
discussions at general level on the incident, which sent
regional tensions sharply higher.
KCNA, the official North Korean news agency, said
agreement was reached on the date, venue and make-up of
the delegations for follow-up talks, without giving
further details.
A statement from UN Command said the details of further
talks would be confirmed later. "After consulting
superiors, both sides could hold another round of
colonel-level talks or go straight into the higher-level
meeting," a UN Command spokesman told AFP.
South Korea, the United States and other nations, citing
the findings of a multinational investigation, accuse the
North of firing a torpedo which sank the corvette the
Cheonan in March with the loss of 46 lives. The North
vehemently denies the allegations and has threatened a
military response to any attempts to punish it.
Media reports said the North was likely at the
higher-level talks to repeat its claim that the
multinational probe was a fabrication and part of a smear
campaign.
The UN Command was expected to present the results of the
Cheonan investigation and assert that the sinking near the
tense Yellow Sea border was a serious breach of the 1953
armistice which ended the war.
Pakistan kidnappers free
aid workers
AFP, Quetta, Pakistan
Three aid workers employed by US-based charity Mercy Corps
have been freed in good health by their abductors after a
five-month kidnap ordeal in Pakistan, officials said
Thursday. The aid workers and their driver were kidnapped
in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, which is
troubled by banditry, regional insurgency, Taliban
violence and sectarian killings.
They went missing on February 18 in Qila Saifullah
district, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of
Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan. The driver was killed
last month, prompting Mercy Corps to close offices in
Baluchistan and neighbouring province Sindh.
"It is confirmed that three Mercy Corps workers have been
released by the kidnappers in the wake of negotiations by
tribal elders," provincial home secretary Akbar Hussain
Durrani told AFP. "No ransom was paid for their release,"
he added.
Their release was secured by tribal elders, the
administration in the lawless northwestern tribal belt and
the government in the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa,
he said. Durrani said the trio were now with authorities
in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan and could be
reunited with family as early as Friday.
Mercy Corps official Qasid Mehmood confirmed that his
colleagues had been freed and said the charity would
re-open its offices next week. "One of them has been able
to call his family and they have informed us that all of
them were in good health," Mehmood said.
Suicide attack kills five
in Pakistan's Swat valley
AFP, Peshawar, Pakistan
A suicide attack targeted a Pakistani military convoy on
Thursday, killing five people in the northwestern Swat
valley where the army put down a Taliban uprising last
year.
It was the deadliest attack in the district since February
and underscored lingering insecurity in a region that
until a major military operation last year was largely
outside government control and paralysed by Taliban
militants.
The bombing came as the Indian and Pakistani foreign
ministers in Islamabad held their first substantive talks
since the 2008 Mumbai attacks -- which New Delhi blamed on
Pakistani militants -- torpedoed their peace process.
Bombs and attacks blamed on Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked
militants have killed more than 3,500 people across
nuclear-armed Pakistan since government troops besieged a
radical mosque in Islamabad in July 2007.
Anwar Khan, 40, who runs a general store in Mingora, said
he was outside asking someone not to park in front of his
shop when the bomb exploded.
"I felt something very hot pierce my shoulder. A red,
bloody piece of flesh hit my right cheek and after that I
passed out," he told AFP by telephone after having
shrapnel extracted from his shoulder in hospital.
The bomber detonated in a busy street outside a bus
terminal, littering the road with burnt out vehicles and
sparking a frantic rescue effort. Police said five people
were killed, including two women and a couple visiting
from Pakistan's central province of Punjab, in a normally
busy street outside a bus terminal while a military convoy
was driving past.
"Two legs of the suicide bomber were found," Swat police
chief Qazi Ghulam Farooq told AFP. Television footage
showed volunteers carrying at least one body away from the
site, while others frantically pulled at the twisted doors
to rescue two victims sitting in the front seats of one
non-military vehicle.
Hospital officials said 47 people were wounded, including
four women and seven children. Most of them had fractured
bones and head injuries. A military spokesman said the
army had been the target and that two security force
personnel were wounded.
"The target were army vehicles," he told AFP by telephone.
Mingora is 125 kilometres (80 miles) northwest of the
capital Islamabad and the main town in Swat, a mountain
valley of enormous natural beauty that was once a popular
tourist destination for Pakistanis and Westerners. For two
years the Taliban paralysed much of the Swat district by
promoting a repressive brand of Islamic law, opposing
secular girls' education and beheading opponents, until
the government ordered in thousands of troops.
In April 2009, Pakistan launched a major offensive in the
neighbouring districts of Buner and Lower Dir, then
advanced through Swat.
After heavy fighting that displaced an estimated two
million people, the military declared the region back
under army control last summer and tentative efforts have
begun to kickstart development and revive the economy.
Many of the displaced have now returned to their homes to
rebuild their lives, but skirmishes, threats and tensions
have remained.
On May 1, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance
to a busy market in Mingora, killing three people and
wounding 12 others. Last February, a similar attack killed
nine people.
Cambodian lawmaker refuses
to pay for defaming PM
AP, Phnom Penh
A Cambodian opposition lawmaker convicted of defaming the
country's prime minister has refused to pay a
court-ordered fine, though her defiance could land her in
prison.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court ordered Mu Sochua of the Sam
Rainsy Party to pay 8.5 million riel ($2,000) to the state
and another 8 million riel ($1,882) in compensation to
Prime Minister Hun Sen, following her conviction last
August.
The deadline was Thursday, but no action was immediately
taken against her. Mu Sochua insisted she would not pay
the money, and was prepared to go to prison, for what
could be up to six months. She claims the court's ruling
was politically motivated.
Government and judicial officials were unavailable for
comment Thursday, though they deny the courts are under
political influence.
The case is one of a series Hun Sen's government has filed
to intimidate critics in the opposition and the press.
After Mu Sochua's conviction, the New York-based based
group Human Rights Watch said the prime minister had "a
long history of trying to muzzle Cambodia's political
opposition and undermine the independence of the legal
profession."
Medvedev
eyes German help to modernise Russia
AFP, Yekaterinburg
President Dmitry Medvedev Thursday called on German firms
to help Russia modernise its economy as Germany inked
multibillion euro deals to further cement the
Moscow-Berlin partnership.
At a summit between Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela
Merkel in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, German
engineering giant Siemens signed deals worth several
billion euros to supply trains and wind turbines to
Russia. "I very much expect that German firms, which have
huge experience in this area, will take part in this (modernisation)
work," Medvedev told business leaders. "Taking into
account the strategic partnership in the economic sphere I
believe the prospects here are not too bad," Medvedev
said, during what is his fifth meeting with Merkel this
year.
Germany is Russia's main economic partner and enjoys close
diplomatic relations with Moscow.
Medvedev also invited German business people to invest in
companies which had until recently been off limits to
foreigners. "I expect that German companies will take part
in the modernisation of companies they are interested in,
also taking into account my decision to reduce the number
of strategic enterprises," Medvedev said.
Last month, Medvedev announced he was cutting fivefold the
number of firms deemed "strategic" and in which the state
is obliged to own a stake, opening the way for broader
participation of foreign companies in the economy.
Medvedev also said the Russian government had earmarked
170 billion rubles (5.5 billion dollars) for the
establishment of the Skolkovo high-tech hub outside Moscow
-- Russia's answer to Silicon Valley. Under the
memorandums of understanding signed with Russia, Siemens
is to modernise 22 Russian railway switching yards by 2026
and supply Russian Railways (RZhD) with 240 regional
trains over the next ten years, it said in a statement.
Siemens is also to install wind turbines with a total
capacity of up to 1,250 megawatts in Russia by 2015, it
added. The deals have a total value of "several billion
euros" (dollars), Siemens said, without giving further
financial details. German government sources have
reportedly said the railway deal alone is worth
2.2-billion-euro (2.8-billion-dollar).
‘Abducted’ Iranian
back home, denies spilled secrets to US
AFP, Tehran
An Iranian scientist who spent 14 months in the United
States in mysterious circumstances denied on his arrival
in Tehran on Thursday that he had spilled Iran's nuclear
secrets to US agents.
Repeating his claims he had been abducted by US spies,
Shahram Amiri told reporters at Tehran airport that not
only did he have nothing to do with Iran's controversial
nuclear programme, he had also resisted US pressure to
tell the media that he was a well-informed atomic
scientist.
He said his captors wanted him to tell the US media that
he had "defected on his own and was carrying important
documents and a laptop which contained classified secrets
of Iran's military nuclear programme." "But with God's
will, I resisted," Amiri said, soon after being welcomed
at Tehran airport by his tearful son and overjoyed wife.
Amiri, who vanished from Saudi Arabia in June 2009 while
on a pilgrimage, surfaced in Iran's Interests Section in
Washington two days ago. He jetted out of Washington on
Wednesday after US officials insisted he had arrived in
the United States on his own free will and that there was
nothing stopping him from leaving.
He insisted on his arrival in Tehran that he was a "simple
researcher" and not involved in Iran's nuclear programme,
which world powers believe masks an atomic weapons drive
despite continued Iranian denials.
"I had nothing to do with the Natanz and Fordo sites,"
Amiri said, referring to Iran's two uranium enrichment
plants. "It was a tool the US government brought up for
political pressure," he said, referring to reports he was
a nuclear scientist. "I have done no research on nuclear.
I am a simple researcher who works in a university which
is open to all and there is no secret work happening
there."
His denials come even as The Washington Post reported
Thursday that Amiri was paid more than five million
dollars by the CIA to provide intelligence on Iran's
nuclear programme.
Amiri "is not obligated to return the money but might be
unable to access it after breaking off what US officials
described as significant cooperation with the CIA and
abruptly returning to Iran," the Post report said.
It cited unnamed officials as saying he may have left the
United States "out of concern that the Tehran government
would harm his family."
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a media
conference in Tehran on Thursday that Amiri's return was
the "result of two years of efforts made by (Iran) through
different channels," adding the "details of his abduction
will be clarified after an investigation."
Amiri's return home is the latest twist to a bizarre saga
which has baffled the world media for months and which
began with his mysterious disappearance, followed by
conflicting videos posted on the Internet of a man
claiming to be Amiri and talking of being abducted.
US army hands over last
prison in Iraq
AFP, Baghdad
The US army handed control of Camp Cropper prison to Iraqi
authorities on Thursday, effectively ending one of the
most controversial chapters of the American military
occupation.
Cropper, west of Baghdad and now holding 1,600 detainees,
opened immediately after the US-led invasion of Iraq in
March 2003. It was built to handle senior members of
Saddam Hussein's toppled Baathist regime.
The dictator himself was its most famous inmate after his
capture in the wake of the invasion and eventual execution
in December 2006.
An official transfer of authority ceremony involving US
and Iraqi military officers took place at 11:30 am (0830
GMT). "This is the first day of a new era," US deputy
commanding general for detainee operations Jerry Cannon
told a crowd of about 100 Iraqi and US officials at the
event.
"One in which all elements of the Iraqi criminal justice
system are able to assert their role in providing the
continuous safety and security of the Iraqi people," he
said.
More than 100,000 prisoners have passed through US custody
in Iraq, where Camp Bucca near the southern city of Basra
was closed in September 2009 and Camp Taji north of
Baghdad shut earlier this year.
Among the last of Saddam's inner circle to leave Camp
Cropper was former deputy prime minister Tareq Aziz, who
was transferred to Khadimiyah prison in Baghdad on Tuesday
night.
Saddam's former secretary Abed Hmoud, the former interior
minister Mohammed Zumam and former oil minister Amir
Mohammed Rashid, were among 25 other prisoners moved
together with Aziz.
Cropper was originally a tented site but it was upgraded
after the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in 2004 where
photographs showed naked and hooded Iraqi prisoners being
beaten and humiliated by their US guards.
Abu Ghraib, which was a notorious torture and execution
centre during the Saddam era, was returned to Iraqi
control last February.
Shebab supremo says Uganda
bombings ‘just the beginning’
AFP, Mogadishu
The leader of Somalia's Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab group,
which claimed respo-nsibility for deadly attacks in
Uganda, thanked the bombers Thursday and warned that more
operations were to come.
"What happened in Kampala is just the beginning," Mohamed
Abdi Godane, also known as Abu Zubayr, said in an audio
message broadcast on several Mogadishu radio stations.
At least 73 people were killed in bomb explosions
targeting two Kampala entertainment spots where crowds of
people had gathered to watch the football World Cup final
on July 11.
The region's deadliest attacks since the 1998 bombings of
the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were claimed by the
Shebab in retaliation for the presence of Ugandan troops
in an African Union force in Somalia (AMISOM).
"We are telling all Muslims and particularly the people of
Mogadishu that those martyred in AMISOM shelling will be
avenged," Godane said.
He said the Kampala attacks, apparently the Somali
insurgent group's first such operation abroad, were
carried out by a unit called the Saleh Nabhan Brigade. "We
would like to congratulate the Martyr Saleh Nabhan Brigade
who gratefully fulfilled the mission Allah honoured them
with," Godane said.
Nabhan was a Kenyan-born Al-Qaeda operative who was wanted
in connection with deadly 2002 attacks against Israeli
targets in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.
He was believed to have taken on a senior role within the
Shebab by the time he was killed in September 2009 in a
reported US air raid near the southern Somali town of
Barawe. The Shebab, whose leadership earlier this year
proclaimed allegiance to Osama bin Laden, have come under
the increasing influence of foreigners over the past two
years and Somalia has become a magnet for jihadis
worldwide.
Russia expects nuclear
explanations from Iran
AFP, Yekaterinburg
Russia wants Iran to provide explanations over its nuclear
programme and fully cooperate with the international
community, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday.
In his latest tough statement on the Islamic republic's
atomic drive, Medvedev warned Iran's leadership that it
does not "live in space" and said Iranian leaders were
using the nuclear crisis for political ends. "Iran is an
active trade partner of ours. But this does not mean that
we are indifferent to how Iran is developing its nuclear
programme," Medvedev said at a news conference alongside
German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "We are not indifferent
to how the military component of this programme looks. In
this respect we expect the corresponding explanations from
Iran," he said.
"Iran should find the courage to start full cooperation
with the international community, even if it does not like
some of the questions that are posed," he added.
Medvedev angered Iranian officials but gladdened the
United States earlier this week when he declared that Iran
was close to having the potential to build a nuclear
weapon. Russia, traditionally a diplomatic and economic
ally of Iran, in the past took a milder line against
Tehran than Western powers but recently has noticeably
hardened its position amid improving relations with the
United States.
The change in rhetoric has caused an unprecedented slump
in its relations with Iran and Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad has warned Moscow that it risks joining
Washington as a historic enemy of Tehran.
Iran must end ‘inhumane’
detention of hikers: mothers
AFP, New York
The mothers of three young US citizens detained in Iran
called Thursday for their "inhumane" imprisonment to end
before the first anniversary of their arrest later this
month.
"We call on you to end their unjust and arbitrary
detention before the one-year anniversary of their arrest
on July 31," the mothers of the trio said in a letter to
the head of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani.
"Our children's imprisonment in the absence of any
certainty as to their fate or to the specific allegations
against them is unlawful and inhumane."
Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27
were picked up July 31, 2009, near the Iraqi-Iranian
border during what they say was a hiking holiday. Iranian
officials have made references to the possibility of
trying them for espionage, but no official charges have
been announced, and the affair has become an added
irritant to already tense US-Iranian relations. The
mothers -- Cindy Hickey, Nora Shourd and Laura Fattal --
were allowed to meet with their children in a visit in
May.
However, a longed-for breakthrough never materialized,
they said.
"We were grateful for the opportunity," they wrote to
Larijani, "but nothing has happened since then."
They said that Sarah Shourd was in solitary confinement
and that "her continued isolation will do lasting damage
to her mental and physical wellbeing."
The lawyer representing the detainees has been denied
access to them "in violation of all due process," they
charged. "Our children have been able to telephone their
families just once in almost a year and not at all since
our visit."
Business/Economy
BB
streamlines monitoring of banks’ CSR
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh Bank (BB) streamlined the monitoring of the
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to ensure all banks
follow guideline in their CSR initiatives.
A BB directive Thursday asked the scheduled banks to
submit regularly a half-yearly report on CSR in a
prescribed format within 30 days of each half-year end.
Accordingly, first statement as of 30 June, 2010 is to be
submitted within July 31, 2010, the directive said.
The BB suggested the banks provide the information in the
interest of institutionalising corporate governance
framework to safeguard the interests of shareholders and
adding value to customers, shareholders, partners and
employees.
It also asked for a short description on the initiatives
towards providing a modern, healthy and safe workplace and
on the development and improvement of employee's
competencies and skills, creating a learning and
development environment.
The BB in the report wants a short description of the
actions taken to reduce the bank's adverse impact on
environment as a result of its operation and business
activity.
It suggested the banks provide information about direct
social interventions conducted by the bank in sectors like
education, health, disaster management, environment,
sports and art and culture.
ECB
warns some eurozone jobs gone for good
AFP, Frankfurt
The European Central Bank warned Thursday that some job
losses caused by the economic crisis could be permanent
and urged eurozone countries to speed up labour market
reforms.
After employment fell by 2.6 percent between mid-2008 and
late 2009, certain industrial sectors "may now need to be
permanently downsized," the ECB said in its monthly
bulletin for July.
The global crisis effectively reversed two years of job
growth, the central bank added.
The sectors hit hardest were industry and construction,
and after initially benefitting from real-estate booms,
Ireland and Spain in particular then "suffered
disproportionately large falls in employment," the report
said. It forecast that job losses could become entrenched,
and that significant restructuring "will inevitably bring
about permanent reductions in employment in these
sectors."
German labour market economist Fabien Lindner from the
Hans Boeckler Foundation predicted that Spain's
construction sector would rebound owing to demographic
growth however. He also called for more fiscal stimulus,
the opposite of what ECB officials now expect from
eurozone member governments, saying public investment
would raise overall growth and create jobs.
"We cannot wait for the next big crisis to happen to have
some public infrastructure investment," Lindner told AFP,
pointing to "huge problems at the moment" in Germany's
education system and transport sector.
US Senate set to
send Obama historic Wall Street overhaul
AFP, Washington
The US Senate stood poised Thursday to send President
Barack Obama the most sweeping rewrite of Wall Street
rules since the Great Depression of the 1930s, handing him
a historic political win.
Obama's Democratic allies, backed by just three
Republicans, were expected to push the 2,300-page bill
over a final procedural hurdle with a vote to end debate
and set the stage for final passage perhaps later in the
day. The measure, fruit of hard-fought negotiations for
the past year, aims to rein in risky investment practices
blamed for the 2007-2009 global financial meltdown and
give regulators an arsenal of new weapons.
It creates a new consumer financial protection agency, an
early-warning system to predict and prevent the next
crisis, and mechanisms aimed at liquidating rather than
saving companies once deemed "too big to fail."
The legislation also closes loopholes in regulations and
requires greater transparency and accountability for hedge
funds, mortgage brokers and payday lenders, and arcane
financial instruments called derivatives.
The legislation also closes loopholes in regulations and
requires greater transparency and accountability for hedge
funds, mortgage brokers and payday lenders, and arcane
financial instruments called derivatives.
It also includes a somewhat diluted version of the
so-called "Volcker Rule"-named for former Fed chairman
Paul Volcker-curbing commercial banks' ability to make
speculative investments that are not on behalf of clients.
Republicans mostly opposed the bill, charging it gives too
much more power to regulators who failed to stem the
previous crisis and does nothing to rein in activities by
government-backed mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie
Mae.
"What we're going to wind up doing is we're going to be
driving jobs and business overseas with this massive piece
of legislation that truly doesn't address the problem,"
Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss charged Thursday.
Democrats and their two independent allies control 58
seats in the Senate, but Democratic Senator Russell
Feingold opposed the measure, forcing Democratic Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid to hunt for three Republican
supporters.
Amid stubbornly high unemployment near ten percent and
deep US public anger at Wall Street four months before
November mid-term elections, Obama has led Democrats in
painting Republicans as opposed to common-sense reforms.
Just three of the Senate's 41 Republicans-Olympia Snowe
and Susan Collins of Maine and Scott Brown of
Massachusetts-have lined up behind the bill.
The US House of Representatives approved the legislation
on June 30 in a largely party-line 237-192 vote.
Final passage of the bill would hand Obama a second
historic legislative triumph after successfully pushing
the US Congress to overhaul the US health care system over
fierce Republican objections.
Janata Bank
Awarded ‘World's Best Bank’
TBT Report
'Global Finance', a New York based magazine has awarded
Janata Bank Limited the 'World's Best Bank-2009'. Among
the best banks of 123 countries in the world, Janata Bank,
being the fourth in Asia and the only bank of Bangladesh
has achieved this rarely gotten prestige, says a press
release.
Depending on 11 important indices based on achieved growth
and abstract amelioration, the jury board of 'Global
Finance' has awarded this prize. Among the indices growth
in assets, profitability, geographic reach, strategic
relationships, new business development and product
innovation, opinions of equity, credit rating analysis and
banking consultants are mention-worthy.
Before that, Janata Bank has been awarded 'The Bankers
Award', 'Asian Banking Award' and World's best bank award.
In pragmatizing the vision-2021 JBL has been contributing
significantly towards economic prosperity of the country.
Asia stocks down on China IPO, economic data
AFP, Hong Kong
Asian stocks sagged on Thursday as China's massive AgBank
IPO made an underwhelming start and fresh doubts about the
strength of the US and Chinese economies hit sentiment.
In Shanghai, the Composite Index closed down 1.87 percent.
Shares in Agricultural Bank of China ended up just 0.75
percent at 2.70 yuan, a tepid debut for an offering seen
as a barometer of Chinese economic vigour.
Hong Kong, where the second part of the floatation takes
place on Friday, fell 1.48 percent. On both markets the
falls were led by banks. In Shanghai, Industrial Bank was
down 2.6 percent and China Merchants Bank down 2.0
percent, while in Hong Kong, ICBC was down 2.38 percent
and Bank of China down 2.41 percent.
AgBank's "performance is weaker than expected. Many
individual investors are in a rush to sell the stock
around 2.72 yuan to make a profit as they are worried the
stock will drop below the IPO price in the coming days,"
Shen Jun, strategist at BOC International (China) Ltd,
told Dow Jones Newswires.
China announced its economic growth had slowed in the
second quarter as massive stimulus spending was scaled
back and moves to rein in red-hot property prices started
to bite.
Oil prices climb
as OPEC says demand to rise
AFP, London
Oil prices rose on Thursday as OPEC said world demand
growth was set to rise slightly next year but gains were
capped by news of slower economic growth in China, traders
said. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for
delivery in August, climbed 35 cents to 77.39 dollars a
barrel.
Brent North Sea crude for August gained 35 cents to 77.39
dollars in midday London trade. The Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries, which pumps 40 percent of
the world's crude, forecast Thursday a 1.2-percent
increase in global oil demand growth in 2011. In its
latest monthly report, OPEC held its forecast for world
oil demand growth for 2010 steady at 1.1 percent, or an
extra 0.95 million barrels per day (bpd).
For 2011, growth would pick-up only fractionally to 1.2
percent or an additional 1.0 million bpd.
US jobless
claims fall to lowest level since August 2008
AFP, Washington
New claims for US unemployment benefits fell more than
expected last week reaching levels not seen since August
2008, official data showed Thursday.
Initial claims fell to 429,000 in the week ending July 10,
down 29,000 from the previous week's revised level, the
Labor Department said. It is the second consecutive strong
decline in the number of people claiming unemployment
benefits. The data was far better than market
expectations. Most analysts had expected the number of
Americans claiming jobless benefits to hit around 450,000.
Labor Department officials said the drop was due, in part,
to a fall in temporary layoffs.
Experts had expected the figure to be skewed as
manufacturers like General Motors eschewed their normal
summer shutdowns in favor of retooling plants.
On Wednesday the US Federal Reserve raised its end-of-year
unemployment forecast to 9.2 to 9.5 percent, predicting
the troubled labor market would recover more slowly than
expected.
The current unemployment rate stands at 9.5 percent.
Unemployment is not expected to drop below seven percent
before 2013, leaving millions of Americans out of work.
The Labor Department on Thursday reported that nearly 4.7
million Americans depend on government unemployment
benefits.
Japan central
bank raises growth forecast
AFP, Tokyo
Japan's central bank Thursday raised its growth forecast
to 2.6 percent for this fiscal year as recovery in Asia's
biggest economy inches ahead thanks to demand in emerging
nations. "Japan's economy is staging a self-sustained
recovery, induced by improvement in overseas economic
conditions," the Bank of Japan governor Masaaki Shirakawa
told reporters after a two-day board meeting.
"Exports and production have been increasing mainly due to
high growth in emerging economies and increased global
demand for IT-related goods."
The GDP upgrade compared with the 1.8 percent the bank
predicted in April.
Demand especially from China and Southeast Asia has helped
Japanese exporters. Japan's sluggish growth sharply
contrasts with that of China, which Thursday said its
economy had expanded 10.3 percent in the second quarter.
Despite the more upbeat assessment, the Bank of Japan (BoJ)
kept its key lending rate unchanged at 0.1 percent, as
expected, and said it would "aim to maintain the extremely
accommodative financial environment".
The rate has not changed since December 2008 -- the height
of the global financial crisis that plunged Japan into
recession-and lags behind other Asian economies that have
recently tightened their monetary policies.
The bank slightly downgraded its GDP forecast for the
fiscal year 2011 to 1.9 percent from a previous estimate
of 2.0 percent.
The BoJ also warned of risks from Europe, where a fiscal
crisis has threatened the global recovery.
China to
maintain managed floating exchange rate regime
AFP, Beijing
China will maintain a managed floating yuan exchange rate
regime, the country's central bank said Thursday,
asserting that such a policy was in the nation's long-term
interests.
"The regime is essential for economic restructuring and
the optimisation of resource allocation," vice governor Hu
Xiaolian said in a speech posted on the central bank's
website. The People's Bank of China pledged last month to
loosen its grip on the yuan exchange rate and allow the
currency to trade more freely against the dollar, albeit
within a tight band.
The yuan had been effectively pegged at 6.8 to the dollar
since mid-2008.
An English version of Hu's speech appeared on the central
bank's website at the same time as the Chinese-an unusual
move that could signal Beijing is trying to reach out to
critics of its controversial exchange rate policy.n
It was not clear where or when Hu delivered the speech.
Policymakers would continue to improve the exchange rate
system, Hu said, adding that further reform provided "a
great deal of potential for future benefits".
However, steps would need to be taken to "minimise
possible negative impacts" from further changes to the
currency, said Hu, apparently referring to exporters, who
would be vulnerable to a stronger exchange rate.
The yuan has appreciated 0.8 percent against the greenback
since the central bank's June 19 pledge to relax currency
controls, well short of critics' demands.
National
River dredging project in
Rajbari, Faridpur and Gopalganj
UNB, Dhaka
The government has
undertaken a river dredging project in Rajbari, Faridpur
and Gopalganj districts for improving navigation and
extend irrigation facilities to 29,155 hectares during the
winter.
The 'Chandana-Barasia River Dredging Project' was approved
on Tuesday by ECNEC involving a cost of Tk 59 crore to be
entirely borne by the government exchequer.
The project area covers six upazilas - Pangsha and
Baliakandi of Rajbari, Modhukhali, Boalmari and Alfadanga
of Faridpur and Kashiani of Gopalganj district. The
dredging scheduled to start this month will continue till
June 2012.
Under the project, some 4.90 km of river and char lands
from the effluence of the Padma to Chandana regulator will
be dredged. Manual labour will be utilized to dredge
56.04km of the river from Chandana regulator to Arakandi
bridge on Magura-Faridpur highway. Another 56.06km from
Arakandi bridge to Bhatiapara Modhumati outfall will also
be dredged through manual labour. The project will
generate employment opportunities for the people of the
project area and thus alleviate poverty, said an official
of the Planning Ministry. It also aims at containing
flooding of the area.
Besides, it also aims at increasing water flow through
dredging of off-take canals and creating sanctuary for
water for irrigation purpose during the winter.
ECNEC meeting sources told UNB that Water Resources
Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen informed the Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had
taken initiative to dredge the river on March 3, 1975, but
he could not start the work.
Sen said the channels to be dredged will connect the Padma
river.
Prime Minister also directed the Water Resources minister
to come up with a comprehensive plan to dredge all the
silted rivers of the country.
Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury at the ECNEC
meeting emphasized on using excavators for dredging the
dried up rivers instead of using manual labour.
The river Chandana-Barasia derived from the Padma at
Goutampur under Pangsha upazila and merged with Modhumati
river at Bhatiapara under Kashiani upazila. The 112.10 km
semi perennial river has lost its water retention capacity
because of siltation.
The Planning Ministry sources said that if the flow of
water and water retention capacity is reclaimed through
dredging, the river water can be used for irrigation in
the nearby areas through low lift pumps.
Jute cultivation in
Faridpur exceeds target; bumper harvest expected
UNB, Dhaka
Jute harvest this year is expected to exceed 83 lakh bales
from a bumper crop in expanded cultivation. Officials of
the Department of Agriculture Extension told UNB that
encouraged by high price last year the farmers have
extended cultivation of jute. Survey revealed jute was
cultivated on about 8 lakh hectares across the country as
against 4.80 hectares last year. A report from Faridpur,
known for producing the best quality jute, said jute was
cultivated on about 75,968 hectares.
The district Agriculture Extension officials said they set
the target of jute cultivation on 57,465 hectares. But the
farmers, inspired by high price of the golden fire, have
cultivated jute on nearly double the area targeted by the
Agriculture Department. Many acres where aus and
transplanted aman used to be cultivated have been brought
under jute.
Despite certain problems of absence of rain at the time of
sowing and scarcity of seeds, climate favoured good growth
of plants. Farmers are expecting a bumper harvest because
of favourable climate. Now they need plenty of water for
rating and adequate buyers.
What more encouraging is that entrepreneurs have set up
some 15 small jute mills, mainly spinning, in Faridpur
district in recent past. The mills are Faridpur Karim Jute
Spinners, AH Jute Spinners, Faridpur Jute Fibers, Syed
Jute Spinners, Sharif Jute Spinners, BS Jute Spinners,
Aziz Fibers, Pride Jute Spinners, Rajbari Nihaj Jute
Spinners, Rajbari Jute Spinners and Madaripur Jamadar Jute
Spinners.
Two other mills - Karim Jute Spinners and Altukhan Jute
Mill are scheduled to into operation next year. Abul
Hossain, owner of AH Jute Spinners, told UNB that farmers
are unlikely to get last year's price that ranged up to Tk
2,800 per maund. Jute price in the international market
has now declined.
Ranjit Kumar Ghosh, a scientific officer of Bangladesh
Jute Research Institute (BJRI) said 0/9897 and 0/72
variety of jute seeds are popular among farmers as those
gave higher per acre yield. Besides, 2142 local Tosha
variety seeds are popular because of quality fibre.
Barricade on Dhaka-Mawa highway following road accident
that leaves 2 madrasah girls killed
UNB, Munshiganj
Traffic movement on Dhaka-Mawa highway remained disrupted
for about two hours and a half following a road accident
that left two female madrasah students killed in Srinagar
upazila on Thursday.
Local sources said Sadia, 8, died on the spot and another
girl Tamanna, 7, was injured when hit by a bus at Hasara
while they were going to a local madrasah at about 8:30am.
Sadia, daughter of Billal of Kewatkhali in same upazila,
and Tamanna, daughter of Malek of Hasara, were students of
Hasara Al Ahsan Madrasah.
Injured Tamanna was rushed to Dhaka Medical College
Hospital where she died after admission.
Angered by the accident, local people put up a barricade
on the highway that hampered vehicular movement for about
two hours and a half. The barricade, however, was
withdrawn at about 11am am as local administration
officials assured them of making speed breaker and giving
punishment to the bus driver.
Construction of 110-mw private power plant nearing
completion
UNB, Kushtia
A 110-megawat rental private power plant being built in
Bheramara upazila at a cost of Tk 450 crore will go into
operation soon.
Power generated from the plant, being built by Quantum
Power System Limited, will be added to the national grid
from the first week of September. Quantum Power System
Limited, the lowest bidder out of seven, got the contract
in a tender for establishing the plant on 6.23 acres of
land near a government power plant. The construction works
began from February 4 with the technical assistance of
China. As per agreement, the construction works were
scheduled to be completed within four months, but it could
not be done due to different adverse situations. Project
manager Engineer Ariful Islam said the tenure has been
extended by August. However, over 80 per cent works have
already been completed, he added. A source said the
government will have to buy power generated from
diesel-run engine at a high rate.
Country's power deficit is likely to be reduced to some
extent following the operation of the plant.
Call to develop HYV crops to boost production
BSS, Dhaka
Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khandaker,
Bir Uttam, on Thursday urged agriculturists to invent new
high yielding varieties of crops to meet the demand for
food of the increasing population.
Agriculturists should dedicate themselves to research for
developing new varieties of crops to boost food production
in the country, he told a function on the occasion of the
ninth founding anniversary of Sher-e-Bangla Krishi
University in the city, an official release said. Chairman
of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Agriculture
Ministry Agriculturist Shawkat Momen Shahjahan,
Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and teacher of Sher- e-Bangla
Krishi University Dr Md Nurul Islam, among others,
addressed the function with Vice Chancellor of the
University Prof Dr Md Shah- e-Alam in the chair.
Different varieties of diversified crops have been
innovated in the world, Khandaker said adding, "We have to
develop diversified crops to increase food production from
our farming land."
No alternative to
inventing new varieties of crops; Khandaker
UNB, Dhaka
Planning Minister AK Khandaker on Thursday said that there
is no other alternative to inventing new varieties of
crops through research for meeting up the demand of the
country's increasing population. "The production of paddy
has now increased to 3.5 crore metric tons from 1 crore
metric tons in 1972 as the agriculturalists invented new
varieties of paddy through research," he said while
addressing the 9th founding anniversary of Sher-e-Bangla
Agricultural University on its campus on Thursday.
Chaired by University VC Dr. Shah-E-Alam, Parliamentary
Standing Committee chairman on Agriculture Ministry
Shawkat Momen Shahjahan MP, local MP Asaduzzaman Khan
Kamal MP were present as special guests.
Teachers' Association president Dr. Mohammad Sarwar
Hossain and Dr. Mohammad Nurul Islam spoke among others on
the occasion.
Mentioning that lots of diversified food has been invented
now-a-days across the world, the Planning Minister urged
the agriculturalists to invent new varieties and
diversified food through intensive research.
AK Khandaker also assured the students of taking necessary
steps in resolving their problems regarding residential
halls, faculty building, auditorium, administrative
building and residential building for the teachers,
officials and employees.
BD attached to French
values of liberty, equality, fraternity: Ambassador
Causeret
UNB, Dhaka
French Ambassador to Bangladesh Charley Causeret said
Bangladesh is strongly attached to the French Revolution
values of liberty, equality and fraternity. The Ambassador
made the remarks at a reception at his residence Wednesday
evening in observance of the National Day of France.
On July 14, 221 years ago, a mob took by storm a royal
jail in Paris, La Bastille, in order to release innocent
prisoners.
"What we are really observing today is not the fall of a
fortress, in fact we are celebrating the values which were
put forward following this event, namely liberty, equality
and fraternity, values which need to be defended
endlessly," Causeret said.
He said Like France, Bangladesh is strongly attached to
these ideals on which every democratic society is founded.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Eng
Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain also spoke at the reception as
guest of honour.
Ministers, politicians, diplomats, editors, senior
journalists, artists, businessmen and high civil and
military officers attended the reception.
Govt to announce new wage structure for garment workers on
July 28
BSS, Dhaka
Labour and Employment and Expatriates Welfare and Overseas
Employment Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain on Thursday
said the government would announce a new wage structure
for readymade garment workers on July 28.
This wage structure would be industry and labour-friendly
and acceptable to all, he said while exchanging views with
garment worker leaders in the auditorium of
Bangladesh-Korea Technical Education Centre at Mirpur.
Presided over by Chairman of Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Labour and Employment Ministry M Israfil Alam,
the meeting was also addressed by State Minister for
Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian, Labour
Secretary M Nurul Haq, Jatiya Sramik League President
Abdul Matin Master and leaders of labour organisations,
said an official release. The minister said formation of
trade unions at garment factories is essential.
He said the government is mulling over building
dormitories for garment workers, setting up garment
industrial village and introduction of factory-based
rationing system. Besides, industrial police would be
formed to ensure security of garment industry, he added.
Flood situation in Sunamganj likely to improve
BSS, Dhaka
The flood situation in Sunamganj district is likely to
improve during the next 24 hours, a bulletin of Flood
Forecasting Warning Centre said on Thursday.
Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by
temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places
over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong
and Sylhet divisions, a Met Office weather bulletin said.
The Brahmaputra-Jamuna system is in falling trend while
the Ganges-Padma and Meghna river system are in rising
trend. These trends are likely to continue during next 24
hours.
9,265 Imams trained by Imam Training academy in last one
year: Religious Affairs Minister
UNB, Sangsad Bhaban
A total of 9,265 imams in the country were given training
by Imam Training Academy in last one year (2009-10) on
various developmental issues, Parliament was informed
Thursday.
Replying to a question from treasury bench lawmaker
Shamshul Huq Chowdhury, State Minister for Religious
Affairs M Shahjahan Mia said that during the last one year
3,198 imams were imparted 45 days' regular training for
keeping contribution in socioeconomic activities.
Another 1,376 imams were given five days' refreshers
training, 1,800 others on human resources and 2991 given
training on leadership influence, he said.
The Minister said the total number of trained imams in the
country stood at 65,635 as of June 2010.
He said the imams were given training on various subjects.
These include Islamiat, correct recitation of holy Quran,
mass education, family welfare, primary healthcare and
first-aid, agriculture, forestation, rearing livestock and
birds, pisciculture, prevention of terrorism and
militancy, checking women repression and child
trafficking, democracy and good governance, human rights,
safe motherhood, gender issue, and preventing abuse of
narcotics, HIV/AIDS and environment pollution.
National Health Policy 2010 to determine
continuation of private practice: Health Minister
UNB, Sangsad Bhaban
The National Health Policy 2010 will be finalized very
soon and it will determine whether private practice by
government physicians be allowed to continue, Parliament
was told Thursday.
Replying to a question of Mamtaz Begum (women reserve
seat), Health Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque said the draft
of the National Health Policy 2010 was formulated by a
committee through a workshop after reviewing the opinions
received from various institutions concerned and
individuals.
The draft health policy was already presented through a
press conference, he informed.
The Health Minister said that later subject-based
workshops and workshops participated by representatives of
various professional organizations and institutions were
held.
He said the present government soon after taking office
has taken the initiative to formulate the national health
policy and prepared a primary draft through organizing
workshops at district and divisional levels. Later, the
draft policy was published on official website seeking
opinion of all classes and sections of people, he added.
Law and order will be maintained strictly: CMP
commissioner
BSS, Chittagong
The newly appointed Commissioner of Chittagong
Metropolitan Police (CMP), Mohammad Abul Kashem, on
Thursday said law and order would be maintained in the
port city with utmost neutrality and honesty.
"We have chalked out a plan to deal with any incident of
snatching with an iron hand and there would be no room for
snatchers in the Chittagong city area," he said while
exchanging views with journalists in the CMP Conference
Room.
The commissioner said the CMP authority would put in all
efforts to uphold the present trend of peaceful situation
in the city and nab terrorists, snatchers and
extortionists irrespective of their political or other
identity. The CMP commissioner sought cooperation from
journalists for eliminating terrorism, snatching and
traffic jam from the port city.
"All concerned people, particularly the law enforcers and
the media, should play a responsible role and cooperate
with each other in performing their respective duties for
welfare of the society," he said.
The CMP commissioner said measures would be taken to
improve the traffic system in the city and proper
information would be supplied to journalists.
Abdul Jalil Mondol, additional commissioner of CMP,
presided over the function while Deputy Commissioner
(Special Branch) Mainul Islam, Deputy Commissioner Kusum
Dewan and Faruk Ahmed, were among others, present at the
function.
2 Rajshahi Govt colleges in top 10 again
BSS, Rajshahi
Two government colleges in Rajshahi city have attained
position in the top ten list of results of the HSC
examinations this year like the previous years.
Last year's best in the board, New Government Degree
College, got the third position this time while last
year's tenth position holder, Government City College,
secured the eighth slot.
However, Government Women's College could not do good
results as it has no place in the top 20 colleges.
This year, 1,244 students appeared in the examinations
from New Government Degree College. Of them, 656 got
GPA-5. In all, 1,342 students appeared in the examinations
from Government City College and 1,197 of them came out
successful and 370 students achieved GPA-5.
Rajshahi University School and College attained good
results this year in comparison to the previous year
securing the 18th position among the top 20 colleges while
the newly established Rajshahi Collegiate School and
College bagged the 15th place.
Minimum wage board in consistent with 2010 wage structure
for govt. mills soon
BSS, Dhaka
State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan
Sufian on Thursday said the government is going to form a
minimum wage board in consistent with the wage structure
of 2010 for the government mills workers.
She said this when leaders of Cotton and Textile Mills CBA
Coordination Parishad (CTMCCP) called on her at her
residence on Thursday, said an official release.
Convenor of the parishad M Toybur Rahman, Joint convenor
of Sonali jute mill Nazrul Islam and member of Janata Mill
Bachchu Mia, among others, were present.
Munnujan assured them of fulfilling all reasonable demands
in phases.
The CTMCCP leaders requested the state minister for
revision of Labour Act 2006.
Two killed 10 injured in Comilla road accident
UNB, Comilla
Two people were killed and another 10 injured in a head-on
collision between a bus and a human hauler at Chhaliakandi
on Muradnagar-Eliotganj road in Comilla early hours of
Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Mati Mia, 55, and Ful Mia,
65, hailed from Panchpukuria village of Muradnagar upazila.
Police said the accident occurred at about 9am when the
speeding bus of Paira Paribahan from Comilla collided with
the human hauler coming from opposite direction leaving
the two passengers of the human hauler dead on the spot
and 10 others injured. Police sent the bodies to hospital
morgue for autopsy.
Sports
Rooney emerges unscathed from court
battle
AFP, Manchester
Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney will pay just
nominal damages to his former agents Proactive after an
attempt to sue him for 4.3 million pounds (6.6 million
dollars).
Rooney will have to pay only a "restitutional remedy"
amounting to around 90,000 pounds (138,227 dollars) following
the ruling into his court battle with the sports management
firm.
Rooney and his wife Coleen had been taken to court by
Proactive, who claimed the couple had withheld the commission
on multi-million pound deals brokered during the time they
represented him.
The 24-year-old made no payments after football agent Paul
Stretford, a director and founder of Proactive, left the firm
in October 2008 - taking with him Rooney and the revenue his
fame generated. Rooney was signed by Stretford for Proactive
in 2002 when he was still playing for Everton and the teenage
striker quickly garnered multi-million sponsorship deals with
the likes of Nike, Coca-Cola and EA Sports.
Proactive argued that, as such contracts for Rooney and Coleen
were brokered by Stretford while he was still at the firm,
they were due the 20 percent commission - amounting to 4.3
million pounds (6.6 million dollars). But Judge Brendan
Hegarty, who had postponed handing down the ruling until after
the World Cup following a three-week trial in February,
dismissed that claim and also rejected an application to
appeal from Proactive's lawyers.
Ian Mill QC, representing Proactive, told the court they would
consider taking the matter to the Court of Appeal. In a
statement, Rooney, who followed the ruling while on holiday in
Barbados, said: "I am delighted to have won this case. Coleen
and I have always been happy to pay all commissions due to the
people who were owed them. "But these sums were a joke and we
felt they were just an attempt to exploit us.
"Fortunately the judge has knocked back their massively
over-inflated claims and we are happy to pay the very small
sum awarded.
"Going to court was the last thing I wanted to do. I was
shocked that a company which represents some of Britain's
biggest entertainers was going down this road which meant that
private financial and commercial matters were made public.
"But you always have to fight for what's right in life and
that's why we contested it."
Rooney's statement thanked his legal team and witnesses who
appeared on his behalf, including Manchester United chief
executive David Gill and Gordon Taylor from the Professional
Footballers' Association.
Bolt
faces Powell test in Paris Diamond League
AFP, Paris
World sprinting sensation Usain Bolt comes up against Jamaican
compatriot Asafa Powell in the 100m for the first time this
season at Friday's IAAF Diamond League meeting here.
Bolt, the reigning world record holder in the 100 and 200m,
opened his season with a 9.86sec outing in Daegu, but then had
to cancel several meets after picking up an achilles tendon
problem.
The 23-year-old made his return last week in Lau-sanne,
clocking 9.82sec, and while insisting that he feels no pain in
his tendon, said he was only firing at 80 percent of his
capabilities.
That said, the cocksure triple Olympic and double world sprint
champion insisted he would aim for a season's lead time of
around 9.7sec come Friday. "I'm in good shape," Bolt said.
"I'm not yet 100 percent, maybe 80 percent. As long I'm
running in a straight lane, it's good."
Bolt's outing in Lausanne matched the current season's lead
set in Rome by Powell, the former world record holder. "On
Friday I think we will see a serious race as Asafa said he is
ready for me," said Bolt. "I haven't competed against him yet
this season. He is in great shape. He has been injury free and
consistent around 9.8sec."
Powell was the last to beat Bolt in the 100m, edging him in
Stockholm two years ago. Bolt has since remained undefeated in
both the 100 and 200m. "I'm looking forward to run 9.7sec
based from what I did in Lausanne," said Bolt. "I ran 9.82
there in pretty good conditions, but when you know that the
competition level is higher, you can expect a better time."
Friday's field also sees another Jamaican, Yohan Blake,
competing alongside Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles,
Trinidad's Richard Thompson and up-and-coming French sprinter
Christophe Lemaitre, who clocked 9.98sec in snatching the
France record last week. South African world champion Mbulaeni
Mulaudzi will compete in the men's 800m, with Sudan's Abubaker
Kaki sure to be in the running. In the field, home fans' eye
will be glued to the men's pole vault, where French duo Renaud
Lavillenie and Romain Mesnil will be up against the best in
Australian world and Olympic champion Steve Hooker.
Aamer
‘cleverer than I was at 18’ - Wasim
AFP, London
Pakistan fast bowling great Wasim Akram believes new pace
sensation Mohammad Aamer is "much cleverer than I was at
18" after watching the teenage quick's latest impressive
Test display..
Aamer, like Wasim a left-arm seamer, took four wickets for
72 runs as he led Pakistan's attack in the ongoing first
Test against Australia here at Lord's in his first Test at
the 'home of cricket'.
After seeing Aamer wrap up Australia's first innings on
Wednesday by bowling tailender Doug Bollinger with an
inswinging yorker, an admiring Wasim told AFP: "It was
exciting to watch Aamer bowl so well at Lord's. "He is a
special talent and has pace, nip and can swing the ball
both ways which is ideal for a paceman, and augurs well
for his future,. Aamer has risen by leaps and bounds to
become Pakistan's spearhead since making his debut last
year and served further notice of his enormous potential
with another impressive display at Lord's. His efforts,
ably supported by pace partner Mohammad Asif (three for
63), helped a new-look Pakistan team dismiss Australia for
253 on the second day of the first of two Tests that have
both been moved to England because of security fears in
Pakistan.
The 18-year-old Aamer's pace, swing and exuberance have
already led experts to compare Aamer with Wasim, widely
regarded as the best left-arm fast bowler ever to have
played international cricket.
But Wasim said Aamer was already ahead of him in one
respect. "He is much cleverer than when I was 18," said
Wasim who took ten wickets in his only second Test,
against New Zealand at Dunedin in 1984. "Aamer has got a
head start and is a quick learner, so I see no reason why
he can't go on to become a leading fast bowler. "He is
already spearheading the Pakistan pace attack and watching
him bowl (on Tuesday), everything pitched up, banging in
every delivery and testing the best batsmen in the world
excited me no end."
Wasim though advised Aamer to bowl closer to the stumps.
"What I noticed at Lord's and in the series in Australia
(wrapped up earlier this year where Aamer starred despite
Pakistan's 3-0 Test campaign defeat) is that he bowls wide
of the crease. "That may help the ball to come in (to
right handers), but on slower tracks it won't work, so he
needs to bowl closer to the stumps," Wasim explained.
Ballack puts Lahm in his place
over captaincy
AFP, Berlin
The tussle for the German captaincy took a new turn on
Wednesday when regular skipper Michael Ballack took the
chance to reassert his own credentials at the expense of
the man who did the job at the World Cup in South Africa.
Philipp Lahm was given the armband for the tournament when
the 33-year- old Ballack, who has captained the side since
2004, was ruled out after injuring his ankle playing for
Chelsea against Portsmouth in the English FA Cup final at
the end of May.
With Germany reaching the semi-finals, the 26-year-old
Lahm went on record to say that he would not hand back the
captaincy unless told to do so by coach Joachim Loew.
Ballack, however, who has 98 caps to his name, is not yet
ready to call time on his international career and
launched a broadside at Lahm while giving his first press
conference at new club Bayer Leverkusen. "I am the captain
of the national team," said Ballack. "Philipp Lahm has
made his claim at a moment that I feel is inopportune. I
was injured and could not defend myself. "There are
hierarchies. I am going to talk to Philipp about this
business."
The issue has cast a light shadow over Germany's World Cup
campaign which saw them win rave reviews for their
four-goal thrashings of Australia, England and Argentina.
It is also dividing the team with midfielder Bastian
Schweinsteiger, a teammate of Lahm at Bayern Munich,
pouring oil on the fire on Sunday by declaring that he
considered Ballack to be 'THE' captain of the national
team.
France
‘timebomb’ at World Cup, says Anelka
AFP, Paris
Nicolas Anelka, the Che-lsea striker at the eye of the
storm that rocked the French team at the World Cup,
described Thursday the tensions between the squad and
coach as a timebomb waiting to go off.
Anelka was sent home from the World Cup in disgrace for
verbally abusing France coach Raymond Domenech at
half-time in the 2-0 loss to Mexico in the group stages of
the competition. His expulsion provoked an angry reaction
from his teammates who refused to take part in a training
session ahead of their next game against South Africa
which the French eventually lost, ending their World Cup
campaign.
"If it hadn't been me that brought everything to a head,
it would have been someone else. It was a timebomb waiting
to explode," Anelka told France-Soir newspaper in his
first comments on the drama in South Africa.
"Everyone, and I really mean everyone, was as one," he
said of the camaraderie amongst the players. "If there
were some players who wanted to train, let them speak now.
But I'm 100 percent sure that nobody will want to."
Celtic and Ajax
braced for Champions League draw
AFP, Paris
Former European champions Celtic and Ajax are among the
clubs bracing themselves for Friday's draw at UEFA
headquarters in Nyon for the third qualifying round of the
2010/2011 Champions League.
The two European heavyweights, both runners-up in their
domestic leagues, are among 10 clubs in the non-champions
section of the draw. And with the four-time winners from
the Netherlands one of the seeded clubs and the 1967
winners from Scotland unseeded, there is every chance that
they could end up being drawn against each other. Ajax's
preparations have been focussed on trying to hang on to
their coach and some key players.
Manager Martin Jol has been linked with the vacancy at
Fulham, midfielder Christian Eriksen and goalkeeper
Maarten Steke-lenburg, both targets for Arsenal, defender
Gregory van der Wiel who is wanted by Bayern Munich and
Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez who has expressed interest
in a move to the Premier League.
Celtic, meanwhile, have been preparing for the new season
with a tour of the USA which coach Neil Lennon claims is
the perfect preparation for the Champions League.
"If you look at the opposition, you have different types
of teams," he told Celtic's official website. "You have
Philadelphia. Then we play Manchester United, one of the
best teams in the world.
"So the players will get a good look at the quality of
players they will be playing in the next few weeks.
Former IPL boss Modi loses court
battle
AFP, Mumbai
Suspended Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi was dealt
a fresh blow Thursday after a court dismissed his plea to
stay disciplinary proceedings initiated against him by
India's cricket board.
The Bombay High Court also rejected Modi's demand that a
three-member panel set up by the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) to probe a raft of allegations
against him be reconstituted.
He has accused the current members-lawyer and politician
Arun Jaitley, businessman Chirayu Amin and junior federal
minister Jyotiraditya Scindia-of being biased against him.
The court's order means Modi, 46, will have to appear
before the panel here on Friday to answer allegations of
corruption, indiscipline and money- laundering in the
hugely successful Twenty20 league.
Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi, however, said his client was
out of the country and the next step would be decided
after receiving the court's order. "It is not a setback,"
Abdi told reporters outside the court. "The certified copy
of the order will be with us by the end of day or early
tomorrow morning and only then we will be able to plan our
next step. "I cannot comment on our strategy and further
plan at the moment. Give us time to think about the next
step we have to take." BCCI chief-executive Ratnakar
Shetty welcomed the court order.
Siddique lifts Bangladesh to 234
Internet
Junaid Siddique combined with Shakib Al Hasan to help
Bangladesh overcome a poor start and post a competitive
total against Ireland in Stormont. The hosts, led by their
seamers, bowled determinedly in an attempt to build on
their success in the World Cricket League Division One,
giving their batsmen a realistic chance of securing a 1-0
lead.
Trent Johnston and Boyd Rankin did the early damage,
snaring the openers within the first three overs. Imrul
Kayes spooned a catch back to Johnston, and the in-form
Tamim Iqbal nicked a widish Rankin delivery to slip. The
temptation to poke proved costly for Jahurul Islam as
well, who was snapped up in the cordon to make it 28 for
3.
Siddique, however, appeared confident from the outset. He
opened his account with a straight drive off Johnston and
followed it up by easing Rankin elegantly through the
covers. There were occasional moments of uncertainty, with
him edging to the slips on the bounce, but he saw off a
tense phase following the early dismissals with patience.
Siddique ended a period of quiet with a lofted drive off
Kevin O'Brien, and Shakib got moving with a slashed
boundary off Alex Cusack. Though the fours were few and
far between, the pair had little difficulty in rotating
the strike and gradually pushing their team's score
towards respectability. The 107-run partnership came to an
end when Paul Stirling induced Shakib to take a risk, and
had him caught at long-off.
Siddique, however, remained unperturbed, caressing O'Brien
for a boundary in the next over and found the ropes with
two streaky edges against the same bowler. The middle and
lower-order batsmen chipped in with useful contributions
as Siddique moved towards his century, and Mashrafe
Mortaza struck a couple of meaty blows at the death to
present Ireland with a challenging target.
Katich strengthens Australia’s
hold on Pakistan
AFP, London
Simon Katich scored his second fifty of the match as
Australia cemented their grip on the first Test against
Pakistan at Lord's here on Thursday.
Australia were 188 for five in their second innings at
lunch on the third day, a lead of 293, as they chased a
13th straight Test victory over Pakistan, which would be a
rew record for consecutive wins by one country over anoth.
Katich, was 83 not out, following his first innings 80.
Second time around, the left-handed opener had so far
faced 169 balls balls with 14 boundaries in nearly four
hours at the crease. Marcus North was unbeaten on 20.
Australia, after a day where 15 wickets fell, resumed on
100 for four in their second innings - a lead of 205.
Katich was 49 not out and nightwatchman Mitchell Johnson
two not out after medium-pacer Shane Watson, with a
Test-best five wickets for 40 runs, had led the way as
Pakistan were dismissed for 148 in reply to Australia's
first innings 253. If Pakistan's largely inexperienced
top-order were to have a realistic target to chase, they
badly needed their attack to take early wickets Thursday.
Conditions, as they had been throughout the match, were
overcast and helpful to swing bowling but Katich and
Johnson still compiled a fifth-wicket partnership of 52.
Johnson was the main aggressor, making 30m featuring five
fours, before he was bowled by an inswinging full toss
from Umar Gul that dipped sharply late in its flight to
give the seamer his 100th wicket in his 27th Test.
Katich, on 64, had a reprieve when he clipped a delivery
from Pakistan captain and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi only
for the ball to hit Umar Amin before the short-leg fielder
knew what had happened.
North, bowled for nought by Mohammad Asif in the first
innings, avoided a pair before fellow left-hander Katich
cover-drove Afridi for four. Play was halted by a 20
minute rain-break, with Australia 167 for five.
But there was no evidence it had disturbed the resilient
Katich's concentration in what was the first of a two-Test
series.
These matches are being played in England because of
security concerns in Pakistan where international cricket
was effectively suspended following an armed attack on Sri
Lanka's team bus in Lahore in March last year.
Mohammedan SC crushes
Ajax SC 8-1 in Premier Hockey Super League opener
UNB, Dhaka
League leaders Dhaka Mohammedan SC made a flying start in
the five-team super league of the Green Delta Metropolis
Premier Division Hockey crushing Ajax SC by 8-1 goals in
the opening match at the Maulana Bhasani National Stadium
on Thursday.
The winners dominated the first half 5-1.
Mamunur Rahman Chayan struck three goals in the 12th, 63rd
and 67th minutes from penalty corners, Zahidul Islam Rajon
scored two field goals in the 7th and 31st minutes while
Kamruzzaman Rana, substitute Sabbir Hossain Rana and
forward Russell Mahmud Jimmy netted one goal each in the
3rd, 32nd and 49th minutes respectively.
Sharafat Ali Jewel scored the consolation goal for Ajax SC
in the 9th minute.
Friday's match: Abahani Limited vs Dhaka Mariner Youngs
Club (4 pm).
Woods happy with ‘mature’ start to Open
AFP, St. Andrews
"Back to Business as Usual" has been Tiger Woods' message
here this week and it certainly looked like that out on
the Old Course Thursday.
The fallen superstar carded a five-under par 67, which was
the perfect start to his bid at becoming the first man in
the 150-year history of the British Open to win three
times in a row at St Andrews.
It was a hugely encouraging opener for the 34-year-old
American, who was back in action on his favourite golf
course, eager to chase away the storm clouds that have
engulfed him over the past eight months.
Woods started solidly with a birdie at the second before
grabbing birdies at the seventh and ninth to reach the
turn in three under 33. He then ran off three birdies in a
row during a purple patch from the 12th and although he
bogeyed the tough Road Hole at the 17th, he came in
contented with a round that left him four shots behind
leader Rory McIlroy. It was, he offered, a patient and
controlled round of golf.
"The art here is just letting the round mature, and
there's no need to force it," Woods said. "Just go ahead
and just capitalize on certain holes, and just because I'm
at 1-under par doesn't mean I need to go force things. "As
I said, let the round mature. I had plenty of holes left,
but the conditions were benign and just go ahead and get
it done, and it happened."
Awe-inspiring and god-like to the public the last time he
played the Old Course five years ago, Woods teed off just
after 9:00 a.m. under glowering skies as a much diminished
figure, ridiculed and vilified by a sex scandal that won't
go away.
Playing alongside England's Justin Rose and Camilo
Villegas of Colombia, Woods looked relaxed and focussed as
he limbered up on the putting green, exchanging
pleasantries with the hero of last year's Open, Tom
Watson.
Aston Villa striker
Emile Heskey retires from international football with
England
Internet
Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey has announced his
international retirement.
The 32-year-old won 62 caps for England, scoring seven
times, and was a part of Fabio Capello's squad at the
World Cup.
Heskey started matches against the United States and
Algeria in South Africa but was dropped for the final
group game against Slovenia, which England won 1-0 thanks
to a goal from his replacement Jermain Defoe.
While his contribution to the Three Lions cause was often
questioned by supporters, he remained a popular choice for
several England managers.
Heskey said: "I have enjoyed every moment of my England
career and worn the shirt with pride every time I have
been fortunate enough to have been selected.
"I would like to thank every manager I have played under,
everyone at The FA and the fans for all their support over
the years. "I wish the management team and the playing
squad all the best for the future."
Heskey was handed his international debut by Kevin Keegan
when he came on for Kevin Phillips in the friendly against
Hungary in Budapest on April 28, 1999.
He played in the European Championships of 2000 and 2004
and was an ever-present at the 2002 World Cup, scoring
against Denmark in the first knockout round.
After a three-year break, Steve McClaren brought him back
into the England fold and he won his 50th cap against
Belarus in Minsk in Oct 2008.
In addition to Villa, Heskey has also played club football
for Leicester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Wigan.
Indians
outplayed in tame draw
Crickinfo
Lahiru Thirimanne joined the centuries club as Sri Lanka
Board President's XI once again dominated the Indians, on
the final day at Colts Cricket Club. Pragyan Ojha was the
only Indian player to gain as he finished with three
wickets - to go with his first innings five - to push his
selection for the second spinner in Galle, assuming
Harbhajan Singh recovers from his illness on time.
Batting practice was the objective of the final day, when
the Sri Lankans took guard for their second innings with a
lead of 223. Upul Tharanga began aggressively but his
knock came to a halt when he was caught by VVS Laxman off
Ishant Sharma for 21 off 15 balls. Dinesh Chandimal earned
a promotion and he made it count as he helped himself to a
half-century and added 113 with Thirimanne. The pair went
after the spinners and the partnership progressed at more
than seven an over. Chandimal slammed four sixes in his 69
before Ojha had his revenge.
The spinners hit back with the quick wickets of Kaushal
Silva and Prasanna Jayawardene. Thirimanne made 102 off
149 balls before he was dismissed by Ojha. His partner
Amit Mishra managed to get Thilan Samaraweera stumped and
a short while later the captains decided to call it off.
World Cup 2010:
South Africa name Pitso Mosimane as new coach
Internet
Pitso Mosimane was named national coach of South Africa on
Thursday in succession to Brazilian Carlos Alberto
Parreria.
The announcement at a national football association news
conference in Johannesburg was widely expected as Mosimane
has been a South Africa assistant coach for four years.
Hosts South Africa were eliminated in the first round of
World Cup 2010 after drawing with Mexico, losing heavily
to Uruguay and defeating France.
Parreira, coach of the 1994 Brazil World Cup-winning team,
indicated when he took control of South Africa a second
time last November that he would step down after the World
Cup. Mosimane faces a difficult immediate challenge with
South Africa in the same 2012 African Nations Cup
qualifying group as defending champions Egypt, Sierra
Leone and Niger.
Egypt have won the last three Nations Cup tournaments and
west Africa minnows Sierra Leone triumphed at home and
drew away when they faced South Africa in qualifiers for
the 2010 African tournament. Long-time whipping boys Niger
showed dramatic improvement this year with the national
team qualifying for the local footballers-only African
Nations Championship in Sudan next year at the expense of
Nigeria.
Mosimane signed a four-year contract which also covers the
2013 African Nations Cup in Libya and the 2014 World Cup
in Brazil, but financial details of the deal were not
disclosed. He inherits from Parreira a team ranked joint
66 in the world beside Macedonia and 12 in Africa behind
powerhouses like Egypt, 2010 World Cup quarter-finalists
Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Mosimane is a former Bafana Bafana striker who sprang to
coaching prominence at Pretoria club SuperSport United
early this decade after succeeding former Liverpool
goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar.
He has hinted that South Africa should use two strikers
rather than the one favoured by Parreira while several
pundits believe axing error-prone centre-back and captain
Aaron Mokoena is a priority.
South Africa play a friendly match on Aug 11 before
opening their Nations Cup campaign at home to Niger the
following month and travelling to Sierra Leone during
October.
|
|