MONday, MARCH 8, 2010 FALGUN 24, 1416, RABIUL AWAL 21, 1431 Hijri

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Leading News

Go ahead crushing conspiracy of defeated forces: PM
UNB, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged all democracy-loving and pro-liberation people to work unitedly to attain the nation's economic emancipation, the pivotal objective of independence that still remained unfulfilled.
As people recalled the defining moment in the national history, that is the 7th March 1971, the Prime Minister also called upon the people to go ahead smashing all "conspiracies of the defeated force of 1971 liberation war".
Sheikh Hasina made the twin-call from a discussion meeting commemorating the historic speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 7, 1975, which signaled the clarion call for waging a struggle for independence from the then Pakistani rule.
The Bangladesh Awami League party arranged the discussion at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, and the party chief's calls came at a time when her government is preparing to put the war criminals of the 1971 Liberation War to a belated trial.
"They (defeated force) will continue to plot evil design against the people. Crush the evil forces' conspiracies and go ahead by working unitedly," the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister asked her party leaders and activists to stand by the mass people rising above personal pursuits and gains. She reminded that Bangabandhu throughout his whole life had struggled just to give the masses peace and plenty.
"Now it is our sacred duty to fulfill his dream. Bangabandhu dreamt of a Bangladesh where there would be no poverty and hunger," she said.
Referring to the Father of the Nation's historic speech on March 7, 1971, the president of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League said Bangabandhu in his speech had said none would be able to suppress and subjugate the people of Bangla.
"The defeated force tried to erase Bangabandhu and his ideology from Bangladesh through killing him and his family members. But the evil force couldn't," she said.
Mentioning the historic directions of Bangabandhu at the turning point of history-'Ebarer Sangram Amader Muktir Sangram, Ebarer Sangram Swadhinatar Sangram'-the Prime Minister said the Bangalees have attained the independence but are yet to achieve 'mukti', the aspired economic emancipation.
"We will have to follow the ideology of the Father of the Nation to attain the long-cherished economic emancipation," said the daughter of the nation's founding father in her directive. 

 Tribute paid to Bangabandhu on historic 7th March
War crime trial to be symbolic, only a few key persons will be tried: Syed Ashraf

BSS, Dhaka

People from all walks of life thronged Bangabandhu Bhaban in the city on Sunday to pay respect to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of the historic 7th March.
They placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, marking the event. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the first to pay respect placing a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of a grateful nation at 7:30 am.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, placed wreath again on behalf oh her party. She stood for some time in solemn silence.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Deputy Leader in Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, other members of the cabinet, MPs, and leaders of the Awami League and its front organisations.
After Sheikh Hasina, leaders of Dhaka City Awami League and front organizations of AL, different political parties, social organisations and professional bodies placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Earlier, talking to journalists, AL General Secretary and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said Bangabandhu had given the guidelines for the Liberation War in his March 7 speech in 1971.
Bangabandhu had proclaimed independence over the BDR wireless on March 26, he added. He hoped that all would refrain from trying to establish anybody else as the proclaimer of independence.
Syed Ashraf said the trial of the war criminals would begin as early as possible. Not millions of people, only those who were involved with crimes like killing, looting, arson and rape would have to face trial, he added.
Referring to war crimes trial in other international courts, the LGRD minister said the trial in Bangladesh would be symbolic. Only a few key persons would be tried for 1971 war crimes. 

 BNP urges PM to shun ‘politics of vendetta’
UNB, Dhaka

Opposition BNP has urged the Prime Minister to shun what it said the politics of revenge or face ouster through mass movement.
The call and threat came from a discussion, marking the 3rd anniversary of 'Karabandi Dibas' (day of detention in prison) of Tarique Rahman, organized by BNP at Mahanagar Natyamancha in the city on Sunday afternoon.
The then BNP senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman, now senior vice-chairman of the party, was arrested by the last military-backed caretaker government on March 7 in 2007.
BNP has chalked out a 4-day programme beginning Saturday to observe Tarique Rahman's day of detention.
Addressing the meeting, BNP senior joint secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the Prime Minister to "tread the path of democracy shunning the politics of vendetta."
Otherwise, he threatened that she (Hasina) will be forced to quit power through mass upsurge.
Alamgir alleged that the present Awami League government has turned the entire country into prison and there is no freedom and fundamental rights of the people.
Referring to the Prime Minister's remarks of making rice available to the people at Tk 10 per kg, he said the Prime Minister is now resorting to utter falsehood.
The BNP senior secretary general said torture was unleashed on Tarique Rahman to destroy the future leadership of BNP. Tarique Rahman is now in the UK for medical treatment.
Speaking on the occasion, BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the future leadership of the party cannot be disrupted by filing cases and Tarique's name cannot be erased from the country's nationalistic politics.
He said Tarique will lead the nationalist force for building up a prosperous Sonar Bangla.
About removing the name plaque of Ziaur Rahman from Zia Udyan on Saturday night, Dr Mosharraf said the reason of erasing Zia's name from various institutions and places was due to the Zia phobia of Awami League.
Another BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury said parliament has now been made a place of discussion on dead persons while no discussion takes place on the people alive.
He said the present government is creating various obstacles on the way to Tarique Rahman's return home. Such obstacles will be of no use as Tarique Rahman will return to the country in due course.
Presided over by BNP vice-chairman Justice TH Khan, the discussion was also addressed by BNP leaders Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Jubo Dal president Syed Moazzmen Hossain Alal and Jatiyatabadi Swechhhasebak Dal president Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel.

   Indian nationals backed by BSF trespass Sylhet border
BDR-BSF conference begins in New Delhi today

TBT Report

As the BDR and BSF are set to start a six-day high level conference in New Delhi today (Monday). The BSF in its usual way carried on unwarranted activities on the Bangladesh border at Sylhet on Sunday.
The BSF troops backed the Indian nationals to trespass on the border in violation of the rules and Bangladesh India border agreement.
UNB adds: Indian nationals backed by BSF Sunday trespassed the border at several places of Jaintapur upazila but retreated when BDR strongly warned the intruders.
BDR sources said BSF brought Khasias in 10 boats to Dibir Haor at about 10, They started fishing in the hoar. On resistance they soon retreated.
At about 11 am the Indian nationals backed by BSF trespassed into Padua and Tamabeel and started cultivation within Bangladesh territory. BDR rushed to the places and hoisted red flag signifying dire warning. The Indians retreated at about 4-30p.
BDR local commander Lt Col Khandker Zahirul Alam said the provocative actions of BSF within 5 days of BDR Chief's amicable meeting across the border with regional chief of BSF is unfortunate. "We are exercising utmost restrain in the face of provocations," he added.
An earlier BSS Report said: A 19-member delegation of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), headed by BDR Chief Major General Mainul Islam arrived here on Sunday to attend the six-day BDR-BSF director general-level conference beginning in the Indian Capital today (Monday).
Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Raman Shrivastava received the BDR chief at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.
Bangladesh is to "strongly protest" the frontier shootouts as directors general of the two countries meet today (Monday), sources said.
"The shootout by BSF men at frontlines is to dominate our agenda in the talks as the earlier India assurance to stop it during our talks (in Dhaka in July 2009) was not reflected in their actions in the past months," BDR chief Major General Mainul Islam had told BSS in Dhaka on Saturday ahead of his visit.
The Bangladesh delegation included Director Training of the BDR headquarters, most of the sector commanders, Political Counselor of Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, a Director of the Land Record and Survey Directorate, Representa-tives of Home and Foreign Affairs Ministry and Joint River Commission of Bangladesh. 

   Normalcy returns to CHT
BSS, Khagrachhari

Normalcy has returned to Chittaging Hill Tracts (CHT), especially in trouble-torn Khagrachhari district town and Bhaghaihat in adjoining rugged Rangamati areas since last Friday.
District Administration sources said the people of all walks of life from both tribal and Bangalee communities have started leading their normal lives and attending their day-to-day affairs in the hilly town and other parts of the district.
Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Abdullah told BSS that the sign of normalcy became evident on Thursday last when general masses of rival communities together took part in the bazar at Khagrachhari district town.
"The full-fledged bazaar was a clear testimony of returning normalcy in the area," said the district magistrate, adding that except one incident in Bhaghaihat, no untoward incident has so far been reported after February 23.
February 23 was the second day of a series of clashes between tribesmen and Bangalees that started over a land dispute at Bhaghaihat of Rangamati on February 19 and 20.
The clash left one people dead and scores of houses from communities burnt into ashes. The district administration was forced to called up armed forces to impose dusk-to-dawn curfew in Khagrachhari town and Bhaghaihat area to quell battling forces who fought each other with lethal weapons and firearms.
Police Super Mohammad Abul Kalam said they have intensified police patrol in and outside Khagrachhari, worst hit area by the clash. He said the town shops remained open, while schools and government offices run as usual without any fear. Local Tourism Corporation sources said the tourist, who have stopped coming to Khagrachhari since February 20, have again rushing to different scenic spots in the hill district from Friday. "We have come to see the beautiful places in Khagracahhri, Rangamai and Bandarban hill districts," said a young tourist at the Resung Waterfall Site, 10 km off Khagrachhari town. With a group of 14 friends from Jhenaidah, they have started their journey from Khagrachhari as the tense situation came to an end last week.

  Women MPs from reserved seats have no work
UNB, Dhaka

Rasheda Begum Heera MP from reserved seat has lamented that they are not entrusted with tangible work to play an effective role in parliament and for the country as well.
"Actually there is no work for women lawmakers who are elected from reserved seats. They attend parliament only to fill up the quorum in the House and to take part in Yes or No vote," said Rasheda Begum. There are 45 women MPs in parliament elected by 300 members of the House.
Rasheda was taking part in a roundtable on 'role of women lawmakers in establishing good governance' at BRAC auditorium today. Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) organized the roundtable marking the International Women Day 2010. M Hafizuddin Khan, Chairman of the board of Trustees of TIB presided.
She suggested that issues related to development of women should be given priority and responsibilities for implementation of those programmes be given to the women MPs. They should be assigned with tasks in their constituencies with separate allocation in the budget to make them effective. Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury taking part in the roundtable said the women MPs would work for their particular constituency in future. Necessary steps are being taken to demarcate their constituency.
She said the government is taking steps to advance the women gradually. "Development of women will be possible if democracy is properly rooted in the country and stability is maintained.""It is not correct that good governance will be ensured with participation of women. You can't ignore the reality of the society," she added.
Referring to the 'one child family' slogan for curbing the population growth Begum Matia observed that the unborn female are killed in mother's womb in guise of the programme. The minister said orientation programme for MPs had been arranged. But most of the women MPs did not attend.

  Int’l Women’s Day today
UNB, Dhaka

The 100th anniversary of the International Women's Day will be observed in the country as elsewhere in the world today (Monday) to underscore women's equal rights and opportunities worldwide along the march for a change.
This year's theme of the day is 'Equal opportunities, equal rights for men and women: pledge for development in the march for change of the day'.
On this day in 1857, female workers of a sewing factory in New York clashed with local police while protesting 12-hour workday, low pay and unhealthy conditions at workplaces.
The day was later declared International Women's Day during the second International Socialist Women's Conference in Copenhagen in 1910, following a proposal by German Socialist Movement leader Klara Jatekin.
On the eve of the day, President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, underscoring the imperative for striking gender parity.

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Dhaka seeks more UNHCR support for Myanmar refugee repatriation

BSS, Dhaka

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Sunday asked United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to work inside Myanmar to create conducive atmosphere for early repatriation of the Rohingya refugees.
According to a foreign office statement the minister sought the UNHCR assistance as its new representative in Dhaka Steven Craig Sanders called on her to present his Letter of Credence. "The Foreign Minister also asked the UNHCR Representative to work more intensely inside Myanmar to create conditions conducive to return of the Myanmar refugees" through accelerating socio- economic development process of the Rakhaine State of Myanmar as well as through building institutions such as schools and hospitals, it said.
She told the representative that Myanmar has agreed to take back the refugees from the list cleared by them as Bangladesh thought "full repatriation of the refugees, now living in two camps in Nayapara and Kutupalong, remained the only viable solution to this protracted problem". "She ruled out any other option in this regard," the statement said.
Craig agreed with Moni saying UNHCR also wanted to ensure repatriation of all Myanmar refugees in Bangladesh to Myanmar as soon as possible. He said the UNHCR enhanced its activities inside Myanmar in ensuring socio-economic development of Rakhaine State with a view to encourage Myanmar refugees return to their own country. Myanmar in December agreed to immediately take back some 9,000 Rohingya refugees out of over 28,000 registered ones as their identities were confirmed through their verification process as the Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister Maung Myint, who holds the status of the foreign secretary of his country visited Bangladesh.
Foreign secretary Mijarul Quayes at that time said a large portion of the remaining 28,000 registered refugees were ready to go back home while Dhaka "pressed Myanmar to expedite the process of their repatriation".
The foreign secretary, however, ackno-wledged that besides the registered ones, several lakh of Myanmar nationals intruded Bangladesh and were spreading in numbers, whom he tended to call illegal economic migrants.
He said these "undocumented" Myanmar nationals were living in makeshift camps in different areas of the southeastern Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar, while the international law could not treat them as refugees as their were migration was driven by "economic interests".

   12,500 Bangladeshis working in UN peace missions
BSS, Dhaka

A total of 12,500 Bangladeshi nationals including 6,203 policemen are now working under the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in 18 Missions all over the world.
"Bangladesh is the highest contributing country (8%) in the UN Peace Keeping Force and the demand of Bangladeshi peace keepers has been increasing in the UN day by day because of the strong sense of professionalism, moral and ethical standards," said a senior police official here on Sunday.
Benazir Ahmed, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police, said this at a press briefing at the Police Head-quarters, organized to focus on the Third Doctrine Deve-lopment Group (DDG) Conference on Formed Police Units (FPUs) to be held in Dhaka.
The five-day conference has been arranged with the joint initiatives of the UN Department of Peace Keeping Operations (UNDEKO) and Bangladesh Police. Home Minister Advo-cate Sahara Khatun will inaugurate the conference at Hotel Sheraton as the chief guest today (Monday).
A total of 52 officials, 49 from 35 countries and five international organizations, will take part in the conference. DIG Benazir said that before the commencement of FPU, peacekeepers from various countries used to join peace keeping operations with different types of training, arms, instruments and logistics. That is why the UN had to face lack of coordination and mismanagement also. From such mismanagement and lack of coordination, the UN decided to standardize the training curriculum of the peace keepers, he said adding that the first and second meetings of the DDG were held in Italy and New York in 2008 and 2009.
The UN in appreciation and recognition of Bangladeshi peacekeepers decided to organize the Third DDG Conference in Bangladesh this year, he said. Among others, Chief of SPDS of the UN Andrew Carpenter and Assistant Inspector General (AIG) for UN Desk Hasib Aziz also Spoke.

   Supply chain mismanagement responsible for recent price hike

BSS, Dhaka

Mismanagement of supply chain coupled with excessive transport cost have caused the recent price hike of essential commodities in the country, said a study released here on Sunday.
The study titled "In-depth Analysis on Price Dynamics of Essential Commodities", conducted by Micro Industries Development Assistance and Services (MIDAS), an independent research institution was released in the FBCCI conference room here.
President of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Annisul Huq conducted the session of evaluation on the FBCCI-sponsored study.
Highlighting key findings of the study, Prof Dr Feroz Iqbal, a researcher of the MIDAS, said the main objective of the study is to create a network with the Bangladesh Bank and custom authorities to get import data.
Dr Iqbal identified 23 commodities including rice, sugar and wheat as total essential commodities and tried to analysis demand and supply chain of commodities. Out of the 23 items, he said, supply of two products-salt and potato---is higher then demand.
He listed inadequate transport facilities, extortion, bribes and interference of middlemen intermediaries are largely responsible for skyrocketing of essentials. Retailers do much profit while importers do less, said the researcher.
He put forward a set of recommendations to keep the prices of essentials within the reach of common people including re-introduction of rationing, maintaining adequate stocks of essentials and carrying out census of demand and supply chain in every three years. Commenting on the findings, Annisul Huq said the study contains a lot of discrepancies as it has used data of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) which has poor capacity building.
Managing director of MIDAS Dr Abdul Karim termed the study as an opinion one and said terms and reference could have been used in it.

   Nahid calls for modern, quality education
BSS, Rangpur

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Sunday urged the educationists for making the new generations worthy citizens by educating them with modern and need-based quality education for building a digital Bangladesh.
Putting special emphasis on ensuring quality education and educating all children, the Minister stressed the need for changing the traditional educational streams and bringing a fundamental change in the sector for achieving the long cherished national goals.
Nahid suggested all concerned for changing their mindsets and bringing complete accountability in the education sector and cautioned that no negligence, irregularities or malpractices would be tolerated and, if any, be dealt ironically. The Minister suggested the students for acquiring proper knowledge to make them properly educated for serving the nation and coming to the examination centres with acquired knowledge as no copying would be tolerated.
He urged the students, teachers and guardians for rooting out the copying culture completely and make the examination halls secured and peaceful places for conducting examinations in free, fair and excellent manners.
The Minister said this as the chief guest at an Education Affairs Views Discussion organised by the authorities of historical Rangpur Carm-ichael College at its campus with its Principal Prof Abdul Wadud in the chair.
Vice Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University Prof Muhammad Abdul Jalil Miah, Prof Syeda Sahara Ferdous, Prof Ishahaque Ali, Prof Alim Uddin, convener of Rangpur Awami League Abul Mansur Ahmed, joint conveners Advocate Rezaul Karim Raju and Mosaddek Hossain Bablu, addressed as the special guests.
Chief Engineer of the Education Engineering Dire-ctorate (EED) Minhajul Islam, Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur BM Enamul Haque and Police Super Saleh Mohammad Tanveer were also present as the special guests and addressed.
The Education Minister said that quality education is the prerequisite for a digital Bangladesh to build a Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to make Independence meaningful for all citizens. He strongly criticized the limitless corruptions, irregularities and misconducts in the National University (NU) and added that an enquiry committee has been formed to probe those irregularities to take further decision about the NU.

    Banker Azam Reza to serve for life in jail for murdering architect-wife

UNB, Dhaka

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Sunday sustained the High Court judgment commuting the death sentence on banker Azam Reza to life-term imprisonment for murdering his architect-wife trying to perpetuate his extramarital affair with an actress.
"The High Court did no wrong, as it has the power to commute any sentence given by subordinate courts," a regular Appellate bench, headed by Chief Justice M Fazlul Karim, passed the orders, dismissing the leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the convict and the victim's mother. On July 21, 2008, the High Court commuted the death sentence awarded to Azam Reza by a Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal to life-term imprisonment on grounds that the condemned prisoner was not a habitual offender and it was not a planned murder-it was a sequel to "marital infidelity".
Architect Jayanti Reza, a teacher of the Australian International School in Dhaka, was killed on January 8, 2004.
Police recovered her body hanging from the ceiling fan in her husband' s Banani house the following day.
Jayanti's mother, Lusil Sadekin, wife of journalist Sadekin, filed a general diary (GD) with Gulshan Police Station. In the GD she had mentioned that Azam murdered his wife with the intent to have actress Afsana Mimi as his life partner. Jayanti's mother later filed a case accusing Azam Reza, his sister Shampa Reza and Afsana Mimi of killing her daughter.
The Detective Branch of Police on March 30, 2004 indicted Azam for murdering Jayanti and dropped the names of Shampa Reza and Afsana Mimi from the charge sheet on grounds that there was not enough evidence against the two actresses.
The Speedy Trial Trib-unal-4 of Dhaka on January 17, 2005 found Azam guilty and sentenced him to death subject to High Court confirmation.

    WHO chief Dr Margaret arrives
BSS, Dhaka

Director general of World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Margaret Chan arrived here on Sunday on a two- day visit to Bangladesh.
This visit is an invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extended to the WHO DG during her visit to Geneva. During the visit, Dr Chan will focus on the assistance provided to Bangladesh by the WHO, according to a WHO press release issued here on Sunday.
She is accompanied by WHO assistant director general (family and community health) Dr Daisy Mafubelu, adviser to the DG Dr Ian Smith and assistant regional director of WHO regional office for South-East Asia Dr Subhash Salunke. Dr Margaret will discuss the country's vaccine production capacity, health impact of climate change and community level micro credit scheme in Bangladesh.
The WHO chief is excepted to visit community clinics in the country. Dr Margaret Chan will meet with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Prof Dr AFM Ruhal Haque, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Advisor to the Prime Minister Prof Dr Modasser Ali, State minister for Health and Family Welfare Captain (retd) Mujibur Rahman Fakir, other high officials and UN heads in Bangladesh.

    18-member US team calls on DU VC
UNB, Dhaka

An 18-member team of teachers and students from Vand-erbilt University of the United States called on Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique at the latter's office of the university Sunday.
The team included Jonat-han M Gilligan and Steven L Goodbred, Associate Profes-sors of Earth and Enviro-nmental Science Department, David Wood, Associate Professor of Philosophy Depa-rtment and Brooke A Ackerly, Associate Professor of Political Science Department.
During the meeting, they discussed academic matters and socio-economic and educational development in Bangladesh. Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique apprised the team of various democratic movements, including the Language and independence Movements of Bangladesh.
He also apprised them of the pioneering role of the teachers and students of Dhaka University in those movements. The visiting team is at present conducting a fieldwork on water and environmental issues in Bang-ladesh in cooperation with the Geology Department of Dhaka University. The Vice Chancellor thanked the team members for their visit to Dhaka University and their keen interest in its academic activities.

Editorial

Freedom from hunger, poverty

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to fight corrupt and terrorists and strive to free the country from hunger and poverty. Sounding a strong note of caution for troublemakers standing in the way of realizing Bangabandhu's dreamland Sonar Bangla, the Prime Minister on Saturday said none would be allowed to play ducks and drakes with people's fate. "Terrorists and the corrupt will not get shelter on the soil of Bangladesh. None will be given the chance to play ducks and drakes with people's fate. Bangladesh will be a developed, prosperous and poverty-free country," she told a huge public rally. The rally was held at the ground of Kurigram Government Degree College on the occasion of her visit to the northern district to inaugurate the newly conceived National Service Programme for giving works to the jobless in the lean period under a social-safety-net recipe.
The Prime Minister announced that her government would start new programmes for the eradication of poverty. "We will work for you, we will establish Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign state," she told the northerners. She said that her government would make the country hunger- and poverty-free. "We have taken steps to make the country Digital Bangladesh where there will be no poverty and hunger." She said that Awami League always fulfills its election pledges and this time around also there will be no exception. "We are here to do that."
The pledge made by the Prime Minister is praiseworthy and the occasion was befitting. However, it goes without saying that fighting corruption and terrorism as well as freeing the people from hunger and poverty, though well intended, are very difficult tasks. In our country corruption is so deep-rooted, terrorism is so dreadful, hunger is so intensive and poverty is so widespread that these are very difficult to be eradicated. But it is not totally impossible to achieve this goal in these days of spectacular advancement of science and technology if relentless efforts are made with sincerity and determination.
It may be pointed out that the main pre-requisite for fighting corruption and terrorism is to establish rule of law in the country and take stern measures against those indulging in these offences. The government must be tough against even its own people if found guilty. Alongside, all out efforts should be made for massive employment generation with a view to getting rid of hunger and poverty. Unless the unemployed people are employed and enabled to stand on their own feet, the mass poverty cannot be alleviated. Moreover, measures should be taken to reduce illiteracy and enhance the number of educated people to strengthen the campaign against poverty and hunger. The introduction of National Service Programme is a right step in the right direction. People hope that this programme will be implemented in right earnest and the pledge made by the Prime Minister for fighting corruption and terrorism and eradicating hunger and poverty will be translated into action.

  Railway level crossings

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has taken initiatives to develop 440 level crossings and approve 384 illegal ones across the country. A project proposal involving Taka 184.95 crore has been sent to the Planning Commission in the regard. The project evaluation committee of the Planning Commission recently decided to undertake a pilot project for the purpose.
According to the railway sources, there are 35 level crossings between Kamalapur and Tongi. Of those, 14 are legal and the rest 11 have no approval. Nine accidents took place in eight months at these level crossings. The unapproved level crossings do not have overpasses and underpasses and those are slowing down the speed of trains and increasing operation costs. A committee was formed to identify the level crossings in Dhaka having no overpasses. The committee recommended construction of flyovers at five level crossings. Bangladesh Railway has 413 approved and 1,028 unapproved level crossings across the country. Of the approved gates, 371 are manned and 1,042 unmanned. The number of accidents is increasing because of the unapproved and unmanned level crossings. The railway sources said recruitment of 1,500 gatemen has become essential for the railway. Currently, temporary gatemen are working there.
Developing railway level crossings has been long overdue as most of the train accidents in the country have been occurring due mainly to lack of proper manning and management of the rail gates and crossings. It is very shocking that train accidents are taking place frequently causing deaths and injuries to people for absence of guard at the rail crossing during the accident. Trains are continuing to meet such accidents one after another. Most of the accidents are taking place as the level crossings remain unguarded and some irresponsible drivers run the trains callously. It shows that the authorities are not cautious enough to run the railway properly. These accidents expose the ineffi-ciency and carelessness of the railway department and damage seriously the people's confidence in them. The department has to regain the lost trust by improving its efficiency and performance. The developing of level crossings may help achieve this goal.

Analysis

March 8 International Women’s Day

The satisfactory result has been achieved in reducing gender gap in education and health sectors. Women's participation has increased at all tiers of our society.

Md. Sazedul Islam

International Women's Day (IWD) is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women's achievements throughout the world. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women's Rights and International Peace.
It is an important occasion to celebrate the achievements and gains made by women and to focus on the job still to do in working towards equality for women around the world. This day is designated in many countries as a national holiday.
In few nations, IWD is celebrated as an equivalent of Mother's Day and children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers. In some countries, school children bring gifts to their female teachers.
Much progress has been made to protect and promote women's rights in recent times. However, nowhere in the world can women claim to have all the same rights and opportunities as men, according to the UN. The majority of the world's 1.3 billion absolute poor are women. On average, women receive between 30 and 40 percent less pay than men earn for the same work. Women also continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide. In several countries, women have been raped, and sometimes killed by their individual families to protect the family's honor.
The history of IWD is the event originated in 1908. In New York, women garment makers demanded better working conditions in the company. The Women has worked in very bad conditions and also earned half of men's wages. They died too early from deprived health. They did not have the right to vote.
In 1910, a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands.
The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.
The first IWD occurred on March 19 in 1911. The inaugural event, which included rallies and organized meetings, was a big success in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The March 19 date was chosen because it commemorated the day that the Prussian king promised to introduce votes for women in 1848. The promise gave hope for equality but it was a promise that he failed to keep.
In 1913 International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date
for International Women's Day ever since.
During International Women's Year in 1975, IWD was given official recognition by the United Nations and was taken up by many governments.
The UN drew global attention to women's concerns in 1975 by calling for an International Women's Year. It also convened the first conference on women in Mexico City that year. The UN General Assembly then invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace in 1977. The day aimed to help nations worldwide eliminate discrimination against women. It also focused on helping women gain full and equal participation in global development.
The theme of IWD this year is: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress
for all.
In a message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said gender equality and women's empowerment are fundamental to the global mission of the United Nations to achieve equal rights and dignity for all. This is a matter of basic human rights, as enshrined in our founding Charter and the Universal Declaration. It is part of the Organi-zation's very identity.
But equality for women and girls is also an economic and social imperative. Until women and girls are liberated from poverty and injustice, all our goals-peace, security, sustainable development-stand in jeopardy, said UN chief. When women are denied the opportunity to better themselves and their societies, we all lose. On this International Women's Day, let us look critically at the achievements of the past 15 years so we can build on what has worked and correct what has not. Let us work with renewed determination for a future of equal rights, equal opportunities and progress for all, he said.
In Bangladesh, discussions, rallies, exhibition and other programmes are held to mark the Day. Betar, BTV and other TV channels broadcast special programmes to highlight the significance of the Day.
National dailies also publish special supplements on the occasion.
In Bangladesh, women have been subjected to exploitation and negligence for decades for various reasons. According to a published report of Women and Children Affairs Ministry, our women are facing different repressing incidents.
Our women failed to make progress due to various reasons in the male-dominated society. Women and children comprise of three-fourth of world population.
Woman's role is significant in smooth maintenance of children and family and keeping family well-organized. Hence, role of women is important in social and family life.
As women are relatively disadvan-taged position, the government placed more emphasis on ensuring women's socio-economic development as we cannot achieve our social, political and economic development keeping the women folk, half of our population, neglected. Bangladesh joined with other parts of the world to combat discrimination, violence and injustice against women.
The government's vision is elimination of violence against women and children through comprehensive efforts and making arrangement for developing a violence-free society. The government's mission is to create awareness among the people regarding various types and severity of gender-based violence and make arrangement for reporting all the incidence of violence against women, which will help to develop national database and provide all sorts of support to the victims of violence.
The government has introduced the national policies for the advancement of women. Bangladesh is signatories to various charters on advancement of women and committed to implement these. Bangladesh has made notable progress in health, education, economic and political participation to benefit 75 percent of women and girl children and ultimately the country.
The satisfactory result has been achieved in reducing gender gap in education and health sectors. Women's participation has increased at all tiers of our society. At present, women are working everywhere in the society.
Although considerable progress has been made, much more still needs to be done. The government is confident of achieving the goals in future with the united efforts of all concerned.


The writer is a journalist.

  Malthus’s disciples

To date, $ 1.05 trillion dollars have been allocated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In March 2008 The Washington Post said the war in Iraq alone will cost more than $ 3 trillion.

Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

The inexorable worldwide slide into the quagmires of poverty, social upheavals and environmental disasters is not only being ignored but positively speeded up by the powers who, blinded by their enormous profits from arms sales, have relegated peaceful conflict resolution to a very secondary position and allowed rulers to squander and spend a country into abject poverty by relentlessly pursuing confrontation.
Robert Fisk, in The Great War for Civilisation says, "In 1998 and 1999 alone, Gulf Arab military spending came to $ 92 billion. Since 1997 Emirates alone had signed contracts worth more than $ 11 billion. The figures are staggering, revolting. Between 1991 and 1993, the US Military Training Mission was administering more than $ 31 billion in Saudi arms procurement from Washington and $ 27 billion in new US acquisitions.
To understand these figures one has to remember the total Saudi financial support for the Palestinian-Israeli, Gaza-Jericho accord: a mere $ 100 million. The UAE, which was buying $ 3.5 billion French Leclerc tanks, had pledged just $ 25 million to the Palestinians. The US sold well over $ 28 billion of arms in two years following the Gulf War, of which the Saudis accounted for $ 17 billion. Sale of weapons to Middle East in 1993 was running at $ 46 million a day."
Ironically, the US and UK, the champions of democracy, dispense death and destruction in the name of freedom. Millions of Iraqis and Afghans have died or been displaced since 1990.
In Fallujah three times more children with birth defects are born due to the munitions used by the Allies.
To date, $ 1.05 trillion dollars have been allocated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In March 2008 The Washington Post said the war in Iraq alone will cost more than $ 3 trillion. A couple of years back a Quaker pacifist group disclosed that apart from the $ 8 billion the UK spends, the daily cost of the Iraq War is $ 720 million, or $ 500,000 a minute.
Paradoxically, when it came to fighting food poverty, Bush had announced a meagre $ 700 million although the New York Food Bank study found about 3.1 million (40 percent) residents of New York City struggled to put food on the table in 2007.
The incredible amount of money being used for the destruction of Iraq and Afghanistan exposes the obscenity and injustice of this reprehensible business of weapons and wars. The 2009 SIPRI report presents a depressing picture: world military expenditure in 2008 reached $ 1.464 trillion.
This represented a 4 percent increase in real terms since 2007 and a 45 percent increase over the last 10 years. It corresponded to 2.4 percent of world GDP or $ 217 for each person on earth. In contrast the UN spends about $ 27 billion each year or about $ 4 for each person. The entire UN budget is approximately 1.8 percent of the world's military expenditure.
The US with its massive spending budget is the principal determinant of the current world trend, and its military expenditure now accounts for just under half, at 41.5 percent, of the world total. In 2008 it accounted for 48 percent ($ 710 billion), spending more than the combined spending of the next 46 highest spending countries. It also is the biggest arms supplier.
The world's donor countries' entire aid shortfall to the UN is over $ 3.6 trillion in promised official aid from 1970 till 2005. Little wonder a report said, "More than 80 million children and mothers will needlessly die in the developing world by 2015 unless the Millennium Development Goals' aim to cut child mortality by two-thirds and maternal death rates by three quarters are met." These figures convey the magnitude of the problem that diversion of precious resources creates.
According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die daily due to poverty. Annually more than six million children in the world under the age of five needlessly die. Diarrhoea kills over 2 million, pneumonia over 2 million, malaria about 1 million, HIV/Aids about 0.3 million and measles about 0.1 million. Overall, 10 million children die annually before they are five. Most deaths occur in just six countries - China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Although so many deaths from preventable causes occur in the subcontinent, yet surveying the defence budgets, India's defence budget now stands at $ 32 billion and Pakistan hiked it to Rs 343 billion in 2009-10 with overheads breaching this by a wide margin; one would presume they are ignorant of the bitter realities.
During the year 2009-10 Pakistan spent Rs 249.858 billion on defence but only Rs 5.964 billion and Rs 22.6 billion on health and education respectively. Last year Fakhruddin G Ibrahim said, "During the last 30 years, Rs 178.3 billion had been spent on education and Rs 98 billion on health while on the other hand around Rs 2,835 billion had been consumed on defence alone." Expenditure on health and education in 30 years is slightly higher than that for defence in 2009-10 alone. In Pakistan, 31 percent of the population lives on less than $ 1 a day, while 85 percent lives on less than $ 2 a day.
The situation in India is not much different. A panel headed by Suresh Tendulkar, former chairman of the
PM's Economic Advisory Council, concluded that every third Indian, i.e. 37 percent of people, is living below the poverty line.
The 1998 figures about other spending priorities also display insensitivity to these problems: cosmetics $ 8 billion, ice cream in Europe $ 11 billion, perfumes in Europe $ 12 billion, pet foods in Europe $ 17 billion, business entertainment in Japan $ 35 billion, cigarettes in Europe $ 50 billion, alcoholic drinks in Europe $ 105 billion, narcotics drugs in the world $ 400 billion, and military spending in the world $ 780 billion.
There are some 23,300 nuclear weapons, made and maintained at enormous cost and enough to destroy the earth a thousand times over, in the arsenals of eight states: the US, Russia, China, UK, France, India, Pakistan and Israel. A-bombs neither alleviate poverty nor raise literacy rates. There should be total nuclear disarmament.
Reason demands that the morally indefensible expenditure of trillions of dollars on wars and the military should end and be diverted to human welfare because malaria alone makes 300 million people ill and causes a million deaths worldwide annually. In sub-Saharan Africa, where 90 percent of cases occur, a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds, but it seems Malthus's disciples, driven by greed for power and pelf, are determined to continue profiting at the expense of human misery.

Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur has an association with the Baloch rights movement going back to the early 1970s. He can be contacted at mmatalpur@gmail.com

Viewpoints

We do not learn from history

Women's groups, Afghan civil society organisations and activists have regularly raised alarm because they are concerned that the cooption of the Taliban is likely to amount to a loss of the achievements made over the past nine years.

Wazhma Frogh

Women's groups, Afghan civil society organisations and activists have regularly raised alarm because they are concerned that the cooption of the Taliban is likely to amount to a loss of the achievements made over the past nine years
Could we turn the clock back in Afghanistan and travel through time? If so, then the Bonn Agreement of 2001 would be the right time and place to present the Taliban reintegration plan introduced at the recent London conference on Afghanistan. This is because the war was almost over back in late 2001, and a large number of Taliban members were eager for a new life in a new Afghanistan. But the government's failures since then have made the people who had given up violence rejoin militant groups, turning militancy into a full-fledged insurgency that is not being tackled by almost 100,000 of international troops and a similar number of Afghan Police and the Afghan National Army.
The London Conference on Afghanistan held on January 28 marked another page in the country's history. It presented a reintegration plan for those Taliban who are ready to renounce violence and be brought back into the 'political process' as declared by President Karzai. The plan includes providing financial 'incentives' to those leaders and low-ranking fighters who have joined the militants for economic gains rather than ideological reasons. This 'buy out' plan is guised as a political settlement or deal. But the plan is likely to backfire and intensify the crisis.
Women's groups, Afghan civil society organisations and activists have regularly raised alarm at the prospect of such plans because they are concerned that the cooption of the Taliban is likely to amount to a loss of the achievements made over the past nine years. The preservation of these achievements is important no matter how nominal they might appear to the rest of the world. This is because no peace can ever be brought without justice. But the Afghans lost their chance for justice when the Afghan parliament passed an amnesty law in the first year of its establishment, providing immunity from prosecution to all the parties involved in war crimes of the last 30 years. And right after nine years, another plan to give amnesty to militants and insurgents is on the table in the name of reintegration.
Justice is not only about prosecution but also a chance for the people to remember victims, condemn the injustices of the past and so create ways to prevent such conflicts in future. Therefore, this plan needs to assure us all that there are specific red lines to any negotiations and peace deals.
Civil society groups and activists who are critical of the reintegration plan are now being regarded as representing an anti-peace front. The accusation has no ground because such critics desire justice, which is at the core of any peace process. Their scepticism about the peace offer to the Taliban reflects the views of a majority of Afghans, even including some of the architects of this plan who themselves have doubts about the plan's success. The plan's most likely outcome is not peace but the militants' takeover of the presidential palace in Kabul.
The price that Afghan women have been paying, and are still paying, for this conflict has never been addressed properly. The Afghan women are rightly feeling resentful of this plan, which rewards those who are causing trouble and ignores those who have suffered as a result of Taliban violence. An Afghan woman in a consultation process said recently, "We are not a threat to anyone, so why should they care about us? Do they want us women to hold arms and start a rebellion so as to be taken seriously?" Maybe, that is the reason we have women also joining militant groups.
I do not think anyone in Afghanistan, or among its international allies, opposes the principles of dialogue and reconciliation. We Afghans are tired of the ongoing violence, but the remedy is not what is being proposed. While we have failed to carry out the much simpler tasks of need-based service provision, why are we attempting the most difficult one? If the government and its allies believe that one of the reasons that the common people (men) join the militants is for economic gains, then why do they not strengthen the government's responsiveness to people's needs? For how much longer are we going to continue reintegrating militants into politics while the same politics make hundreds of young Afghans desperate and hence ready to join hands with militants? If we are to reward the ones that renounce violence, what will be the reward and incentive for the rest of the provinces in the country that did not join militants nor grew poppy in the past years? In simple words, we need a strong government that can provide jobs and economic opportunities for all Afghans, not only those who are affiliated with militants.
But let us assume that the plan makes sense and should be implemented. But are we, in practice, capable of implementing the plan? If the government's own vehicles are hijacked by militants and used against the civilian population, as happened during January 1, 2010, Kabul bombing, how will the same government be able to attract the right beneficiaries for the peace package amidst the current atmosphere of uncertainty and violence?
Reconciliation and conflict resolution are the right solutions for the Afghan dilemma, but only when the common Afghan who sells potatoes on the street has a stake in this government and trusts it. Then no one would need to pay him to root out militants from his community, but he himself would fight for his nation, as the Afghans did in the past.
So the question is, how will the common Afghan start trusting the government? The answer is simple. We need a state capable of providing basic services in an accountable and transparent manner. A state whose cabinet members will be voted in by parliament because of their qualification and commitment, rather than the weight of the envelops filled with dollars left on the seats of MPs. A state that will not reintroduce its own previously sacked ministers just to fill the position and the rulers' pockets.
Let us not forget that this reintegration plan will take place simultaneously with airstrikes and drone attacks. While the war is raging with the 39,000 troops surge, we want to reintegrate the ones we are fighting, while we do not know whom are we fighting in essence.
Today we have hundreds of families that fled Helmand after the Marjah operation and now live in desperate conditions in displaced persons' camps in Kabul. They have no food and nothing to shelter them from the snow.
If, after nine years, we have realised that this war has another alternative, then why are mud-built homes still being bombed into ashes every day?


Wazhma Frogh is an Afghan civil society activist currently a postgraduate fellow at Warwick University, United Kingdom.

  US Policy is Not Working

Israel’s indecent behaviour in Gaza, which drew international condemnation, hardly raised an eyebrow with US policy makers.

Dr Nazir Khaja & Father Raymond G. Helmick, S.J.   

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is asking for the Israeli-Palestinian Peace talks to resume. She is back after her recent trip to the region where she spoke to many audiences and met with several government officials. While her visit to the Arab nations raised some hope, there remains a high degree of skepticism based on US blind support of Israel.
President Obama's pronouncements regarding the Israeli Settlements earlier had given some hope that under the new administration there would be a change in US foreign policy. He had declared boldly that Israeli settlements were not acceptable to US. Despite this clear enunciation, the Israeli government remained undeterred and continued with its expansionist agenda. Settlement build-out continued.
By its seemingly blind support for the Israeli position on key issues of Arab-Israeli peacemaking, the US lets its credibility remain at its lowest ebb, not only for its many Arab friends but for its European allies as well, for whom the Obama meekness before the demands of Israel and its American lobby have become a joke. This is not only because Obama has stuck with his country's historically flawed attitude of not-so-benign negligence with regard to the Palestinians, favouring each and every claim on the Israeli side including its continuous expansion of settlements even now.
Israel's indecent behaviour in Gaza, which drew international condemnation, hardly raised an eyebrow with US policy makers. The report of Judge Goldstone of the International Court of Justice holding Israel responsible for criminal action was easily tossed aside as unfair criticism of Israel.
These perverse exercises, all over the West Bank as well as in Gaza, in which Israel engages in the name of security, are in fact critically detrimental to Israel's own interest, but American administrations are too timid, in the face of the famous Israel lobby, to mention such inconvenient facts.
It is a widely held belief that US Middle East Policy is shaped by those with very close ties to the Israeli lobby. Those who attempt to redirect the policies or draw attention to this are vilified and accused of anti-Semitism. Even former President Carter has not been spared the wrath of this very powerful lobby. The political cost for those who challenge Israel is very high.
US foreign policy toward many other countries and almost all Arab and Muslim countries continues, under Obama, to be largely a mere extension of Israeli foreign policy. The US in the past has vetoed 32 Security Council resolutions critical of Israel, more than the total number of vetoes cast by all other Security Council members. The US also refuses to enforce those Security Council resolutions it claims to support. These resolutions call on Israel, among other things, to withdraw from the ?occupied territories.
Iran too, which worries the Arabs but is considered its arch-enemy by Israel, was also discussed by Secretary Clinton with the Arab governments. Iran's ambition for acquisition of nuclear weapons must surely be curtailed by an international consensus and effort. However, the deafening silence all along, in US and the West, about the Israeli stockpile of nuclear arms again which reinforces the prevailing belief throughout Muslim countries that the US and the West are not only partial towards Israel but intimidated.
Raising the issue of Iran as a threat to neighboruing Sunni states will work in selling missile and other weapons to them. This helps US economy. The Arab countries would rank Israel's threat to the region higher than that of Iran's. The Arab countries on the issue of Iran and other matters will look to their own genuine interest. The US, though, should realise that, when Israel brings up the subject of Iran, its purpose is basically to distract attention from its own actions.
Therefore, it is hardly any surprise that Secretary Clinton in her address to the people in Doha has appealed for patience. Patience for what? Is she embarrassed to be there with so little to show? Even as she admits to the disappointment she can feel all around that room, she calls for the Muslims to be all "Give, give," while the Israeli government is all "Take, take." Has President Obama simply quit after receiving the back of the hand from Binyamin Netanyahu? Is he simply frightened off by the din of the Israel lobby in the United States, threatening to throw their weight against all candidates of his party in the approaching elections for Congress?
Unless the US, abandons its prevailing delusion that it has played and is now playing an even-handed role in the Middle East, or the illusion that it has actually been opposing Israel's policy of occupying Palestinian territory, further progress to achieve peace in the Middle East is not likely.
The exclusion of Hamas from any role in the pursuit of peace stands out among the illusory premises of US policy, as if an agreement only between Israel and the Fatah governors of the West Bank, could resolve anything. All parties to the conflict, including Hamas, need to be included in the peace process. The administration has taken the right step in bringing Syria in. Hamas has signaled frequently that it is prepared to take a positive role in negotiations. President Abbas tells us he has a reconciliation offer out to Hamas. However, the US by maintaining its attitude of rejection of Hamas at every point encourages Prime Minister Netanyahu and his shadow Avigdor Lieberman, to sabotage any such prospects. This is also the reason that any agreement for prisoner exchanges that would involve the young Gilad Shalit and some of the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, all of them guilty or suspect of the grave crime of opposing the occupation has not been reached.
Secretary Clinton should convey the prevailing sentiment, which the President already knows, that the "Mother of all issues" to this date, at the root of the unrest in the Middle East, is the Arab-Israeli peace issue. This issue is the main artery of hatred for the US throughout the region. All the Jihadists and extremists tap into it to such an extent that, if he ignores it, President Obama faces sure frustration in Iraq, in Afghanistan or wherever else he invests his efforts in the Middle East.
The countries that Clinton visited in the area in the name of peace are fully committed to a 'Just Peace' between the Palestinians and the Israelis. And if President Obama is indeed serious about peace he only needs to dust off the Saudi Peace Plan and make it the centerpiece of his argument or discussions with the Israelis.


Dr Nazir Khaja is chairman of Islamic Information Service, Los Angeles and Fr Raymond G. Helmick, S.J. is instructor in conflict resolution, Department of Theology, Boston College and author of Negotiating Outside the Law: Why Camp David Failed (London, Pluto Press 2004).

  Will hope or fear sway Iraqi voters?

Opinion polls in recent months indicate increased support for non-sectarian parties and coalitions.

Zalmay Khalilzad 

Each election in Iraq has been a critical turning point. The first post-Saddam Hussain election, in early 2005, was boycotted by Sunni Arabs. It was followed by mounting sectarian polarisation and violence.
In the second election, in late 2005, all communities, including Sunnis, participated - but fear and anxiety caused Iraqis to vote their own sectarian or ethnic identity.
Sunni Arabs mainly voted for Sunni Islamists, Shiites overwhelmingly voted for Shiite Islamists, and, of course, Kurds voted for the two Kurdish parties. This was the case even among voters who identified themselves as secular.
The second election was a relative success: The national unity government that was formed gave Iraq's main communities representation in the three branches of government.
But extremist groups sought to destabilise the country through high-profile attacks, like the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra in 2006. The result was an explosion of sectarian rage among the Arabs and a wave of violence that pushed the country close to the brink of civil war. The national elections tomorrow will be another major test of Iraq's democratic experiment.
The question is whether Iraqis will advance further by capitalising on hard-earned progress and embrace issue-based political competition, or whether the country will regress towards the earlier pattern of sectarianism and violent political competition.
The trends had been positive until very recently. Sectarian tensions and violence - and violence in general - have declined significantly. Public opinion polls in recent months indicated increased support for non-sectarian parties and coalitions. Iraqis were becoming optimistic about the future.
Part of the credit for the positive trends belonged to Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province.
Crackdown
In addition to US efforts to improve security, Al Maliki cracked down on anti-Sunni Shiite militias and death squads in Basra and in Sadr City. Sunni tribes turned on Al Qaida, which had been killing Shiites in the 'triangle of death' and along the highways spanning Anbar and Nineveh provinces.
Iraqis generally, in turn, were moving away from sectarianism. Unlike in 2005, political alignments are cross-sectarian. In an encouraging sign, Sunnis and Shiites have grown more politically diverse; they are not reflexively supporting sectarian politicians of their own sect.
An indication of the shift in public opinion was the change in Al Maliki's political alignment. Rather than staying with the Shiite political coalition of 2005, Al Maliki broke away in 2009 in preparation for the upcoming national elections. He formed an issue-oriented and cross-sectarian coalition, calling it "State of Law."
His coalition outperformed other Shiite parties in the provincial elections and is set to do well in the national elections. In my conversations in Baghdad with Al Maliki, former prime minister Eyad Allawi, and others, many expect Al Maliki to do very well again.
Al Maliki is not alone in moving in this direction. Tarek Hashemi, the Sunni vice-president who was the leader of a Sunni Islamist group, the Iraqi Islamic Party, has left the party and has joined the liberal cross-sectarian alliance, Iraqiya, led by Allawi.
Polls show increased support for this group, too - when compared with 2005. Similarly, Interior Minister Jawad Bulani, a moderate Shiite, has formed a cross-sectarian alliance with Shaikh Abu Risha, a key Anbar tribal leader who rose against Al Qaida. This alliance is expected to win a number of seats.
These positive trends have alarmed extremists and sectarian groups and their regional backers. Some Arab states fear the success of democracy in Iraq and harbour prejudice against Shiites, perceiving them as an extension of Iranian influence. Iran, meanwhile, favours a weak Iraq that is divided on sectarian lines.
The extremist agenda
To undermine Al Maliki's image as the leader who has delivered increased security to the people and to re-create the climate of mistrust and fear, the terrorists and the extremists have escalated violence with a string of spectacular bombings in Baghdad and in other parts of Iraq in recent weeks. Targeted assassinations have also increased. Sectarian parties, which were losing ground, have sought to repolarise the political scene. They hope that fears will cause Iraqis once again to vote their identities.
The banning of many candidates - including several prominent Sunnis - over allegations of sympathising with Saddam Hussain's Baath Party may well be part of this divisive agenda.
Al Maliki's support of this decision shows that the issue has resonance among the Shiite population and that he felt he could not afford to ignore or surrender the issue to his more sectarian rivals.
His affirmation threatens to undermine his stated commitment to nonsectarian politics.
As a result of these developments, the situation in the country has become more tense and security officials are concerned about increased violence before and after elections.
A key question: How will the Sunnis ultimately react to the ban? If they join the National Dialogue Front party in boycotting the polls or have a very low turnout, Iraq will go back to rough conditions like those just after its first election in early 2005.
Another scenario is that Sunnis participate in the election, while viewing the ban as an attack on their identity. This would result in members of both sects voting their identities. Sunni-Shiite relations would deteriorate, as in the second election in late 2005.
However, there is an excellent chance that the Sunni Arabs will not boycott the elections. Similarly, there is a good chance that most Arab Iraqi voters see the actions of terrorists and sectarians for what they are - an attempt to force Iraqis to vote out of fear rather than out of hope - and focus on the issues their futures depend upon: security, freedom, employment, and services. If so, Iraq will make a major leap toward consolidating its democracy.


Zalmay Khalilzad is the former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations. He's now a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and CEO of Khalilzad
Associates LLC.

International

Pak likely to appoint Brit lawyer to represent it in water dispute with India

ANI, Islamabad

The Pakistan government is likely to appoint a British lawyer to argue its case concerning the river water distribution issues with India at international forums.
According to sources, UK-based lawyer Kiyan Homi Kaiobad's name is on the top of the list of lawyers being considered to replace James Crawford, who was removed from the government's legal team handling the issue.
Kaikobad is former legal adviser to Bahrain's Ministry of State for Legal Affairs, and is currently working as a professor of law and research director at Brunel University, The Daily Times reports.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan has said that it would move to
International Court of Arbitration if India maintains its 'stubborn' attitude over the distribution of river as per the Indus Water Treaty signed in 1960.
The Indus Waters Treaty provides appointment of a neutral expert by the World Bank as a last option to resolve water related issues between both the countries.
Pakistan has been blaming India for an unsporting attitude during bilateral talks, which were initiated to resolve the impending water dispute.
Pakistan has been opposing the construction of the Kishanganga hydropower project on Ganga River in Kashmir, which is called Neelum upon entering Pakistan. Pakistan has said that the diversion of the waters of the Neelum is not allowed under the treaty, and it will face a 27 per cent water deficit, when the project gets completed.

  Taliban clashes with rival Afghan militants kill 60
BBC Online

At least 60 militants have been killed in fighting between the Taliban and a rival Islamic group, Hezb-e-Islami, in northern Afghanistan, police say.
The fighting in Baghlan province erupted on Saturday morning. A number of civilians died in the crossfire.
It appears to be a rivalry over control of local villages and the taxes they generate, a BBC correspondent says.
Hezb-e-Islami, loyal to former PM Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is the second biggest militant group in Afghanistan.
The two groups have previously been allied in their opposition to Afghan's central government and foreign forces.
Baghlan's police chief told the BBC that 40 Hezb-e-Islami fighters had been killed, as well as 20 Taliban militants.
The Taliban are said to have detained at least 50 members of Hezb-e-Islami, Gen Akhbar said.
Fighting is taking place in an area where the Afghan government has little or no presence on the ground, says the BBC's Chris Morris in Kabul.
'Global terrorist'
The US labelled Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a "specially designated global terrorist" in 2003. His mujahideen faction was one of the groups that helped end the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
In the unrest that followed in the early 1990s, his group of fundamentalist Sunni Muslim Pashtuns clashed violently with other mujahideen in the struggle for control of Kabul. Mr Hekmatyar served twice as prime minister during that period.
Hezb-e Islami was blamed for much of the terrible death and destruction of that time, which led many ordinary Afghans to welcome the emergence of the Taliban. They forced Mr Hekmatyar and his men to flee Kabul in 1996.
After the Taliban were overthrown, he pledged allegiance to the new Western-backed administration in Kabul. However, after an alleged anti-government plot by Hezb-e Islami was uncovered, the group took up arms and allied itself to the Taliban.

  US eyes now on Punjab, Karachi, Quetta: JI chief
AP, Lahore

Pakistan Jamaat-i-Islami chief Syed Munawwar Hasan said on Saturday there seemed to be no end to the war on terror as the US was conspiring to extend it from Fata and the NWFP to Punjab, Karachi and Quetta.
Speaking to JI office-bearers at central, provincial and district levels at Mansoora, he said if the people of Pakistan didn't understand the nature of this war and didn't stand in the way of the US designs, it would be disastrous for the country's solidarity.
He said he was sure that the US would quit Pakistan in a humiliating manner after Afghanistan and Iraq. He said the 'Go America Go' campaign of the JI was aimed at exposing the real US face and ending its interference in this country. The JI would step up this drive, he added.
Mr Hasan said the US brought the people and the Pakistan Army against each other. He said the balance sheet issued by the army showed that there were losses on both sides. In Fata, innocent women and children were becoming target of drone attacks and military operation and properties of the people were being destroyed. More than 10,000 security personnel and over 21,000 civilians had been killed in the ongoing war, but still Washington doubted Islamabad's sincerity and was pressing for more.
The drones were now flying over Chaman and Quetta, and there was a possibility of attacks on Karachi in search of the so-called Taliban. Pakistan incurred losses worth $50 billion in this American war, but Washington and the so-called Friends of Democratic Pakistan had not paid even a penny so far, he said.
The JI chief accused the ISPR of spreading disinformation and said its press releases were irresponsible and false. He said if JI leader Haroonur Rasheed was a terrorist, then everybody was a terrorist.
He said the present government had failed on internal as well as external fronts. Its economic policies were designed by the IMF that deprived the masses of two-time meal. He said two-year time was enough for introducing policy change, but the rulers were only interested in plunder and corruption to increase their wealth.

  Sri Lankan opposition leader on hunger strike
AP, Colombo

Sri Lanka's detained opposition leader has begun a hunger strike after being barred from using a telephone, his party said Sunday.
Sarath Fonseka, the former army chief, was arrested a month ago after he lost a January presidential election to incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Officials have said he will face a court martial for various alleged offenses from before he gave up his army command last year, including conspiracy to overthrow the government and receiving kickbacks on arms deals.
He is detained in a naval complex in Colombo. Only his wife, lawyer and doctors are allowed to visit him.
Fonseka's office said in a statement Sunday that a court had permitted him to use phones brought by his wife.
But during her last visit Saturday, the army told her that the right to use phones had been withdrawn, the statement said. Fonseka has started fasting until he is given access to phones again, it said.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe said the right to use a phone was a concession allowed by army commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya, not by a court.
Fonseka and Rajapaksa were hailed as heroes by most Sri Lankans for their role last year in defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels, ending a 25-year separatist war, but the two leaders subsequently fell out.
Fonseka's supporters claim his arrest was revenge for daring to challenge Rajapaksa in the election.

  Pak rejects India's concerns, says its military doctrine 'purely defensive'

ANI, Islamabad

Pakistan has rejected India's concerns regarding the sophisticated armaments being provided to it by the United States, saying the country's military doctrine is purely defensive in nature.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit instead blamed India of 'massive militarisation' describing it as a threat for the region.
"It is India's dangerous military doctrines and massive militarisation that are matters of huge concern for regional stability whereas Pakistan has always acted to protect its legitimate security interests. Our military doctrine is purely defensive in nature," The News quoted Basit, as saying. On Saturday, Defence Minister A.K. Antony had raised serious concerns over reports that the Obama Administration would be providing new sophisticated weapons, including laser guided bomb kits to Pakistan.
Antony said the US must ensure that the arms do not fall into the hands of terrorists and be used against India.
"Latest decision of the US to provide sophisticated weapons to Pakistan is a matter of concern to India. When the US Defence Secretary was here (in New Delhi) I actually had taken up the matter with him," Antony had said.
There have been reports that the US has cleared the supply of sophisticated laser-guided bomb kits, 12 surveillance drones and 18 F-16 fighters to enhance Pakistan military"s capability to strike at Taliban and Al-Qaeda hideouts located in troubled tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
"We request US again they must see that these new equipments which they are going to give to Pakistan it should be properly utilised, it should be deployed only in Af-Pak region and it is duty of the US to see that these equipments are not used against India," Antony had said.

  Indian women may hold a third of legislature seats
AP, New Delhi

India's government will present a bill to lawmakers Monday aimed at empowering the nation's often-marginalized women by reserving one-third of legislative seats for them, a governing party spokesman said. The plan has faced strong opposition since it was first proposed more than a decade ago, with many political leaders worried that their male-dominated parties would lose seats under a female quota system.
But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government, which was re-elected last year, is confident it has enough support this time and is presenting the bill to Parliament on International Women's Day. Congress party spokesman Manish Tewari said Sunday he foresaw no issues standing in its way. It will be debated in the upper house of Parliament on Monday and later be sent to the lower house, he said.
The bill is an attempt to correct some of the historical mistreatment of women. Most Indian women receive far less education than men and are weighed down by illiteracy, poverty and low social status. For the millions working in fields, factories and sweatshops for minimal wages, political choices are often still made by their husbands or male community leaders.
The bill would raise the number of female lawmakers in the 545-seat lower house to 181 from the current 59. It would nearly quadruple the number of women in the 250-seat upper house. The bill would also apply to state legislatures.
Sushma Swaraj, a leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, and Birnda Karat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said their parties already have asked their lawmakers to vote for the legislation. Small opposition socialist groups still oppose the bill, demanding that a portion of the women's quota be set aside for minorities and lower castes, which have been socially and economically deprived as well.

  N.Korea slams US war games, pledges nuclear defence
AFP, Seoul

North Korea said on Sunday it was abandoning efforts towards nuclear disarmament in response to US-South Korean military exercises and would be free to build up its nuclear forces.
The announcement, carried by the official KCNA news agency, came from a spokesman for the North's army mission at the inter-Korean border on the eve of the US-South Korean exercises, titled Key Resolve/Foal Eagle. It said all military talks with the United States and South Korea would be suspended during the exercises, which involve 10,000 US troops stationed in South Korea plus 8,000 from abroad and last from March 8-18.
"It is illogical to sit face to face with the dialogue partner who brings dark clouds of a nuclear war while levelling its gun at the other party, and discuss 'peace' and 'cooperation' with him.
"The process for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will naturally come to a standstill and the DPRK (North Korea) will bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defence," the statement said, alleging that the exercises were actually "nuclear war exercises".
The North is entitled "to counter with powerful nuclear deterrent," it added.
The North already warned on March 2 that the annual US-South Korean exercise would torpedo efforts to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons and vowed to beef up its arsenal if necessary.
The North, which tested its first atomic bomb in 2006, conducted a second nuclear test last May, triggering harsh UN sanctions.

 Sept. 11 attacks a ‘big lie’: Ahmadinejad
AP, Tehran

Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday called the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks a "big lie" used by the U.S. as an excuse for the war on terror, state media reported.
Ahmadinejad's comments, made during an address to Intelligence Ministry staff, come amid escalating tensions between the West and Tehran over its disputed nuclear program. They show that Iran has no intention of toning itself down even with tighter sanctions looming because of its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.
"September 11 was a big lie and a pretext for the war on terror and a prelude to invading Afghanistan," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by state TV.
He called the attacks a "complicated intelligence scenario and act." The Iranian president has questioned the official U.S. version of the Sept. 11 attacks before, but this is the first time he ventured to label it a "big lie."
In 2007, New York officials rejected Ahmadinejad's request to visit the World Trade Center site while he was in the city for a U.N. meeting.
The president also sparked an uproar when he said during a lecture in New York that the causes and conditions that led to the attacks, as well as who orchestrated them, still need to be examined.
At the time, he also told Iranian state TV the attacks were "a result of mismanaging and inhumane managing of the world by the U.S," and that Washington was using Sept. 11 as an excuse to attack others.
He has also questioned the Sept. 11 death toll of around 3,000, claiming the Americans never published the victims' names.
On the 2007 anniversary of the attacks, the names of 2,750 victims killed in New York were read aloud at a memorial ceremony.

  Iraqis defy intimidation to vote, attacks kill 38
AP, Baghdad

Insurgents bombed a polling station and lobbed grenades at voters Sunday, killing 38 people in attacks aimed at intimidating Iraqis participating in an election that will determine whether the country can overcome jagged sectarian divisions that have plagued it since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Iraqis hope the election will put them on a path toward national reconciliation as the U.S. prepares to withdraw combat forces by late summer and all American troops by the end of next year. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is fighting for his political future with challenges from a coalition of mainly Shiite religious groups on one side and a secular alliance combining Shiites and Sunnis on the other.
Despite mortars raining down nearby, voters in the capital still came to the polls. In the predominantly Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah in northern Baghdad, Walid Abid, a 40-year-old father of two, was speaking as mortars landed several hundreds yards (meters) away. Police reported at least 20 mortar attacks in the neighborhood shortly after daybreak and mortars were also launched toward the Green Zone - home to the U.S. Embassy and the prime minister's office. "I am not scared and I am not going to stay put at home," Abid said. "Until when? We need to change things. If I stay home and not come to vote, Azamiyah will get worse."
Many view the election as a crossroads where Iraq will decide whether to adhere to politics along the Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish lines or move away from the ethnic and sectarian tensions that have emerged since the fall of Saddam Hussein's iron-fisted, Sunni minority rule.

  China calls on US to mend fences
AFP, Beijing

China has blamed the United States for causing "serious disturbances" in their relationship but also called for the two Pacific powers to work together to get ties back on track.
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi reiterated China's criticism of US arms sales to Taiwan and President Barack Obama's meeting last month with the Dalai Lama but appeared to leave the door open for the two sides to mend fences.
"The United States should properly handle the relevant sensitive issues and work with the Chinese side to return the China-US relationship to a track of stable development," Yang told reporters.
Stressing that a harmonious relationship was vital to both sides and to the world, he added "we hope the United States will work with us in a joint effort toward this end."
Yang was speaking in his annual press briefing held on the sidelines of China's March 5-14 parliament session, and his comments come with Sino-US relations at a low point.
The US announced it January it would go ahead with a 6.4-billion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan despite warnings by China, which had also urged Obama not to meet the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader at the White House.
The two sides also are at odds over Google's announcement that it may pull out of China altogether over web censorship and cyberattacks, plus a number of trade issues.
Yang repeated China's assertion that the troubles were the United States's fault and called for "credible steps" by Washington to mend ties. However, he gave no specifics and unveiled no new retaliatory steps.
China had earlier said it was cutting off military contacts over the Taiwan arms issue.

  Al-Qaida calls on US Muslims to attack America
AP, Cairo

Al-Qaida's American-born spokesman on Sunday called on Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces to emulate the Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood.
In a 25-minute video posted on militant Web sites, Adam Gadahn described Maj. Nidal Hasan as a pioneer who should serve as a role model for other Muslims, especially those serving Western militaries.
"Brother Nidal is the ideal role-model for every repentant Muslim in the armies of the unbelievers and apostate regimes," he said. Gadahn, also known as Azzam al-Amriki, was dressed in white robes and wearing a white turban as he called for attacks on what he described as "high-value targets."
"You shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that military bases are the only high-value targets in America and the West. On the contrary, there are countless other strategic places, institutions and installations which, by striking, the Muslim can do major damage," he said, an assault rifle leaning up against a wall next to him.
Hasan has been charged in the Nov. 5 shooting that killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas. The 39-year-old Army psychiatrist remains paralyzed from the chest down after being shot by two civilian members of Fort Hood's police force.
"Nidal Hasan is a pioneer, a trailblazer and a role-model who has opened a door, lit a path and shown the way forward for every Muslim who finds himself among the unbelievers," Gadahn said.
Gadahn grew up on a goat farm in Riverside County, California, and converted to Islam at a mosque in nearby Orange County. He has been wanted by the FBI since 2004 and two years later was charged with treason. There is a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

  Togo opposition vows to challenge election result
BBC Online

The main opposition party in Togo says it does not recognise the result of the election that has returned President Faure Gnassingbe to power.
The Union of Forces for Change said there was widespread fraud and it planned to challenge the result in the country's Constitutional Court.
The party said its leader, Jean-Pierre Fabre, had won the poll and would form the next government.
Mr Gnassingbe is the son of a late dictator of Togo.
He won 1.2 million votes of two million cast, officials said, considerably more than his rival's tally of 692,584, election officials said.
Calm, so far
But the UFC's director of communications, Eric Dupuy, said the results from the country's 35 constituencies were read out before being validated at the electoral commission and the announcement was illegal.
Mr Dupuy told the BBC the party was challenging the result, even though it had no faith in the Constitutional Court as an independent body.
"We shall fight," Mr Dupuy was quoted by AFP news agency as saying. Reaction on the street has been limited with a small opposition demonstration quickly dispersed by tear gas on Saturday, says the BBC's Caspar Leighton in the Togolese capital, Lome.
International observers have praised the relatively peaceful nature of the election. But they have also pointed to deficiencies at all stages of the process without saying whether they were enough to effect the outcome, our correspondent says.
In 2005, when President Gnassingbe won his first term, there was massive violence and hundreds of people were killed.

  New guidelines on prostate cancer urge frank talk
Reuters, Chicago

New guidelines from the American Cancer Society urge doctors to make sure their patients fully understand the risks as well as the benefits of prostate cancer screening before any blood is drawn.
The updated guidelines issued on Wednesday reflect the ongoing debate over the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, blood test after two large studies last year produced conflicting results about whether it actually saves lives.
"With these newly updated recommendations, the American Cancer Society places even stronger emphasis on shared decision-making between clinicians and patients," Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said in a statement.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide after lung cancer, killing 254,000 men a year. Doctors have routinely recommended PSA tests to men over 50 in the belief that early diagnosis and aggressive treatment for any cancer is better than standing by and doing nothing.
But a study published last August in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found routine screening for prostate cancer resulted in more than 1 million U.S. men being diagnosed with tumors who might otherwise have suffered no ill effects from them. Prostate cancer treatments, including surgery or radiation, can cause incontinence and erectile dysfunction in about a third of patients. Many men also experience bowel problems.
"These risks are not inconsequential. We do want to be sure that men know all of this before they make their decision of whether or not to be screened," said Dr. Andrew Wolf of Virginia Health System, who chaired the advisory committee that developed the guidelines published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

  Biden to try to boost Middle East peace prospects
Reuters, Washington

US President Barack Obama dispatches his vice president to the Middle East on Sunday to try to build support for reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks despite deep skepticism on both sides.
Joe Biden will meet Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders starting on Monday, but a main component of his trip will be public diplomacy-reassuring anxious Israelis about Obama's commitment to their security while explaining why they should be willing to make concessions for peacemaking.
Biden, who will be the most senior American official to visit Israel since Obama came to office in January 2009, faces a tough sell, Israeli officials and analysts say.
Obama may enjoy superstar status in other parts of the world, but not in Israel.
Many Israelis are distrustful of the president's outreach to the Muslim world, a priority he highlighted with high-profile visits to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and, later this month, to Indonesia.
"If Israel is supposed to make sacrifices for a peace deal, the Israeli public has to be convinced it is receiving sufficient support from the United States," an Israeli official said, calling Biden's visit the beginning of that process.
U.S.-Israeli tensions flared over Obama's early push for a complete Jewish settlement freeze, although his administration has at least temporarily backed off, embracing a more limited moratorium on new building. Other differences remain over next steps and the scope of renewed talks with the Palestinians.
Iran is another sore point for many Israelis, who see Obama's focus on diplomacy and targeted sanctions to curb Iran's nuclear program as wishful thinking.

Business/Economy

SEC strengthens surveillance to check stock market manipulation

BSS, Dhaka

With special focuses on preventing high- tech crime, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has strengthened its surveillance to check stock market manipulation.
The regulator in its latest move identified a person who had been spreading rumour using mobile phones to manipulate share price of a particular company.
The commission yesterday formed an enquiry committee to look into the matter, but did not disclose particular of the alleged person.
The regulatory authority, however, said that the person was spreading rumour from a specific mobile number regarding the future price of the shares of Golden Son Limited.
Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) data shows that share prices of the company gained around 25 percent in the last month. The share of this company was traded at taka 60.70 on February 7, but it closed at taka 74.10 today even on a bearish market when most issues suffered loss.
Golden Son, an engineering company producing sporting toys, garment accessories and household items, was listed with DSE in 2007. The company declared only 10 percent bonus share in 2008. There was no announcement last year, according to DSE.
The inquiry committee would bring the mobile manipulator into book with the help of law enforcement agencies and would also see whether the person is linked to the respective company or any other organisations at the stock market.
The SEC on Sunday also issued show-cause notices to Prime Finance and Investment and a client of Prime Bank in connection with unusual price hike of Marico Bangladesh Limited last year.
Share price of the company rose unusually soon after its listing with DSE in 2009, prompting the regulator to look into the price rise.
The commission last week nabbed a person from the city who was manipulating the market using websites. Official sources said that the commission is now maintaining a close contact with law enforcers to keep market free from further manipulation. Meanwhile, Dhaka stock opened week Sunday in the red on profit-taking after rise at the last week's closing.
Stockbrokers observed that investors in large scale were sceptical about the trend of the market because of some quick decisions of the regulators.
DSE general index finished 38.34 points or 0.67 percent lower to 5602.59. Daily turnover, however, increased to over taka 959 crore due mainly to huge transactions of some big issues including GP, Bextex and Beximco. OCL, the new issue, maintained its phenomenal gain with further 17.61 percent rise to close at taka 350 on Sunday from Thursday's closing of taka 297.60.

 GABV summit focuses on sustainable business models
BSS, Dhaka

The first two days of the second Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) summit ended on a note of cross-cultural and intellectual exchange for the future.
The sustainable banking leaders, who have gathered in Bangladesh to see the work of BRAC at first hand, intend to spend their last day setting goals and an action plan for the future.
The bank's leaders, as well as a group of younger future leaders from their member banks, have discussed how they intend to promote their increasingly prominent sustainable business models, said a press release today.
They have drawn from the experience of eleven successful banks from a diverse range of countries, including Mibanco from Peru, XacBank from Mongolia, and Danish bank, Merkur.
The visiting bank representatives had the opportunity to get a firsthand look at the businesses and entrepreneurs that have benefited from BRAC Bank SME loans as well as BRAC's micro finance loans to better understand the people and communities that their increasingly popular type of banking reaches.
"Seeing the extraordinary difference that BRAC makes is inspiring," says GABV Programme Manager James Niven.
"BRAC is a catalyst for change, just as the other members of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values are. But while together they are already achieving a great deal, we believe we can do much more."
"The last two days have helped us to focus on these ambitions and how we will deliver them," said Niven. The content of the conference included addressing advocacy so the members of the GABV can identify the issues they should publicise and the best ways to use their extensive network to do it.
Discussions included the challenges and opportunities of changing regulations for banks, and thought leadership. The organization is keen to grow support banks looking to adopt a more sustainable approach to their work, and influence the wider behavior of mainstream banks so that they in turn do more to finance disadvantaged people and safeguard the environment.

  China on way to self-sufficiency in rice
BSS, Dhaka

China has brought another good news for global rice market following a report that the world-wide rice stock is on the rise.
Manila Bulletin, a leading English daily of the Philippines, reported on March 3 that China was heading toward achieving self- sufficiency in rice and wheat-two staple food grains.
The news comforted the global market largely with the apparent assurance that China would not be a buyer on the food- grain markets, which would help keep demand and price of rice at lower level in near future.
Quoting Dr. Clive James, founder and chairman of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), the daily credited biotech with the eminent success of China.
Dr. Clive told the newspaper that China adopted the biotechnology in November 2009 for growing insect-resistant rice and phytase corn, which would bring immense benefit to country in the next couple of years.
"With a current population of 1.3 billion, biotech crops are a critical component for China and other countries to gain self- sufficiency," he explained. Currently the world's biggest rice producing country, China had long been bothered by the dreaded rice borer, which the biotech variety would combat. The new rice variety could raise yields by eight percent, reduce pesticide use by 80 percent or 17 kilos per hectare and generate $4 billion in benefits annually, the report said.

  Thai rice farmers fret about free trade
AFP, Pathum Thani, Thailand

For many farmers in Thailand's rice belt, agreements between Asian countries to reduce trade barriers have not brought all the benefits that national leaders promised.
"We are afraid of the free trade area," says Chatree Radomlek, a 37-year-old farmer in Pathum Thani, about an hour's drive north of Bangkok but a world away from the capital's glitzy hotels and restaurants.
A rural community where local people boast of the nutritional benefits of eating field mice, its green paddies help make Thailand the world's biggest rice exporter.
But where humid weather and new farming technologies used to dominate local farmers' conversations, free trade is now the hot topic.
A free trade area between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Thailand is a member, and China took full effect on January 1, liberalising billions of dollars in trade and investments in a market of 1.7 billion consumers. It is the world's largest free trade area by population, eliminating barriers to investment and tariffs on 90 percent of products.
"If cheap rice comes to Thailand from other countries, it might make our prices go down. I think the government should set up measures to protect us," says Chatree, looking out from under a wide-brimmed hat.
He says that rice from neighbouring Cambodia and Laos is "inferior" but that it could flood the Thai market, possibly leading Thai consumers to buy imported rice instead and lowering domestic prices for his grains.

  Nepal's garment exports continue to fall
Xinhua, Kathmandu

Readymade garment (RMG) industry, which once earned largest export income for Nepal employing some 100,000 people, exported mere 1.25 million U.S. dollars worth garment to the United States over the first two months of 2010.
The export during the period was down 25 percent over what was recorded in the same period last year. The figure stands at just 6 percent of what the industry exported six years ago, according to Saturday's myrepublica.com.
In 2004, Nepal's RMG export to the U.S. had crossed well over 21.25 million dollars during the first two months.
Statistics of Garment Association of Nepal shows that garment exports in February recorded yet another drop of 60 percent and landed at 361,918 dollars. In January, export had grown by a quarter to 869,844 dollars, instilling some hope in the industry.
Exporters attributed the consistent downfall of the industry to reasons like eroding competitiveness in the international market, rise of labor stir and strikes that affected productions as well as timely delivery of orders.
While instability in the country still remains the same, exporters said they have continued to refuse taking substantial orders for fear of missing delivery deadlines.

  ‘It is too early for Japan to end massive stimulus plan’
AFP, Tokyo

It is too early for Japan to end its massive stimulus spending because the world's second biggest economy is still slowly recovering from a severe recession, the finance minister said Sunday.
"We actually want to move to an exit strategy soon but it would make things worse," Finance Minister Naoto Kan said in a programme on the public broadcaster NHK.
"I think it is too early to take steps towards fiscal belt-tightening in the immediate future," he said.
Japan's lower house last week passed a record 92.3 trillion yen (1.0 trillion dollar) budget for the year from April that will add to an already enormous mountain of public debt as Tokyo tries to stimulate a recovery.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has warned that Japan's public debt, bloated by repeat bouts of stimulus spending, will soar to 200 percent of the country's gross domestic product by 2011.
Japan plunged into a year-long recession in 2008 as its exports collapsed amid the global financial crisis.
It returned to growth in the second quarter of 2009, but the recovery remains fragile with high public debt, falling consumer prices and weak domestic demand all major concerns for policymakers.
The Nikkei economic daily reported last week that the central Bank of Japan would likely consider more monetary easing to fight stubborn deflation.

  Malaysia Airlines flying high after sweeping reforms
AFP, Kuala Lumpur

Not long ago, Malaysia Airlines was on life support, forced to sell off its headquarters and firing thousands of staff to avoid bankruptcy, but analysts are now bullish about its prospects.
The Malaysian flag carrier sank to its lowest ebb in 2005 when it racked up losses of 1.3 billion ringgit (386 million dollars) over nine months.
The dismal performance forced the introduction of sweeping reforms which saw the airline slash staff and unprofitable routes and sell non-core assets. Malaysia Airlines finally swung into the black in 2007.
Despite the global financial crisis that then hit, grounding many weak airlines, analysts are upbeat on the Malaysian carrier's fortunes, especially after it posted net profits of 490 million ringgit last year.
"We are optimistic," Hafriz Hezry Harihodin, an aviation analyst from AmResearch, told AFP, saying an extensive fleet renewal was expected to have a positive impact on yields from 2011.
The turnaround plan has been a success, "especially in terms of bringing down unit costs, improving efficiency and strengthening balance sheets," he said.
Under the revamp, the airline launched low-fare campaigns to fill up empty seats, imposed a recruitment freeze and embarked on efforts to boost passenger loads and expand its network more strategically.

  British economy faces ‘high’ risk of relapse
AFP, London

Britain, which emerged from recession in the final quarter of 2009, faces a "high" risk of relapse and below-average growth in the next two years, the British Chamber of Commerce warned on Sunday. "The UK economic outlook will remain highly uncertain for a considerable time," the BCC said in the group's latest economic forecast.
"The recovery will be fragile, and the risks of a relapse are high," it added.
The BCC predicted that the economy will grow 1.0 percent this year, followed by expansion of 2.1 percent in 2011. It shrank by 5.0 percent in 2009. The 2010 forecast was unchanged from previous guidance but the 2011 figure was lower than its prior prediction of 2.3-percent expansion.
"The obstacles to a sustained medium-term recovery now appear greater," the business group said.
The BCC added that the recovery would be "modest and below the historical average in the next two years". Britain escaped from recession in the fourth quarter of last year with growth of 0.3 percent. The expansion during October-December 2009 followed a deep recession that lasted six quarters-the country's longest on record. "The recession may have technically ended, but there is no room for complacency," BCC director general David Frost said in the report. "For the recovery to be sustained, it is crucial that all the political parties recognise the vital role of wealth-creating businesses in driving economic growth and job creation.

  Good times return for India’s IT workers
AFP, Bangalore, India

Indian software engineer Prithvi Sen has a spring in his step after getting re-hired by the country's flagship outsourcing industry, which is shaking off the effects of the global recession. "I was unemployed and it was tough, but I've got work again," said the 26-year-old Sen, who landed a job recently with a small outsourcing company in India's high-tech hub of Bangalore.
Sen is benefiting from a hiring wave by India's outsourcing sector which is set to increase recruitment by nearly 70 percent in the next financial year, according to the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).
India's big three outsourcing companies-Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro-all have plans to boost hiring sharply in the coming financial year.
"The feel-good factor is back in the industry," said Prithvi Lekkad, head of the Union of IT and IT-enabled services (Unites) Professionals, a trade union which represents some outsourcing workers.
India's software and services exports are expected to grow by up to 15 percent to hit 57 billion dollars in the next fiscal year to March 2011. The growth projected for next year is still far below the blistering 28 percent export revenue rise clocked in the financial year 2006-07.
But it is allowing major companies to bump up hiring again after a year in which they froze salaries and sharply reduced recruitment. The big companies have been returning to university campuses to recruit in large numbers with new orders in the pipeline.
"Prospects for jobs are bright now," R.K. Akash, a 21-year-old computer science student, told AFP.
Indian software companies, whose breakneck growth has been an important driver of the country's economic modernisation, were hit by the global slump that prompted many customers to put projects on hold.
More than 2.3 million people are employed in the sector either directly or indirectly, making it one of the biggest job creators in India and a mainstay of the national economy. It accounts for 5.9 percent of gross domestic product. India's success has been in convincing US and other foreign firms, drawn by a vast, educated English-speaking workforce and low labour costs, to farm out processes that were previously done in-house.

National

Regional seed bank soon
Seed conference-fair 2010 begins tomorrow

UNB, Dhaka

In a major move towards region-wide integration of agriculture, a regional seed bank is likely to be established soon as the planners are meeting in Dhaka Tuesday with a broader agenda aimed at ensuring food security in South Asia.
The seed bank is designed to protect and preserve the seeds of different crops for supplying to the farmers as and when needed, in weather fair or foul, as seed crisis often hits farming. An immediate example of seed crisis is the dearth of seedlings in the just-started boro paddy cultivation in Bangladesh after calamitous fog-fall damaged seedbeds.
"We hope the concept of establishing a regional seed bank will be materialized in the seed conference and seed fair scheduled to take place on March 9-11 in the city," said Amwar Faruque, Director-General of the Seed Wing of the Ministry of Agriculture, at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity Sunday.
The Seed Wing and Bangladesh Seed Association (BSA), an organization of private seed producers and importers, are jointly organizing the 3-day Bangladesh Seed Conference and Fair 2010 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury will inaugurate the agribusiness meet as chief guest while Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni will address the function as special guest.
Faruque said about 1,200 local and foreign delegates, including scientists, agriculturists, researchers, businessmen and officials from public and private sectors, will participate in the conference.
Delegates from 9 countries-India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Italy and Holland-have confirmed their presence in the conference and fair, being held with the theme 'Promoting Cooperation in Seed for Regional Food Security'.
A SAARC Seed Forum has already been formed in line with the Delhi declaration of the summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The launching ceremony of the SAARC Seed Forum will take place on March 10 as Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr. Abdur Razzaque will formally announce the launch of the new regional forum in the agricultural sector.
Anwar Faruque said the conference will discuss and focus the issues for strengthening the regional cooperation in food security and also framing the strategies to face the challenges stemming from the global climate change.
Founder-president of Bangladesh Seed Association FR Nadim, chief of SAARC Agriculture Centre Rafiqul Islam Mandol and Director of Agriculture Information Service Nazrul Islam were present at the press conference.

  Animals in Sundarbans face scarcity of sweet water
BSS, Khulna

There is no natural food crisis for animals living in the Sundarbans but there are symptoms of dying up sweet water sources gradually.
Besides, the trees are suffering from diseases called top dying which has been recorded officially two decades back, according to officials.
The UNESCO declared the Sundarbans --- 6,017 square kilometers including three wildlife sanctuaries-as a world heritage.
Death of a young tigress due to the mass beating by angry villagers on January 22 sparked a controversy among experts as natural water and food sources became scarce.
However, law-enforcers, including Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), failed to protect the tigers from the fury of the villagers.
The Forest Department is also suffering from the shortage of supplies of tranquiliser injections and gas canisters which are prerequisite to conservancy of the forest during the incident, according to the experts.
If there had injections then it would have possible to drag the tiger into the jungle safely. Now, the department has received adequate supplies of tranquiliser injections, said the officials.
Many villagers are angry with the tigers and reptiles, including crocodiles as either relatives or friends of them were killed by the tigers, said the officials.
According to the local newspapers during last nine years, 464 fishermen, 'bawalis' and 'mauals' were killed by the tigers in separate incidents.
There are 440 tigers, 150 to 200 crocodiles, one lakh to 1.50 lakh deer, 40,000 to 50,000 wild boars, 20,000 to 25,000 otters are living in the Sundarbans.
The panicky tiger earlier left her natural abode in the night and entered a locality of Satkhira village swimming the wide river Chuna to nearby village Khaskhata under Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira district. The spot is around 13 km far from the forest.
The experts and the officials are now sure that the cause of sudden migration of the tigresses resulted in 'territory syndrome' which is a natural cause for tiger for leaving his known habitat.

 57,000 die of tobacco consumption every year
BSS, Dhaka

High taxation on tobacco products was suggested on Saturday in city to prevent much of the 57,000 deaths caused by smoking and other tobacco related cancers each year in the country.
"Tobacco claims 57,000 lives every year and leads 3,82,000 people to become disabled in Bangladesh," Helel Ahmed, an anti- smoking campaigner, said at a demonstration. WBB Trust and Unnayan Samunnay along with other partner oreganizations organized the programme in front of the National Museum to raise mass awareness against tobacco consumption as well as draw policymakers' attention to raise taxes on cigarettes, bidis and chewing tobaccos.
The campaigners said price of rice, pulses, edible oil and salt have been multiplied during the last 20 years but tobacco price remains almost static.
As a result, smoking is increasing among the youth and the poor community day by day, they said adding only a high taxation can resist the poor and the youth from smoking.
Helal Ahmed, also general secretary of Pratyasha, said tobacco products cause individual and collective harms starting from economic losses to health losses.

 ‘Weakness in English major obstacle to higher education’
BSS, Dhaka

Academics have identified weakness in English as a major barrier to higher education in the country and called for effective government initiatives to overcome the problem.
Talking to BSS, they pointed out that lack of proficiency in English among teachers and students has restricted themselves to cope with the rapid development in the arena of knowledge.
They laid emphasis on imparting effective English education at pre- university level saying students were coming to universities 'with very poor knowledge in English'.
Dean of Arts Faculty of Dhaka University (DU) Prof Sadrul Amin said the learning of English is important for foreign employment as well as human resource development and economic prosperity. 'We must learn English to know about globalisation and the global village,' he said.
The government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) have scopes to play effective roles against the backdrop of the weakness of English, he said. English is an appropriate medium for interaction worldwide, he added.
In addition, there are problems with English as a medium in higher education. It was recently noted that more than 70 percent of the university stu-dents in Bangladesh answer their examination questions in Bangla, although the texts are in English.
Renowned educationist Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury said the government should undertake initiatives to formulate a coordinated higher education policy for 'at least one or two decades' to impart need-based education to the students as part of strategies for planned development of human resources.
Despite increased budget allocation for education, with all its necessity for updating the education quality, curriculum and teaching system, the higher education sector was deprived of the raised allocation, he said.

 Indefinite launch strike disrupts life in Barisal
UNB, Barisal

Bangladesh Launch Labour Association enforced an indefinite strike on all 28 local river routes from Saturday midnight to realize the workers' four-point demand.
Large numbers of passengers fell in trouble due to the wildcat launch strike.
The association's demands include reinstatement of three launch workers, appointment of staff as per survey rule, payment of monthly salary instead on daily basis and regularization of jobs after over three months into service.
Launch Labour Association sources said three staff members of two launches-MV Chandra Dip and Beauty of Bangladesh-were terminated from their jobs on different charges on Saturday night.
The Launch Labour Association enforced the strike as a negotiation for comprise "failed" to settle the matter by Saturday midnight.

 Spices cultivation gaining popularity in southern region
UNB, Magura

Spices cultivation in 10 districts of the country's southern region is gaining popularity as its cultivation proved to be more profitable than other crops.
Farmers have brought vast tracts of land under spices cultivation in the region as its production cost is lower this season due to low price of its seeds, fertilizer, insecticide and other agri-inputs. On the other hand, the market price of the produce is higher than other years. After visiting different areas in Magura, Jessore, Narail, Kushtia, Meherpur, Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat districts, it was found that the farmers cultivated various high-yielding species of spices like onion, chili, coriander, garlic, turmeric, fenugreek and cumin on their fields.
Magura Regional Spices Research Centre (RSRC) invented new hybrid species of spices including Bari onion-2, Bari onion-3, Bari garlic-1, Bari turmeric-3, Bari fenugreek-1 and Bari cumin-1.
Farmers have cultivated these newly invented species in Hazipur, Alaipur, Atharakhada, Chandanpratap, Baskutha, Parananduali, Barai, Alokdia, Ramnagar, Rautda, Aduakandi, Chhobinagar, Gayespur, Chandikhali and Nakol villages of Magura and in many villages in other districts of the region.
Subrata Kumar Chakrabarty, official of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Magura said farmers cultivated onion on 5,210 hectares of land while garlic on 478 hectares, coriander on 1,463 hectares, chili on 1,615 hectares, turmeric on 530 hectares and ginger on 5 hectares of land in the current session in the district.
RSRC official Maniruzzaman said the research center has given training to 200 Agriculture Officials, 100 volunteer-representatives and 700 farmers on modern methods of spices cultivation.
Some spices cultivators said they are more interested in high-yielding spices cultivation as the prices of those varieties are much higher.

Sports

Bangladesh A scores 202 against England
UNB, Dhaka

Despite a century by Raqibul Hasan, Bangladesh A team was all out for 202 runs in 70.3 overs against England XI on the first day of the three-day warm-up match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Sunday.
Winning the toss, the second string Bangladesh side opened the innings first and lost wickets at regular interval except two down Raqibul Hasan, who scored not out 107 off 165 balls with 15 fours and three sixes.
Only three other batsmen-opener Shamsur Rahman (21), opener Junaed Siddique (16) and wicket-keeper Sahagir Hossain Pavel (12) were able to reach double figures.
Captain of the 2nd string Bangladesh team Moha-mmad Ashraful, who had been overlooked in the ODI series against England due to poor form, flopped again today (Sunday) scoring only one run in six balls.
National pacer Syed Rasel also scored one run off six balls while another seamer Dollar Mahmud returned to the pavilion with duck playing five balls.
JC Tredwell wrecked the Bangladesh innings grabbing six wickets for 95 runs, ST Finn claimed two wickets for 13 runs while A Shahzad and LE Plunkett took one wicket each.
Brief score: Bangladesh A Team - 1st innings - 202 all out in 70.3 overs; Raqibul Hasan 107, Shamsur Rahman 21, Junead Siddique 16, Sahagir Hossain 12, Mehrab Hossain Jr 9, Shuvagoto Hom 9, Noor Hossain 6, Rabiul Islam 4, Mohammad Ashraful 1, Syed Rasel 1, Dollar Mahmud 0, extras 16.

  Gayle leads Windies to crucial victory
AFP, Providence

Chris Gayle and Narsingh Deonarine hit half-centuries as West Indies beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the second one-day international on Saturday.
Zimbabwe failed to successfully defend a target score of 207, as Gayle collected the top score of 88 from 111 balls and Deonarine supported with 65 from 85 balls.
The result brought West Indies level 1-1 in the five-match series, after Zimbabwe won the opener on Thursday at the same venue. It was also West Indies' first victory over international opposition, since a depleted side prevailed over Bangladesh by five runs in a Twenty20 International last August in St. Kitts.
"This is a big relief," said West Indies captain Gayle. "Hopefully, this is the first of many to come. "I must commend Zimbabwe about the way they have gone about their business in this series. They have played some good cricket, and they have put us under a lot of pressure. "It wasn't an easy game, but I am happy that we rebounded, and we won this game. Hopefully, we can carry on for the remainder of the series."
Elton Chigumbura had struck five fours in 50 from 72 balls, as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 206 in 49.5 overs after they decided to bat. The Zimbabweans batting was dismantled by left-arm spinner Nikita Miller with a career-best spell of four wickets for 43 runs from 10 overs, and fast bowler Kemar Roach with three for 37 from 9.5 overs.
Zimbabwe appeared to have taken control of the match, when West Indies declined to 85 for four in the 26th over in their chase.
The Zimbabwean spin bowlers were again squeezing the life out of the West Indies batting, when Deonarine joined fellow left-hander Gayle.
But the visitors could not maintain their hold on the match, as Deonarine, in particular, and Gayle gradually loosened their grip in a stand of 83 for the fifth wicket. But leg-spinner Graeme Cremer had Gayle stumped with West Indies still needing 39 to get from the last 49 balls. When Price had Kieron Pollard caught at long-on three overs later, Zimbabwe were on their toes, and West Indies were on the edge of their seats.
But this time, there was no late drama, as Darren Sammy hit Price to long-off for four to seal the victory.
"The ball started to turn [for our spinners], and it was also keeping low. But we just did not have enough runs on the board to keep up the pressure."
"We probably came up a little short on the batting side. We never got a partnership up front, and we kept losing wickets at key moments, so that's why we were about 20 runs short of setting a decent target." The two sides now travel to the island of St. Vincent for the remaining three ODIs on March 10, 12, and 14.
Scorecard
Zimbabwe:
Masakadza c Miller b Roach 14
Sibanda run out 5
Taylor lbw b Gayle 47
Taibu c Chanderpaul b Miller 31
Matsikenyeri c Gayle b Miller 2
Lamb c and b Miller 23
Chigumbura c Deonarine b Roach 50
Cremer b Miller 17
Utseya not out 6
Price b Roach 0
Mpofu run out 0
Extras: (b1, lb5, w5) 11
Total: (all out; 49.5
overs) 206
Fall: 1-6 (Sibanda); 2-34 (H. Masakadza); 3-93 (Taylor); 4-100 (Matsikenyeri); 5-107 (Taibu); 6-180 (Lamb); 7-183 (Chigumbura); 8-205 (Cremer); 9-206 (Price).
Bowling: Roach 9.5-0-37-3; Bernard 4-1-22-0 (w1); Benn 9-1-37-0; Sammy 5-0-17-0; Gayle 10-0-25-1 (w1); Miller 9-0-43-4 (w2); Pollard 3-0-19-0 (w1)
West Indies:
C. Gayle st Taibu b Cremer 88
A. Barath lbw b Price 7
D. Bernard st Taibu b Price 1
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Lamb 10
A. Fletcher b Cremer 0
N. Deonarine not out 65
K. Pollard c Sibanda b Taylor 7
D. Sammy not out 9
Extras: (lb4, w16, nb1) 21
Total: (6 wkts; 47.5 overs) 208
Falls: 1-44 (Barath); 2-47 (Bernard); 3-82 (Chander-paul); 4-85 Fletcher); 5-168 (Gayle); 6-187 (Pollard).
Bowling: Utseya 10-0-53-0; Price 8.5-0-31-2 (w3); Mpofu 4-1-30-0 (w4); Lamb 10-2-23-1 (w6); Cremer 10-0-44-2 (w1); Matsikenyeri 2-0-8-0 (w2); Chigumbura 2-0-9-0 (nb1); Taylor 1-0-6-1.
Result: West Indies won by four wickets.
Series: Five-match series level 1-1.

  Farashganj, Shuktara share points
TBT report

Farashganj Sporting Club share points with Shuktara Jubo Sangsad after a one-all draw in the Bangladesh League football competition at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
After a hard-fought but scoreless first half, Farashganj shot into the lead when Sabuj broke the deadlock after 55 minutes.
But the hosts failed to cling on to its advantage as Shuktara striker Liton scored a last gasp equalizer in the second minute of the second half injury time from a penalty to force Farash-ganj to a draw.
Farashganj secured 10 points from nine matches, while Shuktara managed seven points, also playing nine games.
Today's match: Rahmat-ganj Muslim Friends Society vs Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra (Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka at 5:00pm).

  Abahani placed in Group A for AFC Presidents Cup
TBT report

Two-time Bangladesh Lea-gue champion Dhaka Abahani will play its first match against the champion team of Nepal Football League in the AFC Pre-sidents Cup on May 12 in Dhaka this year.
Placed in Group A, Abahani will face Yoedy of Chinese Taipei on May 14 and Dordoi Bishkek of Kyrgyzstan on May 16.
All matched will be held at Bangabandhu National Stadium in the city.

   China holds off Uzbekistan
AFP, Beijing

China's young Davis Cup squad on Sunday held on for a nail-biting 3-2 upset victory over Uzbekistan, advancing to the next round of Asia/Oceania play against Kazakhstan.
Wu Di, just 18 years old and ranked a lowly 670th in the world, sealed the win for China with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Uzbekistan's Farrukh Dustov in the final match of the tie in the southern city of Jiangmen.
Wu was making just his second appearance in Davis Cup play for China.
Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, by far the most experienced player on the courts for either squad with a world ranking of 76, lived up to his billing, winning both of his singles matches, against Wu and Zhang Ze.
Zhang had defeated Dustov on the first day of play, and China came through in the clutch doubles rubber on Saturday, with Gong Maoxin and Li Zhe defeating Istomin and Dustov in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
China will now face Kazakhstan in May, with the winner securing a place in the World Group play-offs in September. China has never advanced to the elite World Group, missing by just one match on two occasions in 1987 and again in 1990.
The Asian nation has had amazing success in women's tennis, with Li Na making history earlier this year by becoming the first Chinese player to break into the WTA's top 10.
She and compatriot Zheng Jie both made the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January.

  FIFA rejects goal-line technology
AFP, Zurich

The International Football Association Board has rejected the introduction of goal-line technology, sparking an angry reaction from some football managers.
The decision was taken after a presentation of experiments during which cameras were placed on the goal posts and electronic chips inserted in the ball to determine if it had crossed the goal line. Hawk-Eye technology using cameras and computers is already used in tennis and cricket.
A unanimous decision was not reached by board members on goal-line technology, but according to a source close to the dossier, a majority came out in principle against its introduction.
"Concerning goal-line technology, the board concluded that goal-line technology would not be pursued," the sport's world governing body FIFA said in a statement Saturday.
The news brought a sharp reaction from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who said it was "beyond comprehension" that global football chiefs had maintained their opposition to goal-line technology.
"For me, it is difficult to understand, for one reason because you want as much justice as possible," Wenger added. "I do not even think it is linked with the money factor. If you love football you want the right decisions to be made." Birmingham manager Alex McLeish also hit out at the decision.
McLeish's team appeared to have been denied a legitimate goal in their FA Cup quarter-finals 2-0 defeat by Portsmouth earlier Saturday, a goal that would surely have stood if replays had been available to match officials.
"That is a frustrating decision by FIFA because I think they are doing their officials a disservice," said the former Scotland and Rangers manager.
"It's not easy for their guys to see it in a split second. I know you can't stop every part of the game but certainly for key decisions in a major competition like the FA Cup, your chances of getting to semi-finals and finals are few and far between for a little club like us."
This is not the first time McLeish has spoken out in favour of the new technology. After last November's incident in which Thierry Henry's controversial handball against Ireland helped France qualify for the World Cup Finals, McLeish said the system would have spotted Henry's offence.

  Webb claims seventh Masters title
AFP, Gold Coast

Australian Karrie Webb fired an 11-under par closing round of 61 to capture her seventh Australian Ladies Masters title by six shots at Royal Pines here on Sunday.
The 35-year-old former world number one left one of her finest rounds to the end to run away with the championship from compatriot and defending champion Katherine Hull.
Webb simply gave no-one else a chance by carding nine birdies and an eagle to equal her career-lowest round and finish the tournament at 26-under 262.
"The quality of golf generally today was unbelievable," Webb said. "Katherine pushed me all day and just when I thought I had created some breathing space, Katherine came back at me. "It's hard to separate all of them out and pick the best one but it is a great feeling just to have won seven."
Webb, who won here with 26-under in 1999, said she had to work much harder this year to claim victory.
"I had only a two-shot lead with five or six holes to play today whereas back then I cruised for most of the last day," she said.
"It was nice to be able to walk down the last fairway with a five-shot lead, but I actually didn't think that was going to happen earlier."
Webb's round was highlighted by an eagle two at the seventh hole and a 10-metre birdie at the last hole.
Her nine-iron flew 120 metres straight at the flagstick at the seventh and dropped into the hole for an eagle.

   Messi's double rescues Barca
AFP, Madrid

A brace from Leo Messi rescued a point Saturday for ten-man Barcelona, who could only draw 2-2 away at modest Almeria.
The dropped points gave Real Madrid the chance to go level at the top of La Liga later against Sevilla after Almeria more than held their own against the champions.
Domingo Cisma put the home side in front after he beat Carles Puyol in the air to head past keeper Victor Valdes.
Messi equalised, though, after a contentious free-kick was awarded for a foul on Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
An own-goal from Puyol and then the expulsion of Ibrahimovic for kicking out put Almeria firmly in the driving seat but Messi was Barca's saviour, scoring his second from close range mid-way through the second half.
While Barcelona are stuttering, Real have really hit form domestically, scoring eleven goals in their last two games. They are proving to be more than just the one-man show critics claimed earlier in the season and Cristiano Ronaldo has been complemented well by Gonzalo Higuain and Kaka in attack.
They have failed to show their best football against stronger sides such as Barcelona and Lyon, but coach Manuel Pellegrini is not too concerned.
"We need to win this game but not to demonstrate that we can play well against good teams. We have already beaten Atletico Madrid in their stadium which is something that Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla have all failed to do," he said.
Earlier, a fine strike from Jose Guardado helped Deportivo la Coruna come from behind to beat Tenerife 3-1 and boost their European ambitions. Deportivo had plenty of early possession but poor defending saw Juanlu Hens give Tenerife the lead.
Juan Rodriguez headed Deportivo level and while they continued to press forward it was Tenerife that went nearer to scoring again when Juan Nino saw a close-range shot saved well by keeper Daniel Aranzubia shortly before half time.
A powerful left-footed drive from Guardado found the corner after 55 minutes and from there Deportivo never looked back with Diego Colotto adding to their lead.
Valencia were well-beaten by Atletico Madrid 4-1 but they still have a three-point cushion above fourth place ahead of Sunday's match with Racing Santander.
Mallorca's remarkable season continues and they will be looking to maintain their strong home form, which has seen them lose just once all season, against Sporting Gijon.
The battle for a European place is fierce and Villarreal, under new coach Juan Carlos Garrido, got back into the frame with victory over Deportivo la Coruna last weekend.
"Garrido has tried to give the team more balance and he knows a lot about defending and how to maintain the possession. It was not normal for us to concede so many goals before. I hope we can get into the Europa League and I know the players will battle until the end," said defender Gonzalo Rodriguez.

   Jang's hattrick keeps Korea afloat
AFP, New Delhi

Jang Jong-Hyun scored three goals as South Korea routed lowly Canada 9-2 on Sunday to keep its semifinal hopes alive the men's field hockey World Cup.
Nam Hyun-Woo and You Hyo-Sik chipped in with two goals apiece as the Asian champions ran circles around the hapless Canadian defence in a group A match.
The second half produced nine goals, two of them to Canada's Philip Wright, after the Koreans led 2-0 at the interval.
South Korea, who have seven points from four games, may still need to defeat the Netherlands in their last match on Tuesday to ensure a place in the semi-finals. The Dutch lead the group with nine points, followed by defending champions Germany and South Korea on seven each.
The Netherlands will qualify for the semi-finals if they do not lose to Germany later on Sunday.
New Zealand (six points) play Argentina (zero) in their fourth match, also on Sunday.
"We needed this win badly and I am happy it all came together today," said Korean coach Shin Seok-Kyo. "It will take a lot from our side, and also our rivals, to ensure we make it to the semi-finals. We can only control what we do and that is to beat the Dutch."
Canada have lost all four matches so far, scoring four goals and conceding 24.

   Rajshahi scores 372 in first innings
UNB, Dhaka

Rajshahi Division scored 372 runs for all in 169 overs in the first innings against Chittagong Division on the second day of the five-day final of the EBL 11th National Cricket League at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Rajshahi Division resumed their first innings Sunday morning with overnight 208 for 5 in 90 overs and posted a good total as two night watch batsmen and wicket keeper excelled with bat. Former national skipper Khaled Mashud, who was batting with five runs, scored a patient 55 runs off 220 balls with six fours while another night-watch batsman Anisur Rahman (22) made 52 off 92 balls with eight fours and a six. Wicket keeper Dhiman Ghosh, batting at number eight, contributed team highest 66 not out off 189 balls with five boundaries. Abdullah Al Mamun captured three wickets for 33 runs, Elias Sunny and Kazi Kamrul took two wickets each for 73 and 84 runs respectively.
In reply, Chittagong Division opened their first innings in the late afternoon and scored 21 for no loss in nine overs at stumps on the 2nd day (Sunday). Gazi Salahuddin and Mahbubul Karim were batting with 11 and 6 runs respectively.
Brief score: Rajshahi Division - 1st innings - 372 all out in 169 overs (overnight 208 for 5 in 90 overs); Dhiman Ghosh not out 66, Jahurul Islam 59, Khaled Mashud 55, Anisur Rahman 52, Sabbir Rahman 41, Sohrawardy Shuvo 32, Nasir Hossain 28, Farhad Hossain 11, extras 19, Abdullah Al Mamun 3/44, Elias Sunny 2/73, Kazi Kamrul 2/84, faisal Hossain 1/17, Mahmudul Hasan 1/47 and Alauddin Babu 1/71.

   Real Madrid goes top
AFP, Madrid

Real Madrid battled back from 2-0 down to beat Sevilla 3-2 on Saturday and reclaim top spot in the Spanish first division with Rafael Van der Vaart grabbing a stoppage-time winner.
After 10-man Barcelona were held 2-2 by Almeria, the incentive was on Real who had the chance to go ahead of the Catalans on goal difference, and they managed it in dramatic fashion at the Bernabeu.
They went two goals down through an own-goal from Xabi Alonso and an Ivica Dragutinovic free-kick that caught out Real keeper Iker Casillas.
But Real then piled on the pressure with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos drawing their side level.
It appeared as though Real would have to settle for a draw before a grandstand finish saw Van der Vaart slot home from close range.
"Psychologically the win is very important. We were asleep in the first 15 minutes, still thinking about Barcelona's draw with Almeria and the possibility of being leaders," said Real coach Manuel Pellegrini.
Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez was emphatic in his appraisal of his opponents. "They are the best I have ever seen and I have seen a lot. They produced the electric football that they often can and we were a dignified opponent which lost in the final moments," he said.
A brace from Lionel Messi rescued a point for Barcelona at modest Almeria. Domingo Cisma put the home side in front after he beat Carles Puyol in the air to head past keeper Victor Valdes.
Messi equalised, though, after a contentious free-kick was awarded for a foul on Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
An own-goal from Puyol, and then the expulsion of Ibrahimovic for kicking out, put Almeria firmly in the driving seat but Messi was Barca's saviour, scoring his second from close range mid-way through the second half.
Earlier, a fine strike from Jose Guardado helped Deportivo La Coruna come from behind to beat Tenerife 3-1 and boost their European ambitions.
Deportivo had plenty of early possession but poor defending saw Juanlu Hens give Tenerife the lead.

   Noh secures dramatic win
AFP, Kuala Lumpur

Korean teen sensation Noh Seung-yul secured a dramatic one-stroke victory over illustrious countryman K.J. Choi at the Maybank Malaysian Open after pulling off an audacious final-hole birdie on Sunday.
The 18-year-old Noh produced the unlikeliest of birdies at the par five 634-yard 18th hole to close out the two-million-US dollar Asian Tour event with a final round four-under-par 68 and a 14-under-par 274 winning aggregate.
"This is more special than my first win," said Noh, who was triumphant at the 2008 Midea China Classic en route to becoming the Asian Tour's Rookie of the Year that season. Standing on the 634-yard 18th tee with a one stroke advantage over Choi, Soren Hansen, Kiradech Aphi-barnrat and Rhys Davies, Noh hooked his drive wildly onto the 10th fairway. With Choi and Hansen playing in front of him, and Aphibarnrat and Davies playing alongside him, Noh was under huge pressure as he fired his drive miles left off the tee.
His three wood second shot also stayed well left, flying to the left of the 18th green and eventually coming to rest on a concrete cart path 30 yards from the green. As spectators flocked around his ball, Choi, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, tied Noh on 13-under with a five foot birdie putt, adding to the pressure on Noh. After being granted relief from the cart path, the young Korean stayed cool and hit a sublime chip over the left-hand bunker to within 18 inches of the hole, sending the crowd into rapturous applause before tapping in for his second Asian Tour and maiden European Tour success.
"It was fun competing with the top players in the world and defeating someone I look up to. When K.J. birdied the last hole and became the co-leader, I thought that if I parred (18) I would get into the play-off. And if I lost in the play-off, it wouldn't disappoint me too much because I was competing against K.J," said Noh.