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Leading News
Private universities galore, but
none fulfils criteria
BSS, Dhaka
None of country's 54 private universities fulfil all the
criteria required for registration under the Private
University Act. They lack their own campus, faculty
members, library or laboratory facilities, according to
educational experts.
The 1992 legislation stipulates that every private
university should have five acres of land and be housed on
a permanent campus within five years of operation.
Some universities have obtained land in the suburbs of
Dhaka, but the only one to have started on its permanent
campus is the North South University (NSU).
Noted educationist Prof Muzaffar Ahmad accused a section
of private universities of being interested only in
earning money rather building proper infrastructures.
"They are not universities, they are merely tutorial
homes," he said.
When the first private university, North South, was
launched, the entrepreneurs behind it said the aims of the
new institution were to provide quality education to many
students who go abroad each year and save foreign currency
for the nation.
But most of the new private institutions still operate on
temporary sites. Some do not even rent their own buildings
but share space on a shift basis with other private
educational establishments. Bangladesh University, for
example, shares space with Mohammadpur Preparatory School.
Others run alongside garment factories and commercial
firms. Abedin Tower in Banani houses Queens University,
offices and a garments factory. Darul Ihsan University's
computer science department is sited in the midst of flats
in the Dhanmondi area.
"Because universities do not have adequate space of their
own, many have refrained from buying books and laboratory
equipment," an educational expert claimed.
The East West University library is alone in addressing
the problem of shortage of space by subscribing to online
libraries, enabling students to access books through the
Internet.
Some other private universities, however, provide books
only related to their curriculum but additional extra
curriculum books for widening knowledge is not available.
Prof. Jahedul Islam of Dhaka University believes the
government's decision to retain Tk 5 crore from new
universities as a guarantee, instead of the previous Tk 1
crore acted as a barrier to the participation of real
educationists in this field.
He said private universities were making a positive
contribution to the country's education sector, but would
be helped if the government lowered the guarantee payment
and allowed private universities with small campuses to
function.
BNP
holds rally, procession for resignation of ECs
UNB, Dhaka
Opposition BNP's road march procession towards the
Election Commission Secretariat demanding resignation of
Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda and two
other Election Commissioners ended peacefully in front of
Banglamotor crossing Monday afternoon.
The party announced fresh programme of bringing out
processions towards all the Election Commission offices at
the district level across the country on May 9 demanding
resignation of the CEC and the two ECs.
Earlier, at a pre-procession rally at the city's Muktangon,
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas announced the
fresh programme.
BNP senior joint secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam
Alamgir formally announced the termination of road march
in front of the Banglamotor crossing at around 5 pm.
He thanked all the participants in the processions for
peacefully and successfully completing the road march.
Fakhrul said the movement for resignation of the CEC and
the Election Commissioners will continue.
He said the people have lost confidence in the incumbent
CEC and ECs as they have failed to prove their neutrality,
which was again exposed in the Bhola-3 by-election.
As per the road march schedule, the BNP brought out the
procession from Muktangon at about 4:15 pm demanding
resignation of the CEC and two ECs for the "biased role"
they played in the victory of the ruling party candidate
in the April 24 Bhola-3 by-election.
The BNP termed the by-election farcical, alleging that it
was marked by massive vote rigging, forcible eviction of
BNP polling agents, grabbing polling centers and stuffing
ballot boxes with ballot papers illegally stamped in
favour of the Awami League candidate. The procession,
which started from Muktangon, passed through Puranapaltn,
Topkhana, National Press Club, Supreme Court, Matsabhaban,
Engineers Institute, Shishu Park, Shahbag and Hotel
Sheraton areas before terminating peacefully in front of
Banglamotor crossing without any police obstruction.
Thousands of participants loyal to BNP and its front and
associate organizations chanted various slogans against
the government, the Prime Minister and the Chief Election
Commissioner.
Govt
to review the MoU on power import from India
UNB, Dhaka
The government has decided to review the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on power import from India which was
signed between the two neighboring countries during Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in January this
year.
The decision was taken at a regular meeting held at the
Bangladesh Secretariat with PM Hasina in the chair on
Monday.
Addressing a press briefing at the PID conference room,
Press Secretary to the PM Abul kalam Azad said the PM at
the cabinet meeting has given the charge of further
scrutinizing the MoU before the Bangladesh government
finally ratifies it to finance Minister AMA Muhith,
Planning Minister Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandaker and
economic affairs adviser to the PM Dr. Moshiur Rahman.
Azad said the government's policy is to increase power
generation in the country and at the same time continue
efforts to import electricity from the neighboring
country.
Besides, the cabinet approved the Bangladesh Tourism Board
Act 2010. Earlier, the Tourism Board Act had been placed
in cabinet on December 24 last year.
The cabinet also approved Battalion Ansar (Amendment) Act
2010.
From now on, according to the amendment, jobs of the
battalion ansar will be made permanent after completion of
nine years in their jobs instead of 12 years.
The cabinet also brought amendments to the Non-government
Primary Teachers Welfare Trust Act 2000. The act was
formed for the socio-economic benefit of the teachers and
their family members.
As per the new amendment, the member secretary will be a
teacher, while there will be two vice-chairmen in the
trustee committee.
The cabinet meeting was informed about expatriates welfare
and overseas employment minister Khandaker Mosharraf
Hossain's Lebanon visit.
‘Crossfire’ killings continue
One more killed in Barisal
TBT Report
A notorious terrorist was killed in 'shootout' between his
cohorts and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members at Kaunia
BISCIC Textile area in the Barisal town early Monday
taking the total of such extra judicial killings to 119 in
nine months from August 1, 2009 to May 3, 2010. With this
27 extra judicial killings took place in the year of 2010.
According to UNB News Agency, a notorious terrorist was
killed in a 'shootout' between his cohorts and RAB at
Kaunia BISCIC Textile area in the Barisal town early
Monday.
The deceased was identified as Shaheen alias Lady Shaheen,
a listed terrorist. He was wanted in a number of cases
including of a murder case.
Acting on secret information, a team of RAB-8 conducted a
drive in the area early today when Shaheen and his cohorts
were gathering for committing crime. Sensing the presence
of the RAB, the terrorists opened fire on them prompting
the law enforcers to fire back. At one stage, the
terrorists fled away and Shaheen's bullet hit body was
recovered from the scene. The team RAB also recovered a
pistol, a shutter gun, four rounds of bullet and some
cartridges from the scene.
The last incident of crossfire killing took place in
Jhenidah on April 30, 2010. On that occasion an outlawed
party named Gono Mukti Fouj leader was killed in a
'shootout' between his cohorts and police in Shailokupa
upazila of the district on Friday.
The unlawful killings are taking place despite mounting
protests by human rights activists, civil society members
and political parties and repeated assurances of the
government that such killings would be stopped and actions
would be taken against those found responsible.
RAB DG recently said as many as 622 people were killed in
'crossfire' since the formation of RAB on March 26, 2004.
SC dismisses
appeals of seven business houses
Construction inside 4 rivers around city to be removed
BSS, Dhaka
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Monday upheld
a High Court (HC) verdict that ordered eviction of all
constructions inside the four rivers around Dhaka city.
The HC verdict stands as the Appellate Division dismissed
appeal petitions brought by seven business establishments
challenging the order.
The full court of the Appellate Division headed by Chief
Justice M Fazlul Karim upheld the High Court decision
after hearing the petitions brought by City Group, Mollah
salt, Cemex cement, Akij cement, ACI salt, Hydelberg
Cement and Kamal vegetable and oil ltd.
A High Court bench on a writ petition filed by Human
Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) on June 26 last
year pronounced the verdict ordering the authorities to
remove all constructions inside the rivers Buriganga,
Sitalakhya, Balu and Turag.
It also asked them to take steps to bring back the rivers
to their original shapes by demarcating the areas.
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Narayanganj on December 9
last year issued eviction notices on the said business
establishments mentioning the High Court verdict.
But the owners of these seven business establishments
filed writ petitions before the High Court Division
challenging the legality of the notices and the court
after hearing on March 21 rejected the petitions.
Later, they filed appeals before the Appellate Division of
the Supreme Court, but these were dismissed Monday.
BSF objection halts
work on erosion protection
UNB, Panchagarh
Work on embankment for protection from erosion of the bank
of border river Karotoa was halted Monday as Indian border
security force (BSF) raised objection with threat of
gunfire.
Water Development Board that engaged contractors to set CC
blocks on the bank of the river for protection from
erosion along Mainaguri-Bodapara border area. Workers
abandoned the work at about 3pm in the face of BSF
objection, said executive engineer Nawshad Ali.
He said a large area on the river bank is vulnerable to
erosion during the ensuing monsoon when char is rising on
the Indian side of the river bank. Stoppage of work will
also cause heavy financial loss.
Local BDR commander Lt Col Sirajul Haq said they are aware
of the BSF objection. He expected the matter will be
resolved in a flag meeting with BSF scheduled at
Bangla-bandha on Wednesday.
Clash of BCL rival
groups leaves 25 hurt in Pabna
UNB, Pabna
At least 25 persons including 13 police men were injured
in an intra-party clash of BCL at Pabna Edward College
ground over forming district BCL unit on Monday.
Witnesses said that the name of district BCL leaders and
Pabna Edward College unit were announced on Sunday. The
aggrieved leaders who did not get chance in the committees
organized a rally this afternoon at Edward College ground.
The rival group also came to the ground leading to chase
and counter chase. The rival groups of BCL also clashed on
Sunday leaving some of them wounded.
Police rushed to the spot and baton charged the feuding
groups. They also came under attack by both the groups
resulting in injuries to 13 police personnel. Pabna thana
SI Shahidul islam, ASI Bijoy Kumar Sarkar and constable
Abdul Khaleq were admitted to the hospital in a bad
condition.
Back Page
Crimes against humanity
Final decision on IO Matin likely soon
UNB, Dhaka
The government is going to take a final decision about the
controversial investigation officer Abdul Matin, who deals
with crimes against humanity, within a couple of days.
A competent source told UNB Monday evening that an
official investigation is on about his role in 1971 and
the decision will be taken immediately after the inquiry.
Matin was appointed as one of the investigation officers
for putting in the dock the perpetrators who committed
crimes against humanity during the country's liberation
war in 1971.
The source said the government representative talked to
Matin about his role in 1971 after Prime Minister's
Advisor Dr Alauddin Ahmed publicly stated that he was a
member of Islami Chh-atra Sangha.
Matin, however, denied his link with the Islami Chhatta
Sangha. "We are receiving conflicting information about
him (Matin). We are waiting for the official inquiry
report for taking the final decision," the source told UNB.
Asked whether the controversy has delayed the process of
investigation into the crimes against humanity, he replied
in the negative.
The source said: "Trial process is continuing and within
7-10 days work will start in full swing after the
government provides all logistics support including
transports."
SC stays for 3 months
execution of Shukur Ali’s death sentence
UNB, Dhaka
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed for three months the
execution of confirmed death sentence of Shukur Ali under
section 6 (2) of the Women and Children Repression
(special provision) Act 1995, now a void law.
Passing the interim order upon a petition moved by
advocate MI Farooqui, SC chamber judge M Muzammel Hossain
fixed August 10 for hearing on the appeal against the
finding of the High Court judgment on section 6(2) of the
Women and Children Repression (special provision) Act
1995. On March 2, the High Court declared void and
unconstitutional the death sentence under the Women and
Children Repression (special provision) Act 1995 for
murdering a woman or child after rape on the ground that
it provides solitary punishment of death with no
alternative. The HC in its finding, however, viewed that
the detention of the condemned prisoner cannot be said to
be unlawful.
A division bench comprising Justice M Imman Ali and
Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal had delivered the judgment upon
a writ petition that challenged the constitutional
validity of the impugned section 6 (2) of the
Nari-O-Shishu Nirjatan (bishesh bidhan) Ain 1995 operative
under section 34 of the Nari-O-Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain
2000.
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and
condemned prisoner Shukur Ali, who was convicted and
awarded death penalty by the trial court and later
confirmed by both the divisions of the Supreme Court,
jointly filed the writ petition in 2005.
On July 12 in 2001, a special tribunal of Women and
Children Repression at Manikganj awarded capital
punishment to Shukur Ali of village Shibrampur Tepra in
Shibalaya police station for murdering a girl child after
rape. At that time the convict was 16 years old, a minor
as per law of the land. Now Shukur Ali, the condemned
prisoner, has become a young man of 25 years.
22 women killed, 6
repressed over dowry in April: BSEHR
UNB, Dhaka
Some 22 women were killed and another six suffered
repr-ession over dowry across the country in April,
according to a Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of
Human Rights (BSEHR) report.
The report also revealed that some 25 women were killed
and another 19 suffered injuries due to family feuds and
other repression during the period, while six house maids
were killed and another suffered injured at the hands of
their masters.
Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR),
a human rights group, published the monthly report on
Monday.
Some 44 women and 14 men committed suicide due to
repression, family feud, eve-teasing and other
complications, according to the report.
The report underscored that eve-teasing has been rising
alarmingly all over the country recently, as law enforcing
agencies are failing to play a significant role in
preventing eve-teasing in the country. Umme Kulsum Elora,
a class eight student of Bonosri in the capital;
Pinky, a 15-year-old schoolgirl of Tarail upazila in
Kishoreganj and Nurina Akter, a madrasah going student of
Gaibandha, committed suicide after becoming victims of
eve-teasing in April. On the other hand, the report showed
that some 28 women and 29 children were raped during the
last month.
Of the 28 raped women, 7 were gang-raped while two of them
were killed after being violated. Of the 29 raped
children, five were gang-raped while one was killed after
being violated. At least 11 women became victims of acid
throwing across the country during the said month. Some 35
people including 10 women were kidnapped while one
journalist was killed and seven others were wounded by
miscreants across the country in April.
Govt steps up effort
to attract foreign, local tourists in Kuakata
BSS, Patuakhali
Government has stepped up efforts to attract foreign and
local tourists to enjoy the bounty of natural beauty of
Kuakata sea beach.
Government and private sectors have stepped up different
initiatives to prepare master plan for the development of
Kuakata sea beach to make the spot more attractive to the
tourists. Cabinet Secretary Md Abdul Aziz, who recently
visited the Kuakata sea beach, exchanged views with the
Beach Management Committee, local government officials and
journalists for building Kuakata beach a world class
tourists center.
He also urged the mass media representatives to file
positive story about Kuakata highlighting its natural
beauty to the world.
Deputy Commissioner of Patuakhali Reaz Ahmed said the
present government has announced the upgradation of
Kuakata as pourasava to build Kuakata as one of the best
known sea beaches in the globe. He said the Local
Government Engineering Department is preparing a master
plan for the development of Kuakata as a most modern sea
beach with all facilities. A full-pledged eco-park has
already been set up and government has also planned to
construct a modern stadium in Kuakata to attract local and
foreign tourists.
The sources said that a master plan has already been
prepared by the Sheltak, a private real estate company,
for the development of Kuakata.
The master plan would be submitted to the government by
next month. Ocean City Limited, another private real
estate company, will build a private university, a modern
mosque, a hospital, a fire service station, a modern
shopping mall, an international standard children park and
a three star hotel in Kuakuta.
Tourist experts told BSS that Kuakata to be made one of
the best known tourist center in the world by next 5 to 7
year times.
Bangla Bhai’s
accomplice father and son held
BSS, Dhaka
Raninagar Thana Police Monday arrested a father and his
son for their alleged involvement in killing and torturing
innocent people in North Bengal as close associates of
hanged JMB leader Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai.
The arrested JMB cadres are-A T M Ali Jinnah, 55 of
Shafiquepur village under Raninagar Upazila and his son
Jamal Uddin, aged about 25. Md Mofazzal Hossain, Police
Super (SP) of Naogaon told BSS that the arrested persons
are accused in country's one of the sensational cases
outlawed leader Khejur Ali and Badsha murder case of the
district. They were also involved in kidnapping and
torturing Abdus Samad taking him to a JMB camp following
an instruction of the then Bangla Bhai.
The SP said that in May, 2004, the arrested father and his
son picked up Khejur Ali and Badsha Mia from the Shimba
village under Raninagar Upazila and took them to a nearby
JMB camp. They killed Khejur Ali by torturing and chopped
his body into five pieces and finally buried him there.
Badsha Mia was tortured to death and hanged on a tree
taking him to a village under Nandigram of Bogra district.
ECNEC sits today to
consider 12 projects
UNB, Dhaka
The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC)
meets today (Tuesday) when 12 development projects are
expected to be approved.
ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will
preside over the meeting, the 32nd in the current fiscal
year. The projects are union parishad infrastructure
development (Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira districts),
Tarail-Pachuria flood control, drai-nage and
irrigation(2nd phase), secondary towns integrated flood
protection (phase-2) (1st revised), strengthening the
research activities of BINA as well as development of its
sub centers, identified unprotected sanctuary development
and management and protection of small size local variety
fish project and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park.
Rehabilitation and modernization of signaling system at 13
railway stations on Joydevpur-Mymensingh section,
rehabilitation of Magura-Narail regional highway, eastward
extension of Madani Avenue, upgrading Barisal Textile
Institute to Abdur Rab Serniabad Textile Engine-ering
College, infrastructure development of Khulna University
and reviewing the salary structure under the construction
of 11 technical training centers in 11 districts and 1
women technical training center in Dhaka (2nd revised) are
the other projects to be considered. The meeting will
review implementation of ADP and progress of Election
Comm-ission Secretariat project, officials said.
Editorial
Admission trade
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed serious disdain for the
'admission trade' prevailing in different educational
institutions of the country. She gave vent to her anger when
the standing committee members of the Association of
Universities of Bangladesh called on her at the Prime
Minister's Office (PMO) on Sunday morning. Talking about the
widespread allegations of the admission trade in colleges and
universities, whereby students are admitted in exchange for
money rather than on merit, the Prime Minister said, "Nothing
can be shameful more than this."
Hasina recalled the days of her student life when she was also
involved in student politics, saying that back then, Chhatra
League leaders and activists had to remain busy helping
admission seekers in filling up their admission forms and
completing other academic formalities. "We could not imagine
admission trade or things like that during our times," the
Prime Minister said.
But what was beyond imagination during the student life of
Sheikh Hasina is a cruel reality now. Admission trade is
rampant in the educational institutions across the country
nowadays. And unfortunately the pro-government Bangladesh
Chhatra League ( BCL) is playing the pre-dominant role in this
shameful business to earn easy money.
The BCL has allegedly been engaged in admission trade in
educational institutions all over the country since the
beginning of the admission process. There is widespread
allegation that a section of BCL activists are realizing money
from the admission seekers in return for their entry into
colleges under 'BCL quota'. The government appears to be
unable to control BCL which continued to be engaged in
admission trade in different educational institutions
triggering clashes and unrests. Such incidents were reported
from a number of educational institutions in the country. It
is alleged that a section of BCL activists have forced the
authorities of some colleges to stop admission in a bid to get
some students admitted in the name of their 'special quota.'
In this process, the BCL is reported to have disrupted
admission process at Satkhira College, Rajshahi New Government
Degree College, capital's Eden Girls' College, Government
Titumir College, Government Bangla College, Badrunnesa
College, Kabi Nazrul Government College and Government Shaheed
Suhrawardy College and MM College in Jessore and BL College in
Khulna.
The admission trade and the clashes and vandalism over it took
place in the wake of a number of incidents of violence and
intra-party and inter-party clashes involving BCL on the
campuses. In total eight lives have been lost in violent
clashes between rival student organisations, vandalism to
force illegal admission and factional fighting during the rule
of the present government. These incidents reveal the
helplessness of the government before some unruly BCL
activists.
The Prime Minister's observations about the rampant admission
trade is very much correct and her criticism of this shameful
practice is encouraging. But that is not enough to put an end
to this. In fact, there is no credit in decrying admission
trade, violence and clashes on the campus. The government must
be firm and act strongly to stop the admission trade and all
other irregularities in education sector and elsewhere. This
is the need of the hour.The government should realize that a
section of BCL activists are the roots of most of the evils on
the campus and so they must be taken into task.
Extra-judicial
killings
Some
ten people were killed allegedly at the hands of law enforcers
in April, according to a report prepared by the Bangladesh
Institute of Human Rights (BIHR).Besides, 836 people became
victims of assault allegedly by members of law enforcing
agencies during the same period. The report recorded
twenty-eight incidents of HR violations against journalists
across the country. One journalist was killed, 16 were
injured, three received threats while one journalist was
kidnapped in April.
Meanwhile, according to a report published in the Bangladesh
Today on May 1, the latest killing in `shootout' with law
enforcers occurred on April 30 and 26 extrta judicial killings
took place in first four months of the current year of 2010.
With these the total number of extra judicial killings rose to
118 in nine months from August 2009 to April 30 of 2010.
Besides, the DG, RAB disclosed recently that 622 people were
killed in crossfire with RAB since its inception on 26 March
2004.
The extra-judicial killings are taking place during the
present government despite the fact that the Prime MInister
had described the practice of controversial extra-judicial
killings as a 'culture' and as a 'crime' and pledged to stop
these. She told the Parliament on 12 February, 2009 that she
had always been against the extra-judicial killings. The Prime
Minister had also assured the House that the government would
remain alert to stop extra-judicial killings and those found
to be involved in such crimes would be brought to justice. But
this assurance of the Prime Minister is yet to be materialised.
Criminals and miscreants deserve punishment no doubt, but that
must be given through legal process. Until the crime of a man
is proved before a court of law, he cannot be punished.
Killing a man by law enforcers without legal sanction is
simply brutal. So extra-judicial killings through 'crossfire'
or 'shootout' must be stopped in the interest of justice and
human rights. Unless such killings can be stopped, the pledge
to protect human rights will continue to be meaningless.
Analysis
Thimphu’s sin of stupidity
Sadly, SAARC will have little
relevance except as a forum for India-Pakistan meetings until
their relationship achieves a degree of stability.
Zafar Hilaly
“There is no sin
except stupidity," said Oscar Wilde. And that was writ large
in Thimphu, Bhutan, as Pakistan and India for the umpteenth
time promised to make a go of their relationship. As if they
have an option.
Behaving merely so that one's vanity is not upset is hardly
helpful. Nor is wallowing in one's own conceit. The moment the
word "Pakistan" is mentioned, Indians take leave of common
sense and act with a fatuity that ill behoves them. Imagine
the Indian foreign secretary saying that it had required much
"soul searching" on India's part to agree to engage in talks
with Pakistan. If merely talking to Pakistan requires intense
"soul searching," then taking the hard decisions that are
required for peace would convulse India.
People are losing hope. It is difficult to believe that any
good will come out of talks between countries that bring to
the table the reservations, resentments and hang-ups that
India and Pakistan do. Nor is history on our side. Brave
leaders who try to usher in peace end up paying for it with
their lives. For all his bravery, Anwar Sadat ended up
cowering behind a chair in the vain hope of avoiding the
assassin's bullets. So too Benazir Bhutto. who returned
determined to bring about peace with India; and, of course,
Mahatma Gandhi. All died, for lost causes. So too, albeit,
only politically, Jaswant Singh. Castigated, pilloried and
thrown out of a party he had served with erudition and
distinction, merely for having a good word to say about Jinnah.
Some people cannot be happy unless they hate some other
person, nation or creed.
What is worse is that in neither country do we see men or
women of the stature that is required to repair a vexed
relationship. The present lot cannot see beyond the next
election, let alone the next generation. Their horizons are
for six months, or a year at best.
Similarly, the current modus operandi of letting the civil
servants thrash out differences won't work. The Composite
Dialogue enjoyed a success of sorts because the political will
to reach agreement preceded the meetings between the babus. It
was that which ensured that workable solutions would be found,
rather than endless reasons why they could not. One recalls
Zufikar Ali Bhutto telling his slew of civil servants prior to
their departure for India in 1975 for normalisation talks,
"Don't come back without an agreement." That ensured that they
would approach their task in a rational frame of mind. And
even then it required them to be constantly reminded that they
were flouting instructions by their incessant nitpicking in
discussing the drafts of the agreements.
Today that is impossible. Bhutto wielded untrammelled power
while the present leaders have, in a manner of speaking, to
ask permission to leave the room. And, who knows, the
judiciary may also fancy its prowess at international
negotiations and recall agreements it does not like. After
all, if a government is not seen fit enough to determine the
price of sugar fairly, how can it negotiate a settlement on
Kashmir?
Nor is the situation on the other side much better. Manmohan
Singh takes orders from Sonia Gandhi, and she is a political
weathervane. Playing it safe, she follows rather than leads
public opinion. At the first indication that negotiations are
not being well received at home, she is likely to pull down
the shutters and scoot, notwithstanding promises to the
contrary of which India's volte face at Sharm al-Sheikh is an
example. As it is, but for American pressure India, would have
spun out the process of reengaging. And by dillydallying on
the date for the next meeting, India may still do so.
Noticeably, our Prince Gallahad, foreign minister, was ready
to engage with India immediately, "tonight," as he announced,
while briefing the media in Bhutan. His exuberance on
occasions seems to run away with him. Perhaps, he should wear
his vanity more gently. He would have been better advised to
let the foreign secretary brief the press. Mr Qureishi looked
distressed by his want of ability to respond in the manner he
was expected to.
One could understand the foreign minister's excitement in
Washington, while standing next to the glamorous Hillary, but
in Thimphu his jumping with joy was inexplicable. What had the
meetings between Manmohan Singh and Gilani achieved that was
deserving of such profuse praise? We are not back to the Sharm
al-Sheikh agreements; not even to where the Composite Dialogue
was suspended. In fact, there is talk of "new modalities" for
the forthcoming talks, a sure sign that these "modalities"
will only be "finalised" when India feels we are doing enough
on the Mumbai front, and in particular to accommodate its
fixation with Hafiz Saeed, little realising that it is India's
fixation that ensures that Saeed won't be arrested. Should we
laugh at India's tactics or weep at them? Because what we
cannot do, for the love of God, is understand them.
Noticeably, the Indians left their briefing of the talks to Ms
Rao, the Indian foreign secretary who, when enumerating the
achievements of the visit, presumably in order of descending
importance, relegated the Singh-Gilani meeting to the very
last item. It was a loud reminder of the diminished importance
that India attached to what the foreign minister made out was
a great success.
The prime minister deserves praise for restraining his
effusiveness and not draping himself all over Manmohan Singh
when they met. A mite of aloofness adds to dignity and conveys
the right message when it comes to greeting your adversary.
Moreover, to let others do the talking on his behalf, when it
comes to briefings, was also the right and prime ministerial
thing to do, especially when others know better what to say.
Of course, in the welter of the publicity that surrounded the
meeting of the two prime ministers, no one had much to say
about the actual purpose, or the agenda, of the Summit.
Reportedly, it was about climate change, although the climate
that most were talking about was the political climate between
India and Pakistan.
Sadly, SAARC will have little relevance except as a forum for
India-Pakistan meetings until their relationship achieves a
degree of stability. And only when that happens will the other
countries begin to make their voices heard above the
squabbling of the Big Two. There is a chance, although, if
truth be told, only a fat chance, that India and Pakistan will
experience the miracle of normal good- neighbourly relations
after the Bhutan summit.
The writer is a former ambassador of Pakistan. Email:
charles123it@hotmail.com
A war without
end
But what
one can say with certainty is that the war against the
insurgency will be a war without end.
Javed Hussain
The
army operations in Swat and South Waziristan have
succeeded in ending the domination of these areas by the
insurgents. But they were unable to prevent the insurgents
from escaping to other places in the region from where
they continue to hit opportunity targets and run.
As a result, the army's area of operations kept expanding
as it went after them in Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram
and Orakzai tribal agencies and the areas on their
periphery. The chase continues.
As in Afghanistan, here too, the insurgents are adhering
to the tenets of guerrilla warfare. They avoid holding
ground which involves pitched battles. Instead, they leave
small stay-behind parties to engage the army while their
main strength withdraws to other places in the region to
fight another day. Nine months on since Operation Rah-i-Raast
and six months on since Operation Rah-i-Nijaat, they are
still raiding security outposts and roadside checkpoints,
ambushing security forces' convoys, attacking lashkars
formed by tribal volunteers, and carrying out a rash of
suicide bombings in the country.
In the process, they have created a sense of uncertainty
and insecurity in the minds of the people, especially
those who are residing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and those
who have been displaced as a result of the army's
operations. But the impact this has had on the minds of
our parliamentarians and government in Islamabad is
noteworthy - like the president, they too live in mortal
fear, despite Islamabad having been turned into a
fortified city.
Apart from the insurgents who are moving from agency to
agency, most of the fighters of the Tehrik-i Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) have escaped to North Waziristan which is
dominated by the forces of Hafiz Gul Bahadur and
Sirajuddin Haqqani. While the former have generally not
taken sides in the war between the army and the TTP, the
latter collaborates with Mulla Omar's Afghan Taliban, and
is blamed by the US military for the deadly attacks
carried out in Kabul - it was also accused of helping the
Jordanian double agent in his suicide attack on the CIA
station on Khost province.
The recent deadly ambush of the army convoy in North
Waziristan perhaps was staged by TTP fighters with the
connivance of Gul Bahadur. Could it be that the ambush was
orchestrated by the US intelligence/ US special operations
forces teams, reportedly present in Fata, to provoke the
Pakistan Army to launch a full scale operation in North
Waziristan? And that if this doesn't have the desired
effect, more such ambushes could be on the cards? After
all, an operation here by the Pakistan Army has long been
demanded by the US.
North Waziristan is bristling with militants who are
battle hardened and skilled guerrilla fighters. They are
masters of innovation and surprise. The terrain favours
them and they know it well. An operation here would be
challenged by the forces of Gul Bahadur, Sirajuddin
Haqqani and the TTP, whose union would turn them into a
formidable force, the likes of which the army is yet to
experience in its war against insurgency. Moreover, if the
Afghan Taliban dispatch some of their fighters to join the
Haqqani force the union would become even more formidable.
In this environment it would be unwise on the army's part
to go into North Waziristan on its own, for it would need
far more infantry than it presently has in Swat and the
tribal areas, which could only come by more thinning out
from the eastern front at the risk of creating a grave
imbalance there. The other option is to plan a joint
operation with US forces in which the two forces alternate
as hammer and anvil until the noose is tightened.
Although a joint operation makes eminent sense militarily,
it would perhaps not be acceptable politically. But when
viewed against the government's acceptance of US drones
attacking targets in Pakistan territory and the presence
of US special operations teams in Fata, this would be a
contradiction. If, however, the Americans decline to
undertake a joint operation, the Pakistan Army should rule
out the option of going in on its own. Under the
circumstances, a joint operation is the only viable option
- and the most dangerous hypothesis for all the
stakeholders in North Waziristan i.e. - the TTP, the Gul
Bahadur force, the Haqqani force and the Afghan Taliban.
What can they do to forestall this hypothesis from
materialising? The Indians had yet to recover from the
humiliation they suffered when Operation Parakaram
(Operation Victory), the largest ever mobilisation of
Indian forces that followed the attack on their parliament
on Dec 13, 2001, was terminated after a 10-month standoff
without 'teaching Pakistan a lesson', when on Nov 26,
2008, Mumbai was struck by gunmen they say were patronised
by Pakistani intelligence. The humiliation has generated
such feelings of hostility that the Indian home minister
directed a threat at Pakistan that "another Mumbai-style
attack would evoke a swift and decisive response".
It is this threat that the TTP could exploit by prevailing
on their allies, the jihadi groups and the 'Punjabi
Taliban', both of whom have a long reach, to execute a
Mumbai style strike or even multiple strikes, in India to
provoke an India-Pakistan war. If India swallows the bait,
it would be folly of the highest order - and the TTP would
have succeeded beyond their most optimistic expectations.
In the event, the Pakistan forces on the western front
would be immediately shifted to the eastern front, thus
clearing the way for the TTP to regain the lost spaces and
regroup, besides eliminating the threat to North
Waziristan. Would the US-led forces fill the vacuum
created by the shifting of Pakistan forces, at the risk of
getting into a two-front war situation that would lead to
the collapse of their Afghan strategy?
It's time for the Pakistani government to shed its
inhibitions and act decisively against the jihadi groups
before a crisis is created, the consequences of which
would be disastrous not only for the occupation forces in
Afghanistan, but more importantly, for the people of India
and Pakistan.
How long will it take the army to crush the insurgency
that has enveloped the country and threatens to undermine
its foundation, nobody can surmise, least of all the army.
But what one can say with certainty is that the war
against the insurgency will be a war without end.
Viewpoints
Not so slow a boat from China
In other
words, if China sees a need to take back what it considers an
integral part of China, it doesn't want an American fleet to
be able to prevent it.
HDS Greenway
Six
hundred years ago, several decades before the coming of the
Europeans into Asian waters, China mounted seven ambitious
maritime expeditions to South East Asia, through the Malacca
Strait into the Indian Ocean - even to the east coast of
Africa and the Persian Gulf. In what historians have called
"spectacular displays of power," these expeditions not only
impressed, and in some cases intimidated China's neighbours,
they also opened up trade into regions where China's reach had
been slight or non-existent before.
Now China is preparing to expand its navy and send its ships
around the world as part of its new status as a world economic
power. With the announcement that it will launch a "far sea
defence" the Chinese military gave the world notice that it
intends to project its naval power to distant ports that are
sources of vital oil and raw materials.
Back in the 1400s, China's fleets in the early years of the
Ming Dynasty were technologically superior to anything else in
the world. China had invented the sternpost rudder 1,200 years
before it appeared in Europe, and some of their junks were 400
feet long, with four decks and four to six masts, double
planking, and water-tight compartments.
Those Chinese naval expeditions were led by a eunuch admiral,
Zheng He (or Cheng Ho depending on your transliteration), who
was also a Muslim.
From 1405 until 1433 China's maritime power extended the
tribute system far beyond its borders, a system in which
China's neighbours would recognise Chinese superiority. For
the Ming held the largest and richest empire in the world.
"In no other realm was there such a huge population, so many
great cities, such a high standard of living," wrote Maurice
Collis of China in the 1400s. "Everything that men could
desire was supplied in superfluity by the most talented
artisans." Then, just as suddenly as it began, China's
maritime prowess came to an end. Chinese fleets were withdrawn
into coastal waters. China became a continental power,
concentrating on its armies and holding China together. Never
again would China project naval power so far afield; until
now. Today, as China's Deputy Commander of the East Fleet,
Rear Admiral Zhang Huachen, put it: "With our naval strategy
changing now, we are going from coastal defense to far sea
defense."
Because so much of China's oil comes from the Persian Gulf
through the Malacca Strait, China's naval ambitions closely
track the path their eunuch admiral blazed in the 15th
century. No longer will China be content to let the US Navy be
the guarantor of world shipping lanes.
This makes India nervous. India has been watching China
develop what is called its "string of pearls" around the
Indian subcontinent - the 21st century equivalent of 19th
century coaling stations. China has been working on port
arrangements, access to airfields, and special political and
diplomatic relations with India's neighbours in Burma,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, the Seychelles,
and Pakistan where China is helping to build Gwadar, a new
port on the Arabian Sea.
India has toyed with the idea of offering its own naval
protection to Chinese ships in order to lessen the need for
such an ambitious Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
China would never accept such an offer. India sees itself as a
rising superpower and regional rival to China. When India
developed a nuclear bomb, some Indian politicians let it slip
that their bomb was to counterbalance China more than it was
to intimidate traditional rival Pakistan.
Southeast Asian nations are worried about becoming new vassal
states to modern China. Many are quietly urging the United
States not to pull back in the Pacific, hoping to keep a
strong US naval presence to maintain a balance of power.
Japan, too, is keeping a wary eye on China's naval build-up.
Now that China has passed Germany as the world's leading
exporter, and with China's economy vacuuming up the world's
mineral resources, it was inevitable that China would want to
develop a high seas fleet to protect its economic life lines.
Naval power is also a symbol of great power status. But
China's naval build-up is going to rankle some Pentagon
feathers, and ruffle those who perceive China as the one great
threat to American military hegemony. China does not have the
technological edge it had in the 15th century, and its
blue-water fleet is far smaller than America's. No one
foresees a naval arms race similar to the one between Britain
and Germany before World War I. But the Pentagon is building
up its naval power in the Pacific, transferring assets from
the Atlantic.
The one conceivable flashpoint might be the Taiwan Strait. The
United States has a commitment to protect Taiwan, maintaining
that Taiwan is part of China, technically, but that any
political union should come about peacefully. China, on the
other hand, says it will not allow Taiwan to declare its
independence. If China has a military aim beyond protecting
its sea lanes and showing the flag in the world's oceans, it
would be to deny the United States naval control of the Taiwan
Strait.
In other words, if China sees a need to take back what it
considers an integral part of China, it doesn't want an
American fleet to be able to prevent it.
As China's naval power increases the burden of keeping
tensions low in the Taiwan Strait will fall to diplomats and
politicians on both sides of the Pacific.
HDS Greenway is an American journalist and columnist of
Boston Globe
www.globalpost.com
Labour in
disarray
Morale in the
Labour campaign slumped as even some of Brown's closest
aides vented their fury at him, with one describing him as
"a pathetic blame shifter".
Patrick Wintour
Labour's
election campaign was in disarray on Wednesday night after
Gordon Brown was forced to apologise to a pensioner and
lifelong party supporter whom he had described as "a
bigoted woman" for questioning him over the scale of
immigration from eastern Europe.
His contemptuous dismissal of Gillian Duffy, made in
private but caught by a live broadcast feed, again raises
questions about his volatile character and, more
importantly, whether the Labour core vote will now be
repelled by his apparent indifference to their concerns.
Morale in the Labour campaign slumped as even some of
Brown's closest aides vented their fury at him, with one
describing him as "a pathetic blame shifter".
Sensing the damage he had inflicted on his already slim
election chances, Brown wrote to party members last night
to apologise. "I am under no illusions as to how much
scorn some in the media will want to heap upon me in the
days ahead. Many of you know me personally. You know I
have strengths, as well as weaknesses. We all do," he
said.
Brown had met Duffy, 65, on the streets of Rochdale, in
the northwest of England, when she accosted him over a
range of issues including the scale of debt, taxes and
tuition fees. At one point during the discussion she
referred to eastern Europeans "flocking" to Britain.
After an apparently pleasant conclusion to the
conversation and closing his car door, Brown turned to his
director of strategic communications, Justin Forsyth,
declaring the event a "disaster" and demanding to know who
was responsible for him meeting Mrs Duffy. He appeared to
blame his longstanding aide Sue Nye.
Asked by Forsyth what Duffy had said he replied: "Oh
everything, she was just a sort of bigoted woman. She said
she used to be Labour. I mean it's just ridiculous."
Brown was then played back his remarks on a live Radio 2
phone-in. He covered his face with his hands, and said he
blamed himself. He apologised to Duffy on the phone, and
was then going to hold a press conference in Manchester to
apologise again, before agreeing to drive back to Rochdale
and say sorry to her in person.
He met her in private in her front room, spending 40
minutes at her home before emerging declaring himself the
"penitent sinner" and claiming he had been forgiven. The
prime minister said: "If you like, I'm a penitent sinner.
Sometimes you say things you don't mean to say, sometimes
you say things by mistake and sometimes you say things you
want to correct very quickly. So I wanted to come here and
say that I made a mistake but to also to say I understood
the concerns she was bringing to me and I simply
misunderstood some of the words she used. I made my
apology."
Mrs Duffy was last night refusing to comment or confirm
Brown's claim. It was understood that she has sold her
story to the London tabloid Sun newspaper. Labour party
officials said the prime minister had not realised what
she was saying until he read the transcript, and felt
frustrated that he was unable to have a proper
conversation with her owing to the media scrum around him.
But that also underlines the extent to which he is not a
natural campaigner on the stump, an inadequacy likely to
be highlighted when Tony Blair briefly joins the campaign
in the next few days.
No campaign strategist sought to minimise the damage, amid
signs that the Tory vote is anyway starting to harden. The
YouGov tracker poll in the Sun showed the Labour vote
already starting to slide with the Conservatives on 34 (up
one), the Lib Dems on 31 (up three), Labour on 27 (down
two) and others on eight (down two).
US domestic politics will drive
Mideast policy
Early indications The significant new developments
include: President Barack Obama's swift moves to
re-establish the US as an active mediator among Israel and
the Palestinians.
RAMI G. KHOURI
At
the end of an extended stay of two months in the United
States during which I was able to follow US-Mideast
diplomatic developments at close range and consult with
many knowledgeable players and analysts, I sense that the
Arab-Israeli peace process in the Middle East (now focused
on the energetic attempt to launch Palestinian-Israeli
"proximity talks") is as much about political process in
the United States as it is about diplomatic moves abroad.
This may not be welcomed by those who want Washington to
offer a peace plan and use its influence to push the Arabs
and Israelis to negotiate a permanent agreement. It is,
though, a reminder of how power is exercised in democratic
societies, where decision-making reflects the intersection
among national politicians, presidential leadership,
special interests, electoral considerations, the foreign
policy bureaucracy, and the impact of other American
global interests. Not surprisingly, the Israeli government
and its proxies and supporters in the US are actively
engaged in playing the game of democratic power politics
inside the United States, while the Arab world is not.
The outcome of recent developments - especially
American-Israeli tensions - remains unclear, but one thing
is rather obvious so far: The last year has seen
significant new changes in the tone and substance of
American government policies regarding Arab-Israeli
peace-making and wider Middle Eastern issues, mostly
manifested to date at the level of official rhetoric.
Policies on the ground follow more slowly, because they
need one or all of the three elements that remain missing
from the mix today: Explicit approval by the US Congress,
less formal consensus within the power elite in Washington
and major American cities, and the active engagement of
all the core players in the Middle East.
The significant new developments include: President Barack
Obama's swift moves to re-establish the US as an active
mediator among Israel and the Palestinians, and his
persistence after Arabs and Israelis both flatly rebuffed
his initial proposals last autumn; his administration's
explicit and repeated calls for a freeze in Israeli
settlements as a critical first step toward starting the
"proximity talks"; the parallel public expressions of
concern by top political and military figures that, a) the
Arab-Israeli adversely impacts US foreign policy and
military aims in the region, and, b) resolving this
conflict is in the national strategic interest of the
United States; and, the real debate under way in
Washington, often in public, about whether and how the US
should proceed on promoting Arab-Israeli peace talks, and
where this matter falls within the wider constellation of
all American priorities in the region (energy flows, Iran,
terrorism, Iraq and Afghanistan).
Policy, however, does not happen in a vacuum, and we are
witnessing these days the fascinating epic of how centers
and instruments of political power within the United
States jostle for advantage, even on an issue that the
American president and his top military brass proclaim is
of vital national strategic importance at a moment when
the US military is widely extended throughout the region.
In democratic societies, unlike the entire Arab world, a
politician or national leader behaves according to several
impulses: The intangible element of character, or
charisma, and the very tangible elements of political
self-interest and raw national political cost-benefit
analyses.
The combination of Obama's character and his sense of how
important it is for American national interests to resolve
the Arab-Israeli conflict have propelled his moves in the
past 15 months; his decisions from now on will be driven
mainly by calculations of political self-interest for him
and his Democratic Party in an election year, and whether
he generates enough serious, tangible responses from Arabs
and Israelis to continue with an initiative that could
expose the United States to charges of diplomatic
incompetence, naïveté or irresoluteness. These forces will
be further influenced by developments in Iran, Iraq and
Afghanistan, and his continued domestic record, such as
passing financial regulation or immigration policy
reforms.
The last 15 months have confirmed for those who had any
doubts that US foreign policy, for good or ill, is an
extension of US domestic politics, an arena where Israel
has real clout while the Arab world generates mainly
derision. The idea that the US can "impose" a peace
settlement in the Middle East is not realistic, when the
president struggles and compromises to pass legislation on
critical domestic issues. This should not detract from the
historic changes under way in the Obama approach to
Arab-Israeli peace-making; rather, it should make us
understand that whether the changes in the rhetoric and
style of the past 15 months will continue to translate
into real foreign-policy changes will be determined by the
hard calculations of political incumbency, electoral
expectations, and national cost-benefit analyses, rather
than personal sentiment, or a commitment to ethics,
justice, or the international rule of law.
Rami G. Khouri is the editor-at-large of Lebanon's
Daily Star newspaper.
International
Pakistan to move
arbitration court on Kishanganga project
Dawn Online, Islamabad
Pakistan has finally decided to approach the International
Court of Arbitration against construction of the
controversial Kishanganga Hydropower Project by India in
alleged violation of 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and has
formed a team of legal experts to fight the case.
Informed sources told Dawn on Sunday that Professor Kaiyan
Homi Kaikobad, an international legal expert of Pakistan
origin, would lead the team at the International Court of
Arbitration.
He will be assisted by officials of ministries of water
and power, law and justice and foreign affairs and
Pakistan's permanent commissioner to the Indus Commission
and a few Pakistani lawyers.
The sources said that a group of government officials had
recommended that James Crawford be hired for the job
because he had represented Pakistan before the neutral
expert when Pakistan took its case on the controversial
Baglihar project on the Chenab a few years ago.
However, prime minister's adviser on water resources Kamal
Majidullah opposed the move saying the outcome of Baglihar
case was generally not in Pakistan's favour. The
government is estimated to have allocated about $10
million for the case.
The sources said that India had almost completed the 22-km
tunnel to divert Kishanganga (Neelum) waters to Wullar
Lake in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty and was
working to complete the 330MW project by 2016.
Mumbai attack case
Kasab guilty; Ansari, Sabauddin Shaikh acquitted
TNN, Mumbai
Pakistani terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab, charged with the
deaths of 166 Indians and foreigners, has been pronounced
guilty of all charges by a special court in Mumbai. The
two Indians, who were named as co-accused in the case-Faheem
Ansari and Sabauddin Shaikh, have been acquitted.
The argument on quantum of sentence to Kasab will be held
tomorrow.
Kasab has been convicted on all 86 charges against him. He
was found guilty or murder and waging war against the
nation, the court said while delivering the judgment.
"You have been found guilty of waging war against India,
and killing people at CST (train station), killing
government officials and abetting the other nine
terrorists," Judge M.L. Tahaliyani said as he announced
his verdict. They were the most serious charges laid
against Kasab, a 22-year-old Pakistani who was arrested
after the Mumbai siege.
The conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan, the judge said.
The two Indian co-accused were set free because the
evidence against them was weak, the court ruled. Kasab had
said that the duo supplied maps of Mumbai to LeT bosses.
Thus, they gave logistical support to carry out the
attack. But the judge, punching a hole in the
prosecution's argument, said better maps were available on
Google than the crude drawings Kasab claimed had been
supplied by Ansari and Sabauddin.
Pakistan Taliban leader
alive, threatens U.S. attacks
Reuters, Islamabad
The leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud,
reported killed in a CIA drone aircraft attack in January,
has appeared in Internet videos threatening revenge
suicide strikes in the United States.
The tapes, likely to raise new questions about the
strength of militants in U.S.-allied Pakistan, were posted
shortly after the Pakistani Taliban said it was
responsible for an attempted car bomb attack in New York's
Times Square on Saturday evening.
"The time is very near when our Fedayeen (fighters
prepared to sacrifice themselves) will attack the American
states in their major cities," warned Mehsud, who said the
video was recorded on April 4, 2010. "Our Fedayeen have
penetrated the terrorist America. We will give extremely
painful blows to the fanatic America." So far Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), Taliban Movement of Pakistan, has focused
on fighting the Islamabad government and never
demonstrated a global reach, despite its ties with al
Qaeda.
That's why some analysts say the threats made by Mehsud
and the Times Square claim may actually be a sign of
weakness after the group faced a series of Pakistani
military offensives.
North Korea's Kim seeks
lifeline in China
Reuters, Dalian,
China
Reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il arrived in China
on Monday in search of economic support and diplomatic
protection from his only major ally, after bungled
policies at home and military grandstanding that has
exasperated the region.
China, which has propped up the North's leaders for
decades, is becoming increasingly fed up with its
provocative neighbour, analysts say, but it is willing to
bankroll Kim to prevent chaos on its border.
Kim, aware of Beijing's predicament, is expected to demand
sweeteners to rein in his military and return to
international nuclear disarmament talks hosted by Beijing.
He crossed into China before dawn in his armoured train
and went to the thriving port city of Dalian. The hotel
where he is staying has covered its facade in a billowing
white sheet as part of security precautions.
Footage by NHK television showed Kim, wearing his
trademark khaki outfit, surrounded by beefy Chinese
security agents and a motorcade of black cars.
In his last trip in 2006, Kim toured China's industrial
centres for a first-hand look under the hood of the
country's quickly growing economy.
Iran,
US take their nuclear cases to UN stage
AP, United Nations
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brings his nuclear
case to New York on Monday, turning a U.N. treaty
conference into a stage for Tehran's long-running showdown
with the Western powers over its uranium enrichment
program.
The only head of state participating, Ahmadinejad was one
of Monday's scheduled kickoff speakers for the monthlong
session, to review the workings of the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
Departing Tehran on Sunday, the Iranian leader made clear
he would assail U.S.-led efforts to impose a new round of
U.N. sanctions on his country for refusing to stop its
enrichment program, which Washington and others contend is
meant to produce the nuclear fuel for bombs in violation
of Iran's NPT obligations. "Under the pretext of
prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation, they impose
heavy pressures on independent countries," Ahmadinejad
complained to reporters. He is also expected to counter
with a denunciation of the United States and other
nuclear-armed nations for their slow movement toward
disarmament.
"The atomic bomb has become a tool for bullying,
domination and expansionism," he said Sunday. U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, following
Ahmadinejad to the U.N. stage later Monday, suggested over
the weekend he was coming to New York "to divert attention
and confuse the issue."
"We're not going to permit Iran to try to change the story
from their failure to comply" with the NPT, she said on
Sunday's "Meet the Press" on NBC.
AFP adds: Iranian Prime Minister Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is
expected to put the United States and Israel on the spot
for stockpiling nuclear weapons when he addresses the
opening session Monday of a conference reviewing the
189-nation Non-Proliferation Treaty. He said before
leaving Tehran for the NPT meeting at UN headquarters in
New York that "the biggest threat to the world today is
the production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons."
And yet for the past 60 years "we have no disarmament or
non-proliferation and some countries have even procured
the nuclear bomb during this period," Ahmadinejad said in
a clear reference to the United States and Israel.
Saudi liberals see hope as
clerics argue over women
Reuters, Riyadh
Divisions among senior Saudi clerics over the legality of
gender segregation could mark a new drive by reformers
allied to King Abdullah to push social reforms in the
puritanical Islamic state.
The divisions came to the open when the kingdom's morals
police, or the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and
the Prevention of Vice, reversed a decision to sack Ahmad
al-Ghamdi, its regional head for the Mecca region. Saudi
analysts and diplomats say the reversal was dictated by
King Abdullah's entourage if not the king himself.
After the kingdom opened its first co-ed university in
September-a project sponsored by King Abdullah-Ghamdi
published a research paper that questioned the legality in
Islam of gender segregation as enforced by the Commission.
"The commission was forced to cancel the decision to sack
Ghamdi. This will strengthen the state's role," said
Khaled al-Dakhil, a prominent Saudi political writer.
"The state has been gaining influence while that of the
religious establishment has been declining, simply because
it has gradually been given a lesser say over decisions
taken by the state," he said.
The kingdom, a major U.S. ally, is ruled by Al Saud family
in alliance with clerics from the austere Wahhabi school
of Islam who oversee mosques, the judiciary and education,
as well as run their own coercive apparatus, the morals
police. Interior ministry police work with the Commission
to make sure unrelated men and women are kept apart, that
women are covered from head to toe and that Sharia law is
fully implemented including a ban on alcohol. Women are
also not allowed to drive in the kingdom.
Israel, Egypt hold summit
on renewed Mideast peace effort
AFP, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
The leaders of Israel and Egypt met Monday to discuss the
renewal of the Middle East peace process ahead of
US-backed indirect negotiations between the Palestinians
and the Jewish state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's talks with regional broker President Hosni
Mubarak in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh
"focused on the renewal of the peace process," the
premier's office said.
The closed-door talks took place "in a positive and
constructive atmosphere," the Israeli leader's office said
in a statement issued after the almost 90-minute
encounter.
The leaders, who made no comments to reporters at the
resort, "reviewed Egyptian and international efforts to
prepare the ground for the indirect talks ... aimed at a
two-state solution," Egypt's official news agency MENA
said.
Their talks were focused on the launch expected within
days of indirect negotiations between Israel and the
Palestinians, a process suspended since the Gaza war of
December 2008-January 2009.
Netanyahu's visit came amid a flurry of diplomatic
activity two days after the Arab League voiced its support
for the so-called "proximity talks."
Deoband appeals Islamic
countries to oppose veil ban
PTI, Muzaffarnagar
Appealing to Islamic countries to help lift the ban on use
of veil by Muslim women in some European countries, a
leading seminary on Monday said the restriction was
curbing the religious freedom of community members.
Deputy Vice Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana
Abdul Khalique Madrasi today said, "It is unfortunate that
Islamic countries have not opposed the law by European
countries curbing Muslim women from wearing the veil which
is an integral part of our religion." He appealed to the
Islamic countries to oppose the ban and pressurise the
European countries to withdraw it.
"The act is undemocratic and against secularism. Some
anti-Islamic forces are trying to curb the religious
freedom of Muslims in these countries," he alleged.
The Imam Organisation of Uttar Pradesh has supported
Deoband's view.
President of the UP organisation Mufti Zulfikar Ali has
said, "Some European countries are trying to curb the
rights of our religion by banning the veil."
"It is against the freedom of our religion and we fully
support the view of Deoband in this regard," he said.
Belgium's lower house of Parliament on Thursday last
banned burqa-type Islamic dress in public. The law is yet
to be passed by the Senate.
In January, Denmark's center-right government called the 'burqa'
and the 'niqab' out of step with Danish values.
France also banned Muslim head scarves from schools in
2004.
Taiwan says will not seek
US help to fight wars
Reuters, Taipei
Taiwan will never ask the United States to help fight a
war, officials said on Monday in comments that could ease
regional tension but shake views the island needs the
world military superpower to battle China.
In a statement seen appeasing both Washington and Beijing,
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou had told a visiting
television reporter over the weekend that the island would
stand up for itself, suggesting the United States was not
obligated to send help and risk its own conflict with
China.
Removing U.S. military aid from the equation would lower
the odds of a prolonged conflict involving Taiwan despite
its decades of political hostilities with China. That
shift could firm market sentiment already buoyed by two
years of detente and trade talks. China claims self-ruled
Taiwan as part of its territory and leads the island in
military might, but the China-friendly president said on
television he would "never ask the Americans to fight for
Taiwan."
Washington, which had no immediate comment on the
president's remarks, could decide on its own whether to
help Taiwan, cabinet spokesman Johnny Chiang said on
Monday following protests from Taiwan's anti-China main
opposition party.
"The president is saying Taiwan is resolved to protect
itself," Chiang told Reuters. "What he means is that he
hopes he doesn't need to see the United States involved in
any war."
The United States, Taiwan's staunchest ally and chief arms
supplier, is bound by its 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to
help defend the island but as it seeks better ties with
Beijing has hedged on saying how far it would go in the
event of a war.
Eating habits often the
problem, not the foods eaten
DPA, Berlin
Many foods are quickly branded unhealthy bec-ause they are
high in fat, sugar or salt. But it is often consumers'
eating habits that are unhealthy, not the foods they eat.
For one thing, harming one's health depends on the amounts
consumed. And some products that are supposedly
beneficial, such as vitamin pills, can sometimes carry
risks.
Many people take expensive vitamin pills and dietary
supplements in the belief that the substances do their
bodies good. But as Alfonso Lampen, director of food
safety at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in
Berlin, noted, "Very few people in Germany need
supplemental vitamins. Their vitamin requirements are
generally met."
What is more, the widespread assumption that vitamins are
universally healthy is false. "It's the dose that makes
the poison. Too many vitamins can harm the body," Lampen
said.
A study found, for instance, that smokers who took
beta-carotene, a provitamin that the body can convert into
vitamin A, were at greater risk of developing lung cancer.
And though folic acid supplements help prevent birth
defects of the brain and spinal cord when taken by women
before pregnancy and in its early stages, excessive
consumption of the supplements by the elderly can increase
their risk of cancer.
Instead of popping vitamin pills, health-conscious people
would do better to follow a golden rule of the German
Nutrition Society (DGE): Eat fruits and vegetables at
least five times a day. "A balanced diet normally gives
the body everything it needs," remarked Brigitte Neumann,
a German home economist.
Party leaders in last-ditch
push for swing voters
AFP, London
Party leaders pushed into the final days of campaigning on
Monday, targeting key marginal seats in the fight for what
looks set to be the closest general election in decades on
May 6.
With the country is on a public holiday, Prime Minister
Gordon Brown, who is struggling to hold on to power,
campaigned in close-fought seats in eastern England while
Conservative leader David Cameron, who is ahead in polls,
was in the northwest.
Amid talk of a possible hung parliament, the knife-edge
fight is increasingly focused on swing voters in a few
dozen seats where the results are too close to call, and
which could determine the outcome of the election.
Cameron, who is launching a 24-hour campaigning blitz
running from Tuesday night until electioneering ends late
on Wednesday, insisted he was not complacent despite his
party's long-term poll lead.
Brown's Labour has accused him of trying to "give the
impression that he is home and dry" after he outlined
plans for his first 100 days in power Sunday including an
emergency budget and setting up an Afghanistan "war
cabinet".
"There has never been an ounce of complacency in my body
and there isn't now and there is everything left to do,"
Cameron said.
"If I was over-confident, I wouldn't be going on a 24-hour
non-stop campaign to win over the last, undecided voters,"
he added on a visit to a constituency in Blackpool,
Lancashire, held by Labour in the last parliament.
"This election is far from won but I think people have the
right to know what they would get."
Business/Economy
President urges Croatian investors to invest in Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka
President Zillur Rahman Monday urged Croatia to recruit
manpower, import more Bangladeshi products and invest here
for bringing the trade and commerce relations between the
two countries to a new height.
The President made the urge while newly appointed Delhi
based Croatian Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Boris Velic
presented his credentials to him at Bangabhaban here.
President Zillur Rahman said the present government would
extend its all-out cooperation if Croatian investors show
their keen interest in investing in the country's
potential sectors.
He said Croatian importers can import more international
standard Bangladeshi products particularly jute and jute
goods, readymade garments, leather products, ceramic and
pharmaceuticals, he said.
The President also urged the Croatian government to
recruit more Bangladesh manpower both skilled and
semi-skilled, which can boost the socio economic condition
of both the countries.
Through the new convoy, President Zillur Rahman invited
his Croatian counterpart to visit Bangladesh at a time
convenient to him.
The newly appointed ambassador apprised the President that
his government would like to further strengthen trade and
commerce relations with Bangladesh.
Croatia is keen to sign some memorandums of understanding
(MoUs) with Bangladesh for investing here on a large
scale, he said.
The ambassador put emphasis on exchange of visits of high
level trade delegations between the two countries for
exploring new avenues of trade and commerce sectors of the
two countries.
Dr Boris apprised the President that his country would
also like to provide support to Bangladesh in development
of maritime transportation.
The new envoy assured the President that he would do his
level best to further strengthening the bilateral
relations between the two countries and also sought
President's cooperation to discharge his duties.
Secretary to the President's office M Safiul Alam, Foreign
Secretary Mijarul Quayes and Press Secretary AKM Nesar
Uddin Bhuiyan were present during the meeting.
Earlier, the ambassador was given a guard of honors by a
contingent of the President Guard Regiment.
Telecom
giant Huawei to expand its business in Bangladesh
BSS, Shanghai
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (Huawei), a leader in
providing next generation telecommunications network
solutions for operators around the world, is planning to
expand its business in the fast growing market like
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India by introducing latest
technology to maximize its return. "We have already has a
business of $ 200 million annually in Bangladesh and we
are planning to expand our business to Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka and India," Jeff Liu Feng, President of South Asia
region of Huawei said this while exchanging views with the
journalists of South Asia, Latin America and Africa at
Jinmao Concert Hall on Friday.
Replying to a question, he said Bangladesh did a lot for
improving the telecommunications sector, but it would have
to do more for infrastructure development for reaching the
telecom facilities to the doorstep of the people.
Bangladesh has a very wide rural area where communication
network is poor.. It's difficult to reach cost effective
telecom facilities to the people of that area, Liu Feng
said adding Huawei is trying its best to provide latest
telecom facilities to Bangladesh jointly with the private
sector.
Huawei looks forward to a fulfilling, long-term
partnership with Bangladesh companies, he said. Liu Feng
said Huawei is committed to bringing excellent services
and innovative technologies to the Bangladesh market to
better meet the communications needs of Bangladeshi users
with the new network.
He said we are working with the Grameenphone to deploy
solar- powered base transreceiver stations (BTS) in
Bangladesh. The South Region Vice President said with its
vision of enriching people's life through communications,
Huawei continues to make investment in GSM technology
innovation. Huawei's EnerG GSM solution has been adopted
by telecom operators in over 60 countries, serving more
than 100 million subscribers across the globe, he said.
Liu Feng said Huwaei is now a leading global provider of
commercial telecom networks and it is currently serving 45
of the world's top 50 telecom operators.
In line with the global telecommunications industry's
vision of All-IP network able to support a fixed mobile
convergence (FMC) environment, Huawei is now offering one
of the broadest end-to end product portfolios, he said.
Pointing to the Huawei's annual turn over, Liu Feng said
in 2009 Huawei recorded revenues of $21.8 billion, net
profit of $ 2.7 billion and a net profit margin of 12.2
percent. "A significant portion of their return is also
coming from Bangladesh," said added.
Asian economy must focus on regional consumers:
ADB
AFP, Tashkent
Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda on Monday
urged Asia's economies to focus less on exports and more
on meeting regional consumer demand, without overlooking
environmental concerns.
Haruhiko, addressing the opening of the ADB's board of
governor's meeting in Tashkent, outlined the lending
institution's plans for regional development, placing a
premium on green projects and economic integration.
"Asia should see itself as not only a producer and
exporter of its goods and services, but also a consumer.
Asia should tap its own large pool of savings for
investments within the region," he said.
Speaking alongside Uzbek President Islam Karimov at the
opening ceremony of the Manila-based lender's 43rd annual
meeting, the first to be held in ex-Soviet Central Asia,
Haruhiko urged greater action to combat climate change.
"A hope for a brighter future must be coupled with action
for a greener future. We must make every effort to limit
further damage to the environment from rapid development,"
he said.
To that end, ADB Managing Director General Rajat Nag
announced a new 2.25 billion dollar (1.7 billion euro)
solar power initiative aimed at generating some 3,000
megawatts of power by 2012. "With energy demand projected
to almost double in the Asia and Pacific region by 2030,
there is an urgent need for innovative ways to generate
power while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas
emissions," he said.
"Sustainable solar energy can be the clean power of the
future if there are appropriate incentive and financing
mechanisms in place."
Karimov also addressed environmental concerns during his
opening remarks, singling out the ex-Soviet state's
neighbours for failing to factor environmental concerns
into their water policy. Uzbekistan has been locked in a
row with neighbouring Tajikistan over the fate of a
massive Tajik hydro-electric dam project, which Tashkent
says will have a disastrous environmental impact on those
living downstream.
Greece rushes austerity cuts as anger builds
AFP, Athens
Greece's socialist government rushed on Monday to push
through fresh spending cuts in the face of public anger at
the price to pay for the 110-billion-euro international
bailout.
A day after unveiling plans to cut public sector bonuses,
shake up the retirement system and hike sales tax, Prime
Minister George Papandreou said the austerity drive would
allow "changes that the country has needed for years".
With the third general strike in as many months called for
Wednesday, unions have vowed to battle the latest round of
cuts and tax hikes, worth some 30 billion euros (40
billion dollars) over three years. "These are difficult
days, but we have to believe, and I do, that it is an
opportunity for a new start, an opportunity for change,"
Papandreou said before meeting President Carolos Papoulias.
Facing the prospect of defaulting on its debt, the
government agreed to the spending cuts and tax hikes as a
condition for the 110 billion euros in loans from eurozone
countries and the International Monetary Fund. Eager to
keep Greece's crisis from spreading, European governments
endorsed the unprecedented international bailout on Sunday
after months of hesitation.
With its eurozone and IMF partners behind the plan, the
government is to present the new austerity measures to
parliament late Monday or Tuesday and aims to get a vote
on Wednesday or Thursday at the latest, an official said.
He said that the first installments of bailout funds
should begin flowing in time for Athens to honour debts of
nine billion euros coming due on May 19.
"We need nine billions euros by May 19, it will arrive in
time," the official said. "Everything was done on the
basis of this date."
Merkel cabinet approves Greek aid
AFP, Berlin
Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet gave approval on Monday
to Germany's unpopular contribution to a debt rescue for
Greece, dubbed the "fattest cheque of all time" by the
mass-circulation Bild daily.
Merkel aims to rush the legal framework for Germany's
slice of the 110-billion-euro (146-billion-dollar)
package, amounting to 22.4 billion euros over three years,
through an accelerated parliamentary procedure by Friday.
In the teeth of public opposition and with a key regional
election looming, Merkel has been seen as cautious to
helping out Greece, but stated on Sunday that the bail-out
was "the only way to ensure the stability of the euro."
She was expected to make a further statement at 1245 GMT.
Merkel has enough support to push through the legislation
without the help of opposition parties, but the
centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) seemed to be leaning
towards supporting the bill, as did the Greens. The
European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs,
Olli Rehn, met SPD leaders on Monday and said after talks
that he could "count on the support" of the party in a
vote in parliament on Friday.
And the co-head of the Greens, Claudia Roth, told rolling
news channel NTV that "there is no alternative to European
solidarity ... there must be support" for aid to Greece.
Market analysts saw little risk of the legislation being
blocked.
Dirk Schumacher from Goldman Sachs said: "While there can
be little doubt that many MPs do not like the package at
all, things have progressed too far to be stopped now in
our view."
Business jet makers ready to fly through tough
year
AFP, Geneva
Major business jet makers said on Monday that they
expected another tough year for the business aviation
market as it weathers a slow pick up after the economic
crisis.
"This year remains difficult. Quarter one is a
disappointment," Dassault chief executive Charles
Edelstenne told reporters a day before EBACE, the biggest
annual business aviation fair, opens in the Swiss city of
Geneva.
"It's very difficult to forecast anything. The market has
not restarted yet. Nobody knows how long the crisis would
last. We are waiting for a restart," he added.
World deliveries of business jets plunged 24.3 percent
between 2008 and 2009, after unprecedented growth in the
five years earlier, according to estimates from US
consultancy Teal Group.
Edelstenne said that Dassault, which makes Falcon business
jets targeting the luxury sector, is holding up well in
the crisis. The French company holds a share of between 40
and 45 percent of the luxury end of the market.
However, Dassault's chief said they firm was "on a
plateau" while the resale market is showing signs of
recovery.
IJSG launches book on ‘Jute Basics’
TBT Report
The launching ceremony of the book "Jute Basics",
published by the International Jute Study Group (IJSG) was
held at IJSG's conference room in the capital recently.
AFM Sarwar Kamal, former Secretary General of the IJSG
launched the book as the chief guest.
Presided over by, Sudripta Roy, Secretary General of the
IJSG, the function was addressed among others by Md.
Ashraful Moqbul, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles and Jute,
Govt. of Bangladesh and Head of Bangladesh Delegation,
Rita Menon, Secretary, Ministry of Textile, Govt. of India
and Head of Indian Delegation and Enzo Barattini, Director
General, Development and Relations with African, Caribbean
and Pacific States, European Commission and Head of the
Delegation of EU.
The speakers congratulated IJSG for publishing such
comprehensive book on jute of international standard which
contains jute agriculture, mechanical and chemical
processing of jute, jute products, eco status of jute,
market of jute, strategy for the jute sector etc. along
with product gallery and glossary.
The programme was also attended by the govt. officials,
diplomats, industrialists, entrepreneurs, scientists,
researchers and other dignitaries of the jute sector.
After the formal launching of the book, a grand 'jute
fashion show' by Emdad Hoque was arranged.
National
Health service in disarray
in Barisal due to shortage of doctors
UNB, Barisal
Public health services in Barisal division has been
suffering from acute shortage of doctors as about 60
percent posts of doctors are lying vacant since long.
Divisional health directorate office sources said some 526
posts of physicians out of 889 are lying vacant in six
districts of the division. Only 374 doctors are serving
for about 97 lakh population of the division with a ratio
of one doctor for average 27 thousand people. People of
remote coastal areas of Patuakhali, Bhola and Barguna
districts are the worst sufferers.
Barisal divisional health director Dr. Khairul Anam said
there are 889 sanctioned posts of doctors for 32 health
complexes, 70 health centers, one 30-bed and four 10 and
20 beds specialized health complexes and 5 Sadar hospitals
in 40 upazilas in six districts of the l division.
However, 115 posts of doctors out of 176 in Patuakhali,
104 out of 152 posts in Bhola, 95 out of 134 posts in
Barguna, 88 out of 195 posts in Barisal Sadar, 75 out of
137 posts in Pirojpur, 49 out of 95 posts in Jhalakati
remained vacant.
The divisional health director further said that the
government has taken up a plan to develop public health
services in Barisal division by filling up the vacant
posts of physicians immediately.
He also said that the government under a scheme will
create sufficient posts of medical assistants and
assistant surgeons increasing 30 bed health complexes to
50 beds full pledged hospitals in near future.
Tissue culture method
can help boosting seed-potato production: Experts
BSS, Rajshahi
Substantial promotion of tissue culture method can help
boosting seed-potato production that could be the
effective means of fulfilling the domestic demands of the
seed side by side with saving the huge hard-earned foreign
currency. Agriculturists revealed this while inaugurating
a private level tissue culture laboratory- 'Green Glory
Tissue Culture Laboratory' at Naodapara here Monday.
They mentioned that most of the domestic seed-potato
demands could be fulfilled through boosting local
production after the best uses of the modern technology
and the existing natural resources.
At present, they said the country requires around six lakh
metric tons of seed- potato per year but produces only 12
percent of the demand through both public and private
initiatives and the lion- portion demand are met with the
imported seeds.
Adequate budgetary allocation for
the disabled people sought
BSS, Rajshahi
Leaders of two disabled development organizations at a
press conference here Monday called for increasing
allocation for the disabled people in the forthcoming
proposed national budget to ensure their legitimate rights
including education, health, employment, development,
empowerment and social security.
They, however, expressed their gratitude to the government
for increasing various allocations, allowances and number
of beneficiary disabled persons and the students for their
rehabilitation and education. But the disabled leaders
said the enhanced allocations are not adequate for the 10
percent disabled people of the country to ensure their
smooth development and mainstreaming them. District Badhan
Protibandhi Sangstha (DBPS) and Protibandhi Nari Adhikar
Bikash Sangstha (PNABS) jointly organized the press
conference at the conference hall of Sadharan Granthagar
with financial support from Action on Disability and
Development (ADD).
Chaired by President of Protibandhi Nari Bikash Sangstha
Nur Jahan Akter Jharna the press conference was addressed,
among others, by DBPS President Sohel Rana, ADD local unit
Program Manager Mustaque Ahmed and its Area Coordinator
Monwar Hussain.
PNABS Legal Unit Secretary Rakhi Khatun read out the
keynote paper narrating the inadequacies, deprivations and
problems of the disabled. Leaders and members of different
organisations working with the disabilities and disabled
people in the district, NGO executives and activists,
elite and professionals, were also present on the
occasion.
The speakers urged the government to reconsider various
demands and necessities of the disabled people and take
necessary actions for welfare of the disabled before
passing the national budget. They urged the government to
spend 10 percent of the total budget being allocated for
the education sector for welfare of the disabled students
side by side with arranging stipend for at least one lakh
financially disadvantaged disabled students upto
graduation class. Besides, they also urged the government
to launch unified education, stipend, disabled-friendly
atmosphere and curriculum. Likewise, they also put forward
a demand for increasing the disabled allowance to Taka 500
from the existing Taka 300 and their number to double and
allocating Taka 50 crore for purchasing assistive devises.
In this regard, they mentioned that expected development
of the disabled people could not be possible until
legitimate budgetary allocation and in their development
planning.
Success rate of treating MDR-TB
over 70 pc in Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka
The success rate of treating tuberculosis patients with
Multi Drug Resistance (MDR-TB) in the country is more than
70 percent due to proven international standard TB care
along with proper management and community support to the
patients.
Nearly 500 MDR-TB patients have already been diagnosed
throughout the country from the National Tuberculosis
Reference Laboratory (NTRL) since its inception on June
27, 2007 at the National Chest Disease Hospital in the
city, sources from the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare told UNB.
MDR-TB patients might increase when the TB patients are
brought under check-up, they said, adding that some three
percent among the newly detected TB patient are being
found with MDR-TB in the country.
The government along with the NGOs has been working to set
up more regional reference laboratories particularly in
Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet divisional headquarters,
while another reference laboratory at Rajshahi has already
started its operations, they informed.
"MDR-TB is a big challenge for 27 countries including
Bangladesh like the disease of HIV-AIDS," Prof Dr Pravat
Chandra Barua, Line director, National TB Control and
Leprosy Elimination programme said.
Talking to UNB at his office, he said the MDR-TB patients,
being affected by a highly infectious disease, need to
take uninterrupted treatment for two years for recovery.
They are firstly treated in intensive care and when their
germs are found negative, they are usually sent them home
under ambulatory care, he said.
Sports
Australia defeats Pakistan by 34 runs
AFP, Gros Islet
Shane Watson
top-scored with 81 as Australia punished lax Pakistan fielding
to win its opening World Twenty20 match by a convincing 34-run
margin here on Sunday
Man-of-the-match Watson's innings was the cornerstone of
Australia's 191 all out, made after captain Michael Clarke won
the toss. But the all-rounder was dropped on 11 by
Misbah-ul-Haq and missed on 20, again by Misbah, who couldn't
get a hand on a skied chance after running back at long-on,
with Mohammad Hafeez the unlucky bowler on both occasions.
Watson made defending champions Pakistan pay by striking four
sixes and seven fours in his blistering 49-ball innings and
with David Hussey he put on 98 in under nine overs for the
third wicket.
Hussey dropped on 18 at long-off by Salman Butt, a relatively
easy chance, went on to make 53 off 29 balls with five sixes
and two fours.
Hussey was especially severe on seamer Mohammad Sami, striking
him for 28 runs in the 16th over with the batsman striking
four sixes, including three in a row.
Australia's total was effectively made off 19 overs as their
innings ended in extraordinary fashion with a five-wicket
maiden from Mohammad Aamer but by then the damage had been
done.
"It's a very good start from the boys, 191 runs in 19 overs,"
said Clarke "The bowlers then did a great job in the first six
overs and the boys caught really well as well."
Watson added: "It's nice when you do get a life, especially in
Twenty20, it's nice to get a reprieve."
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said his team had been
outplayed in all departments.
"We missed some opportunities and the pacers struggled with
their line.
"They (Australia) played very well, they batted, bowled and
fielded well."
Pakistan lost Kamran Akmal for nought to the first legitimate
ball of their reply when he sliced Dirk Nannes to Steven Smith
at short third man.
Salman Butt (15) miscued an attempted hook off fast bowler
Shaun Tait and was caught by David Hussey before left-arm
quick Mitchell Johnson's second ball proved too much for
Mohammad Hafeez, who pulled straight to deep square leg.
Australia, holding their catches, had reduced Pakistan to 34
for three inside five overs and they never looked like
recovering from such a start.
Tait then had the satisfaction of bowling hard-hitting batsman
Afridi for 33 before finishing the match by dismissing Saeed
Ajmal off the last ball to finish with figures of three
wickets for 20 runs.
Misbah top-scored for Pakistan with 41 in a total of 157 all
out.
Earlier, David Hussey holed out off Ajmal and, three balls
later, the off-spinner had Watson lbw.
There was a bizarre finish to the Australia innings as five
wickets fell for no runs in the final over, from left-arm
quick Aamer.
Brad Haddin was caught off the first ball, Mitchell Johnson
clean bowled off the second with both Michael Hussey and
Steven Smith run out by direct hits from wicketkeeper Kamran
Akmal as they tried to run byes.
Tait survived the fifth ball but was bowled off the last for
nought.
Aamer finished with three for 23, with Ajmal taking three for
34.
Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 21 runs in the first Group A
match here on Saturday and both Pakistan and Australia will
qualify for the second round if the Aussies beat Bangladesh in
Barbados on Wednesday.
Scorecard
Australia:
Warner c U Akmal b Sami 26
Watson lbw b Ajmal 81
Clarke b Hafeez 2
D. Hussey c Alam b Ajmal 53
M. Hussey run out 17
White c Alam b Ajmal 9
Haddin c Sami b Aamer 1
Johnson b Aamer 0
Smith run out (K Akmal) 0
Nannes not out 0
Tait b Aamer 0
Extras: (w1, nb1) 2
Total: (all out, 20 overs) 191
Falls: 1-54 (Warner), 2-64 (Clarke), 3-162 (D Hussey), 4-164
(Clarke), 5-181 (White), 6-191 (Haddin), 7-191 (Johnson),
8-191 (M Hussey), 9-191 (Smith), 10-191 (Tait)
Bowling: Aamer 4-1-23-3; Hafeez 4-0-47-1; Sami 4-0-54-1 (1nb,
1w); Afridi 4-0-33-0; Ajmal 4-0-34-3
Pakistan:
K. Akmal c Smith b Nannes 0
Butt c D Hussey b Tait 15
Hafeez c M Hussey
b Johnson 12
U. Akmal c M Hussey
b Smith 18
Misbah c Clarke b Nannes 41
Afridi b Tait 33
Razzaq c Warner b Nannes 1
Alam c Clarke b Johnson 16
Aamer c Smith b D Hussey 2
Sami not out 5
Ajmal b Tait 4
Extras: (lb1, w8, nb1) 10
Total: (all out, 20 overs) 157
Falls: 1-1 (K Akmal), 2-28 (Butt), 3-34 (Hafeez), 4-70 (U
Akmal), 5-117 (Afridi), 6-120 (Razzaq), 7-132 (Misbah), 8-146
(Aamer), 9-151 (Alam), 10-157 (Ajmal)
Bowling: Nannes 4-0-41-3 (2w); Tait 4-0-20-3 (3w); Johnson
4-0-21-2 (1nb, 1w); Watson 3-0-24-0; D Hussey 2-0-12-1; Clarke
1-0-14-0; Smith 2-0-24-1 (1w).
Bangladesh
hockey team for Asian Games qualifier revealed
TBT Report
Bangladesh Hockey Federation named an 18-member Bangladesh
national hockey squad on Monday for the forthcoming qualifying
hockey competition of Asian Games.
Moshiur Rahman Biplob, who led the Bangladesh team in the
South Asian Games in last January, has been retained as the
national captain, while drag-flick specialist Mamunur Rahman
Chayan has been chosen as his deputy.
Bangladesh national hockey team's German coach Gerhard Peter
Rach announced the names of the players at a news conference
at Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium in Dhaka.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federation Khondoker
Jamil Uddin, Team Manager Anvir Adil Khan and other officials
were also present at the conference.
Eight teams-Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Oman, Singapore, Sri
Lanka, Thailand and the host Bangladesh-are taking part in the
meet, organized by Bangladesh Hockey Federation with the
sponsorship of Robi, a leading mobile phone operator of the
country.
The competition will start on May 7 and conclude on May 16.
The team: Moshiur Rahman Biplob (Captain), Mamunur Rahman
Chayan (Vice Captain), Zahid Hossain, Monwar Hossain Russell,
Asaduzzaman Chandan, Russell Mahmud Jimmy, Mosharraf Hossain
Kuti, Sheikh Mohammad Nannu, Abdus Sajjad John, Kamruzzaman
Rana, Krishna Kumar, Maksud Alam Habul, Al Moshiur Rahman
Feroze, Imran Pintu, Irfan Ahmed, Mohammad Jamil Bin Talib,
Pushkar Khisha and Golam Mustafa Manik.
Uncapped Robiul
included in Bangladesh Test
TBT Report
Paceman Robiul Islam is the only uncapped player in the
Bangladesh Test squad for its upcoming tour of England.
The 23-year-old fast bower, hailed from Khulna division,
has been a prolific wicket-taker in domestic cricket and
earlier represented the GP-BCB National Cricket Academy
and the Bangladesh A teams.
Robiul will head to England along with fellow pace bowlers
Shahadat Hossain and Mahbubul Alam and opening batsman
Zunaed Siddique.
The other members of the squad will fly directly to
England at the end of Bangladesh's campaign in the ICC
Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.
The players returning home from the West Indies are
Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel, Aftab Ahmed and Mohammad
Suhrawardi.
The squad: Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul
Kayes, Mohammad Ashraful, Zunaed Siddique, Jahirul Islam,
Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim (Vice Captain/Wicketkeeper),
Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Rubel Hossain,
Shafiul Islam, Mahbubul Alam and Robiul Islam.
Awesome Nadal shows
no signs of letting up
AFP, Rome
Rafael Nadal breezed to a fifth Rome Masters title in six
years and then revealed that he is losing none of the fire
that has seen him dominate clay tennis since 2005.
The 23-year-old world number three matched American legend
Andre Agassi's record of 17 Masters titles as he beat
compatriot and 13th seed David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2 at the Foro
Italico.
That took his overall record on clay to 191 wins to just
17 defeats, most of which were in his early career.
He has won the Monte Carlo Masters six years in a row, won
Rome five times in six years, won Barcelona five years in
a row before skipping it this season and will be aiming
for a fifth win in six years at Roland Garros later this
month.
"It's not true that I don't have bad days. I've had a lot
of bad days in the past five or six years," he said.
"The thing is to have high motivation to keep winning. The
important thing is to have enough motivation to want to
improve all the time and this is what has happened to me
all my career.
"Every time I go on court I try my best and I try to do
this all the time."
Nadal's clay court dominance seemed to reach its zenith
two weeks ago in Monte Carlo when he dropped just 14 games
on route to the title. But he insists he will not be able
to repeat that every time.
"Now I'm playing well and winning a tournament like Monte
Carlo and losing 14 games doesn't happen every week," he
said.
"Can you remember lots of Master 1000 tournaments where
someone only lost that many games because I can't. In this
tournament I lost one set and had a very difficult match
(in the semi-final).
"I wanted to win this tournament but it was difficult to
win like Monte Carlo.
"I am probably more happy winning without playing my best.
When I play my best it's a more a mental thing."
Given how he is playing at the moment it's easy to forget
that until winning in Monte Carlo, he had gone more than
11 months without lifting a trophy, a period where he was
plagued by knee injuries.
And the man he beat in that Monte Carlo final, Fernando
Verdasco believes he cannot be stopped. "I think Rafa is
in a good moment and he's playing well and I think he's
the best player on clay," he said.
"He has now recovered from (his injuries) last year and is
now very confident.
"Everybody has different opinions but I think he is the
best player ever on clay and it's unbelievable what he has
done in the past years. "When he played over the past
years, he was winning almost every match easily and he
didn't normally lose a set.
"If Rafa plays his best tennis then nobody can beat him on
clay."
Before facing Nadal in the Rome final Ferrer was asked if
he agreed with Verdasco that he would't be able to beat
Nadal if he was on top of his game. "I think he's right. I
think he is the best player on a clay court," he said.
Ronaldo's
late-show keeps Real in title hunt
AFP, Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals, including a late
headed winner, as Real Madrid twice came from behind to
beat Osasuna 3-2 on Sunday and cut the gap on La Liga
leaders Barcelona to just one point.
Real got off to the worst possible start as a poor back
pass by Raul Albiol allowed in Carlos Aranda to give
Osasuna the lead. Real looked to battle back with Kaka
heading straight at keeper Ricardo Lopez while Osasuna
remained a danger on the counter-attack. Ronaldo brought
Real level with a strike from the edge of the area but as
Real continued to press Krisztian Vadocz smashed in
Osasuna's second.
In a breathless conclusion to the first half, Marcelo
scored a rare header to equalise to Real again.
Substitute Masoud Soleimani missed an open goal for
Osasuna as the visitors missed several excellent chances
and the game appeared to be heading for a draw until
Ronaldo headed home a Gonzalo Higuain cross from close
range.
Real are now once again on the shoulders of Barcelona who
responded in style to their heartbreaking Champions League
exit at the hands of Inter Milan with a 4-1 win at
Villarreal on Saturday. A brace from Lionel Messi along
with goals from Xavi Hernandez and Bojan Krikic led the
Catalans to victory with a single strike from Joseba
Llorente the only reply.
"Osasuna made us suffer a lot. It was the worst
performance defensively this year although we did deserve
to score three goals," said Real coach Manuel Pellegrini.
"The calendar is equally bad for both teams now (Real and
Barcelona) and I think everything will be decided in the
final week. My players are in good spirits, that is
important for our last three games and so all we can do is
push Barcelona to the end."
A clinical attacking display from Mallorca helped them to
a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao which puts them back in
a Champions League place.
Mallorca, the surprise package this season, had dropped
down to fifth with Sevilla's 3-1 victory over Atletico
Madrid earlier in the day but scoring against the run of
play they came away winners from Bilbao to regain fourth
behind Valencia.
Athletic appeared the only side with a cutting edge with
Gaizka Toquero and Igor Gabilondo going close before Chori
Castro headed Mallorca ahead.
Fernando Llorente in turn headed Athletic back on level
terms two minutes later but it all fell apart for the home
side at the start of the second half with Jose Nunes
flicking a ball home from a corner and then Aritz Aduriz
slotting in the third.
An Alvaro Negredo penalty double helped Sevilla beat
Atletico Madrid.
In a forerunner of the Copa del Rey final later this
month, there was a flurry of early goals with an unmarked
Luis Fabiano putting the home side ahead after five
minutes.
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