PM asks doctors posted in villages to serve villagers
UNB, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday gave a strong instruction to doctors who have been posted in villages to perform their duties at their respective villages and make sure that villagers do not suffer for lack of doctors. Recently 3,500 physicians were recruited on adhoc basis by relaxing rules; she said and asked the physicians to stay in their offices during official duties.
The Prime Minister gave the directives while addressing the inaugural session of Doctors' Conference at Ganobhaban.
"We will appoint 582 more doctors very soon," she said adding more physicians will be needed to ensure timely and quality medical services for the people living in remote areas. The Prime Minister said she often read news that doctors posted in the remote areas do not attend office regularly. "Recently I have read a report that out of nine doctors in a rural hospital, seven doctors do not attend office regularly," she said.
Hasina declared that all hospitals at upazila level with 35-bed will be upgraded to 50 bed-hospitals. She said a list of 15,000 physicians already has been prepared for gradation.
Referring to certain complicated rules, the Prime Minister said if necessary, the government will relax those rules and regulations to remove legal barriers and ensure smooth development and advancement of the country. "If any law or rule appears to be obstacle to implement any decision taken for people's development, we will relax it," she said. Hasina said she herself will take the responsibility of "legal risks" if any case or whatever comes in the future. "I myself will face the risks. We are lawmakers. If needed, we can take step to enact new law or relax law," she said. Promising to reach out quality medical services to doorstep of the mass people, she said her government will set up burn units at every government hospital across the country.

  Dilip Barua raises alarm over chemical godowns in Old Dhaka

UNB, Dhaka

Industries Minister Dilip Barua on Thursday served a reminder to chemical goods businesses to relocate their corrosive chemical storehouses out of Old Dhaka within the time stipulated in order to avert ruinous incidents like the Nimtoli tragedy in future.
"Earlier, I asked the businessmen to shift their chemical godowns form Old Dhaka within two months at a meeting in the city on June 27. But it is very difficult to pull out the time limit," he said while addressing a views exchange meeting with businessmen of Old Dhaka at the DCCI auditorium in Dhaka.
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) organized the views exchange meeting on problems facing the businessmen of Old Dhaka. Chaired by DCCI president Abul Kasem Khan, the meeting was addressed among others by former Commerce and Industries Minister MA Sattar, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, MP, former lawmaker Alhajj Anwar Hossain and DCCI vice-president M Shajahan Khan.
Dilip Barua said the government's principal objective is to expand trade and commerce, side-by-side with ensuring the security of the country's people, and protecting their property. "On one side, we have to enhance our industrial sector and on the other side, we have to save people's lives," he said.
Referring to the horrific effects in Nimtali earlier this year, the Minister said that all chemicals are not harmful for people, but some corrosive chemicals destroy lives and property and these chemical godowns have to be shifted out of crowded areas.
He sought the cooperation of the businessmen in keeping prices of essentials stable during Ramadan.
On the price of sugar, Dilip Barua said it has been reduced by Tk 2 per kg and fixed at Tk 43 at mill gate from Tuesday, in consideration of the additional use of sugar during Ramadan.
"We hope the price of sugar will be stable during Ramadan as the government has taken a timely decision to reduce sugar price by Tk 2 per kg," he said.

    WB for transparent and accountable public financial institutions

BSS, Dhaka

The World Bank (WB) said on Thursday that strong, transparent and accountable public financial institutions have become indispensable for Bangladesh to promote better public service and improve the livelihood of people. The government, with support from the donors, is implementing a project styled "Strengthening Public Expenditure Management Programme (SPEMP)" aimed at strengthening and modernizing core institutions of budgeting and financial management in the country.
The SPEMP is a comprehensive umbrella programme to support various aspects of public financial management (PFM) reforms, said a WB release on Thursday.
It addresses both the supply and demand side technical reforms and social accountability reforms. The SPEMP is financed by a multidonor trust fund administered by the WB and aims to develop and implement three individual projects for key priority areas. These include budget preparation and execution within the government, external auditing through Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), and legislative and public oversight.
The SPEMP is a comprehensive five-year programme with contributions mainly by European Union (EU), UKaid from UK Department for International Development (DFID), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), and potentially Netherlands - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

     CCC announces Tk 741.51cr budget
BSS, Chittagong

Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) on Thursday announced a balanced budget of Taka 741.51 crore 53 thousand for 2010-2011 fiscal with special focus on removing waterlogging from the port city.
Announcing his first budget, Mayor Alhaj Monzur Alam Monzu said there has been no increase in taxes this year.
The mayor said the CCC is going to float a tender for awarding work to remove waterlogging from the city as soon as possible.
Talking to journalists, Monzu said the proposed budget was almost practical but not ambitious. Considering providing maximum facilities and services to its citizens, he said the CCC budget was announced giving emphasize on infrastructure development, removing waterlogging, education and health. Earlier, the annual general meeting of CCC approved Taka 294.28 crore 82 thousand revised budget of 2009-10 fiscal.
The budget was announced in presence of ward councilors, journalists and officials of CCC. The budget envisages revenue income of Taka 521.97 crore 53 thousand which includes unpaid tax Tk 298.05 crore, current tax Tk 105.01 crore 53 thousand, others taxes Tk 45.78 crore, different fees Tk 17.67 crore, rent and income from resources Tk 36.97 crore, fine Tk 20 lakh, interest from deposit Tk 75 lakh, other incomes Tk 9.44 crore and deficit Taka 8.10 crore.
The budget also shows Tk 200.99 crore as government grant, Tk 18.35 crore income from other resources and Tk 20 lakh as relief assistance. The meeting also elected three panel mayors-Mohammad Hossain, Jobaira Nargis Khan and Hasan Mohamud Hasni.

    Most favour an independent and effective ACC: survey report

BSS, Dhaka

A survey of an international anticorruption watchdog on Thursday revealed that most of the people want to see an independent and effective anticorruption commission (ACC) in the country.
Transparency Interna-tional Bangladesh (TIB) conducted the survey over 3,998 people from all strata of society across the country to know their perception on proposed amendments to ACC Act 2004.
The executives of TIB at a press conference at National Press Club today said 97 per cent of the survey people have expressed their desire to see a 'truly functional' ACC.
The government should seek opinions of the majority before bringing any amendment to the act, they said.
"The government should move towards the proposed amendments to the ACC act involving all stakeholders and after detailed discussions in parliament on the issue," Prof Mozaffer Ahmed, member of the TIB trustee board, said at the press conference.
The function was also addressed by Chairman of TIB Trustee Board M Hafizuddin Khan, Treasurer Advocate Sultana Kamal and TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman.
On a question, M Hafizuddin said TIB hopes that the government would make the financial statements of the ministers and parliament members in public as part of its election manifesto. Otherwise, he said, the government's drive against corruption would be hampered.

    Expert panel okays Padma Bridge design
BSS, Dhaka

A panel of experts on Thursday approved the final scheme design of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMPB) at a meeting at the head office of the consulting firm Mounsell-AECOM in Hong Kong.
Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain told reporters at his office on Thursday that the expert panel in a two-day meeting examined all security aspects of the superstructral bridge including the seismic design.
He said the double-decker 6.15-kilometer long bridge can sustain a tremor measuring 9 on the Richter scale, the minister said.
Mounsell-AECOM, an international consortium, called its global experts to examine the design of the Padma Bridge, world's first bridge with deepest foundation.
Civil engineering experts Prof Yozo Fujino and Prof Kenji Ishirhara, design consultants Dr Robin Sham and Ken Wheeler and London-based checking engineers David Cooper and Mathew Cartwright attended the meeting, said official sources.
An expert team from Bangladesh comprising Secretary of Road Division Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury and Vice-Chancellor of BUET Prof AM Safiullah were present.
Syed Abul Hossain said the final approval of the Padma Bridge design would expedite the process to launch the construction of the US$ 2.4 billion bridge according to the schedule. The appraisal mission of the donor agencies will arrive in Dhaka in September next, he said, adding "hopefully the loan agreement with donors will be signed in December 2010 or January, 2011."

    9 JMB men awarded life term imprisonment for series bomb attack

UNB, Comilla

A court in Comilla on Thursday convicted nine Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) men and awarded them life term imprisonment for their role in the series bomb attack at different places of the district on August 17, 2005.
The lifers are- Abdul Kader Khan of Murad Nagar Upazila, Din Islam and Syful Akhand of Titas upazila, Arshadul Alam alias T. Alam of Homna upazila, Abdur Rahim alias Syfullah of Debiddar Upazila, Aminul Islam of Adarsha Upazila, Moyeen Khan alias Rongeel of Gomostapur Upazila of Chapai Nawabganj District and Mizanur Rahman alias Shaon of Baniapara in Joypurhat District and Shamin Hossain of Satkhira District.
The court also fined them Tk 20,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more RI.
According to prosecution, the JMB cadres launched bomb attack at different places of the town including Deputy Commissioner's office and Judge Court building on August 17 in 2005 as part of the countrywide series bomb attack. Later Sub-Inspector of Kotwali Model thana Ameer Toyeeb filed a case .Police submitted chargesheet against 12 people on November 3 in 2005.
After examining the records and witnesses, additional session judge Momtaz Begam handed down the verdict acquitting three other accused.