Prime Minister unveils big defence-purchase plan
Fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, helicopters, radar, armaments to be procured for BAF

UNB, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday unveiled her government's big defence-purchase plan for procuring soon fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missile system, helicopters, air-defence radars and armaments for Bangladesh Air Force.
Besides, she said, the government has already approved a development plan for constructing necessary infrastructure at Cox's Bazar for smooth operation of fighter jets and transport aircraft to ensure security of economic activities in the vast maritime territories and relief operation in remote areas to protect people during natural calamity.
The Prime Minister revealed the government's defence plans while addressing the Bangladesh Air Force officers on the occasion of Air Force's annual exercises dubbed "WINTEX-2010" at the BAF main fighter base at Kurmitola inside Dhaka Cantonment at noon.
"Within just one year of assuming office, procuring fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missile system, helicopter, air-defence radar, and armaments has been put in process," she told her military audience. She said the process is underway to arrange necessary funds for implementing the development plan for the Air Force. "Budget allocation for the Bangladesh Air Force under the present fiscal year is the biggest amount in the history of the force," she told the function.
The Prime Minister further said various other welfare projects for the members of the Air Force are under active consideration of the government. "The present government will take all possible measures to build up the country's Air Force as an up-to-date force by arming it with modern technology-based war weapons," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said her government is firmly committed to building up a modern, knowledge-based air force excelled in training and technology in order to ensure security of the country and its people.
Besides, the government is giving attention to ensuring financial solvency of the members of the Bangladesh Air Force, the Prime Minister said. "In this regard, our main goal is to increase participation of Air Force members in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission. I have already talked to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and presented our logical demands in various international forums."
Regarding the MIG-29 Purchase Case filed against her during the last BNP-Jamaat government, the Prime Minister said the then government had kept the MIG-29 unused for a long time just to get her in trouble.
She urged the Air Force members to know about the real history of the liberation war of 1971 and build themselves as confident, skilled and ideal military men.
Hasina in her speech paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the liberation war, including the members of the Bangladesh Air Force.
Earlier, the Prime Minister witnessed spectacular flying display of different BAF fighter and transport planes and helicopters, including the much-talked-about MIG-29 fighter plane, at the Kurmitola Base.

 Govt under pressure over price hike of essentials: HT Imam

UNB, Dhaka

Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam on Wednesday said the government is now under a sense of pressure over the price-hike of essentials.
He urged the business community to cooperate with the government in keeping the prices of essentials stable. The PM's adviser was addressing a function of FBCCI Foundation at the Institution of Diploma Engineers here Wednesday afternoon.
Under the 'One Business-man-One Family' project of the FBCCI Foundation, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) organized the function to distribute self-employment tools-computer, sewing machine, irrigation pump and rickshaw-van -- among 487 unemployed youths. Commerce Minister Faruk Khan was the chief guest at the function while PM's adviser was the special guest.
Addressing the function, Faruk Khan blamed a small section of unscrupulous businesspeople for the price-hike of essentials. FBCCI president Annisul Huq said that if each of the country's some 50 lakh businessmen takes care of a single family, the scenario of Bangladesh would change. He said the FBCCI Foundation has a plan to generate employment for some 7,000-10,000 jobless youths under the project.

 Khaleda to address public meeting in Ctg Mar 27
BNP accepts AL challenge
Proof of women repression will be disclosed in time: Dr Mosharraf

TBT Report

BNP has accepted the challenges of Awami League and said it has proof of women repression during the present regime and it will be disclosed in time.
BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said this at a press conference after ending a meeting with party's central and Chittagong divisional leaders at Nayapaltan central office on Wednesday. The preparatory meeting was arranged to make the Chittagaong divisional public rally a success.
Dr Mosharraf Hossain said different sorts of tortures including repression and violation on women are going on alarmingly in the country which are common phenomenon in the recent days.
Accepting Awami League (AL) secretary general Syed Ashraful Islam's challenge, he said "adequate facts, data and information regarding the issue are in our hands. All the information will be known to the nation at a suitable time," he added.
UNB adds: BNP chairperson and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia will embark on her planned organizational tour of six divisional headquarters on March 27, beginning with a show of her party's political prowess in the port city of Chittagong on the first day.
She will address a public meeting at the outer-stadium in the port city on the day when she is expected to give "directional speech" about latest developments concerning Chittagong Hill Tracts and Chittagong seaport.
A preparatory meeting to make the public meeting a success was held at BNP's Nayapaltan central office Wednesday with Standing Committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain in the chair. Senior leaders of the party, particularly of Chittagong division, including Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, M Morshed Khan, Abduallah Al Noman, Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury, Mir Nasiruddin, Barkatullah Bulu MP, M Shahjan Salahuddin Ahmed and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, were present at the preparatory meeting.
After the meeting, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters that the BNP chairperson and ex-PM would give "directional speech" at the public meeting in Ctg about Chittagong Hill Tracts and Chittagong Port as "conspiracies" are on stream over the CHT and the seaport matters.

   4.3 lakh cases remain pending with courts: Shafiq
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban

About 2,56,200 criminal cases and 1,73,591 civil cases remained pending with different courts across the country for the last five years.
Law, Justice and Parlia-mentary Affairs Minister Barrister Shafiq Ahmed on Wednesday said this in the House while replying to a question from treasury bench member Mohammad Shah Alam.
The minister said a total of 10,69,612 criminal cases and 8,37,470 civil cases were disposed off during the period from 2004 to 2008.
He said the government as suggested by concerned committees has recommended withdrawal of 2,353 cases fully and 550 cases partially, mostly against Awami League leaders and workers.
Side, by side, two cases, one against Tareq Rahman and the other against Barrister Moudud Ahmed, were recommended for withdrawal, he said.
Replying to a question from Mahjabin Morshed, the minister said the present government so far enacted 71 acts and seven ordinances (till February 3, 2010).

   BDR carnage
Deadline for submitting probe report extended

BSS, Dhaka

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court on Wednesday extended the time limit for submitting the investigation report of the BDR Carnage up to 21st April next.
Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Md Shahdat Hossain has extended the time and instructed the investigating authority Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police to submit the investigation report within April 21 next. The court earlier fixed the last date for submission of the investigation report within March 10.
Meanwhile, the CID police on Wednesday conducted a test identification parade (TIP) for asserting some valuables which were recovered by the investigators recently. The TI parade was conducted at the CID headquarters in presence of a first class magistrate. The CID has already completed its long investigation on the BDR Carnage at Peelkhana and scrutinizing the gathered documents, evidences and statements of the accused and witnesses.
"A total 800 BDR personnel are being charged by the police under Bangladesh Penal Code (BPC) for the killing of senior BDR officials, looting of arms, ammunition, grenades, valuables, household goods, money and ornaments and repression on women and children," a senior official of the CID said on Wednesday.
Nearly 8000 people including politicians, BDR, police, RAB and Fire Service officials and survived BDR officials and deceased family members have been enlisted as the prosecution witnesses in the proposed charge sheet, the official said. Of the arrested, 530 people including 521 BDR personnel gave their confessional statements before the court under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the official added.

   Bus strike in Dhaka City called off
UNB, Dhaka

The private bus owners Wednesday withdrew their indefinite strike in Dhaka city and its suburbs after a fruitful negotiation with the authorities concerned.
Sharifuddin Khandaker, Managing Director of Shatabdi Paribahan, told UNB that they called off the strike at 12 noon. "We called off the strike after chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Communications Ministry Mujibar Rahman Sheikh assured us of fulfilling our demands during a meeting at Sangsad Bhaban in the morning," he said.
Their demands include stoppage of "extortion", arrest of the attackers on a bus owner and ensuring safety of the bus owners.
More than 2,500 buses of around 50 bus companies running in Dhaka City and its suburbs went on the wildcat strike on the demands after toll-collectors assaulted one owner. The strike aggravated the misery of office-goers and other commuters, particularly schoolchildren. The bus owners also submitted a memorandum to Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain for realizing their demands. On Tuesday afternoon, the owners stopped plying their buses demanding action against unauthorized toll-collectors at different points in the city.