'Unified licences for telcos in making'

DHAKA NEWS

Barcelona, Feb 29 The government is considering unified licences and technology-neutral spectrums which might see 4G licences being auctioned simultaneously with 3G licences distribution.

"We are in the process of formulating a new regulation. Once that is done, a single licence would be given for services of similar nature ... multiple licences would not be needed," said telecom secretary Sunil Kanti Bose on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ongoing GSMA Mobile World Congress-2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

He said the government is keeping the operators in mind while drawing up the regulation, "Rules on spectrum distribution would be drawn in a way that would allow them (operators) to launch 4G services just after upgrading their 3G equipment a little."

The bureaucrat, also chief of the Bangladeshi delegation to the global mobile congress, said, "Elaborations on the decision regarding unified licences and technology-neutral spectrums would be publicised after the regulation is finalised."

Pointing out that the main issue between the governments and the operators even at the congress is unified licences and technology-neutral spectrum, Bose added, "India gave operators unified licences only this year."

The four-day conference and exhibition aiming to develop mobile phone services around the world started on Monday.

Leading mobile phone operators, vendors and content owners from across the world are participating in the GSMA Mobile World Congress-2012, the world's largest mobile industry show. Around 1,400 exhibitors are exhibiting their products and services at the exhibition.

ACC forms investigation arm

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Feb 29  The Anti-Corruption Commission will no longer have to depend on the law enforcers for some of its probe-related requirements, as they now have their own investigation arm.

ACC commissioner Mohammad Sahabuddin Chuppu told , "The probe unit will collect information about corruption of a number of organisations in the communications, and the health and education sectors, the National Board of Revenue, customs, port authorities and the capital development authority RAJUK."

"Probing corruption and investigating in conventional manner usually does not bring the expected results or is not up to the mark," the circular issued on Sunday regarding the probe unit's formation said.

"Since the need to collect information through detective action arises while probing most corruption allegations, a detective unit has been formed…," it read.

A separate circular was also issued assigning commission's deputy director Mir Joynul Abedin Shibli and assistant director S M M Akhtar Hamid Bhuiyan to run the unit.

On the jurisdiction of the unit officials, the circular said they will function under the supervision of the commission's director general. They will need to take permission from the ACC chairman before any investigation.

The officials in the unit will get an additional pay of Tk 5,000 per month

Try traders using chemicals in fruits: HC

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Feb 29 The High Court has ordered authorities concerned to prosecute unscrupulous traders, who use harmful chemicals to ripen fruits, under the Special Powers Act, 1974.

The bench of justices A H M Chowdhury and Jahangir Hossain passed the order on Wednesday after the final hearing on a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights organisation.

The court also issued a set of directives to the authorities to stop use of harmful chemicals for ripening and preserving fruits, and sale of such fruits.

Counsel of the petitioner advocate Manzill Murshed told  that the act provided for up to life-term rigorous imprisonment to its violators.

On May 10, 2010, the High Court passed similar directives following a writ petition filed by HRPB.

In the Wednesday's verdict, the court directed the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the customs authorities to continuously monitor the imported fruits at all points.

Besides, the NBR and the customs authorities have been directed to watch the fruit depots and markets across the country, so that contaminated fruits are not stored or sold.

The commerce secretary, home secretary, food secretary, inspector general of police (IGP), Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) managing director and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) director general have been directed to implement the directives.

Experts say multiple health complexities including problems in the kidney, heart and liver can develop and diseases like ulcer and gastric can be caused if people eat fruits ripened by carbide, ethephon or ethylene oxide.

During the summer season, the markets are flooded with various fruits, including mangoes, jackfruits, litchis, pineapples, watermelons, papayas and bananas, many of which are artificially ripened with toxic chemicals.

BNP warns against obstruction to rally

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Feb 29  Opposition BNP on Wednesday warned that it would go ahead with a one-point demand to unseat the government if the opposition's grand rally in Dhaka on Mar 12 is obstructed.

"The one-point demand to bring down the government will start from the location our peaceful programme is obstructed," party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a meeting with the leaders and activists of the party's Shahbagh Thana unit at BNP's Naya Paltan headquarters.

He also sought permission from the authorities concerned to hold the Mar 12 rally at Paltan Maidan or Manik Mia Avenue or in front of its Naya Paltan office.

The party last week appealed to the authorities to give permission for any of the venues, but did not get any response.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from a Chittagong rally on Jan 9 announced the Mar 12 rally to mount pressure on the government to restore the caretaker government system.

Fakhrul on Wednesday also urged all the party leaders and activists to make the Mar 12 rally a success.

About the preparation of the grand rally, he said, "There would be a mass upsurge on the rally day. The people's demand for a non-party caretaker government will be breathed life into at the rally," he added.

Regarding prime minister's remarks that Khaleda had gone out of her residence in a car with black-tinted glasses on the day of bloody BDR mutiny and then went into hiding for the next three days, Fakhrul said the prime minister made false statement regarding the BNP chief.

The BNP acting secretary general alleged that the countrymen were annoyed with the prime minister's frequent false remarks.

He also claimed that Hasina was captured by BDR personnel at Akhaura border while trying to flee to India following the assassination of president Ziaur Rahman on May 30, 1982.

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed, also coordinator of Dhaka district for the Mar 12 rally, said they would continue their movement until their demand for restoration of the caretaker government provision is met.

"The government must address people's demand," he said and added that no administration could discharge duties with neutrality under a party government and the elections would not be fair.

"That's why we want a non-party caretaker government," he stressed.

Parliament on June 30 last year passed the 15th Constitution Amendment Bill, scrapping the caretaker government provision.

Since then, BNP has been demanding restoration of the 15-year-old constitutional provision that mandates an elected government to transfer power, on completion of its term, to an unelected non-party caretaker administration to oversee a new parliamentary election.

The Supreme Court on May 10 declared the caretaker government system illegal, but said it could be retained for the next two general elections for the sake of "safety of the state and its people".