Hasina warns of tit-for-tat action

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday warned the opposition against creating anarchy under the guise of demonstration during it s Mar 12 rally.

She said that the government will not intervene as long as the BNP demonstrated 'peacefully and orderly'.

"But any wrong move to create disorder will be firmly dealt with," she said, speaking at a meeting of ruling Awami League at her official Ganabhaban residence.

"It is the government's duty to provide security for the people," Hasina reminded the BNP.

Leaders from the central committee and units from areas adjacent to Dhaka attended the meeting held ahead of two significant programmes of the party.

While exchanging views with the leaders after the meeting, the party president said, "They (opposition) can demonstrate peacefully. But there will be bad news for them if something goes wrong."

Awami League is holding a 'grand rally' on Mar 7 and the ruling 14-party coalition another on Mar 14. The coalition will also hold a human-chain programme on Mar 11.

Between these programmes, BNP will hold a 'grand rally' on Mar 12.

Though BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami have said their programme is to demand revival of caretaker government system, Awami League leaders have said it aims to save the war criminals.

"If they (BNP) have any other plan behind the programme, they will get a befitting answer," Hasina said.

BNP, on its part, has been alleging that opposition workers are being obstructed from staging demonstrations, Hasina referred to the series of 'road march' opposition chief Khaleda Zia had recently led with thousands of cars and said, "We believe in democracy. And so, they (BNP) were able to stage car rally even after Dec 18."

On Dec 18 last year, a person was killed in a bomb blast in Dhaka and another in an arson attack in Sylhet. The incidents took place hours after a BNP-organised freedom fighters' gathering had been foiled by law enforcers.

Hasina made the warning when a leader of the ruling party requested her to say something about the Mar 12 rally of BNP.

She asked the leaders to ensure maximum attendance in Awami League programmes.

"Colourful processions will have to be taken out from every ward on Mar 7. The human-chain programme on Mar 11 and the rally on Mar 14 will have to be made successful. Get ready from now."

'AL cries war crimes when opposed'

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka,The ruling Awami League's repeated allegations that the opposition's anti-government movement aims to save the war criminals refeclt a loss of public support, , the BNP spokesman has said.

"Whenever a movement is waged against the government's failure, the government, being puzzled, tries to stop the movement by playing the broken record of war crimes," the party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday.

"When we used to launch movement for the people during the Pakistani regime, the Pakistanis would brand us as 'Indian collaborators'. And now confusion is created by crying 'war crimes, war war crimes' whenever we say anything against the Awami League," he added.

Fakhrul was speaking at a discussion titled "Caretaker Government Issue and Democratic Movement' organised by Jatiyatabadi Textile Engineers Association of Bangladesh (JTEAB) at the National Press Club on Friday.

The BNP leader also urged the government not to create any obstruction to its 'grand rally' in Dhaka on Mar 12.

Earlier in the morning, Awami League joint secretary general Mahbubul Alam Hanif claimed that the ongoing movement of the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami alliance demanding restoration of the caretaker government provision was meant to protect those facing charges of war crimes.

Hanif claimed that huge amount of money was coming from abroad to save Jamaat and the suspected war criminals.

Addressing the AL leaders, Fakhrul said, "Whatever false propaganda you spread, the BNP isn't involved in war crimes. Instead, you had offered general amnesty to the war criminals. It's you who have links with them."

Citing a report published in London-based 'The Economist' magazine, Fakhrul said that "bags of Indian cash and advice" had helped the Awami League to secure victory in the ninth parliamentary elections held in October 2008.

He asked Hanif to "look yourself up in the mirror" before making false claims that the opposition is bringing in fund from abroad for the movement.

The spokesperson alleged that the government destroyed the textile sector. Some 200 textile factories had already been sold to India and the Indians were buying many of the closed textile units, he said. 

Thanks, but no thanks: Yunus

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Muhammad Yunus has 'sincerely' thanked prime minister Sheikh Hasina for proposing his name for The World Bank presidency, but said he is not interested in the job.

In a statement released by Yunus Centre in Dhaka on Friday, the former Grameen Bank managing director said the proposal "was an unexpected good news for me".

Widely perceived to be instrumental in getting Yunus out of Grameen Bank as its chief executive, Hasina surprisingly floated the idea at a meeting with a delegation of Members of European Parliament in Dhaka on Feb 22.

The next day the leader of the team of European Union parliamentarians termed "very positive and interesting" the idea that Yunus be made the chief the Washington-based bank that has never seen a non-American as its head since its birth after the Second World War.

The US ambassador to Bangladesh, Dan Mozena, also said that Washington will give its "fullest consideration" to the candidature of Yunus for presidency.

Yunus, the 2006 Nobel laureate, in the statement felt that the prime minister's broaching the idea signalled a change in the frosty ties he had had with Hasina.

"Now I am hopeful that the government's policy towards the Grameen Bank and me will be in line with the Prime Minister's latest position," he said.

He said that he had been among the staunchest critics of World Bank and then went on to throw cold water on the talk.

"I never thought of taking up the top job of the World Bank or any other such multi-lateral institutions. I have been a regular critic of the World Bank for its policies and programs. My criticism also included the fact that this Bank's highest post is always reserved for an American citizen.

The incumbent World Bank president, Robert Zoellick, is not seeking re-appointment at the end of his five-year term this June. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is among those tipped to succeed Zoellick.

"But I never had any interest in stepping out of the work that I have dedicated my life to, to take up the highest responsibility of the World Bank," he continued.

"President Bill Clinton had invited me to the Oval Office. Among other issues, he discussed the role of the World Bank and asked for my advice. Then he said that a new president was to be appointed for World Bank and asked whether I had any interest in this."

Known as an ally and a good friend of the US Democrats, Yunus would have had to transform himself from 'the banker to the poor individuals ' to the lender to poor nations.

Yunus said that in 2005 former prime minister Khaleda Zia decided to nominate him for the position of the secretary general of the United Nations.

"I want to remain completely focused to these tasks. I hope some time soon, there will be a "World Social Business Bank" and this bank will have an important role in solving the fundamental economic, social and environmental problems faced by the world today.

"When this bank is created, if someone requests me to take the Presidency of the bank, I'll accept that responsibility with great pleasure, no matter what my age will be at that point of time."

US special forces are in Bangladesh

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, A top Pentagon commander has said that US special forces teams are currently stationed in five South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, as part of the counter-terrorism co-operation with these nations.

"We have currently special forces assist teams laid down in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India as part of the effort to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities," US Pacific Command admiral Robert Willard told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on Thursday.

He said that these teams have been deployed by US Pacific Command to improve these countries counter-terrorism capabilities, particularly in the maritime domain, India's state-run news agency PTI reported.

In the Congressional hearing, Willard introduced Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (Let) as a very dangerous organisation. He said, "It not only has very good operational security, but also a lot of international design in terms of their aspirations."

"So it is a very important threat, and we're working very closely with the nations in the region to help contain it."

Responding to a question from congressman Joe Wilson, the PACOM commander said, "Responsible for many attacks in India, including the horrific attacks into Mumbai, LeT is headquartered in Pakistan. It's also affiliated with al-Qaeda and other Violent Extremist Organisations (VEO) and contributes to terrorist operations in Afghanistan and aspires to operate against Asia, Europe and North America."

Willard said that South Asia, anchored by India, comprises of major sea lines of communication for the transport of energy and other commerce to Asia and the Americas from the Middle East and Europe. He said, "South Asia as a whole is of major strategic importance to the US and the security partnerships are increasingly vital to the US Pacific Command's mission."

He also mentioned that these US Special Forces teams engaged throughout these five South Asian countries are assisting and training their respective militaries to counter and contain VEOs, such as LeT; cooperating in maritime security activities, such as countering piracy; conducting disaster response planning and training; and exercising extensively, service to service.

Bangladesh, he said, has emerged as a particularly effective partner in the fight against terror and is cooperating with India as well as the US to counter VEO activity by actors such as the LeT.

"Further, Bangladesh's military is advancing its capabilities and contributes broadly to UN peacekeeping operations," he added.

US Special Forces teams are also stationed in another South Asian country Pakistan to fight terrorism in Afghanistan.