$1b credit can be used for Padma bridge: New Delhi Indian official,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Indian officials on Friday said New Delhi does not have any objection to the diversion of its $1 billion credit line for constructing the Padma bridge as the World Bank scraped loan exposing the project to a difficult state.

"We earlier said the credit could be used for any purpose suitable to your need. Bangladesh can use the fund for the Padma bridge project," a senior foreign ministry official told BSS as he was approached for comments about the possible diversion.

But, the official, preferring anonymity, said Padma bridge was a big project requiring more amounts "but you can start with the Indian credit".

The economic relations division officials in Dhaka, however, called the Indian foreign office comment a "difficult proposition" as much of the credit amount was already channelled for different infrastructure projects, mostly in railway sector.

"Moreover, there are some technical aspects which need to be resolved for the diversion," ERD Joint Secretary Asifuzzaman, who deals with the foreign credit affairs of the division, told BSS.

He, however, said Bangladesh so far did not approach India for the fund diversion or received any proposal from New Delhi in this regard.

Indian officials said under the $1 billion credit line, the two countries until now finalised nine projects while ERD officials in Dhaka said process was underway to finalise more projects which would require half of the credit amount.

Dhaka and New Delhi signed the $1 billion loan agreement to finance infrastructure development in Bangladesh two years ago while the amount was the biggest credit package by India to any nation.

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology agitators firm on demand; sit-in continues,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Hundreds of students, teachers and employees of Buet continued their demonstration in front of the administrative building on Friday to press home their 16-point demand including resignation of the VC and pro-VC.

As the sit-in programme entered into 3rd day, the agitating students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology were passing their times by singing, gaming and chanting slogans against the duo when the report was filed at 2:00pm.

Dr Md Ashraful Islam, general secretary of Buet Teachers' Association, said they will continue their agitation until the two top officials resign, our correspondent covering the incident said.

“Until and unless the vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor are removed, the agitation will continue,” Ashraful said.

Reiterating the association’s last night press briefing Ashraful said, “The door was closed for talks.”

The teachers, students and employees have been continuing their sit-ins since last Wednesday to press home their demands.

They vowed to continue their agitation until the demands were met.

Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor Prof Nazrul Islam said he would not bow down to such an “unethical demand” as there was no allegation of irregularities against him.

The movement spearheaded by the teachers' association began following a 44-day vacation announced by the authorities on Tuesday night. It gained momentum when a large number of students joined them. The Buet Alumni Association also expressed solidarity with the agitation.

The mass resignation by the heads of all faculties, institutes and departments at Buet added a new dimension to the movement.

However, the vice-chancellor on Thursday termed the resignation a farce.

Meanwhile, being summoned by the prime minister, Prof Nazrul Islam and eight other syndicate members on Wednesday met and informed the PM about the developments of the recent crisis of Buet.

Asked whether the PM had told him to resign, he replied in the negative.

One of the syndicate members, however, quoted the PM as saying she would take the next step after discussions with the education minister.

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (Bapex) finds new gas reserve in Comilla,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (Bapex) has discovered new gas reserve in No. 2 well of Srikail gas field in Comilla.

Contacted, Petrobangla Chairman Dr Hussain Mansur confirmed UNB about the discovery and said test drilling started on Friday morning to be sure whether the reserve is extractable or not.

“It will take at least two days to get the results,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Petrobangla chairman and Bapex Managing Director Mortuza Ahmad Faruque visited the drilling work at Srikail.

World Bank fund cancellation an artificial crisis: Minister without portfolio Suranjit Sengupta,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Minister without portfolio Suranjit Sengupta has said that the cancellation of Padma bridge funding by the World Bank is an artificial crisis created with political motive.

“The country’s politics and economy are now much better than before,” he said while addressing a discussion on Friday.

Criticising the World Bank for cancelling the funding after three years of signing the loan agreement, Suranjit said “This is really unfortunate and mysterious. The role of the opposition is more shameful than that (of WB).”

Bangabandhu Sanskritik Jote organized the discussion, titled ‘Felicitating Prime Minister for her announcement to construct the Padma Bridge with own fund and the negative politics of BNP’, held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the capital.

Referring to Dr Yunus, Suranjit said “We don’t disregard Dr Yunus. He is an asset for our impoverished country. But when the country is moving forward we don’t want the name of Dr Yunus get involved in an international matter.”

Addressing the meeting, State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam said “A vested quarter is engaged in conspiracy about the Padma Bridge for tarnishing the image of the government.”

He demanded that the names of those involved with the conspiracy be found out and made public.

Gazipur train derailment kills one Rail link resumed after 6 hrs, 2 committees formed,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

A youth was killed and at least 20 people including a driver were injured as the engine along with two compartments of a train derailed and plunged into a ditch in Gazipur Sadar upazila on Friday morning.

Railway authorities, witnesses and police said the accident occurred around 9:30pm when the compartments of Sundarban Express from Dhaka veered off the track near the outer signal of Gazipur railway station in Dhirasram area.

Ruhul Amin Helal, 28, of Pabna, died on the spot, reports a correspondent from Gazipur.

Gazipur police, railway police and Gazipur fire brigade and civil defence members rushed to the spot and rescued the victims.

Of the injured, Mojibur Rahman and Indrajit Kuman Sarkar, driver and helper of the train, and passengers Lipi Begum, Asma Aktar, Saiful Islam and Arafat Hossain were admitted to Gazipur Sadar Hospital and different local clinics.

Around 500 metres rail tracks were damaged due to the derailment.

Rail communications on the Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Rajshahi and Dhaka-Khulna routes remained suspended for at least six hours due to the accident.

Ziauddin Sardar, station officer of Joydevpur railway station, said a relief train from Dhaka after a hectic effort managed to drag the derailed engine and compartments from the tracks at around 2:45pm.

Communications Minister Obaidul Kader visited the spot soon after the incident.

The minister formed two separate four-member probe committees to asking them to submit their reports within four and seven days respectively.

A four-member Railway Dhaka Divisional probe committee headed by Arman Hossain, Dhaka divisional engineer, has been asked to turn in its report within four days.

The other four-member committee named Railway Eastern Zone probe committee was formed with Chief Engineer Mojammel Haq as its head and asked to submit its report within seven days.

The minister also announces to give Tk 1 lakh to the victim's family from the railway fund.

Later, the rail communication resumes around 3:00pm.

Faridganj upazila of Chandpur Bangladeshi shot dead in South Africa,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

A Bangladeshi was shot dead and his compatriot wounded critically in an attack by miscreants in Cape Town of South Africa early Thursday.

The deceased was identified as Rabiul Islam while the injured is Mizan Sheikh of West Larua village in Faridganj upazila of Chandpur.

Jaydul Hossain, elder brother of Rabiul, said a Bangladeshi named Shipon confirmed him about the incident from South Africa over phone on Friday morning.

Quoting Shipon, Jaydul said a gang of miscreants entered the shop of the victims and started shooting on them indiscriminately around 3:00am (Bangladesh time).

Rabiul died on the spot as he received a bullet in his head. Mizan was admitted to a hospital with bullet injuries in his arm.

Jaydul said the duo went to South Africa one and a half years ago and started business there jointly.

On July 7, a Bangladeshi was shot dead and his brother critically injured in an attack by miscreants at a market near Albertan city of Johannesburg in South Africa.

People of 3 Brahmanbaria villages suffer for want of a bridge,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

People of three villages in Shahjadapur union under Sarail upazila of the district are badly suffering due to lack of a bridge on Shahjadapur Canal and awful condition of a two-kilometre road.

The villages -- Shahajadapur, Niamatpur and Dhauria under Shahjadapur are well-known for agriculture products, especially rice and fish, but they have remained very backward due to lack of communication facilities, locals said.

A seven-kilometre road to link DhakaSylhet Highway as well as district and upazila headquarters has remained virtually useless for the three villages due to lack of a bridge over Shahjadapur canal. Besides, about two kilometres of the road near Shahjadapur village, which was totally washed away by several floods between 1988 and 2004, is yet to be repaired.

In the rainy season, the villages become virtually isolated.

Due to the situation, thousands of farmers of the three villages face trouble and count extra cost to take their agricultural products and necessary things to and from the market.

In absence of electricity, local farmers use around 1,000 diesel-run shallow and deep tube-wells to irrigate their paddy fields. Due to lack of a bridge they are to pay a high carrying cost for fuel, said farmer Farid Mia of Shahjadapur village.

Md Taslim Mia, secretary of Shahjadapur Jubo Kalyan Samity, has said that there are five primary schools, one high school, one big market, one government-run health centre here. But the high officials in charge of monitoring hardly visit them due to the bad condition of the road. And so, people concerned often become reluctant to do their duty.

Criminals are becoming carefree as law enforcers find it hard to get there in time due to bad condition of the road, locals said.

Md Sirajul Islam, former chairman of Shahjadapur union, said he submitted applications to the then upazila nirbahi officers (UNO) of Sarail to take steps for constructing a bridge over Shahjadapur canal but to no effect.

During this correspondent's visit to the villages, locals said successive lawmakers from BNP, Islami Okya Jote and Awami League failed to fulfill their pre-poll pledge to construct the bridge and supply electricity in the area.

When contacted, Sarail UNO Abu Shafayat Muhammad Shahedul Islam said, "A big project to construct the bridge over Shahjadapur canal and reconstruct a flood protection road up to Shahjadapur village has already been passed in the Executive Committee of National Economic Council. I hope the project work will start soon on completion of all the procedures."