'Rally support against Khaleda's move'

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Feb 26 Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged the influential Sector Commanders' Forum to whip up public support against what she said were attempts by

opposition leader Khaleda Zia to save the war criminals.

Hasina made the call when the forum leaders met her at her office, her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters.

"The opposition chief is trying to save the war criminals," he quoted Hasina as telling the leaders of the forum, which was established in 2007 by the sector commanders of

the 1971 Liberation War.

Azad said the prime minister renewed her government's resolve to hold the trials at any costs.

Retired major general K M Shafiullah, former army chief and one of the sector commanders, led the forum leaders at the meeting.

Stocks rise in early trading

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Feb 26 The early hours of trading at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) have seen a steady rise of the benchmark general index.

After nearly two hours of trading on Sunday, the DGEN stood at 4496.22 points around 12:51pm, a gain of 128.40 points or 2.94 percent.

The index crossed the 4500-points mark around 12:18pm and hit the day's highest 4523.58 points around 12.30pm.

Shares and mutual funds worth Tk 2.42 billion changed hands by then with prices of 236 issues rising, seven falling and three remaining unchanged.

The general index closed at 4367.81 points on Thursday, a day after a committee recommended waiver of up to 50 percent interest on margin loans taken by small investors.

The previous week saw the benchmark index gaining on the last two days of trading, a 121.5 point rise on Thursday and a 62.78 point rise on Wednesday.

The rises overset the losses earlier in the week, 30.96 points on Monday and 44.56 points on Sunday, to see the week's trading adding 108.76 points to the DGEN.

The index has been steadily gaining over the two weeks before that with a 245-point gain in the week between Feb 12- Feb 16 and a 165-point gain in the week before that

(Feb 5-Feb 9).

Muhith to brief parliament on economy

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Feb 26 Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Sunday said he will issue a statement in parliament in the first week of March over the state of economy.

"I will issue a statement in parliament on the first six months of the 2011-2012 fiscal year (July to December) on the 5th or 7th of March which will reflect the overall financial situation of the country," he said while exchanging views with the newly elected leaders of the Economic Reporters' Forum at his office.

Muhith said the Awami League has organised a national dialogue on Mar 31 on the economy where the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and other economists will uphold their opinions.

Writing more for kids right answer to piracy: Zafar Iqbal

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Feb 26 Author Zafar Iqbal says that prominent Bangladeshi writers should write more for children in order to stop piracy and unexpected intrusion of foreign books.

"Piracy cannot be checked only by forming laws," he tells bdnews24.com in an interview on the premises of Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
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"It will be possible to stop these annoyances if our eminent writers pay attention for children to see if it is possible to offer something better than pirated or foreign books," he says.

The popular author says publishing different types of books for children of different ages might increase their attention and enhance their reading habit.

"Books can captivate children if they have more and colourful pictures. There should be varieties in the books for juvenile readers in line with their choices and the trend of world literature," he says.

"Children will be addicted to television if we fail to do so. It will be dangerous," he warns.

Libraries in schools play an important role in developing reading habit among the children, Zafar Iqbal says adding that school libraries should be richer from both the points of number of collection and varieties.

Six books by the author, who is famous for his science fictions and works for children, have so far arrived the fair. Four of the six are for younger readers.

Tamrolipi published 'Keplar Two Two B', science fiction, Shomoy Prokashoni 'Rup Rupali', a novel for juvenile readers and Pearl Publication brought 'Ratuler Raat Ratuler Din'.

Jagriti Prokashoni brought 'Aro Proshno Aro Uttor', a collection of answers by Zafar Iqbal to questions by children. Ankur Prokashoni published a collection of his column 'Bodonkhani Molin Hole' and Anupam Prokashoni brought 'Kishor Natok Shomogro', a collection of plays for younger readers.

Publishing house Onnoprokash's manager Abdullah Naser has told bdnews24.com, "After Humayun Ahmed, books by Zafar Iqbal have been sold best over the last few years."

Zafar Iqbal also emphasised extending space for the book fair.

"The space allocated for this fair needs to be extended so that readers can see and buy books in a relaxed mood. The extension must be done centring the Bangla Academy as the fair and the academy are intermingled by history."

The prices of books are above most of the readers' ability, he says adding that government's affiliation and patronisation is needed in the publication sector.

"The government can patronise the sector in various forms, including providing paper at a lower price and sanctioning money in a large scale so that public libraries can enrich their collection."

If these measures are taken to ensure publishers that their books are sold, they will be able to publish more books, which they usually do not publish in fear of potential loss.

'Delhi keen on boundary deal ratification'

DHAKA NEWS

New Delhi, Feb 25  New Delhi is keen to introduce a constitution amendment bill required for ratification of the 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement in parliament in the budget session next month, says home minister Shahara Khatun.

The assurance came during a meeting of the home minister with Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee at his office in New Delhi on Saturday.

Shahara later told journalists that Mukherjee had also assured her that the Indian government would take necessary steps for inking of the interim agreement with Bangladesh on sharing of the Teesta river water.

On behalf of her government, the home minister also extended an invitation to Mukherjee to visit Bangladesh, which the Indian finance minister accepted. The dates of his visit would be worked upon later, she added.

Shahara, who is on a visit to India since Thursday, visited Ajmer Sharif on Saturday. She returned to Delhi in the evening and met Mukherjee.

She, however, declined to comment on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's reservations on the proposed India-Bangladesh agreement on Teesta water sharing.

"I will not make any comment (on Banerjee's views on the deal on Teesta). He (Mukherjee) is a veteran politician and the leader of House. He has assured me that the Indian government would take necessary steps towards inking the agreement," she told the waiting journalists after her meeting with the Indian finance minister.

Mukherjee is the leader of House of Indian parliament's lower chamber, Lok Sabha.

Shahara said she had a very cordial meeting with Mukherjee.

Although India signed a land boundary agreement (better known as Indira-Mujib pact) with Bangladesh in 1974, the deal was not ratified by New Delhi.

During Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh on Sep 6-7 last, Dhaka and New Delhi signed a protocol to the 1974 agreement to resolve the outstanding disputes over un-demarcated stretches, enclaves and adversely-possessed land.

By inking the protocol, Delhi and Dhaka agreed to swap 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladesh enclaves in India, and preserve status quo on the adversely possessed swathes of land.

To ratify the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement, along with the protocol signed last year, the Indian government needs to amend the country's Constitution.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Singh on Jan 24 last was supposed to consider for approval a draft Constitution Amendment Bill. But the Cabinet deferred a decision on the draft Bill, as the coalition government led by the Indian National Congress wanted to hold "wider consultations" with other political parties on the issue.

Although Banerjee's objections forced New Delhi to put the proposed deal on Teesta on hold, the state government of West Bengal sent to the central government of India a written consent on the protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement before it was signed in Dhaka. However, souring relation between Congress and its ally Trinamool Congress – headed by Banerjee – apparently prompted Singh to tread cautiously on the ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement to avoid yet another confrontation with the West Bengal chief minister.

Singh's government would need two-thirds majority in both the Houses of Indian parliament to get the Constitution Amendment Bill passed. Even if the Congress-led government manages to get it passed in Lok Sabha with the help of its coalition partners and other friendly parties, the going may be difficult in the upper house, Rajya Sabha, without the support of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which had earlier supported protests against the protocol to the land boundary agreement in the northeastern Indian state of Assam.

Indian prime minister had on Friday told Shahara that New Delhi was trying to resolve the impasse over the deal on Teesta.

Shahara reached New Delhi on Thursday to hold the annual home minister level talks with her Indian counterpart P Chidambaram. The two home ministers met on Friday.

PM vows to complete mutiny trial

DHAKA NEWS

Patuakhali, Feb 25 The prime minister has said the ongoing trial of the guilty BDR (now BGB) personnel will be completed despite all hindrances.

Sheikh Hasina was speaking at a meeting organised by Rangabali upazila unit of the party after laying the foundation stone for a new upazila council complex at the newly-formed Rangabali upazila in the district.

Earlier, she reached Rangabali – a char area in the coastal belt – by a helicopter in the morning. She also inaugurated a number of development projects worth about Tk 2 billion.

Referring to the government's efforts to complete the BDR mutiny trial in the shortest possible time, Hasina alleged that main opposition BNP was trying to save the mutineers.

"You may find out who are the defence lawyers ... they are from BNP," she charged.

Saturday was the third anniversary of the mutiny at the para-military force's headquarters, in which at least 73 people, including 57 army officers deputed to the BDR, were killed.

The border guards were known as Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) until 2010 when they were renamed Border Guard Bangladesh. Its uniform, monogram and certain governing laws were also changed with an aim to free the force of the mutiny stigma.

Hasina, also the president of the ruing Awami League, said that development work in the country's southern region takes place only when Awami League comes to power.

"The people of the country's southern region get something when Awami League comes to power. On the other hand, when the BNP comes to power, the country becomes a hotbed of terrorism, loot, extortion and land-grabbing," she added.

Hasina said the district's Sonarchar would also be developed as a tourist spot like Kuakata – a panoramic sea beach on the southern-most tip of Bangladesh.

Recalling that Barisal region was once known as the country's warehouse of food grains, Hasina lamented that the region is currently lagged behind. "The present government is earnestly trying to restore the glorious past of the region."

Claiming that the price of rice has come down to Tk 25 to 30 per kilogramme outside the capital city, the prime minister held rising commodity prices in the international market responsible for the recent price hike in the domestic market.

"No farmer has yet been killed during the tenure of the Awami League government, rather the farmers are being provided with fertilisers," she added.

During the tenure of the BNP government during 1991-96, a total of 17 farmers were killed in police firing during the agitation against poor power supply that hampered farming activities and protest against shortage of fertilisers crops need to be fed to help them grow.

Claiming that a certain quarter was obstructing the ongoing war crimes trial, Hasina said the trial of those who had committed crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War must be held on the Bangla soil.

"The trial of the killers of Bangabandhu has been held and the trial of Aug 21 grenade attack case will also be taken to its logical conclusion," he added.

After the end of the meeting, the prime minister went to Kuakata where she inaugurated 'Jubo Pantho Nibas', a Parjatan Corporation motel and a 20-bed hospital.

She also laid the foundation stone of Kuakata Municipal Bhaban.

Later, she went to Kalapara where she formally opened 50-bed Kalapara Upazila Hospital, upgraded from a 20-bed one.

Hasina also laid foundation stones of three bridges on 22-km-long Kuakata-Kalapara road. The bridges are named after three sons of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel, also her brothers.

The prime minister later addressed a public meeting as the chief guest at Mozahar Uddin Biswas College ground in the afternoon.

2009 mutiny part of govt plot: BNP

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Feb 25 The 2009 mutiny by the border guards was part of the government's blueprint aimed at making the nation dependent by leaving the border unprotected, alleged BNP on Saturday – the third anniversary of the bloody mutiny which saw 57 army officials and 16 others killed.

"The government tried to kill two birds with one stone," party's acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a programme organised to commemorate those killed in the mutiny.

"The national defence mechanism stands weakened since the mutiny, and the border was left defenceless...they (the government) have made the country dependent," he said elaborating his contention.

Fakhrul said the mutiny by some members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), renamed as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) after the mutiny, was aimed at weakening the defence forces.

"The government later linked opposition leaders, including former BNP MP Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, with the incident to change the course of investigation," he said.

Although some Awami League leaders' names had surfaced in the media in connection with the unfortunate incident, none of them was booked, Fakhrul maintained.

"The government has not only weakened the defence forces, but it also is destroying all democratic organisations one after another. They are creating a confrontational situation by repealing the impartial election system."

He urged everyone to join protests to thwart the government's moves.

The audience observed a one-minute silence to commemorate the deceased and prayed for the departed souls.