GDs Filed Against Fakhrul, Khoka

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 5 Two general diaries (GDs) have been filed against senior BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Sadeque Hossain Khoka apprehending harm to ministers and people in general during BNP's Mar 12 grand rally in the capital.

Two pro-Awami League lawyers, Anwar Shahadat Shawon and Sheikh Ali Ahmed, filed the GDs at Ramna and Paltan police stations, respectively, on Monday night.

DMP deputy commissioners (Ramna zone) Krishnapada Roy and Anwar Hossain (Motijheel zone) confirmed bdnews24.com about the GDs filed less than a week ahead of the main opposition's grand rally.

Amid statements and counter-statements of the ruling and opposition leaders on the proposed rally, BNP vice-chairman and Dhaka metropolitan unit convenor Khoka on Mar 2 said at a press briefing that the ministers should stay in their houses to keep away from public anger.

Party's acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was also present at the briefing.

According to the GDs, the two BNP leaders warned the ministers and ruling party MPs not to get out of their houses. The BNP leaders are trying to create an unstable situation in the country by threatening the Awami League leaders, it has been alleged.

The lawyers expressed their fear in the twin GDs that attempts could be made to cause harm to the ministers, MPs, Awami League leaders and the people in general before or on Mar 12.

The GDs also requested the police to take effective steps to ensure the security of the citizens.

The main opposition is set to hold the rally on Mar 12 in front of the party's Naya Paltan headquarters demanding staging of the next parliamentary elections under a non-partisan government.

Leaders and activists of BNP and other like-minded parties from all over the country are expected to take part in the rally.

BNP have been accusing that the government is trying to foil the rally while the government has been claiming that the opposition is holding the rally as a part of their attempt to protect the war criminals.

Earlier in the day, police arrested six BNP leaders-activists from Savar and Ashulia on charges of creating anarchy in their localities ahead of the grand rally.

Police said the six were arrested from their residences in the early hours of Monday.

The arrestees are Juba Dal organising secretary of Dhamsona Union Parishad's ward-7 Taiful Islam, BNP activists Alauddin Chowdhury, Sirazul Islam, Afzal Uddin, Helal Uddin and Sumon Parvez.

Savar Model Police Sation sub-inspector Abul Hossain and Ashulia Police Station officer in-charge Sheikh Badrul Alam told  the six arrestees had earlier been sent to the court after being shown arrested in a vandalism case during a strike at Fhulbaria area.

They were now trying to create anarchy in their areas ahead of the Mar 12 rally.

JP Not to Join Mar 14 Rally

 DHAKA NEWS

Jatiya Party, a key component of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance, will not join the alliance-sponsored grand rally in the city slated for March 14.

JP Chairman HM Ershad disclosed this to reporters in Feni on Tuesday, Bangla daily Prothom Alo reports.

Ershad is leading a JP long march, which started from Dhaka Monday morning, to Feni river to protest sharing of water of the river with India.

The long march reached Dumghat bridge on Dhaka-Chittagong highway Tuesday morning.

“The Jatiya Party is not taking part in the grand alliance’s programme,” the former dictator said replying to a query.

During a wayside rally at Gozaria bus stand in Munshiganj Monday morning, he blasted the advisers to the prime minister for their “pro-Indian attitude”, reports UNB.

“Are they the people of Bangladesh or India? They don't speak in favour of Bangladesh, rather speak for India. Where do they come from? We don't need such advisers,” Ershad said.

Ershad alleged that a conspiracy was on to turn Noakhali region into a desert. “All, irrespective of opinion and party affiliation, should resist it.”

The same day, the JP chief said Feni is a river of Bangladesh. “The origin and mainstream of the river is in our land. So, we will not share the water of the river.”

Though, he alleged that India has been withdrawing water from the river with pumps, he did not pay visit at the site on Tuesday, said the Prothom Alo report.

When asked, he replied: “The site is quite far from here.

Help Implement Programmes in Edn, Health PM Urges Rotary Int'l President

DHAKA NEWS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday sought support from Rotary International for quick implementation of the government programmes relating to education and health.

Sheikh Hasina made the request when the President of Rotary International Kalyan Banarjee called on her at her Sangsad Bhaban office.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the PM's Deputy Press Secretary M Nazrul Islam said the Prime Minister informed Banarjee that the government has started school feeding programme for students in some areas and the government wants to involve the local communities to spread the programme across the country.

“I think Rotary International can help the government in this regard,” Hasina said. She also sought cooperation from the Rotarians to ensure illiteracy-free Bangladesh by 2014.

The premier informed that the government has undertaken a programme titled 'Trained Birth Attendant (TBA)' to ensure safe birth of babies in the rural areas. She sought the cooperation from the Rotarians in this regard.

Kalyan Banarjee assured the PM that they would extend all possible cooperation.

Rotary governor of Bangladesh AHM Zaker, and former Rotary governors Iftekharul Alam and Rafiq Siddiq were present.

Dipu Moni Defends India Policy

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 6 The foreign minister, Dipu Moni, has robustly defended the government's India policy saying more has been achieved than ever before and that exports from Bangladesh are growing much faster as a result.

"India is a huge market," she told editors and senior journalists over dinner at the state guest house Padma Monday night, "let's take advantage of that."

Dipu Moni blamed India bashers who she said were "out to spread confusion in their bid to gain electoral benefit". She agreed with an editor who said the anti-India rhetoric did not yield results in 2008 parliamentary elections. "Gone are the days when misinformation and confusion worked," she said.

She sought to set aside concerns over "failure" to secure Teesta deal by highlighting "work on both sides of the border" to facilitate bilateral trade.

"Has anyone tried to find out how many land ports have been upgraded to deal with increased trade?" she retorted as she tried to shoot down queries by one editor about granting transit to intra-India shipment.

She was obviously referring to increased exports of readymade garments thanks to the latest deal allowing duty-free access of 61 products including 47 textile categories.
She did not give any statistics, no one asked for the figures either. There was more concern about transit, border killings and share as a lower riparian country from common rivers.

Trade gap – US$ 3.5 billion in 2010-11—showed some signs of narrowing in recent months, with garments sales picking up, according to trade officials in Dhaka.

Bangladesh's export figure was better in July-Dec 2011—Tk 18.35 billion— than Tk 13.62 billion in the same period previous year.

"Border shootings have come down," Dipu Moni said, "but it hasn't come down to zero."

"Any killing along the border is unacceptable, and we protest as soon as any incident of shooting occurs," she said amid a barrage of questions regarding border deaths and the government's "failure" to raise its voice.

"The protests are lodged at all levels," she insisted.

"It is true, despite assurances from the highest levels in India, incidents of shooting continue to happen."

As one senior journalist pointed to demonstrations in Dahagram and Angorpota, the two largest enclaves, she said the ratification by India of the landmark 1974 land agreement would put things to rest.

"Did anyone else put any pressure on India to ratify the Indira-Mujib Treaty after the assassination of the Father of the Nation?"

The minister also defended the role of advisers to the prime minister and said they complemented her ministry's work. Her comment was sought in response to fierce criticism in parliament from two key ruling party allies –Rashed Khan Menon on Sunday and H M Ershad on Monday.

In clear references to Gowher Rizvi and Moshiur Rahman, both MPs alleged that the advisers were acting more on the interest of India than Bangladesh.

The two advisers had visited India in preparation for Manmohan Singh's much-hyped trip in September last year and publicly defended India's position as negotiations for such issues as transit or Tipaimukh were on.

Take Bold Steps, Ensure Water Rights: Ershad

SYLHET BANGLADESH

Feni, Mar 6 Jatiya Party chairman H M Ershad on Tuesday demanded the government make a bold step to stop construction of Tipaimukh dam on the river Barak by India and ensure right to waters of the rivers Teesta and Feni.

Ershad, a partner of the Awami League-led government, warned the current administration under prime minister Sheikh Hasina, saying this government will not stay in power "for good".

"India has constructed about 3600 dams and barrages. Another 1,000 such dams and barrages will be constructed (by India) to divert water. Rivers without water…no farmers, no fishermen …nobody will want to live in such a country," he told reporters after he visited the river Feni, a common river shared by India and Bangladesh, on Tuesday morning.

"(This) government is not permanent. We have raised these issues before the government. If it fails to resolve these, the future government, whoever comes, will solve them," he said.

Ershad was leading a road march that left Dhaka on Monday to demand that Bangladesh establish its rights to water of common river Feni.

He visited the border river in the district in the morning after overnight stay in the district headquarters.