Youth: a boon for economy

DHAKA NEWS

The majority of youth population in Bangladesh could be a boon for the country as young people have emerged as a major force behind economic development in many Asian countries, speakers at a discussion said yesterday.

Three out of four people in Bangladesh are below 40 years, which could impact the growth story, they said.

Bangladesh's young population should be open-minded and tolerant to new ideas, cultures and religions and also be knowledgeable and hard-working to become global citizens, they suggested.

Their comments came at the seminar on "Global citizenship: a step forward" as part of the "Youth Leadership Summit 2012" at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

Bangladesh Youth Leadership Centre (BYLC) organised the three-day event with the theme “Leading Bangladesh into the future: a journey of exploration.”

Neal Walker, United Nations resident coordinator in Bangladesh, said the youth population around the world accounts for a fifth of the world's population. "This is your world and you are going to change it."

The youth has the potential to contribute to creating a better world, Walker said. "To become a global citizen, you need to know your country first to be able to appreciate other countries."

He urged the participants to get involved in any work that gives the individual satisfaction because all jobs give dividend. "By doing so, you will learn how to get things done and get results."

He said the youth issue is one of the top five agendas of the current UN secretary general. "The UN aims to strengthen participation of the youth in decision making process."

Walker said the opinion of the youth served the key ground for the recent political and social changes in the Arab world, similar to the Language Movement and the Liberation War in Bangladesh.

The UN official said Bangladesh has been known as a land of storms, floods and typhoons. "But that is a small part of the success story of the country."

"Bangladesh is one of the few countries that are on track to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals."

Michael Kuehner, chief executive officer of Robi Axiata Ltd, a mobile operator, said leadership is the key requisite for development, and the youth has always played a critical role in development.

He said youth is one of the biggest resources for any country to have. Unlike many other countries, Bangladesh has a lot of resources in terms of the youth. It is a good thing.

Kuehner said the youth is contributing to the economic growth in many countries to a large extent.

He said economies of the deve-

loping countries, which have a big class of youth, are growing.

Asia, for example, is growing as its youth population is energetic, hardworking and entrepreneurial, he said adding that youth should be given proper training and opportunities so that they can tap their potential.

He urged the country's growing young population to excel in English to connect themselves with the rest of the world in an effective way.

Kuehner said global citizenship faces many challenges. It is not fully covered by legal framework in most countries that are making it impossible for the youth to act globally.

Shiro Sadoshima, Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh, urged the participants to think big.

Bangladesh has given so many things to the world, he said. "Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus' microcredit has been replicated in many countries. Many countries have accepted the idea as an important tool to fight poverty."

Anam urged young people to be open-minded, tolerant, knowledgeable and hard-working to become leaders.

Ejaj Ahmad, president of BYLC, also spoke at the summit, which began yesterday.

Ferry service at Lebukhali terminal threatened

BANGLADESH NEWS

Ferry service at Labukhali terminal on Patuakhali-Barisal road is under threat due to river erosion at the onset of the rains as a portion of the protection embankment near the terminal collapsed on Monday.

Earlier in August last year, a point of the embankment just beside the ferry terminal collapsed, making the station highly vulnerable.

Fresh crack developed on the flood protection embankment near the gangway of Labukhali ferry terminal on Patuakhali-Barisal road on Monday noon and over 100 feet area of the embankment collapsed in the evening, said locals and Water Development Board (WDB) officials.

"With fresh collapse in the protection embankment, the gangway of the ferry ghat has turned too risky. In August last year, the main point of the embankment collapsed but it is yet to be repaired," said Abdul Kuddus, supervisor of Lebukhali ferry terminal.

The road communication between Patuakhali and Barisal may stop any time if the gangway of the terminal has to be removed from the riverbank, he said.

Lebukhali ferry station bears much importance as it is on Kuakata-Dhaka highway.

"We are worried as the erosion of the protection embankment may cause suspension of road communication if authorities fail to take necessary step," said Awal Farazee, a local businessman.

A number of families will also become homeless if the embankment cannot be protected, said Abul Hossain Howlader, another local.

When contacted, Md Siddiqur Rahman, executive engineer of Patuakhali WDB, said, "We have already taken primary steps to protect the ferry station by putting some concrete blocks at the damaged site. We will take long-term steps to save the spot as soon as possible."

11 freedom fighters lined up, then killed

DHAKA NEWS

On the instruction of Abdul Alim, the Pakistani army killed 11 freedom fighters near Government Degree College of Joypurhat during the Liberation War, the prosecution told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday.

“Geyara admi Bharat ka char hay, Pakistan ka dushman, Muktifouj hay, usko vej do [These 11 people are spies of India, enemies of Pakistan, freedom fighters, send them],” was what the former BNP lawmaker had said in Urdu, said Prosecutor Rana Dasgupta.

“Afterwards, they [11 freedom fighters] were lined up before the Pakistani army and shot dead in Barghati pond area, at the northeast side of Government Degree College,” said the prosecutor.

During the hearing on charge framing at the Tribunal-2 yesterday, the prosecutor, for the third consecutive day, was reading out the charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed by Alim.

The freedom fighters were rounded up in the first week of September by the Pakistani army and their collaborators. They were later taken in front of the house of Azim Uddin Sardar on Sadar Road of Joypurhat on two trucks.

“When one of the freedom fighters sought water and Azim Uddin's son came forward to give water, Alim's bodyguard kicked the water pot,” Rana went on reading.

Later, they were taken to the Government Degree College where Alim on a jeep asked them to “vej do [send them]”, said the prosecutor.

The prosecution yesterday finished reading out all 28 incidents of atrocity allegedly committed by Alim and completed their deposition on charge framing against the former minister. He read out nine incidents yesterday.

The prosecution pleaded the tribunal to frame charge against the accused on the basis of documents submitted to the tribunal.

“We have read out 28 incidents of atrocity with the places, time, victim's address, statement of the witnesses and other relevant documents before the tribunal and we hope that one or more elements to frame charges are available in it,” said the prosecution.

“We have tried our best so that charges are framed against the accused, now it is up to the tribunal to consider,” the prosecutor added.

The tribunal, the second of two set up to deal with war crimes committed during the Liberation War, fixed May 3 for recording the arguments of the defence on charge framing.

When yesterday's proceeding began at 10:30am, Prosecutor Rana Dasgupta drew the court's attention on a report of Bangla daily Prothom Alo headlined “Alimer biruddhe 17 ghatanar barnana [Description of 17 incidents against Alim]” published on April 26 and said a part of the news was not authentic.

He said if the tribunal thought that the part of the report did not justify the facts, then it should direct the newspaper authority to publish a correction and warn the reporter to be more cautious while writing about court proceedings.

The court, however, did not deliver any order immediately.

Rana Dasgupta then started reading out the incidents of atrocity allegedly committed by Alim.

In another incident, Pakistani army and their collaborators picked up freedom fighters Fazlul Karim and two others from Akkelpur and took them to the CO (dev) Office on October 7, 1971, said Rana.

Driven by “political malevolence” and in Alim's presence and on his orders, faces of the three were painted in black and white. They were then walked all around the entire town, Rana went on reading.

Major Afzal, a Pakistan army officer, and Abdul Alim also went along with them and delivered speeches against the Liberation War, said Rana.

“Freedom fighters are fighting against Pakistan. Father of Fazlul Karim is my friend and I told him to bring his son back from the wrong path but he did not pay heed to my words. So his son has to die,” the prosecutor quoted Alim's alleged speech delivered on that day.

Later, the three were killed but their bodies were not found.

Yesterday, Rana mentioned nine bullet points during the reading of charges, each on one incident of crimes against humanity allegedly committed by Alim, the chairman of the Peace Committee (a collaborator force) of Joypurhat.

The bullet points were: Abduction, confinement and torture of Fazlur Rahman; abduction, confinement, torture and killing of Doctor Abul Kashem; confinement and torture of Khalilur Rahman; Barghati genocide after confinement of 11 youths; provocative speech of the accused; killing of three people including Fazlul Karim; confinement, torture and killing at Joypurhat Sugar Mill; abduction, confinement and killing of Jabbal Hossain and abduction, confinement and torture of Azizar Rahman.

The tribunal asked the prosecution to submit proper addresses of some of the places it mentioned in the charges and mention the corresponding date following the English calendar in cases where dates were mentioned following the Bangla calendar.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 had taken the charges brought against Alim into cognisance on March 27 after the prosecution submitted formal charges against him on March 15. On April 16, Tribunal-1 transferred three cases, including Alim's, to Tribunal-2 for quick disposal.

Alim who is facing 74 counts of crimes against humanity in the 28 incidents, was present at the tribunal yesterday. Alim is among the nine accused facing crimes against humanity charges at the two tribunals.

BNP, Mozena mum after meeting Khaleda

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Apr 26 The US ambassador to Bangladesh, Dan W Mozena, met BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia Thursday evening amid growing political unrest over the disappearance of opposition leader M Ilias Ali.

Coming out of the meeting that lasted about 45 minutes, Mozena declined to talk to media, walked straight to his car and left the Gulshan office of BNP chief.

And none from BNP briefed the media about what was discussed at the meeting. However, the opposition party usually briefs media after such meetings.

Earlier in the morning, Khaleda's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan informed journalists that Mozena wanted to meet the BNP chief.

BNP's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP chief's adviser Reaz Rahman, vice-president of the party Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury and Sabihuddin Ahmed attended the meeting among others.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US ambassador told reporters at his residence that they were worried over the Illias Ali affair.

He called on everyone to react rationally in finding out Ilias Ali. Mozena also urged the opposition to assist the government in the affair.

M Ilias Ali, one of BNP's organising secretaries and also a former MP, has been missing since Apr 18. The BNP had been accusing the government of abducting him.

BNP recently enforced a three-day countrywide shutdown demanding the government return Ilias Ali. At a media briefing on Tuesday, the party chief gave the government an ultimatum to find out Ilias Ali by Saturday and warned that if he was not found tougher agitation programmes would be announced from Sunday.

The following day, leaders of the newly formed 18-Party Alliance hinted that they might enforce nonstop shutdown from Sunday if Ali was not found by the deadline.  

No clear signs after re-autopsy

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Apr 26  After carrying out fresh autopsies on 'highly decomposed' bodies, the forensic expert has said it was not still clear how journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi had died nearly two and a half months back.

"The muscles and skin have mostly moved away from the bones. The organs couldn't be recognised properly," Dr Kazi Golam Mokhlesur Rahman, chief of the Forensic Department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, told reporters at its morgue on Thursday.

"However, we've collected some samples from their bodies for viscera tests," he added.

Sagar, news editor at private TV channel Maasranga, and Runi, a senior reporter at another TV channel ATN Bangla, were killed in the early hours of Feb 11 at their rented apartment in the city's West Rajabazar.

The remains of their bodies were exhumed from Azimpur Graveyard on Thursday morning in presence of executive magistrate Shahiduzzaman for fresh autopsies to crack the mystery surrounding the homicide.

Apart from DMCH forensics chief Dr Rahman, assistant professor Dr Kamrul Hasan and lecturer Dr Parvez Iftekhar carried out the re-autopsy.

The bodies were buried again around 5:15pm in presence of Runi's brother Nowsher Alam Ruman and Sagar's brother-in-law Shah Md Shariful Islam, sub-inspector at the RAB headquarters Abu Hossain confirmed bdnews24.com.

After the re-autopsy, Mokhlesur Rahman told reporters that the bodies were exhumed to find out the answers to the some questions – whether the couple were poisoned to death and who had died earlier.

Asked whether it was possible to find now if the couple were poisoned to death, Dr Rahman said, "Traces of poisons generally do not last long in most cases. But there are some evidence that do remain in the body for long."

When asked why no viscera test was done or no evidence was preserved during the first autopsy, he said the police investigation officer did want ed to know the reasons of the deaths.

"He had not spoken about the suspicion that they might have been poisoned. We would have conducted chemical test if we had been told about the suspicion," he added.

Following the brutal murders, Runi's brother filed a case with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station but the Detective Branch (DB) of police failed to make any visible headway into the investigation.

The High Court on Apr 18 vented frustration over the failure of the detectives in identifying the killer(s) and ordered the authorities to transfer the case to Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

The court also asked the elite crime-bustling force to complete the case within a short time using modern technologies.

On Tuesday, the RAB forensic wing's assistant superintendent of police Jafar Ullah, who is investigating the case, appealed for exhuming the bodies for visceral examination and other forensic tests as those had not been done earlier.

Magistrate Bikash Kumar Saha of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court approved the plea and asked for an executive magistrate to be assigned to supervise the whole affair.

Sagar's brother-in-law Shariful Islam, who was present at the DMCH morgue, told reporters they hoped the exhumation and fresh autopsies of the bodies by the RAB did not go in vain. "We want a positive outcome this time."  

Clinton to visit Dhaka May 5

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Apr 26 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will arrive in Bangladesh on May 5 on a two-day trip, the State Department announced on Thursday.

She will travel to Bangladesh on May 5- 6 before rounding off the two-nation South Asia tour in India on May 7-8. Clinton will depart Washington D.C. on Apri30, it added.

In Dhaka, Secretary Clinton will meet senior government officials and civil society representatives to review "robust US-Bangladesh cooperation across the full range of political, economic, and security matters".

Clinton's sudden decision to visit Bangladesh and India came as a surprise as a stopover in Dhaka was not on her initial Asia itinerary that was primarily meant to attend the fourth round of US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing on May 3-4.