Khaleda blasts govt for economic woes,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday bitterly criticised the government for all economic woes and accused it of formulating the upcoming national budget from political consideration.

“The ruling party has been demolishing individual freedom and perpetrating a reign of terror in fascist style. As a result, the national economy is in a state of jeopardy," she said.

"In absence of transparency and accountability, autocracy is now the last resort of the ruling party,” she said in her budget thoughts unveiled two days ahead of the finance minister's national budget speech on Thursday.

She said party loyalty and family relationship are now the criterion for use and distribution of resources. Bad governance, corruption, plundering of state resources and violation of human rights have seriously tarnished the image of Bangladesh abroad. As a result, Bangladesh has become an object of neglect by development partners.

The BNP chief, however, said they believe that with sincere political commitment and spontaneous participation and cooperation of the people, the nation can overcome such stagnancy.

Khaleda said the budget for the fiscal year of 2012-13 could not be termed as ambitious in the view of necessity of the country. "However, it is meaningless and ambitious when it comes to the government's ability to the meet revenue collection target.”

The former premier forecast the next fiscal year would be more difficult for the poor, low-income group, middle-class and farmers due to stubbornly high inflation, partly due to the excessively high government borrowing from the internal resources in face of scanty foreign aid.

The speech, however, fell short of providing concrete proposals for the upcoming budget as she mainly focused on the government's failures.

She outlined a 16-point vision 2030 to make Bangladesh a higher middle-income country and promised efforts to attain zero population growth for the country by 2030.

In her over an hour speech, she categorically promised to protect Grameen Bank with due dignity if voted to power and criticised the deal signed between Indian Sahara Group and Rajuk, saying that the deal was absolutely made on individual interest instead of the country.

She lambasted the ruling regime for the economic woes. "The economy is on the brink of destruction due to the government's mismanagement. The economy has reached such a messy state that it will be tough for any government to revive and revitalise the economy even with all good intentions."

Loose-talking MPs should apologise: TIB chief,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Voicing concern over the way MPs bashed noted litterateur Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed in Parliament, TIB Chairperson Advocate Sultana Kamal on Tuesday said the elected representatives are not above criticism.

“Where does the constitution in its text say that the elected representatives are above criticism …there’s nothing like that in the constitution,” she said at a press briefing at BMA auditorium in the city.

Referring to the MPs’ harsh criticism of Prof Abu Sayeed in the House on Sunday for his reported remarks against ministers and lawmakers, Sultana Kamal, also a former caretaker government adviser, said, “The way you (MPs) spoke in the House was embarrassing for us. “Those launched the fierce diatribe against Prof Abu Sayeed should apologise.”

The lawmakers claimed that Prof Abu Sayeed at a Transparency International Bangladesh function termed the MPs and ministers ‘thieves and robbers'.

Sultana Kamal demanded that the harsh remarks made by the MPs in Parliament be expunged.

She hoped that the remarks of public representatives will be more objective, descent and respectable as people’s hopes and expectations from them are diminishing day by day.

Sultana Kamal also urged the media to be more responsible in their duties as their reporting has raised the dust in the House.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman and its Trustee Board member Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed were present at the briefing.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman read out a written statement at the briefing.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Abu Sayeed said, “There’s no conformity between the remarks I made at the function and the report published in a section of newspapers.”

Prof Sayeed said he would not blame the MPs for their tirade against him because what they did they did seeing the newspaper reports. “No one of them (MPs) was aware of the facts.”

He appreciated Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali for his Monday’s remarks against the MPs. “I’m grateful to him for his prudent and logical statements.”

The deputy speaker on Monday slammed the lawmakers for censuring Prof Abu Sayeed in parliament for his reported remarks against ministers and MPs.

“The way the MPs criticised Biswa Sahitya Kendra founder Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed in parliament was inappropriate. Before taking on him, they (MPs) should have known what he actually said,” the deputy speaker said.

Shawkat Ali was talking to reporters after a discussion at the Ministers' Hostel at the parliament building.

On Sunday, a number of ruling party MPs swiped at Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed and urged the Speaker to summon him to substantiate his ‘sweeping’ allegations.

Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed actually said, “It’s not corruption when a thief steals or a robber loots because they have no ethics which is hidden in the word “corruption”. As an example, he said, “When a minister or an MP who has taken oath to act in a fair and ethical manner fails to do so, when he does unjust after taking oath, it is corruption.”

DU pro-VC, treasurer resign,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Harun-Ar-Rashid and Treasurer Prof Mizanur Rahman resigned on Tuesday.

The professors tendered their resignation letters to Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid in the afternoon.

Officials at the education ministry told  that they received the resignation letters from the minister around 4:45pm.

The resignations come weeks after the pro-government blue panel lost in the university syndicate election to the opposition-backed white panel.

The election debacle is widely blamed on conflicts between the pro-VC, the treasurer and VC Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique on different issues.

Tawfiq calls rental power critics 'anti-state' ,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, prime minister's adviser on energy, on Tuesday came down heavily on the critics of rental and quick rental power plants, terming them "anti-state".

“Those have been opposing the quick rental power plants are either ignorant, intellectually corrupt, anti-government or anti-state,” Chowdhury told a workshop at the city's Cirdap auditorium.

He said there were no alternatives to rental power plants for mitigating power crisis quickly. But, the government now faces challenges on efficient use of the rental power plants due to abnormal price hike of oil in the international market, said Chowdhury.

The adviser said when the agreement for the plants were signed, furnace oil cost Tk 26 per litre but now it costs at Tk 60 per litre due to the hike in fuel oil prices in the world market.

Chowdhury said the government has increased power generation capacity significantly since taking office. The daily average power production hovers around 5,500 megawatts and more plants are being set up, he added.

"In future sufferings for power will ease,” said Chowdhury.

He said the critics were just making theoretical remarks to undermine the government's achievement.

“You (people) should thank the government for the increase in power production," he said.

Chowdhury also claimed that the production of natural gas has increased during the tenure of the incumbent Awami League-led government.

"We have raised gas production to around 2,100 million cubic feet which was around 1,700 million cubic feet when the incumbent government took office."

Chowdhury said the government is piloting to introduce smart meter in the country for efficient use of power. He also called upon the countrymen to remain conscious on power consumption.

At the event, Muhammad Enamul Huq, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, said the electricity demand has increased by 14 percent this year and present demand is 7,000 MW per day.

He stressed the need for the usage of efficient appliances to save electricity.

The fortnightly magazine on power sector Energy and Power organised the workshop titled 'Sustainable Development and Smart Grid'.

Speaker slammed for SC land remark,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

A High Court bench on Tuesday came down heavily on the parliament speaker for his reported comments about a Supreme Court directive for handing over its land from Roads and Highways Department (RHD).

About the SC directives, Speaker Abdul Hamid on May 29 reportedly told the House that the court is neutral and independent but it does not look good when the court takes quick decisions to solve its problems while the people have to wait years for justice.

People may resist the judiciary if the verdict of court makes them angry, the speaker said in reply to a question of parliament member Shahriar Alam.

The speaker also said a measure could have been taken over this issue if the law minister was present in the country.

About his comments, lead Judge AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik on Tuesday said the speaker has provoked people against the SC and the government.

The speaker cannot take part in such a sub judice matter, the judge said.

It was utter ignorance of the speaker about the SC and the constitution and a total abuse of parliamentary privilege, Justice Manik said.

The law minister has no power to take any measure against the judges of the apex court and the SC is not controlled by the law minister, he said.

Justice Manik asked the lawyers whether the court can refer the matter of advocateship of Speaker Abdul Hamid to the Bangladesh Bar Council.

The judge came up with the observation when Advocate Manzill Murshid placed newspaper reports on the speaker’s comments before the HC bench during hearing on a rule.

The HC bench earlier issued a contempt of court rule against some government officials including the communications secretary for handing over the SC land, which is under the possession of Roads and Highways Department.

The bench was scheduled to hold hearing on the rule on Tuesday.

Manzill Murshid told the court that lawmaker Shahriar Alam had advised the Supreme Court to become patient over the issue of SC land.

He further said the speaker has not denied the newspaper reports so it should be considered that the reports were correct.

At a stage, Manik said the speaker has made the outrageous comment against the SC perhaps considering that the court cannot issue any contempt of court rule against him.

Justice Manik said the court has directed the government to hand over the SC land for the greater interest of the people as SC is suffering serious accommodation crisis.

Journos demand action against ATN Bangla chairman,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Journalists on Tuesday demanded legal action against ATN Bangla Chairman Mahfuzur Rahman for his comments on Sagar-Runi murder.

They also criticised the recent comments of the ATN Bangla chairman and stressed for the arrest of the killer(s) of Sagar-Runi on the basis of his information.

Journalists came up with the demand during a rally held in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the capital.

Mahfuzur Rahman recently claimed in London that "Sagar-Runi was victims of an extra-marital affair".

The ATN Bangla chief also claimed that he has video footage on the motive behind the murders.

Sagar Sarowar, news editor of private TV station Maasranga, and his wife Meherun Runi, a senior reporter of another TV channel ATN Bangla, were murdered at their rented flat in the capital's West Rajabazar on February 11.

During Tuesday's protest programme, journalists also termed Mahfuzur Rahman's comments as discourteous and defamatory.

Joy-e-Mamun, head of news of ATN Bangla, also slammed Mahfuzur Rahman for his comments during the protest programme.

He said the comments which Mahfuzur Rahman made during his London visit was his own, it was not the observations of the journalists of ATN Bangla.

The immediate arrest of the killers(s) could stop such kinds of confusing statements, he said.

Today's protest programme that include a rally and a human chain held demanding trial of all journalist murders, including those of Sagar and Runi, end to oppression of journalists and freedom of media before the Jatiya Press Club.

Journalist leaders will submit a memorandum to the Speaker of parliament in the afternoon to press home their demands.

Journalists of different media houses and Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union (BFUJ) presidents Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and Ruhul Amin Gazi, Secretary General Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan, acting secretary general M Abdullah, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) presidents Abdus Shahid and Omar Faruque, general secretaries Muhammad Baker Hossain and Shaban Mahmud, Jatiya Press Club President Kamal Uddin, General Secretary Syed Abdal Ahmad, Dhaka Reporters Unity President Shakhawat Hossain and General Secretary Sazzad Alam Khan present on the occasion.

Water crisis worsens in Aila-hit Shyamnagar,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Over two lakh people in 12 unions of Aila-affected Shyamnagar upazila in the district are badly suffering due to persistent water crisis during the ongoing summer.

Rural people in the upazila mostly depend on ponds and other reservoirs as sources of drinking water as the installed tube-wells cannot lift safe drinking water due to salinity in ground water level.

The government authorities re-excavated at least 250 ponds to solve drinking water crisis in the upazila but over a hundred of them have dried up due to lack of rainfall while the remaining ones contain inadequate water, said Masud Rana, Shyamnagar upazila project implementation officer.

Water of other ponds and reservoirs owned by the district administration and Zila Parishad has also become unfit for drinking as the influential people took lease of them from the authorities and are cultivating fish there, using chemical fertiliser and pesticides.

While visiting different areas including Munshiganj, Arpangashia, Atulia, Chandipur, Bayarsingh, Kalinchi, Kupot, Pankhali and adjoining villages, this correspondent found people struggling to get drinking water.

Many women were found returning home with jars full of muddy and saline water from the ponds and reservoirs that no longer contain sweet water.

"I had to stand in a queue for three hours from 3:00pm to get a jar of water for my family members at a PSF [pond sand filter] at Fultala village on May 31," said Dipali Mondal, 34, wife of Pabitra Mondal of Dhankhali village.

Nimai Chandra Chowkidar, who came to fetch water from a PSF at Fultala village about seven kilometres from his house at Arpangashia village, said, "I maintain my family by working in others' fields as a day labourer. But now I have to come here twice a week to fetch water from the PSF, suspending my work."

Dipali Haldar, 13, and Jamuna Mondal, 14, of Dhamkhali village said they had to suspend going to school as they have to spend long hours to fetch water from Fultala village for their family members.

Amu Dasi, 50, and school student Sujon, 11, of Kalbari village and Amena Begum, 60, of Pankhali Chuna village said they had to fetch water from a pond of Water Development Board at Munshiganj village about four kilometres off their village due to lack of sweet water ponds in their locality.

Nur Jahan Begum, 50, of Pankhali village, Sona Moni, 55, of Munshiganj village and a few others said they earn Tk 60 per day by working in others' fields or shrimp enclosures as day labourers but they have to spend Tk 20 to fetch four jars of water.

They urged the government to take measures to solve the water crisis persisting in the area in an emergency basis.

There are 1386 deep and shallow tube-wells, 37 RWH and 50 PSFs in the upazila, said sources of Shyamnagar upazila Public Health Department.

But solution to drinking water problem has remained a far cry, they said.