10 RAB men Sued for Looting

CHITTAGONG NEWS

Chittagong, Mar 13  A robbery case has been filed against a former commander and nine RAB men for looting over Tk 20 million from a shrine in Chittagong.

Former chief of RAB-7, Lt Col Zulfikar Ali Majumdar has been named as the main accused while nine others are captain Wahidul Hasan, deputy additional director Abul Bashar, sub-inspectors Tarun Kumar Basu and Nayek Hasanuzzaman, assistant sub-inspectors Ali Ashraf and Jahangir Alam, Nayek Mohammad Liton, constable Sumon and soldier Jasim Uddin.

All of the accused were deputed at RAB-7 stationed in Chittagong.

Two informer of the elite crime fighting force – namely Didarul Alam and Anwar Mia – were also sued.

Mohammad Idris, a driver of Talsara Darbar Sharif at Anwara upazila, filed the case with Anwara Police Station on Tuesday noon, OC Mohammad Shahjahan .

According to case details, the RAB personnel looted the money from the shrine in the name of a raid on Nov 4, 2011. A RAB team led by Zulfikar Ali Majumdar raided the shrine and looted the money after breaking open an almira.

The RAB personnel also arrested five Myanmar nationals from the shrine and handed them over to the police station, but did not mention the money.

The authorities of Talsara Darbar Sharif lodged a written complaint with the police station but no case was lodged.

As the news spread, OC Shahjahan said that the RAB headquarters had formed an investigation committee.

The accused RAB men were withdrawn from their duties after a primary investigation confirmed their involvement, said the Anwara OC.

Capital Cut From Rest of The Country

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka has virtually been severed from other parts of the country since Sunday morning as buses were kept off roads and launches barred to anchor at terminals ahead of the March 12 rally in the capital.

Visiting Gabtoli Bus Terminal, our reporter found that thousands of people were waiting there since the morning as transport union leaders forced the bus owners to keep the vehicles off the road.

Meanwhile, most of the long-distance buses were seen parked inside Sayedabad bus terminal in the morning.

Making stopover at different city bus stoppages, our correspondents report that almost all the operators kept their buses off roads for 'fear of anarchy' as well as safety concerns.

State-run BRTC buses were also kept off roads. The main entrance of Mohammadpur depot of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation was seen closed Sunday afternoon.

Due to take off buses in the city, the traffic movements almost remain one of hartal days.

On both sides of the streets in the city, thousands of people were seen waiting for transports.

Commuters standing along the city streets were seen to rush for a travel whenever a bus arrived.

Failing to get any bus, they were trying to go to their destinations by alternative vehicles like trucks and human haulers.

GABTOLI BUS TERMINAL

The transport union leaders were seen beating some bus drivers at Gabtoli bus terminal when they were trying to operate some inter-district buses.

They also vandalised two long-route buses around 8:30am at the bus terminal, bringing a total halt to the transport movement.

After that, no long-distance buses were seen leaving or entering the terminal.

The union leaders were also seen to force commuters to vacate several long-route buses at the terminal.

Motaleb, an elderly person, who came to Dhaka from Sylhet with his wife and three sons Saturday night, was seen waiting at Gabtoli Bus Terminal for buses for Pabna.

"I have an urgent work to do in Pabna. Now, I don't know what I will do," saying this he sat on road in his utter despair.

Talking to another young lady whose name was not available, our correspondent reports, the lady first went to Sadarghat Launch Terminal for a launch ticket for Barisal.

As she failed to get one, she rushed to the bus terminal and was waiting when this report was filed around 10:00am.

KALYANPUR BUS STAND

Sharif Miah, an office staff of Hanif Paribahan at Kalyanpur branch, told our correspondent that a single bus of their company has not left or entered the city this morning.

Hafiz, manager of Shyamoli Paribahan at Kalyanpur branch, also echoed Sharif.

The lone bus that left the terminal in the morning is for Kolkata, Hafiz said.

SADARGHAT LAUNCH TERMINAL

After visiting Sadarghat Launch Terminal our correspondent reported that Awami League-backed workers obstructed some launches to anchor at the terminal.

At around 6:00am, when three launches -- Kalam Khan-1, Sundarban-8 and Parabat -- reached the launch terminal carrying the people from Barisal, Bhola, Bagerhat, Patuakhali and other southern districts, the ghat workers barred those to anchor.

Seeking anonymity owner of a launch said, “The Awami League-backed workers are obstructing the launches to anchor at the launch terminal.”

Passengers of the three launches however managed to get down by boats.

Another correspondent adds that the ghat labourers also pelted brickbats on the passengers who tried to get off the launch.

The workers also chased the three launches with boats and trawlers when those headed towards Shyambazar and Postogola to offload passengers.

SAVAR SITUATION

Bus services on Dhaka-Aricha and Dhaka-Tangail highways came to a halt since Sunday morning, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.

A very few buses were seen plying on the highways but those were not allowed to enter Dhaka city.

The bus drivers were seen to drop their passengers near the entry point of the capital, Bangla daily Prothom Alo reports.

Commuters standing at the highways rushed to a bus whenever they got one.

Failing to get any bus, they were trying to go to their destinations through alternative vehicles like trucks, human haulers.

A number of transport workers said the bus owners kept their vehicles off the road fearing clash and vandalism.

Police however claimed that they did not impose any restriction on bus movement.

SAYEDABAD & COMILLA BUS TERMINALS

Our reporter, who is covering the transport situation of Dhaka-Chittagong highway, found most of the buses parked inside Sayedabad bus terminal in the morning.

Luckily, he got a bus for Comilla around 6:30am. On his way back to Dhaka, he went to Shashangachha bus stand in Comilla town around 8:30am and found around 100 Dhaka-bound passengers were waiting there for transport.

In their despair bid to go to the capital, some of the commuters hired microbuses and private cars while others were seen to return home.

Jahangir Alam, a resident of Comilla and an engineer of the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED), returned to his house fearing chaos after waiting at the bus stand for an hour. He was on the way to his Narayanganj office via Dhaka.

“Life is more valuable than attending office in such a situation. I would rather take a two-day leave,” Jahangir Alam said.

"Neither Awami League nor BNP is affected by such types of activities while only the general people become the worst sufferer, he added.

One Momena Begum of Comilla and her son managed to get up a Dhaka-bound bus at the bus stand but soon they got down from the bus apprehending violence ahead of the March 12 rally of the opposition.

Another Dhaka-bound passenger Hamidur Rahman, who was waiting at Comilla Cantonment Bus Stand, said it seems that the government has called a transport strike.

Meanwhile, a conductor of Asia Line which operates on Dhaka-Comilla route told our reporter that they will halt operation for Sunday and Monday fearing vandalism.

Md Uzzal, a Teletalk employee who was waiting at Chandina bus stand, told the reporter that he went to Comilla from Dhaka on Saturday on a official tour and boarded at a hotel at Comilla Biswa road.

MANIKGANJ SITUATION

Visiting Manikganj our reporter added that the launch owners have been asked by local administration to halt the launch services till the evening of March 12.

Several launch drivers seeking anonymity told The Daily Star that the local administration asked them to keep all the vessels anchored at Paturia and Aricha ghats so that no one could come from Daulatdia and Kazirhaat crossing the Padma river.

People however were seen to cross the river by ferry or taking alternative way.

Our Manikganj correspondent adds: The road and river communications between Dhaka and Manikganj were also disrupted.

The launch services on Paturia-Daulatdia route remained suspended since Saturday afternoon.

Paturia-Daulatdia route is the key route of communications between the capital and southwestern districts of the country.

The Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) ferries were only seen to carry good-laden trucks. Only three buses were seen to cross the river till the report was filed at 11:45am Sunday.

Hundreds of people who had gone their village home during the two day weekend, could not return to their working place in Dhaka as no long-route buses were plying on the Dhaka-Manikganj highway.

Meanwhile, security was beefed up in Manikganj ahead of the March 12 mass rally of BNP.

Md Nurul Islam, inspector of Manikganj traffic police, told The Daily Star that several additional police check posts were set up in the town fearing anarchy ahead of the opposition rally.

All for People's Sake: Shahara

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 11 Home minister Shahara Khatun has said the people are scared ahead of BNP's Mar 12 rally and that the measures the government has taken are just to ensure their security.

"It is not the government but the people who got panicked due to opposition's Mar 12 programme. It is our responsibility to assure people that all necessary steps have been taken for their security," she said.

The minister admitted organising rally or programme is the right of any political party in a democratic system, but said the people got panicked due to statements issued by the opposition leaders.

Alleging that BNP's ally Jamaat-e-Islami is planning to create anarchy, Shahara showed newsmen a news item ran by a Bengali daily regarding this. Quoting the news reports she said, "BNP warned Jamaat against any subversive activities. It proves that there could be attempts to create anarchy on Mar 12.

She rejected an allegation that government took steps to cut off communications to Dhaka from the rest of the country.

The minister said government did not slap any ban on plying of vehicles.

"Better ask them (transporters)...," she said when newsmen asked her who gave the order to snap communications.

When asked how many have been detained ahead of the opposition's Mar 12 programme, she said, "I don't have the exact number. I can tell you after checking it with the people concerned."

To a question whether BNP would give permission to hold the rally, the home minister said, "BNP didn't come to me for the permission. People concerned will look into the matter."

Shahara expressed her satisfaction over the security situation when asked if she was going to resign to a deteriorating law and order situation marked by the killing of a journalist couple and then a Saudi embassy official.

"The prime minister will tell me if she finds out that I am not working properly. Once she said that I won't have any right to hold on to the position," she added.

She once again assured journalists that commendable progress has been made in the investigation of the killing of the journalist couple. But she could not tell when the investigation findings are going to be made public.

Mujaheed Indictment Hearing Pushed to Mar 20

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 11  Frequent requests from the defence on Sunday led the war crimes tribunal to adjourn Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed's indictment hearing to Mar 20.

The International Crimes Tribunal, set up to deal with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, saw the prosecution get through about a fifth of the 109-page formal charge before the adjournment came.

Jamaat secretary general Mujaheed's lawyer Munshi Ahsan Kabir came up with a few petitions requesting the court to direct the prosecution to provide him with some missing documents and readable copies of certain documents that were not 'clear enough'. The counsel also petitioned for a further adjournment introducing a newly appointed defence lawyer, Nazrul Islam.

Chairman of the three-judge tribunal, Justice Nizamul Huq, told the defence that he needed not bring petitions for copies of missing documents or legible copies, which has become a regular feature on the appointed dates of indictment hearings.

"You don't even have to come to the court with these applications. Contact the prosecution, the moment you find a missing document and they will provide you the copies." Justice Huq did not issue any order on the petitions related to the missing documents or the illegible copies and asked the defence and prosecution to settle the matter between them.

Justice Huq told Kabir to be candid and free with the tribunal and ask for time if he was not prepared. However, the judge pointed out that counsels came to the court seeking missing documents at the last moment although they had gotten the volumes much before.

"We are marking this trend, but we have not yet said anything about this. It seems that there are ulterior motives behind this," said the tribunal chief said.

The defence counsel wondered if the judge thought it was a delay tactic of some sort. The judge said, "We don't want to call it that."

Kabir added that he had not so far asked for too long a time and the fact of the matter was that he had not been able to prepare fully. "Besides that, the new counsel has not had much time to acquaint himself with the case details."

Justice Huq said the defence would certainly get sufficient time for preparation but the tribunal was inclined to let the prosecution begin the hearing, which basically means a reading of formal charges. "This will be followed by arguments of the prosecution. We will fix a date for you after that," Justice Huq told both the defence counsellors, who kept up their meek protests.

The tribunal chairman agreed that Kabir had not asked for too many adjournments while Kabir kept insisting that it would become very tough for him. He then said, "At least let the records show that it has begun from today."

Prosecutor Mukhlesur Rahman began reading the formal charge and got through 21 pages before Justice Huq told him to stop for the day.

The tribunal is expected to hear defence arguments against Ghulam Azam's indictment on Mar 12.

The prosecution had submitted formal charges against Mujaheed on Dec 11, 2011 which the tribunal returned to them on 17 days later on Dec 28 saying that the charges ought to be resubmitted in a more organised fashion.

The prosecution complied on Jan 16 proposing to charge Mujaheed on 34 counts of war crimes including murder, rape, loot and arson. Mujaheed was arrested Jun 29, 2010.

The court took cognisance of charges against Mujaheed for perpetrating crimes against humanity on Jan 26.

During 1971, the current number two of Jamaat held the same post in Jamaat's student wing, called East Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha, while Matiur Rahman Nizami, also behind bars on war crimes charges, headed the student wing at that time.

Mujaheed later went on to become the chief of the student wing and doubled as a commander of Al Badr, a militia group mobilised by the Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971 as part of its active efforts to thwart and oppose the liberation forces.

Currently six top Jamaat leaders are behind bars charged with war crimes including the current and former chiefs of the party. Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, a BNP policymaker and an MP from Chittagong, has been detained on similar charges.

Another BNP leader, Abdul Alim, an old guard who had been in the cabinet of a previous BNP government, is the only one on bail. His next hearing is on Mar 15.

Megh now Takes to Street

DHAKA NEWS

The only child of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi took to the streets Sunday to voice the demand for arrest of his parents' killers.

Mahir Sarowar Megh participated in a human chain formed by journalists in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the capital.

Runi, a senior reporter at the private TV channel ATN Bangla, and her husband Sagar, a news editor at private TV station Maasranga, were murdered at their West Rajabazar flat in the capital on February 11.

Taking part in the human chain, Runi's brother Nawsher Noman expressed his disappointment that even one month after the murder, the killers are still at large. He demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

Expressing disappointment at the failure to arrest the killers, journalist leader Manjurul Ahsan Khan Bulbul said, "We have been tired of having patient."

"We, the colleagues, cannot stand before the mother of Runi. We cannot stand before the son of Sagar-Runi," he added.

Another journalist leader, Shah Alamgir, said, "We have come here to express our hatred as the murders have not been arrested in a month."

Journalist JE Mamun questioned the government's sincerity in arresting the perpetrators. He said, "The government has to prove its sincerity with work."

Journalists from both the print and electronic media will organise a rally in the capital on March 18 to press home their demand.

The journalist leaders on Sunday threatened of tougher movement if the killers are not arrested by that day.

Khaleda Warns of Dire Results for Govt

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 9 BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Friday warned the government against dire consequences for its 'all-out effort to resist the opposition's March 12 grand rally'.

"I want to make it clear that any attack on the rally is an attack on democracy. Don't endanger democracy by resorting to violence or sabotage. The consequences would not be pleasant," Khaleda said in a statement.

The rally has been organised to put pressure on the ruling Awami League-led coalition to reinstate the constitutional provision of caretaker government to oversee the next general election.

The government has been saying that the rally has been organised to garner support to protect the suspected war criminals standing trial.

Earlier in the morning, Awami League joint secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif urged law enforcers to prevent the rally from taking place.

"We would be left with no other options but to go for tougher programmes if we were not allowed to stage the programme in a peaceful manner. I urge you to stop all ill-attempt and help hold the programme peacefully," Khaleda said in the statement signed by her press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan.

"We are agitating for a sustainable democratic process though a 'free, fair and neutral' election after reinstating the caretaker government system," the opposition chief added.

She dismissed the allegation that her party would resort to violence on the day and asked the government to stop blanket arrest of people ahead of the rally.

Referring to the police restrictions on booking in hotels and allowing guests in the houses of city dwellers, the former prime minister said, "I urge the government to stop all these for the sake of democracy."

Referring to the threats and provocative statements being issued by the ruling party leaders starting from the prime minister, she observed that the government was scared after seeing people's response to the panned rally.

Khaleda urged her party activists to remain calm in the face of ]provocation.

Stay Alert on Mar 12: Hasina

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 9 Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked party leaders to be on alert during the opposition's Mar 12 rally.

She also ordered a bigger gathering for the 14-party Grand Alliance's rally on March 14 than the one held in Mar 7.

Awami League leaders said prime minister Hasina gave the directives at a meeting in the evening at her official residence, Ganabhaban.

The meeting was attended by Awami League's general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, joint general secretary Mahabub-ul-Alam Hanif, organising secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Ahmad Hossain and A F M Bahauddin Nasim.

President and general secretaries of Dhaka metropolitan, Dhaka district, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Gazipur, and Narshingdi district chapters of Awami League were also present at the meeting.

Hanif said that the prime minister had called the meeting to discuss issues relating to the ruling coalition's rally.

"The leader has ordered us to be on high alert ahead of the opposition's 'Dhaka Cholo' programme on March 12," said one of the leaders who attended the meeting on condition that he not be named.

The Awami League is fearing that acts of sabotage may be carried out from the BNP rally.

Hanif, also the prime minister's special assistant, in a meeting in the morning said, "BNP wants to carry out subversive acts on Mar 12. Moreover, BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka himself has threatened the ministers and AL MPs not to come out of their houses on Mar 12."

At the same meeting, state minister for law Qamrul Islam said that the AL activists and MPs from Dhaka would come out on the street on Mar 12 to ensure public security.

Meanwhile, a media release issued by Bangladesh Chhatra League on Friday stated that the organisation would also stay on the streets.

Saudi Diplomats to Change Dress

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 9 The Saudi foreign ministry has directed all its diplomats abroad to not wear their national dress in public places or go out late at night.

The directive came days after Khalaf Bin Muhammad Salim Al-Ali, second secretary at the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka, was killed last Tuesday.

The Saudi national dress – a full-length, loose garment with long sleeved called thawb – can only be worn in official ceremonies or while in work place, reported the Saudi newspaper quoting unnamed sources.

The ministry also advised its diplomatic staff to be cautious and contact their heads of missions immediately if they were threatened or noticed anything suspicious, like being followed by vehicles or persons.

A number of countries including Jordan, Bahrain and the UAE have condoled the killing.

The body of Khalaf Ali reached Riyadh late last night. A large number of Saudi foreign ministry officials led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah received the body, reported Arab News.

Ali, 45, an official with the consular section, was shot by unknown gunmen near his Gulshan house early hours of Tuesday.

He succumbed to the bullet injury four hours later but police are clueless about who killed him or even the motive of the murder.

US for Strong Army-to-Army Ties

US BANGLADESHA

Dhaka, Mar 9 The United States wants to build a strong army-to-army relationship with Bangladesh to cooperate with each other, a US Army general has said.

"We have solid relationship and want to build such partnership where I can pick up the phone and talk to general Mubeen (Army chief general Md Abdul Mubeen) and I hope he feels the same way," lieutenant general Francis J Wiercinski

Gen Wiercinski came to Dhaka on Wednesday night and attended Shanti Doot-3, a multinational exercise organised by the Bangladesh army and co-sponsored by the US Pacific Command under the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) programme.

This is the second visit to Dhaka in the last 100 days for Gen Wiercinski who had come here in December last year.

"I understand Bangladeshi culture and terrain better by coming here," the general said.

"Last summer I met general Mubeen in Singapore and discussed army-to-army cooperation."

"General Mubeen offered me jungle training (for US army)," he said.

When asked if there was no jungle in the US, he said, "No. We get the training in Panama."

Gen Wiercinski also hinted that an army platoon may come to Dhaka for two weeks and would stay here to learn how Bangladesh army trained itself.

"Maybe Bangladeshi army will go to Alaska or Hawaii to learn how we are trained."

G-TO-G COOPERATION

The general said the US government would provide assistance if the Bangladesh government asked for it.

When told that army was also part of a government and it could ask for assistance from other army, he said, "Both the armies are working under democratic civilian governments. When we have authorisation from the governments we can go forward."

The general said US and Bangladesh had cooperation in areas including disaster management, peacekeeping and training.

"We can learn from Bangladesh experience about disaster management and Bangladesh can also be benefited from our assistance," Gen Wiercinski said.

"A platoon can come to Bangladesh to exchange techniques and tactics," he said.

When they will return to the US, they will talk about Bangladesh and about its culture, he added.

Gen Wiercinski said cooperation between the two countries is growing in the field of disaster management.

MUSLIM PERCEPTION

The US general said throughout his career he fought alongside Muslims shoulder to shoulder against al Qaeda and other terrorists.

"I fought to stop the invasion of Iraq to Kuwait. I went again to Iraq to fight with Muslims shoulder to shoulder against al Qaeda," he said adding, "I also went to Afghanistan and fought against terrorists."

"I have great Muslims friends in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"We are not fighting against Muslims. We are fighting against al Qaeda and terrorists with the Muslims shoulder to shoulder and that's the way I see it."

General Wiercinski is the acting senior commander for Fort Campbell in Kentucky. He took part in 'Operation Just Cause' in Panama (1989-1990); 'Operation Enduring Freedom' and 'Operation Anaconda' in Afghanistan (2001-2002) and 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' in Iraq (2006-2007).

Google Pressures Developers to Use Wallet

BANGLADESH

San Francisco, Mar 9,  Google Inc has been pressuring applications and mobile game developers to use its costlier in-house payment service, Google Wallet, as the Internet search giant tries to emulate the financial success of Apple Inc's iOS platform.

Google warned several developers in recent months that if they continued to use other payment methods - such as PayPal, Zong and Boku - their apps would be removed from Android Market, now known as Google Play, according to developers, executives and investors in mobile gaming and payment sectors.

Developers say the Internet search giant is trying to simplify consumer payments, hoping apps-buying will rise and offset their higher costs. Google's payment service charges a higher cut per transaction than some rivals'. But the move also suggests Google is using its powerful position in the mobile apps market to promote an in-house offering.

"Although this move by Google might seem high-handed, it reduces the friction for purchases inside Android apps and therefore makes users more valuable," said Hugo Troche, chief executive of Appsperse, a cross-promotion network for app discovery.

A Google spokesman declined to comment on Thursday.

Android Market, or Google Play as it is now known, is the company's answer to Apple's apps store, where consumers browse and buy or download everything from games and music to individual software or applications. Google wants Google Wallet to be the dominant way that people pay for anything on this platform.

In one email sent to a developer in late August, Google said the developer had 30 days to comply, otherwise the developer's apps would be "suspended" from Android Market. Reuters obtained a copy of the email this week.

"They told people that if they used other payment services they would be breaking the terms of use," said Si Shen, founder and chief executive of Papaya, a social gaming network on Android. "Whether it's right or wrong, we have to follow the rules."

Papaya placed social games on Android more than two years ago. At that time, the search company's payment service - now known as Google Wallet - was not available for Android app payments, Shen explained.

She said Papaya used PayPal, owned by eBay Inc, and Zong, a mobile payments company that has since been acquired by eBay. Papaya has now dropped PayPal and Zong in favor of Google Wallet for in-app billing, she said.

"If we had a choice, the freedom to choose which billing service, then that's even better. But if we have to follow the rules, we will," she added. "I want to maintain a very good relationship with Google. We are very collaborative. It's very important to the business."

MOTIVES

The initiative is important for Google. While Android Market has been a hit in terms of the number of smartphones using the platform, there has not been a commensurate increase in purchase activity by users.

In early 2011, Android platform manager Eric Chu told a conference that while the number of Android smartphone users was surging, the number of purchases of paid apps in the Android Market was not doing nearly as well, Forbes reported.

This is partly because the buying experience has been varied and confusing for users - reducing the chance that they will go through with a purchase, something known as conversion.

By pushing all app developers to use Google's payment system, the experience should be simpler, increasing conversion.

"On Android it used to be laissez faire - you could use any payment provider you liked," said Todd Hooper, chief executive of Zipline Games.

"It's probably naive of developers to think they could keep choosing different payment providers," he added. "If purchasing on Android is all over the place, that is worrying."

Apple's iOS platform generates higher conversion rates mainly because the company required developers to use its own payment system from day one, according to Hooper and others.

"This is one of the things that has helped Apple succeed," said Charles Hudson of Bionic Panda Games, an Android-focused mobile social games company in San Francisco.

"Every single developer is using the Apple payment system. Google sees the benefits that provides for the Apple platform and wants to create a similar system."

When Bionic Panda started on Android Market about a year ago, Google Wallet was not available, so the company used PayPal initially, Hudson said. It switched exclusively to Google Wallet around the spring of 2011, he added.

Developers using Google Wallet typically have to pay Google a 30 percent cut of revenue from purchases - higher than the cut taken by rival third-party payment services.

But Hudson and other developers said this may be worth it, if conversion rates increase.

When Bionic Panda dropped PayPal it lost some customers, but there was "an overall lift in conversion and monetization on a per-user basis," Hudson said.

"Without having to chose your payment option it's closer to the one-click experience of the Apple iOS platform," he added. "The convenience factor would outweigh customer losses."