No election under party-govt: Opposition BNP Vice-chairman Abdullah Al Noman,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

CHITTAGONG: Opposition BNP Vice-chairman Abdullah Al Noman said BNP would not allow any election under partisan government rather than a caretaker government.

If the government fails to realize the demand, people will oust them through tough movement after Ramadan.

BNP gave deadline to the government up to Eid-ul-Fitr to meet their demand over caretaker restoration issue as the party dislikes the politics of violence and clash, he added.

He came up with the forewarning while addressing in a ‘Joining in BNP’ programme held at BNP office in the city on Friday morning.

The veteran BNP leader said, “The Prime Minister’s dream of achieving 170 seats in the next general election according to intelligence report”.

Contrasting AL as the sinking ship in a deep ocean Noman said, “The government is trying to secure its power by captivating, repressing the BNP leaders and activists as it has been separated from the people completely.”

Chittagong Division Shramik Dal president AA Manazam Uddin in the chair, BNP central member Anwar Hossain, Mahbubur Rahman Shamim, general secretary of Mahanagar BNP Dr Shahadat Hossain, former vice-president of Mahanagar BNP Shamsul Alam and others also spoke at the programme.

Govt to be ousted like past autocrats: Opposition BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

DHAKA: Opposition BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir forewarned the government to be ousted like past autocrat governments.

He came up with the threat in a protest rally held in front of party’s central office in city’s Naya Paltan area Friday.

Fakhrul said, “The incumbent government has ruined the normal environment and even 10 per cent people are not with them now.”

Indicating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added, “People are fed up for your misrule.”

With acting president of Chhatra Dal Shahidul Islam Babul in the chair, the rally was also addressed, among others, by BNP standing Committee member Mirza Abbas, advisor to Khaleda Zia Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Dhaka Divisional organizing secretary Fazlul Haq Milon.

White clay reserve found at Panchbibi,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Geological Survey of Bangladesh has found reserve of white clay used to make ceramic products and tiles at Panchbibi pf of Joypurhat, where it earlier found limestone.

"After digging, we found a 60-foot thick reserve of white clay spread over around 100 square kilometres 1700 feet to 1760 feet below the surface," GSB Director General Munira Akhtar told bdnews24.com on Friday.

It was also confirmed that the layer of limestone is 36 feet thick. The layer of white clay was found some 170 feet below the layer of limestone, Akhtar said.

White clay is used to make ceramic products and tiles, she added.

Drilling at Panchbibi was officially called off on Thursday as nothing but parent rock was found after going 1,790 feet down. Generally, no mineral is found after the layer of parent rock.

However, though GSB hoped that coal would be found under the layer of limestone at Panchbibi, now there is no possibility of finding coal there.

"The reserve of white clay is just beneath the layer of limestone. We assumed that the thickness of the layer [of limestone] would be 100 feet. However, we've got 36 feet and it is good," Akhtar said.

GSB had found the layer of limestone, which is 12 kilometres long and eight kilometres wide, by digging 1,494 feet on Jun 2.

GSB Assistant Director and the chief of the team working at Panchbibi, Muhammad Masum: "We've found that the layer of limestone is 36-feet thick and it is situated from 1,494 feet to 1,530 feet below the surface.

"There are shale, clay and sandstone from 1,530 feet to 1,700 feet," he added.

According to him, the layer from 1,760 feet to 1,790 feet is weather zone and the layer from 1,790 feet to 1,815 feet is of parent rock.

Director General Akhtar said four wells would be dug to know the accurate size of the reserves of limestone and white clay.

"Then we will be able to judge whether or not lifting limestone and white clay from the layers will be profitable," she said and added it would take at least two years to finish the job.

"We usually dig only in dry season (November to May). You can't dig when the rainy season starts."

The GSB had started digging at Agair village of Aima Rasulpur Union Parishad of Panchbibi Sadar Upazila in April.

Limestone reserves had also been found at Jamalganj of Joypurhat and Tekerghat of Sunamganj. But the projects to lift limestone from the places were not profitable.

White clay was found in Netrakona and Sherpur but it is barely used to make local ceramic products.

Director of the project at Panchbibi, Mohammad Nehal Uddin said the Tk 59.6-million project started in July 2011 and was expected to end in Jun 2014.  

BNP out to bring 'third force':Awami League State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

A day after the opposition BNP said it will thwart any 'undemocratic third force' , State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam said the BNP in reality wanted to stifle democracy forever by facilitating emergence of such force.

"They (BNP) were born in the cantonment, so it's natural that they want the emergence of third force," he said at a discussion at the National Press Club on Friday.

BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday had said it would resist if a third force tries to capitalise on the 'political standoff'.

Quamrul said on Friday, "The BNP wants to stop the all the trials including the war crimes trial and the trials of the Aug 21 grenade attack case and 10-truck arms haul case. And they're moving ahead with this purpose."

The Awami League leader also criticised the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance persisting with its demand for restoration of the caretaker government system.

"There's no scope of discussion on a 'dead issue'. A certain group of so-called intellectuals and scholars want the restoration of the system. They want to foil democracy in the name of democracy."

Quamrul urged the opposition to join talks on 'interim government' system instead of the caretaker government.

Awami League Presidium Members Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and Satish Chandra Roy and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Agriculture Ministry Shawkat Momen Shahjahan also spoke at the programme. 

No polls without non-partisan Government: BNP Standing Committee Member MK Anwar,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The BNP has restated the demand for a non-partisan caretaker government overseeing next general elections and urged the government to sit in talks.


BNP Standing Committee Member MK Anwar also renewed the threat that it will not let any election happen without a non-partisan government in the country.

"What we only want is that the next general elections are held under a non-partisan government. Otherwise, BNP will not take part in it," he told a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club on Friday.

He called on the ruling Awami League to discuss the caretaker issue with the opposition, "You can delete the wording 'caretaker government' if you are allergic to it. We have no objection to that."

"The sooner you (government) discuss it the earlier the people of the country will get relief. The economy will get even better," he said.

He also criticised the Awami League leaders for their remarks on talks over the caretaker issue.

"They speak differently on different days. Some of them talked about discussions, again some said they would not sit in discussions with thieves and robbers."

"We are to believe who?" Anwar asked.

Asked why the BNP was not waging a 'tougher movement' as it had threatened, he replied: "It is because BNP do not want to create any conflict in the country.

"We dont want to fight the war the Awami League declared. If there is any war, it will be between the Awami League and the people."

"And the BNP will be on the people's side," the leader added.

Communications Minister Obaidul Quader fumes at Easy Bikes,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Communications Minister Obaidul Quader expressed anger on Friday over the battery-run three wheelers, known as 'Easy Bike' operating on highways.

"Steps should be taken against them (Easy Bikes)," he told reporters after visiting a nearly eight-kilometre stretch of Dhaka-Munshiganj highway at the weekend.

"These vehicles use four to five batteries. And these batteries are being charged with stolen power," he said.

During his journey from Panchabati to Moktarpur, Quader stopped Easy Bikes at several spots and grilled the drivers. Peppered with questions from a Minister, some admitted to charging batteries using illegal power connection.

Around 9:30am at Panchabati, people saw Quader getting out of his car and hurrying to an Easy Bike. The driver, however, jumped from the vehicle at once and hid in a nearby shop.

The second one, 'Sohel', was not as lucky. Asked how he charged the batteries of his Easy Bike, Sohel told the Minister that he sourced illegal power connection to feed them.

"This is why we have to see power cuts," an angry Quader said.

Some of the drivers told him that they had to drive Easy Bike having got nothing else to do. They, however, admitted that such vehicles are risky and without licence.

The Minister also got angry over other three wheelers running on the highways with names like 'Nasiman' and 'Kariman'.

"These types of vehicles do not only create traffic jam and damage roads, but they also raise risks on life," he said and asked local administrations to be alert to the threats these vehicles pose.

The cheap and rechargeable Easy Bikes spread in past few years amid an allegation that these vehicles, imported from China, create extra burden on power.

The Ministry of Communication started discussion to ban such vehicles last year but had yet to take any decision.

After visiting the highway, Quader said the work to build a third bridge on the river Shitalakkha would start 'soon' as Narayanganj is the exit point of the proposed Padma bridge.

A plan has been taken to build the Shitalakkha bridge with Tk 4.77 billion donated by Saudi Arabia, he said. "The Ministry of Planning has approved it," he said.

"Getting money cleared in this country is so complex that it stops many good deeds," he added.

The Minister also said it was not right to think that good roads will lessen number of accidents. "If you want to keep the roads good, you'll have to remove the roadside markets and illegal shops."

Bridges Division Secretary Anwar Hossain, the army's Brig Gen Abu Sayeed Mohammad and Narayanganj-5 MP Nasim Osman were with the Minister.

The highway has recently been repaired under the supervision of the army's 16 Engineer Construction Battalion. 

India court rules for TaTa in land tussle,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

 An Indian court on Friday nullified a law that forced Tata Motors to forfeit land acquired by the company to build a factory, in a decision that could pave the way for the automaker to recoup some of its $310 million investment in the development.

The law, which forced the company to hand back land in India's West Bengal state, was ruled "unconstitutional and void" by the Calcutta High Court, lawyers present told Reuters.

The ruling will be challenged in the Supreme Court, said Kalyan Banerjee, a lawmaker in the state government.

Tata, which abandoned the project in 2008 and shifted the factory to make its ultra-low cost Nano car to another state, has previously sought compensation over the dispute.

"We will be studying the order before deciding the next course of action," Tata Motors spokeswoman Ashmita Pillay said.

Shares in Tata Motors were flat in the afternoon, after having risen slightly following the ruling. 

Bagha Municipality in Rajshahi Mayor held in extortion, woman abuse cases,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Police yesterday arrested the mayor of Bagha municipality in Rajshahi in connection with two separate cases for extortion, making derogatory comment about a lawmaker, and abusing a woman.

Mayor Akkas Ali, also former general secretary of Bagha upazila unit of Awami League, was arrested at his Koligram residence in the upazila headquarters around 4:00am, said Ali Ahmed Hashmi, officer in charge (OC) of Bagha police station.

Police arrested the mayor after local lawmaker Shahriar Alam's personal aide Quamruzzaman Nipun filed a case against him on Wednesday night for verbally abusing the lawmaker and demanding Tk 1 lakh as 'toll' from him, the OC said.

While placing Akkas before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Emdadul Haque on Thursday afternoon, police also showed him arrested in another case filed against him under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, said Court Inspector Nazrul Islam.

A woman of Narayanpur village in Bagha filed the case with Bagha police station accusing Akkas for attempting to rape her on June 2, said Islam.

Akkas submitted prayers for bail in both the cases, and the court sent him to jail custody after fixing June 26 for hearing on the bail prayers, he added.

In his case, Nipun, also general secretary of Arani municipality unit of Jubo League, alleged that Akkas went to Shahriar's house at Arani on Wednesday afternoon in his absence and asked Nipun to convince the lawmaker for giving him Tk 1 lakh as 'toll'.

As Nipun declined to do so, Akkas uttered abusive words about Shahriar and threatened to vandalise the MP's house if his demand was not met, the plaintiff said, adding that Akkas had said that he needed the money for getting bail from the High Court in several cases filed against him.

Akkas is accused in 20 cases filed for violence, misappropriating wheat, obstructing government activities, land grabbing, extortion, and abusing and violating women, Bagha police station OC said.

Earlier on September 26 last year, Akkas was arrested for beating up six employees of the District Judge's Court including the court's najir, he added.

"Akkas, who was earlier expelled from the party for his drinking habit, regained primary membership of the party through an application last year. Local leaders of the ruling party are embarrassed due to his recent activities," said Amanul Hasan, acting president of Bagha Awami League.

Jamuna erosion makes 600 families homeless in Gaibandha,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Erosion by the Jamuna River has rendered around 600 families at 12 villages of Fulchari upazila homeless in the last one week.

The river also devoured at least 480 homesteads at the villages of Uria and Udkhali unions, said locals.

The affected people have taken shelter on the embankment and roads.

The erosion-hit villages are Char Kalasona, Dakhin Ratanpur, Char Dakhin Sanashir, Keshamat Dhali, Tinthopa, Char Pagler, Char Bulbulir, Ghagua, Jigabari, Annadabari, Char Katlamari and Chikirpatol.

In Gajaria union of the upazila, around 50 homesteads have been devoured by the surging water of Jamuna in the last two days.

“Last year, at least 350 families were rendered homeless due to erosion by the river but this year it took serious turn, devouring a large number of homesteads”, said Abdul Hamid Sarker, chairman of Uria union.

Water Development Board (WDB) sources said the flood control embankment is on verge of collapse as breaches have developed at many points of the dyke.

Gaibandha WDB Executive Engineer Rezaul Mostafa Ashfudowla said we sent a letter to the higher authorities, seeking fund for repair of the breach portions.

Our Jamalpur correspondent add: Erosion by the river Jamuna has taken a serious turn, rendering a number of families homeless in five unions of Islampur upazila in the last four days.

The affected unions are Pathorshi, Kulkandi, Belgachha, Chinaduli and Noarpara.

Hashmat Ali Khan, chairman of Pathorshi union, said several homesteads in the union have been washed away by the river since Monday.

The erosion also damaged a large portion of Ulia Bazar flood protection embankment, said Mashiur Rahman Badol, chairman of Noarpara union.

Vessel sinks in Bay, 2 still missing Chittagong,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Two crew have still remained missing after a lighter vessel carrying gypsum had capsized at the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port Thursday night.

The missing are identified as Abdul Kuddus, the vessel master; and Rafiqullah, a lascar (a staff of engine room) of the vessel, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

Earlier, 11 crew of the vessel have been rescued with the help of the authorities of Chittagong Trade Agency and coastguard members.

The vessel MV Chattagram started sinking with 13 crew at Alpha zone of the port around 10:30pm, Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority Syed Farhad Uddin told.

The vessel turned turtle after its engine room got filled with water amid rough weather, he said.

In another incident, MV Tania, another sand-laden lighter vessel capsized with 13 crew at the Beta zone in the Bay one hour after MV Chattagram was sank, said Farhad Uddin.

All of the crew of MV Tania however managed to swim ashore.

The vessel has been rescued by another ship MV Dishari.

The reason behind the capsize remained unclear, the secretary added.