Barapukuria displaced on warpath,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Residents of Barapukuria, affected by a coal mining project there, took out a 'stick procession' on Saturday demanding compensation for displacement.

Several thousand affected people of the area took part in the procession.

The residents, protesting under the banner of Jibon O Sampad Rakkha Committee, had also staged a five-day sit-in programme in front of the Barapukuria Coal Mining Company office a few days back. They announced to continue with their agitation as the administration did not accede to their demand on Friday.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Faruk Hossain said the administration had a cheque of Tk 200 million ready for the affected locals and the authorities had already offered it to them.

Convenor of the protestors' platform Ibrahim Khalil confirmed the administration's move regarding the cheque and told that they would continue the demonstration until the government compensated them fully for their losses.

ASP Faruk said a large number of police, Rapid Action Battalion and BGB personnel had been deployed in the mining area to avert any untoward incident.

"The administration will have to take responsibility of the consequences if our demands are not met in time and if our peaceful programmes take a turn for worse," Khalil warned.

Additional District Magistrate Abdul Malek, when contacted, declined comments on the issue.

The Managing Director of the Barapukuria Coal Mine, Engineer Kamruzzaman, however, claimed that coal extraction was going on normally.  

Alo, Star draw Finance Minister, AMA Muhith flak

BANGLADESH NEWS

The Finance Minister, AMA Muhith, has rubbished the World Bank claims on Padma bridge project corruption saying the evidence provided by the lender meant nothing to him.

"It's worth nothing," he said, "it's nothing, it's nothing."

The minister's remarks came on Saturday at a review of the 2013 budget proposals he placed in parliament on June 7. The Economic Reporters' Forum sponsored the event at the National Press Club.

In May, he said, the World Bank gave him names of some suspects with some evidence.

"This is character assassination," he said, referring to the recent media reports on alleged corruption in the Padma bridge project.

Muhith named two newspapers – Prothom Alo and The Daily Star – while criticising the media reporting on the alleged corruption.

"I have to have supportive evidence. Without the evidence, it would be foolish to make any comment that a particular person is guilty," Muhith said.

The government had already spent a good amount of money for acquisition of land and rehabilitation of displaced people, the minister pointed out, "and no allegation has been made by any organistaion including the World Bank".

"I sent the World Bank papers over to the Anti-Corruption Bureau and I am yet to get any report from them."

He asked the media to be cautious while reporting on this "sensitive" matter.     

Business backs quickie power,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The Finance Minister was all smiles as a businessman made the case for quick rental power on Saturday at a budget review session organised by journalists.

"Bangladesh would have been a lot poorer, the GDP loss would have been a staggering Tk 160,000 crore," said Annisul Huq, a former president of FBCCI and Saarc Chamber, as the Finance Minister listened.

A M A Muhith aside, former Planning Minister and BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan and BIDS researcher Binayak Sen also took part in the discussions sponsored by the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF).

"What else could we have done?" Huq said defending the current government's decision to go for the quick fix in the energy-starved Bangladesh, "There was no gas to fuel our plants and we would have been stuck with just 3,500 megawatts."

"That would have been disasterous for our economy ... I would have been struggling with production, exports," said Huq, also a former president of garment exporters' group BGMEA.

Minister Muhith was quick to grab the opportunity. "Yes, we were absolutely right."

The government's opting for the ambitious and apparently expensive option — oil-fired rental plants to feed factories and farms — has drawn fierce criticism from some professionals and opposition politicians.

"As someone closely involved, I have done some research," said Huq, who owns two plants. "Yes, our country had to incur a huge subsidy bill, but we must take into account the benefits we have accrued."

In the last three and a half years, nearly 6,000 megawatts of extra power was added to the national grid, he pointed out, thanks to the quick rental policy. "As of Jan 2009, the old plants were capable of producing only 3,874 megawatts although the capacity was 5166 megawatts in theory."

"This extra electricity created nine lakh (900,000) new jobs solely in the garments industry and gave us an extra US$ 7 billion in exports revenue," he claimed.

"Our agriculture would have suffered a loss of over Tk 9,000 crore," he argued and added gains from quick power far outweighed the subsidies, estimated to be Tk 16,600 crore.

The government subsidises the fuel used by these plants (Tk 9900 crore so far), and buys power at a rate higher than the selling price, losing Tk 6700 crore so far.

BNP's Moyeen Khan was, however, not convinced. "This rental power option has been disasterous. This has haemorrhaged our economy."

Muhith said the rental power gave the country much-needed breathing space. "We can now concentrate more on larger plants, work towards long-term solution."

By 2015, the minister said, Bangladesh would be able to come out of the rental dependence.

Coaching-promoter principal sent on leave,Kushtia Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Principal of a school in Kushtia district has been sent on a month-long forced leave for caning students refusing to attend private coaching run by the school.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Mofizuddin Ahmed, also Chairman of the Governing Council of the Kushtia Police Lines School and College, issued the leave order for Principal Abu Dadra Mohammad Arif Billah on Saturday amid protests by students and guardians.

Earlier in the day, the protesters formed a human chain and held a protest rally demanding termination of the school principal.

The Governing Council of the institution also formed a three-member investigation committee headed by Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Subhash Chandra Saha to look into the issue.

Ten students of the 8th, 9th and 10th grades of the school were injured when they were ruthlessly caned by Principal Arif Billah on Thursday for declining to attend the coaching classes run by the school.

ASP Subhash Chandra Saha said that Senior Assistant Lecturer Liakat Ali was made the acting-principal of the institution.

He also said that authorities of the Jessore Education Board (JEB) had already directed Kushtia District Education Officer Nikhil Ranjan Chakrabarti to submit report to Khulna Divisional Deputy Director and the JEB Chairman after conducting an investigation into the overall situation of Kushtia Police Lines School and College.  

Rights situation worries Germany Visiting minister urges all parties to strengthen democracy,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Expressing concern over killings and human rights situation in Bangladesh, visiting German foreign minister yesterday urged all political actors to work together to strengthen democracy, ensure human rights and uphold the rule of law in the country.

"Like all others, we are concerned about the recent killings of activists [political and garments]. We hope the incidents would be investigated and the people responsible would be brought to justice," German Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told a press conference after meeting Foreign Minister Dipu Moni at the state guest house Meghna.

He arrived in Dhaka at 12:35pm yesterday on a two-day official visit.

Expressing satisfaction with the role of the civil society in Bangladesh, he said the civil society is crucial to institutionalising democracy in any country.

Asked about the ongoing political crisis here, he noted, “It is not my work to give any lesson…. I am here with a big high-level business delegation as we are eager to expand our trade relations.”

He emphasised the importance of holding free and fair polls, ensuring freedom of expression and free press to strengthen democracy.

The German minister added that his country has been a partner of Bangladesh for 40 years and has so far provided two billion euros in development assistance.

Besides, it has granted a soft loan of 60 million euros for power transmission to the country's western zone.

Germany is the biggest trade partner of Bangladesh in Europe, and Bangladesh's export to Germany stands at three billion euros a year, he mentioned.

Both the foreign ministers expressed their satisfaction at the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Westerwelle yesterday called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, met representatives of civil society and joined a meeting of Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He also had meetings with Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, and NGO Federation Chairman M Ibrahim in the city's Westin hotel.

Meeting sources said they discussed the present political situation in Bangladesh, governance and the role of civil society, NGO and media.

The German minister is due to leave Dhaka early today.

None can harm AL Awami League President Sheikh Hasina tells followers at party's 63rd founding anniversary,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon all to stay alert so that militants, terrorists, black-money holders and other corrupt elements cannot grab state power.

The past BNP-led government had turned the country into a haven for fundamentalists and militants; and a reign of terror was unleashed, the prime minister said.

Speaking at a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital, she said her government had brought back peace and stability in the country.

The ruling AL organised the discussion to mark its 63rd founding anniversary.

Referring to the recent troubles in readymade garment sector, the premier said the government had increased wages of the workers, yet the unrest was provoked.

Recalling BNP's claim in 2005 that the AL would not even get 30 seats in parliamentary polls, Hasina said it actually happened to them in the 2008 national elections. “They [BNP] got 29 seats only.”

She went on: “Now they are saying that Awami League won't get even 10 seats. I don't know whether it will happen to them again.”

Describing the long history of the AL, she claimed that none including Pakistan presidents Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan, former Bangladesh presidents Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad and former premier Khaleda Zia had succeeded in their attempts to destroy the party.

The AL chief said none would ever be able to harm her party since its root was deep inside people's heart.

She directed her party leaders and workers to further strengthen the organisation and stand beside people as Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had done all his life.

Defending her government's steps for quick rental power plants, she said 3,400 megawatts of electricity could be added to the national grid in the last three years because of those. She said now 2.4 million more people have access to electricity.

The other speakers included Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Syed Ashraful Islam, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Jatiya Party Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Workers' Party President Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu and journalist Rahat Khan.

Earlier in the morning, Hasina and party's General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam placed floral wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the capital.

Talking to reporters there, Syed Ashraf said, "If the new generation wants to get involved in developing the country, do something better for people and make them smile, I urge them to join the Awami League."

He said the AL had been working for the welfare of people and it would definitely continue doing so.

The party celebrated its founding anniversary with festivity across the country yesterday.

In 1949, East Pakistan Awami Muslim League was founded at the historic Rose Garden in Old Dhaka. The word "Muslim" was later dropped to give the party a secular face.

Under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the AL led all democratic movements in the then East Pakistan, culminating in the Liberation War.

Chittagong port is choking Expansion urgent but more than a third of its land leased out,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Prospects for an expansion of Chittagong port look thin with a third of the port's land being leased out to public and private sectors.

The authorities of the port, which handles more than 90 percent of the country's foreign trade worth about $60 billion at present, have leased out some 500 acres of its land for different terms over the years.

The remaining 1,200 acres house the terminals, jetties, container yards, sheds, warehouses and other infrastructures, leaving a little room for the port's expansion.

“We've been asking the port authorities to cancel the lease and expand the port area and its capacity for future use,” said Mahbubul Alam, senior vice-president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Some of the land has been leased for up to 99 years, he added.

According to the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), the land is leased out to state-run oil companies Padma, Meghna and Jamuna, and Triple Super Phosphate, a government-owned fertiliser factory.

The port authorities could build a new terminal on the 264-acre khas land behind Majher Char (Middle Island).

But such a scope looks dim as the authority leased the entire area located on the left bank of the Karnaphuli river to Bashundhara Group in 2006 for 30 years.

Also coming in the way of the expansion is a plan for setting up a 1,300MW coal-based power plant near the port. A port document shows the power plant will require 1,717 acres of land, 404 acres of which are the port's land.

“Leasing out of the land is a wrong decision,” said Sultan Mahmud, a former chief engineer of Chittagong port.

Established ports around the world usually reserve land, keeping in mind the need for future expansion.

Mahmud said the consultancy firm Mott MacDonald in 1998 forecast a surge in traffic in Chittagong port and suggested that the authorities expand the port on the downstream of Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco) along the Patenga beach.

“The construction of the coal-based power plant will block the most prospective piece of land to build a terminal to meet the future demand," he said.

The need for expansion of the port has come to the fore as construction of a deep-sea port remains a dream. It accentuated further in the wake of the talks for increased connectivity with India, Nepal and Bhutan.

The issue of the expansion of port facilities and infrastructure also comes to light as foreign trade through the port has been increasing.

In fiscal year 2010-11, cargo handling through the port rose to 4.5 core tonnes from 3.71 crore tonnes the previous year. Container handling shot up to 14 lakh TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2010-11 from 12 lakh tonnes the year before.

“It will take years to construct the planned deep-sea port. So there is no alternative to Chittagong port as the share of Mongla port in handling overseas cargoes and containers has declined over the years,” said Sultan, former chief engineer of the port.

Analysts and businesspeople say the issue of an expansion of the port should get an immediate attention.

“The port needs to be expanded up to Sadarghat to reap the benefits of the growing export-import business,” said the vice-president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Making a deep-sea port is also needed for a handling of bulk cargo,” he noted.

Economist Hossain Zillur Rahman, also former adviser to a caretaker government, is disheartened at knowing that much of the port's land has been leased out.

As the power plant will run on imported coal, it will increase traffic congestion in the port, he said.

"It is a security threat [for the port]. This is alarming," Zillur said.

Rear Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed, chairman of CPA, is still optimistic about the port's expansion, however.

“We've already planned to expand the port at Laldia, for which a feasibility study has been done,” said Ahmed. “We'll appoint a consultant to do the job after getting the approval of the shipping ministry."  

No trust in you, sir Grassroots leaders tell Jatiya party chief HM Ershad on his statements,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

In a rare outpouring of criticism, Jatiya Party grassroots leaders yesterday said they have no confidence in the statements of party chief HM Ershad as he says one thing in the morning and another in the evening.

The leaders made the observation at a joint meeting of the presidents and general secretaries of the party's district and upazila units at the auditorium of Institute of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh in the capital.

The former military ruler responded, “This is nothing but propaganda. Ershad is not a man given to doublespeak.”

The leaders of JP, a component of the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance, urged him to quit the alliance immediately.

Ershad replied that his party will not be able to win the next polls unilaterally and he will start activities after Eid to strengthen the party.

However, during his inaugural speech in the morning, he said his party will contest the election independently. “It doesn't matter who will join the polls and who won't. We will contest on our own.”

“I want to hear what the people are thinking and whether they want Jatiya Party or any others. What do you want? Tell me frankly. Don't feel any hesitation. I will take steps according to your demand,” the party chairman pleaded the grassroots leaders.

Taking the opportunity, Shyamnagar upazila unit General Secretary Hafez Abdur Rashid said, “Sir, we can't trust your statements. You say one thing in the morning and go back on that in the afternoon. Leave the grand alliance if you want to contest the polls independently.”

“I am requesting you to leave the grand alliance. Jatiya Party should never go with Awami League,” said Mostafa Shafikul Islam, president of Koira upazila unit of JP in Khulna.

Narail Sadar upazila unit Vice-chairman Belal Ahmed urged Ershad to withdraw the party's representative from the cabinet.

JP Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader said though they had high expectations from the grand alliance, they did not get anything.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,warns garment workers on 'anarchy'Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked garment workers to think deeply before creating anarchy in their factories.

“Think what you will do when factories are closed,” Hasina said in her speech to a discussion marking the 63rd founding anniversary of Awami League at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

“Why are they ransacking the factories that give them salaries? If those factories are closed, they will lose jobs and will have to go back to their villages,” Hasina said. “They must realise it.”

Hasina said minimum wages for the garment workers were fixed at Tk 3,000 on her own initiative, according to a UNB report.

“I personally forced the garment factory owners to give Tk 3,000 in minimum wages while they fixed Tk 2,500-2,600,” Hasina said.

She asked why the garment workers would create anarchy on instigation from outside when the prime minister of a country is in favour of the workers. “Destructive activities will just destroy your factories that provide livelihoods for you.”

Villages inundated as tidal surge damages dyke.Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali district,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The low-lying and char areas of Kalapara, Galachipa, Rangabali, Dasmina and Baufal upazilas under Patuakhali district have been flooded by tidal surge, marooning several lakh people.

A 3-5 feet high tidal surge under the impact of full moon also damaged the flood control embankment in Nizampur and Gazir Khal points under Kalapara upazila on Thursday.

Water entered through the damaged portions of the dyke, flooding five villages of the upazila. The affected villages are Chowdhirypara, Charipara, Choto Panchnon, Nizampur and Yusufpur. Aman seed beds at the villages have been damaged, much to the frustration of farmers.

At least 45 chars in the five upazilas have gone under water. Of them 30 are in Galachipa, 10 in Dasmina, five in Kalapara, and four in Baufal upazilas.

The affected chars under Rangabali upazilas are Char Montaz, Char Rangabali, Char Choto Baishdia, Char Barabaishdia, Char Bestin, Sonar Char, Baher Char, Char Lata, Char Karforma, and Char Bangla.

Tidal surge also hit Abason Palli outside the flood control dyke, launch ghat area, and Godown Road in Galachipa upazila headquareters.

While visiting Baher Char yesterday, locals told this correspondent that they have been marooned by flood since Thursday night. They need food and pure drinking water.