Work on transit to India underway:Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni

BANGLADESH NEWS

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni has said that the issue of providing transit to India is going on at its own way as Bangladesh believes in regional connectivity.

In a recent interview with Barkha Dutt of the Indian private channel NDTV, Dipu Moni said "…..Transit is moving at its own pace. Yes, it hasn't been stuck anywhere. It's moving, our work is going because we, this is something we, believe in, because we believe in regional connectivity."

She also said the people of Bangladesh were disappointed when the Teesta agreement was not signed during the September visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Bangladesh.

She also said that providing transit was not a condition to Teesta deal.

"I don't think so. I don't think it's conditional on Teesta. But, definitely, having Teesta would, definitely, be helpful."

Dipu Moni also said Bangladeshi people became disappointed as the Teesta water sharing deal was not signed during Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka.

"Just before the visit of Dr Manmohan Singh to Dhaka, there was this expectation, and very high, that the Teesta Accord will be signed. Unfortunately, it didn't...," she said.

Shahjalal International Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn): 108 turtles seized,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Police seized 108 rear species turtles at Shahjalal International Airport early on Tuesday while being smuggled to Thailand by a Bangkok Airways flight.

Members of Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn) also arrested two people including an Indian national on charge of smuggling the reptiles. They are Kibria, 35, hailing from Murshidabad in India, and Khairul Alam, 40, of Basail in Tangail.

SMA Rashid of CARINAM, an NGO that works on turtles, said the seized reptiles known as 'Shila Turtle' are black in colour and on the verge of extinction due to rapid shrink of their habitat and illegal exploitation.

Tipped off, APBn members arrested Kibria and Khairul at embarkation terminal around 12:45am as they were trying to check in for Thailand-bound PG-746 flight. They then searched their luggage and found the turtles.

"We later brought them to our office and at dawn in presence of assistant forest conservator Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury and other intelligence people found 50 turtles in one bag and 58 in another," APBn Assistant Superintendent of Police Atiqur Rahman told.

The turtle still alive were wrapped in scotch tape.

The tags of luggage containing the turtles were bearing the name of one Afsana with her cellphone number.

Police said more concerning to them is that they have found a Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh's (Caab) security operator and an assistant commissioner of customs on duty at the airport had conversations with Afsana over her cellphone.

Police filed a case under the Special Powers Act with the Airport Police Station against the two arrestees and the Caab security operator and the customs assistant commissioner.

The turtles have been kept under the custody of Rafiqul, says a press release.

Mobile courts to stop extortion:Home Minister Shahara Khatun,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Home Minister Shahara Khatun on Tuesday said mobile courts will be conducted to control extortion as well as to curb passenger harassment ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the home ministry with Shahara in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the home minister said extortion and passenger harassment will not be tolerated. “Law enforcing agencies have already been instructed to take initiative in this regard.”

She said stern action will be taken against vessels that carry excess passengers and goods while plying in rivers.

Shahara said the meeting decided to stop goods-laden vessels at night for the time being considering the risk.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, State Minister for Home Shamsul Haq Tuku, Home Secretary CQK Mostak Ahmed, IGP Hasan Mahmud Khandker and senior officials concerned attended the meeting.

Grameenphone Banglalink Robi and Citycell:Finally got their 2G licences,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

After a delay of more than eight months, four mobile phone operators -- Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Citycell -- finally got their 2G licences renewed on Tuesday, for the next 15 years.

The licences were supposed to be renewed in November last year, but the process was delayed due to a number of court battles between the telecom regulator, operators and the tax administrator.

 The operators had objections to fees related to spectrum allocation and value added tax and they had taken the issues to the High Court.

Although some of the cases are still pending in the apex court, the operators are getting the licences at the intervention of the telecom and finance ministries.

Posts and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju handed over the licences to the operators at the office of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in the capital.

BTRC Chairman Zia Ahmed, Grameenphone CEO Tore Johnsen, Robi CEO Michael Kuehner, Citycell CEO Mehboob Chowdhury and Banglalink's Chief Technical Officer Ahmed Fady were present.

The four operators are paying a total of Tk 7,563 crore to the government as spectrum assignment and renewal fees, while another Tk 1,134.45 crore will have to be paid as VAT.

However, the operators will get a rebate on the VAT amount. Each operator will have to pay Tk 5 crore as annual licence fee.

The largest operator, Grameenphone, will pay Tk 3,241 crore for its 14.6 Megahertz spectrum, Banglalink Tk 1,971 crore for 12.4 Mhz, Robi Tk 1,900 crore for 12.8 Mhz, and Citycell will have to pay Tk 450 crore for 10 Mhz. The amounts come excluding VAT.

They will pay Tk 10 crore each as licence renewal fee.

The operators have already paid 49 percent of their licence renewal charges to the government, and will pay 29 percent of the amount on August 31, and the rest at the yearend.

There has been controversy over the spectrum assignment charges as different operators are paying different charges for per Megahertz spectrum; such as Grameenphone is paying more than Tk 220 crore for per MHz, while Citycell is paying Tk 45 crore.

The policy for the spectrum charges was suggested by the regulator on the basis of the market shares of the operators and the policy was finally approved by the prime minister.

Last year, the telecom regulator proposed a total of Tk 11,704 crore as spectrum charges for the four operators. Later, the telecom ministry revised the proposal and sent it to the finance ministry, which again modified the proposal and the Prime Minister's Office finally gave a go-ahead.

The 800MHz, 900MHz and 1800MHz bands have been priced at the same rate.

Moreover, the operators now share 5.5 percent revenue with the government and 1 percent more for a social obligation fund (SOF), meant for the development of the information and communication technology sector. The SOF was introduced with a new guideline.

Among the operators, Citycell’s licence was given in 1989 for 20 years, while other three were given in 1996. The then government did not charge any fee for spectrum allocation and the operators used to pay $400,000 and had shared 1 percent of their revenue with the government for the first five years.

For the second five years, the operators paid $800,000 and shared 1 percent of their revenue with the government, according to the licence conditions, but in July 2006 the regulator made it mandatory for them to share 5.5 percent revenue until November 2011.

Of the other two operators of the country, state-owned Teletalk got licence in 2004 and Airtel (former Warid Telecom) in 2005. Their licences will expire in 2020 and they will follow the conditions of revenue sharing and SOF.

The BTRC chairman said six mobile operators have so far invested Tk 50,000 crore and contributed to the state coffer around Tk 19,009 crore.

The telecom minister said he recommended awarding GSM frequency to Citycell, which recently applied for it.

More than nine crore people are currently using mobile phones in Bangladesh.

Modhumoti Model Town project illegal:Supreme Court Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a High Court verdict that declared the controversial Modhumoti Model Town project of Metro Makers Ltd and its activities at Aminbazar in Savar illegal.

The Appellate Division of SC delivered the verdict after around six months of concluding hearing on five separate appeals filed challenging different portions of the HC verdict.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (Bela), Modhumoti Model Town authorities, plot purchasers and Rajuk had filed the appeals in 2009 against different parts of the HC verdict.

The project authorities filed two appeals and the three others filed one each.

Bela's lawyer Iqbal Kabir Lytton told on Tuesday that the Modhumoti Model Town authorities and the people who purchased plots at its Aminbazar project cannot construct any structure on the project area following the apex court verdict.

Following the verdict, the area of the project will remain as free flood flow zone and the capital city will also remain protected and safe from water logging, Lytton added.

In the verdict, the SC allowed an appeal of Bela, dismissed two appeals of Model Town authorities and one appeal of plot purchasers and disposed of an appeal of Rajuk.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain delivered the verdict.

Details of the SC verdict are yet to be released.

Earlier on June 8 last year, the HC declared 77 unauthorised housing projects in and around Dhaka illegal and directed the government to remove or demolish those housing projects.

The HC on July 27, 2005, had declared the Modhumoti Model Town project at Bilamalia and Baliarpur near Aminbazar at Savar unauthorised, illegal and against public interest, but directed to protect the interest of the purchasers.

Earlier in August 2004, Bela filed the writ petition as public interest litigation with the HC challenging the legality of the project, as it was filling up the sub-flood-flow zone, violating the Environment Conservation Act, Town Improvement Act and Rajuk rules.

Bela, the project authorities, plot purchasers and Rajuk had filed five separate leave-to-appeal-petition in 2006 with the SC against separate portions of the HC verdict.

The SC on March 19, 2009, allowed the leave-to-appeal upholding the HC verdict and permitted them to move regular appeals before it against the HC verdict.

They filed five separate appeals in that year with the apex court challenging the HC verdict.

In the appeal, Bela said if the project continues, the free flood flow zone characteristic of the area will be destroyed and its environment will be adversely affected.

Bela also appealed to the apex court to pass necessary orders so that the capital city remains free from water logging.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) will now probe Aminbazar killing case:High Court

BANGLADESH NEWS

The High Court on Tuesday directed the government to transfer the investigation into Aminbazar's six-students killing case to Rab from the Criminal Investigation Department.

Acting on a petition filed by the parents of the deceased students, an HC bench also ordered the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) to complete the investigation within four months.

A mob of several hundred villagers bludgeoned the six students to death at Keblarchar of Baradeshi village when they went there in the early hours of July 18, 2011.

Deputy Attorney General Ekramul Haque Tutul told The Daily Star that the High Court on Tuesday ordered the inspector general of police (IGP) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner to transfer the investigation responsibility of the case to Rab within 7 days after getting the copy of the order.

The parents of the victims filed the petition with the HC bench today.

In the petition, they appealed to the HC to transfer the investigation responsibility of the case to the Rab saying that the CID had failed to investigate the case.

High Court on June 17 ordered the CID to complete the investigation within a month, the petition added.

An HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Abdur Rob passed the transfer order.

After HSBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank under US focus,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

In a rare move, New York's top bank regulator threatened to strip the state banking licence of Standard Chartered Plc, saying it was a "rogue institution" that hid $250 billion in transactions tied to Iran, in violation of US law.

The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has said the British bank "schemed" with the Iranian government and hid from law-enforcement officials some 60,000 secret transactions to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in fees over nearly 10 years.

At the same time, it exposed the US banking system to terrorists, drug traffickers and corrupt states, the department said on Monday.

The loss of a New York banking licence would be a devastating blow for a foreign bank, effectively cutting off direct access to the US bank market. Standard Chartered processes $190 billion every day for global clients, the New York bank regulator said.

In an unusual look inside a bank, the regulator described how Standard Chartered officials debated whether to continue Iranian dealings.

In October 2006, the top official for business in the Americas, whom the regulator did not name, warned in a "panicked message" that the Iranian dealings could cause "catastrophic reputational damage" and "serious criminal liability."

A top executive in London shot back: "You f---ing Americans. Who are you to tell us, the rest of the world, that we're not going to deal with Iranians." The reply showed "obvious contempt for US banking regulations," the regulator said.

Standard Chartered is the third British bank to be ensnared in US law-enforcement probes this summer. Barclays Plc agreed to pay $453 million to settle US and UK probes that it rigged a global benchmark in June.

A month later, a US Senate panel issued a scathing report that criticised HSBC Holding Plc's efforts to police suspect transactions, including Mexican drug traffickers.

In a statement Standard Chartered said the bank "does not believe the order issued by the DFS presents a full and accurate picture of the facts."

The bank said it shared with US agencies an analysis that demonstrated it "acted to comply, and overwhelmingly did comply" with US regulations. Standard Chartered put the total value of Iran-related transactions that did not follow regulations at under $14 million.

"The group was therefore surprised to receive the order from the DFS, given that discussions with the agencies were on-going," Standard Chartered said. "We intend to discuss these matters with the DFS and to contest their position."

DFS declined further comment.

The Iranian Embassy in Washington was not immediately available to comment. The Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces US economic and trade sanctions against targeted countries, declined to comment.

Standard Chartered, a financier in emerging markets, is the sixth foreign bank since 2008 to be implicated in dealings with sanctioned countries such as Iran in investigations led by federal and New York law-enforcement officials.

Four banks -- Barclays Plc, Lloyds Banking Group, Credit Suisse Group and ING Bank NV -- have agreed to fines and settlements totalling $1.8 billion. HSBC Holdings Plc currently is under investigation by US law enforcement, according to bank regulatory filings.

The New York regulator, headed by former prosecutor Benjamin Lawsky, ordered Standard Chartered to explain why the bank should not lose its state license and the ability to process dollar transactions. Lawsky also ordered the bank to bring in an outside consultant to monitor its transactions.

"Standard Chartered Bank operated as a rogue institution," Lawsky said in the order.

In an unusual move, the regulator also found fault with an outside consultant -- Deloitte LLP -- because the firm "apparently aided" the bank in its deception.

A report by Deloitte had "intentionally omitted critical information" when submitted to regulators, it said. A Deloitte spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Deloitte was hired to conduct a review after Standard Chartered in 2004 was ordered by New York and federal regulators to correct anti-money laundering lapses. The review, known as a "look back," was supposed to identify suspicious transactions between 2002 and 2004.

But at one point, Standard Chartered asked Deloitte to "delete" references to certain improper Iranian transactions, according to the New York order.

In a subsequent email, a Deloitte partner said the firm had "agreed" to the request because it was "too politically sensitive for both (Standard Chartered) and Deloitte. That is why I drafted the watered-down version."

In 2007, that report enabled Standard Chartered to show regulators it had corrected flaws in its anti-money laundering systems.

In a statement on Monday, Deloitte said its financial advisory service division "performed its role as independent consultant properly and had no knowledge of any alleged misconduct by bank employees. Allegations otherwise are unsupported by the facts."

Lawsky's investigation is extraordinary because probes into how banks carried out transactions tied to Iran primarily have been led by the district attorney's office in Manhattan and the US Justice Department.

His probe is another sign that the regulator intends to join the New York attorney general and Manhattan district attorney in being a top financial watchdog. The DFS was created in October 2011, effectively assuming oversight of two former banking and insurance regulatory agencies that were abolished.

Probes by the Manhattan district attorney and US Justice Department date to 2006 and have targeted some nine banks. Britain's Barclays agreed to pay $298 million in 2010 after admitting it processed payments for clients tied to Cuba, Sudan and other countries. Lloyds and Credit Suisse agreed to pay settlements of $350 million and $536 million.

In June, ING agreed to pay $619 million to settle allegations that it, too, violated US sanctions against Cuba, Iran and other countries. It was the biggest fine levied against a bank for sanctions violations.

The Justice Department, working with the FBI in New York, is also investigating Standard Chartered's activities for violations of US sanctions.

Standard Chartered, founded in 1853, is headquartered in London, but it specialises in financing in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Lawsky said Standard Chartered moved money through its New York branch on behalf of Iranian financial clients, including the Central Bank of Iran and state-owned Bank Saderat and Bank Melli, that were subject to US sanctions.

Monday's order alleged that Standard Chartered removed codes on money transfers and altered message fields, inserting phrases such as "NO NAME GIVEN" to hide the nature of the transactions.

At the centre of concern were alleged "U-Turn" transactions, involving money moved for Iranian clients among banks in Britain and the Middle East and cleared through Standard Chartered's New York branch, but which neither started nor ended in Iran.

Such transactions were permissible until November 2008, when the Treasury Department prohibited them on concerns that they were being used to evade sanctions, and that Iran was using banks to fund nuclear and missile development programs.

The New York order also alleged that even as some banks exited the U-Turn transactions, Standard Chartered hustled to "take the abandoned market share." In a December 2006 memo titled, "Project Gazelle, Report on Iranian Business," bankers discussed how to increase "wallet share" with Iranian clients.

Standard Chartered's stock fell 8 percent in the final 15 minutes of trading in London amid reports of the US probe on Monday. Standard Chartered shares closed down 6.2 percent at 14.70 pounds ($22.91).

Chairman John Peace, CEO Peter Sands and Finance Director Richard Meddings could not be reached for comment, and the bank declined to comment beyond its brief statement. 

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir:ask Election Commission (EC) Don’t hold polls under party Government,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

DHAKA: BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the election commission (EC) will make a mistake if it decides to hold the upcoming national elections under a party government.

He said, “Elections under a party government would not be allowed in Bangladesh. It is not possible.”

He came up with the remarks after placing wreath on BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman’s grave marking the 23rd founding anniversary of Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) on Monday.

Fakhrul said, “We are appreciating EC’s decision of not using EVM system in the polls.”

Regarding the issue of restoring caretaker government system, he said, “The demand of restoring CG system now became the demand of people. Further talks with the government possible only if the demand will be met.”

Regarding Grameen bank issue, the opposition leader said, “The bank has its own entity. But, the government is plotting to destroy the bank.”

Meanwhile, he expressed his hope that the government will not take any negative step that could affect the bank.

71th Death Anniversary of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

DHAKA: The 71th death anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was observed Monday, the 22nd of the Bengali month of Shraban, with elaborate programmes reflecting a rich literary life spanning over 60 years.

Bangladesh and India observed the day with chalk out different programmes.

Different government and socio-cultural organizations chalked out special programmes to mark the occasion.

Tagore dominates the Bangla literary scene with copiousness of works: over 10,000 poems, nearly two dozen plays and playlets, 12 novels, over 100 short stories, more than 6,000 songs and a mass of prose works on literary, social, religious, political and other topics.

Add to these his English translations, paintings, travels and lecture-tours in Asia, America, and Europe, and his activities as an educationist, as a social and religious reformer, and as a politician.

Tagore was the only litterateur who penned anthems of three nations--Amar Sonar Bangla, the Bangladeshi national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, the Indian national anthem, and Namo Namo Matha, the Sri Lankan national anthem.

As author of Gitanjali with its ‘profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verses’, he was the first non-European and the first Bengali-speaking person to be awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.

Tagore modernized Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced), and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation.

His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: the Republic of India`s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla. The composer of Sri Lanka’s national anthem: Sri Lanka Matha was a student of Tagore, and the song is inspired by Tagore’s style.

The youngest of 13 surviving children, Tagore was born in the Jorasanko mansion in Kolkata of parents Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905) and Sarada Devi (1830-1875). His ancestral home was in Pithabhog village under Rupsha upazila of Khulna, then part of British India; now Bangladesh.

To mark the day, Bangla Academy held a solo lecture and cultural function in its seminar room at about 3:00 pm on August 6. Mizarul Quayes will deliver the lecture titled `Three women figure in Rabindranath’s drama’.

Director-General of Bangla Academy Shamsuzzaman Khan delivered the welcome address, while Academy Chairman Professor Anisuzzaman presided over the function.

Shilpakala Academy, Chayanat, private Television Channels observed the day with arrange of discussion-sing song and dance.

Joint River Commission's (JRC) to protect riverbanks on Sylhet border unfinished,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The Joint River Commission's (JRC) project for protecting riverbanks on the Sylhet-Assam border and saving the country's territory from depletion has remained mostly incomplete although its three-year schedule ended on 30 June this year.

Only Tk 7.6 crore was given in three years against the total sanction of Tk 21 crore for the project.

"The project is extremely important for saving the country's border as a 26-kilometre stretch along the midstream of Surma and 30 kilometres on Kushiyara is officially considered the border line with India. Continuous erosion on the Bangladesh sides of the rivers is causing depletion of our territory," said Shailen Chandra Paul, executive engineer of Water Development Board (WDB) in Sylhet.

During the last 20 years Bangladesh has lost at least 150 acres of land at Amolshid point, where the Indian Barak River, bifurcating as Surma and Kushiara, enters Bangladesh.

With recurrent erosion on Amolshid point of the rivers due to strong current during monsoon, new patches of landmass has appeared on the Indian side where Indian Border Security Force has constructed observation towers.

“If measures are not taken, erosion on other points like Haidrabond, Sharifganj, Bhuiyarmura and Bhoktipur would take serious turn just with the start of receding water when erosion is usually triggered by strong current,” said the WDB official.

Although the three-year project was officially launched in 2009-2010, it took the authorities a year to hand over the first installment of Tk 2.75 crore. It was followed by another installment of only Tk 4.85 crore in 2011-2012, officials informed.

Now two-year extension is being considered for completing the works, said Abdul Kalam Azad, superintending engineer, WDB, Sylhet, told this correspondent.

Late funding along with the contractors' lack of interest due to remote location of the project work and uncertainty in payment caused delay in the work, officials said, adding that the delay will surely lead to cost escalation and further loss of our territory, said an official.

WDB Executive Engineer of Sylhet Shailen Chandra Paul said, "Works were hampered mainly due to poor response from contractors. As for example, tender was called recently for the third time for Tk 4 crore JRC's protection work at Haidrabond on Kushiyara riverbank.

The works will be taken up when the ongoing monsoon is over, he said.

In two years, WDB did some work to partially build the Kushiara dyke but it is only 3.5 and a half kilometres long against the targeted 12 km. Due to delay in implementation of the project, erosion took its toll at places reducing the country's territory on the border areas, sources said.

But on the other side of the border, the Water Resources Division in Assam has already completed necessary protection works.

The whole programme was earlier finalised at a joint meeting of officials of the WDB, Sylhet region, and the officials of the Water Resources Division of Karimganj, Assam. Besides, the year-wise work plan was exchanged at an additional chief engineer-level meeting at WDB Rest House at Zakiganj borders in October 2010.