All 50 on board killed

Cigombong: All of the dozens aboard a Russian Sukhoi passenger jet flying on a sales promotion trip in Indonesia were killed when the plane slammed into a mountain, officials said on Thursday.

Rescuers who reached the remote site found bodies scattered near the wreckage of Russia?s first post-Soviet civilian plane on the sheer face of Mount Salak, outside the city of Bogor, south of Jakarta.

?We entered the area... and found the dead bodies, but we cannot say about the number,? said Gagah Prakoso, spokesman for the national search and rescue agency.

?We haven?t found any survivors.?

The twin-engine Superjet 100 vanished from radar screens on Wednesday, 50 minutes into what was meant to be a short flight to show off its capabilities to prospective buyers as Russia tries to rebuild its civilian jet industry.

Reports of the number on board varied, with local rescue officials saying the plane was carrying 46 people and Trimarga Rekatama, the company responsible for inviting the passengers, saying 50 were on board.

Those aboard were mostly Indonesian aviation representatives, but also included eight Russians ? four of them crew and four Sukhoi employees ? plus an American and a Frenchman, officials said.

They said a helicopter pilot spotted the plane?s debris after rescuers resumed their operation at first light on Thursday, locating one part with the Sukhoi logo on the sheer face of Mount Salak, a dormant volcano.

Devastated relatives of those aboard the ill-fated aircraft had gathered at the Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta ? used for military and some commercial flights ? where the Sukhoi had taken off the day before.

Some wept quietly as friends tried to console them, while others sat in a state of shock, staring into the distance. Authorities took DNA samples to help in identification of the dead.

A teary-eyed Yenni Cipta, 38, recalled that when her father, an aviation worker, had said farewell on Wednesday, he had jokingly told her children: ?Grandpa is going to a faraway place.?

Prakoso said that evacuation of the bodies by helicopter was being hampered by bad weather. ?AFP

Source: daily-sun.com

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Budget session begins May 27

President Zillur Rahman Thursday summoned parliament to sit in the budget session on

May 27.

?The Jatiya Sangsad will start its session at 5.30 pm everyday, except for Fridays, Saturdays and other public holidays,? says the parliament secretariat in a release.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith is expected to place the proposed national budget in parliament for the next 2012-2013 fiscal year on June 7.

This will be the 13th session of the current ninth parliament led by the Awami League.

Earlier, Speaker Abdul Hamid had sent a proposal for convening the session on May 27.

According to the constitution, the President is the authority to summon every session of parliament.

Source: daily-sun.com

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Twin blasts kill 59 in Syria

Damascus: Two powerful blasts struck Damascus Thursday, killing 59 people, wounding nearly 372 and prompting the UN observer chief to appeal for help to end the bloodshed ravaging Syria.

The bombers used more than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of explosives in their vehicles, the ministry said, cited by state television.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the toll was 59, and included civilians and regime forces.

?The toll has risen to 59 killed and hundreds of injured,? the Britain-based monitor said.

Previously, state media said the blasts killed 40 people and injured nearly 200.

Gruesome footage of the aftermath of the explosions, which rocked Qazzaz district during the morning rush hour, was aired on state television, which blamed the near simultaneous attacks on ?terrorists.?

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bombings targeted an intelligence base making them the ?most violent? attacks in the country?s 14-month uprising.

Both civilians and security forces members were among the casualties, the Britain-based watchdog said, adding at least one of the blasts was caused by a car bomb.

?Two explosions caused by terrorists took place on the freeway in the south of Damascus,? state television said, adding the blasts occurred ?as people were heading to work and children to school.?

It provided a toll of 40 dead and 170 wounded, while saying that, in addition, rescue workers ?filled eight bags with human remains.?

The opposition Syrian National Council accused President Bashar al-Assad?s regime of being behind the bombings.

?The regime is behind this,? the exile group?s Samir Nashar said, adding the aim was to warn UN observers they were in danger and to impress upon the international community that the regime was battling ?terrorists.?

?This is the only way for the regime to claim that what is happening in Syria is the work of terrorist gangs and that al-Qaeda is expanding its presence in Syria,? said Nashar.

The blasts took place near a nine-storey security building, the facade of which was destroyed along with several surrounding residential complexes, an AFP correspondent reported.

Television showed images of a woman?s charred hand on a steering wheel, her gold bracelets dangling from her wrist.

Other burnt and mangled bodies lay in the street amid the carcasses of smouldering vehicles.

?AFP

Source: daily-sun.com

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BNP leaders have to surrender: Rafiq

Legal experts are of varied opinions about the fate of some BNP bigwigs as police sought arrest warrant from the trial court after pressing charges against them when they are awaiting a decision of the Supreme Court on their anticipatory bail petition.

Some of them said the petition for ad-interim anticipatory bail from the High Court has become infructuous or ineffective and it has become a compulsion for the accused to surrender before the trial court.

The chief justice Thursday formed a third bench at the High Court to hear their bail petition while the trial court fixed Sunday for hearing the charges against them and also the petition of police seeking arrest warrant.

The bench of justices Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Nazrul Islam Talukder last week gave split orders on granting the BNP leaders bail in connection with a case filed for violence during 29 April?s countrywide general strike.

?The chief justice has formed the single-judge High Court bench with Justice Anwar-ul Haque to hear the bail petition of the BNP leaders. The bench will hold the hearing on Sunday,? chief justice?s secretary Kabir Ahmed told journalists.

Police yesterday pressed charges against 45 leaders of the BNP-led opposition alliance, including BNP?s acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Asked about the present legal status of this politically important case, noted legal expert barrister Rafiqul Huq said the BNP leaders will have to surrender to the trial court since police submitted charge sheet in the case.

?Ad-interim anticipatory bail is always granted before the filing of either police reports or charge sheets. Police have already filed the charge sheet in this case. So, the order passed by a judge granting anticipatory bail has no longer efficacy,? he told daily sun.

?One of the judges of the High Court bench granted bail while another judge denied, and so the case was supposed to be sent to a third bench. But now, after the filing of the charge sheet, the order of the High Court judge granting ad-interim anticipatory bail has no effectiveness. So, there is no reason to send the case to a third bench. The petition has become infructuous,? he explained.

Attorney-General Mahbubey Alam, who also suggested that the BNP leaders surrender before the trial court immediately, however, has a different opinion about sending the case to a third court.

He said it was still necessary. ?It is academic. The chief justice needs to send the orders to a third bench to determine which order was correct,? he told daily sun.

?But that does not mean that the accused need not go to the trial court. There is no opportunity to remain at large after charges have been pressed. They must surrender to the trial court,? the top law officer of the state said.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed, the counsel for the BNP leaders, said the government cannot harass the leaders of the opposition alliance until the third-bench decision.

The leaders also need not surrender by this time as they are awaiting the chief justice?s decision, he said.

On the police prayer for arrest warrant, Moudud quipped it would be fine if the magistrate court issues a warrant. ?The magistrate might be then summoned to appear before the High Court.?

Advocate Subrata Chowdhury said it would not be appropriate for the lower court to issue any order until its disposal in the third bench of the High Court.

Source: daily-sun.com

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All for CG dialogue

 As the ruling Awami League leaders appeared determined not to restore the caretaker system of government despite the opposition?s persistent demand for a dialogue on the issue, the political situation may deteriorate further with a recurrence of unrest in the days ahead, analysts and politicians observe.

Although Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam Wednesday issued statement in favour of a political dialogue, presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim on Thursday said the ruling party would not hold any talks on restoration of the non-party caretaker government.

The same day, BNP standing committee member Khandker Mosharraf Hossain asked the government to take initiative for holding a dialogue on formation of the caretaker government.

In the meantime, the charge-sheeting of BNP stalwarts cast a damper on the initiative for dialogue to break the current political standoff over the caretaker-government issue.

Civil-society members, business leaders and foreign countries have attached highest importance to talks for reaching an agreement to resolve the current political stalemate.

Barrister Rafiqul Haque told daily sun that caretaker government is a must. ?Without an interim government, no election will be held. Election results will not be acceptable, if it is held sans neutral government.?

About charge sheet against BNP stalwarts, he said, ?The charge sheet has been submitted hurriedly in a bid to frustrate BNP leaders who got bail. The government is running fast which may cause accident.?

Hasanul Haq Inu MP, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, said, ?In a follow-up to the Supreme Court order for cancelling the caretaker system, the government formed a committee to amend the constitution. Khaleda Zia was asked to be a member of the committee and give her opinion. But, she had taken the path of confrontation by refusing the invitation.?

Inu said, ?The opposition leader will have to agree on three points ? cancellation of old CG system, introduction of an alternative system, and giving a formula for alternative of her own (Khaleda Zia?s).?

Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Jatiya Party presidium member, said, ?As the apex court cancelled the CG system, there is no scope for restoring it. But, a dialogue may be held on introduction of an alternative system.?

?Confrontation and third party?s intervention will follow if the crisis is not resolved through dialogue,? he apprehended.

Dr M Zahir, an eminent lawyer, said, ?If the problem is not solved through dialogue, it will lead to confrontation. But, I believe the political parties will agree on an alternative system to hold the election in free and fair manner.?

Professor Emajuddin Ahmed, a noted political scientist, said, ?The country is heading for a massive confrontation as the ruling and opposition parties are adamant with their different policies on CG system.?

As the European Union, the United States and India suggested resolving the present crisis through dialogue, any attempt to ignore their suggestion would lead the country to civil war, he forewarned.

Ferdous Hossain, a political science teacher of Dhaka University, said, ?Any amicable solution through dialogue requires a relation of trust between the political parties. But, unfortunately, such kind of relation is not available so far.?

?The present political situation is getting worse and it will deteriorate further,? he said.

Former adviser of caretaker government Akbar Ali Khan said, ?The political parties are limited to their policies about CG system. No deviation from their policies is followed yet. If any party does not accept the CG system, the scope for dialogue is very limited. As such, political turmoil will intensify.?

Giasuddin Ahmed, president of political science association, said charge-sheet against BNP stalwarts at the behest of the government has hampered an atmosphere for dialogue.

The either parties ought to sit for a dialogue meant for resolution to the political crisis for the greater interest of the country, he suggested.

Professor Badiul Alam Majumder of SUJAN said, ?The political situation is becoming worse and inflammable for a conflict over CG system.?

When BNP is saying that the government will have to take initiative for dialogue anywhere, the country?s political situation will deteriorate further due to AL?s such attitude towards opposition BNP.

The Ambassadors of the European nations called for dialogue between the parties to resolve the political problems and create congenial environment to attract foreign companies to make investment in Bangladesh.

During a two-day visit to Dhaka, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee urged all political actors to settle their differences through dialogue and plan for free and fair elections.

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam made his stand clear that there was no alternative to dialogue for breaking the current political standoff.

BNP Acting Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also categorically said that his party was ready to sit for dialogue anywhere.

Source: daily-sun.com

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A galaxy of opposition leaders charge-sheeted post-haste

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Violence in Front of PMO during HartalA galaxy of opposition leaders charge-sheeted post-hasteFakhrul, Mosharraf, Oli among 45 charged? Md Esaraf Hossain  Detective police Thursday charged BNP acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 44 others of the opposition alliance with the vandalising and torching of motor vehicles near the Prime Minister?s Office during the 29 April countrywide hartal.

Detective Branch Inspector Nurul Amin, who submitted the charge sheet in connection with a case filed following the hartal incidents, requested the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate?s Court to issue warrants for the arrest of the top opposition politicians.

Metropolitan Magistrate Erfanullah fixed 13 May for the hearing on the petition.

In the charge sheet, 18 people have been named as witnesses to the spell of violence.

BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain condemned the charge sheet as ?false, fabricated, baseless and imaginary?. He alleged that all the 18 witnesses are either government employees or policemen.

Seven of the 45 accused persons, including BNP joint secretary-general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Rehana Akter Dolly, Kamruzzaman Ratan, Manik Ratan, Sohel alias Sohel Miah and Jasimuddin, are already in jail.

Another joint secretary-general, Mahbub Uddin Khokon MP, recently got bail from the court.

Tejgaon zone Deputy Commissioner Imam Hossain had filed the case under the speedy trial act on 29 April, accusing Mirza Fakhrul and others of involvement in the incident of vandalising and torching a motor vehicle near the PMO during hartal hours.

The charge-sheeted accused include BNP Standing Committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Liberal Democratic Party president Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, BNP leaders Amanullah Aman, Fazlul Huq Milon, Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Nazimuddin Alam, Saiful Alam Nirob, Habibunnabi Sohel, Mir Sharfat Ali Shapu, Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Amirul Islam Khan Alim, Anisur Rahman Talukder Khokon, Habibur Rashid Habib and Abdul Matin, Islami Chhatra Shibir president Delwar Hossain, Bangladesh Jatiya Party president Andalib Rahman Partho, and National People?s Party president Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu.

The case was filed with Tejgaon Police Station.

Another case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station against Mirza Fakhrul and 27 others on a charge of involvement in the explosion of a cocktail bomb inside Bangladesh Secretariat the same day.

Among the accused are BNP Standing Committee member ASM Hannan Shah, vice-chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Amanullah Aman, Abdus Salam and LDP president Oli Ahmed.

Investigation report of this case is yet to be submitted.

The previous week, over 5,000 named and unnamed leaders and activists of the main opposition BNP and its front organisations were accused in two other cases filed in connection with vandalising and torching motor vehicles, including a police van, and violent clashes between law enforcers and opposition activists in the capital?s Nayapaltan area.

The accused include Juba Dal president Moazzem Hossain Alal, Swechchhasebak Dal president Habibunnabi Sohel, Juba Dal leader Rafiqul Alam Majnu, Chhatra Dal leaders Habibur Rahman Habib and Ishaq Sarkar.

Shortly after the filing of the case, the law enforcers launched a massive hunt for BNP leaders and activists in the capital, netting at least six of the accused, including Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Rehana Akter Dolly, Kamruzzaman Ratan, Manik Ratan, Sohel alias Sohel Miah and Jasimuddin.

The BNP and its allies have been agitating in protest against the disappearance of BNP leader Ilyas Ali and enforced two rounds of countrywide shutdown.

During hartal hours on 29 April, pro-hartal activists damaged a passenger bus near the PMO and later set it ablaze.

Most leaders and activists of the party have been hiding since then to avoid arrest.

Source: daily-sun.com

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Who calls from Ilyas� phone!

In a bizarre development of late, a missed call was given from the cell- phone number of missing BNP leader M Ilyas Ali to a Juba Dal leader of Sylhet on Thursday afternoon.

The leader of the youth wing of BNP, Abdul Latif of Biswanathpur Upazila, received a missed call from Ilyas Ali?s phone number at 4:48pm, local sources said quoting Latif.

Latif said he could not notice the missed call instantly for his preoccupation but later rang back the call to the number but found the phone switched off.

He then immediately informed the party men and law-enforcing agencies of the matter, the sources said.

The number from which the missed call came is 01732293744, the number used by Ilyas Ali, whose disappearance has triggered a political turmoil.

Fazle Huq Shahin, Deputy Commander of Rab-9, said Ilyas? family members and party men informed them of the matter. ?Our technical team is working to find out the location of the cell phone. If the information is correct, we expect to get a clue to the disappearance of Ilyas.?

Earlier, wife of Ilyas Ali?s cousin, who lives in the UK, claimed that she made call to the cell phone of the missing leader and found the cell phone on but nobody received the call.

Ilyas, BNP?s organising secretary, along with his driver Ansar Ali went missing on April 17 night while he was returning to his Banani residence from Rupashi Bangla Hotel in the capital by a private car.

The car was found abandoned in Amtali area of Mohakhali the following day.

Source: daily-sun.com

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Upgrading Shahjalal runway to begin in Oct

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) will begin the construction work of overlaying the runway of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with asphalt concrete in October this year.

?The runway will be covered with asphalt concrete so that we can upgrade the airport to category-I from category-II,? Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Faruk Khan said during a fire drill?An Airport Emergency Exercise?at the airport on Wednesday.

During the fire drill, Caab showed how the passengers from a loaded aircraft are being rescued if the aircraft catches fire.

Under the direction of Caab, the Civil Aviation Fire Service, Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, helicopter of Bangladesh Air Force, divers of Bangladesh Navy, rescue workers of Bangladesh Army, physicians of Caab and representative of different airlines took part in the fire drill.

Senior officials of Caab and Shahjalal International Airport, and Air force personnel were also present at the programme.

As per the requirement of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Caab has to organise the fire drill at least once in every two years at the country?s international airports for enhancement of skills and taking preparations for handling any unexpected emergency situation.

Expressing satisfaction over the successful holding of the exercise programme, the minister said such programme proves that safety measures in the country?s international airport are adequate.

He also suggested that Caab organise the fire drill at least once in a year.

In case of any aircraft accident, the coordination among all the agencies concerned is vital to carry out the rescue operation, said Faruk, adding, ?We were able to rescue the crew members of a Royal Thai Aircraft with minimum injury following the recent accident at Shahjalal International Airport.?

Responding to a query about the availability of proper equipment for clearing the runway after any accident, the minister said, ?We have no such heavy equipment but we are trying to procure heavy equipment as soon as possible.?

Caab Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mahud Hussain said, ?Such programme has been arranged to prove the competitiveness of rescuers as well as the safety measures of the airport. We will send the fire drill report to ICAO.?

The ICAO included Bangladesh in the list of countries having significant safety concern in 2009. The last safety oversight audit by ICAO in 2009 found that air operators in Bangladesh were not complying with local and international regulations.

Source: daily-sun.com

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Dialogue must to end political crisis: Mozena

Khulna: US Ambassador Dan W Mozena Thursday stressed that there is no alternative to dialogue between political parties to end the stalemate in Bangladesh?s politics.

Political parties should sit together to find a way to resolve the ongoing political crisis as well as to hold the next election ?in a free and fair manner?, he said.

The US envoy came up with the call while addressing a press conference held in a city hotel? in a reaffirmation of US foreign Minister Hillary Clinton?s views expressed during her recent Bangladesh tour.

Mozena said Bangladesh has the potential to become as a middle-income country, and for that it needs ?political stability and sustainable democracy?.

The diplomat struck a high note of optimism on this country?s future, saying that Bangladesh will soon grow as an important country for Asian economy if it can ensure political stability and strengthen its democracy.

Besides, the US ambassador called upon the government to hold talks with the neighbouring countries for solving bilateral issues.

He also expressed grave concern over killing and disappearance of political leaders.

Source: daily-sun.com

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ACC recommends digitising database

Curbing Corruption in House AllotmentACC recommends digitising databaseAlso suggests making DGA jobs transferable? Sajjad Hossain  The Anti-Corruption Commission has suggested updating the database on house allotment to civil servants with complete information and making vacancies public through the Department of Government Accommodation website and notice-board announcement.

Investigating allegations of anomalies in allotting residences to government officials, the ACC has suggested that applications for accommodation be accepted online and allotments should maintain the serial number of the applications.

The anti-graft watchdog also recommends making jobs of all officials and staff members of the Housing Department transferable or ensuring regular reshuffle of their workplaces.

In its investigation, the ACC has found that the DGA has no information on the issuing dates for houses and the vacant houses while applications from aspirants do not bear any serial number.

It has prepared a seven-point recommendation for curbing widespread corruption in the

DGA in allotting accommodation facilities to civil servants and establishing transparency.

?Because there is no data on the houses and no register of aspirant applicants, some people have long been deprived of the government?s accommodation facility while some have acquired the privilege by unfair means,? said ACC Director-General Khandaker Md Aminur Rahman.

He told daily sun that both the DGA and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works have agreed on establishing discipline in the sector by streamlining the allotment procedure.

The recommendations, prepared by a committee comprising members of the ACC, the DGA and the ministry concerned, also include informing the applicants about the authority?s decision regarding allotment via online or mobile phone.

The ACC has also suggested relocating the DGA office from Bangladesh Secretariat so people can visit the office easily?at present, going inside the Secretariat compound requires one to have an accreditation card.

The other recommendations include appointing a panel of skilled lawyers for contesting cases for the DGA to reclaim abandoned houses and property, and forming monitoring teams of different ministries to ensure transparency of the entire allotment process.

The ACC also suggests setting up a helpdesk to resolve complaints and problems regarding house allotment.

According to the data provided by the DGA, there are 12,997 houses in the capital where 350,000 civil servants are currently working. The very small number of houses against a huge demand has mainly led to corruption in the allotment process, said an ACC official.

Source: daily-sun.com

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JK Rowling honoured with London award

 London: ?Harry Potter? author JK Rowling has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London to recognise her services to children?s literature.

Rowling was handed a framed parchment certificate of her accolade Tuesday.

?I am prouder than I can say to be given the freedom of the City,? dailystar.co.uk quoted the popular writer as saying.

The freedom traditionally permits the recipient to be drunk and disorderly on the streets of the city without fearing arrest, and to drive sheep over London Bridge. ?IANS

Source: daily-sun.com

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Delegation goes to Malaysia tomorrow

A high-level delegation, led by expatriates? welfare and overseas employment minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, leaves here tomorrow for Malaysia to persuade the government to reopen a new job-market for Bangladeshi workers.

?During our visit, we will request the Malaysian government to recruit workers from Bangladesh,? Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training Director General Shamsun Nahar told daily sun Thursday.

The six-member team is scheduled to hold a meeting with the human resource minister and the home minister of Malaysia as the recruitment process remained stopped for about four years, sources at the ministry said.

The delegation includes the BMET director general, an additional secretary to the home ministry, the project director of machine readable passport, the managing director of the Expatriates? Welfare Bank and the personal secretary to the minister.

Dhaka will request Kuala Lumpur to include Bangladesh as worker-source country, the source said, adding that there are over 10 source countries from which Malaysia regularly hires workers. Bangladesh being a Muslim country is still not a source country.

?It depends on the government of Malaysia to reopen the market or not. The issue will come to the discussion table,? Mantu Kumar Biswas, Bangladesh labour councilor in Malaysia, told daily sun over phone Thursday.

Following a proposal of the Malaysian government to recruit workers from Bangladesh, the BMET DG said, ?We have taken preparations to send our workers.?

During a recent visit of a Malaysian delegation to Bangladesh, they expressed their willingness to recruit Bangladeshi workers under the government arrangement.

BMET officials alleged that the labour market for Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia was not reopened as the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) doesn?t want recruitment process under the government arrangement.

?No no, I am not aware of such a matter. Malaysia is not recruiting workers from any country,? Shamsun Nahar said.

Bypassing a query on the allegation, Baira secretary-general Ali Haidar Chowdhury said, ?I want Bangladeshi workers to go Malaysia as soon as possible?.

Malaysia had stopped recruiting workers from Bangladesh in 2009 following some irregularities in the recruitment process. On 10 March 2009, Malaysia had cancelled 55,000 visas of Bangladeshi workers.

It was also alleged that the recruitment agencies in Bangladesh had sent 15 workers in need of one worker to Malaysia.

Earlier, the government had initiated a move to regularise the undocumented foreign workers, as a large number of foreign workers were illegally staying in Malaysia.

The sources at BMET said the Malaysian authorities had regularised 267,000 undocumented Bangladeshi workers.

Source: daily-sun.com

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Ashraf takes a swipe at Yunus, Hillary

Taking a swipe at Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, LGRD Minister and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Thursday said it will take more than thousand years to develop Bangladesh through NGOs and microcredit activities.

?There?s no instance that any country in the world has developed through NGOs and miocrocredit activities ?we too won?t be able to achieve progress in the next one thousand years through NGOs and microcrdit activities,? he said.

The minister was addressing the inaugural function of a subsidy-money distribution programme among the farmers of cooperative society for the waiver of interest on agricultural loan. Rural Development and Cooperatives Division organised the programme at the Bangabandhu Inter-national Conference Centre (BICC).

Without mentioning the name of Dr Muhammad Yunus, Ashraf said one gets the Nobel Peace Prize after engaging himself in microcredit programme. ?Which war has he stopped with his activities and in which continent has he established peace through his microcredit programme?? he questioned.

?His areas of work is economics, but he got the Nobel in peace,? Ashraf quipped.

About development of the country, the minister said coordinated efforts of all quarters are needed to achieve the desired development goal.

These days, Ashraf said, people know how one gets the Nobel prize in peace and mentioned the name of an organisation, ?Motherland Peace? of Ireland.

?Two women established this organisation and won the Nobel in peace within two months. They ultimately engaged in quarrel over sharing the Nobel Prize money. Last of all, the matter went to the court and the peace vanished,? he said.

The Awami League general secretary was also critical of Hillary Clinton?s talks here with some youths in a programme, titled ?Adda with Bangladesh?, during his recent visit to Bangladesh.

He said this was the Town Hall type programme. ?Hillary held the talks with some so-called youths of the country, and a private TV channel broadcast it.?

During Hillary?s visit to Kolkata, she also held such a programme and it was aired by a TV channel. He also mentioned that the TV channel had aired the advertisement of this programme three days ago. ?But in our country we didn?t know about that programme, even the day before,? he said.

In Kolkata?s programme, he said, no question came regarding the internal matter of India. ?They talked about international politics and Iran issue,? he said.

But, Ashraf alleged, the moderator of Bangladesh?s programme (Munni Saha of ATN News) set the questions prior to the programme.

?In that programme, there was an attempt to undermine Bangladesh. In the programme, they tried to show Bangladesh as a small country, poor country and undemocratic country. This is disgraceful for the nation,? he said.

Ashraf said, ?Only the organisers of this programme had been its beneficiaries, no one else.? ?UNB

Source: daily-sun.com

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No conditional dialogue: Nasim

Senior Awami League leader Mohammad Nasim Thursday clearly stated that no dialogue on the scrapped caretaker-government issue will be held if there is set any precondition.

?In the past, many dialogues had failed only for setting conditions. Our ruling party is eager to take part in a dialogue which will yield good results,? he said, suggesting that the opposition come to parliament to settle the crucial issue which has recently created a political standoff in the country.

The former home minister came up with the observations while addressing a human-chain programme in the capital, in the wake of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?s proposal for a dialogue among political parties to resolve the crisis.

Nasim called upon the main opposition BNP to place their proposals in parliament, if any, for holding the next general election in a fair manner as no dialogue outside parliament has so far been fruitful.

He requested the opposition not to place any proposal which can foil the dialogue which has come back as talk of the time.

The political problem wouldn?t be resolved through enforcing hartal and killing people. Refraining from such acts and come back to parliament to hold a dialogue for the sake of the country and its people, Nasim said.

Source: daily-sun.com

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JS body recommends �realistic ADP� instead of bulky dev budget

JS body recommends ?realistic ADP? instead of bulky dev budgetPolitics plays its decelerating role in dev? Staff Correspondent  In view of slow-pace implementation of the annual development programme (ADP) in the current financial year, a parliamentary watchdog Thursday recommended that the finance minister should not undertake a bigger programme in the next national budget.

The parliamentary standing committee on finance ministry at its meeting suggested a ?realistic? size of the ADP in view of the political situation of the country?apparently as political unrest holds back the wheels of development.

AHM Mustafa Kamal, chairman of the committee, told reporters that the parliamentary body was ?absolutely happy? with the performance of AMA Muhith as finance minister.

He said the country?s economy is in a better shape considering the economic crisis in Europe which is the destination of Bangladesh?s 60 percent exports.

The finance ministry sources said the size of the development budget or ADP in the current fiscal year is Tk 410 billion, downsized from the original outlay of Tk 460 billion. In the last nine months, the government has implemented about 45 percent of the ADP.

In the last fiscal, too, most of the government departments could not implement the development recipe.

?We have suggested undertaking a realistic ADP instead of a bigger one. For instance, what is the meaning of taking up an ADP of Tk 1,000 billion if the government can spend Tk 500 billion,? Kamal told reporters at parliament?s media centre.

He said the government should keep the current political situation in mind while preparing the national budget for 2012-13 fiscal year.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman, former governor Dr Farash Uddin, economist Rehman Sobhan and other stakeholders attended the meeting at the parliament building.

The chairman said his committee is in favour of continuation of the scope for legalising ?undisclosed money? by paying 10 percent tax.

Kamal said the standing committee suggested that the minimum level of income tax should be Tk 200,000 instead of the present Tk 165,000.

?We have suggested that people should pay tax at the rate of 10 percent for the first Tk 500,000 income. For the next Tk 500,000, the rate should be 20 percent while the rate should be 25 percent after the amount,? said the chairman, adding that his committee has also suggested reducing the rate of corporate tax.

But he did not mention any rate for corporate tax.

Kamal said people must show their entire wealth in their income returns or face penalty.

?We strongly feel that all capable people should pay tax. If anyone, having at least Tk 5,000,000, is found to have concealed information on their wealth, they must pay 25 percent more than the regular 25 percent tax,? he said.

The chairman said the government should reduce the tax for the long-term investors in the capital market.

Source: daily-sun.com

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HC summons judge over �judge�s palace�

HC summons judge over ?judge?s palace?? Staff Correspondent  The High Court on Thursday summoned a judge of Feni district court and four others to appear before it on May 17 over an allegation of grabbing ?a magnificent palace of former Hindu Zaminder? at Nawabganj in Dhaka.

They are: Judge Abul Hossain Mamun, his brothers Abul Kalam Khandaker, and Abu Ashfaq, who is also a local BNP leader and chairman of Nawabganj upazila, and their uncle Hasem and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Nawabganj.

Issuing a suo moto order following publication of a report on daily sun on Thursday, the court directed the authorities concerned and the persons involved in the palace grabbing to maintain a status quo over its possession for the next three months. The court at the same time also issued a rule upon the authorities and the persons to explain in two weeks as to why the government should not be directed to evict the grabbers from the historic palace and to prosecute them.

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Source: daily-sun.com

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BNP asks govt to frame CG format for dialogue

Main opposition BNP asked the government to take the lead in arranging a dialogue on framing the format of caretaker government, as politics turned back on the burning question following a recent development from the diplomatic front.

?The government will have to bring a bill on the caretaker government system in parliament. The government has to sit with political parties to frame it,? BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said Thursday.

?We may also table the bill in parliament, but it is the ruling party that has to pass it,? he said while addressing a human chain organised by Swadhinata Forum in front of the National Press Club in the capital.

The former minister, in this context, pointed out that the ruling party [Awami League] has a two-thirds majority in parliament. ?So, if it does not want to pass the bill on caretaker government, the BNP has nothing to do,? he said.

The former minister said the government should restore the scrapped system of caretaker government considering international dignitaries? opinions in its favour.

?To hold the next general election in a free and fair manner with the participation of all parties, dialogue is a must,? Mosharraf said, reiterating his party views.

Reminding of the 10 June deadline given by party chief Khaleda Zia for restoring the caretaker-government system, he said his party hopes that the government will complete all procedures before the ultimatum ends.

Mosharraf termed the charge sheet submitted Thursday against senior BNP leaders ?false and politically motivated?. He demanded immediate withdrawal of the cases against opposition leaders.

?The government has filed two false cases against senior leaders of the opposition to divert people?s attention from the ongoing anti-government movement. We condemn submission of the charge sheet,? he said.

The BNP leader said the people of the country do not recognise these cases only filed ?to divert people?s attention from the multitude of corruption at government level?.

Swadhinata Forum chief Abu Naser Rahmatullah presided over the programme, also attended by other BNP leaders and activists.

Source: daily-sun.com

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EC goes for legal battle to lift stay

The Election Commission decides to fight a legal battle for lifting the High Court order of three-month stay on elections to the twin Dhaka city corporations, as the long-overdue polls have been stalled once again even after the nomination filing for the crucial race.

While the nomination process was on, a case was filed against the Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation elections, challenging procedure for demarcation of wards of the two new city corporations.

The EC held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon to review the certified copy of the High Court?s order and the rule nisi served on eight respondents, including the chief election commissioner and the LGRD secretary.

Chaired by CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, the meeting decided to sit with local government ministry, one of the respondents, next week to discuss the modus operandi to jointly fight the case, EC sources said.

The EC also reaffirmed Thursday its move to put up the legal fight in order to hold the postponed polls at the earliest.

In its April 16 order, the HC stayed the elections for three months upon a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

The court also asked the commission to update the electoral roll of the DCC areas before voting.

A rule nisi was also issued as to why a directive should not be given to the respondents to hold the polls in compliance with the provisions in sections 3(2), 5(1) (Kha), 27, 28, 29 and 30 of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009.

The EC will respond to the show-cause rules of the HC first. Then it is likely to appeal to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for vacating the HC stay order.

Advocate Manzill Murshid, on the rights body?s behalf, filed the writ seeking stay order on the DCC polls as proper procedure was not followed regarding ward demarcation of the two new bodies in line with sections 27 and 28 of the Act.

The EC received the certified copy of the court order on April 30.

As per the Act, the government has to appoint an official and other assistant officials to demarcate the wards.

The official will issue a notice for receiving objections and recommendations over demarcation, and publishing a preliminary list of wards.

Subsequently, the government has to publish a list of the wards through a gazette notification after disposing of the objections.

But the ministry concerned did not maintain proper procedure regarding the two city corporations created through bifurcation of DCC on November 1 to protests from different quarters, including the opposition politicians.

On April 9, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad announced schedules for elections and fixed May 24 for ballot.

Source: daily-sun.com

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Scientists should �cool it� on alien life claims

 Washington: Scientists and the media should stop ?crying wolf? about new life forms, according to a well-known molecular biologist.

Scripps Research Institute scientist Gerald Joyce said that frenzies such as the one over alleged arsenic-eating bacteria in 2010 could ultimately lead to lack of interest in the kind of science it would take to discover new life forms, should they exist. ?I just worry that we cry wolf too many times, and people are going to start tuning it out,? Joyce said.

?Let?s just cool it on these false alarms.?

False alarms over new life forms have ranged from the arsenic bacteria kerfuffle in which scientists announced they had found bacteria that could incorporate arsenic rather than the usual phosphorous into their DNA to synthetic biology, such as molecular biologist J. Craig Venter?s transplant of a synthetic genome into a living cell. ?ANI

Source: daily-sun.com

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Snatching, carjacking galore in city

The incidence of carjacking and snatching of money and valuables took an alarming upturn in the city and its outskirts in recent times, creating a sense of insecurity among city-dwellers, especially commuters and businesspeople.

At least three traders fell victim to gun attacks during the past six days to Wednesday. The victims were forced to deliver over Tk 2.4 million in such smash-and-grab attacks.

The three bullet-hit businessmen ? Jamal, Abul Hosain and Ferdous ? have been under treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said sources there.

More 50 incidents of snatching that took place in different parts of the capital during the period, according to informal allegations made by citizens.

An armed gang of criminals looted Tk 4 lakh from a store room of a Pepsi Cola agent in the city?s Khilgaon area on Thursday afternoon.

However, in most of the cases, the victims did not go to the police to lodge complaints, considering the filing of general diary as a sort of harassment.

Some of them said duty police officers often discouraged the victims from filing their complaints.

Armed bandits shot a grocery-shop owner and took away Tk 420,000 from his possession in the capital?s Mirhajirbagh area on Wednesday. The bullet-wounded Jamal was admitted to DMCH.

On Monday, armed men shot at an employee of a private company and took away one-million taka from him in Jatrabari area in broad daylight.

Another trader was also shot in Mirpur area few days back and the attackers snatched away another sum of a king?s ransom?some Tk 900,000.

Criminals, disguised as passengers, often hijacked vehicles.

The armed hoodlums also hijacked car, gold ornaments and other valuables from the passengers at gunpoint.

According to police record, some 200 vehicles, mostly private cars and motorbikes, were stolen or hijacked by members of organised gangs from different parts of the city in last three months.

However, law enforcers recovered so far 50 vehicles.

Striking team managed to detain at least 30 suspected car thieves or hijackers, including some ringleaders, a detective police officer said.

Of the hijacked or stolen motor vehicles, at least 30 belonged to journalists working for print and electronic media. But not a single motorbike has been recovered.

The DB official said some 20-25 car-hijacking or stealing syndicates are now active in the capital.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) working in DMP media cell Masudur Rahman said law enforcers launched massive drives to catch the criminals and recover the stolen motor vehicles.

Source: daily-sun.com

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No talk on CG, says Sheikh Selim

Sealing the fate of the much-sought-after political dialogue from his part, Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim MP says the ruling party will not hold any talks on restoration of the non-party caretaker government.

?BNP must place its alternative proposal for interim government, if any, in parliament, but not outside the House. The political dialogue must not be conditional,? he told reporters Thursday after chairing a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on health ministry.

He expressed his opinion a day after AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam spoke in favour of a dialogue as the only effective way, as such, to resolve the ongoing political stalemate.

?We will not discuss anything on reinstatement of the non-party caretaker system of government to hold the next polls. We can only discuss the overall conditions to hold the polls in a fair manner,? Selim said.

The former health minister said they (BNP) must come to parliament and place their alternative proposal for the interim government, if any. ?We did the same when they were in power.?

No dialogue will take place outside the House, he said, adding that the dialogue cannot be conditional. ?We can discuss everything related to elections.?

Syed Ashraf on Wednesday told reporters that political parties had no alternative but to hold talks to end the ongoing political deadlock over the next general election scheduled for early 2014.

He was the first responsible party figure who spoke in favour of a dialogue between the Awami League and the BNP to continue the ongoing democratic practices following the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Bangladesh. Hillary urged the two major parties to hold talks for settling their political differences over the caretaker system of government.

Parliament on June 30 abolished the non-party caretaker system of government in line with a court verdict. The court, however, said parliament is the authority to decide on whether the next two elections could take place under a non-party caretaker administration.

Source: daily-sun.com

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