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Tk 26,000cr ADP approved

66pc of it to be financed from domestic sources

PULACK GHATACK

The government yesterday approved Tk 26,000 crore Annual Development Programme (ADP) for 2006-07 fiscal year. The new ADP is Tk 4,500 crore higher than the revised ADP of Tk 21,500 crore for 2005-06.

The National Economic Council (NEC), presided over by its chairman Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, endorsed the proposed ADP and also downsized the outgoing ADP by Tk 3,000 crore from the original outlay of Tk 24,500 crore.

Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman, cabinet members and top officials were also present at the meeting held at the NEC auditorium.

At least 66 per cent of the new ADP which is up by 21 per cent will have to be financed from domestic sources in view of a declining trend in foreign assistance flow.

Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman told newsmen after the meeting that the country was gradually heading towards self-sufficiency as the new ADP depended less on foreign aid to the extent of 43 per cent from about 50 per cent of the outgoing ADP.

Saifur, however, declined to shoulder the blame of "populist measures" saying. "Don’t ask me the question. There are so many ministers in the cabinet, now who are more influential than me," he said.

"It is not desirable that the election consideration should hit the fiscal and monetary discipline," Saifur said adding, "no finance minister of a democratic government can do it. It can only happen in an autocracy where a finance minister has a nominal role to play, even in economic issues. But, even in a democracy, the Finance Minister does not enjoy full freedom."

He said, "all the countries have adjusted fuel prices in their domestic markets. But we could not do it. As a result, we had to go for Tk 10,000 crore bank borrowing which was not helpful to the economy. It has hit the growth in the private sector," he said adding that high petroleum price has put tremendous pressure on the economy.

Saifur Rahman, who is due to present the 12th national budget in Parliament on June 8 gave vent to his grievances and frustrations for various reasons. "The job of a Finance Minister sometimes goes against populist politics, he said adding "There are ups and downs in one’s life."

Replying to a question Saifur said, "I don’t think that there will be any new tax proposal. So far, I did not make any new tax proposal. But I don’t know what will happen until the budget is placed in parliament. Existing taxes might be modified."

Asked how the government will manage the fund to finance the hefty ADP, the Minister said, "Tax collection will be increased by administrative dynamism. But tax is not the only source of revenue income as there are non-tax revenues. Various kinds of vehicles are being imported into the country, registration fee of which are meagre. These fees should be increased."

"Huge taxes can come from the telephone sector," he said adding "tax collection from this sector was supposed to be much higher in the current fiscal year but the government failed to detect and understand some loopholes as the companies are using some novel technologies."

Saifur Rahman said that the new ADP gave priority to poverty reduction and human resource development related sectors including environment-friendly agriculture, agro-based industries, irrigation and non-agricultural employment, education, health and nutrition.

Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia while addressing the NEC meeting said that the size of the next fiscal’s annual development programme (ADP) was expanded with a view to carrying forward the pace of development initiated by the present government.

She said that in line with the millennium development goals, the government recently finalised poverty reduction strategy of the country that mulls the socio-economic emancipation of the people through ‘creative and innovative initiative’.

The Prime Minister said that the country has already achieved much of the MDGs and the governments drive in women empowerment and primary and secondary education got worldwide acclaim.

She also urged the concerned ministries to speed up the ADP implementation so that the implementation rate could cross the mark of 2004-05 fiscal which was 92 per cent.

"Some ministries are lagging behind in ADP implementation and I hope that these ministries would be more active to fulfil the target," she said.

Begum Zia said that to offset the existing power problem and fuel crisis the government has taken a number of projects and she asked the concerned ministries to implement the project in time.

The total number of projects has been reduced to 886 in the new ADP compared to 1,081 in the outgoing ADP. However, a provision of Tk 185 crore as "special lump allocation" was kept for poverty reduction" for fiscal 2006-07.

The highest allocation of Tk 3,861 crore (15 per cent of total ADP) for education and religious affairs as a single sector was made in the new ADP, which was Tk 3,297 crore in the outgoing ADP.

Agriculture sector allocation in terms of local currency doubled to Tk 1,529 crore in 2006-07 compared to Tk 763.50 crore in 2005-06 to accelerate the growth of rural economy.

The block allocation for the Union Parishad development fund has been raised to Tk 180 crore for the next fiscal from Tk 120 crore allocated under the current ADP. The new ADP also allocated Tk 119 crore in addition to already allocated funds for the development of the CHT region.

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Indonesia quake survivors search for food

Death toll tops 4, 600

AP, BANTUL

May 28: Thousands of survivors dug through their crumpled homes Sunday in search of food and clothing Sunday after a powerful earthquake killed more than 4,600 people in Indonesia's densely populated Java island.

Most of the dead were buried in village graveyards within hours of the disaster Saturday, in line with Islamic tradition. Villagers dug mass graves and village heads recorded the names of the victims so they could be added to the official death toll.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck as many people were sleeping, injuring thousands in the nation's worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami. It also triggered fears that a rumbling volcano nearby would erupt.

The quake badly damaged the world famous 9th century Prambanan temple complex, where scores of stone blocks and carvings lay scattered, an archaeologist said.

The disaster zone stretched across hundreds of square miles of mostly farming communities in Yogyakarta province. The worst devastation was in the rice-farming town of Bantul, where more than 2,400 people were killed and 80 percent of the homes were flattened.

"I have to start my life from zero again," said Poniran, whose 5-year-old daughter Ellie was killed.

Poniran dug up his still-breathing daughter from the rubble of her bedroom, but she died in a hospital awaiting treatment along with hundreds of others.

"Her last words were 'Daddy, Daddy,'" he said.

Tens of thousands of people spent the night Saturday in any open space available – streets, cassava fields, even the narrow paths between rice fields. Power and telephone service was out across much of the region, adding to the terror of aftershocks.

About 450 aftershocks had shaken the region as of midday Sunday, with the strongest measuring magnitude-5.2, said Handi, an official at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency who uses only one name.

Survivors searched the ruins of their homes on Sunday for anything still usable and complained that they hadn't received any aid.

"We're short of everything – clothes, food, water, all are gone. We are poor people, but our lives still matter," said Budi Wiyana, 63, whose house was destroyed.

Doctors struggled to care for the injured, hundreds of whom were lying on plastic sheets, straw mats and even newspapers outside overcrowded hospitals, some hooked to intravenous drips dangling from trees.

Bloodstains littered the floor at Yogyakarta's Dr. Sardjito Hospital, along with piles of soiled bandages and used medical supplies.

"We are short of surgeons," said Alexander, a doctor who goes by one name. "There are still so many critically injured people here."

In several villages, residents told reporters there were no people or bodies still trapped under the rubble of the houses, mostly simple brick and wood structures.

In Peni village on Bantul's outskirts, villagers set up simple clinics to treat injuries, but were hampered by shortages of medicine and equipment. A group of women cooked catfish caught in a nearby pond for dozens of people huddled under a large tent.

The earthquake hit at 5:54 a.m., caving in tile roofs and sending walls crashing down. Survivors screamed as they ran from their homes, some clutching bloodied children and the elderly.

It was the latest in a series of disasters to hit Indonesia – including the 2004 tsunami that ravaged Aceh province, terrorist attacks, a widening bird flu outbreak and the threat of eruption from nearby Mount Merapi.

The quake's epicentre was 50 miles south of Mount Merapi, and activity increased soon after the temblor. A large burst spewed hot clouds and sent debris cascading some two miles down its western flank. No one was injured because nearby residents had already been evacuated.

Bambang Dwiyanto of the Energy and Mineral Ministry could not say whether the quake caused the volcanic activity but warned that it could trigger a larger eruption.

"It will influence the activities of Mount Merapi, particularly in the lava dome," said Dwiyanto, head of the ministry's geological division.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. It has the largest number of volcanos in the world – 76.

International agencies and other nations pledged millions of dollars of aid.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the army to evacuate victims and arrived with a team of Cabinet ministers to oversee rescue operations.

At least 3,765 people were killed in the quake, command post officials from the affected districts told The Associated Press. The only foreigner reported killed or injured was a man from the Netherlands.

Bantul is about 1,390 miles southeast of Aceh province, where 131,000 people died in a December 2004 tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9.1 earthquake under the sea.

The Prambanan temple, a UNESCO world heritage site, will be closed to the public until archeologists are able to determine whether the quake damaged the foundation or tilted the shrines, said Agus Waluyo, head of the Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency.

"Stone walls collapsed, parts of a couple of monuments fell. It will take months to identify the precise damage," he told The Associated Press.

Not long after Javanese rulers constructed the Hindu temple, it was abandoned for unknown reasons and began to deteriorate.

Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918 but is unfinished.

Officials said the famed 7th century Borobudur Buddhist temple, one of Indonesia's most popular tourist attractions, was not affected by the quake.

Close to 1 million tourists visit the temples every year.

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5 killed, 8 hurt in road mishaps

UNB, DHAKA

At least five people were killed and eight injured in separate road accidents in Gazipur and Jhenidah yesterday.

Three people, including a woman, were killed and four others injured in two separate accidents in Gazipur

Witnesses said a Mymensingh bound taxicab from Dhaka knocked down two pedestrians - Azima, 32, and Abdur Rahim, 35, - killing them on the spot and plunged into a roadside ditch at Salna in Sadar upazila on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at about 9.30 am.

Four passengers of the taxicab were also injured in the accident and one of them was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

In another accident, Rashedul, 19, of Rangpur district, was crushed under the wheels of a Dhaka bound bus from Sreepur at Bhogra in Sadar upazila at about 10 am.

Meanwhile in Jhenidah, two betel leaf traders were killed and four others were injured when a truck fell into a roadside ditch in Sadar upazila on Dhaka-Khulna highway yesterday (Sunday) morning.

Police said the accident took place at Kayargachhi area when the driver lost his control over steering about 10am, killing traders Hannan, 35, and Rezaul, 38, of Pabna district on the spot.

The injured were admitted to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital.

Separate cases were filed with the police.

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30 injured in Hindu-Muslim clash in Gujarat

REUTERS, AHMEDABAD

Amay 28: At least 30 people were hurt in clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Ahmedabad, witnesses and police said.

Police official BC Modi said hundreds of people were involved in the fighting, and that most of the injuries were caused by stones or burning missiles.

The violence in Ahmedabad follows Hindu-Muslim riots in Vadodara early this month which killed six people and left scores wounded.

Gujarat, ruled by India's main opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, saw widespread communal rioting in 2002 which left over 1,000 people, mainly minority Muslims, dead. Human rights groups said the toll was more than double that.

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Govt, Opposition slated for not observing Int’l Day for Women Health, Safe Motherhood

STAFF REPORTER

The Bangladesh Mohila Parishad (BMP) yesterday bitterly criticised the government and the opposition for not observing the International Day for Women Health and Safe Motherhood.

"Everywhere except Bangladesh the day was observed by the governments. According to the CEWDO declaration in Beijing in 1995, the Bangladesh government was supposed to carry out programmes across the country marking observation of the day," said Ayesha Khanam, the Secretary of the BMP, during her welcome address at the discussion on "Safe Motherhood: Women’s Empowerment" at the CIRDAP Auditorium yesterday afternoon.

"It is strange, no statement even come from the government or the opposition leader over the day’s message. Being a country where the maternal mortality is still high among the neighbouring countries, how the government remained indifferent of bringing the problems and challenges to focus," she added.

Quoting the Demographic Health and Survey (DHS) report 2004, the BMP Vice President Dr Makhduma Nargis Ratna said that about 13, 000 mother died of complexity during giving birth to children each year in Bangladesh.

"The government report says that the maternal mortality rate in Bangladesh is between 3.2 to 4 percent," she said adding that, "it is highest among the neighbouring countries".

"In Sri Lanka, the ratio is .06 percent, according to a 1999 census of its’ government while the ratio in India is .40 percent," she added.

The discussants observed that Bangladesh needs commitment to reduce the maternal mortality through strengthening its efforts at the district, thana and the union level.

Presided over by Hena Das, the president of the BMS, the discussion addressed, among others, by Dr Sheela Sen, the Chittagong unit leader of the organisation.

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Downpour to cause flashfloods

Monsoon sets in from first week of June

UNB, DHAKA

Heavy rain in coastal belt in the past two days was not the sign of an early monsoon, but the pre-monsoon downpour swamped Chittagong and Habiganj with flashfloods.

Met experts said this year’s monsoon is likely to set in from the first week of June across the country, "as usual".

Heavy rain sweeping across Bangladesh over the past two days raised apprehension about an early monsoon.

In the meantime, southwest monsoon has advanced up to Teknaf coast, and "due to the upcoming monsoon, connective cloud is persisting over North Bay", the met office said.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said that some parts of the country were already experiencing flashflood Sunday.

The water of Khowai at Habiganj and Balna points was flowing 121 cm and 156 cm above danger levels respectively. The Halda was flowing 105 cm above danger level in Chittagong.

It also said that Chittagong City experienced a flashflood yesterday (Saturday) when the waters of Halda River surged 5 to 5.5 meters above the red mark.

"It is not unusual during monsoon period," said on Met official, adding that they are not apprehending any early flooding or over-flooding this year.

The met office said that squally weather is likely to affect the ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla, north bay and the southern part of Bangladesh tomorrow (Monday) with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places.

Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three ® three.

All fishing-boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to come close to the coast and "proceed with caution until further notice."

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KCCI urges govt to allocate funds for dredging Mongla channel

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, KHULNA

May 28: Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called upon the government to allocate sufficient fund in the next (2006-2007) national budget to undertake the dredging of the channel of Mongla port at its outer bar and other spots in order to facilitate the arrival of deep—draft vessels at Mongla and thereby, activate the port.

Addressing a press conference at the KCCI conference room this afternoon, the president of the Chamber Shahharuzzman Mortoza demanded budgetary allocation for the purchase of a suitable dredger and modern handling equipment for the port and establishment of a fuel terminal in Mongla area.

The Chamber chief pointed out that the construction works of the Khulna airport project in Foyla area are suffering for years together due to the lack of fund. Work on the project started about 11 years ago. He called upon the government to make provision for adequate fund in the next budget to complete the airport project early.

The press conference was attended, amongst others, by the KCCI vice-president Sabbir Ahmed Babu, Sharif Md Fazlur Rahman, Shahdat Hossain Badsha, Shahid Iqbal Bither, Md Amin, Mahmud Ahsan Tito and Azizul Hasan Dulu, all directors of the trade body.

Shahharuzzman Mortoza demanded budgetary allocations for bringing natural gas by pipelines from Ishwardy to Khulna and for reopening of the Khulna Newsprint Mill, Daulatpur Jute Mill and Khulna Textile Mill, which had been shut down years back due to their big losses.

He also voiced demands for budgetary provision for setting up a 210 MW power plant in Khulna city and for early completion of the construction works of the Sheikh Abu Naser specialised hospital project in Goalkhali area of the city.

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Khulna jute mills workers withdraw today’s siege programme

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, KHULNA

May 28: The workers and employees of the state—owned jute mills in Khulna withdrew their tomorrow’s daylong road-cum-rail siege programme following an agreement between the labour leaders and the BJMC authorities here this evening over their 8—point demand.

Jute Minister Shahjahan Siraj, whip Ashraf Hossain, city mayor Sheikh Tayebur Rahman, MP Nurul Islam, MP Mia Golam Parwar, secretary of the jute ministry and chairman of BJMC signed the agreement. The labour leaders who signed the agreement included Sardar Motaharuddin, Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, Abdul Malek and Master Safiqul Alam.

The Jute Minister came to Khulna from Dhaka this morning to hold discussion with the leaders of Khulna regional committee of Pat, Suta , Bastrokol Sramik Karmachari Sangram Parishad that gave a call for road-cum-rail blockade programme here on Monday.

According to the agreement, 50 per cent of the outstanding wages and salaries would be paid to the workers and staff of the state–owned jute mills in the first week of next month (June), while the remaining 50 per cent would be cleared in phases by August.

Mill workers and employees who were terminated by the mill management during the movement for realising their demands would be reinstated, said the agreement.

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Rain disrupts life in Chittagong for third day

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, CHITTAGONG

May 28: Torrential rain disrupted normal life of the people of Chittagong for the third day today, inundating the low-lying areas of the port city.

The local Meteorological Department said a total of 50.4 mm of rainfall was recorded during the last 24 hours ending at 6 pm today.

The low-lying areas of the port city including Bakalia, Chandgaon, Bahadderhat, Chawk Bazar, Badurtala, Nasirabad, Halishahar, Patenga, Kattali, and Chaktai have gone under knee-deep water following the torrential rains for several hours forcing the inhabitants of those low-lying areas to remain stranded for hours together.

The maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla have been advised to hoist Local Cautionary Signal Number 3 due to deep depression that had developed in the Bay. All fishing trawlers and fishing boats over north Bay and deep sea have been advised to keep close to the coast and proceed with caution so as to take shelter at a short notice, the department added.

Sources said heavy rainfall today caused the drains and canals of the city and all the rivers of the district - Dalu, Sangu, Halda and Karnaphuli -to overflow inundating low-lying areas.

The streets looked vacant as the movement of vehicles and pedestrians was negligible due to heavy shower.

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Adequate allocation of funds in five key sectors demanded

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, RAJSHAHI

May 28: Speakers at a roundtable conference on "2006-07 Pre-Budget Discussion' organised by Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) and held at the conference room of Barendra Unnayan Forum this noon have emphasised on adequate allocation of funds in five key sectors - food production, garment, habitation, education and medicine for the smooth development of the country.

Presided over by Professor Fazlul Haque, President of CGG, the meeting was participated, among others, by former Mayor of Rajshahi Advocate Abdul Hadi, former Minister Sarder Amjad Hossain, former Minister Zinatun Nessa Talukder, Politburo member of Workers Party Fazley Hossain Badsha, Rajshahi City Awami League General Secretary AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Awami League Rajshahi district General Secretary Omar Faruque Chowdhury, Zahan Panna MP, Zamaat Khan, Liakat Ali and Hasan Millat.

Speakers in the meeting said that the government must take the responsibilities of the five basic rights of the people. They mentioned that if the responsibilities of any of those basic rights are handed over to any non-government or multinational organisations, the participation and accessibility of all strata of people would not be ensured.

The speakers demanded that water should be declared as national asset, stoppage of privatisation of water at the urban areas and to offer water subsidy to the poor people. They emphasised on the construction of permanent reservoirs of water in Dhaka and other large cities to lessen the use of underground water.

They called for ensuring education for all, to bring all primary education system under the same syllabus and stoppage of all sort of dual education system like kindergartens, ending commercialisation of education and imposition of state control over the non-government universities.

They also demanded ensuring supply of natural gas to all and to send it to the underdeveloped northwestern and southern zone for the smooth development of the country.

They called for establishing a regulatory commission for fuel and gas sectors of the country and to encourage and support non-government investment in this sector.

The speakers demanded appointment of separate specialist doctors at the upazila level to ensure health of mother and child, increase of budget in the health sector, to ensure accountability for the local health workers and to start allowance for poor and pauper mothers.

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President improves further

UNB, DHAKA

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed who underwent bypass surgery Friday in Singapore improved further yesterday (Sunday), a Bangabhaban official said.

President Ahmed, 75, is undergoing treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

President’s press secretary Moklesur Rahman Chowdhury told the news agency Sunday afternoon that the President’s kidney and lung are also functioning well.

Details of the President’s health conditions will be available later yesterday.

Professor Iajuddin was flown to Singapore last Wednesday for treatment of his cardiac ailment.

He was admitted to Dhaka CMH on May 23 when he felt chest pain.

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Pre-poll pay rise for DEOs likely

DEEPAK ACHARJEE

Keeping an eye to the next parliament election, the Government is considering a proposal to increase the salary of 83 District level Election Officers (DEOs) who are working in the offices of district and divisional headquarters under the Election Commission Secretariat.

If the proposal is accepted, salaries of all the DEOs will be revised upward and they will be put in the grade scale-VI i.e. Tk 7,200-260x14-10,840 from the present grade scale-VII – Tk 6,150-225x16-9,750. Their salaries will be increased to reward the DEOs at a time when three writ petitions are pending in the High Court Division in this regard, sources said.

A cabinet committee headed by Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman was formed to make recommendations in this regard. The other members of the committee are LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Education Minister Dr Osman Faroque, Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan and State Minister for Labour Aman Ullah Aman, the sources added.

The sources said the meeting of the cabinet committee is likely to be held in the first week of June and it is likely to recommend increase in their salaries.

A high official of the Election Commission (EC) told The Independent on condition of anonymity that over the last few days the DEOs, who are non-cadre class-I officers, had created pressure to increase their salaries. Following that the EC sent a proposal to the Finance Ministry last week requesting enhancement of the salaries of the DEOs, he added.

A high official in the Finance Ministry told this correspondent that the EC could not raise the salaries of the DEOs because three writ petitions (No. 3442, 4699 and 4008) were pending with the High Court Division.

Sources said Finance Secretary Siddiqur Rahman Chowdhury has prepared a proposal in this regard for placing it in the meeting of the newly formed committee for its approval.

In the proposal it is mentioned that there are 87 DEOs who are working at different field-level offices including in the Election Commission secretariat. Of the total posts, four DEOs are working at the EC headquarters while 20 are posted at the divisional offices and the rest in the districts.

"If the salaries of the DEOs are raised the District Education Officers, District Primary Education Officers and District Registrars may also make demand to increase their salaries," the proposal said.

There are a total of 63 District Election Officers in as many districts and they will play a pivotal role in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Among the DEOs, some 41 are postgraduate degree holders, 16 are graduates and three each passed Higher Secondary Certificate and Secondary School Certificate examinations.

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Pry teachers give ultimatum for nationalisation of their jobs

STAFF REPORTER

Non-government primary teachers association has given a two-day ultimatum to the government to press home their demand for job nationalisation otherwise they will launch hunger strike unto death.

They made the announcement from a rally at the Muktangan in the city yesterday.

About 500 teachers across the country brought out a procession from the Muktangan under the leadership of the president of the association Shamsul Alam.

Police intercepted the procession at Kakrail and near Matsha Bhaban. A five-member delegation from the agitated teachers went to the Prime Minister’s Office to submit a memorandum.

Later, they returned to the Muktangan and held a rally from where they announced the ultimatum.

Association President said that although four and a half years have passed the government has not yet implemented its election pledge of nationalising the jobs of the non-government primary teachers.

"As we are at the brink of our patience we don’t want to give any more time to accept our demands--- if the government fails to concede to our demands within two days, we will be compelled to go for a ‘fast-unto-death programme’ as our last resort," he said at the rally.

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UN to honour 15 Bangladeshi peacekeepers

BSS, DHAKA

The United Nations (UN) for the first time will honour 124 peacekeepers, including 15 Bangladeshis, posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal this year.

The peacekeepers of 46 countries, including Bangladesh, sacrificed their lives during UN peacekeeping operations across the world in 2005, said a UN Information Centre press release.

The 15 Bangladesh peacekeepers died last year. They will be awarded with the medals by Under-Secretary General for peacekeeping operations Jean-Marie Guehenno through a function to be addressed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The event will be organised at the UN Headquarters in New York on May 31 in observance of the International Day for the UN peacekeepers.

Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury will receive the awards for onward forwarding to their next of kin.

In his message on the UN Peacekeepers Day on May 29, Kofi Annan noted that Bangladesh was one of only three countries which made significant contributions to the UN peacekeeping.

According to him, "the leading contributors, by far, are Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, that collectively provide more than 40 per cent of the UN peacekeepers. The three countries suffered highest losses."

The first peacekeeping mission of the world was established by the UN Security Council on May 29, 1948. More than 72,000 uniformed personnel and 15,000 civilians are now serving in the 18 peace operations administered by the department of peacekeeping operations.

A total of 108 countries now contribute uniformed personnel, including a 71-nation mission in Sudan, the most diverse coalition ever assembled.

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Russia opposes any use of force against Iran

AP, TEHRAN

May 28: The chief of Russia's security council said Sunday that Russia opposes any use of force against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, the Iranian state-run television reported.

"Unlike the U.S., Russia believes Iran's nuclear programme needs to be resolved only through dialogue. Any use of force will further complicate the issue and will cause tension in the region," Igor Ivanov was quoted as saying by the station.

Ivanov made the comments during a meeting with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.

Ivanov arrived in Tehran late Saturday to discuss Iran's contentious nuclear program, including incentives to be offered as a reward if the Islamic Republic suspends uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if it continues.

His visit took place as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed Iran's nuclear standoff with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the phone, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Ivanov's trip came ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers from six world powers scheduled next week to decide on a package of incentives for Iran to stop enriching uranium.

The five Security Council members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — plus Germany appeared to have narrowed their differences on a package of rewards or sanctions for Iran during high-level talks in London on Wednesday.

Russia and China have opposed calls by the United States, Britain and France for a resolution that would threaten sanctions and be enforceable by military action if Iran does not give up enriching uranium.

But a compromise is emerging that would rule out military action and call for new consultations among the five permanent Security Council members on any further steps against Iran, diplomats said.

Iran has said it will not give up its right to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel as allowed by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory.

The U.S. and some of its allies accuse Tehran of using its civilian nuclear programme as a cover to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran has denied this, saying its nuclear programme is merely to generate electricity.

Iran announced April 11 that it had enriched uranium for the first time, using 164 centrifuges. Enrichment can produce either fuel for a nuclear reactor or material for a warhead — but tens of thousands of centrifuges are needed to do either on a large scale.

Iran intends to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment involving 3,000 centrifuges by late 2006, and then expand the programme to 54,000 centrifuges.

But Iran's media quoted Iran's ambassador to the U.N., Javad Zarif, as saying Sunday that Tehran could limit enrichment as a way to resolve the mounting crisis with the West.

"We will agree to limited enrichment," the daily Etemad Melli, or National Confidence, quoted Zarif as saying.

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Rouf brushes aside SQC's fear of constitutional crisis

BDNEWS, DHAKA

Former CEC Justice Abdur Rouf yesterday (Sunday) ruled out the apprehension of a constitutional crisis expressed by Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury as updating the voter list according to the SC directive is tough to complete within the time available.

Justice Rouf expressed his opinion when the news agency drew his attention to the recent remarks of the Prime Minister's political advisor Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury.

Chowdhury told a TV channel Saturday that the country might fall in a constitutional crisis, as 'the updating of the voter list is not possible before the next general elections'.

The PM's political advisor said this after the delivery of the Supreme Court verdict Tuesday dismissing the Chief Election Commissioner's appeal against the High Court's January 4 judgment.

In the judgement, the HC directed to update the voters' list of 2000 in lieu of preparing a fresh one that the Election Commission did from January and published the draft roll on May 3.

Justice Rouf strongly opined for updating the existing (2000) roll saying, "It is possible, 100 times possible".

"If the number of the field level staff are increased, it is possible within this time," the former CEC said.

Regarding the comment of the PM's political advisor, the former CEC said, "He has no sense of responsibility and discipline."

"It will be better not to take into cognisance what he says," Justice Rouf said expressing his reaction over the phone.

Responding to another query regarding the possibility of casting fake votes by the ghost voters if the updating was not done accurately, he said, "against the backdrop of prevailing situation in our country, existence of the ghost voters is normal."

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One killed in bomb attack in hospital cabin

OUR CORRESPONDENT, KHULNA

May 28: A patient was killed in a bomb attack today by unidentified miscreants in his cabin on the second floor of the Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) where he was earlier admitted for treatment.

Sources said, the incident occurred at around 8:30 tonight.

The miscreants blasted another bomb in the staircase of the KMCH before running away from the spot.

The dead, identified as Mofizul Biswas (37), was admitted to the KMCH on May 5 after he received critical injuries in a bomb attack in his locality in Narail district.

Majuara (32), wife of Mofizul Biswas, their minor son Tufan (3) and relative Mahbub (27) received injuries in the bomb attack. They were admitted to the KMCH.

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Govt-okayed organogram draws flak from ACC

Chairman, members mere govt officials on contract

DURJOY ROY

Although the posts of the Chairman and the two Commissioners of the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) are constitutional, according to the ACC organogram which the government has approved recently, the above mentioned three members of the anti-graft body are just government officials appointed on contact.

ACC insiders consider this organogram, which was prepared bypassing the draft organogram formulated and placed to the government by the Commission and without making any consultation with the watchdog, a machination to make the newborn anti-graft body an organisation subservient to the government.

The ACC on May 15 sent a letter to the Cabinet Division requesting for a copy of the said draft organogram and on May 23 the watchdog received a copy of it. The ACC Chairman and the other officials were shocked to see the organogram that has approved only 650 posts and made the Secretary of the Commission the most powerful person in the anti-graft body besides making the three ACC members mere government officials appointed on contact basis.

A high official at the watchdog said the ACC is a constitutional body and the posts of the three ACC members are constitutional posts. According to law, the post of the Chairman of the Commission is equivalent to the post of a judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court and the posts of the two Commissioners are equivalent to the post of a judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court.

And according to Section 10 (3) of the ACC Act 2004, no Commissioner shall be removed from office except on similar grounds and in accordance with the similar procedures as applied to the removal of a judge of the Supreme Court. But a government official appointed on contact basis can be removed from his office anytime by the President. As a result, the officials appointed on contact become very loyal to the ruling party. Such types of ‘loyal officers’ cannot uphold the image of an independent constitutional body. So there must be an ulterior motive behind this degradation of the posts of the three ACC members to officials appointed on contact basis, he observed.

Sources said according to Section 35 (2) of the ACC Act, the Commission shall engage in its service only those existing officers and employees of the now-defunct Bureau of Anti Corruption (BAC) whom it considers suitable for the work of the Commission, following evaluation and scrutiny. The ACC already has appointed 743 officers and employees to the Commission from the BAC staff following the law.

But the organogram has declared all the 1271 staff of the BAC as reserved manpower and has approved only 650 posts for the watchdog. It did not say anything about the 743 staff the Commission has already appointed.

A letter of the Cabinet Division (CD) issued on May 23 has told the ACC to place its opinion about the draft organogram to the former within May 30 as it will be placed at the NICAR meeting to be held on June 6.

The ACC top officials consider the draft organogram as unlawful which has been prepared bypassing the opinion of the watchdog. It is mulling to refuse the organogram. It will propose the Cabinet Division to approve the 1376-post draft organogram that it placed to the government earlier.

ACC Chairman Justice Sultan Hossain Khan told The Independent yesterday that the government’s approving of the 650-post draft organogram was not lawful and the Commission would not accept it. "We have seen the copy of the organogram which has been prepared violating law and bypassing the 1376-post draft organogram prepared by the Commission and without making consultation with the watchdog. It is also too minimal an organogram compared to our necessity. So we cannot accept this organogram. We will hold a meeting tomorrow (Monday) in this regard and send our opinion to the Cabinet Division refusing the organogram," said the ACC Chairman.

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