Large pit coal deposit detected

A massive pit coal deposit has been found at Chatla Beel in Hakaluki Haor of Moulvibazar, according to officials of the Geological Survey of Bangladesh.The deposit could be as big as the country’s largest pit coal reserve of 150 million tonnes at Baggie Chanda in Gopalganj, they said referring to an on-going survey of Chatla Beel.“Chatla Beel has a very big deposit. But we cannot say for sure whether it is bigger than the Gopalganj coal reserve until the survey is completed next year,” said GSB Director (Geology) Nehal Uddin, who heads the survey project.The reserve was originally discovered by a GSB team in 1984 through a survey of water bodies stretching over an area of 60 square kilometres. The team had estimated the pit coal reserve to be only 6.2 million tonnes.With renewed interest in finding minerals, the GSB undertook a Tk 5.96 crore project in June 2011 to accurately calculate the pit coal reserve there.And a four-member team started the survey in the area on January 25 last year.The team is comprised of GSB’s Additional Director Nazuanun Haq, Mohammad Masum, Anwar Sadat and Md Azahar Hossain.Nazuanun told The Daily Star that they found layers of dry and wet pit coal up to a depth of 2.5 feet from the surface, drilling holes in an area of four to six square kilometres.There is a layer of clay followed by a huge deposit of the mineral fathoming up to 30 feet, he said.“The pit coal is about 7,000 years old, and its samples are being examined in laboratory to determine its chemical composition,” said Nazuanun, adding that the coal could be a substitute for gas.GSB Director Nehal said one third of the survey was yet to be completed, and two teams would be assigned to complete the remaining task by the end of this year.“The teams will be able to prepare a final report by February or March next year.”The GSB conducted surveys in different areas of Bijoynagar upazila in Brahmanbaria between December 2011 and March last year, and found reserves of around 13 million tonnes of pit coal.

Thai team starts giving prosthetics at Nitor

A 63-member Thai team, including four doctors, started providing prosthetics to 100 amputees, including four Rana Plaza victims, at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor) in the capital yesterday.Meanwhile, the announcement of the team’s arrival from the Prostheses Foundation of Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother and its stay till September 27 was made at a programme in Nitor.This collaboration between the foundation and the institute was proposed by the Thai government during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit in May, says a Thai embassy press release.Exactly how much this service meant to those who had lost limbs, mobility and independence was evident from one Rana Plaza survivor, Rehana, who burst into tears when brought on stage.“I find reason to live only because of the support I get from people like the doctors at Nitor and the Thai team,” said Rehana, who had lost a leg in the April 24 building collapse.Syed Ali, a 45-year-old amputee, came all the way from Jamalpur to attend the programme.“My left leg has been gone for seven years, ever since a car ran over me. I look forward to walking without crutches. Now I can perhaps work to support my family,” he told The Daily Star.Like him, Abul Fazle Dewan spoke of his dream to walk crutch-free. “I have been dependant on my children for five years ever since I lost my leg in a tree-felling accident. Now I can provide for them,” he said.Nitor Director Prof Khandaker Abdul Awal Rizwi announced that another team is set to come from India to provide limbs to Rana Plaza amputees.Health Secretary MM Niaz Uddin lauded the support extended by Thailand and Thai Ambassador to Bangladesh Madurapochana Ittarong congratulated those receiving the prosthetics.

ACC sues SB Group owners, Commerce Bank officials

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday filed two separate cases against the owners of two business entities and five officials of Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd for misappropriating more than Tk 28 crore from the bank.SB Group, in connivance with the bank officials and a surveyor — Rafid Inspection, swindled Tk 25 crore from the bank showing forged documents of lands used as mortgage, according to one of the case statements.The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday filed two separate cases against the owners of two business entities and five officials of Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd for misappropriating more than Tk 28 crore from the bank.SB Group, in connivance with the bank officials and a surveyor — Rafid Inspection, swindled Tk 25 crore from the bank showing forged documents of lands used as mortgage, according to one of the case statements.

NBR logs highest revenues at tax fair

The weeklong tax fair ended yesterday amid a rush of taxpayers, enabling the revenue authority to register its highest revenues from the showcase.The event fetched the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Tk 1,117.4 crore this year, up 34.46 percent from the previous year, thanks to its expansion throughout the country. This year, the show was held in all divisional cities, 54 district towns and three hilly districts.It also beat previous records of visitor turnout and tax returns submission.“The fair marked huge crowd and spontaneous participation of taxpayers, particularly on the last day,” the NBR said in a statement.
This was the fourth time that the NBR held the tax fair, offering people one-stop services such as assistance with filing of tax returns and tax payment either manually or electronically.
Taxpayers said the show enabled them to complete tax-related work without any hassle, unlike in field offices where they have to deal with delays and rent-seeking behaviour of staff.One offering which went down well with the visitors is the assistance with the online registration and re-registration of taxpayer identification numbers (TINs), launched in July to establish an electronic payment system.So much so that the NBR had to increase the number of service booths at Officers’ Club in Dhaka.Some 74,356 existing TIN holders re-registered online to comply with NBR’s directive to complete electronic re-registration by December 31.Over the past several years, the collection of income or direct tax has been growing thanks to steady economic growth and rising income.Revenue authority’s motivational campaigns for tax payment and efforts to curb tax evasion and increase tax net facilitated the growing income tax receipts, now the second biggest source of revenue after value-added tax.Income tax collection shot up 28 percent year-on-year in July to Tk 1,837 crore, according to NBR.For fiscal 2013-14, the revenue authority aims to collect Tk 48,297 crore in income tax, 32 percent higher than last fiscal year’s receipts.Meanwhile, the NBR aims to raise the contribution of direct tax to 51 percent of total receipts by fiscal 2020-21.

RMG unrest continues for 3rd day

The unrest in apparel sector that stemmed three days ago from the workers’ demand for fixing minimum monthly salary to Tk 8,000 erupted in different parts of Dhaka, Gazipur and Savar Monday morning.At least 20 people including six police personnel were injured as the aggrieved workers engaged in sporadic clashes with law enforcers in Tejgaon area of Dhaka and in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital.The authorities of almost all the readymade garment factories in Gazipur decided to suspend production at their units having suffered from the unrest, said Mosharraf Hossain, assistant superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police.The incident of chase and counter-chase was also reported from the unrest-torn areas, reported our correspondents.The road communications on Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Aricha highways also remain suspended since the morning as the apparel workers put barricades at different points in Tongi upazila in Gazipur and in Savar. They also damaged at least 25 vehicles on the highways.The marauding workers also vandalised at least five RMG units on Dhaka-Tangail highway at Konabari in Gazipur and several in Savar.

DHAKA

The demonstration ensued around 10:00am in Tejgaon Industrial zone area when several thousand workers of different garment factories including Nasa Group took position there, said media reports.As the road communication came to a halt on Gulshan-Tejgaon Link Road areas following the protest, police rushed to the spot and fired teargas canisters to disperse the agitating workers.Around one hour later, the traffic movement resumed.The agitating workers torched two motorcycles and one microbus in front of Tofaz Garments at Nabisco intersection, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo, quoting Sirajul Alam, inspector of Special Branch of police.

Grameen Bank to be controlled directly

The government is finally bringing the Grameen Bank under direct control of the central bank, to give the authorities more powers over the microcredit organisation.The decision is in line with the proposals of the government-sponsored Grameen Bank Commission, which recommended bringing the bank under the regulatory control of either the Bangladesh Bank or the Microcredit Regulatory Authority to better monitor its activities.“It [Grameen Bank] will come under the jurisdiction of the Bangladesh Bank,” Finance Minister AMA Muhith said yesterday.The minister said the central bank would see how it could regulate the bank under the Banking Companies Act.The microcredit bank is being run by Grameen Bank Ordinance 1983 since its inception three decades ago and it does not directly fall under the jurisdiction of the Banking Companies Act.Still, the central bank enjoys some jurisdiction over the bank.Under the existing rules, Grameen Bank has to take approval from the central bank before appointing its managing director, send statements to the banking regulator regularly and take permission before opening new branches, said Mohammad Shahjahan, acting managing director of Grameen Bank.The central bank also regularly inspects the Grameen Bank.“We also send statistical information to the central bank whenever instructed,” he said yesterday, adding that the government could impose some articles of the Banking Companies Act on Grameen Bank if necessary.Speaking to journalists at the secretariat, Muhith said the Commission would submit its final report on Grameen Bank and its associate organisations at the end of this month.He said a new law would replace the Ordinance. “I do not think there will be so many changes in the law.”But he added the government was not bringing any major changes in Grameen Bank’s structure. The ownership structure would remain the same with the borrower-shareholders owning 75 percent and the government the remaining 25 percent.The number of government-appointed directors in the 12-member board would also remain three as it is now.According to him, the appointment of a permanent managing director for the bank was of utmost importance now.Muhith has also said the government is taking steps to have the High Court petition, which has stalled the process of appointing the managing director, withdrawn so that it can appoint the next chief executive.“Once the injunction is withdrawn, we will appoint the MD.“There is no regular managing director at the Grameen Bank. The main reason [behind the delay] is Prof Yunus, because he wants one of his own people as MD.”The finance minister added the current chairman of the bank, although very unwell, would continue until a successor was chosen.

Easy availability of illegal arms in CHT

The widespread availability and use of illegal arms in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is alarming. The district’s porous border is a conduit for illicit weapons in the region. Its contiguity to the troubled areas in Myanmar and India’s northeast provides handy sources of illicit weapons.The situation in the CHT is deteriorating fast, where both political parties and organised crime are taking full advantage of the easy availability of illicit weapons that find their way in through the porous border. Not only has it led to armed confrontation between rival factions, those for and against the peace accord, but on a more general scale, gunfights, killing, abduction and extortion have spiralled upwards at an alarming rate.We would like to emphatically state that unless this trend is checked, the flow of illegal small arms could have a disastrous effect on the overall security situation in the country as a whole. In fact, taking stock of casualties over the last one year due to violence, the majority involved illegal firearms. Their easy availability points to the problem in terms of the overall human security nationwide, especially in light of the coming general elections.In this context, it is impossible to separate the issue of narcotics since that is directly linked to illegal trade in illegal arms; hence both issues must be addressed simultaneously. Increasing cooperation with neighbours, putting into effect strategic management of the border etc, are steps that should be taken urgently if we wish to tackle this menace effectively.

Outlaw killed in Kushtia ‘crossfire’

The second-in-command of outlawed Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) was killed in a “crossfire” between his cohorts and police in Khoksa upazila of Kushtia early Sunday.Deceased Fazlul Haq alias Fazlu Matbor, 40, was the prime accused in the murder case of Khoksa’s Ambaria union parishad chairman Nur Islam.The UP chairman along with two of his companions was murdered on August 28 last year, Mofiz Uddin Ahmed, superintendent of police in Kushtia, told The Daily Star.Fazlu was also accused in a dozen cases filed with Khoksa and Kumarkhali police stations, reported our Kushtia correspondent quoting the police chief of the district.After the “crossfire”, the law enforcers recovered five firearms including two light guns and one revolver; 20 bullets, two machetes and two bombs from the spot.With the latest “crossfire”, seven cadres of different outlawed parties were killed in the district during the last nine months.Acting on secret information that some members of the party were holding a clandestine meeting at Uthli Bridge in Uthli village of the upazila, a team of Kushtia Detective Branch (DB) of police cordoned off the area around 4:30am, said the police superintendent of the district.As soon as the law enforcers asked the outlaws to surrender, they started firing, he added.In self-defence, police also retaliated with gunshots, leading to the “crossfire”, he claimed.During the “shootout” Fazlu, son of Foyez Uddin of Jodubaira area in Kumarkhali upazila, died on the spot, while his accomplices managed to flee the scene.Police later recovered the firearms, bullets, machetes and bombs.The chief of outlawed GMF, Abdur Rashid Tikka, was also killed in another incident of “crossfire” with Rapid Action Battalion in 2006.

8 garment units vandalised in Gazipur, Savar

Garment workers vandalised at least eight factories in Gazipur and Savar yesterday as they went for agitation to join a rally in the capital to press home for several demands, including a pay hike.The workers at the Dhaka rally demanded a raise in their minimum monthly salary to Tk 8,000, while other demands include ensuring safety at work, reducing house rent and withdrawing false cases against trade union leaders.The workers also called upon the factory owners not to sack them for minor offences and ensure their right to form trade unions. Shramik Oikya Parishad, a platform of 52 welfare unions of garment workers, organised the grand rally at Suhrawardy Udyan at 2pm.Road communication on the Dhaka-Tangail highway remained suspended for more than three hours till 11:30am as the workers came out of their factories to join the rally.Fearing more vandalism, the authorities of more than 400 garment units shut their production. At least three factories were vandalised at Kaliakoir in Gazipur and five at Jirani Bazar in Savar, according to our correspondents.The demonstration started in Gazipur as more than 10,000 workers of different garment units in Kashimpur, Konabari and Chandra took to the streets around 8:30am, said Mosharraf Hossain, assistant superintendent of Gazipur industrial police.Two hours later, the demonstration spread to Savar, on the outskirts of the capital.The workers of Divine Textile Ltd, Inter-Stop Apparel and Eye-Moon Textile of Gazipur first gathered in the highway in the morning, Hossain said.Later, workers of other adjacent factories joined the agitators, he said, adding that they vandalised three factories in Kaliakoir.The protests spread to Savar around 10:30am when the workers of Machigata Sweater Ltd brought out a demonstration on the highway at the Jirani Bazar point.

Yet another high-rise car park in Dhaka

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) yesterday opened a multi-storey car park with a capacity of 228 vehicles at Gulshan in efforts to ease the horrendous traffic congestion in the city’s posh neighbourhood.The capital development authority has developed the facility comprised of two basements and first seven floors of a 14-storey commercial building.Rajuk has constructed the building at a cost of Tk 39 crore on a 19.5-katha land in front of the city corporation market at Gushan-1 over a period of six years since December 2007.The top seven floors will be rented out for office and other commercial occupancy. There will be seven shops on the ground floor and a Rajuk office on the second floor.Asked how many vehicles of the building’s rented floors will share parking space, Project Director Golam Mostafa said it was yet to be estimated.He then said the number would not be over 50.The parking facility would be leased out, and an individual user will have to pay a certain fee for it, he added.Out of a total of 1,39,260 square-foot floor area, 98,935 square feet will be allocated for car parking, and 40,325 square feet for office.There are three car lifts to travel between 3rd and 7th floors.
Abdul Mannan Khan, state minister for housing and public works, formally opened the facility.Secretary to the ministry Khondaker Showkat Hossain and Rajuk Chairman Md Nurul Huda spoke on the occasion.Rajuk Executive Magistrate Rokon Ud-Daula and Executive Engineer Nurul Islam, among others, were present.

Stroll down musical memory lane

Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay, not the abstruse God, but the simple hearted singer-musician representing the golden age of Bangla songs of the latter half of the 20th century, performed at a special musical soiree held at The Daily Star Centre on September 20.The living legend is among the very few ambidextrous music creators who after Panchakobi (Tagore, Nazrul, DL Roy, Atul Prasad and Rajanikanta) embellished the trend of Bangla music with his poetic lyrics, aesthetic compositions and idiosyncratic renditions that evoke a harmony of words and melody together with a depth of different tastes. Music exponents name none but Mukhopadhyay after the legendary Salil Chowdhury with regard to his contributions.The artiste started the musical soiree with the song “Amar Swapan Kinte Parey Emon Aamir Koi?”The solo soiree, titled “Katha O Gaan-e Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay-er Sathey” was hosted in baithaki style by noted Bangladeshi singer Syed Abdul Hadi. Prior to performing the song, the veteran artiste proudly mentioned the featured number as timeless. “None of my ancestors has the ability to create such a piece. Someone supreme had made me write this song,” he said.Walking down memory lane, the eminent artiste shared his musical memories coupled with the background of the compositions that he performed at the soiree. “Inspired by Ustad Mehdi Hassan’s live rendition of the ghazal ‘Shola Tha Jal Bujha Hoon’ in Kolkata, I wrote and composed the song.”Mukhopadhyay next performed the song, “Ey Kon Shokal”, set on raga “Bhatiyar”. Noted Bangladeshi singers, connoisseurs and other artistes were in the audience to enjoy the humour and renditions by Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay. The audience requested many popular songs of him while the octogenarian artiste performed them, while corresponding with the audience with his inborn wit and humour. The singer’s repertoire on request included “Tomar Shongey Dekha Na Holey”, “Bo(n)dhua Amar Chokhey”, “Keu Bole Phalgun”, “O Borsha Rey” and “O Sajan Haye”.The song “Ami Phul Ke Jedin”, recorded by Pintu Bhattacharya and later by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, contains extraordinary metaphor of melancholy. The singer seemed to pour passion into his rendition of the song. With apt rhythm and melody, Mukhopadhyay captivated hearts with his rendition of “Mohon Banshi Bajey”. Based on raga “Bibhash”, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty recorded and popularised the number. Later, he rendered the song “Ami Choley Gele Pashaner Bukey”, originally popularised by his guru Satinath Mukhopadhyay. And last but not the least, the artiste presented a Salil Chowdhury song “Pagol Hawa”.Mukhopadhyay first and later Subir Sen recorded the song.Pallab Sanyal on tabla, Rooptanu on keyboard and Dipan on guitar accompanied the singer. Mukhopadhyay’s wife Sabita Mukhopadhyay and maternal nephew percussionist Shakti Mukhopadhyay accompanied him on his maiden Bangladesh trip.The event was organised in joint manner by The Daily Star and Simantic Creative Concern, in association with Bengal Foundation.Prior to the performance, CEO of Simantic Creative Concern, singer Nasima Shaheen Fancy welcomed the gathering, while Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star, Mahfuz Anam delivered the welcome address. The Executive Editor of The Daily Star, Syed Badrul Ahsan, delivered a vote of thanks at the end of the event.

Citibank pays tribute to Shahnaz Rahmatullah

Citibank, N.A., Bangladesh organized its annual “Gaane Gaane Gunijon Songbordhona” program at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka to celebrate the lifetime contributions of renowned artist Shahnaz Rahmatullah recently. Eminent lyricist, film director and producer Gazi Mazharul Anwar spoke about the legendry artiste’s illustrious musical career.  Mahbub Jamil, Former Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor of the Caretaker Government and Rashed Maqsood, Citi Country Officer for Bangladesh, presented Rahmatullah an honourary crest and portrait for her outstanding contributions to enriching the cultural heritage of Bangladesh.To pay homage to Shahnaz Rahmatullah, veteran artist Samina Chowdhury graced the stage to regale the audience of regulators, ambassadors, artists and Citi clients with a performance of some timeless classics. The highlight of the program came at the end, when Shahnaz Rahmatullah came on stage at the request of the bank and sang three of her all time classics, “Ekbar Jete De Na Amar Chotto Sonar Gaye”, “Je Chilo Drishtir Shimanay,” and “Ektara Tui Desher Kotha.” She mesmerised the audience with her breathtaking voice, who gave her a standing ovation at the end.In her reaction, Shahnaz Rahmatullah said, “After a long time I am a recipient of such an honor in the country, and it feels wonderful. I hope in the future more institutions will come forward to promote the art and culture of our nation, as this kind of recognition facilitates to enrich and inspire the artistic community.”Since the first “Gaane Gaane Gunijon Songbordhona” in 2004, Citi has honored artistes Nilufar Yasmin, Farida Parveen, Feroza Begum, Sanjida Khatun, Shorab Hossain, Ferdousi Rahman, Sabina Yasmin, Rezwana Choudhury Bannya and Subir Nandi for their outstanding contribution to Bengali music and culture.

Television selected to be sent to Oscars

Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies (BFFS), like every year, formed a committee earlier this month to nominate a film from Bangladesh to compete in the Foreign Language films in the 86th Academy Awards — known better as the Oscars.A nine-member committee sat with the two films submitted — Mostofa Sarwarr Faooki’s “Television” and Redoan Rony’s “Chorabali”, and nominated the latter to be sent to the Oscars committee for selection in the Foreign Films category.The announcement was made in a BFFS press release on Saturday.

Making a hostage of road transport

Of late, the Shipping Minister has been very active in upholding the rights of those involved in the road transport business, to a point where a flagrant breach of ethics has been noticed. Through exercising his influence as a trade union leader, in this case of the road transport sector, he has lobbied hard — and quite successfully, as it appears — to have reckless bus and truck drivers absolved of responsibility for deaths caused on roads and highways.  His family owns a transport company too.It is inexplicable as to how a minister can be part of the government and yet put pressure on the government as a union leader. There is a clear instance of a conflict of interest here, a matter that should have drawn the attention of the administration and especially of the prime minister. Where a society expects ministers to work towards promoting the public weal, the minister has done the reverse. The transport sector is thus hostage to him and his fellow trade unionists.If all that the minister is doing is aimed at eliciting electoral votes for his party, it is terribly bad policy. In recent times, every issue related to road transport has gone against the public interest. Regrettably, it is election time pandering by the government to the transport workers. Admittedly, the transport front has a strong organised labour support. However, the votes of citizens across the country are, let us not forget, no less crucial than the votes of transport workers.

Airlines plan big

The aviation industry is likely to see an unprecedented boom as both the public and private airlines are expected to invest around $1 billion in the sector by next year.Biman Bangladesh Airlines and four other local airlines will either purchase or lease at least 22 aircraft with the sum, said officials at the civil aviation authority and the airlines.National carrier Biman plans to acquire eight aircraft, Regent Airways five, NOVOAIR four, United Airways three and US-Bangla Airlines at least two.This investment is aimed to tap around 10 percent annual growth of passengers and eight percent that of cargo over the next seven years, as the Bangladesh economy is marking a steady growth of over six percent, said executives of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) and different airlines.Air Vice-Marshal Mahmud Hussain, chairman of Caab, told a seminar recently that in 2020 the number of passengers will reach 10.2 million from 5.8 million now and the increased air cargo will be 3.6 lakh tonnes from 2.3 lakh tonnes.Of the total 5.8 million passenger and cargo carriages involving a market of around $440 million annually, Biman, United and Regent have around 18 percent market share.Biman alone has around 15 percent stake, according to airlines officials.“The total investment will be even bigger as the airlines will have to invest on training of technical manpower like pilots and engineers,” Imran Asif, former chief executive officer of Regent, told The Daily Star.Once in operation, the new aircraft will require a huge infrastructural support, including enough parking spaces, apron and boarding bridges, said SM Nazmul Alam, Caab director of flight safety and regulations.Keeping this in mind, he added, they planned a massive expansion of the Shahjalal International Airport where a third terminal and 32 new boarding bridges would be built in two to three years. The airport has eight boarding bridges now.The investment will also create many jobs as it will require around 100 pilots and 150 engineers to operate the aircraft, Alam told The Daily Star recently.Biman will purchase two Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, each costing around $170 million. The planes will join the Biman fleet in February and March next year. It also plans to buy two turbo-prop narrow body aircraft for domestic operations by November this year.In addition, the Biman management is planning to take long-term lease of another four aircraft in efforts to double its current fleet of eight aircraft.Biman will be investing around $450 million in buying new aircraft, plus a further $100 million in leasing aircraft, Biman’s Managing Director Kevin John Steele told The Daily Star on September 12.
He added Biman would be investing around $50 million in ground equipment, aircraft spares, computers and infrastructure development and around $60 million in improving customer service, onboard products and systems updates.Regent Airways Managing Director Mashruf Habib said they would be investing around $60 million in leasing amphibian aircraft soon and four Boeing 737-800 aircraft by 2014 as it planned to expand its international network. The airline now has a fleet of four aircraft and the amphibian aircraft is set to join today.Unveiling the plan, NOVOAIR Managing Director Group Captain (retd) Mofizur Rahman said they would purchase two aircraft within this year or in the first quarter of next year, which will require around $8-10 million. His company is also expecting to lease another two aircraft in the last quarter of next year, which might require $5-6 million.Kamrul Islam, assistant general manager (public relations) of United Airways, said one MD-83 and one ATR-72 aircraft joined their fleet on September 13 while the company was planning to acquire two smaller aircraft for domestic operation.The US-Bangla Airlines has recently got licence from the Caab but has yet to start operation. Sources said the airlines would require at least two aircraft for domestic operation.

Equality, decent jobs in focus

The post-MDG framework should target creating decent jobs and reducing inequality along with making efforts to cut poverty, provide quality education and ensure human rights as the backbone of the new universal agenda, analysts said yesterday.They also called for ensuring more voice for the least developed countries in setting the next development goals.“The post-2015 agenda will be a universal one in nature. It is also to be seen how a universal framework will accommodate the specific concerns and interests of the countries,” said Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue.He spoke at a dialogue — delivery of the MDGs in LDCs and reflections on post-2015 issues — at Brac Centre Inn in Dhaka.The CPD and Friedrich-Ebert-  Stiftung (FES), a foundation of Social Democratic Party of Germany, co-organised the dialogue.As the terminal year of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) draws near, the state of actual delivery regarding these targets has become a matter of renewed and intense debate, Debapriya said.“An explicit understanding seems to have emerged that the MDGs are going to continue beyond 2015 in one form or other. The particular aspect has created enhanced demand on the lessons to be learnt for the future from the MDG implementation experience.”He said the post-2015 international development framework should put due emphasis on goals and targets on employment and income and quality of outcome for helping the LDCs achieve better results.Bhattacharya said like the MDGs, whose deadline ends in 2015, the post-2015 agenda would be non-binding and voluntary targets.He said private involvement in achieving the post-2015 agenda would be critical. “We will also have to better use the existing resources and mobilise more domestic resources.”The economist also called for reforming global rules that are holding back fuller market access for the LDCs.CPD Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan said the LDCs have achieved encouraging results in the MDGs, banking on the private sector efforts, remittance flows and domestic resources mobilisation, as international aid was not available as committed.So, when it comes to setting the post-2015 agenda, the developed world will have to give explanation for its failure to honour its aid commitments to the developing countries, he said.The economist said the post-2015 agenda should set measurable targets that would ensure a transformed and better world in 2030 when the deprived and disadvantaged would live in a different condition.
“2030 can’t look like as the improved version of the current world,” he said, calling for a closer look at whether the MDGs have changed the lives of the people targeted.Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, a former caretaker government adviser, said Bangladesh should consolidate its gains on the MDGs so the achievement does not slip.He also said Bangladesh spent less on healthcare and education but achieved higher results in the two areas due to some homemade solutions, which are culturally adaptable and low-cost. “This is a remarkable achievement in Bangladesh.”“The next phase will be costlier if Bangladesh wants to reduce child mortality by making hospital-based healthcare facilities affordable, and ensure quality education in the secondary level,” said Mahmud, also a member of UN Committee for Development Policy.
Shahidul Haque, foreign affairs secretary, said Bangladesh will get opportunities to reflect some of its concerns about the post-2015 agenda during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been invited to speak in at least three high-level discussions.“So, Bangladesh will have a say how the creation of the agenda will look like,” he said.Neal Walker, UN resident coordinator, termed Bangladesh’s achievement in the MDGs “clearly awesome”.“As a result, Bangladesh has a legitimate voice and position in the global debate on the next paradigm,” he said.But the hardest job is yet to come, Walker said.“Bangladesh will have to look at whether the current education system is providing quality education to students. I do not think the quality is there.”Walker said the next phase should not leave the agenda only at the hands of governments and civil society organisations. Private sector must be involved, he added.Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education, said the ever-increasing military expenditure by all the countries following the 9/11 attack on the US dealt a blow to the MDGs, as less money was available for achieving the development results.Nurunnabi Khan of the International Labour Organisation in Dhaka said the post-2015 agenda must provide special focus on job creation.Badiul Alam Majumdar, country director of the Hunger Project, said many MDGs do not require much money to achieve higher results. They, however, require proper awareness raising initiatives.M Shamsul Alam, a member of the Planning Commission, said the developed world should keep their aid commitments to help the LDCs achieve their development results.Henrik Maihack, country representative of the FES, said the issue of decent jobs has to be included in the next phase, as it is missing in the current one.CPD Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman called for inclusion of the LDCs while devising the next development targets, as their voices were not taken into account when the current targets were finalised.“The LDCs should participate in the global debate on equal footing with developed countries,” he said.

Child death cut by 72pc

Children don’t die in big numbers in Bangladesh now as they did 22 years ago.The country is preventing over 1,100 child deaths a day, thanks to a successful reduction in child mortality by 72 percent in last two decades.Back in 1990, as many as 1,454 children used to die a day even before they could reach their fifth birthday. Now that number has come down to 347.According to a report jointly released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank and the United Nations Population Division last week, Bangladesh has outshone all its South Asian neighbours save the small island nation the Maldives in terms of reduction in child mortality.By slashing 89 percent between 1990 and 2012, the Maldives topped child mortality reduction chart in South Asia followed by Bangladesh (72 percent) while India and Pakistan remain among the biggest contributors to global child mortality, said the report titled “Levels & Trends in Child Mortality”.The report, published as part of the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation’s (UN IGME) annual data release on child mortality, identified India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Congo and China as the five countries where half of over 6.5 million global yearly child deaths occur.India has the highest number of under-five deaths in the world, with 1.4 million under-five deaths in 2012.The Unicef, WHO, the WB and UN Population Division are the four partners in the UN IGME, founded in 2004.In the last 22 years (1990-2012), global rate of under-five mortality came down from 90 to 48 (per 1,000 live births).By reducing its own under-five mortality rate from an astounding 144 to 41 during the same period, Bangladesh has made significant strides in minimising the preventable child deaths.Bangladesh’s child deaths dropped from over 0.5 million a year (1990) to 0.12 million in 2012.Cutting the world child mortality rate by one-third (from the 1990 bench year) is a key millennium development goal (MDG-4) that Bangladesh had already attained four years ahead of target year 2015.However, Unicef in its child survival progress report 2013 warned that at global level the MDG-4 goal would not be reached until 2028 if the current trends continue.“The cost of inaction is alarmingly high — as many as 35 million more children could die mostly from preventable causes between 2015 and 2028, if the global community does not take immediate action to accelerate progress,” reads the Unicef report, also published earlier this month.Projecting Bangladesh as a country-level progress example, Unicef said, “In Bangladesh, under-five mortality rate decreased by 72 percent from 1990 to 2012, mainly thanks to expanding immunisation for children, delivering oral rehydration therapy to treat diarrhoea, and providing Vitamin A supplementation.“Expanding a network of community health workers also improved the quality of healthcare and led to an increased use of health facilities. Women’s empowerment, education for mothers, improving mothers’ health, and implementing strategies to reduce poverty also contributed to reducing child deaths.”Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Director of the Centre for Medical Education Prof Dr Fatima Parveen Chowdhury attributed the success to building public awareness, extensive coverage of vaccination and vitamin A supplementation, high-level political commitments as well as active participation of non-government development organisations in various child survival interventions.Fatima, also a former director of the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN), said increased habit of exclusive breastfeeding by lactating mothers had a pivotal role in dropping down the under-five deaths. Since 2007, the percentage of exclusive breastfeeding among children under six months in the country has risen from 43 percent to 64 percent, she noted.As per the UN IGME report, Bangladesh also succeeded in reducing the infant deaths from 365 (in 1,000 live births) in 1990 to 102 in 2012. But the rate of neonatal deaths (76 in every 1,000 live births) remains high. Infant mortality is rated on probability of dying between birth and one-year age while neonatal deaths are rated on probability of dying in the first month of life.“Absence of skilled (child) delivery persons and lack of sufficient antenatal and postnatal care cause such high number of neonatal deaths,” explained Dr Fatima, also secretary of Bangladesh National Nutrition Council.

Minister’s rally, so 400 factories shut

More than 400 garment factories were abruptly forced to suspend production yesterday thanks to a rally backed by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan to demand a 170.5 percent pay rise.“What the garment owners are pushing for as minimum wage is not rational. We want to negotiate a realistic salary,” Shajahan said at the rally organised by Garment Sramik Samannay Parishad, a federation of trade unions in garment sector, at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.The minister’s role at the demonstration, attended by thousands of garment workers without leave of absence from their employers, was criticised by industry stakeholders, who viewed it as a conflict of interest.“Being a minister he cannot chair a programme of a garment workers’ platform. He is a minister for all. For workers as well as the owners,” said a garment owner preferring not to be named.A former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the garment makers’ platform, said the gathering was unnecessary as an independent wage board is working to fix the new minimum wage.“But, it was the desire of the minister — we do not have any choice,” said the owner of a garment factory situated in Ashulia.“The trade union leaders sent vehicles for the workers — and my factory emptied just like that. I am sure the situation was similar at other factories,” he added.Another owner said the rally could have taken place on a Friday, when most of the garment factories remain shut.
“It would not have caused abrupt disruptions to production. It is unreasonable of the minister to force us to write-off the day.”However, Sirajul Islam Rony, workers’ representative on the wage board, said the minister was within his rights to chair the programme “as he is the president of a garment sector trade union”.“Being a trade union leader, the minister always has empathy with the workers and their needs,” he told The Daily Star over telephone.
Over at the rally, Shajahan Khan alleged “many terrorists” vandalised the workers’ vehicles to prevent them from joining the demonstration. In fact, it was the rally-bound workers who vandalised factories and blocked roads and highways .He said the 20 percent rise in basic salary, or the increase in minimum wage to Tk 3,600 from Tk 3,000, as proposed by the owners, is too low to improve the living standards of the garment workers, and called for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention.The workers’ representative on the wage board called for a minimum wage of Tk 8,114 per month.The minister also said at the rally, “It is unjust that the owners sack you [the workers] for the slightest of offences. This should not be the case.”
He went on to say he would do “whatever needed” for the garment sector to flourish.“Some people are lying against me; they are trying to destroy my image. This has to stop. I have always worked for the workers and I will continue to do so.”He also came down heavily on Ahmed Shafi, chief of Islamist group Hefajat-e Islam, for his recent derogatory comments about women, particularly those working in the garment sector.This, however, is not the first time that the shipping minister has run into a spot of controversy.Other than his ministerial duties concerning one of the modes of transport in the country, he is a leader of the transport workers’ federation and the owner of a transport company.Shajahan has allegations of extortion against him, and at the same time, he serves as an adviser to the government’s road transportation and road safety councils.The minister could not be reached despite several attempts.

‘Cantonment’ on Buriganga river

The Dhaka District Administration has leased out 27 acres of Buriganga river foreshore in Postagola for a cantonment defying river laws and High Court (HC) judgment on saving rivers.
Located south of the Buriganga first bridge and north of Shyampur launch terminal, the site is demarcated as river and foreshores with boundary pillars.

A demarcation pillar near the site. The photos were taken recently. 

Ironically, the very district administration along with land records department and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) have recently installed the pillars upon an HC order clearly showing that the area leased out is part of the river.
During a recent visit to the site, The Daily Star correspondent found labourers filling up a large area of the Buriganga foreshore and building a boundary wall.
Foreshore is the area lying between the low-water mark of dry season and high-water mark of monsoon and is vital for a river’s navigability and port activities.The leased out site in Ailbahar mouza is within the 452-acre foreshore limit of Dhaka river port as per the joint survey map prepared by the district administration and BIWTA, said Joint Director of BIWTA  Md Saiful Islam.The foreshore area was later extended to 712 acres, he added.Five decades ago, the foreshores were handed over to BIWTA, said Islam, adding that BIWTA has since been the conservator of the channel, foreshores and river ports as per the ordinance, Port Act and Port Rules.“We regularly pay the district administration licence fee for the foreshores but they did not serve any notice before leasing it out to another government organisation,” he added.Four years ago, the HC ordered the district administrations to protect river foreshores including that of the Buriganga with demarcation pillars, tree plantation and walkways.The Dhaka District Administration a decade ago first leased out 25.5 acres of foreshore area to army upon approval from the land ministry’s central land allocation committee.Official sources said BIWTA’s objection to this lease had been ignored.In 2010, it again initiated to lease out 1.5 acres of foreshore of the same site. The process is now near completion.Leasing out and filling up foreshores is a blatant violation of the HC order, said Islam.In February 2003, the cabinet decided not to acquire or lease out the Buriganga foreshores to keep the river’s navigability and natural flow unharmed.The latest move to lease out foreshore of the river also overrules the cabinet decision.The leased out foreshore had been recorded as khas land in CS and SA records but was dubiously recorded as private property in the RS records and city survey.Mohammad Iftekhar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner for land acquisition, at a meeting in early July admitted that the river foreshores were originally khas land.However, when The Daily Star met him at his office, Iftekhar said the foreshore was “private property” in all the land records and that is why they did not notify BIWTA about the acquisition and lease.Asked how they leased out river foreshores, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka Shaikh Yusuf Harun said, “Pillars are not the Bible, and most of them have been installed on private land.”“The leased out area is neither a river nor any foreshore,” he claimed.The DC’s claim is puzzling because foreshores are khas land and integral part of the river under the laws.As per the definition given in the port act and rules, the leased out area is part of the foreshores and is part of Dhaka river port as declared in an official gazette.The district administration cannot lease it out for any purpose, said Monowar Hossain, a recently retired BIWTA secretary, adding that in case there was any private property there, it was government’s duty to acquire and hand those over to the port conservator.Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said his ministry would hold a meeting with the defence ministry on the issue. “Let’s see what we can do. The lease can be cancelled if needed,” he said.The Daily Star on September 10 wrote to the Inter Service Public Relations Directorate inquiring whether the army was planning to set up a cantonment at the site and if so, of what kind and why they required river foreshore.With no response after seven office days, the newspaper contacted ISPR Director Md Shaheenul Islam and he said, “We have forwarded the letter to the army. But they are busy … let’s see … I will enquire about it.”

Bangladesh top achiever along with Cambodia

Bangladesh, jointly with Cambodia, according to a new study topped the chart of the least developed countries in achieving Millennium Developed Goals thanks to its steady progress in major targets.The first of its kind study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue said both countries were likely to meet eight out of the 14 targets under review, while they made progress in four other areas. It was conducted by CPD Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya and his three researcher colleagues Towfiqul Islam Khan, Umme Salma and Gazi Joki Uddin.The report was disclosed at a dialogue titled: Delivery of the MDGs in LDCs and reflections on Post-2015 Issues. It was jointly organised by CPD and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung — a foundation of the Social Democratic Party of Germany — office in Bangladesh, at the Brac Centre Inn in the capital yesterday.“Bangladesh, however, is off-track in two areas: proportion of land area covered by forests and employment to population ratio, where the situations have deteriorated since 1990,” said Debapriya during the presentation.Bhutan came third in the Country Ranking based on the MDG Index, while Rwanda secured the fourth place. Mali and Nepal took the fifth position jointly.The report said that four African countries were at the bottom of the list.
The study also revealed that 46 out of the 49 LDCs will achieve at least one target among the 14 indicators. Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Somalia are unlikely to meet any of the targets.
Bangladesh is likely to meet targets in proportion to population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption, net enrolment ratio in primary education, ratios of girls to boys in primary education,  under-five mortality rate,  infant mortality rate,  proportion of one-year-old children immunised against measles, maternal mortality ratio and  HIV prevalence among population aged 15-24 years.The four other areas where the country has made substantial progress are: proportion of population below poverty line, literacy rate of 15 to 24-year olds (men and women), proportion of population using an improved drinking water source, and proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities.