Vested property handover likely this year
INDEPENDENT-(13-06-10)-bdnews24.com, Gopalganj: Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira has said that the process of handing over vested properties will be launched this year. "The government will hand over 4.7 lakh acres across the country," he told reporters on Saturday after visiting the graveyard of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. "The bill has been passed in Parliament. It is currently being examined by the parliamentary standing committee." The Minister later distributed cash and crest among 18 students who secured a grade point average (GPA) of 5 in the SSC exams, guardians and educational institution heads.

Killings of innocent Bangladeshis in border belt
FINANCIAL EXPRESS-(June 13)-Opinion by Shimul Chaudhury: A ‘thug’, according to Indian mythology, was "one of a band of professional assassins formerly active in northern India who worshipped Kali and offered their victims to her." We think this term is quite apposite to describe the operations of India’s BSF (Border Security Force) if we consider the murderous acts by its personnel in the border region of Bangladesh. When the BSF thugs routinely kill Bangladeshis in the border region, they do not discriminate whether their victims in Bangladesh belong to the Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatiya Party or Jamaat. However, in condemning regular violation of human rights by the BSF personnel and their killings of Bangladeshis, Bangladeshi political parties are sharply divided. Some Bangladeshi political parties raise a hue and cry now and then to register their protest against BSF’s murderous actions. But, unfortunately, a leading Bangladeshi political party remains dead silent on the BSF’s wrong-doings. This tells us about the sad story of Bangladeshi politics, as the political parties are not united even in protecting the country’s people. This also otherwise suggests the success of Indian foreign policy, as it has a loyal political group in Bangladesh that looks after India’s interest blindly and is ready to ignore Bangladesh’s interest where India’s political and strategic interests are involved. If the Bangladeshi parties loyal to India were selective in its condemnation of BSF’s routine murders, then we would have some consolation. What is frustrating is the fact that their silence on India’s atrocities is absolute. When India is in the scene, it does not bother whether the BSF victims are from its own party or from other parties. In other words, the security of the people does not count much in the imagination of the leaders of those parties.

India-Bangla border trade soon
DAILY STAR-(June 13)-Star Business Report: India and Bangladesh will soon introduce border haat, a traditional commodity market, in a bid to revive trade in the areas bordering the two countries.  Such trade was halted after the partition of India and Pakistan, resumed after a few years and suspended again after 1971. The concept of such border trade was endorsed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s January 10-13 visit to India.  Mukul Sangma, chief Minister of the Indian state Meghalaya, told the state assembly on Friday that Delhi and Dhaka had identified two places for such border markets as pilot projects, according to Indian media reports available in internet. “The haats will be held once a week,” Sangma said. Contacted, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Bangladesh is ready to open the border haats. India agreed to start such haats from Pohela Boishakh, the first day of Bangla calendar year, but could not do it because of its lack of preparation.  The locations of the markets to be started in the first phase are at the border points between Kaliachar in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district and Lawar Ghar in Bangladesh’s Sunamganj district and between Balat in West Khasi Hills district and Narayantala in Bangladesh’s Sunamganj district. The commodities to be exchanged through this border trade include fruits, spices, minor forest products excluding timber, fresh and dry fish, dairy, fishery and poultry products, cottage industry items like gamchha (thin towels), wooden furniture and cane products and utensils.

EC sues SQC for leveling false allegations over voter list
NEW AGE-(12-06-10)-BSS, Chittagong: Election Commission on Thursday night filed a criminal case against BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, MP, for making false allegations over voter list.   Assistant Returning Officer Farhad Hossain filed the case under Section 18 of the Voter List Formulation Act of 2009 with Kotwali police station.   Salauddin Quader Chowdhury alleged on Wednesday that some 55,000 voters under the Chittagong City Corporation did not have photographs.   The comment, published in newspapers on Thursday, came to the notice of EC.   EC in the complaint stated that they have 16,88,676 enlisted voters with photographs in CCC election but the untrue comments made by SQ Chowdhury affected peaceful election environment and misguided people. District Election Commissioner Dulal Talukdar said if he is found guilty the accused is to suffer a maximum punishment for six months in prison with Tk 2,000 as fines.

Govt violates HC order on Amar Desh: Lawyers
NEW AGE-(12-06-10)-Staff Correspondent: A group of lawyers on Friday accused the government of violating a High Court order by obstructing the publication of daily Amar Desh.   At a press conference at the Amar Desh office at Karwan Bazar, they also accused the government of trying to force Amar Desh acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman to die of starvation.   Dhaka Ainjibi Samiti President Sanaullah Mia, senior lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder and lawyer Nasiruddin Asim spoke at the press conference organised to demand immediate release of Mahmudur as well as removal of all obstacles to resumption of publication of Amar Desh.   ‘Though the High Court on Thursday stayed for three months the cancellation of the declaration of the publication of daily Amar Desh, the government is not allowing the newspaper to resume publication,’ said Sanaullah Mia.   Terming unprecedented the arrest of an editor and his subsequent remand, he said, ‘Even during the rule of Pakistanis, journalists had not been subjected to this kind of repression.’   ‘As an editor, Mahmudur Rahman is entitled to get division in jail, but the authorities concerned denied him the right,’ he said. ’It seems, the government wants me to starve to death,’ Sanaullah quoted Mahmudur as saying.   Dublin-based human rights organisation Frontline has urged the Bangladesh government to release Mahmudur Rahman unconditionally.   ‘Frontline believes that he is being held solely as a result of his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights,’ it said in a press statement.   It asked the government to guarantee the physical and psychological inte-grity of Mahmudur, and ensure that he has access to independent legal representation.   The rights organisation also asked the government to guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Bangladesh were able to carry out their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including judicial harassment.

Amar Desh resumes publication
NEW NATION-(12-06-10)-bdnews24.com, Dhaka: After a High Court stay order on its closure on Thursday, the daily Amar Desh has published a four-page special bulletin for Friday. But the printer’s line still mentions the same publisher, Hashmat Ali, and acting editor, Mahmudur Rahman. The publishing company, Amar Desh Publications Ltd, was mentioned to have the same address as before – 446/C-446/D Tejgaon Industrial Area. The BNP-leaning newspaper’s declaration was cancelled with the government sealing its press and suspending its publication on June 1. The High Court stayed the decision to close down the daily on Thursday which virtually lifted legal bars from the paper being published. Meanwhile, suspecting chaos, the police went to the press in the evening.
The press employees who wanted resumption of operations got into an altercation with the law enforcers. But the police would have none of it as the court order had not reached them, they told the pressmen. Hashmat Ali was said to have filed a complaint accusing Mahmudur Rahman of fraud on the morning of June 1 when he was whisked off by intelligence officials. Mahmudur Rahman is a former energy adviser to the previous BNP-led government and has also been sued for sedition by the government After a High Court stay order on its closure on Thursday, the daily Amar Desh has published a four-page special bulletin for Friday.  But the printer’s line still mentions the same publisher, Hashmat Ali, and acting editor, Mahmudur Rahman. The publishing company, Amar Desh Publications Ltd, was mentioned to have the same address as before – 446/C-446/D Tejgaon Industrial Area. The BNP-leaning newspaper’s declaration was cancelled with the government sealing its press and suspending its publication on June 1. The High Court stayed the decision to close down the daily on Thursday which virtually lifted legal bars from the paper being published. Meanwhile, suspecting chaos, the police went to the press in the evening. The press employees who wanted resumption of operations got into an altercation with the law enforcers. But the police would have none of it as the court order had not reached them, they told the pressmen. Hashmat Ali was said to have filed a complaint accusing Mahmudur Rahman of fraud on the morning of June 1 when he was whisked off by intelligence officials. Mahmudur Rahman is a former energy adviser to the previous BNP-led government and has also been sued for sedition by the government

TERRORISM-HUMAN RIGHTS
Mahmudur remanded in Hizbut case
DAILY STAR-(13-06-10)-Court Correspondent: Detective Branch of police yesterday took Mahmudur Rahman on a four-day remand for his alleged involvement with leaders of banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir. On June 8, Mahmudur, the acting editor of recently closed daily Amar Desh, was shown arrested, and the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court granted the remand in a case filed against several members of the outfit on charges of carrying out militant activities across the country. The case was filed on April 16 with Uttara Police Station. Hizb-ut Tahrir chief Mohiuddin Ahmed and a few others were also shown arrested in the case, and they were placed on remand several times. Inspector Nurul Amin, Investigation Officer of the case, yesterday sought permission from the court to take Mahmudur on the remand for interrogation. In a forwarding report, Nurul Amin said Mahmudur has a link with Hizb ut-Tahrir leaders including its chief Prof Mohiuddin. Moreover, the printing press of the daily printed leaflets of the banned organisation, he added.  Meanwhile, Metropolitan Magistrate Kamrun Nahar yesterday rejected a bail petition filed by Mahmudur after Tejgoan police produced him before the court on expiry of a three-day remand. Earlier, he was taken on the remand in connection with a case filed for preventing the police from discharging their duties on June 2.  During the yesterday’s hearing on the bail petition, Mahmudur told the court that he was taken to Cantonment Police Station though Tejgoan police took him on the remand.  He was tortured in the name of interrogation, Mahmudur said. On June 8, he was also remanded for four days in another case filed for holding a “secret meeting” with various government officials of different levels on November 24, 2006 at the office of Artisan Ceramics Ltd in the city’s Uttara area. Tejgoan police arrested Mahmudur from Amar Desh office in Karwan Bazar on June 2 after the daily’s publisher Hasmat Ali Hashu filed a fraud case against him.

50 killed in cross-fire in 5 months: Odhikar
INDEPENDENT-(13-06-10)-Ainul Haque Royal: Contrary to the Government’s claim that there were no "crossfire" or extra-judicial killings, around 50 people have been allegedly killed by the members of different law enforcement agencies during the last five months this year. It is alleged that at least one person has been killed in an extra judicial manner, every four days in this period. According to a report prepared by a Human Rights Organisation ‘Odhikar’, 24 people have been killed in "crossfire" between January and March. Of these, 12 people were killed allegedly by RAB, nine by the Police while three people were killed during joint operations by the RAB and Police. Five have been alleged custodial deaths. In the month of April, there have been nine "crossfire" deaths – five have been killed allegedly by the RAB and four by the Police. Among the deceased, two belonged to the Gono Mukti Fouz, one from Gono Bahini, one Biplobi Communist Party, and one Islami Chhatro Shibir. One was an alleged robber while three were alleged criminals, according to the ‘Odhikar.’ In May the total "crossfire" casualties stood at 17. It has been alleged that of these, seven were killed by RAB and nine by police. One person was killed in a joint operation of RAB and police. Four were alleged custodial deaths. Besides, five people were killed in the capital during an encounter between the RAB and alleged criminals within the first 11 days of the current month. The total number of the extrajudicial killings this year stands at 55. It may be pointed out that on March 1, this year Dr. Dipu Moni, Foreign Minister at a high-level meeting of the UN Human Rights Council at Geneva, stated that Bangladesh was fully committed to stopping extra-judicial killings. Just recently, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed stepped up his claims by declaring that, "no more crossfire incidents are taking place in the country. It has stopped." Human rights activists, lawyers and even the judiciary has every now and then expressed concerns at the rising number of extra-judicial killings despite repeated assurances by the Government. In a conversation with ‘The Independent’ BNP leader Moudud Ahmed said the incidence of extra judicial killings reflects the absolute failure of the government and the rule of law. Executive director of Ain O Shalish Kendra and also former adviser Sultana Kamal said the government had assured to show zero tolerance to extrajudicial killings but these had not stopped. However, when contacted, commander M Sohail, PSC director of the RAB media wing told The Independent that the RAB was not involved in any extra-judicial killings. He claimed the RAB was engaged basically in protecting the government and public properties. The only killings by the RAB were inadvertant, when criminals tried fleeing during custody. But this cannot be categorised as extra-judicial killing or crossfire, he added.

WAR CRIMINAL TRIAL
Charges against war criminals soon: Kamrul
Dhaka, June-13-bdnews24.com: Law State Minister Kamrul Islam has said that charges against identified war criminals will be framed soon, reiterating that war crime trials will be held during the tenure of the current government. The State Minister was speaking at a discussion meeting, organised by the Bangabandhu Academy at Dhaka Reporters Unity, Sunday morning. LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam also said last week that the current government would conclude a significant number of war crimes trials before its tenure ended. The State Minister alleged that opposition BNP was conspiring to save the war criminals. "BNP rehabilitated the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and are now conspiring to protect the war criminals," he said, adding that the trial of the war-criminals cannot be stopped by calling strikes. Many leaders of the AL earlier alleged that the BNP was trying to thwart the trial process by calling the June 27 general strike. "Awami League will not protest the strike, but it will work to form public opinion so that they reject the strike," said Islam. The government, on March 25 this year, formed a war crimes tribunal, an investigative agency, and set up a panel of prosecutors to hold the trials of those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the 1971 war of independence. The State Minister urged people to cooperate with the investigation agency in the trial process by providing information.

KHALEDA TRYING TO SAVE WAR CRIMINALS: MATIA
INDEPENDENT-(13-06-10)-Staff Reporter: Awami League leaders yesterday said countrymen would hold Khaleda Zia responsible for her attempt to save the war criminals who had committed crimes against humanity during the country’s war of independence. "Nizami’s name has been included in the list of the war criminals. People will also include your (Khaleda) name as an assistant of the criminals in the list as you have been trying to save the criminals," Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury told a rally at the Muktangan in the capital. Juba League, an associated body of the ruling Awami League, organised the rally to expedite the trial of the war criminals. Matia, who attended the rally as chief guest, came down heavily on Khaleda as the latter had called for a hartal to save them. "Despite your attempt you will not be able to save them. We will bring the war criminals to justice like the killers of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she said, adding the countrymen voted them to power in the last general election to hold the trial of the war criminals.  She alleged that Khaleda awarded the citizenship to Golam Azam and made Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islam legitimate in politics. LGRD State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak said that the demand for the trial of the war criminals was demand of the whole country. "Rule of law will not be established without holding the trial of the war criminals," he said. Jatiya Sangsad whip Mirza Azam, also the general Secretary of JL, also spoke at the rally with JL city unit (North) President Abul Bashar in the chair.

Chittagong buzzing with election frenzy
Dhaka, June-13-bdnews24.com: The port city of Chittagong has taken a festive mood with mayoral and ward councilor candidates in CCC election going full steam ahead with their campaigns for votes on June 17. The candidates have been making all out efforts to woo voters with banners, posters and festoons bearing their respective election symbols. Sher Mohammad, councillor candidate in Enayet Bazar ward, is campaigning with a giant statue of lion—his polls symbol—on a road crossing in the city. His rival candidate MA Malek is also roaming around the city with a replica of an elephant set on a van. Salimullah Bachchhu, who is also contesting from the same ward with lotus as his symbol, has printed fixtures of the ongoing World Cup Football matches on the back of a propaganda handout. To catch up with him, Sher Mohammad hung a 25-feet long flag of Brazil, one of the most popular favourites in the world cup, at the Enayet Bazar crossing. Thus the candidates have combined the fun of the World Cup with their campaigns. The two key mayoral candidates have also joined the World Cup frenzy. Awami League-backed mayoral candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and his rival BNP-backed candidate M Manzur Alam have put up the national flag of Argentina—another World Cup favourite—at their their homes. Supporters of Manzur Alam are going to the voters’ doorsteps with pineapples, his election symbol, while Mohiuddin’s men are campaigning carrying replicas of ship—his polls symbol. Candidates contesting the polls with symbols of cricket bat, pen, book and hen are also campaigning with pictures of the symbols. Candidates are also using IT technology to seek votes. Mohiuddin’s people are seeking votes by sending SMS through mobile phones. The main roads and alleys of the city are covered with posters. But posters are not hanged on the walls due to electoral code of conduct. Besides, candidates are seeking votes at street rallies and making door-to-door campaigns. The candidates will be allowed to run their campaigns until Monday midnight before the election to be held on Thursday.

Govt skips reform agenda in proposed budget: CPD
NEW AGE-(12-06-10)-Staff Correspondent: The Awami League-led government has deviated from the critical reform agenda relating to governance as reflected in their omission from the proposed budget which also lacks instruments to reach certain ‘ambitious’ targets.   The Centre for Policy Dialogue came up with the criticism, saying that some key targets such as 6.7 per cent economic growth set by the finance Minister for the next fiscal were hardly realistic, given the investment trends and the government’s capacity to implement projects.
‘The government has managed to skip certain reform promises it made in the previous budget,’ the centre’s executive director, Mustafizur Rahman, told newsmen in a post-budget analysis at BRAC Centre Inn on Friday.
The finance Minister, he pointed out, omitted better business forum, regulatory reforms Commission, five-year business plan, special monitoring arrangement of the development programme, reforms in rescheduling private sector loans and decentralisation of public policy administration – the issues Muhith had touched on in the 2009-2010 budget proposals.   The Minister this year mentioned non-functioning of the local government institutions but refrained from giving a specific timeframe for restructuring the upazila parishad, union parishad and zila parishad, Mustafiz added.   It is not yet clear if the government has provided the opportunity to legalise undisclosed money under a special budgetary provision. ‘It seems such an opportunity will be offered but it will be clear when there will be SRO (statutory regulatory order) in this regard,’ the economist said.
He said, ‘Success in implementing the budgetary proposals and attaining the targets hinge on efficacy of delivery, efficiency of development administration and good governance’, and reminded the finance Minister that increasing investment would be the biggest challenge in attaining all other goals. The CPD termed unclear the mechanism to implement the projects under the public-private partnership arrangement and said the government must implement the projects even if private entrepreneurs failed to come up with necessary initiatives.
Despite capacity constraints, the private think-tank did not consider the proposed budget of Tk 1,32,000 crore, including a Tk 38,500 crore annual development programme, to be ambitious in view of the national needs and priorities.
‘It is possible but we need to improve development administration and increase investment,’ Mustafiz said.   The government is almost unlikely to achieve the projected growth at 6.7 per cent in the next fiscal, said the CPD as such a high growth rate would require 3.8 per cent growth in agriculture, 6.8 per cent in service and 9 per cent in industry – all it believes to be challenging.
‘A growth rate between 6 per cent and 6.5 per cent may be a more realistic outlook,’ said the economist.   The CPD analysis found lack of clarity in schemes such as agricultural insurance without any allocation and employment generation scheme without transparent guidelines for their implementation. The government was also criticised for lower than required allocation for the health sector to meet the Millennium Development Goals.   The research organisation said there was no directive to spend money for implementing the ‘one farm, one house’ project for which an amount of Tk 1,197 crore had been earmarked for five years.
When asked about shrinkage in allocation for social safety net programmes in proportion to the size of the budget, CPD economist Fahmida Akhter said the number of beneficiaries of such programme should be increased. ‘Proper implementation of the employment generation scheme could be a first step towards social protection,’ she said.   To a query about probable power tariff hike, CPD research fellow Khandker Golam Moazzem said that many of the entrepreneurs would not mind if the rate was raised in exchange for guaranteed supply.   When asked why the defence budget was raised significantly, Mustafizur Rahman said it was a political decision of the government and there might be geo-strategic considerations behind the decision.

Muhith blasts  CPD for growth projection doubts
INDEPENDENT-(12-06-10)-UNB, Dhaka: Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Friday blasted the civil society think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) for their "dubious" projection that the GDP growth of 6.7 per cent would be a challenge for the government in the 2010-11 fiscal. "I’ve seen the CPD dialogue (Friday). There is an obsession over inefficiency in implementation and there is a need to come out of such obsession," he said while addressing a post-budget press conference at the NEC in the afternoon. Muhith said there was a tsunami (recession) in the world in 2008 and the country have successfully coped with this. "But they (CPD) didn’t take this into account; rather, they only focus on inefficiency in implementation." Taking a swipe at those who say there would be 7-8 per cent GDP growth with full implementation, he said: "They live totally in fools’ paradise." The Finance Minister said the government would be able to reach much near to the revised Annual Development Programme (ADP) implementation. "This is extraordinary in the economy of Bangladesh that 40 per cent increase was achieved in one year of current fiscal." Earlier, at a live press conference in city’s BRAC Centre, the CPD said that attaining the target of 6.7 per cent economic growth for the coming fiscal would be challenging, perhaps a growth rate of 6.0-6.5 per cent would have been more realistic.