3,000 sued for Chittagong EPZ violence
Dhaka, December 13- Police have filed three separate cases against 3,000 unknown people for Sunday’s vandalism in and around Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ). Four people, including a garment worker and a rickshaw-puller, were killed during the clash between police and RMG workers in and around the CEPZ. The agitating workers also damaged 11 garment factories and 20 roadside buildings leading to the closure of the entire CEPZ. They set five vehicles ablaze and damaged 90 more. Trouble broke out Sunday morning when workers of Youngone Ltd went to work not knowing that the management had ordered an indefinite shutdown in the wake of unrest over wages. The entire CEPZ area turned into a battlefield when the workers of other garment factories joined them.
2. RMG workers block highway for three hours
Dhaka, December 13- Traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway remained suspended for three hours Monday morning as workers of an apparel factory blocked the highway in Gazipur protesting ‘anomalies’ in new wage scheme. Police said thousands of workers of Liz Apparels located at Targachh in Gazipur Sadar upazila took to the highway and blocked it at about 8am, creating huge traffic jam from Abdullahpur to Chandana in the upazila.
The workers, who got their salary for the month of November on Sunday, alleged that the salaries of new and old workers are nearly similar although the authority said the pay was made according to new pay scale announced by the government. The workers removed the barricade when Managing Director of Liz Factory Ahmed Ullah assured them of meeting their all ‘logical’ demands.
3.Govt pledges pay review, Sahara tells of conspiracies
DAILY STAR-(13-12-10)- Any discrepancy in the newly announced wage structure of the Readymade Garments (RMG) workers would be resolved by reviewing the wage structure and discussions with the stakeholders, said the Home and Labour Ministers. Both warned of tough actions against the troublemakers in the RMG sector.
"If there is any discrimination over the wage, let the government know and it will be resolved through discussion," Labour Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters after a meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh Association of Garment Manufacturers and Exporters (BGMEA) here.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun, who also met the delegation, said there are conspiracies to create unrest in the garments sector. "If anything happens, workers take to the street and vandalize vehicles. None will be spared if anyone takes the law in hand," warned the Home Minister.
4. Outsiders behind the stir says Company
DAILY STAR-(13-12-10)- Outsiders were behind the workers’ agitation in Chittagong in the last two days, Kihak Sung, chief executive officer (CEO) of South Korean Youngone Corporation, said.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Sung described the simultaneous attacks on their seven factories in Chittagong Export Processing Zone as “very mysterious”. He regretted that the law enforcers did not respond immediately despite repeated calls for help. The Youngone CEO said if their factories come under further attacks, their company, which employs around 40,000 workers in its various units, will have to withdraw its investment from Bangladesh.
All the 11 factories of Youngone Corporation in the CEPZ were shut for an indefinite period on Saturday following workers’ demonstrations over wage issues. Youngone Corporation, a Seoul-based multinational company, runs 17 large factories of apparel, shoe, toy and mountaineering materials in Dhaka and Chittagong EPZ.
5. No progress in India-Bangla joint power venture
INDEPENDENT-(13-12-10)- The much-talked USD 2 billion joint venture (JV) power generation project, with India, is hanging in balance, as both parties have failed to reach any conclusion over certain issues, including coal transportation, and feasibility study.
Although the government had announced that it would sign the Joint venture Agreement (JVA) with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India by November, the initiative has made no headway. “We’ve talked with NTPC several times but we still need some more time to start formal talks with our counterpart,” said the project Director and chief engineer (generation) of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), M. Abul Kasem.
BPDB and NTPC signed a preliminary agreement in New Delhi on August 30, in a bid to set up the plant near Mongla port in Bangladesh. The JVA was the one of the outcomes of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India, along with the 500 MW power exchange programme through grid connectivity.
According to power division sources, BPDB has been facing serious troubles in acquiring land from private and public enterprises. The project needs 2,000 acres to set up 1,320 MW coal-fired power plant, a coal depot and ash depot. “Earlier, we had planned to install a plant with 1320 MW generation capacity. Then, we decided to acquire more lands to install more plants to meet the country’s future power demands,” Kasem said.
The joint technical team of Bangladesh and India had selected Chalna, near Khulna port, as the site for the plant. NTPC team suggested that local consultants be engaged for doing the feasibility study on social-environmental and ecological impact.. It also asked the BPDB officials to engage consultants for working out on the plan to transport coal.
Power division sources said the BPDB suffers from paucity of funds to engage world-class consultants.
6. BDR, BSF agree to check cross border crimes
NEW AGE-(13-12-10)- Bangladesh Rifles and Indian Border Security Force at a Battalion Commander-level flag meeting held at Bhomra under Sadar upazila of the district on Sunday agreed to work together to contain cross-border crimes and other related problems through negotiations.
Issues like shooting at and killing, torturing, and kidnapping of Bangladeshi nationals, smuggling, trafficking in women and children, cattle-lifting, illegal border crossing, and cross-border crimes were discussed at the meeting. Commanding officer of 41-Rifles Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Enayet Karim led 15-member BDR team while 47-BSF Kollayani Battalion commandant SR Dhirendra Nath led the Indian team at the talk.
The BDR team at the meeting alleged that BSF troops in the recent times had been killing Bangladeshi cattle traders rather than arresting them. The BDR team also handed over a list of Bangladeshi nationals killed and injured by the BSF at Satkhira border.
The BSF, however, claimed that Indian border guards had opened fire only at smugglers who entered the Indian territory. The leader of the BSF team assured the BDR that they would try to avoid killing innocent Bangladeshi nationals in the future.
7. Bangladesh to open 15 new missions
INDEPENDENT-(13-12-10)- by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) is all set to open 15 new missions abroad and double its staff strength to 460 to run its operations smoothly, MoFA sources said. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already cleared the idea [of increasing staff strength], but we will have to wait for approval from the finance and establishment ministries,” a highly placed MoFA official told the Independent yesterday.
The official said the missions would be opened in Sudan, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Senegal, Algeria, Nigeria, Mauritius, Lebanon, Portugal, Denmark, Austria, Romania, Poland, Mexico and Brazil.
At present Bangladesh have 57 missions abroad. It has missions in Libya, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco and Egypt. But there is no Bangladeshi mission in West Africa, where there would be three new missions in Sierra Leone, Senegal and Nigeria and one in Algeria which is in North Africa, the official added.
The Ministry is actively considering opening consular offices at Kunming in China and Milan in Italy. Besides it will open Deputy High Commissions in Mumbai, Chennai and Guwahati in India.
8. AL questions BNP support to Dec 26 hartal
DAILY STAR-(13-12-10)-The Awami League said BNP extended its support to the countrywide hartal for December 26 called by Sammilita Olama Mashayekh Parishad as the main opposition wants to protect the war criminals from trial.
It said the BNP-Jamaat alliance supported the dawn-to-dusk strike also to recover the cantonment residence that Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia possessed earlier and to save her "corrupt" sons — Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko.
AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam addressing a press conference at party President Sheikh Hasina’s political office in Dhanmondi, has termed Parishad Chairman Muhiuddin Khan as a "war criminal, rajakar and anti-liberation element." Muhiuddin has recently announced the hartal to protest against the National Education Policy.
Syed Ashraful also said if the main opposition did not have any relations with the war criminals, they would not extend their support to Muhiuddin’s hartal.
Ashraful Islam, who is also the LGRD and cooperatives Minister, demanded that the government launch a probe into mismatch between the wealth statements Khaleda Zia submitted to the Election Commission (EC), Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Board of Revenue and the assets she possesses right now.
9. BNP tells diplomats: Govt out to eliminate opp
DAILY STAR-(13-12-10)- Accusing the government of flagrant violation of human rights, BNP leaders and pro-BNP professionals yesterday urged the international community’s attention to what they said the govt’s bid to establish one-party rule in the country again.
“The Awami League government wants to destroy all democratic institutions so that it can rule the country without any opposition party, but people will not allow this’, they said, and called upon representatives of foreign countries and donor agencies in Bangladesh to raise their voice against violation of human rights in the country. BNP leaders MK Anwar, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Nasiruddin Asim and senior journalist Shafik Rehman were speaking here at a discussion meeting on ‘Erosion of Political Rights, Gathering Storms’, organised by G9, a forum of pro-BNP professionals.
A video on recent incidents of human rights violation across the country was also shown at the meet.
Representatives of several embassies and donor agencies were present at the programme, but none of them spoke despite repeated requests from the organisers.
10: AL trying to make B’desh a vassal state: Khaleda
INDEPENDENT-(13-12-10)-BNP Chairperson and Leader of Opposition Khaleda Zia has said that the ruling Awami League is trying to turn the country into a vassal state but the people did not sacrifice their lives during independence war to make such evil mission a success. She called upon the cultural activists to come forward in an organised way to protect the country from foreign aggression. The former Prime Minister made the remarks while leaders and activists of the newly formed JASAS Executive Committee, a cultural front of the party, met her here Saturday night.
11. Scrap deal with Indian EXIM Bank says Mouded
DAILY SUN-(13-12-10)-BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed Sunday asked the government to immediately scrap the deal signed with Exim Bank of India describing it as suicidal for Bangladesh.
The former law Minister said the conditions laid down for the $ 100 million credit go against the interests of Bangladesh since all equipment for development must be procured from India under the agreement. “We have to purchase 85 percent equipment directly from India and the rest 15 percent will be purchased in consultation with the Indian agents. We are not even allowed to raise a question about the quality of the equipment,” Moudud said at a press briefing at his chamber in the city.
The former Minister said the Indian foreign Ministry is the consenting authority for the projects as per the agreement. “Bangladesh never took such credit from any foreign lender that goes against the national interest. The government has no right to bury the people of the country under such conditions imposed by the Indian bank,” he added. He also said Dhaka must pay 17.5 percent or $ 17.5 million in interest every year in addition to a commitment fee of 0.50 percent. “Besides, Bangladesh will be responsible for paying additional interest for delaying purchase or delivery of equipment for any reason,” he added. He also said Dhaka should not take loan under such conditions even India gives the amount as aid.
12. Nizami Challenges detention order
DAILY SUN-(13-12-10)- Detained Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami has moved the High Court challenging the detention order issued by the International Crimes Tribunal.
A high court bench of Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Hakim is hearing the petition filed nearly two weeks ago. Barrister Abdur Razzak, who appeared for the petitioner, submitted that their detention and trial by the tribunal are an incident of abuse of the process and unlawful as no formal charge has been brought against them under Section 9 of the International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973.
This section 9 says, “The proceedings before a tribunal shall commence upon the submission by the chief prosecutor of formal charges of crimes alleged to have been committed by each of the accused persons.”
13. No wrong done: Yunus
DAILY STAR-(13-12-10)- Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has re-emphasized that there was no wrongdoing in the fund transfer from Grameen Bank to Grameen Kalyan. The Grameen Bank founder described the disagreement with Norad, the Norwegian aid Ministry, as honest disagreement and said it was a difference of opinion on "modality".
"Other donor agencies did not raise any question on the modality, but Norad did. Later, we had resolved it," said Prof Yunus. He is saddened to see how much of the local media dealt with the issue, and falsely suggested a diversion of funds for purposes unintended by the donors. He, however, wanted to put the controversy behind him and work unitedly for eliminating poverty in Bangladesh. The Nobel laureate made the comments at a press conference at Grameen Bank headquarters in Mirpur.
14. BDR-BSF join survey at Sylhet border put off
Jugantor-13-12-10-(3rd Page): The joint survey at the Sylhet border has been postponed due to fresh tension between the BDR & BSF. It is known that the survey work had been stopped at Goainghat’s Padua border last Saturday due to the offensive attitude of the BDF. The survey was to restart today but did
The joint survey started Goainghat, Jaintapur and Kanaighat border on Dec 7. Indians did not allow joint survey in the area adjacent to the pillar no. 1267 at Goainghat’s Sonarhat border.
BDR and BSF also locked horns at the Padua border after a BSF patrol hindered the BDR party within 150 yards of the border. This has created tension in the border area..
15. Further hearing in hearing in Col Taher case next month
Dhaka, December 13- The High Court has adjourned till next month the hearing on the writ petition that challenged the martial law trial and execution of Col Abu Taher in 1976. Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain accepted the request of Additional Attorney General MK Rahman for more time, and fixed January 6 for next hearing.
The government could not produce records other than a list of names of persons, who were condemned to death in 1976 under military trial. The inspector general (IG) prison’s office informed the HC that total 13 civilians and military personnel including Col Abu Taher were tried and sentenced to death on different dates in 1976 and 1977. Col Taher was executed at 4:30am on July 21, 1976 at the Dhaka Central Jail.
Taher’s wife Lutfa Taher, his brother Anwar Hossain, and Fatema Yusuf, wife of Yusuf Ali Khan who was sentenced to life term in the same trial, had filed the petition on August 22 this year.
16. HUJI MEN HELD IN CHITTAGONG
Dhaka, December 13- Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a predawn raid on Monday busted a secret training centre of banned militant outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) and arrested its five members in Raojan upazila of Chittagong. The elite force also seized some bombs and bomb-making materials from the training centre. (Daily Star)
