1. AL warns party MPs, BCL troublemakers

MPs won’t get party ticket in future if found involved in graft, ALCWC meeting told

The high-ups of ruling Awami League yesterday warned its legislators that if they indulge in corruption and irregularities they would not be given the party ticket in future elections.

Meanwhile, the grassroots of Awami League urged the party high command to reduce the gaps that have developed between the government and the party, and the ministers, lawmakers and grassroots.

Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina said she is making a list of people in Bangladesh Chhatra League who were involved in incidents of violence across the country and those people would be arrested soon.

At the four-hour-long Awami League Central Working Committee meeting at Gono Bhaban, presidents and general secretaries of the party’s district units also urged the party central to strengthen the party activities by forming new committees of different bodies of Awami League and its associated bodies including Chhatra League and Jubo League.

At the meeting that started around 6:00pm, a number of district leaders drew Hasina’s attention to the fact that many lawmakers have indulged themselves in unlawful activities. Hasina chaired the meeting.

They said lawmakers are too busy distributing wheat of Test Relief and Government Relief rather than dealing with issues the grassroots face at their constituencies. They do not even keep in touch with organisational district leaders or give time for party activities in their constituencies, the district leaders claimed.

Party General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam at the meeting said nomination would not be given to those legislators who indulge in corruption and irregularities and who stay busy with only distributing wheat.

"Stay away from wheat and change your mindset," said Ashraf, adding that he is making a list of MPs who have strayed from the righteous path.

He also asked the lawmakers and district leaders to unite and strengthen the party at the district level.

The district leaders talked about incidents of intra-party feud in many places and said the feuds were taking place since councils of grassroots Awami League committees were long due.

The next working committee meeting would decide on those councils.

A few leaders spoke about the unruly Chhatra League, Jubo League and party men and urged the premier to take tough action.

Hasina responded by saying the members of Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal have intruded into Chhatra League and they are responsible for the recent incidents of violence across the country.

She said she has been preparing a list of those intruders. "There is proof that Shibir has infiltrated Chhatra League. Those, whoever they are, are creating chaos in the name of Chhatra League. They will be contained with strict hands," Hasina was quoted as saying in the meeting.

"Many Chhatra League workers have been arrested and if necessary more will be arrested. None will be spared," she said.

The district leaders said the government development activities at union parishad levels are being hampered due to non-holding of elections to local government bodies.

In response, the Awami League central urged the district leaders to finalise a single candidate for the elections to avert intra-party feuds.

Talking to The Daily Star Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said an initiative would be taken to reduce the gap between the government and the party.http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147120

2. Power import deal with India likely this month

Dhaka: Bangladesh is likely to sign with India a power transmission agreement within this month to allow import of 250 megawatts of power from India, said a top source at the Power Development Board (PDB).

Side by side, the two countries are likely to finalise a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a joint venture between the PDB and Indian National Thermal Power Company (NTPC).

This joint venture would allow the two nations to set up a 1320MW coal fired power plant in Khulna.

“Negotiations with India for power transmission connectivity have already been completed,” said the source. Now, the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) and Power Grid Company of India (PGCI) are ready to sign an agreement that would dictate the financial and technical terms.

As per the draft agreement on power transmission, PGCI would recover cost of a 100-kilometre power transmission line that is being built in bordering India to connect to the Bangladeshi grid. The payment will be made under a fixed formula every year for the contract period of 30 years.

The Indian power tariff, a separate cost, will be determined by the Indian Energy Regulatory Commission.

In Bangladesh, the PGCB in April had floated tender to set up a 40km transmission line in Bheramara with a high voltage sub-station at a cost of 150 million US dollars funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The ADB is reviewing the tender evaluation result for the last two months. Once it is over, the PGCB would award the contract to the lowest responsive bidder so that the job can be completed within two years.

The power transmission line of the two countries will have the capacity to deal with 500MW power.

Regarding the MoU for the joint venture agreement for building the coal fired plant, India has expressed reservations about some terms and conditions spelled out by Bangladesh last month.

“But we are expecting that these would be sorted out within this month and the MoU will be signed,” said the PDB source.

In May, India had sent Bangladesh a draft agreement outlining that the NTPC would manage and finance the two-unit coal-based plant in Khulna that would be jointly built with the PDB. Under this joint venture, the board of directors will be headed by Bangladesh. The number of NTPC representatives will be higher than those of Bangladesh by one.

In June, a high-powered committee headed by adviser to prime minister on economic affairs Dr Mashiur Rahman reviewed the Indian proposal and decided to suggest that the Bangladeshi share in this plant should increase gradually.

On January 3 this year, Bangladesh signed several MoUs with India. Those include one on power import and setting up the coal-based power plant under a government-to-government joint venture.

As part of cooperation between the two countries, the NTPC is already conducting a feasibility study for the coal-fired plant while the PDB has acquired land in Khulna and Chittagong to build.http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147059