18-party hartal in 3 districts today

The Chapainawabganj and Sirajganj units of 18-party opposition alliance and the Khulna unit of Bangladesh Nationalist Party have called general strikes in the districts for today in protest against killings of alliance leaders and activists during and after the March 27-28 non-stop country-wide hartal.

The Chapainawabganj unit of the BNP-led combine and the BNP Khulna unit have called a dawn-to-dusk general shutdown in their respective districts while the Sirajganj unit of the alliance has called a six-hour hartal in the district beginning from 6:00am today.

Three Islami Chhatra Shibir activists died in Chapainawabganj and one activist each of Shibir and the BNP died in Sirajganj in hartal violent on Friday. Two BNP leaders were also killed in Khulna during the 36-hour general shutdown on Wednesday and Thursday.

More than 2,000 people have been sued for their alleged involvement in violence in the past three days.

New Age correspondent in Chapainawabganj reports the police have sued 1,500 people in three separate cases for obstructing police duty, attacking police and damaging government property in the district headquarters and Shibganj upazila on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Shibganj police officer-in-charge Mizanur Rahman said sub-inspector Dipak Kumar filed one of the cases against 13 named and more than 400 unnamed people while SI Shahidul Islam filed another case accusing nine named and 500 unnamed people.

The third case was filed with the Chapainawabganj Sadar police against 652 named and 600 unnamed people, said Sadar police officer-in-charge Enayet Hossain.

An activist of Shibir and two of Jamaat-e-Islami died and 30 others sustained bullet injuries in police firing when Jamaat-Shibir activists staged demonstrations, exploded crude bombs, and launched attacks on police in Shorupnagar and Shibtala areas of Chapainawabganj town.

The Chapainawabganj unit of the 18-party line-up will observe a dawn-to-dusk strike in the district in protest against the killings.

Meanwhile, Section 144 was imposed on Saturday by the district administration in Chapainawabganj town and by the Shibganj upazila administration in Shibganj municipality area and at Kansat Bazar.

Our correspondent in Sirajganj reports sub-inspector Habibur Rahman has lodged a case with the Belkuchi police accusing 29 identified BNP-Jamaat men and 500 unidentified people of being involved in Friday’s violence.

One activist of the BNP and another of its ally Jamaat-e-Islami were shot dead and 45 others, including two journalists and three policemen, injured in clashes on Friday with police and Awami League activists at Kalyanpur. Nine were injured being hit by bullets.

The 18-party Sirajganj unit has called a six-hour strike from 6:00am to noon for Sunday in protest at the killings.

The opposition alliance and law enforcement agencies meanwhile have agreed that the alliance would shun violence, if the police did not go into the area. Belkuchi police OC Samsul Haque and Jamaat Belkuchi upazila amir Arifur Rahman Sohel confirmed the agreement made between the two sides.

No police were seen in the area while locals said the situation at the moment was normal.

New Age staff correspondent in Khulna adds the BNP district unit called a daylong hartal for today protesting the killings of two of its leaders in Terokheda and Dumuria.

None of the 15 identified people accused of killing in Terokheda was arrested yet while the Dumuria police filed no case in connection with the killings in violence till Saturday afternoon.

The police faced a stiff resistance in Khulna, Jessore, Jhenaidah, Satkania, and Rajshahi in the past two weeks from mobs of villagers incited by Jamaat-Shibir men during raids to arrest opposition activists. (Source)

Tk 6,852cr for Padma Bridge in next budget: Muhith

The government would set aside Tk 6,852 crore for building the much- talked about Padma Bridge in the next fiscal. finance minister AMA Muhith said on Saturday.

The government allocated Tk 1,500 crore for the bridge in the revised budget of the outgoing fiscal, Muhith told reporters on the sidelines of a pre-budget discussion he had with a select group of editors of l newspapers, an online new agency and private TV channels at his secretariat office.

He said the government would come up with a plan of funding the bridge and its sources by next week.

Cancellation of the World Bank credit on corruption allegations forced the government to look for alternative funding sources for building the multi-billion dollar Padma Bridge.

Allegations of corruption against former communication sminisyer Syed Abul Hossain and other government functionaries led the WB to cancel the credit.

Credit proposals from Malaysia and China are under the government’s consideration, said officials.

Muhith said the budget for the next fiscal would attach priority to Padma Bridge construction, development of the country’s railway and ports.

He said like previous years the new budget would bring out a separate book on power sector.

He hoped that there would be no electricity shortage in the county from 2017 onwards.

Muhith evaded questions on repeated share market scams and defalcation of banks by Hallmark and other groups.

He said the capacity of budget implementation and the success of annual development programmes increased under the present government.

He said that the mobilization resources from the internal sources also increased.

Muhith said that due to opposition from Muhammad Yunus the government could not bring any changes in Grameen Bank.

Yumus does not want Grameen Bank to sustain, said Muhith.

The government is also unable to appointment a new managing director of Grameen Bank due to opposition from Yunus, said the finance minister.

Muhith said that the acting managing director of Grameen Bank toed Yunus. (Source)

Shahjalal Islami Bank sues Bismillah Towels

Shahjalal Islami Bank on Friday night filed a case against 11 top executives of Bismillah Towels Limited and former SIB Eskaton branch manager on the charge of embezzlement of about Tk 102 crore from the bank branch.

The accused persons listed the first information report include Khaza Solaiman Anwar Chowdhury, managing director of Bismillah Towels, managing director of Network Freight System Limited and owner of Banglus Middle East FZE, UAE, Nowrin Hasib, chairman of Bismillah Towels and director of Network Freight System Limited, Bismillah Towels directors Abid Hasan, Nahid Anwar Khan, Khandekar Muhammad Moinuddin Ishaq, Safiqul Islam Anwar Chowdhury, and Sarowar Jahan, Akbar Aziz Muttaqui, deputy managing director of Bismillah Towels, and director of Network Freight System, M Abul Hossain Chowdhury, senior manager of Bismillah Towels, M Akter Hossain, chairman of Network Freight System, M Mainuddin owner of TW Express, and M Aslamul Haque, suspended manager of Shahjalal Islami Bank’s Eskaton branch.

M Nakibul Islam, the new branch manager of Shahjalal Islami Bank filed the case with Ramna police station, according to the FIR.

The FIR states that Bismillah Towels illegally embezzled the money in collusion with the former branch manager of Shahjalal Islami Bank Aslamul Haque, now under suspension.

The manager of the bank branch, Aslamul Haque illegally allowed Bismillah Towels Limited to open the back to back letter of credit against sales contract without the master letter of credit, said the FIR and withdraw the money causing loss to Shahjalal Islami Bank, said the FIR.

Bismillah Towels drew about Tk 240 crore from the bank branch between October 2011 to Jun 2012, abusing the whole process, said the FIR.

Later, Bismillah Towels showed that about Tk 137 crore was adjusted as export prize, the FIR said.

The FIR said that Shahjalal Islami Bank’s head office instituted several investigations out of suspicions that the credit was provided on fishy grounds and it would risky to realize it.

The bank’s inspection teams found that Bismillah Towels provided sales contract it had signed with International Trading Company, USA, having no address, said the FIR.

No importer could be identified from the sales contract as it does not provide the designations of the persons who had signed the contract on behalf of International Trading Company, USA, said the FIR.

The commercial invoice showed Banglus Middle East FZE, UAE and Banglus Singapore as the notifying party representing International Trading Company, USA, said the FIR.

Shahjalal Bank found out that the owner of Banglus Middle East FZE, UAE  Khaza Solaiman Anwar Chowdhury is also managing director of Bismillah Towels Limited, the FIR said.

The FIR said the then manager of the Eskaton branch of Shahjalal Islami Bank sanctioned the credit without scrutinizing the loan documents of Bismillah Towels.

The FIR said that the Bismillah Towels submitted false 119 shipping documents to the bank branch as an exporter of products.

Bismilla Towels prepared the false documents at the office two Chittagong based companies: TW Express and Faridpur Shipping Line, said the FIR.

Shahjalal Bank’s inspection team also found out that Network Freight System, a sister concern of Bismillah Towels, issued fake house bills of lading.

All these forgery was exposed by reviewing the export general manifest with Chittagong Custom House, said the FIR.

Plaintiff M Nakibul Islam refused to reply to questions from New Age.

The matter is ‘very confidential’ and it is not for the media, he said.

Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating into allegations that Bismillah Group, of which Bismillah Towels is an enterprise, embezzled around Tk 1,100 crore from five banks, including Shahjalal Islami Bank, by producing fake documents. (Source)

Secretarial panel against separate pay-structures for BB, SCBs

A secretary-level committee has turned down a proposal for introducing separate pay-scales for the central bank and the state-owned commercial banks, saying it will be tantamount to discrimination against the overall public pay-structure, officials said.

The committee headed by cabinet secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan came up with the views in a recently held meeting.

Other committee members, like the secretaries to civil administration ministry, Prime Minister’s Office, defence ministry, legislative and parliamentary affairs ministry, and finance and banking divisions of the finance ministry, observed that the pay-structure of government bureaucrats should be consistent with that of officials of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies. 

The neighbouring India also maintains consistency between the salary-structure of government bureaucrats and that of officials of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, they pointed out.

The committee was formed in February to further review the proposal for separate pay-structures for officials and employees of Bangladesh Bank and the SCBs.

The meeting also decided to co-opt former BB deputy governor Nazrul Huda and Bangladesh Development Bank former managing director Mizarul Rahman into the committee to help finalise the committee decisions.

The decisions of the secretary-level committee are seen to frustrate the officials and employees of the BB and Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks as they for long have been demanding a separate pay-scale to prevent brain-draining. 

BB and SCB officials argue that they could not retain talented and upcoming officials as they opt for lucrative jobs at private banks and financial institutions.

Central bank officials said they had been trying to persuade the government to introduce a separate pay-structure since 2005.

But, they alleged, the finance ministry had always been against introduction of the much-needed pay-structure. (Source)

Dipu Moni seeks co-op in climate change, natural disasters areas

The foreign minister, Dipu Moni, who attended the 11th ministerial meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue in the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe identified climate change and natural disasters as key challenges for sustainable development in Asia and sought cooperation in the areas.

She said this at the ACD ministerial held with the theme ‘Towards economic growth, stability and prosperity in Asia through sustainable development.’

The Asia Cooperation Dialogue is a forum for dialogue among 32 participating Asian countries. Bangladesh is a founding member of the platform.

Since the inception of the ACD in 2002, the foreign ministers of member states have been meeting annually.

On developmental challenges for Asia, Dipu Moni highlighted a peace-centric development model which could be a valuable input for the discourse on post-MDG development agenda.

The foreign minister supported the decision to establish a provisional secretariat for the ACD in Kuwait City.

Dipu Moni sought support of the ACD member states for Bangladesh’s candidature for the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the term 2016–17.

On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, she met the Tajikistan president Emomali Rahmon and expressed Bangladesh’s interest in exporting skilled manpower to Tajikistan. The Tajik president assured of considering the issue.

During her stay in Dushanbe, Dipu Moni also held a bilateral meeting with the Tajik foreign minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and discussed finalisation of the agreement on trade and economic cooperation.

The Tajik foreign minister showed interest in appointing an honorary consul in Bangladesh. He also proposed the exploration of the possibility of establishment of flight operation between Dhaka and Dushanbe.

The foreign minister also held bilateral meetings with the deputy prime minister and the foreign minister of Kuwait and the vice-foreign minister of Japan on the sidelines of the ACD ministerial.

During the meeting, Kuwait showed interest in investing in the oil and gas sectors in Bangladesh. Dipu Moni discussed further scope of manpower export and defence cooperation with Kuwait.

The Kuwaiti foreign minister said that the Kuwaiti emir hoped to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient date in near future.

The Japanese vice-foreign minister said that although their ODA was decreasing their support for Bangladesh had remained unchanged.

Dipu Moni thanked the Japanese vice-minister for their support in the infrastructure projects in Bangladesh and their 34th Yen loan package of $2 billion.

Japan sought Bangladesh’s support for Tokyo as the city of Olympic in 2020.

Dipu Moni also exchanged views with the foreign ministers of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Iran. (Source)