Himu's Window

Process on to modernise BDR, raise its strength BDR chief says at Rajshahi flag awarding ceremony   Director General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed yesterday said initiatives are underway to modernise the paramilitary force and increase its strength within a short time. A 'quick reaction force' is being raised in every BDR sector to face emergencies while each battalion will be equipped with an anti-tank platoon, he said. Armored Personal Carriers (a kind of vehicle) were already sent to some sectors to raise the special force, he said. Maj Gen Shakil was addressing 10 BDR Battalion's prestigious colour-flag awarding ceremony at Rajshahi BDR compound. The BDR chief also called upon the troops to dedicate themselves for the cause of the country with utmost honesty. He lauded the success of BDR-run 'Dal-Bhat Operation' and 'Fair Price Shops' in controlling prices of essentials. "You have done this beyond your duty of patr...

Natya Manchayan Parshad organised a condolence meeting in memory of Selim Al Deen, a legendary drama icon of the country, at Padma Manch in Rajshahi city yesterday. Litterateur Hasan Azizul Haque, theatre personality Nasiruddin Yusuf and Prof Moloy Kumar Bhowmik attended the meeting. Photo: STAR   Homage to Selim Al Deen A playwright who developed new drama form   Selim Al Deen, the legendary drama icon of the country, was remembered at a citizens' condolence meeting at Padma Mancha in Rajshahi city yesterday (Sunday). Speakers at the meeting said the death of Al Deen brings to an end the illustrious career of a man who made significant contributions to literature and theatre of Bangladesh. They said he is the only playwright in Bangla literature who developed a 'new drama form' based on the narratives of traditional indigenous theatre. Shakuntala, Kittonkhola, Keramat Mongol, Hat Hadai, Chaka, Joiboti Koinnar Mon, Horgoj, Bonopangshul, Nimojjon and man...

Bird flu spreads in 9 more districts BDR put on alert to check illegal poultry entry Since the outbreak of bird flu in nine more districts in the country this month, 41,620 poultry were culled so far, while the government beefed up its awareness raising campaign and tightened the bio-security measures in border areas. At a news briefing in Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital yesterday Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Manik Lal Samaddar, who is in charge of the fisheries and livestock ministry, said there are 11 points in the border areas where disinfectant is being sprayed regularly to contain the spread of the H5N1virus. Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) was directed to check illegal entry of poultry and eggs from India as in West Bengal the outbreak is currently at a severe level, he added. The already infected farms in the country are under continuous monitoring and the city corporations were directed to improve their waste management to contain the spread of the virus, M...

War Criminals Sector commanders for probe commission with int'l jurists Sector Commanders' Forum, a platform of sector commanders of the Liberation War, yesterday demanded the government initiate trial of war criminals immediately forming an enquiry commission, with the participation of international jurists, and a tribunal under existing laws. "We want the government to form a tribunal under International Crimes Act 1973 and Article 47 (3) of the constitution to try war criminals," said Sector Commanders' Forum Member Secretary Dr MA Hasan. Hasan was briefing reporters at Rajshahi Parjatan Motel with four sector commanders led by deputy chief of Liberation War Forces and Sector Commanders' Forum Chairman Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandakar. Sector Commanders' Forum leaders went to Rajshahi on the second leg of their visit to six divisions of the country to mobilise public opinion for its March 15 national convention and against war criminals. They visite...

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=20386   Family of killed rickshawpuller seeks justice The family of rickshaw-puller Afzal Hossain, reportedly killed in police firing during last August's campus unrest at Rajshahi University (RU), has demanded justice and compensation for his death. Afzal's wife Asma Begum along with her three minor daughters and mother-in-law are surviving on a meal, or less, a day as they wait for justice for their loss. The police had initially claimed that students have beaten Afzal to death. Later when his autopsy report showed that he died from shot wounds, police dropped the issue of Afzal's death from the cases filed against students for lack of witnesses or evidence of who killed him. Afzal's family now lives in a tiny straw hut at Jalmunda village of Jaldhaka upazila in Nilphamari district in dire poverty. Choking on her tears, his 25 year old wife Asma said, "I heard many teachers were punished (for violating ...

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=19607   Govt must ensure welfare of indigenous people Speakers tell Gono Gobeshak Confce   Girls from indigenous community perform a dance number at a function marking the Gono Gobeshak Conference at Tanore in Rajshahi.   Speakers at the Gono Gobeshak Conference yesterday said the government must play a major role in ensuring welfare of underprivileged indigenous groups. They said the achievements of different NGOs in development of neglected indigenous ethnic societies are small in comparison to their huge population. So, government should undertake an initiative to follow the examples of Gono Gobeshak (researchers among rural poor) programme. Eminent litterateur Prof Hasan Azizul Haque attended the conference as the chief guest while Rabindranath Saren, general secretary, Jatiya Adibashi Parishad, Rina Roy, director (Rights), Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), and Tanore Upazila Nirbahi Officer Majedur Rahman...

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=19495   Switzerland to spend 20m francs annually for dev projects for five yrs     Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Dora Rapold yesterday said her country would spend up to 20 million Swiss francs annually for different development projects for next five years. "We have defined our priorities which include strengthening of the local government and spreading of education among the rural poor," she said. "Our second priority will be rural employment and income generating activities apart from funding on micro-credit and small entrepreneur promotion," she added. Dora was talking to The Daily Star after her visit to some projects involving indigenous groups on fisheries, sanitation and water distribution system at Tanore and Mohonpur upazilas. "We took Rajshahi and Sunamganj as our priority region considering povert...

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=19299   Defamation Suit By VC Arrest warrant against RU senior teacher   Rajshahi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court yesterday issued arrest warrant against a Rajshahi University teacher in a defamation suit filed by the vice-chancellor. CMM Rejaul Karim issued the arrest warrant against history teacher M Faruk-uz Zaman after police report said that RU VC Prof Dr M Altaf Hossain's allegations against him (Faruk-uz Zaman) made in suit were correct. In his allegation, the VC said the teacher tried defame him and also threatened him. Faruk-uz-Zaman on July 7 last year sent memoranda to the Chief Adviser of caretaker government, education adviser, University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman and the RU VC containing allegations of irregularities against the VC and demanding his...

Caption: With rising Islamic fundamentalism, weak government, and not enough dry land for its 150 million people, Bangladesh could use a break. Instead, it must face the catastrophic threat of climate change. Bangladesh - Waterworld is published in the Monthly Atlantic's January/February 2008 issue by Robert D. Kaplan (Robert D. Kaplan is correspondent for The Atlantic and has reported on assignment from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and the United States. Kaplan, is the Class of 1960 Distinguished Visiting Professor in National Security at the U.S. Naval Academy. His latest book is Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts: The American Military in the Air, at Sea, and on the Ground.) The monsoon arrived while I was in a shallow-draft boat traveling over a village that was now underwater. In its place was a mile-wide channel, created by erosion over the years, separating the mainland of Bangladesh from a char—a temporary delta island that would someday dissolve just...

Amnesty International visits Bangladesh 4 January 2008 An Amnesty International delegation, led by Secretary General Irene Khan, is making a special trip to Bangladesh to discuss human rights issues with members of its government, political parties and civil society. The mission comes on the eve of the anniversary of 2007's declaration of the state of emergency. It is the first visit of an Amnesty International Secretary General to the country. The spotlight will be on the rule of law, with special focus on the institutional changes necessary to promote and protect human rights in Bangladesh. Representatives of the delegation will visit Dhaka and Rajshahi and will meet with survivors of human rights violations and members of civil society. They will meet senior members of the caretaker government, including the Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, and Adviser of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Barrister Mainul Hos...