Himu's Window

Sunday, October 18, 2009 The government should allow the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to act independently, speakers at the BBC-Bangladesh Sanglap programme yesterday. The ACC should also act without fear or favour to protect the country's economy and prevent social discrimination, they said. Rajshahi Mayor and Awami League leader AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Organising Secretary of BNP Mizanur Rahman Minu, Rajshahi University teacher Moloy Bhoumik and Roksana Ferdousi, senior project officer of Barendra Unnayan Forum, were the panellists in the Sanglap held at Rajshahi Medical College auditorium in the city. Replying to a question why the ACC became inactive during the rule of a political government, Moloy Bhoumik said, "Making ACC inactive is part of our political culture where only a few are free from corruption. Solving the problem is not possible without raising a massive awareness about corruption." Mizanur Rahman Minu said ACC has lost its credibilit...

Sunday, October 18, 2009 A ruling Awami League lawmaker, whose annual income was around Tk 1 lakh before the election less than 10 months ago, has bought a luxury minivan for Tk 22 lakh. M Meraj Uddin Mollah, MP from Rajshahi-3 (Paba-Mohonpur) constituency, splashed out on a Toyota Noah at a showroom in Chittagong on September 29. The next day, he spent around Tk 60,000 more to register the multi-purpose vehicle with Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Rajshahi, say registration documents obtained by The Daily Star. In an affidavit attached to his nomination papers for the December 29 general election, Meraj claimed he is a farmer by profession and that his income from farming is around Tk 75,000 a year. An additional Tk 36,000 earned from house rents adds up to Tk 1.11 lakh a year. According to the affidavit, Meraj owns movable and immovable property worth Tk 6.21 lakh. Those include 28 bighas of land valued at Tk 4.06 lakh. Talking to The Daily Star, Meraj Mollah c...

The seven arrested members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were taken on a fresh five-day remand last afternoon. The court of Metropolitan Magistrate BM Tariqul Kabir granted the five-day remand after police had produced the militants before the court with remand prayers for eight days, said Sub-Inspector M Hafizur Rahman, investigation officer (IO) of the case. Police identified the arrestees as JMB Rajshahi division chief Ashraf alias Haider, 32, Naogaon district chief Abdur Rahim, 30, and Natore district chief Shahabuddin, 35, and JMB ehsar (full-time) members Md Momtaz, 20, Asadul Islam, 30, Rohidul, 35, and Isarul Islam, 22. On October 10, the militants were taken on a seven-day remand that ended yesterday. A team of Special Branch of police arrested them from four greater Rajshahi districts. Senior police officials said, the seven militants during interrogation on remand denied their involvement in JMB activities. Rather they co...

Friday, October 16, 2009 Speakers at a discussion in Rajshahi on Wednesday said though hunger situation has improved in the country, it might worsen again due to climate change impacts. The hunger situation has improved because of the overall socio-economic development, but the growth might be hampered due to increasing climatic change, they noted. They said the impacts of recurring storms, cyclones, draught and lack of rainfall during monsoon and excessive rain in other seasons might affect the agriculture and economy and, thus, mar the food security status. The speakers called for using appropriate technologies that promise to help reduce the impacts of climate change and foster introduction of new energy-efficient technologies and services. Rajshahi chapter of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) organised the discussion styled 'Tackling climate change through standards' on the occasion of World Standards Day at Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and...

Friday, October 16, 2009 The central bank has put in place a three-tier monitoring system to ensure a proper distribution of Tk 12,000 crore in farm loans across the county. "Apart from BB's monitoring, the respective banks will also monitor their own distribution," said Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman at a discussion meeting with reporters at the central bank's Rajshahi office yesterday. "We are also training 80 new officials. With the completion of their training, the officials will spread across the country and monitor the distribution for 15 days," Rahman said. BB has asked all banks to record the mobile numbers of farmers who will be given loans so that the monitoring staff can contact them easily about loan distribution. Rahman said the latest policy has set the target for agricultural loans 25 percent higher at Tk 12,000 crore. "It's a big jump and it includes Tk 500 crore for distribution among sharecroppers. So, we are...

Thursday, October 15, 2009 As managing director of Ena Properties, Awami League lawmaker M Enamul Haque yesterday singed an agreement with the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) for construction of a 16-storey building in the city, ignoring the electoral laws. The Representation of the People Order (RPO) does not allow the ruling party lawmaker and his developer firm to have the contract for construction of the City Centre. According to the RPO, a lawmaker may be disqualified from remaining an MP if he ignores the RPO provision that bars him from being engaged with any work for the supply of goods to, or for the execution of any contract or the performance of any services undertaken by government. But neither the ruling party lawmaker nor the RCC bothered about the RPO to sign the agreement for the construction. Under the deal, the MP's real estate company will fund and construct the City Centre on 24 kathas of the RCC land spending around Tk 40 crore raising total sp...

Thursday, October 15, 2009 Patients at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) are served less than half of the prescribed quantity of fish with meal. The staggering information was revealed as a mobile court conducted a drive at the hospital canteen on Tuesday night. Raiding the kitchen at dinner time, the mobile court found each piece of fish, ready for serving the patients, weighed around 30 gram whereas a patient is entitled to get 80-gram fish as per official order. Executive Magistrate Zahid Hossain Siddik, who led the drive, fined Abdul Mannan, a supervisor of the kitchen, Tk 10,000 for supplying lower amount of fish dishes to the patients. The drive was conducted under the joint initiative of the district administration, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) and Consumers Association of Bangladesh. Supply of low quality meal has become a usual matter and the food often stinks, RMCH patients told the court. A deputy director of RMCH, who accompanie...