BANGLADESH

Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) has disconnected 14 carriers for owing billions to the state-owned company as unpaid dues in international calls.

The companies owe BTCL nearly Tk 2 billion, BTCL managing director Abu Sayed Khan told  on Wednesday.

"Their bank guarantees have been confiscated and cases would be filed against them," he said.

Of these companies, Digitech of Singapore alone owes BTCL approximately Tk 1 billion, Khan said.

The other errant companies are Genosys and Aristocall Services of the US, Moni Enterprise, Western Network, Window, Simple Tel, Rayan Tel, XFTel and Lica Tel of UK, NTS Global, One World and Eye Power of Singapore and IM Group of Hong Kong.

BTCL originally had 55 synchronous transport modules or STMs, of which it had earlier disconnected 10. With the axe now falling on 14, the operator now has 31 STMs, commonly known referred to as carriers.

Khan said each carrier had a bank guarantee of Tk 90 million, which BTCL has seized. He said the unpaid dues shot up so high due to the delay in preparing bills for the companies.

However, an official seeking anonymity told  that BTCL had taken no measures to notify the carriers even after dues exceeded their bank guarantees.

Khan said the latest model of IGWs would soon be in place, which would make the billing process easier and more transparent.

Legally, the nation earns $ 0.03 for each minute of incoming and ISD calls, which the IGWs collect from the carriers. According to Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, 50 million minutes of legal international calls are made every day.

The Asian Development Bank's country director on Wednesday said financiers of the Padma bridge project will sit after Jan 12 when the World Bank's local chief will return from Washington.

"The World Bank country director (Allen Goldstein) is now in Washington and discussing the Padma bridge project at the head office," Thevakumar Kandiah told .

Washington-based World Bank is the biggest co-financier of the much coveted project.

"All of us will sit together after her arrival and we can reach a decision then," he said.

The government and the World Bank locked in a battle over corruption issue when the lending agency came up with allegation that former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain was engaged in extortion in the project.

He was removed from the post, apparently to pave way for getting the necessary finance for the project, and replaced by Obaidul Quader.

The bridge at Mawa-Jajira is the biggest ever infrastructure project in Bangladeshwith total estimated cost of $2.9 billion which is co-financed by World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Japan.

The government signed agreements with World Bank for $1.2 billion loan, Asian Development Bank for $615, Japan for $400 million and IDB for $140 million.

The government attached top priority to building Padma bridge after coming to power in 2009.

It has completed the designs of main bridge, river management, and approach roads of both sides.

The length of the main bridge is 6.15 kilometres and 14 kilometres of the river will be come under management and length of approach road is 12 kilometres.

The bridge, once constructed, is expected to help the economy grow by 1.2 per cent and cut poverty at 0.84 per cent per annum.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina says she is not afraid of losing an election if the people can vote freely.

Democracy, according to Hasina, is the first and only real issue in politics for her.

"If people can apply their voting rights properly and freely, I am willing to accept both victory and defeat in the coming elections," Hasina told senior police officers on Wednesday during a programme to mark the Police Week, held at her office.

Hasina urged the police force to pool all their strength to ensure democracy stays out of harm's way.

She also instructed the police to support the opposition in carrying out their peaceful democratic programmes, but to be strict when they take up "destructive" activities.

"The opposition parties have their democratic rights and they can enforce any peaceful programme. But do not tolerate their destructive activities," she said.

Road march programmes, she said, were "all right", and the police must cooperate with the opposition leaders and activists when they observe such programmes. "But destructive activities, like those of Dec 18, will not be tolerated," she warned.

On Dec 18, the police charged baton on participants of a BNP event to honour freedom fighters at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in the capital. Following the incident, several homemade bombs exploded across the city, killing one person and injuring several others.

In other incidents of arson, unidentified men set fire to eight buses in the city, while a bus each was torched in Sylhet and Sirajganj. The Sylhet incident left one passenger dead.

The ruling party and the opposition blamed each other for the incidents.

At Wednesday's police programme, Hasina claimed the government has implemented 93 percent of the Annual Development Plan and discarded allegations that it suffers from "poor" management.

She also thanked the police personnel for playing an "extraordinary" role in fighting terrorism and militancy.

Ruling Awami League-backed mayoral aspirant Afzol Khan expressed his content with the voting environment and said he would accept whatever results come out.

"Election environment is free and fair, so far. There has been a mass upsurge in favour of me," he told reporters after casting his vote around 9:20am at Comilla Modern Primary School centre.

The 66-year-old district unit joint convenor of Awami League took rest for a while on the first floor as he felt sick after casting his vote.

Later, he left to visit other centres.

Khan, a heavyweight mayoral aspirant, is fighting with 'Pineapple' symbol.

"I am hopeful of my victory," he said.

Presence of voters increased as time went by.

Around 169,273 voters are expected to cast their votes in the nation's smallest city corporation.

A general holiday has been announced in Comilla ahead of the polls. Preparations have been taken to announce results at the city's Town Hall.


The Election Commission is hopeful that it would be able to publish the results within a short time as they are using Electronic Voting Machine.

According to locals, among the nine mayoral aspirants in the Comilla polls, main contest would be between Afzol Khan and renegade BNP candidate Monirul Haque Sakku.

Sakku, fighting with 'Duck' symbol, also the former municipal mayor, announced his participation in the polls after BNP boycotted the polls protesting against the use of EVM.

There are nine mayoral aspirants and 305 others are contending for general counsellor and reserved female posts.

Voting in the maiden city corporation election in Comilla experienced more-than-expected spontaneity among female voters while easy-to-use Electronic Voting Machines earned unconditional praises from both men and women on Thursday.

Amid boycott by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the voting began at 8 am amid a peaceful environment, said returning officer Abdul Baten.

As time went by, presence of enthusiast voters increased.

In Comilla, the numbers of female voters exceeds the male voters by 3,000. Their presence at various voting centres was higher than expected.

Voters started gathering at the Police Line High School centre from around 7:30am. Presiding officer of the centre said vote casting was going on smoothly.

Long queue of voters were seen at the Comilla Collegiate School centre. The queue of the female voters was longer than the male one.

Similar picture was seen at Shylarani Debi High School centre.

A general holiday has been announced in Comilla for the polls.
Preparations have been taken to announce results at the city's Town Hall.

Presiding officer at Comilla Modern School centre in ward-8 Gazi Al Amin told , "We have started taking votes on time."

"There have not been any problems with the new [EVM] technology," he said.

He added that agents of all the candidates were present in the centre.

About the use of EVMs, the voters aired their satisfaction.
"It is very easy to cast vote with an EVM," housewife Rumi Akter told  after coming out of Shylarani Debi High School centre.


Residents of the city's North Chatra Dulali and Mumtaz said, though they were initially a bit nervous, they ultimately found it easy and comfortable.
They said they came to know about the use of EVMs before the polls.

The EC's coordinator for EVM operations Lutful Kabir, a BUET teacher, said he expected a 'one-hundred percent' success.

There are nine mayoral aspirants and 305 others are contending for general counsellor and reserved female posts.