BANGLADESH

US ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena has advised Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to wipe away its past stigma and offer good services to the people and be respectful to their rights and law.

There have been allegations of a large number of extrajudicial killings against the elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism paramilitary unit of the police force.

"RAB has a stigma in its comparative success in some incidents of the past against terrorism and crimes. You're the key to put an end to the chapter of the history of RAB and open a new chapter," the US official said while speaking at the closing session of a training course at the RAB headquarters in the city on Wednesday.

The course was launched on Nov 29 last year with the help of US embassy in Dhaka and ended on Jan 5. Nineteen RAB officials who took part in the course were given certificates at the function.

Home minister Shahara Khatun was the chief guest while state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku, Dan W Mozena, inspector general of police (IGP) Hasan Mahmud Khandaker and RAB director general Mokhlesur Rahman were the special guests.

The US envoy said Internal Investigation Cell has devised a new system to receive complaints from the people, registration and taking cognizance of those. "It's the first code of conduct for RAB."

According to a report of New York-based Human Rights Watch (RHW), a human rights organisation, a total of 622 people were killed in the so-called gunfight with RAB from its formation in June 2004 to June 2011. While RAB have long been saying that its members retaliate to save themselves.

Last year, Amnesty International and different rights organisations urged the UK and USA not to provide any assistance to RAB.

Expressing gratitude to the US government for conducting the course for the RAB members, Shahara said: "This initiative will help ensure RAB's transparency and accountability in protecting human rights, and accelerating the administrative activities of the elite force."

The function was told that the internal investigation cell would investigate if anyone complains against any RAB personnel. The activities of the cell would be conducted under the supervision of the RAB DG and its Legal and Media Wing.

The home ministry also said the activities of the investigation and forensic wing of RAB were in progress. "Thus RAB will get a forensic lab enriched with modern and developed technology."

Shahara also said the government is committed to develop the service of RAB with modern technology.

Slain mayor of Narsingdi Lokman Hossain has been in the centre of discussion ahead of the by-election to the municipal corporation scheduled for Thursday.

Mayoral candidate Kamruzzaman Kamrul, who is the brother of Lokman, is trying to ride on sympathy votes demanding trial of the mayor killing case. Montajuddin Bhuiyan, another aspirant accused of the murder, is claiming that he was implicated as part of a conspiracy.

Following the murder of Lokman, a two-time gold medallist for being the best mayor, local unit of the ruling Awami League has been virtually split with MP Nazurl Islam Hiru supporting Kamruzzaman and most of the leaders of party's district unit including president Md Asaduzzaman backing Montaj, president of AL's town unit.

Kamruzzaman will contest the polls with 'cup-saucer' symbol, Montaj with 'pineapple', Amzad Hossain Bhuiyan with 'wall clock', Haji Afzal Hossain Mollah with 'telephone', Ariful Islam with 'optical glasses' and Mosabbir Ahmed Nasir with 'ink-pot'.

Lokman, also the general secretary of town unit of Awami League, was killed by masked gunmen on Nov 1.

The Election Commission has completed all preparations to hold the polls using electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Returning officer Md Abdul Wadud said voting would go on at 31 poling centres from 8am to 4pm.

He said web cams will be set up at all the poling centres.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said the prices of essential commodities have been brought within the reach of the common people after her government took the office.

Addressing a public rally in the Manikganj Govt Boys High School playground on Wednesday, she said during the last Awami League government (1996-2001) price of rice was Tk 10 per kg, but it increased under the BNP-led four-party coalition government to Tk 40.

"The prices of commodities have come within the reach of the people after the Awami League came in power for a second term," she added.

On the education scenario, the prime minister said now the students at the secondary level are getting books on the very first day of the academic year.

"Apart from making the students skilled in computer science, the government is offering them laptops at cheap prices," she said hoping that Doel, the first laptop brand to be assembled in Bangladesh, would reach every student in future.

Named after the national bird, Doel is believed to revolutionise the high-tech industry of the country.

Terming the government's role in the agriculture sector appreciative, Hasina said the farmers now can open bank accounts with nominal initial deposit. They are enjoying the scopes of cultivation taking loans from banks in easy instalments, she said.

Criticising the previous BNP-Jamaat government, the prime minister said: "That time there'd been no atmosphere of observing festivals in the country. But the countrymen now can observe Bijoy Dibash (Victory Day), Pohela Boishakh (the first day of the Bengali calendar) and other festivals through a festive and congenial atmosphere."

She said the trial of those who had committed crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971 must be held "as it's a demand of the people." "None can save them."

The prime minister alleged that the previous BNP government had committed a massive looting and corruption and had not worked for the development of the country.

"They (BNP) had misappropriated the fund of Zia Orphanage Trust, and pushed the countrymen into a state of unhappiness through terrorism and criminal activities. That's why they experienced a big defeat in the last parliamentary elections."

About the development of Manikganj, Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, said a power plant would be set up in Aricha Ghat area of Shibalay upazila in the district.

The plant would resolve the power crisis in the area, she added.

The prime minister said industries would be set up in the area to create jobs for the unemployed youths.

Presided over by Manikganj district AL president Golam Mohiuddin, the rally was addressed, among others, by local government and rural development minister Syed Ashraful Islam, shipping minister Shahjahan Khan and local MP Jahid Malik Swapan.

The viva for candidates who passed the 31st BCS written tests will begin on Feb 6.

In the first phase, 1,573 candidates who passed in the general cadre category will be interviewed until Feb 20, the Public Service Commission said in a media release.

The schedule for other candidates will be let known later.

The oral exams will be held from 10am Feb 6 at the commission's head office. The interviewees have been mailed their admit cards.

If any interviewee does not received their admit card three days before the date, they will be able to collect it from the commission's office by submitting two authenticated passport size photos, the release said.

All candidates must bring certified photocopies of all their certificates at the time of interview.

The result of the written test of the 31st Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) was announced on Jan 12.

A total of 6884 candidates passed the test. Of them, 3,066 came out successful in the general cadre, 2,805 in general and vocational, and 1,011 in professional cadres.

A total of 141,465 candidates sat the preliminary test of the 31st BCS examination held on May 27 last year.

The government circular reminding public servants that they cannot make any speculative investment was withdrawn about two hours after it was issued.

The move was the latest in a series of dramatic announcements and clarifications going on since Monday around public servants' money in the stock market.

Public administration senior secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder told  on Wednesday evening that the circular had been withdrawn temporarily and would be issued again later 'with corrections'.

The circular, which was issued in the afternoon, had drawn attention of public servants to the fact that their rules of employment, the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1979, forbids them from making speculative investments or engaging in a business that creates a conflict of interest.

The circular quoted Rule 15 of the conduct code which says: "No government servant shall speculate in investments. For the purpose of this sub-rule, the habitual purchase and sale of securities of notoriously fluctuating value shall be deemed to be speculation in investments."

The stern telling-off in the circular could hardly be guessed at the Securities and Exchange Commission press meet on Wednesday morning, where chairman M Khairul Hossain boldly announced that no decision had been taken to stop government officials and employees from investing in stocks.

It all started on Monday, where in a slip-of-the-tongue moment, prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad let out that the latest cabinet meeting had discussed keeping public servants off the stock market.

A panicked DSE and CSE suspended trading on Tuesday, but could not evade the free fall of DSE general index, which lost 178 points within the first five minutes of trading on Wednesday.

Small investors protested the entire day in front of DSE, fighting with the police all over Motijheel.