BANGLADESH

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the a new round of vaccination campaign on Saturday.

Hasina kicked off the 20th National Vaccination campaign around 10:30am at the Ganabhaban.

This year, around 22 million children below five years across the country would be administered two drops of polio vaccine and one red vitamin-A capsule each under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

Children aged six to 11 months would be given one blue vitamin-A capsule each.

Health workers would give vaccine and vitamin capsules to the children to be left out over next four days visiting houses.

Health minister A F M Ruhul Haque on Friday said that Bangladesh was polio-free for five years – from Aug 22, 2000 until Mar 8, 2006- when a new polio case was found.

He said Bangladesh could not be declared polio-free despite having no polio case, as a polio patient has been found in Burdawn in adjoining West Bengal state of India.

The minister said pneumonia vaccine would be given to the children from 2013 under EPI, which was launched in 1985. He mentioned that around 25,000 children below five years die of pneumonia in Bangladesh every year.

The second phase of the campaign would be observed on Feb 11, when children aged between two and five will be administered one anthelmintic tablet each.

India wants to accord Bangladesh the 'most preferred nation' (MFN) status for giving a boost to cross-border trade activities, an Indian newspaper said on Saturday.

It would also try to ensure capital flows to Bangladesh for business, The Times of India newspaper said, quoting home minister P Chidambaram.

"Both the countries can join hands in making this part of the world a hub of business activities," it quoted Chidambaram as saying.

"Bangladesh is blessed with natural resources, especially natural gas, and India is blessed with entrepreneurs and capital. By joining hands, so much business can be created on both sides of the border," Chidambaram said.

His comment comes amid many Bangladeshi critics and opposition parties saying India just wants to turn Bangladesh into its market giving very little access to the smaller and Muslim-majority neighbour to enter India with its products.

Chidambaram said it was important that businessmen look upon Bangladesh and India as one market where "goods and services can be produced, traded and exchanged".

"That is why we are very keen to gift Bangladesh the most preferred nation status for trade across the border … (so that) trade between the two countries takes place almost tariff free. We should reach out to Bangladesh," Chidambaram added.

Addressing the Northeast Business Summit, he said on Friday since India's economy was many times bigger than the economy of Bangladesh, it was New Delhi's responsibility to give access to goods and services from Dhaka.

"It is India's responsibility to ensure that capital flows from India to Bangladesh to start businesses," he said.

Praising prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the Indian home minister said India today has the best of relationship with Bangladesh, thanks to the vision and statesmanship of the prime minister.

"I want to pay tribute to the vision and statesmanship of prime minister Sheikh Hasina. India and Bangladesh are today closer than ever before. We are perhaps today as close as the day on which Bangladesh was liberated," he said.

BNP has finalised a 'package programme' to oust the government, which will be announced in Chittagong, a senior party leader has said.

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed told the press after a committee meeting on Saturday that the programme will be announced at a rally in Chittagong scheduled for the second day of the Chittagong road march - Monday.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia met the party's policymaking forum, the standing committee, at 8.30pm.

Khaleda will lead BNP's road march to Chittagong that will conclude the opposition party's nationwide march programme. According to schedule, she will announce a new programme for anti-government movement during a rally at Chittagong Polo Ground on Monday.

On Oct 18 at a street rally in Bogra, Khaleda had announced that a march towards Dhaka will be held after the nationwide marches are completed.

She had also warned of a 'final match' to overthrow the government at the end of road march programmes.

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.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina says the main opposition BNP will make a 'political mistake' if it boycotts next general elections demanding reinstatement of caretaker government system.

In an interview with BBC Bangla on Tuesday, Hasina said the BNP should make an effort to gain people's confidence and trust.

"It would be a political mistake," Hasina said in response to opposition leader Khaleda Zia's recent statement that her party would not join the polls due in 2013 if caretaker government system is not reinstated.

The prime minister also advised Khaleda to work on gaining people's confidence.

"Right now, the main opposition should set their focus on reviving confidence and trust of the people," she told BBC Bangla Radio.

The prime minister asserted that the relationship between BNP and ruling Awami League is "not so bad".

BNP and its allies have been demonstrating for the reinstatement of the caretaker government system after it was annulled through the 15th amendment of the Constitution.

When BBC asked the prime minister how confident she is about BNP's participation in the next national polls under the incumbent government, she said: "The Election Commission will hold the election. There will be a new Election Commission ... the honourable president has already taken initiatives. He is holding talks."

"His instructions after the dialogue will be followed. We also want that the main opposition join the dialogue to give their opinion. They can say whom they want as the chief election commissioner, how they want it and what the process should be," she added.

"They might commit a political mistake, if they do not take part in the elections."

She said people of the country have not forgotten the "terrorism, corruption and nepotism" during the former BNP-led four-party alliance government.

"People want democracy. They will never accept any plot to assassinate democracy," she said.

CARETAKER GOVT ISSUE

Replying to a query why the government did not accept the High Court's suggestions that two more national elections could be held under the caretaker government, Hasina said, "The High Court did not give out any order, rather just gave opinion as an option that it can also be done."

"We've executed the prime rule of the High Court," she added.

The prime minister held out her logic in favour of annulling the caretaker government system and referred to the previous army-backed caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed from 2007-2009. She also pointed out the oppression of political parties during the period.

She also talked of the past caretaker government's tenure and recounted its stay in power for two years, the so-called minus two formula, torture and jail.

"I wonder whether the opposition chief has forgotten how she was tortured at the hands of that government. Her sons were sent out of the country and cases filed against her are still going on in the Anti-Corruption Commission," Hasina said.

"But still, she (Khaleda) wants the caretaker system reinstated. Who can guarantee that these incidents would not happen under the future caretaker government?" she asked.

'POSITIVE' CHANGE IN POLITICS

Asked whether her government, after taking office through a landslide victory three years ago, could bring any positive change, Hasina said, "As the people trusted us and gave the chance to serve them by voting for us in 2008, we've taken steps to bring positive changes in Bangladesh's political culture. Every political party in our country can freely stage their programmes."

Awami League used all its 'merit and power' for the development of the country, she said, adding that nothing like the post-election torture on opposition in 2001 by then four-party happened after her government had taken over.

"I had been an opposition leader, too. But there was no way one could speak. My microphone had been stopped 72 times. Now our opposition leader can speak for hours," she said.

Citing that opposition MPs have been made chairmen of parliamentary standing committees, Hasina said. "No country in the world, other than big ones, will give the chance. We want a positive situation."

"We could create a peaceful environment in Bangladesh in the past three years as we do positive politics," Hasina added.

WAR CRIMES TRIAL

The prime minister winnowed out the charge that the two main parties are in confronting position.

"You say that our relation is not good—it's not right. Our opposition leaders are coming to standing committee meetings…giving their opinions. They are going abroad with others when they need. Opposition usually has some views, but they oppose continuously," she replied to a query whether she would take any step to improve relation with the opposition.

"But," she said, "the present opposition is facing some problems—one is the war crimes trial."

She said trial of the war criminals is a long-time demand of the people. "When their (war criminals) trial is going to be realised…then our opposition started to bomb and kill people to save those war criminals—how can we let this happen?"

"It's our duty to ensure people's security," Hasina added.

"We aren't barring any demonstration. But it's the government's duty to stop them if they harm people's property and lives."

Two leaders of BNP and five of its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami were arrested on the charges of crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War. But BNP has been protesting the move to try them in the International Crimes Tribunal saying that the government is harassing opposition leaders in the name of war crimes trial.

On the other hand, ruling party leaders blamed the opposition for some recent bombings and arson attacks saying the opposition conducted the violence to obstruct war crimes trial.

"If someone thinks that torching buses and bombing it will save the war criminals, he is wrong," Hasina said.

A pavilion on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been set up at Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) to provide information to people interested in knowing more about the Father of the Nation.

Export Processing Bureau (EPB), the organiser of the event, has set up the 'Bangabandhu and Bangladesh' pavilion.

EPB deputy director Anup Kanti Saha Tuesday told , "To inform people about the life and work of Bangabandhu, the pavilion was first set up in last year's fair."

"Our aim is to tell people about Bangabandhu's contribution to the country," he added.

A statue of Sheikh Mujib, made by Dhaka University's Institute of Fine Arts students, has been kept at the pavilion. Some 110 photos of the great leader, snapped in home and abroad, are on display alongside 27 books written on him. The pavilion also has 15 frames containing his quotes.

Two letters written by Sheikh Mujib are also being displayed in the pavilion: one to his wife Fazilatunnessa Mujib from the jail on April 16, 1959 and the other to his daughter Sheikh Hasina, then living in Italy, dated June 13, 1969.

In the letter written to his wife, Sheikh Mujib addressed her as 'Renu'. A visitor in the fair, Rehnuma Renu, smilingly said, "I didn't know his (Mujib) wife's name was Renu. It is really good to know that she was my namesake."

Sheikh Mujib's speeches are being screened through a projector in the pavilion. Six computers are showing information on different subjects like the leader's life, his still photos, video clippings, a documentary on digital Bangladesh and different activities of the present government during its past three-year rule.

Any visitor can have any information on any particular incident or aspect of Bangabandhu's life clicking on topics displayed on a touch-screen computer.

Tamal Adnan, a class eight student from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Boys High School, was reading the historical March 7 speech. "I have seen this speech on TV earlier, here I read a part of it today," he said.

Two groups of a 30-member rover scout team are looking after the security of the pavilion in two shifts. "A large number of people visit this pavilion daily," they informed.

A visitor, Zahirul Alam, from the city's Kafrul was taking her daughter's photograph with Bangabandhu's statue in the background. He told , "We saw the War in 71. We know what Bangabandhu's contribution to the country was. The new generation does not have the luck to see him (Mujib)... It's a matter of pride to have a photograph standing before his statue."

A lot other were also seek taking snaps in front of the statue. A cloth merchant from Old Dhaka Mohammad Nazrul said, "Camera is not allowed in 32, Dhanmondi's Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. I had a dream to take a photo there. Today I am happy having taken a photo in front of Bangabandhu's statue."

Zahir appreciated and thanked the authorities for the arrangement.

A group of army personnel killed Sheikh Mujib along with most of his family members and close relatives on Aug 15, 1975. Amongst his five children, Sheikh Hasina is the eldest. During the brutal Aug 15 massacre, all his immediate family members, except his two daughters Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, were gunned down. The two sisters were abroad then.

A total of 12 former army officials were sentenced to death in Sheikh Mujib murder case in 2007. And after a long 35 years' of wait, five were hanged in 2010. Another died abroad.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the trade fair on Sunday. A total of 47 foreign firms from Pakistan, India, China, Iran, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates are participating in the fair.

The fair will remain open from 10 am to 10 pm everyday with a Tk 20 ticket for elders and Tk 10 ticket for children.

Total number of stalls in this year's trade fair is 505. Amongst them, there are 50 premiere pavilions, 44 reserved pavilions, 36 premiere mini-pavilions, 15 reserved mini-pavilions, 47 premiere stalls and 30 general stalls.

For the visitors, the trade fair is also accommodating three mother-and-child service centres, six restaurants and a children's amusement park.

Bangladesh is interested in importing 1,000 megawatt (MW) electricity from Nepal to meet its increasing demand for power.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni expressed the interest when Nepal's new ambassador to Dhaka, Hari Kumar Shrestha, called on her at her office on Monday, according to a foreign ministry press release.

There is a need for countries in the region to work together to harness hydropower and water resources for mutual benefit, Dipu Moni told Shrestha.

Bangladesh, she said, is interested in being an equity partner or shareholder of Sapt-Kosi high dam project. "This is the most opportune moment for countries of South Asia to explore synergies for mutual benefit," she added.

CTG AND MONGLA PORTS

Moni said Bangladesh had already offered Nepal and Bhutan access to Mongla and Chittagong ports.

After signing the standard operating procedure (SOP) between Bangladesh and India, Nepalese cargo vehicles are allowed to enter up to 200 meters from zero point at Banglabandha land port and it would help facilitate bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Nepal, she observed.

Moni said the government plans to complete multi-gauge conversion of the Birol-Radhikapur railway sector by 2012. This, she said, would ease passage of Nepalese cargo.

She also mentioned the signing of addendum to a memorandum of understanding between Bangladesh and India granting Rohanpur-Singabad as an additional route for rail transit to Nepal.

Bangladesh has already transported 50,000 tonnes of fertiliser through this route as a one-time case.

PEACE PROCESS IN NEPAL

According to Moni, Bangladesh is observing the ongoing 'peace process' in Nepal with great interest and supports the process of democratic institution-building in that country.

She also expressed hope that aspirations of the people of Nepal would be fulfilled with adoption of a Constitution that best suits their needs.

BILATERAL TRADE
Noting that bilateral trade was far below the potential, the foreign minister sought the Nepal ambassador's personal initiative to get private sectors actively involved in enhancing trade link between the two countries.

The two also discussed various aspects of mutual interest and exchanged views on ways to infuse dynamism into bilateral ties.

Dense fog disrupted ferry services overnight on Mawa-Kewrakandi and Paturia -Daulatdia routes.

The services resumed after the fog that reduced visibility to near zero wore off Tuesday morning.

Paturia -Daulatdia route observed disruption in operation for 11 hours from 9pm on Monday and Mawa-Kewrakandi for nine hours from 11pm.

Manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transportation Corporation's (BIWTC) Daulatdia pier Tanvir Ahmed told  that three ferries were stuck at Daulatdia.

Moreover, ferries Birshreshthha Jahangir and Shah Ali were trapped on the way to Paturia in the mid river, Ahmed added.

Four ferries were marooned at the Paturia pier, its manager Bidyut Kumar said.

"The night coaches were stranded at Mawa pier during the disruption of the ferry service on Monday night," manager of BIWTC's Mawa pier, Sirajul Hoque, said.

Long gridlocks developed on the both sides of the route. Ferries Tapul, Ranikhet, Jamuna, Raniganj, Kishori, Karabi were stranded in the middle of the Padma River, he said.

Ferry 'Language Martyr Barkat' , loaded with vehicles, also was stuck at the same time, he added.

Thousands of passengers suffered severely overnight for terrible cold in the mid river.

The gridlocks seemed to ease after the fog was gone.

The Rapid Action Battalion director general Mokhlesur Rahman had received a gallantry award along with 12 of his colleagues this year.

The description of the Bangladesh Police Medal given to this additional inspector general rank official says: "His skillful guidance has led to the arrest of 13 top extremist leaders in RAB operations in 2011, as well as the recovery of large amounts of arms and explosives. Nine other extremists have also been killed in gunfights with RAB."

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina handed over Mokhlesur's the award on Tuesday.

The elite crime-fighting unit of police is heavily criticised by local and international human rights organisations for its alleged extrajudicial killings.

Ain O Shalish Kendra chief Sultana Kamal told  it was regrettable that the state had issued honours for a controversial issue such as 'crossfire'.

When asked for a reaction from Mokhlesur on this matter, he defended by saying, "Do you want us to stand by and watch criminals shoot us and run?"

In this year's Police Week, 59 members of the police and RAB were awarded Bangladesh Police Medal and President's Police Medal, 12 of whom were RAB members.

Of these men, Lt Col Monirul Haque, Lt Col Ziaul Ahsan, Kamrujjaman, Shah Mohammad Azad, Jahidul Islam, Taherul Islam and Awlad Hossain received the PPM for 'deaths of pirates and bandits'.

Sultana Kamal said the awards were encouraging extrajudicial killings while people had questions about such deaths, and added this was equivalent to waving off those questions.

"There are cases against RAB for extrajudicial killings and the cases are still unresolved," she said.

PPM-awarded Ziaul Ahsan's award description tells of an incident on June 22 last year. His team saw an empty trawler boat near the forest station on Bhola river in the Sundarbans. Searching around the boat, they found footprints that led deeper into the forest and when they moved along the track, shots were fired from inside the forest.

RAB fired back in the heat of the moment and later four bullet-riddled bodies were recovered from inside the forest.

Since the inception of RAB in 2004, the words 'crossfire' and 'gunfight' have become part of the everyday vocabulary. Human rights organisations allege the law enforcers are committing extrajudicial killings in the guise of gunfights.

According to Ain O Shalish Kendra, 100 people were killed in 2011 in custody or in 'gunfights'.

When asked for a comment on awarding crossfires, National Human Rights Commission chairman Mizanur Rahman said he could not comment without looking at individual cases.

"I think the government should think carefully before awarding an act that is controversial. Capturing extremists, pirates or bandits is more courageous than killing them.

"But I would like to believe the awards were given after sufficient analysis," he added.

Faced with student protests, BUET has permanently expelled two of the three students who assaulted another injuring him grievously.

On Sunday the authorities had expelled the three for six months, but students protested throughout the night demanding their permanent expulsion.

In a meeting on Monday afternoon, the board of residence and disciplinary committee decided to expel assaulters Saifullah Sikder Mithun and Sujit Saha of metallurgy 2008 batch.

BUET pro-vice chancellor Habibur Rahman told reporters about the duo's permanent expulsion order after the meeting on Monday.

The third student, Arif Raihan Dip of mechanical engineering 2009 batch, is expelled for six months following Sunday's order which was first given. All three were members of Chhatra League, ruling Awami League's student wing.

A four-strong committee to look into the matter was also formed on Sunday and submitted its findings earlier on Monday. The disciplinary committee gave the new decision upon the probe report.

Following a dispute on Dec 28 between the senior and junior batches over entering a concert organised for the rag day of the outgoing batch, Sujit, Mithun and Dip on Dec 31, beat Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department final year student Tousif Ahmed Ishan with hockey stick and iron rod in his room in the Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall to take revenge.

Ishan is currently undergoing treatment at the capital's Square Hospital with severe injuries in his both hands and legs. BUET authorities have already announced to bear the expenses of his treatment.

According to rules, expelled students can apply to the academic council within 15 days to reconsider their expulsion order.

One of the protesters, CSE department student Nur-e-Bahar Yasha told reporters, "Though we have agreed with the authority's decision, we are hoping that even if they apply, their punishment won't be reduced."

Meanwhile, when asked whether organisational actions would be taken against the three, BUET unit Chhatra League general secretary Tonmoy Ahmed on Monday told : "It was their personal matter. The organisation will not take responsibility for their own actions."

Meanwhile, extra police have been deployed on the university campus and the hall premises to avoid any untoward incident following the current situation.

The students of the university, who have been surrounding the offices of vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor for the last two days, demanding their expulsion and protesting the incident, have returned to their dormitories and home after hearing the authority's decision around 9pm.

Expatriates have set a new record by remitting around $ 1.15 billion in December, the central bank says.

The previous record was $ 1.1 billion, received in August.

"It (December remittance) was the highest last year, as also in Bangladesh's history. I hope the trend will continue in future as well," Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman told  on Monday.

"The central bank has taken several steps to increase remittance through banking channel. It's a reflection [of these steps]," he said. "We want 100 percent remittance to come through the banking channel. We are working on it."

Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) researcher Zaid Bakht said, "It's a welcome improvement amid the economic crisis. It will ease the balance of payment crisis."

According to Bakht, expatriates are remitting more as value of dollar rose against taka in recent past.

"Many expatriates might have had savings and they are sending the money to the country after the value of dollar went up. It might be the reason behind the increase in remittance," he said.

Banks sold dollar at Tk 82 on Monday, according to the Bangladesh Bank.

In the last year, value of dollar rose against taka by 15 percent, with December itself witnessing an increase by about Tk 5.

INCREASED TRANSFER OF FUNDS

The country received around $ 6.07 billion remittance in the first half of the current fiscal -- a 9.27-percent increase over $ 5.5 billion received in the same period the year before.

The rate of increase in remittance had been a measly 1 percent between July and December 2010.

Expatriates sent $ 1.01 billion in the first month of the current fiscal. The amount was $ 855.4 million in September 2011, $ 1.03 billion in October and $ 908.1 million in November.

The remittance inflow grew 25.92 percent in December 2011 in comparison with November, and 18.09 percent vis-à-vis December 2010.

While the flow of remittance usually increases before Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha, December did not have any such festival, which should herald more cheers for the economy.

The increased rate of remittance has lifted some pressure off the central bank's foreign exchange reserve. The reserve, which was $ 9.2 billion two weeks ago, stood at $ 9.64 billion on Monday.

BB governor Atiur Rahman said letters were sent to Bangladesh missions in every country, asking them to inspire expatriates to remit more through banks. "Expatriates are requested to communicate with the central bank whenever they face any problem," he said.

According to BB, $303.9 million came through four state-owned commercial banks, while $ 10.5 million through two specialised banks. Thirty private banks handled remittance of $ 816.8 million and nine foreign banks $ 13 million, according to the central bank.

Global beverage giant Coca-Cola will open its first plant in Bangladesh to tap growing demand for carbonated soft drink, a top local investment official has said.

"The company has already registered with the Board of Investment to invest about $50 million by 2013," BoI executive chairman SA Samad told .

Coke's bottling operations will bring in Tk 3.76 billion foreign equity and manage another Tk 375 million working capital locally, according to information it provided to the investment board.

The Atlanta-based soft-drink behemoth has set its sight on starting commercial operation by Sept 2013 at a plant in Tongi where it will produce Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, juice and juice-based drink, and packaged drinking water.

Currently, Abdul Monem Ltd and Pran Group bottle the products.

The plant is expected to produce 222 million bottles worth Tk 9 billion a year.

Coca-Cola in 2009 submitted its first proposal to invest $51 million to expand its business in the country and submitted another proposal in 2010 making clear its intent to set up a modern production facility.

The second proposal said that the company wants to "set up an indirect wholly owned local subsidiary that will establish a new state of the art beverage manufacturing facility in Bangladesh."

The US-backed soft-drink maker would take at least three years to complete the processes and the entire equity capital of this subsidiary will be funded by its foreign source, it added.

The processes involved acquisition of suitable land and setting up facility, securing all required approvals, licences, consents and permission from the proper authorities.

Coca-Cola started business in Bangladesh with an agreement with Tabani Beverage, owned by a Pakistani national, in 1965.

After independence, Tabani was put under the Freedom Fighters' Welfare Trust and it continued its business up to 2008.

The multinational company used to sell Tabani the liquid concentrate of its brands and Tabani produced cold drinks and marketed them.

The global giant asked Tabani to scale up its capacity in 1978 which it failed to do. Coke then signed another agreement with Abdul Monem Group to produce the cold drinks.

Tabani had the right to distribute its products in greater Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions while Monem entered into a contract to distribute them in Chittagong and Khulna divisions.

The companies at that time only produced regular glass bottle (RGB) drinks and it continued production until 2001, when Monem introduced PET bottles in the market.

In 2003, Coca-Cola asked Tabani to improve its quality and set up an effluent treatment plant to on the factory premises, but it did not.

Eventually, Coca-Cola scrapped the contract with the Tabani in 2008 and now has come up with the investment proposal aiming to benefit from the expanding market.

A government investigation committee has found the driver of the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) bus responsible for the accident that led to amputation of senior journalist Nikhil Bhadra's leg.

"The investigation found the bus driver responsible for the accident," convener of the committee Moinuddin told the media after submitting the report to the communications secretary on Monday.

He said the committee has made a few recommendations in their report, including sending Nikhil Bhadra abroad for an artificial limb.

The five-member investigation committee was formed on Dec 28 by the communications ministry to look into the issue following the accident in front of the National Press Club.

Dhaka Reporters' Unity president Shakhawat Hossain Badshah was the journalists' representative in the committee. The other members represented the government, BRTC and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

Obaidul Quader had earlier told the media that the driver, if found responsible for the accident, would receive the highest punishment in line with recommendations from the committee.

Bhadra is a senior reporter with Bengali daily 'Kaler Kantha'. His colleagues had demonstrated for over five hours soon after the accident on Oct 28, demanding arrest of the bus driver who had hit and wounded him.

Pallabi police arrested the driver the following day.

A lawyer has withdrawn a case he had filed against RAB personnel seven months back, accusing the force of abducting his son, after getting his trace.

Metropolitan magistrate Roksana Begum Happy on Monday accepted the case withdrawal application by Md Khabiruddin.

Khabiruddin lodged the case on May 31 accusing that two RAB, two jail officials and four other unknown people abducted his son Toufique Hasan, a second-year student of Stamford University.

The officials are RAB-10 deputy director Mohammad Harun and flight lieutenant Mohammad Imon, Dhaka Central Jail senior jailer Touhidul Islam and deputy jailer Md Imran Hossan.

Toufique was arrested along with two others with posters of banned Islamist outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir on Feb 22 from the city's Siddheshwari Balur Math area. A case was filed against the three with the Ramna Police Station the same day under anti-terrorism law.

A number of people were picked up by plain-clothes people identifying themselves to be RAB personnel late last year from different parts of the country. Bodies of some of them were found later, prompting human rights organisations to express concern.

RAB, however, denied their involvement in any 'secret killing'.

'NO SATISFACTORY ANSWER'

Khabiruddin in his case withdrawal application said he found his son attending his (Toufique's) grandma's death anniversary programme at Teghoria village in Manikganj district on Dec 26.

He told : "When I asked my son about his mission, I did not get any satisfactory answer from him."

He said Toufique is now with his mother at a Siddeshwari apartment.

Khabiruddin said in the case that following the arrest, his son had secured bail on May 13 but RAB personnel, in plain clothes, had picked him up from the jail gate.

"A group of four to five people dragged Toufique into a microbus as soon as he came out of the jail at 10pm," he said.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka had ordered departmental investigation into the abduction.

The cabinet approved on Monday a law to clamp down on pornography with a provision to jail offenders for up to 10 years.

A draft of Sonadia Deep Sea Port Authority Act 2011 also got clearance in principle at a meeting of the cabinet, chaired by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said.

The draft Pornography Control Act 2011 includes another provision of slapping Tk 500,000 fine, Azad said.

The cabinet approved draft of detailed and brief versions of president Zillur Rahman's speech to be delivered in the first parliament session this year, he said. The president will read out the short version and the detailed speech will be presented to the MPs.

The ministers also provisionally endorsed the draft of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Control Act 2011, Azad said. Proposals to ratify SAARC Convention on Co-operation on Environment and Charter of the Asian Institute of Technology were also approved, he added.

PROTECTING HONOUR

Azad said the draft Pornography Control Act 2011 includes provisions to punish offenders with different terms in jail and different amounts of fine.

The act provides for punishing those who will give false information and file false charges, the prime minister's aide said. They will be awarded up to three-year jail term, he said.

The act bans production, preservation, transportation and marketing of any kind of pornography, Azad said and added abettors or the offenders will also face punishment.

Such crimes will be tried in a special court or tribunal.

Pornography has spread in society like a disease, he observed and said the law has been made to protect youths and the honour of innocent women.

SONADIA PORT

Japanese consultancy firm Pacific Consultant International conducted a feasibility survey on nine locations in the Bay of Bengal and recommended Sonadia as the best place for establishing a deep sea port.

Its report said the deep sea port would facilitate export-import not only for Bangladesh but also the Indian ports of Haldia and Kolkata and for the seven northern states in that country.

It will also contribute to transport of goods to Hunan province of China and Myanmar. The 96-jetty port will meet the needs of 400 million people in these regions.

The work is likely to begin next year and the entire construction will be completed in 2055.

Medium to severe cold wave may start flowing in the second week of this month, the Met department says.

Meteorologist Abul Kalam Mallik told  on Monday evening that the night temperature may fall two to three degrees due to the rainfall continuing from Sunday night in various areas of the country under the influence of cyclonic storm Thane.

"January is considered the coldest month in Bangladesh. From the second week of January, there will be a second cold wave which will be medium to severe in nature," he said.

He said another cold wave may follow in mid-January. The rain may last until Tuesday afternoon, he added.

The Met department says the highest rainfall was recorded in Comilla's Maijdicourt, 5 millimeters, from Sunday evening to Monday evening.

The rainfall was 4 mms in Mymensingh, 3 in Jessore and Tangail, 2 in Dhak, Chuadanga, Sylhet and Satkhira and 1 in Shrimangal, Chandpur, Khulna, Mongla and Rajshahi.

The highest temperature in the country was 28 degrees Celsius in Cox's Bazar and the lowest 15 degrees in Dinajpur.

The severe cyclonic storm Thane moved westwards and crossed the coast of Tamil Nadu of India and now lies close to Puducherry. The cyclone is likely to move in a westerly direction and weaken gradually.

Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla were advised to lower signals.

The government is celebrating 'Textbook Festival' after reaching textbooks among students throughout the country on the first day of the new year.

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid inaugurated the festival around 9:45am on Sunday by distributing textbooks among the learners of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.

On Dec 29 last year, the prime minister launched the free textbook distribution programme by handing over books to 15 students of grade-1 to grade-9.

This time, the government distributed a total 221,366,383 units of textbooks for 31,213,759 students of all levels.

Starting from 2010, the students are getting their textbooks on the first day of new year; earlier, they had to wait until March to April.

"Delivering books to students on the first day of the year has started developing the quality of education in the long-term. Results of the public examinations prove it," the education minister said.

He assured the students of improved quality of textbooks next year.

The education minister distributed textbooks among Motijheel Government Boys' School students at noon.

Around 11am, the primary and mass education minister Mohammad Afsarul Amin gave out books among Motijheel Ideal Government Primary School.

He said at a news conference in his office that on the first day of the new year, textbooks have been distributed among students of 82,000 educational institutions countrywide.

"Let us know if anyone has missed out," he told journalists.

National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) chairman professor Mostofa Kamaluddin told  that the local administration and public representatives have distributed textbooks among the students "in a festive mood."

He said this year printing a book cost more up as the printing quality and papers used are better. "This year each book cost Tk 24.37 whereas in last year it was Tk 23.86."

All the books of primary and secondary level can be downloaded in e-book format from the NCTB website (www.nctb.gov.bd).

For a total 18,131,893 primary level students of both Bengali and English versions, 103,594,651 units of textbooks on 56 subjects have been printed. And for 8,423,420 students of secondary Bengali and English versions and SSC Vocational, a total 85,280,836 units of textbooks on 172 subjects are out.

For 2,553,259 Ebtedayee students, a total 15,813,764 units of textbooks on 34 subjects and for 1,942,647 students of Dakhil and Dakhil vocational students, as many as 16,677,132 units of textbooks on 54 subjects have been printed.

The education ministry said the technical education board has printed another 615,000 units of specialised textbook for its students.

The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) authorities have expelled three students for six months for beating another.

General students of the university, however, have blocked the offices of the vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor demanding permanent expulsion of the three for beating Tousif Ahmed Ishan, a final-year student of the Computer Science and Engineering Department.

At 10pm Sunday the students were still protesting which they started from Saturday afternoon following the beating.

They have also threatened to block the offices of vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor until the three are rusticated.

The expelled students are 2008 batch students Saifullah Sikder Mithun and Sujit Saha of the Material and Metallurgical Department and 2009 batch student Arif Raihan Dip of the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Electrical and Electric Engineering Department final year student Samiul Haque told  that a dispute took place on Dec 28 between the senior and junior batches over entering a concert organised for the rag day of the outgoing batch.

Following the incident, Sujit, Mithun and Dip on Saturday beat Ishan with hockey stick and iron rod in his room in the Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall.

Ishan is currently undergoing treatment at the capital's Square Hospital with severe injuries in his both hands and legs. BUET authorities have already announced to bear the expenses of his treatment.

Pro-vice chancellor Prof Habibur Rahman told : "The university authorities at an emergency meeting, decided to initially expel the three for six months after getting the proof of allegations against them."

"A four-strong committee to look into the matter was also formed at Sunday's meeting. The committee was told to submit its findings by 9am Monday. After that, the residence and disciplinary committee meeting will ensure punishment as per rules," he said.

Meanwhile, police personnel have been deputed on the university campus and the hall premises to avoid any untoward incident.

Bangladesh will be connected to its second submarine cable in 2014.

The state-owned Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited is preparing to complete all related work within Dec 2014, the company's director Manwar Hossain told  on Sunday.

The telecom ministry recently issued instructions to BSCCL on how it should collect the funds for this project.

The company is in charge of the only submarine cable connecting Bangladesh to the world, a cable consortium of 16 countries, the South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe-4 or SEA-ME-WE 4.

In 2014, Bangladesh will be connected to SEA-ME-WE 5.

Manwar Hossain said telecommunications and internet connectivity gets hampered if the SEA-ME-WE 4 suffers any damage.

"Once SEA-ME-WE 5 is connected, there will be no such trouble," he said.

On Oct 14 in Singapore last year, BSCCL had held a meeting with possible partners to lay the SEA-ME-WE 5, officials said.

They said primarily six companies had signed MoUs to participate in the consortium. The new cable would use the latest 100G technology.

They said there was a possibility that the cable would extend to Myanmar as well, whereby Bangladesh would have a smaller share of maintenance cost.

The telecom ministry has laid down three conditions for raising funds for the project, Manwar said.

"The government will not fund the project nor provide any bank guarantees, no loans can be taken from internal sources," he said.

"The project will cost us about Tk 4.5 billion. BSCCL can provide Tk 2.5 billion from its own fund, and the rest can be raised from the share market," he added.

Besides, funds can also be acquired from public-private partnership and low-interest loans from Islamic Development Bank or International Monetary Fund.

The caretaker government issue must be discussed first to make the president's Election Commission talks fruitful, opposition chief Khaleda Zia has said on Sunday.

"The president is above all. We respect him and so, will attend the talks," she said at a students' gathering on the occasion of 33rd anniversary of the party's student wing Chhatra Dal at the city's Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.

"We want to clearly tell the president, keep the caretaker government issue in the front for a free and fair election ... elections under a partisan government will not be impartial," she added.

The BNP chief demanded that the caretaker issue must be first discussed and then the EC.

President Zillur Rahman is holding dialogues with the political parties represented in parliament on forming the new EC, as the incumbent commission finishes its tenure in the middle of the February. Zillur started sitting with the parties from Dec 22.

After receiving the president's invitation on Dec 26 to attend the talks scheduled for Jan 11, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been saying that they would let the president know that BNP would not join the next general elections if the caretaker government is not reinstated.

The main opposition has been protesting the government's decision taken on June 30 last year to annul the caretaker provision through the 15th amendment to the constitution. They have been demanding the system's reinstatement since then.

NEW COMMITTEE

The BNP chairperson at Sunday's programme said that a new committee for the party's student wing Chhatra Dal would be announced this year.

"A committee staying too long in power obstructs the way of leadership. Preparations to elect leaders at every level should be taken. I have asked the student affairs secretary to give a new committee as the new year gift," she said.

Tenure of the Chhatra Dal central committee expired in January last year. Leaders and activists have been demanding for the new committee since then.

Chhatra Dal begun Sunday's programme with placing wreaths on the grave of the late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman in the morning.

Khaleda inaugurated the programme by releasing balloons and pigeons after arriving at the venue at 3:15pm.

Chhatra Dal president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku presided over the programme where BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul, joint secretary general Amanullah Aman, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed and organising secretary Fazlul Haque Milon also spoke among others.

There was 'some progress' in establishing human rights in 2011, but on the whole, the human rights situation was worrying, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) said on Sunday.

Its executive director Sultana Kamal revealed last year's human rights scenario at a news conference in the city on the first day of the new year.

The former adviser to the caretaker government expressed her concern over the rising trend of extrajudicial killings, mob lynching and secret killings.

According to the legal and human rights organisation, 100 people were killed by law enforcers in 2011, 134 were lynched by mobs, 33 committed suicide due to sexual harassment and 23 were killed protesting against such harassments.

Fifty-six people were killed in political violence and 39 by India's Border Security Force (BSF), it said and added that 30 people were abducted last year.

'Disappearances' or undercover killings emerged as a new crime trend in 2011, according to the organisation.

Sultana questioned government's sincerity over ending extrajudicial killings and torture.

"The state could have responded to the questions by trying those who are conducting such incidents," she said.

About law enforcers' role, she said, "The law enforcing agencies have so far maintained the trend to act as forces of powerful or influential people."

She blamed weak foreign policy for killing of Bangladeshis by BSF. "The government failed to take any effective step that could deter India from the killings," she said.

The ASK executive director said the government lacks eagerness to establish the National Human Rights Commission as an effective organisation.

"The government has appointed 28 employees to the commission, though it needs 68. From this, we have to assume that the government does not have the political will to let them (the commission) do well," she said.

The ASK in its review expressed concern over trial of erstwhile BDR mutineers and non-execution of the Chittagong Hill Tracts treaty.

ASK's concerns included obstruction to political demonstrations, conducting mobile courts, withdrawal of death sentences and cases on political considerations and excesses on 304 journalists.

It said the number of deaths in custody was 116 in 2011, higher than the previous year.

About the International Crimes Tribunal, formed to try the crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War, Sultana said tribunal needs to be strengthened with more skills.

ASK chairperson Dr Hameeda Hossain also attended the briefing at Dhaka Reporters' Unity. Kendra's investigation and information preservation department director Noor Khan presented a report on human rights situation of Bangladesh in 2011.

The prime minister has warned the people to remain alert to BNP's 'secret killings and kidnapping across the country' aimed at 'foiling the war crimes trial'.

Sheikh Hasina was addressing a rally at Sheikh Kamal Stadium in Gopalganj on Saturday.

She said no force in the country would be able to halt the war criminals' trial and all incidents of secret killing and disappearance would be investigated to bring the culprits to justice.

"It was Ziaur Rahman who pioneered the politics of killing in Bangladesh," the prime minister said.

"Zia is the first man who betrayed with the freedom fighters and killed scores of them including colonel Taher and major Haider," she said.

"Zia is the first patron of anti-liberation forces. He freed around 11,000 war criminals from the jail and his wife rehabilitated the anti-liberation elements in politics," she said.

"BNP's absolute corruption and tendency of looting everything ruined the country's economy," Hasina said.

"I have nothing to seek from you but your cooperation to build a poverty and hunger-free Bangladesh."

Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the commissioning of first 100MW furnace oil-based power plant in Gopalganj and laid the foundation stones for three other projects. The projects are – Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Eye Hospital, Gopalganj Vocational Training Centre and Sheikh Sayera Khatun Medical College and Hospital.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the 100 mega-watt power plant coming up in Gopalganj on Saturday.

Hasina, who reached Gopalganj in the morning, laid the foundation stone for a medical college in Tungipara and also paid respects to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his grave.

Hasina is scheduled to take part in nine other programmes before addressing a public rally at Sheikh Kamal stadium in the afternoon.

According to Sheikh Mohammad Yousuf Ali, Awami League president of Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, "The prime minister will hand over scholarships to meritorious students before inaugurating the silver jubilee of Government Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University College and the re-union of former students."

Hasina will also lay the foundation stones for Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Eye Hospital, the under-construction technical training centre in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila and Sheikh Saira Khatun Medical College and Hospital.

Finally, she will inaugurate the power plant in Gopalganj.

"The work on the plant is complete and it can generate up to 100 mw electricity from its 12 units," said A.T.M. Zahirul Islam Majumder, the plant's project manager.

He added that the plant had earlier started production on an experimental basis from last August. "With the prime minister's inauguration, we will go for full production."

Review the 2011.

The outgoing year saw the Election Commission (EC) taking polls in Bangladesh further closer to electronic voting machines or EVMs, to replace the traditional voting system with a modern one in future.

The outgoing EC led by A T M Shamsul Huda, however, had its share of dissatisfaction with the government since it did not respond to the top electoral body's army deployment call during the maiden elections to the newly-formed Narayanganj City Corporation. The polls, however, ended peacefully.

The EC also drew flak from various quarters, including the government, for its announcement not to hold the elections to the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporations (DCC South and DCC North), though it had earlier taken initiatives to conduct the polls.

The independence of the EC also came under serious question after the army's failure to send in troops to guard against vote rigging in the Narayanganj city polls and by-polls to the vacant constituencies.

The year 2011 was, indeed, a busy time for the commission as it conducted elections to over 300 municipalities and several thousand union councils of the local government, apart from by-elections to Habiganj and Brahmanbaria municipalities, holding dialogue with registered political parties in two phases, holding polls to the five reserved women's seats in parliament and activities relating to its own overhaul.

After partial use of EVM in Narayanganj City Corporation and Chittagong City Corporation polls that proved to be a success, the EC decided to go for full-fledged use of the machines in the Comilla city polls slated for January 5 next year.

Over a hundred-thousand voters cast their votes using EVM at 58 polling centres in nine of 27 wards during the Narayanganj polls.

Announcing the schedule for polls to the newly-formed Comilla City Corporation, chief election commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda said on Nov 22, electronic voting machines would be used for the first time at all polling centres in Comilla elections, dismissing protests from the BNP.

While BNP on Dec 1 sent a formal letter to the EC, seeking an EVM for examination, the poll panel said there is no law per se to send an EVM for examination. The electoral watchdog asked BNP to send a team of experts to the commission secretariat to test the machines.

The tenure of the current three election commissioners, including the chief election commissioner, who assumed office during the army-backed caretaker government in 2007, will expire in February 2012.

The commission has also made necessary arrangements to hold the next general election using EVM. Most of the political parties including Awami League are in favour of EVM use, while BNP and its allies are against it.

Defending the use of EVM, CEC Shamsul Huda said the initiative has been in line with the modern world and to reduce administrative complications, electoral costs, post-poll violence, quick announcement of results and ease the task of managing elections.

For Narayanganj polls, the EC did not seek army deployment. But following demand from Awami League rebel candidate Selina Hayat Ivy and BNP-backed Taimur Alam Khandaker, it sent sent a letter to the Armed Forces Division (AFD) on Oct 16, asking it to deploy four companies of army personnel for five days starting Oct 28 morning to maintain law and order in the areas going to polls.

The EC did not know that the government would not deploy the army in Narayanganj. Later, the CEC on Oct 30 afternoon said they would have an understanding with the government on the issue.

In the meantime, only hours before the polls, Taimur announced his boycott of polls for non-deployment of the army and to protest use of EVM.

The governemt in a letter on Nov 22 explained the non-deployment of army in the polls and said it was due to a 'misunderstanding'.

Shamsul Huda later said the army deployment could not happen as the letter [seeking deployment] had been issued without any discussion with the ministry and also because the defence minister was abroad.

EC-GOVERNMENT DISPUTE

The Election Commission and government got tangled in a dispute following the EC's failure to ensure army in the Narayanganj polls and holding polls to the divided Dhaka city corporations.

The EC had earlier sent letters to the local government ministry, but failed to get a positive response. When the government asked the EC to hold the divided DCC polls, the EC said it was not possible for them as they were nearing end of their tenure.

Local government minister Syed Ashraful Islam said, "The incumbent EC's tenure is coming to an end. So, they have expressed their inability to stage the elections within the remaining time. But it is Election Commission's duty to stage elections. The EC does not have the right to say 'yes' or 'no' to an election proposal."

PRESIDENT'S DIALOGUE

In another controversial move, president Zillur Rahman on Dec 22 started dialogue with political parties at Bangabhaban for taking their opinion on appointing the next chief and other election commissioners.

Though CEC Shamsul Huda praised the initiative of the president, he expressed his reservations over the fruitfulness of the move.

Reducing prices of essentials was the first of the five top priority agendas on Awami League's election manifesto. Now, nearing three years of its rule, the point-to-point inflation is twice what it was when the party took power.

In fact, the point-to-point inflation has been in the double digits for the last six months.

SOARING PRICES

In line with its election manifesto, the government has imported large quantities of food and created a consumer rights protection directorate, attempting to keep prices within people's reach. But all efforts have been in vain.

According to the statistics bureau, point-to-point inflation in December 2008 was 6.03 percent, while in November this year it was 11.58 percent.

The figures are far off the government's estimated target of a 7.5 percent inflation this fiscal. The finance minister, who was optimistic about the economy even two months ago, said he was uncertain about meeting the 7 percent growth target, recently.

Speaking at seminar organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, A M A Muhith admitted that efforts to tame inflation had gone in vain.

"Investment levels have remained under 24 percent of the GDP for a decade now. That is not a happy picture for a country that is aiming for 7-8 percent growth," he said. "I am not sure where we are heading."

FUEL-LED INFLATION

Fuel demand for rental power plants saw its imports almost double over the last year, according to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.

BPC chairman Abu Bakar Siddique told  that the demand for Bangladesh had been estimated at about 7 million tonnes of fuel in the current fiscal that would cost Tk 480-500 billion.

The petroleum corporation imported fuel worth about Tk 285 billion in the last 2010-2011 fiscal that ended in June. The year before that Bangladesh's fuel imports cost about Tk 165.66 billion.

Even after raising the fuel prices four times this year, the latest being on Thursday, the government has been spending billions subsidising it. To fund this massive subsidy, the government borrowed profusely from the banking sector at the beginning of the fiscal in July.

The foreign exchange reserves fell under pressure and the borrowing in the first four months of the fiscal reached 10 times more than what it was in the same period last year. In fact, in the first four months, July to November, government borrowings neared the Tk 189billion target fixed in budget and then crossed it.

Economists hold that this high fuel expenditure is wreaking havoc on an otherwise stable economy which seems to be performing well considering, revenue, export and remittances.

Prominent economist professor M A Taslim explained that the government had struck deals with the power plant companies that they would get fuel at a certain fixed price. "So now the government is compelled to subsidise fuel because it is legally bound to do so."

Mustafizur Rahman, the executive director of the Dhaka-based research organisation Centre for Policy Dialogue, said the higher bank borrowing was depriving the private investors, which in turn was affecting the entire economy.

Bangladesh Institute Development Studies director-general Mustafa K Mujeri had explained to : "Opportunities for the private sector to borrow money shrink when the government takes loans from commercial banks. On the other hand, new money hits the market if the government takes loans from the central bank, raising inflation."

Meanwhile, in early December, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics said fuel price hike was triggering inflation.

"Though food prices are falling, inflation remained steady last month since the impact of fuel price hike is now hitting other sectors," BBS director general Shahjahan Ali Molla told the press in the bureau's first-ever monthly inflation press meet.

PRESSURE ON RESERVES

At the end of the year the central bank's reserves stood at $9.35 billion, which would not be sufficient for paying off three months' imports.

During the year, the reserve has frequently been above the $ 10 billion mark, but rising import costs, particularly that of fuel, brought it below that level.

TAKA CHEAPER

The value of taka against US dollar dropped by Tk 10 in the past one year to Tk 80. Economists say this is owing to the pressure on forex reserves.

On Dec 27, Bangladesh Bank said it had traded dollar for Tk 81.60, while private and foreign banks sold dollar for even higher. Last year in December, the price of dollar was around Tk 70 to 70.25.

In comparison taka has depreciated by almost 15 percent in 2011.

AGRICULTURE FLOURISHING

Rice import dropped to almost zero last year and the government announced that barring natural disasters, no need will arise to buy rice for the next one year's supply.

Over 1.5 million tonnes of rice are reserved in the government warehouses, according to the finance minister.

"We have officially estimated that there will be no need to import rice in the next one year, if no big disaster occurs," he said.

The ample stock is a result of bumper productions in the past few seasons, non-governmental organisation BRAC's executive director Mahbub Hossain told .

There will be no need to import rice until 2012 as the reserve is adequate, Mahbub, a former director-general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, said.

Following increase in the prices of all types of fuel, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has raised bus fares by Tk 0.15 per kilometre on inter-district and long-distance routes.

"The new fares will come into effect from Jan 2," BRTA chairman Ayubur Rahman Khan told the media on Saturday after a meeting with transporters.

Fares would now go up from the existing Tk 1.20 to Tk 1.35 for each kilometre.

He said the maximum fare of buses plying in Dhaka and Chittagong cities would be re-fixed soon.

"There will be mobile courts to prevent collection of additional fares by public transporters plying in the cities," the BRTA chief warned.

The government on Thursday hiked the prices of all types of fuel by Tk 5 per litre each for the fourth time this year. The increased price came into effect from Thursday midnight.

This year, the government has increased the fuel prices by Tk 17 in four phases, and public transport fares also followed the suit, raising fares as many times.

The government in October increased bus fare by Tk 0.05 per kilometre and CNG-run auto-rickshaw fare by Tk 0.14 per km. Fare for inter-district and long distance bus and minibus was increased to Tk 1.20 from Tk 1.15 per kilometre.

On Friday, the costing committee formed to fix the fares held a meeting at the BRTA office which decided to hold a meeting on Saturday on the approval of the revised transport fares.

After Saturday's meeting, the BRTA chairman told reporters that the costing committee recommended increase in bus fares by Tk 0.23. "But it was set at Tk 0.15 on mutual decision in consultation with the communications minister."

"The new bus fares will be effective from Monday and a gazette will be issued on Sunday to this effect," he added.

Ayubur Rahman said that the new fares will, however, not be effective for the double-decker buses.

He said during the adjustment of the fares, they had considered 16 issues, including the cost of spare parts, in keeping with the demand of the transport owners since the latest round of price hike of fuel prices.

Chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) M N Iqbal, acting secretary of the Roads and Highways Department M N Sadik and director of Dhaka Co-ordination Board Dr S M Salehuddin, among others, were present at the meeting.