BANGLADESH

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended hiking power and fuel oil prices.

Bangladesh should keep tightening monetary policy to fight inflation pressures, the lender said as it warned that increased government borrowing would further fuel inflation.

It asked the government to contain subsidy costs to have more space for spending in social and annual development programmes and recommended raising fuel and electricity price gradually to cut subsidy.

The government has twice increased the price of fuel recently and in process of increasing gas, CNG and electricity price.

IMF resident representative in Dhaka Eteri Kvintradze made the suggestions at a press briefing at the Bangladesh Bank headquarters in Dhaka on Monday to discuss the economic situation of the country.

The fuel price adjustment is needed to contain inflation and with targeted benefits for the most vulnerable to mitigate the impact, Kvintradze said.

"And again the decision will be taken by the government and people. We are pointing out the trade-off but decision will be taken by them."

She said there is a price difference between price in Bangladesh and Kolkata and it might lead to smuggling of the product.

SUBSIDY

The Georgia-born Bangladesh mission chief said focus fell on the subsidy issue as the cost is too high.

If the present trend continues, the subsidy costs would reach Tk 315 billion against the budgetary estimation of Tk 19.1 billion, Kvintradze said.

If there is no price adjustment, the subsidy would reach 3.4 per cent of the GDP, she pointed out.

"What is the trade-off? Subsidy grows larger and larger and because of that there is less budgetary space for social and annual development."

CREDIT EXPANSION

The credit expansion is growing and it would put pressure on the banking system, the IMF official said.

"Some of the banks are also heavily exposed to stock market and it creates problems in the market," she added.


INFLATION

The IMF representative said due to government borrowing from the banking system, reserve money is growing and it would put pressure on inflation.

Inflation has reached double digits and in future, it may increase if the present trend continues, she said.

She said that the central bank prudently increased cash reserve requirement and statutory liquidity ratio to contain inflation and there should not be any move to undermine the authority of the regulatory body.

BoP PROBLEM

Kvintradze said Bangladesh is facing negative balance of payment for the first time in a decade.

"Import is growing faster than export and remittance flow growth is growing at a slower pace and it put pressure on the BoP."

Taka is depreciating at a rapid pace and it depreciated to Tk 76.5 against a dollar in Nov from Tk 71 level in January this year, she pointed out.

The central bank also sold $1.4 billion to the open market for gradual depreciation of taka, she added.

"Bangladesh must safeguard foreign exchange reserve to meet its import payment and it should allow gradual depreciation of taka," she suggested.

REVENUE COLLECTION

The IMF official said the good news is revenue collection is growing and ADP implementation situation is also good.

She said there should be continued improvement in tax administration and new business-friendly VAT and income tax laws should be introduced.

$1 BILLION IMF LOAN

She said it is a process and the negotiation is going on.

"We will have another round of negotiation soon.

The maiden polls to the newly formed Comilla City Corporation will be held on Jan 5.

The last date for submitting nomination is Dec 2 while the scrutiny for the mayoral posts will be held on Dec 4 and for the councilor posts it is Dec 5.

The deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers is Dec 14.

Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda announced the dates on Tuesday.

The announcement came after a meeting at the Election Commission on Tuesday morning.

The commission has said it will use electronic voting machines (EVMs) at all polling centres.

Earlier, EVMs were used at 14 poll centres of a ward of Chittagong City Corporation elections.

On Oct 30, EVMs were used at 58 centres of the much-publicised Narayanganj City Corporation elections despite outright rejection by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Voters had overwhelmingly accepted the EVMs as they were comfortable with the machines' easy options.

Comilla City Corporation was formed by merging Comilla Municipality and Comilla Sadar Municipality (South) on July 10 this year following a longstanding demand of the local residents.

According to the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009, the city corporation is supposed to go to polls within 180 days of its formation. So, the Comilla city elections must be declared by the last week of November and the elections held in the beginning of January.

Comilla City Corporation has 27 general wards and nine reserved wards.

Deputy election commissioner of Comilla region Abdul Baten was appointed as the returning officer along with nine assistant returning officers for conducting the election.

According to senior assistant secretary to the EC (local government) Farhad Hossain, a total of 169,273 voters will be casting their votes at the 65 polling centres with 421 voting rooms during in the polls.

This election is likely to be the last under the present Election Commission headed by Huda that expires in February.

Sponsors, promoters and directors must hold 30pc stake in listed companies and reach that level in six months, the SEC has decided in a meeting

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was quick to respond to the DSE board proposals that came from Monday evening's meeting.

After clearing the DSE proposals at a meeting on Tuesday, SEC spokesman Saifur Rahman told reporters that the condition has been imposed in line with the Securities and Exchange Ordinance 1969.

He, however, said the SEC was already working on the issue.

Saifur said a gazette will be published in this regard within days.

He also said the 'incentive package', aimed at boosting the capital market and compensation to the victims of continuous fall in share prices, will be announced on Wednesday afternoon.

According to a notification undersigned by SEC chairman M Khairul Hossain, the sponsors, promoters and directors will not be able to sell or transfer existing shares and also the bonus issues until they reach the stipulated level.

Moreover, the respective companies will not be able to declare rights share and raise capital through repeat public offers, it added.

After the SEC announcement making 30pc stake must for sponsors, promoters and directors, several major companies would have to buy back shares they had sold at high profits at the prevailing market prices.

Failing to do so, these sponsor directors would lose their control on management of companies they own not even 15 percent in many cases.

Currently, the sponsor directors of Beximco Limited hold only 13.25pc shares of the company, retail investors 76.45pc and foreigners the rest, while sponsor directors of Beximco Pharma hold 12.97pc shares, retail investors 52.8pc, foreigners 23.02pc and institutional investors 11.21pc, according to the DSE website.

In case of Uttara Bank, sponsor directors hold a meagre 8.13pc shares, retail investors 88.62pc and institutional investors 3.19pc.

Sponsor directors of City Bank own 12.88pc stake, Southeast Bank 28.14pc, National Bank Limited (NBL) 29.21pc and AB Bank a low 13.9pc. Prime Bank sponsor directors hold 43.25pc shares of the bank.

The DSE meeting came after the indices plunged to new lows over the past week leading to streets protests and then intervention from the prime minister. On Wednesday night, Sheikh Hasina chaired a high-profile meeting that resulted in decisions to prop up the prices.

Some 2.6 million students --an increase by 1,49,347 than last year's-- will sat for mathematics exams, the opening test for the primary and madrasah terminal examinations this year.

The exams are set to begin at 11am on Wednesday at 6,168 centres across the country and seven centres in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh and Jeddah, UAE's Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, Libya's Tripoli, Bahrain and Australia's Canberra.

This is for the first time the results will be given following grading system instead of the traditional division system, Primary and mass education minister Mohammad Afsarul Amin told
Roughly 2.3 million students will take part in the primary terminal examinations, including 4,920 appearing in English version. Of them, around 1.07 million candidates are girls.

Meanwhile, about 0.3 million students will sit for the ebtedayee terminal examinations of whom 53.25 percent are girls, the minister told a press briefing on Tuesday.

He added that 4,003 candidates with disabilities would appear for the exams and would be given an extra 15 minutes to complete their papers.

The number of Talent Pool Scholarships to be given this year has been increased by two thousand to 22,000 while the number of general scholarships would be 33,000 against last year's 30,000.

Last year, some 2.48 million students appeared for the exams of whom 92.34 percent passed the hurdles.

The primary and ebtedayee terminal examinations began in 2009. The exams this year will last till Nov 30, primary education directorate's administration director Abdul Rouf Chowdhury had told earlier.

The three-hour exams will commence from 11am on every test date.

The prime minister has presented cheques as honorarium and 'Doel' laptops to the family members of the martyred and war-wounded freedom fighters on the occasion of the 40th Armed Forces Day.

Earlier, on her arrival at Dhaka cantonment, Sheikh Hasina placed wreath at Shikha Anirban (eternal flame) to pay homage to the martyred armed forces men, who made the supreme sacrifice during the Liberation War in 1971.

After placing the wreath, Hasina, who also holds the defense portfolio, stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of respect to the martyrs.

A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force presented armed salute as the bugle played the last post.

Later, the prime minister signed the visitor's book kept at Shikha Anirban.

The prime minister was received by the chiefs of the three services and the principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division.

Armed Forces Day is observed in the country on Nov 21 commemorating the day in 1971 when the members of Army, Navy and Air Force of the Bangladesh liberation war forces launched a combined offensive against the occupation Pakistani Army.

Defense adviser to the prime minister Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddique, state minister for liberation war affairs A B Tajul Islam, Chief of Army Staff General M Abdul Mubeen, chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Z U Ahmed and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal S M Ziaur Rahman and senior civil and military officials were present on the occasion.

The Election Commission is set to announce the poll schedules of newly formed Comilla City Corporation on Tuesday, election commissioner Muhammad Sohul Hussain has said.

"All complexities over the Comilla City Corporation election is over. The election schedules will be announced tomorrow (Tuesday)," Sohul told reporters after a long discussion held at the EC office on Monday.

Sohul said overall preparations for the election were discussed at the meeting.

The election commissioner also said that the gazette on boundary demarcation work had been published and the voter list was also ready.

"Now, it is time to announce the poll schedules," added Sohul.

Comilla City Corporation was formed by merging Comilla Municipality and Comilla Sadar Municipality (South) on July 10 this year following a longstanding demand of the locals.

According to the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009, the city corporation is supposed to go to polls within 180 days of its formation. So, the Comilla city elections must be declared by the last week of November and the elections held in the beginning of January.

According to senior assistant secretary to EC (local government) Farhad Hossain, the city corporation has 27 general wards and nine reserved wards.

A total of 169,273 voters will be casting their votes at the 65 polling centers with 421 voting rooms during the city corporation polls.

"One returning officer and nine assistant returning officers will be there to ensure that the voting is held in a fair manner," Sohul added.

The CCC election is likely to be the last elections under the present Election Commission. The commission headed by ATM Shamsul Huda will expire on next February.

Though Bangladesh and India agreed to finalise the extradition treaty at the earliest, New Delhi has told Dhaka that it could not locate the two absconding killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and asked for additional information about them.

"We could not locate them yet, but we have sought additional information from Bangladesh government about them," Indian home secretary R K Singh said on Monday.

Singh and his Bangladesh counterpart Monzur Hossain were addressing a news conference a day after the twelfth home secretary-level talks between the two countries concluded in New Delhi.

"If they are in India, we will be happy to help Bangladesh to bring them to justice. We will leave no stone unturned to find them and hand them over to Bangladesh government."

Though five killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were hanged at Dhaka Central Jail on Jan 28, 2010, Abdul Majed and Moslehuddin—both former Bangladesh Army officers and convicted of assassinating the nation's independence hero and most of his family on Aug 15, 1975—are still absconding and evading the noose.

A section of media earlier reported that Majed and Moslehuddin might be hiding in India.

Hussain said that Bangladesh expected India to provide "assistance in tracking, apprehending and handing over of the killers of Bangabandhu" and Dhaka would provide all information available with it to New Delhi to help it locate them.

Of the five other absconding convicts in the case related to killing of Bangabandhu, M Rashed Chowdhury and Noor Chowdhury are believed to be living in US and Canada, while Abdul Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe. Apart from Majed and Moslehuddin, Khandkar Abdur Rashid and Shariful Haque Dalim could not be traced yet.

Indian home minister P Chidambaram had on July 30 said in Dhaka that New Delhi would make all possible efforts to locate the killers of Bangabandhu and hand them over to authorities in Bangladesh.

Singh and Hossain led the Indian and Bangladeshi delegations respectively in the home secretary-level talks that started on Saturday.

During the two-day talks, both sides agreed that the negotiation on the extradition treaty could be concluded soon so that it could be inked at the earliest. Singh told journalists that New Delhi had given a draft of the proposed treaty to Dhaka and the latter was now studying it.

Bangladesh is understood to have sought clarifications and modifications on certain clauses of the draft prepared by India.

Both New Delhi and Dhaka believe that the Extradition Treaty would complete the legal framework on bilateral security cooperation.

Hossain and Singh agreed to operationalise the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons and Agreement on Combating Organised Crime and Illegal Drug Trafficking, which had been signed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi in January 2010. They also agreed to implement Coordinated Border Management Plan, which had been inked during Chidambaram's visit to Dhaka last July.

The two home secretaries reviewed the sharing of intelligence between the two countries and "reaffirmed their resolve to take immediate action on the basis of real time and actionable information through nodal points of the two countries."

Both sides agreed to develop mechanisms to further hasten the process of verification of nationality status of prisoners lodged in jails of either country, particularly of those who have completed their sentence, to enable their early repatriation.

They also discussed about hand-over of Indian insurgent leader Anup Chetia, who served a jail sentence in Bangladesh after being caught in 1997. Hossain informed Singh that a legal process was on and Chetia's plea for asylum was before a court in Bangladesh. Dhaka and Delhi would move forward on the issue after the legal process was over.

"Both sides agreed to provide consular access for expediting verification of nationality of persons lodged in the jails. In order to further intensify people-to-people contact, both sides agreed to discuss visa-related issues in the next meeting on Agreement for Revised Travel Arrangements, which would be held soon," read the joint statement issued after the conclusion of talks between the home secretaries.

Though a Bangladeshi citizen was shot dead by India's Border Security Force personnel just a few hours before the two home secretaries commenced their talks on Saturday, the two sides "noted with appreciation the firing incidence along the international border considerably reduced." Both sides agreed that utmost restraint would be exercised to avoid human casualty.

They agreed to enhance cooperation in capacity building of police and other law-enforcing agencies. Dhaka welcomed the offer made by New Delhi for training of police personnel of Bangladesh and cooperation for capacity building of police.

Singh lauded Dhaka's efforts to address security concerns of New Delhi over the past one-and-a-half years.

Due to tacit cooperation between the security agencies of Bangladesh and India earlier in 2009 and 2010, a number of top leaders of insurgent organisations active in northeastern Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur had landed in the custody of the law-enforcing agencies of India. New Delhi appreciated the cooperation from Dhaka in international forums.

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sep 24 last, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had upheld the security cooperation between his country and Bangladesh as an example.

"In South Asia, there are encouraging signs of cooperation in the area of security, as exemplified in India's growing cooperation with Bangladesh. Such cooperation is adding to the security of both our countries," he had said.

A moderate earthquake has jolted parts of Bangladesh.

The 5.9-magnitude tremor was felt at 9.15am on Monday, senior meteorologist of the Met Office Farah Diba told .

No casualties were reported immediately.

"The epicentre was in Myanmar, some 468 kilometres away from Dhaka," Farah said.

The Meteorological Department last recorded two earthquakes in Chandpur and Mymensingh on Nov 2 and Nov 5.

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook Bangladesh and parts of India on Sept 18 evening.

A full Appellate Division bench headed by the chief justice has upheld the chamber judge's orders for the telecoms regulator BTRC to not hamper operations of Grameenphone.

The court also asked the parties to settle in the High Court by Dec 14 the petition of the nation's largest mobile-phone operator over payment of spectrum assignment fee and Value Added Tax (VAT).

The seven-strong bench led by chief justice Mozammel Haque, on Monday, upheld the Nov 3 ruling by chamber judge Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain which had come on a leave-to-appeal petition filed by BTRC against a preceding High Court order.

Justice Hossain had said the matter of licence renewal of Grameenphone will be decided by a regular court.

BTRC's counsel Khandaker Reza-E Rakib told  that the order by the chamber judge regarding licence renewal and spectrum fee has been upheld and the High Court would now give the verdict.

GP lawyer Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury told journalists: "According to the court order, Grameenphone can run its operation without any hindrance."

The watchdog in an Oct 17 letter had asked the Grameenphone to pay Tk 30.624 billion in fees for licence renewal and spectrum allocation in 2008. But GP challenged the move in court saying BTRC claimed Tk 2.368 billion extra fee for the spectrum allocated.

The High Court on Oct 26 stayed the effectiveness of a BTRC notice asking Grameenphone to pay additional Tk 2.37 billion for the radio frequency in 1800 megahertz band.

On Nov 1, chamber judge of the Appellate Division justice M Imman Ali felt embarrassed to hear the petition.

Later, the chief justice sent the petition to justice Syed Mahmud Hossain for further action.

Advocate Mahbubey Alam, Ajmal Haque QC and barrister Rakib argued for BTRC at the hearing, while barristers Rokan Uddin Mahmud, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Mehedi Hasan, and advocate Anisul Haque represented Grameenphone.

The DSE has recommended that sponsor directors of all listed companies hold at least 30 percent stake, and those below the level buy back in six months their shares.

In a meeting on Monday evening, the board of directors of the Dhaka Stock Exchange took decisions that would have an impact on some of Bangladesh's biggest players in the business.

Shakil Rizvi, the DSE president, told reporters after the meeting that the board had decided to dissolve all but audit and demutualisation committees.

The listing committee, perhaps the most powerful one with authority to virtually approve IPO process, was one of the dozen or so DSE wings that stood dissolved after the Monday evening's meeting.

Rizvi only read out a written statement and did not take any questions.

The DSE meeting came after the indices plunged to new lows over the past week leading to streets protests and then intervention from the prime minister. On Wednesday night, Sheikh Hasina chaired a high-profile meeting that resulted in decisions to prop up the prices.

The DSE board decided to recommend that there be a mandatory provision for all company sponsor directors that they hold at least 30pc stake.

According to the DSE proposals meant for SEC clearance, those holding below 30 percent in any listed company should bring their holding up to 15 percent in three months, and the rest in six months.

This would mean sponsor directors of many major companies would have to buy back shares they had sold at high profits at the current market prices.

Failing to do so, these sponsor directors would lose their control on management of companies they own not even 15 percent in many cases.

Currently, the sponsor directors of Beximco Limited hold only 13.25pc shares of the company, retail investors 76.45pc and foreigners the rest, while sponsor directors of Beximco Pharma hold 12.97pc shares, retail investors 52.8pc, foreigners 23.02pc and institutional investors 11.21pc, according to the DSE website.

In case of Uttara Bank, sponsor directors hold meagre 8.13pc shares, retail investors 88.62pc and institutional investors 3.19pc.

Sponsor directors of City Bank own 12.88pc stake, Southeast Bank 28.14pc, National Bank Limited (NBL) 29.21pc and AB Bank a low 13.9pc. Prime Bank sponsor directors hold 43.25pc shares of the bank.

According to the DSE proposals, any investor holding at least five percent shares—by acquisition or otherwise—will be eligible for a seat on the board of directors of that company.

Each company will have to nominate at least one director from among general shareholders.

From now on, the sponsor directors should only be allowed to sell shares through 'block market', and not through public market.

The companies which sold shares through direct listing must buy back if the prices of those securities fell below the issue price.

Another proposal talks of the companies raising capital through the placement route, instead of going for listing on the bourses.

The DSE recommends that such companies settle the issue of status of their investors within three months.

The proposals would now require regulatory approval.

The DSE also proposed to relax certain rules for commercial banks trading in the stock market. When calculating the banks' exposure, the board suggested that the market price or cost price –whichever would be lower—be taken into account.

At present, the cost price or market price—whichever is higher—provides the basis for such calculation.

Illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia, who have given their finger prints, will have to collect their passports up to Jan 10 next year by submitting applications to the embassy there.

Expatriates welfare ministry public relations officer Shahidul Alam Majumder on Sunday told reporters about the deadline. The process of issuing new passports had begun on Oct 20.

Shahidul said the Malaysian government set the deadline in response to a message from the Bangladesh embassy labour counsellor in Malaysia Montu Kumar Biswas.

Bangladeshis working in Malaysia illegally were urged to legalise their stay.

Registration of the illegal Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia started Aug 1 with fingerprinting them under the 6P-Programme. This government programme would allow the illegal foreign workers to become legal. The process ended on Aug 31.

A total of 267,803 Bangladeshi workers got registered. Of them, 247,622 have no passport, according to the ministry.

Until Nov 5, some 65,000 workers got new passports.

On the other hand, 130,622 Bangladeshi workers did not apply at all.

Finance minister A M A Muhith is holding a meeting with the capital market stakeholders.

The meeting is expected to discuss ways to stabilise the stock market and also steps necessary to compensate retail investors.

"An announcement is likely to follow the meeting… If not, the decisions will definitely be announced on Monday," Muhith said earlier on Sunday.

The meeting, chaired by the finance minister, started around 7pm in the conference room of the Planning Commission at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Last Wednesday, prime minister Sheikh Hasina met more than 20 market stakeholders at her official residence Ganabhaban. The meeting followed massive fall in stock prices in the days following the nine-day Eid recess and a series of street protests by small investors.

Hasina promised that the government will do whatever is needed to prop up the market.

The finance minister also met with some of the stakeholders on Friday. Stock market regulator SEC chief M Khairul Hossain said measures were taken as per the decisions of the meeting with the prime minister were on track but declined to elaborate.

The trading on the stock market is witnessing a positive trend since Wednesday's meeting.

The previous week's trading ended in a flurry of exchanges with the turnover topping Tk 4.26 billion on Thursday with most issues marking a healthy rise.

The general index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange registered a 129.14-point or 2.49 percent gain at the close of trading on Sunday.

Finance secretary Mohammad Tarek, Bank and Financial Institutions Division secretary Shafiqur Rahman Patwari, Pubali Bank chairman Hafiz Uddin, Standard Bank chairman Kazi Akramuddin, Bangldesh Association of Banks' chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder, Association of Bankers' Bangladesh chairman Mahmud Sattar, Insurance Association president Sheikh Kabir Hossain, Insurance Development Regulatory Commission chairman Shefayet Ullah, Investment Corporation of Bangladesh managing director Mohammad Fayekuzzaman and CDBBL managing director or chief executive officer are believed to be present in the meeting.

SEC chairman Khairul, its members Helal Uddin Nizami, Amzad Hossain, Arif Khan and A Salam Sikder, Dhaka Stock Exchange president Shakil Rizvi and Chittagong Stock Exchange chairman Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and four directors of the country's two stock exchanges are also attending the meeting.

Bangladesh Bank's former governor Mohammad Farash Uddin, former SEC chairman Faruk Hossain and lawyer Anisul Haque have also joined the meeting.

Legal Aid (Amendment) Bill 2011, aimed at providing legal aid to helpless people, has been passed by parliament.

Law minister Shafique Ahmed tabled the bill in the House on Sunday.

The bill intends to reach legal aid to those who are helpless, financially weak and unable to secure justice due to their socio-economic condition.

Legal aid providing organisations and district committees will play a key role once the bill takes the shape of law.

Four sections of the Legal Aid Act 2000 have been amended through the bill.

The prosecution will finish its opening statement against Sayedee on Monday when the International Crimes Tribunal reconvenes.

Cross-examination of witnesses will, however, begin on Dec 7.

Chief prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo began the statement with the historic context that led up to the Liberation War in 1971.

Jamaat-e-Islami's executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee has been charged on 20 counts for war crimes that he allegedly committed during the War of Independence.

After about an hour, the 82-year-old chief prosecutor asked his colleague Syed Rezaur Rahman to continue with the opening statement. But Rezaur Rahman could not get through the 88-page document either, when the tribunal said it would hear the remainder on Monday.

The tribunal asked the prosecution to give its opening statement minutes before going into lunch recess after having heard two applications filed by the defence.

One of the applications sought explanation from the tribunal chief Nizamul Huq, why he had not removed, or recused, himself from the tribunal.

Barrister Abdur Razzaq argued for Sayedee on the first application of the day.

The other application sought adjournment of Sayedee's trial until. He has been indicted on 20 counts including genocide, murder, rape, arson and loot.

Lawyer Tajul Islam urged the tribunal to delay the trial to prepare its case and the list of witnesses.

Nizamul Huq, presiding over Sunday's proceedings, said in his order that the first application, asking for his explanation to stay on as head of the tribunal, would be disposed of on Wednesday.

In response to the second application seeking adjournment of the trial proceedings, he fixed Dec 7 for the defence to submit its list of witnesses.

Nizamul then directed the prosecution to begin its opening statement in the ongoing trial against Sayedee.

The defence had filed its application seeking removal of the tribunal chief, recusal in legalese, stating that his neutrality had been compromised due to his earlier involvement with a people's inquiry commission. As part of that team, he collected evidence against Sayedee and thus has already formed an opinion about the accused who would be tried under him, the defence had said.

Only three days back, Sayedee's lawyers stormed out of the court after the tribunal chief joined proceedings.

They also filed the two applications before walking out of the tribunal.

The tribunal fixed Nov 20 for disposing of that application, but when urged to continue with the scheduled hearing of a review petition of Sayedee's indictment, the defence refused to proceed and walked out demanding that the tribunal chief explain himself first.

The tribunal said the conduct of the defence lawyers had been "unwarranted" and "unbecoming". As for the review petition, the court said it was rejected since it was 'not pressed'.

The defence had told the press later that they would wait until the disposal of application was disposed of on Sunday.

On the other hand, the prosecution claimed that the defence had violated all ethics, code of conduct and customs that behove lawyers.

The prosecution raised a legal point and said the petition was not maintainable or in form. The prosecution further pointed out that the commission in question was not in any way part of the ongoing trial. Nor did it have any legal coverage.

The other two judges of the tribunal, ATM Fazle Kabir and AKM Zaheer Ahmed, held a hearing of that petition on Nov 13 in a crowded courtroom.

They ruled the following day that the laws did not provide for the tribunal judges to remove a co-judge. They also pointed out that the previous cases cited by the defence counsel Abdur Razzaq where judges were recused had the privilege of such laws. In conclusion, they left the matter of recusal to the 'good conscience of the judge' in question.

On Sunday, attorney general Mahbubey Alam sat with the prosecution team and addressed the court, while former law minister Moudud Ahmed, Supreme Court Bar Association president Khandker Mahbub Hossain addressed the court from defence, besides Abdur Razzaq and Tajul Islam.

Former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar was also present in the court among the defence lawyers.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni has sought formal apology from Pakistan for the genocide and atrocities committed by its military in 1971.

She also called for Pakistan's understanding and recognition of Bangladesh's position on resolving outstanding issues, including repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, division of assets and war reparations.

She said this when new high commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh Afrasiab Mehdi Hashmi paid a courtesy visit to the minister on Sunday at her office.

"Early resolution of the outstanding issues would enable the existing friendly relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan to make a great leap forward and create a wider space for cooperation," she said, according to a media release of the foreign ministry.

The minister assured the new Pakistani high commissioner of all possible cooperation in discharge of his duties in Bangladesh.

Dipu Moni appreciated the high commissioner's point that an enhanced level of people-to-people contact could go a long way towards promoting better understanding among the two peoples.

Both of them noted that there remains immense potential to take the existing cooperation in trade, economic, social, educational and cultural fields to newer heights.

The foreign minister recalled that she had held fruitful discussions with her Pakistani counterpart on a number of occasions recently and said that she would like to invite the foreign minister to Bangladesh.

The high commissioner said that Bangladesh and Pakistan are enjoying excellent cordial relations based on traditional bonds of friendship between the two peoples.

He informed that Pakistan has been trying to expand bilateral relations with Bangladesh in areas such as scholarship for students, sponsoring sports events, and arts and culture.

EU PROPOSAL

On the issue of waiver for Pakistani products into the EU markets, Dipu Moni said Bangladesh, frequently visited by even more devastating natural disasters, has full sympathy with the flood victims of Pakistan.

She, however, remarked that giving trade preference to a country solely on account of natural disaster would be unprecedented.

She said that a number of countries, including those from Latin America, opposed the initiative even before Bangladesh.

She added that Bangladesh's decision in this regard would be considered on the merits of the proposal and not on whether other countries lent support to the initiative.

The process of discussions was still continuing at the EU and the WTO, and Bangladesh would remain engaged in the process and take a decision based on how the process evolves, she stated.

JOINT ECONOMIC COMMISSION

Both sides emphasised the need for early convening of the joint economic commission (JEC) meeting.

Pakistan side has already sought to know the convenience of the authorities concerned of Bangladesh for holding the JEC meeting.

The foreign minister said that she had talked to the commerce minister in this regard and that the latter would visit Islamabad for holding the meet at the earliest.

A set of suitable dates will soon be communicated to Islamabad for the purpose through diplomatic channel.

Both sides also expressed deep satisfaction at the cooperation Bangladesh and Pakistan extend to each other in various international forums.

The Securities and Exchange Commission will announce a 'complete package' to stabilise the shaky market in a day or two to guard the interests of retail investors, says a member.

Helaluddin Nizami, however, declined to comment on the components of the package at the moment.

"Media will be briefed on the details," he said after a meeting of stakeholders with finance minister A M A Muhith on Sunday night.

According to him, the two-and-a-half-hour meeting was 'successful'. It started around 7pm at the Planning Commission in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

On compensation to the victims of continued fall in share prices, the SEC member said, "It takes time to identify the retail investors sustaining damage and to account the amount of that damage.

"A combined package will be announced taking into account the whole scenario to serve their interests best and stabilise the market."

Responding to a query, Helaluddin said the National Board of Revenue (NBR) will explain the technicalities relating to investment of undisclosed money into the capital market.

"There is no reason to get puzzled over the matter," he added.

He also said the central bank had agreed in principle to the proposals for initiating steps to stabilise the market.

"The Bangladesh Bank will consider the proposals sympathetically. The package will reflect their concern," Helaluddin said.

He said the finance minister instructed Bangldesh Association of Banks chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder and Association of Bankers, Bangladesh chairman K Mahmud Sattar to take steps to increase institutional investments in the market.

Earlier in the day, Muhith said they were expecting to discuss ways to stabilise the stock market and also steps to compensate the retail investors.

Last Wednesday, prime minister Sheikh Hasina met over 20 stock market stakeholders at her official residence Ganabhaban. The meeting followed massive fall in stock prices in the days after the nine-day Eid recess and a series of street protests by small investors.

Hasina promised that the government will do whatever is needed to prop up the market.

The finance minister also met with some of the stakeholders on Friday. Stock market regulator SEC chief M Khairul Hossain said measures were taken as per the decisions of the meeting with the prime minister were on track but declined to elaborate.

The trading on the stock market has witnessed a positive trend since Wednesday's meeting.

The previous week's trading ended in a flurry of exchanges with the turnover topping Tk 4.26 billion on Thursday with most issues marking a healthy rise.

The general index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange registered a 129.14point or 2.49 percent gain at the close of trading on Sunday.

Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman, Finance Division secretary Mohammad Tarek, Bank and Financial Institutions Division secretary Shafiqur Rahman Patwari, Pubali Bank chairman Hafiz Ahmed Majumder, Standard Bank chairman Kazi Akramuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Insurance Association president Sheikh Kabir Hossain, Insurance Development Regulatory Commission chairman Shefayet Ullah, Investment Corporation of Bangladesh managing director Mohammad Fayekuzzaman, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry president A K Azad, and CDBL managing director and chief executive officer M H Samad attended the meeting.

SEC chairman M Khairul Hossain, its members Helaluddin, Amzad Hossain, Arif Khan and A Salam Sikder, Dhaka Stock Exchange president Shakil Rizvi and Chittagong Stock Exchange chairman Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed, and four directors of the country's two stock exchanges also attended the meeting.

Bangladesh Bank's former governor Mohammad Farash Uddin, former SEC chairman Faruk Hossain and lawyer Anisul Haque were also present.

Maj Gen Rezanur Rahman Khan represented the Armed Forces Division.

Prime ministers advisors H T Imam and Mashiur Rahman also attended the meeting.

Bangladesh and India are said to have made progress in the negotiation for a bilateral extradition treaty and the neighbours hope to finalise a draft by early next year.

Home secretary Monzur Hussain and his Indian counterpart R K Singh on Saturday reviewed the progress on the negotiation for the proposed extradition treaty and are understood to have agreed to expedite the process to complete the legal framework for bilateral security cooperation.

Hussain and Singh are leading the delegations of Bangladesh and India, respectively, in the 12th round of home secretary-level parleys, which commenced in New Delhi on Saturday. Although two sides agreed to move faster on the proposed extradition treaty, reported excesses by the personnel of India's Border Security Force continued to be a sticky point.

Sources in Indian government said that Hussain drew Singh's attention to the latest incident of killing of a Bangladeshi citizen by the BSF soldiers at the borders.

Hussain is also understood to have reminded Singh that Indian home minister P Chidambaram had said in Dhaka last July that the BSF had been asked to exercise restraint.

A Bangladeshi citizen was shot dead by the BSF soldiers at Shingnogor adjoining the borders. The Border Guards Bangladesh sent a protest letter to the BSF.

The two-day talks between the home secretaries will conclude on Sunday.

An official statement from the India's ministry of home affairs said "security and border management, police-to-police co-operation in capacity building and training" were among the major issues on the agenda of the talks between Hussain and Singh.

After the first day's talks on Saturday, Hussain said the parleys were taking place in a very cordial atmosphere. Singh echoed him and added that both the countries would continue strengthening bilateral security co-operation in keeping with the friendly ties.

On the issue of extradition of jailed Indian insurgent leader Anup Chetia, who served a jail-term after being arrested in Bangladesh in 1997, Singh said a judicial process was on in Bangladesh for the handover of the ULFA leader.

On Friday, Hussain had called on Indian home minister P Chidambaram and foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai. The Bangladesh-India Joint Working Group on Security also had a meeting the same day to prepare ground for the home secretary-level talks.

The Bangladesh side is likely to once again seek India's assistance in finding Abdul Majed and Moslehuddin, who were convicted of killing Banbabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman and his family in 1975, but have since been escaping the noose.

Chidambaram had said in Dhaka in July that the two fugitives could be in India and Indian government would take all possible steps to find them and hand over to the authorities in Bangladesh. The Indian home minister had made the remark after a meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Shahara Khatun.

Sources said Bangladesh and India had on Friday exchanged lists of fugitives both suspect are hiding in each other's territory. Dhaka would particularly stress on cooperation with Indian agencies to find terrorists responsible for the 2004 grenade attack that had killed 24 people and left many injured.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was then leading the opposition, was among the injured and the dead included president Zillur Rahman's wife Ivy Rahman.

Indian government officials said that the two home secretaries would review implementation of the agreements on Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and Combating International Terrorism, Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking, which were signed during Hasina's landmark visit to New Delhi in Jan 2010.

They would also discuss progress in implementation of the deal the two countries clinched to settle the land boundary disputes during Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh in September.

A senior official at the India's home ministry said Singh would flag New Delhi's concerns on links between extremist organisations of both the countries, as revealed by the arrest of the Kashmiri youth, who was studying in a medical college in Bangladesh, in connection with the Sept 7 blast in front of the Delhi High Court.

Following a tacit cooperation between the security agencies of Bangladesh and India, in 2009 and 2010, a number of top leaders of insurgent organisations active in northeastern Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur had landed in the custody of the law-enforcing agencies of India. New Delhi appreciated the cooperation from Dhaka in international forums.

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sep 24, Manmohan had termed the security cooperation between his country and Bangladesh as an example.

"In South Asia, there are encouraging signs of cooperation in the area of security, as exemplified in India's growing cooperation with Bangladesh. This cooperation is adding to the security of both our countries," he had said.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni has said the Teesta water-sharing deal will be signed with neighbouring India 'shortly'.

Referring to her meeting with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, she told reporters in Chandpur Sadar Upazila on Saturday, "In the meeting Mamata told me that she also wanted Bangladeshis to get their share of Teesta waters. She also expressed her interest about the agreement."

Dipu Moni met Mamata on Wednesday evening in Kolkata on her way back to Dhaka, after attending a regional conference in India.

After the meeting, Mamata told reporters that the Teesta water-sharing deal would be signed ensuring the interests of her state and Bangladesh.

The agreement between Dhaka and Delhi ran into troubled waters after Mamata backed out of a visit to Dhaka with India prime minister Manmohan Singh in early September.

She was reportedly upset that the final draft of pact that was to be signed during the high-profile Dhaka visit was not shown to her.

Later, Indian foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai made it clear that no agreement will be signed without the state's consent.

Bangladesh retaliated by postponing the signing of a crucial deal on the cross-border transit that would have allowed India to use Bangladesh's southern seaports of Chittagong and Mongla.

The botched deal kicked up a storm in both Bangladeshi and India media, with some calling into question India's sincerity in furthering bilateral ties.

Before leaving Dhaka, Manmohan said India's inability to sign the deal was 'unfortunate.' Two months later, on Nov 13 he said he wanted a 'national consensus' for a 'realistic' solution to the issue

"Signing the deal is a matter between the governments of the two neighbouring countries. The West Bengal government has a vital role in this regard since the river flows through West Bengal," she said at a function.

Dipu Moni earlier inaugurated the 'Mid-Day Meal' programme, to combat hunger, through distributing foods among the students of Raldia Government Primary School.

She also inaugurated a weeklong cooperative fair at the Chandpur Central Shaheed Minar premises.

The foreign ministry is in touch with its Indian counterpart on Tipaimukh dam, planned to be erected in the state of Manipur.

"Senior officials in the ministry of external affairs of India informed us that they would be able to provide further details on the issue once offices open on Monday," said director general of external publicity wing of the foreign ministry Shamim Ehsan on Saturday.

"We have seen the press release of National Hydropower Corporation of India dated Oct 24," he said adding, "The MEA has referred to the assurances given by India at the highest level in this regard."

The Manipur government has secretly struck an investment deal with a number of state-run organisations for setting up a controversial hydroelectric power plant and Tipaimukh dam on India's Borak River.

BBC said in a report that the agreement was signed on Oct 22 between the State Government of Manipur and hydro developers Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd and NHPC (formerly known as the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited) at New Delhi under major wraps.

The proposed project has sparked off debates in Bangladesh after India took initiative to build the dam.

Experts and rights activists have said Bangladesh would be adversely affected if the dam is built upstream.

Even in Manipur, rights groups have been campaigning against the scheme for years and demanded that the government scrap the plan.

The Liberal Democratic Party chief has said he is hopeful there will be a 'positive decision' on his party joining the four-party alliance.

"We will continue our movement against the government. At the next meeting of four-party alliance top leaders, I am hopeful there will be a positive decision on our inclusion," LDP president Oli Ahmed said on Saturday.

He said LDP district offices would now on coordinate with the alliance.

Oli Ahmed was speaking to reporters after a meeting with the alliance head and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who also attended the meeting, said, "We have discussed LDP's inclusion into the alliance. But many top alliance leaders being in jail and second-rung leaders being unable to attend meetings for cases, a high-level meeting has failed to materialise.

"As soon as there is one, the LDP issue will be taken up, and a positive outcome is likely."

Oli said detailed discussions about the anti-government movement took place at the meeting.

"Without throwing this government out, peace and stability cannot be there in the country," he remarked.

BNP plans to celebrate the birthday of Tarique Rahman in style, streaming live the ceremony in his hometown Bogra, a party official said.

Tarique, son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and party's senior vice chair, turns 45 on Sunday.

The daylong programme, at Tito auditorium in Bogra, would be webcast on bnplive.com, assistant office secretary Abdul Latif Jony told .

On Saturday midnight, several hundred activists turned up at party's Gulshan office to sing 'happy birthday' to Tarique as his mother was set to cut a huge cake in presence of senior colleagues at 12:01am.

The activists shouted "Shubho shubho shubho din, Tarique bhaier jonmodin" to shatter the silence in Dhaka's posh residential district in the middle of the night.

Limon Hossain, the college student who was shot and maimed by RAB eight months ago, appeared before a Jhalakati court on a prosthetic leg in a case that accuses him of obstructing law enforcers.

His counsel Manik Acharya told  that Limon appeared before senior judicial magistrate Nusrat Jahan's court on Wednesday morning and the judge set the next hearing on Jan 16.

Limon spoke to  at the court premises, "The RAB have filed false cases against me. I want an end to the harassment."

A student of Kathalia PGS Multipurpose Vocational School and College, Limon was fitted with the artificial leg on Aug 30.

A Rapid Action Battalion team on Mar 23 shot the 16-year-old boy in the left leg when he was taking his cows to a grazing field at Chhaturia of Jhalakati. After four days, the leg had to be amputated from the thigh to stop the spread of infection due to excessive bleeding.

After the shooting incident, the RAB team claimed that Limon sustained bullet injuries in a shootout between them and Limon's associates. They also filed two cases against him on Apr 25 -- one for possessing illegal arms, and the other for obstructing them in discharging their duties and opening fire on them.

Following a petition filed by Ain O Salish Kendra, a human-rights organisation, the High Court granted Limon bail for six months on May 6. The court also directed the government to arrange and pay for his treatment at one of the country's best hospitals as per Limon's choice.

A nurse allegedly kept a mother waiting for extra five hours after giving birth to a baby girl at Gosairhat Upazila Health Complex in Shariatpur, as she failed to pay additional money demanded by the hospital employee.

Delwar Hossain, uncle of mother Sumi Aktar, told  that nurse Sujala Rani did not let her go on Tuesday noon.

Sumi, 20, of Daser Jungle village, was admitted to the health facility with pelvic pain on Monday night and gave birth to a daughter the same night.

Delwar said, "When we're about to leave the hospital along with the mother and the baby after paying the dues, Sujala demanded extra Tk 2000 from us. She confined the two until evening for not paying the amount."

Upazila health and family planning officer Mohammad Abdur Rouf said on Wednesday he rushed to government-run complex on information and made Sumi, 20, of Daser Jungle village, leave the hospital without paying any extra charge.

Admitting demanding extra money, Nurse Sujala Rani told reporters, "All pay extra when any child is born in the health complex. That's why I demanded the money."

The foreign minister has met the West Bengal chief minister.

According to foreign ministry sources, Dipu Moni met Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday evening in Kolkata on her way back to Dhaka.

The meeting lasted about half an hour, they said declining to make any comment on what transpired at the meeting.

On Tuesday, attending an IOR-ARC meeting in Bangalore, India, the foreign minister told  that she would go to West Bengal.

Asked whether there would be meeting Mamata, Dipu Moni had said, "Hopefully."

Earlier, a close aide of the foreign minister confirmed  that the minister would go to Kolkata and meet Mamata.

"She has brought a Dhakai Jamdani saree for Mamata," he said seeking anonymity for not being authorised to brief the media.

Dipu Moni also met her Indian counterpart S M Krishna on the margin of the IOR-ARC meeting in Bangalore. She told  afterwards that India was hopeful about inking the Teesta deal "soon".

Asked about reports of internal hindrance to the water-sharing deal involving the Indian central government and the Paschimbanga state, the foreign minister said she would not say there was an internal obstacle.

"It's a procedural problem," she said.

Taking a question from , Krishna said at the news briefing, "Yes, we did discuss about Teesta."

"An agreement is around the corner. We hope we would come to a settlement," he said without giving any time frame.

The Teesta water-sharing agreement between Dhaka and Delhi ran into troubled waters after Mamata backed out of a visit to Dhaka with India prime minister Manmohan Singh in early September.

Dhaka has been trying to pacify Mamata who is said to be upset with the final draft of pact that was to be signed during the high-profile Dhaka visit.

After she decided to walk out of the visit, which eventually turned the tour into a diplomatic embarrassment for the Manmohan administration, Indian foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai made it clear that no agreement will be signed without the state's consent.

'সানড্রপ' বা 'সূর্যবিন্দু' নামের বিশ্বের সবচেয়ে বড় হলুদ হীরাটি মঙ্গলবার রাতে নিলামে ১ কোটি ২৩ লাখেরও বেশি মার্কিন ডলারে বিক্রি হয়েছে।

বিশ্ববিখ্যাত নিলামকারী প্রতিষ্ঠান সথবি একথা জানিয়েছে। তারাই হীরাটি নিলামে তুলছে।

হলুদ হীরাটির জন্য এ দাম বিশ্ব রেকর্ড গড়েছে বলে মন্তব্য করেছেন সথবির নিলামকারী ডেভিড বেনেত।

নাশপাতি আকৃতির হলুদ রঙের বিভিন্ন শেডের নয়নাভিরাম জলজ্বলে এ হীরাটির ওজন ১শ ১০ ক্যারেট।

নিলামে এর দাম ১ কোটি ১০ লাখ ডলার থেকে ১ কোটি ৫০ লাখ ডলারে উঠবে বলে আগেই ধারণা করেছিলো সথবি।

সূর্যবিন্দু (সানড্রপ) নামের বিরল এ হলুদ হীরা গত বছর দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকার খনিতে পাওয়া যায়।

১শ' ক্যারেটের বেশি ওজনের হীরা অত্যন্ত দু®প্রাপ্য। আর ১১০ ক্যারেটের এ হীরাটির বিশেষ হলুদ রং একে আরো অনন্য করে তুলেছে।

পুঁজিবাজারের স্থিতিশীলতা এবং ক্ষুদ্র বিনিয়োগকারীদের বিবেচনায় রেখে দু-এক দিনের মধ্যে তিন মেয়াদের পরিকল্পনার ঘোষণা আসছে- প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সঙ্গে জরুরি বৈঠকের পর জানিয়েছেন বাজার নিয়ন্ত্রক সংস্থার এক সদস্য।

পুঁজিবাজার সংশ্লিষ্টদের সঙ্গে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর জরুরি বৈঠক শেষে বুধবার রাতে সাংবাদিকদের পুঁজিবাজার নিয়ন্ত্রক সংস্থা সিকিউরিটিজ অ্যান্ড এক্সচেঞ্জ কমিশনের সদস্য আরিফ খান বলেন, অপ্রদর্শিত অর্থ ও ব্যাংকের অর্থপ্রবাহ বাড়ানো ও ক্ষুদ্র বিনিয়োগকারীদের ক্ষতি পুষিয়ে বাজার স্থিতিশীল করার উদ্যোগ নেওয়া হবে।

তিনি বলেন, "প্রধানমন্ত্রী বৈঠকে জানিয়েছেন, পুঁজিবাজারের জন্য যা যা করা দরকার, তা করা হবে।"

আরিফ খান বলেন, "অপ্রদর্শিত অর্থ বাজারে যেভাবে বিনিয়োগের সুযোগ ছিল সেভাবেই থাকার সিদ্ধান্ত হয়েছে বৈঠকে। এ বিষয়ে কোনো সংস্থা প্রশ্ন করবে না।"

"বাণিজ্যিক ব্যাংকগুলোর পুঁজিবাজারে বিনিয়োগ বাড়ানোর বিষয়ে বৈঠকে সবাই একমত হয়েছেন।" যোগ করেন তিনি।

টানা কয়েকদিনের দরপতন এবং বিনিয়োগকারীদের বিক্ষোভের প্রেক্ষিতে প্রধানমন্ত্রী তার সরকারি বাসভবন গণভবনে এ বৈঠক ডাকেন। রাত ১১টা ২২ মিনিটে বৈঠক শেষ হয়।

ব্রিফিংয়ে পুঁজিবাজার নিয়ন্ত্রক সংস্থা সিকিউরিটিজ অ্যান্ড এক্সচেঞ্জ কমিশনের চেয়ারম্যান এম খায়রুল হোসেনসহ এসইসির চার সদস্য এবং ঢাকা ও চট্টগ্রাম স্টক এক্সচেঞ্জের দুই সভাপতি উপস্থিত ছিলেন।

আরিফ খান বলেন, "একটি স্থিতিশীল পুঁজিবাজারের জন্য স্বল্প, মধ্য ও দীর্ঘ মেয়াদি পরিকল্পনা শিগগির নেওয়া হবে।"

পরিকল্পনা ঘোষণা কবে নাগাদ আসতে পারে জানতে চাইলে এসইসির এ সদস্য বলেন, দু-এক দিনের মধ্যে এ বিষয়ে ঘোষণা আসতে পারে।

পুঁজিবাজারে স্থিতিশীলতা ফেরাতে এবং ক্ষুদ্র বিনিয়োগকারীদের মধ্যে যারা ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছে তাদের স্বার্থ রক্ষায় এ তিন মেয়াদি পরিকল্পনা হয়েছে বলে জানান তিনি।

এসইসির আরেক সদস্য হেলালউদ্দিন নিজামী বলেন, নতুন আঙ্গিকে বেশকিছু পদক্ষেপ নেওয়ার প্রস্তাব দেওয়া হয়েছে বৈঠকে। এগুলোর মধ্য থেকে যাচাই বাছাই করে দু-এক দিনের মধ্যে ঘোষণা আসবে।

ঢাকা স্টক এক্সচেঞ্জ সভাপতি শাকিল রিজভী বলেন, "রোববার এ বিষয়ে ঘোষণা আসতে পারে।"

পুঁজিবাজার সংশ্লিষ্ট ২০ জনের বেশি কর্মকর্তাকে নিয়ে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর এ বৈঠক চলে প্রায় চার ঘণ্টা। সন্ধ্যা ৭টা ৪০ মিনিটে গণভবনের ব্যাংকোয়েট হলে বৈঠক শুরু হয়। বৈঠকে প্রধানমন্ত্রী ছাড়াও অর্থমন্ত্রী আবুল মাল আবদুল মুহিত, স্থানীয় সরকারমন্ত্রী সৈয়দ আশরাফুল ইসলাম, প্রধানমন্ত্রীর উপদেষ্টা এইচ টি ইমাম ছিলেন।

এসইসি চেয়ারম্যান এম খায়রুল হোসেন, এসইসির চার সদস্য হেলালউদ্দিন নিজামী, আমজাদ হোসেন, এ সালাম সিকদার ও আরিফ খান, ঢাকা স্টক এক্সচেঞ্জের সভাপতি শাকিল রিজভী, চট্টগ্রাম স্টক এক্সচেঞ্জের সভাপতি ফখরউদ্দিন আলী আহমেদ বৈঠকে অংশ নেন।

অর্থ বিভাগের সচিব মোহাম্মদ তারেক, ব্যাংক ও আর্থিক প্রতিষ্ঠান বিভাগের সচিব শফিকুর রহমান পাটোয়ারি, জাতীয় রাজস্ব বোর্ডের (এনবিআর) চেয়ারম্যান নাসিরউদ্দিন আহমেদ, এনবিআর সদস্য আমির হোসেন, বাংলাদেশ ব্যাংকের ডেপুটি গভর্নর নজরুল হুদাকে বৈঠকে দেখা গেছে।

ইনভেস্টমেন্ট কর্পোরেশন অফ বাংলাদেশ-আইসিবির ব্যবস্থাপনা পরিচালক মো. ফায়েকুজ্জামান, ব্যাংক উদ্যোক্তা-মালিকদের সংগঠন বাংলাদেশ অ্যাসোসিয়েশনস অব ব্যাংকস-এর চেয়ারম্যান নজরুল ইসলাম মজুমদার, বাংলাদেশ ইন্সুরেন্স অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের সভাপতি শেখ কবির হোসেন, ইন্সুরেন্স ডেভেলপমেন্ট রেগুলেটরি কমিশনের চেয়ারম্যান শেফায়েত উল্লাহ, পূবালী ব্যাংকের চেয়ারম্যান হাফিজ উদ্দিন, রূপালী ব্যাংকের চেয়ারম্যান আহমেদ আল কবীর এবং স্ট্যান্ডার্ড ব্যাংকের চেয়ারম্যান কাজী আকরামউদ্দিনও বৈঠকে উপস্থিত ছিলেন।

টানা কয়েকদিন দরপতন চললেও পুঁজিবাজার নিয়ে প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার জরুরি বৈঠক ডাকার প্রেক্ষাপটে বুধবার দেশের দুই পুঁজিবাজারে বেশিরভাগ শেয়ারের দাম বাড়ে।

ফেইসবুকে নিজের ওয়ালে কনে ফারজানা ইয়াসমিনকে বিদ্রুপ করে তালাক পাওয়া বর শওকত আলী খান হীরণের পোস্টটি তারই লেখা বলে জানিয়েছেন তার এক বন্ধু।

 কার্যালয়ে এসে এক প্রশ্নের উত্তরে হীরণ দাবি করেন, ফারজানাকে বিদ্রুপ করে লেখা পোস্টটি তার নয়। সেটি করেছেন তার এক বন্ধু।

হীরণের ফেইসবুক ওয়ালে ফারজানার ছবিসহ লেখা হয়, "এই সেই কন্যা সাহসিকা নিপা, বিয়ের নামে যে ব্যবসার ফাঁদ পেতেছে।"

নিপা ফারজানার ডাক নাম।

সেখানে ফারজানার দুটি মোবাইল ফোন নম্বরও প্রকাশ করা হয়।

ওই পোস্টে ফারজানার চরিত্র নিয়ে আপত্তিকর মন্তব্যকারী জনৈকা নীলা রহমানের বিষয়ে জানতে চাইলে তিনি বলেন, তাকে তিনি চেনেন না।

 কার্যালয়ে হীরণের উপস্থিতিতেই ফোন করে জানতে চাওয়া হলে তার বন্ধুটি জানান, ওই পোস্ট তিনি দেননি। তবে হীরণ তাকে তার ফেইসবুক অ্যাকাউন্টের পাসওয়ার্ড দিয়েছে বলে জানান তিনি।

বন্ধুর অস্বীকৃতির পর হীরণ বলেন, "অস্বীকার করলে আর কি করা।"



নিজেকে প্রযুক্তিবান্ধব ও আধুনিক তরুণ দাবি করে হীরণ বলেন, ল্যাপটপ সঙ্গে নিয়েই কনের বাড়ি গিয়েছিলেন তিনি। বিয়ে পড়ানোর পর বিয়ের খবর সংবাদ মাধ্যমে প্রকাশের জন্য দুই সাংবাদিক বন্ধুর কাছে মেইল করেন তিনি। তার দাবি সে খবর ছাপাও হয়েছে।

বিয়ের আসর থেকে ১১-১১-১১ তারিখে বেলা ১১টা ১১মিনিট ১১ সেকেন্ডে বিয়ে করে নিজের অনুভূতির কথা ফেইসবুক স্ট্যাটাসে জানান তিনি।

তিনি বলেন, "আপনারাই বলুন, আমার মতো একজন আধুনিক কিভাবে যৌতুক চাইতে পারে, যে কিনা নারী নির্যাতনবিরোধী আন্দোলনের জন্য পুরস্কৃত হয়েছে।"

হীরণের বন্ধুর মেইল

শওকত আলী খান হীরণের সঙ্গে স্কাউটিং করতে গিয়ে পরিচয় হলেও আমরা বরিশালের বিএম কলেজে সহপাঠী ছিলাম। ও আমার এক বছর আগে প্রেসিডেন্ট'স রোভার স্কাউট অ্যাওয়ার্ড পায়। সেই থেকে বন্ধুত্ব আছে।

ওর বিয়েটা ভেঙে যাওয়ায় আমরা পিআরএস (প্রেসিডেন্টস রোভার স্কাউট অ্যাওয়ার্ড) বন্ধুরা দুঃখ পেয়েছি।

আমি ওর বিয়ে ভেঙে যাওয়া নিয়ে ফেইসবুকে এ স্ট্যাটাস দিয়েছি এবং ওর বিরুদ্ধে সবাই ক্ষেপে গেছে দেখে ব্যাপারটা ওকে জানিয়েছি।

কথা শুনে গতকাল (মঙ্গলবার) সকালে ও আমাকে ওর ফেইসবুক আইডি ও পাসওয়ার্ড দিয়ে বলেছে, আমি যেন যতদূর পারি সবার প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিই। বন্ধুর বিপদ দেখে আমি না করতে পারিনি।

কিন্তু আমার মেয়ের জ্বর ও অন্যান্য ব্যস্ততায় গতকাল দুপুর পর্যন্ত আমি ফেইসবুক খুলিনি।

দুপুরের দিকে ও ফোন করে বলল, তুই কি আমার অ্যাকাউন্ট খুলেছিস? আমি বললাম- না। তখন হীরণ বললো, আমি ওই মেয়ের একটা ছবি ও ফোন নম্বর পোস্ট দিয়েছি। তাই সবাই ক্ষেপে গেছে। আমি ছবি রিমুভ করার চেষ্টা করেছি হয়েছে কি না জানি না। তুই একটু দেখ।

আমি অ্যাকাউন্ট খুলে দেখি সবাই ওকে নানা প্রশ্ন করছে। তাই ওকে ফোন দিয়ে ব্যাপারটা জানালাম। ও বললো, আমার মাথা ঠিক নেই তুই আমার হয়ে সরি বলে দে।

আমি সরি বলে একটা স্ট্যাটাস দিলাম। এরপর অনেক আজেবাজে কথা সবাই লিখল। আমি খুব ভয় আর লজ্জা পেয়ে হীরণকে জিজ্ঞাসা করলাম, তুই এই কাজটা কেন করলি? ও বললো, আমার মাথার কি ঠিক আছে!!! আমি কি করতে কি করি নিজেও জানি না। কতক্ষণ মাথা ঠিক রাখা যায়- তুই ছবি ডিলেট করে দে।

তখন আমি ছবি ডিলেট করতে না পেরে আমার হাজব্যান্ডকে ফোন দিয়ে ব্যাপারটা জানাতে ও পাসওয়ার্ড নিয়ে ছবিটা ডিলেট করে দেয় এবং রেগে গিয়ে হীরণের অ্যাকাউন্ট বন্ধ করে দেয়।

আমি কখনো ভাবিনি আমার এই বন্ধু এতো গোপনীয় একটা কথা সংবাদ মাধ্যমে জানাতে পারে বা আমাকেও বিপদে ফেলতে পারে।

আমি বন্ধুর বিপদে সাহায্য করতে চেয়েছিলাম। ফেইসবুকের আজেবাজে কমেন্ট থেকে ওকে রক্ষার জন্য ওরই অনুরোধে ওর অ্যাকাউন্ট খুলেছিলাম। এখন দেখছি, ও আমাকে দোষী বানাচ্ছে।

আমি তো ফারজানাকে চিনি না, ওর কোনো ফোন নম্বর বা ছবি আমার কাছে নেই।

আমার সাথে হীরণের ফোনে যা যা কথা হয়েছে সেগুলো চেক করলেই আসল ঘটনাটা জানা যাবে।

তাছাড়া ফেইসবুকে কখন, কোন পোস্ট, কোন জায়গা থেকে করা হয়েছে তথ্য প্রযুক্তির এই যুগে সেটা উদ্ধার করা অবশ্যই সম্ভব।

বিভিন্ন কর্মসূচির মধ্য দিয়ে বৃহস্পতিবার পালিত হচ্ছে মাওলানা আব্দুল হামিদ খান ভাসানীর ৩৫তম মৃত্যুবার্ষিকী।

মেহনতি মানুষের অধিকার আদায়ে আমৃত্যু সংগ্রামের জন্য 'মজলুম জননেতা' হিসেবে পরিচিতি পাওয়া এই নেতার স্মৃতির প্রতি শ্রদ্ধা জানিয়ে রাষ্ট্রপতি জিল্লুর রহমান বলেছেন, মওলানা আব্দুল হামিদ খান ভাসানীর আদর্শ নতুন প্রজন্মকে দেশপ্রেমে উদ্বুদ্ধ করবে বলেই তার বিশ্বাস।

মুক্তিযুদ্ধের সময় গঠিত জাতীয় উপদেষ্টা পরিষদের সদস্য ভাসানী ১৯৭৬ সালের ১৭ নভেম্বর মারা যান। সিরাজগঞ্জের এই সন্তান রাজনৈতিক জীবনে অসংখ্যবার জেল খেটেছেন। বায়ান্নর ভাষা আন্দোলন, ঊনসত্তরের গণঅভ্যুত্থানসহ এই জনপদের মানুষের অধিকার আদায়ের সংগ্রামে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অবদান রাখেন তিনি।

তার মৃত্যুবার্ষিকীতে রাষ্ট্রপতি এক বাণীতে বলেন, বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা আন্দোলনের অন্যতম পথিকৃৎ মওলানা আব্দুল হামিদ খান ভাসানী। তিনি শোষণ-বঞ্চনার বিরুদ্ধে আজীবন সংগ্রাম করে গেছেন।

প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনা তার বাণীতে বলেন, পাকিস্তানি শাসকদের অত্যাচার-নিপীড়নের বিরুদ্ধে উচ্চকণ্ঠ মওলানা ভাসানী বাঙালি জাতিসত্ত্বার বিকাশে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অবদান রেখেছেন।

শোষণ ও বঞ্চনাহীন এবং প্রগতিশীল, গণতান্ত্রিক, অসা¤প্রদায়িক বাংলাদেশ গঠনে তার অবদানের কথাও উল্লেখ করেন শেখ হাসিনা।

১৮৮০ সালের ১২ ডিসেম্বর সিরাজগঞ্জের ধনগড়া গ্রামে জন্ম নেওয়া আব্দুল হামিদ খান ১৯২৯ সালে আসামের ধুবড়ী জেলার ভাসান চরে কৃষক সম্মেলনে ভাসানী উপাধি পান।

১৯৪৪ সালে আসাম প্রদেশ মুসলিম লীগের সভাপতি নির্বাচিত হওয়ার পাঁচ বছর পর ১৯৪৯ সালের ২৩ জুন তিনি তৎকালীন পূর্ব বাংলায় গঠন করেন আওয়ামী মুসলিম লীগ।

আওয়ামী লীগের অন্যতম প্রতিষ্ঠাতা হলেও আদর্শিক মতান্তরে পরবর্তীতে তিনি আওয়ামী ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি (ন্যাপ) নামে নতুন দল গঠন করেন।

মৃত্যুবার্ষিকীতে নানা কর্মসূচি

সকালে শহীদ আসাদ পরিষদ ও বাংলাদেশ গরীব মুক্তি আন্দোলন ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে অপরাজেয় বাংলার সামনে থেকে প্রভাতফেরি বের করে। পরে কেন্দ্রীয় শহীদ মিনারে মওলানা ভাসানীর প্রতিকৃতিতে ফুল দিয়ে শ্রদ্ধা জানানো হয়।

এ ছাড়া সকাল সাড়ে ১০টায় বঙ্গবন্ধু সাংস্কৃতিক জোট ঢাকা রিপোর্টার্স ইউনিটিতে আয়োজন করেছে আলোচনা সভা।

বিকাল ৩টায় ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের স্বোপার্জিত স্বাধীনতা মঞ্চে উনসত্তরের গণ-অভ্যুত্থান, জাতীয় মুক্তিযুদ্ধ ও মওলানা ভাসানী' শীর্ষক আলোচনা সভা এবং কবিতা পাঠের আয়োজন করা হয়েছে।

সাড়ে ৩টায় জাতীয় গণতান্ত্রিক লীগ এই জননেতার স্মরণে মুক্তি ভবনে আয়োজন করেছে আলোচনা সভা।

অন্যদিকে টাঙ্গাইলে তার সমাধির সামনে রোববার থেকে পাঁচ দিনব্যাপী শিক্ষা, সংস্কৃতি, রাজনীতি, অর্থনীতি ও কৃষিবিষয়ক মেলার আয়োজন করা হয়েছে।

পদ্মা সেতু নিয়ে জট শিগগিরই খুলছে না বলে ঢাকায় বিশ্বব্যাংকের শীর্ষ কর্মকর্তার কথায় স্পষ্ট হয়েছে, যদিও সরকার দ্রুতই জটিলতার অবসান আশা করে আসছে।

প্রকল্পে দুর্নীতির অভিযোগ ওঠার বিশ্বব্যাংক পদ্মা সেতুতে অর্থায়ন স্থগিত করেছে। ২৯০ কোটি ডলার ব্যয়ে এ সেতু নির্মাণে এ সংস্থাটির ১২০ কোটি ডলার দেওয়ার কথা।

পদ্মা সেতু প্রকল্প বাস্তবায়ন নিয়ে জটিলতার মধ্যেই বুধবার অর্থসচিব মোহাম্মদ তারেকের সঙ্গে দেখা করেন ঢাকায় বিশ্বব্যাংকের আবাসিক প্রতিনিধি অ্যালেন গোল্ডস্টেইন।

জটিলতার আশু অবসান ঘটছে কি না- জানতে চাওয়া হলে গোল্ডস্টেইন  বলেন, "রাতারাতি এ সমস্যার সমাধান সম্ভবপর নয়। এ জন্য সময় প্রয়োজন।"

"এটা একটি বড় প্রকল্প, অনেক অর্থের ব্যাপার। তাই বিশ্বব্যাংক চায়, এ অর্থ খরচে যেন স্বচ্ছতা থাকে। এক্ষেত্রে কোনো ধরনের ছাড় দেওয়া হবে না," বলেন তিনি।

মন্ত্রণালয়ের এক জন কর্মকর্তা জানান, পদ্মা সেতুর বিষয়ে বিশ্বব্যাংকের সদর দপ্তরে সরকার যে চিঠি পাঠিয়েছিলো, তার জবাব অর্থমন্ত্রীর কাছে এসেছে।

নাম প্রকাশে অনিচ্ছুক ওই কর্মকর্তা বলেন, "আশাবাদী হওয়ার মতো কিছু নেই।"

গোল্ডস্টেইন বলেন, "আমাদের হেড কোয়ার্টার থেকে ৪ নভেম্বর চিঠির (বাংলাদেশ সরকারের) উত্তর পাঠানো হয়েছে।"

পদ্মা সেতু নির্মাণে বিশ্বব্যাংক তাদের অর্থায়ন স্থগিত করার পর অর্থমন্ত্রী আবুল মাল আবদুল মুহিত বার বার বলে আসছিলেন, খুব শিগগিরই জটিলতার সমাধান হয়ে যাবে।

গত মাসের শেষ ভাগেও তিনি বলেছিলেন, জানুয়ারি মাসের মধ্যেই বিষয়টির সুরাহা হবে।

সেতু নির্মাণ কাজ পর্যবেক্ষণের জন্য পরামর্শক নিয়োগের ক্ষেত্রে একটি কানাডীয় কোম্পানি নীতিবহির্ভূত কাজ করেছে বলে বিশ্বব্যাংকের তদন্তে উঠে এসেছে, যা কানাডা সরকার তদন্ত করছে।

এর পরপরই বিশ্বব্যাংক বাংলাদেশের এ পর্যন্ত বৃহত্তম এ নির্মাণ প্রকল্পে অর্থায়ন বন্ধের সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়।

পদ্মা সেতু প্রকল্পে জটিলতা দেখা দিলে গত ২০ অক্টোবর এক প্রেসনোটে পরিস্থিতি ব্যাখ্যা করে সরকার। এতে বলা হয়, প্রকল্পে দুর্নীতির প্রমাণ পেলে কঠোর ব্যবস্থা নেওয়া হবে।

তবে এ প্রকল্পে বিশ্বব্যাংকের অর্থায়ন স্থগিতের সিদ্ধান্ত সরকার যথাযথ বলে মনে করছে না। সংস্থাটিকে তাদের এ সিদ্ধান্ত পুনর্বিবেচনার আহ্বান জানানো হয়েছে।

দুর্নীতির অভিযোগ তদন্তে দুর্নীতি দমন কমিশনকে দায়িত্ব দিয়েছে সরকার। এতে বিশ্বব্যাংকের সহযোগিতাও প্রত্যাশা করা হয়েছে।

৬ দশমিক ১৫ কিলোমিটার দীর্ঘ পদ্মা সেতু নির্মাণে বিশ্বব্যাংকের মূল অর্থায়নের পাশাপাশি এডিবি ৬১ কোটি, জাইকা ৪০ কোটি এবং ইসলামী উন্নয়ন ব্যাংক ১৪ কোটি ডলার ঋণ দিচ্ছে। বাকি অর্থ দেবে সরকার।

পদ্মা সেতুতে অর্থায়ন স্থগিতের জন্য সরকারের 'দুর্নীতিকে' দায়ী করে বক্তব্য দিয়ে আসছেন বিরোধীদলীয় নেতা খালেদা জিয়া। এর পাল্টায় প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনা বলেন, বিএনপি আমলে যোগাযোগ মন্ত্রণালয়ের দুর্নীতির জন্য পদ্মা সেতুতে অর্থায়ন স্থগিত করেছে বিশ্বব্যাংক।