BANGLADESH

In people with low blood levels of vitamin D, boosting them with supplements more than halved a person's risk of dying from any cause compared to someone who remained deficient, in a large new study.

Analyzing data on more than 10,000 patients, University of Kansas researchers found that 70 percent were deficient in vitamin D and they were at significantly higher risk for a variety of heart diseases.

D-deficiency also nearly doubled a person's likelihood of dying, whereas correcting the deficiency with supplements lowered their risk of death by 60 percent.

"We expected to see that there was a relationship between heart disease and vitamin D deficiency; we were surprised at how strong it was," Dr. James L. Vacek, a professor of cardiology at the University of Kansas Hospital and Medical Center, told Reuters Health.

"It was so much more profound than we expected."

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a range of illnesses, but few studies have demonstrated the reverse -- that supplements could prevent those outcomes.

Vacek and his team reviewed data from 10,899 adults whose vitamin D serum levels had been tested at the University of Kansas Hospital, and found that more than 70 percent of the patients were below 30 nanograms per milliliter, the level many experts consider sufficient for good health.

After taking into account the patients' medical history, medications and other factors, the cardiologists found that people with deficient levels of vitamin D were more than twice as likely to have diabetes, 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure and about 30 percent more likely to suffer from cardiomyopathy -- a diseased heart muscle -- as people without D deficiency.

Overall, those who were deficient in D had a three-fold higher likelihood of dying from any cause than those who weren't deficient, the researchers reported in the American Journal of Cardiology. Moreover, when the team looked at people who took vitamin D supplements, their risk of death from any cause was about 60 percent lower than the rest of the patients, although the effect was strongest among those who were vitamin D deficient at the time they were tested.

The study does not prove that vitamin D is the cause of the effects seen -- other factors, like disease, could be responsible both for the differences in health and the differences in vitamin D levels, for instance.

Previous research has indicated that many Americans don't have sufficient levels of vitamin D, however. The latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated that 25 percent to 57 percent of adults have insufficient levels of D, and other studies have suggested the number is as high as 70 percent.

Vacek said he believes so many people are deficient because we should get about 90 percent of our Vitamin D from the sun and only about 10 percent from our food. The human body makes vitamin D in response to skin exposure to sunlight.

Certain foods, like oily fish, eggs and enriched milk products are also good sources of D. A sufficient amount of Vitamin D absorption from the sun would require at least 20 minutes of full-body exposure each day in warmer seasons, and most people aren't outside enough, Vacek said.

In the northern United States and throughout Canada, experts say the sun isn't strong enough during the winter months to make sufficient vitamin D, even if the weather was warm enough to expose the skin for a long time.

It means that adults should consider getting their Vitamin D levels checked through a simple blood test, Vacek said, and take vitamin D supplements. Generally, Vacek recommends that adults take between 1,000 to 2,000 international units (IU) of Vitamin D each day.

"If you're not deficient, Vitamin D is not a magic pill that will make you live longer," Vacek said.

"Its benefit is in people who are deficient. If you're low, it makes sense to be put on replacement therapy and have a follow-up a couple months later to make sure your levels come up."

A mosquito-borne viral disease similar to dengue fever, which was last reported in 2009 after its first appearance in 2008, has made a 'strong comeback in Bangladesh with 46 people down with the crippling joint pain fever, a top official of the health directorate has said.

"It seems like a public health threat," Prof Be-Nazir Ahmed, director of the disease control, told reporters on Wednesday.

But the people "need not to be worried, rather be aware of mosquito bite", he said.

The reappearance of Chikungunya has triggered concern among officials and doctors as the disease so far treated as mainly a rural scourge has been detected in the capital and its suburbs.

Experts attributed environmental factors for the spread of the vector from its origin Rajshahi district to Dhaka.

"It can attack a large number of people, but usually cause no mortality," Be-Nazir said, adding but the challenge is its diagnosis.

"It's very much similar to dengue fever. But treatment is not the same.

"If a dengue patient gets Chikunguya treatment, the condition might worsen," he said.

Chikungunya is an alpha virus of the family Togaviridae, carried by the aedes albopictus mosquito, in Bangladesh.

The name chikungunya derives from a root verb in the East African Makonde language, meaning "to become contorted" because of severe joint pains.

The first outbreak of the disease was in southern Tanzania in 1952 and it quickly spread to Asia, including India's rural belt.

In 2006, over 7,52,245 cases were detected in Karnataka and 2,59,958 in Maharastra.

In Bangladesh, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research has detected the first outbreak in Dec 2008 at Poba, Rajshahi, and Chapai Nawabganj when some patients showed dengue like symptoms but were tested negative.

Later they were detected as Chikungunya after laboratory tests.

The second outbreak in 2009 was reported at Sathia in Pabna district.

This year, the institute has traced the disease through its surveillance in Dohar under Dhaka.

So far 46 cases -31 at Dohar, 12 at Chapai Nawabganj and three in Dhaka city – were confirmed from laboratory tests at IEDCR and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

The university cannot confirm the addresses of the three Dhaka city patients detected positive in its laboratory as they did not keep their addresses.

"We have to be careful about mosquito bite," Be-Nazir said and that the Chikungunya mosquito breeds in dirty water while aedes aegypti breeds in clean water.

"This year's prolonged and incessant rains caused small collections of water at different places that may cause more mosquito breeding," he said.

As this a new disease for the doctors, the health directorate guidelines say dengue fever lower platelet counts and can trigger bleeding while in Chikungunya patients recover from fever and rashes after a few days.

But the 'crippling pain' in joints continues for more than a month and even years.

"Fever may be subsided in case of chikungunya, but the pain in the joints is severe. Then patients need to administer drugs to ease the pain," Be-Nazir said.

"But if they take the same drug in dengue fever, it might cause bleeding," he said, cautioning 'not to take medication without doctors' advice.'

He suggested community participation to wipe out mosquito breeding sites as the only way to combat the mosquito-borne diseases.

The government has started to prepare an action plan to combat the recurrence of chikungunya while a vector survey will be launched in different districts to see the presence of the mosquito.

A management guideline has been posted on the IEDCR website for doctors, according to Be-Nazir.

The parliamentary standing committee on defence ministry has recommended that the combined military hospitals provide treatment to the parliament's speaker, his deputy and the MPs.

The committee also said that the civilian employees be given treatment at the army hospital, and if needed their capacity be increased.

At its 18th meeting, the parliamentary body recommended on Sunday, that the military train doctors to fill vacancies and thus, ensure treatment of the personnel.

The meeting recommended that the military should establish its own specialised institutes for cancer, kidney and heart treatment.

The standing committee observed that the defence services should train more doctors without bringing any from abroad.

The meeting also suggested that the military finish building the 500-bed general hospital at Kurmitola and begin operations as soon as possible.

Committee members Mohammad Mujibul Huq, Nurul Mazid Mahmud Humayun, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam were present with M A Mannan representing the prime minister, who is also the defence minister. Idris Ali chaired the meeting.

The state-run exploration agency has launched a three-dimensional seismic survey at Titas Gas Field to assess the possibility of digging new wells.

The survey, launched on Sunday, will cover a 335 square kilometer area, Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (Bapex) managing director Mortuza Amed Faruq told  on Tuesday.

The project, titled Appraisal of Gas Fields (3D Seismic Survey), has already surveyed Haripur, Koilashtila and Rashidpur gas fields, he said.

In Bakhrabad Gas Field in Comilla, the survey will cover 210 square kilometres and it is scheduled for April next year, he added.

The project, aimed at tackling gas crisis by spotting new points for wells, is covering a total of 705 square kilometre in the five fields with an estimated cost of Tk 1.64 billion, the Bapex MD said.

The country lifts 2 billion cubic feet gas every day against a demand of 2.5 billion cubic feet.

Sylhet Gas Fields Limited and Bangladesh Gas Fields Limited are the two entrepreneurs of the project.

Project manager Anwarur Rahman said the survey includes three steps — data collection, processing and analysis.

Spotting the short points to explode dynamites had started and geophones would soon be set up to record the sound of the explosions, he said. There will be 19,092 short points and 26,620 geophones in the field, he added.

The project workers are very cautious in spotting the short points as gas has been seeping over a 4 square kilometre area, apart from the well, the project manager said.

A 300 square metre periphery outside the 4 square kilometre area will not be surveyed following French consulting firm CGG Veritas' advice. Fire extinguishers would be there at the spots of explosion to tackle any accident.

Survey team head Meherul Hasan told  they would be setting up structures for the explosions starting Dec 10 and recording of the sound on Dec 24.

He expressed hope that the data collection would end by March next year.

In the end, it was much ado about nothing, as Pakistan bowlers almost sleepwalked over the Bangladesh batting line-up, dumping them by 50 runs in the one-off Twenty20 game here on Tuesday.

Nasir Hossain remained unbeaten on 35 off 38 deliveries, with Rubel Hossain giving him company – yet to open his account after playing five balls.

The story could have had a vastly different end had the Tigers batted with more composure, after the host bowlers, especially the much-vaunted spin attack, had restricted Pakistan to 135 for 7 in the full quota of 20 overs.

Having elected to bat, it was one of Pakistan's lowest scores ever in a T20 international game, but for the hosts wickets fell at regular intervals as the floodlights at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur gained more power and the frustration level in the stands hit a northward curve.

In the end, the hosts were 85 for 9.

With half the team back in the hut by early the ninth over, the fight was over long before Shafiul Islam fell the last prey for Pakistan, trapped leg before for a duck by Shoaib Malik in the 16th over.

Two balls earlier, Abdur Razzak had been caught by Shahid Afridi off Shoaib Malik for 9.

Farhad Reza took the long walk back to the pavilion before him -- trapped leg before by Shahid Afridi. Before him, Mushfiqur Rahim was run out for 7.

Skipper Mahmudullah (2) went for a cut off a short delivery from Aizaz Cheema but nicked it straight to the wicketkeeper, barely two overs after the huge dent came with the dismissal of his predecessor Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib -- bowled by Mohammed Hafeez for 7.

Opener Imrul Kayes (2) was the victim of a run out in the over before that.

Fellow opener Naeem Islam (3) was the first to be dismissed, when he failed to flick a quick Umar Gul delivery and the ball hit the pad and trapped him in front of the wickets.

Alok Kapali went back for a duck in the very next over when he turned Mohammad Hafeez's tossed-up delivery to Misbah at midwicket.


Pakistan restricted

Earlier, Pakistan finished their innings at 135 for 7, one of their lowest scores ever in a Twenty20 international.

Skipper Misbah-ul-Huq (11) remained unbeaten with Umar Gul (4).

Sohail Tanvir (6) was dismissed off a suicidal run out in the last over. Moments before, Shahid Afridi (8) was dismissed off Alok Kapali, caught by Nasir Hossain at long-off.

Before him, Shoaib Malik (2) returned to the hut in a soft dismissal with a return catch to Abdur Razzak in the 15th over.

Asad Shafiq (19) went back mistiming and sending the ball high up for a catch to Abdur Razzak at long-on off Nasir Hossain in the over before.

Umar Akmal (20) was dismissed when a quick leg-spinner from Alok Kapali deceived him up the track, with Mushfiqur Rahim making no mistake.

Opener Mohammed Hafeez, under pressure after playing five consecutive dot balls, gave way for a Shakib Al Hasan delivery to strike his off-stump.

Hafeez had lost his fellow opener Imran Farhat (16) in the fifth over, caught behind off Shakib.

The Tigers had left out opener Tamim Iqbal for the game, and drafted in all-rounder Farhad Reza in his place. The Pakistan team remained unchanged from the line-up of the last Twenty20 game they had played against Sri Lanka in the UAE recently.

The visitors have now won the fifth straight T20 international against Bangladesh.

Though the Tigers won the lone T20 they played at the Mirpur stadium against the West Indies last month, they haven't had a very good outing in this format of the game so far, winning only four of the 17 T20 games they have played.

Of them only two were against a top-flight side, the West Indies biting the dust on both occasions.

The teams:

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Imran Farhat, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema.

Bangladesh: Imrul Kayes, Naeem Islam, Alok Kapali, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Farhad Reza, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam.

Germany is a trusted friend of Bangladesh and there is ample scope of cooperation between the two countries, German president Christian Wulff has said.

Speaking at a dinner party hosted by president Zillur Rahman in his honour at Bangabhaban on Tuesday, the German president underlined Bangladesh's valuable contribution to the peacekeeping force.

"Bangladesh has been one of the biggest contributors to the peacekeeping force to make the world a better place."

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, speaker Abdul Hamid, deputy speaker Shawkat Ali Khan, ministers and high officials attended the dinner.

Wulff said bilateral trade between the two countries is on the rise.

On climate change, he said Bangladesh should bring its case before the world more forcefully.

The much-criticised minister for communications, Syed Abul Hossain, is all set to be replaced in a Cabinet reshuffle, a highly-placed source said Tuesday night.

The newly-inducted Obaidul Quader, a member of the ruling Awami League presidium, is likely to take over at the communications ministry, the source said.

The source said Hossain, in all likelihood, would move to another ministry.

According to sources close to Quader, the former junior minister for youth, sport and culture is also keen to be communications minister and "has been reluctant" to go the information ministry.

Quader, who turns 60 this New Year's day, was one of three Cabinet ministers sworn in Monday evening in a sudden expansion of the Council of Ministers by Sheikh Hasina.

Hossain, under fire for alleged corruption in the politically-sensitive Padma Bridge project, has also been criticised for failing to ensure repair works of Bangladesh's major arteries.

Many rights groups have also sought his removal, with the calls growing louder after the deaths in car crashes of two media figures in mid-August.

"Quader's keenness as well as the necessity to bring a new face to deal with the crucial Padma Bridge construction makes him the candidate for the job," one source said.

This was the third time in nearly 35 months that the prime minister added new ministers to her team.

Along with Quader, Suranjit Sengupta became a cabinet minister for the first time in his nearly 50 years as a politician.

Hasan Mahmud, the junior environment minister, was elevated to full Cabinet rank on Monday.

The current Awami League cabinet was formed on Jan 6, 2009 with 32 members and now stood at 45—28 cabinet ministers and 17 state ministers.

A parliamentary committee has recommended giving upazila chairmen the right to write annual performance reports of upazila level administrators.

In a report presented to parliament on Monday, the parliamentary committee on local government also recommended that the chairmen remain executive heads of the upazila parishads and upazila executive officers the chief executive officers.

The report on Upazila Parishad (amendment) Bill was presented by Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury MP.

Once passed, the bill will enable upazila chairmen to exercise executive power in all matters of the sub-district except land.

They will be able to supervise secondary and madrassah education and all local works of the local government and liberation war ministries. The chairmen will provide the APRs of the officials working under such projects, which will be considered a part of the annual confidential reports.

To remove an Upazila chairman, four-fifth no-confidence will be required in the council and the divisional commissioner will arbitrate the matter. At present the deputy commissioner is the arbitrator.

The chairman will not be removed for facing criminal charges, but only when a court takes it into cognisance.

Upazila Parishad Chairmen Association president Harun-ur-Rashid told reporters that the government's efforts were positive. Local government division officials said most of the demands made by upazila chairmen had been incorporated into the bill.

The judicial committee investigating the alleged police torture on Dhaka University student Abdul Kadar has found that he had been tortured in detention on false charges.

The law ministry's joint secretary Ashish Ranjan Da said in the report that police had detained Kadar on suspicion, shown him arrested over false charges and tortured him in custody. Ashish, now the law secretary, led the one-man committee formed in July at the directive of the High Court.

Deputy attorney general A B M Altaf Hossain presented the report to the bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Jahangir Hossain on Monday. He told  that the hearing will take place in the afternoon.

Police had done these without verifying his statement and identity, the report said.

"Police's slipshodness in duty, fancifulness and tendency to implicate someone in false charges were observed," it added.

Police claim they detained Kadar with another from Khilgaon while they had been preparing for a robbery in the early hours of July 16. But the Dhaka University student of biochemistry and microbiology said police had picked him up in front of the Anticorruption Commission headquarters in Segunbagicha while he was on his way back to campus.

The university students have been maintaining that the arrest was meant for harassment.

The High Court intervened when news reports said Kadar was allegedly tortured in police custody.

Kadar had told the High Court that Khilgaon police chief Helel Uddin, sub-inspector Alam Badsha and assistant sub-inspector Shahidur Rahman had severely assaulted him. The High Court ordered suspension of the trio following the allegations.

Kadar's family also alleged police torture and false case. Manowara Begum, his mother, had also lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission. Kadar's father, Abdul Rouf is an education officer at Debidwar in Comilla.

The judicial enquiry committee made four recommendations to prevent a repeat of such incidents.

The proposals include directing police to be careful in establishing an individual's involvement in a crime for making an arrest. Secondly, issuance of directives from the top of the police administration for properly adhering to the directives of the law in force, including the order from the High Court, to not torture any individual in police custody.

The other proposals are to be certain about primary indicating involvement of an individual in any case before filing it, and to file cases based on true incidents and to pass stringent directives by the top level authorities of police to prevent anyone, in any condition, from filing any case with false information hiding the true incidents.

The cricket caravan is back in the country, and set to roll again, as the Tigers face off with Pakistan in the lone T20 international here on Tuesday to kick-start the tour.

While Pakistan, fresh from humiliating World Cup runners-up Sri Lanka in all three formats of the game in the UAE, are expected to come out all guns firing, the hosts would aim to pick up from where they left off last month, having beaten the West Indies by three wickets in a thriller at Mirpur stadium.

Tuesday's match will be played at the same Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from 5 pm. And the Tigers would hope to eke out their first T20 victory against Pakistan, having lost all four matches in the smallest version of the game played between the two teams till date.

A formidable force in this form of cricket, Pakistan have won the world T20 title once and finished runners-up and been eliminated in the semifinals once each.

Facing Pakistan's strong bowling attack will be Bangladesh's main challenge. The three highest wicket-takers in T20 internationals are all members of this Pakistan team: Shahid Afridi with 53 T20I wickets, Umar Gul with 49, and Saeed Ajmal with 46 have, between them, the ability to grind any batting line-up.

All-rounders like Mohammed Hafeez and Shoaib Malik add to the Pakistan team's bowling depth.

The top Pakistani batsmen -- Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal -- are in good form and senior pros Yunus Khan and skipper Misbah-ul-Huq have the proven ability to play match-winning knocks.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, are also high on confidence, having beaten West Indies in the T20 here on October 11, and new skipper Mushfiqur Rahim will aim to continue with that winning form.

Though Tamim Iqbal is in good shape, fellow opener Imrul Kayes still remains a shadow of his former self with the willow. In fact, Tamim, too, has not shown his best in T20s.
Mushfiqur will thus look at him to give a flying start.

The hosts also have depth in both batting and bowling, with all-rounders Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hussain, Alok Kapali and Farhad Reza expected to take the field on the morrow.

The left arm spin-duo of Abdur Razzak (22 T20 wickets) and Shakib (19 wickets) will lead the bowling attack, while Elias Sunny will add support to the spin attack.

But before the spinners come into play, the hosts would look at opening bowlers Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain to make some dent in the much-vaunted Pakistan batting line-up. The pace duo's failure to give initial breakthroughs would make it that much tougher for the spinners, who would be forced to bowl a containing line.

Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim had expressed disappointment over the pitch in the last home series against the Windies. But the team management may be in a Catch-22 situation this time around: an overtly spin-friendly track would surely help the home spinners, but it could also boomerang in this series, as Afridi, Ajmal and Hafeez are more than capable of extracting help from the wicket.

So the task for the bowlers against Pakistan is cut out: make early inroads, contain and frustrate the batsmen, and then go for the kill with the spinners. While it may sound a tough job, cricket is played as much on the 22-yard strip as in the head, and the Tigers' confidence and the crowd's enthusiasm may just see David slaying another Goliath.

German president Christian Wulff is coming to Dhaka on a three-day visit on Monday.

He will be arriving on a special plane in the afternoon, according to his itinerary.

This is the second time a German president is visiting Bangladesh after his predecessor Von Weizsucker came here in 1986.

President Zillur Rahman is expected to receive him at the airport. Both the presidents will have a meeting on Tuesday. Wulff will have meetings with representatives of civil society and different faiths at the Goethe-Insititut, Germany cultural institution, the same day.

He will also meet prime minister Sheikh Hasina and foreign minister Dipu Moni and deliver a lecture at the Dhaka University the same day.

Germany is one of the biggest trading partners of Bangladesh and destination of over $1 billion of exports.

The cabinet has cleared proposals to tax salaries of the speaker and members of parliament, having earlier endorsed similar plans to tax the ministers.

The MPs will have to pay income tax once these proposals are passed in parliament.

The approval came from a cabinet meeting on Monday chaired by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters.

On Nov 17, the cabinet approved proposals to levy tax on the salaries of ministers, state and deputy ministers.

Hasina had announced in the last budget session of parliament that salaries of ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers, and MP will no more remain tax-free.

The latest nod was another step towards the implementation of that announcement.

Officials said the cleared proposals will be sent to parliament for their passage into law.

Azad said the proposals were about amendments of The Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Remuneration and Privileges) Act and The Member of Parliament (Remuneration and Privileges) Act.

According to existing laws, prime minister and MPs' salaries cannot be taxed.

Hasan Mahmud remains in his own portfolio, environment and forest ministry, as a full minister while Suranjit Sengupta gets the parliamentary affairs ministry, a highly placed source in the government tells .
Obaidul Quader is likely to get either the cultural affairs or the information ministry, the source said.

President M Zillur Rahman administered oath to the three new cabinet additions at Bangabhaban around 8.10pm on Monday. Cabinet secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan conducted the 10-minute ceremony.

Having represented his electorate in most parliaments, Suranjit became a minister for the first time, joined by another senior leader Quader. State minister for environment and forest Hasan Mahmud got elevated to the cabinet rank in the same ministry.

They took oath clad in 'Mujib coats', as prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, parliament's deputy leader Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and principal secretary to prime minister Shaikh Mohammad Wahid-uz-Zaman watched on.

Hasan was the state minister for environment and forests after he was shuffled from the foreign ministry as its junior minister. He was elected to parliament for the first time this past election from a Chittagong constituency.

Senior politician Suranjit was adviser to Hasina in her 1996-2001 term with the rank and status of a minister. Quader was the state minister for youth, sports and cultural affairs.

Amid the buzz that the prime minister was bringing major changes to her 34-month old cabinet, the government source earlier in the evening told that Suranjit and Quader will become ministers.

The source also told  no-one was going out of the cabinet but some offices would be reshuffled.

The current Awami League cabinet was formed on Jan 6, 2009 with 32 members and later expanded to 38.

Awami League's current ministers are Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Begum Matia Chowdhury Abdul Latif Siddique, Shafique Ahmed, A K Khandker, Rajiuddin Ahamed Raju, Shahara Khatun, Syed Ashraful Islam, Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Rezaul Karim Hira, Abul Kalam Azad, Enamul Hoque Mustafa Shahee, Dilip Barua, Ramesh Chandra Sen Ghulam Muhammed Quader, Muhammad Faruk Khan, Syed Abul Hossain, Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Afsarul Ameen, A F M Ruhal Haque, Dipu Moni, Nurul Islam Nahid, Abdul Latif Biswas and Shajahan Khan.

The state ministers are Mostafizur Rahman, A B Tajul Islam, Yeafesh Osman, Hasan Mahmud, Begum Monnujan Sufian, Dipankar Talukdar, Ahad Ali Sarkar, Shahjahan Miah, Abdul Mannan Khan, Kamrul Islam and Shamsul Hoque Tuku.

Prime minister Hasina had picked Tanjim Ahmed, better known as 'Sohel Taj', in first phase but he later resigned.

The United States will help the government develop a mechanism to hold free and fair election acceptable to all political parties, according to the new US envoy to Dhaka.

The US supports strengthening of democratic system in Bangladesh and would help the country on this issue, newly appointed US ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena said on Sunday after a meeting with foreign secretary Mohammed Mijarul Quayes.

After submitting his credentials on Thursday, this was Mozena's first meeting with Quayes.

PARTNERSHIP

Mozena said Bangladesh has a vital role to play toward ensuring a peaceful, stable and secure South Asia. He said he has the mandate from the highest authorities in the US to broaden, deepen and strengthen partnership between Dhaka and New Delhi.

"It's more than a relationship – it's a partnership, as both countries share (the same) basic values," he said.

BANGLA-INDIA RELATIONSHIP

The ambassador said Washington is encouraged by the recent improvement in relationship between the two neighbours.

"Prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) visited India last year and a couple of months later the Indian prime minister came to Dhaka," he said. Following the visits, he said, there is a constant engagement as part of a constructive and dynamic relationship.

"The relationship has improved a lot in the last couple of years and this will help people of both Bangladesh and India, as also people in the region."

CORRUPTION

The US envoy said corruption is a problem in Bangladesh and the government and civil society should work together to fight it. "We will help strengthen anti-corruption institutions in Bangladesh," he said.

"There is no instant cure (for corruption). There should be step-by-step approach to fight it," he said.

Opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia has urged the Awami League leaders to join BNP saying that the ruling party is not working to preserve the interests of the nation.

"It's BNP which can lead the country. Awami League can't give anything to the country. I urge the patriot leaders of the ruling party to come out of the party. You'll be given honourable posts," Khaleda said on Saturday addressing a roadside rally at Dasuria in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna on way to her third road march, to Khulna.

"I would ask everyone...let's work for the development of the country rising above party considerations."

According to the current electoral law, a candidate has to be registered with a particular party for at least three years to contest with party affiliation, while Khaleda's call comes two years ahead of the next national elections.

Khaleda started her third road march from Uttara Model Town area around 10:30am on Saturday for Khulna to solicit public support for reinstatement of the caretaker government system, which was scrapped by the government of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The opposition leader is scheduled to stay overnight in Jessore and address a street rally on Sunday morning there.

Apart from the leaders of the four-party alliance, leaders of some like-minded parties, including that of Liberal Democratic Party, have joined her in the road march.

Khaleda demanded that a joint survey should be done before launching the Tipaimukh Dam project over the Barak River, as the river flowing through the Indian state of Manipur is a common river.

"If the dam is harmful for Bangladesh the project must be stopped, or else the people will wage movement."

Referring to her letter sent to Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh asking for a joint survey, she said, "If the survey reveals that the project isn't harmful, then there should be a discussion between the two countries."

She insisted that the Meghna and Kushira rivers would dry and the haor (low-lying areas) and bio-diversity of the area would face a serious threat if the dam was constructed. "We're not experts, so we asked the Indian prime minister to conduct a joint survey."

The opposition chief claimed that the government was completely failed in diplomacy on the Teesta water-sharing deal with India.

Referring to the country's current economy, she said the government was running the country on heavy borrowings from the banks. "The banks are about to be insolvent. The foreign currency reserve that we had left while handing over power in 2006 has now come to zero level."

She severely criticised the government for its mismanagement of the rundown roads and highways.

The BNP chairperson claimed that the high-ups of ruling Awami League were involved in the recent share market downswings.

"That's why the finance minister did not reveal the names of the share market scamsters even after investigation."

She also protested the attack on LDP president Oli Ahmed, saying that Oil is a veteran freedom fighter. "Another famous freedom fighter is now being called 'rajakar'. It's Awami league which is making the freedom fighters 'rajakars."

The former prime minister said that a second Padma bridge would be constructed at Daulatdia-Paturia stretch of the river if her party returns to power in the next national elections.

Complications arose over the construction project of the Padma bridge on the Mawa-Kawrakandi point as the World Bank suspended its promised US$ 1.2 billion promised funding for the project following charges of corruption. It wants the issue of alleged irregularities in the appointment of consultants for the project fixed before releasing the funds.

The ruling grand alliance has, however, already taken initiatives to construct another bridge at Daulatdia under public-private partnership.

Khaleda assured of resolving the existing power and gas crisis, and generating opportunities of employment, manpower export and trade and commerce if BNP returns to power.

Khaleda also called for a new procurement policy, so that paddy and jute cultivators could get fair prices.

She alleged that the government had gone mad to see the popular uprising during the road marches 'which proves that the present failed and repressive government has no public support'.

"The government should be ousted to save the countrymen and democracy," she said calling on the people to join the anti-government movement.

Senior BNP leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Abdul Main Kahn, Abdullah Al Noman, Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Fazlur Rahman Patal, Amanullah Aman, Ahmed Azam Khan and Mahbub Uddin Khokan also spoke at the rally.

Chittagong Medical College has opened after 37 days of closure following the death of a Chhatra Dal activist after being injured in an alleged attack by rival Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League.

Though academic activities resumed on Monday, the suspension on political activities is yet to go, acting principal Amin Uddin A Khan told

Students were allowed to enter their dormitories after checking on Sunday.

Panchlaish Police Station officer-in-charge Ismail Hossain said security was fine on the campus, but as a precaution additional police had been deployed.

"We conducted a search in presence of the provosts and superintendents. Nothing was found," he said.

Mohammad Abidur Rahman, a third-year student of the dental surgery department, was injured in an attack reportedly carried out by Chhatra League activists on Oct 19. He died two days later, sparking protests and prompting authorities to shut the college to avoid further tension.

International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) head Justice Nizamul Huq has rejected a petition seeking his removal and termed it 'outrageous and contemptuous'.

He also termed 'preposterous' and 'unheard of' the petition by defence lawyers of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee.

The lawyers for Sayedee had appealed that Huq remove himself from the tribunal given his prior involvement with a people's inquiry commission in 1993 and 1994 when the tribunal chairman allegedly collected evidence against Sayedee.

Sayedee is being tried on 20 counts of war crimes charges that include genocide, murder, rape, arson and loot during Bangladesh's Liberation War of 1971.

Five days after a bill to split Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) was placed in parliament, the parliamentary standing committee on the local government ministry has finalised its proposals on the bill and will submit a report on Monday.

"The bill will be passed in the current session," panel member Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury told reporters after a meeting on Sunday.

The Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Bill 2011 was presented in parliament on Nov 23 with a provision to appoint administrators. Parliament gave the committee one week to submit a report on the bill after scrutiny.

As per the proposal to split DCC, passed in cabinet on Oct 17, the civic body will be divided in two parts— north and south. The new northern part will have 36 of the total 92 wards and the southern one will have the remaining 56.

Once the bill is passed in parliament, the DCC will cease to exist and the government will be able to appoint two administrators for the city corporation until the next election.

Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka on Saturday urged the government to ditch the bifurcation plan and demanded a quick election promising that he will not seek re-election alleging the government went for the divide to stop him coming back to office.

His party BNP has been saying that Awami League is dividing the city corporation to place their own men.

Earlier on Sunday, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said the bill was placed in parliament to ensure better services for the residents.

The report on the bill was finalised in the 40th meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the local government ministry on Sunday. Noor-e-Alam presided over the meeting as the head, Mohammad Rahmat Ali, is abroad for treatment.

Local government minister Syed Ashraful Islam, state minister for local government Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mohammad Ashraf Ali Khan and Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin attended the meeting.

Home minister Sahara Khatun has warned that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia will have to face the music unless she withdraws support to alleged war criminals.

"You must stop supporting the war criminals, otherwise you will have to face trial," Sahara Khatun said, addressing Khaleda Zia, during a discussion organised by Muktijuddha Parishad at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium on Friday.

The government had formed the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), lawyers' panel and an investigation committee on March 25, 2010 to try the 1971 war criminals.

The tribunal is at present hearing charges against five top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders -- Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed, Delwar Hossain Sayeedee, Mohammad Kamruzzaman and Abdul Kader Molla -- and BNP leaders Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Abdul Alim.

On October 18, Khaleda had alleged that the government was out to annihilate the BNP-led four-party alliance and labelled the war crimes trials as a "farce."

She had also demanded immediate release of BNP and Jamaat leaders currently behind bars on charges of involvement in war crimes.

Retorting to these statements, Sahara said, "Khaleda Zia has become desperate to put an end to the war crimes trial."

The home minister also accused the BNP chief of alleging during her recent road marches that those arrested on charges of war crimes are not war criminals. "The BNP chief's stand regarding trial of the war criminals has become clear to the people," she said.

She also blamed Ziaur Rahman for rehabilitation of war criminals and bringing them into national politics after Bangabandhu's death in 1975.

"Using Zia as a puppet, the anti-liberation power ran the government," vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University Prof Dr Rafiqul Islam alleged.

Freedom fighter Ismat Kadir Gama requested the home minister to arrest Golam Azam and punish him, irrespective of his age. "We want to see him in prison even if he dies there," Gama said.

Responding to Gama's request, Sahara Khatun said, "Everything will be done in due time; just wait for a while."

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation begins talks next week on term contracts to import oil products to meet growing domestic demand in 2012, a senior company official has said.

A team headed by BPC Chairman Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique is heading to Kuwait and Singapore to hold talks with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Malaysia's Petronas, Egypt's Middle East Oil Refinery and Philippines National Oil Company (PNOC), the official said on Friday.

"In Kuwait they will discuss quantity and price details with KPC and with other companies in Singapore," he said.

Bangladesh's fuel oil imports are likely to more than double next year to around 1.65 million tonnes, while overseas purchases of diesel may rise about 25 percent to 3.74 million tonnes on growing domestic demand, a senior BPC official told Reuters this week.

Besides diesel and fuel oil, Bangladesh will import 385,000 tonnes of jet fuel, 100,000 tonnes of 95-octane gasoline and 90,000 tonnes of kerosene in 2012, the official said.

In 2011, BPC paid a premium of $3.14-$3.30 a barrel to Middle East spot quotes for diesel and $31.50-$32.00 a tonne to Singapore spot quotes for 180-centistoke (cst) fuel oil.

Bangladesh also buys fuel oil from Vietnam's Petrolimex, PetroChina and Maldives National Oil Company.

The state-owned company is likely to face higher prices for 2012 supplies, compared to 2011, as fuel prices have been on the rise, traders said.

Spot cargo premiums for fuel oil have been holding at strong levels of above $12.00 a tonne, while Asian refiners have been selling 2012 term cargoes for gasoil at firmer price levels.

Domestic demand for fuel oil has been swelling as a shortfall of natural gas supply forced the country to turn to costly oil-fired quick rental power plants. The chronic electricity shortage has limited economic growth and investments in Bangladesh and often stirs public fury.

However, the move to import has put more pressure on the country's balance of payments and massive subsidy bill.

The government heavily subsidizes BPC, the country's sole oil importer and distributor, which sells fuel oil to the local market at much lower rates than import prices.

The total subsidy for the year to June 2012 is forecast to jump to around Tk 460 billion ($6 billion) or 5 percent of gross domestic product, more than double than the original estimate of Tk 200 billion, and up from Tk 195 billion the previous year.

A road accident in the capital's Banani area has left a university student dead and two others injured.

The accident took place when a private car carrying three students of North South University (NSU) rammed a truck from behind at Chairmanbari area in Banani around 12.30am on Saturday, sub inspector of Gulshan police station Mohammad Gias Uddin told .

The deceased was identified as Rakibul Islam, 25, an MBA student at NSU and son of Bashir Ahmed who resided at 3/1 Baily Road.

"We were on our way to Uttara from Dhanmondi. our car rammed a truck from behind in Chairmanbari. The three of us were injured," Saiful Islam, who was driving the car, told the journalists.

Two of the seriously injured 'Rakibul' and 'Saiful' were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and the other slightly injured 'Saikat' was admitted to a local hospital, said Gias.

Doctors at DMCH declared Rakibul dead around 2am, added the police official.
The truck driver could not be apprehended, police said.

A spokesperson for Khaleda Zia says that the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has responded to her letter on the Tipaimukh dam.

Maruf Kamal Khan, her press secretary, told  on Saturday afternoon that the letter had remained unopened.

"The letter was sent to the opposition chief from Dhaka's Indian High Commission on Saturday. Manmohan Singh replied to the letter on Nov 24, and it was handed over to us on Saturday," he added.

Khaleda has been on a road march to southern city Khulna since Saturday morning. The letter shall be discussed in the party forum after her return before its contents and the party's reaction is made public.

Expressing concern over the proposed Tipaimukh dam, the BNP chief's letter on Nov 22 urged the Indian government to conduct a joint survey before the work of the dam and hydroelectric power plant starts.

The letter also pointed out that building the dam would not only endanger livelihood of Indians dependent on the Barak River but also that of 30 million Bangladeshis, who are hugely dependent on the Meghna River.

India's northeastern state Manipur signed an agreement with state-owned NHPC Ltd and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd on Oct 22 to set up a 1,500MW Tipaimukh hydroelectric plant in Manipur.

In all, 138 companies and mutual funds cannot be traded on Dec 1 on account of record date for changing the face value of shares.

Shares of these companies and funds will be available for trading in the spot market starting Monday.

Dhaka Stock Exchange chief executive Jahurul Alam told  on Saturday that the companies and funds which would change their face value to Tk 10 would not be trading on Dec 1.

"Before a record date, they must stay in the spot market for three days," he added.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Sep 15 ordered all companies and funds listed in the stock market to change their face value to Tk 10. From Dec 4, all companies can be traded at face value.

DSE public relations office says there are now a total of 271 companies and mutual funds listed on the bourse. Of these, shares of 113 companies have a face value of Tk 10. The rest, 124 companies and 14 mutual funds, will have to change their face value.

Most of the companies have announced changing their face value to Tk 10, but DSE does not have any record in this regard.

"We're going to hold a meeting on Monday, and then we'll be able to tell if any company is left out," DSE president Shakil Rizvi told .

The government is going to appoint A T Ahmedul Huq Choudhury as the new chairman of the Public Service Commission.

Choudhury, a member of the commission, is replacing Saadat Husain whose tenure expired on Wednesday.

"A T Ahmedul Huq Chowdhury has been finalised as the new chief. The Prime Minister's Office has finalised the selection. However, we are yet to receive the official letter," the commission secretary Chowdhury Babul Hasan told  on Wednesday.

In a quick reaction, Choudhury told : "I have heard of the appointment, but did not receive any official letter yet."

Choudhury served as Additional Inspector General (AIG) of police before joining the commission on June 23, 2009.

The Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has imposed extra taxes on polygamous marriages.

CCC public relations officer Saifuddin Ahmed said the city authorities imposed the extra taxes to discourage polygamy.

The decision came at corporation's 17th monthly general meeting, chaired by CCC mayor Manjur Alam on Wednesday afternoon.

Saiful said, "Citizens will have to pay specific taxes for marriage, adopted children, birth and death certificates according to an announcement of the ministry of local government, rural development and cooperatives."

As per the CCC decision, a man has to pay Tk 2,000 instead of 1,000 for registration of his second marriage, Tk 10,000 instead 5,000 for the third and 20,000 instead 10,000 for the fourth marriage.

The registration fee for the first marriage was also raised to Tk 50 from 25.

Councillor Zohur Lal Hazari said general councillors had appreciated the decision.

CCC women councillor Syeda Rehnuma Kabir Ranu told , "Polygamy cannot be controlled by only raising taxes, rather this is an endorsement. Only good mentality can help check polygamy."

Another women councillor Zannatul Ferdous told , "Many males, who marry without permission from their existing wives, will be discouraged if taxes are increased."

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested two teenagers who allegedly hacked the Supreme Court website.

The suspected hackers, 'Russel', 16, a 10th grader, and 'Raihan', 17, a first-year student of a college, were detained on Wednesday, RAB intelligence wing director Ziaul Ahsan told

The website was hacked on Nov 11 morning and restored in the evening.

According to the message seen on the site in the afternoon, the hackers identified themselves as "Bangladeshi UnderGround Hacker 3xp1r3 Cyber Army".

They, however, claimed that all the data is safe and not being tampered with or deleted.

"Some other hackers are trying to hack Bangladeshi sites!! And delete all the data !! (sic)," they warned.

US firm Boeing will deliver its second Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to Biman on Thursday in a follow-up to the first Boeing delivery in Oct 2011.

These two aircraft deliveries are a milestone for Biman and Boeing, and a sign of the growing Bangladesh-US economic relationship, said a US embassy press release.

Under a $1.2-billion sales agreement signed in 2008, Boeing will supply 10 brand new aircraft, including four Boeing 777-300ERs, four Boeing 787-8 and two Boeing 737-800NG aircraft over the course of 10 years, part of a long-term fleet renewal programme that aims to modernise Bangladesh's national carrier.

The next two deliveries of two 777-300ERs are scheduled for 2013.

Army deployment in the Naryanganj city polls did not go ahead due to a 'misunderstanding', although the Election Commission had asked for it.

Chief election commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda on Tuesday referred to a letter from the Armed Forces Division he had received on Sunday over two weeks after the commission had asked for an explanation.

The commission had written a letter on Nov 3 asking why there was no military despite its request.

A newly formed city corporation, Narayanganj, went to the polls on Oct 30.

Huda quoted the letter, which explained the matter, saying, "There was a misunderstanding between the government and the commission."

"Army deployment was not possible as the letter [seeking deployment] had been issued without any discussion with the ministry and since the defence minister was abroad," Huda told

"There has to be same formalities before seeking army deployment," he added.

This is the first time the government has explained reasons for not deploying army as sought by the commission.

So far, the government failed to provide army in one municipal election and two by-elections.

The EC had sought army for Narayanganj polls following demands of Awami League's rebel candidate Selina Hayat Ivy and BNP-backed Taimur Alam Khandaker.

Taimur announced boycott of the election following a decision taken by chairperson Khaleda Zia protesting the non-deployment of army.

The commission and the government were criticised by several quarters over the issue.

On the voting day, Huda said they would sit with the government to discuss the matter.

On Tuesday, he said there had also been EC's 'weaknesses' in the non-deployment of army.

"Meetings with law enforcers takes place before elections. The army is called in the meetings. They usually submit their own observation. But nothing was done this time. Even the home ministry could not say anything about it," he added.

He also said prime minister Sheikh Hasina, also the defence minister, had been in Australia and the principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division had been in Saudi Arabia during the election.

Returning from Australia, Hasina had said, "The commission sought army at such a time when we were busy abroad."

'CONSTITUTION WAS NOT VIOLATED'

Asked whether the government violated the constitution by not fulfilling EC's demand, Huda said, "I don't think so."

Violating the charter is not so easy, he said adding, "It depends on many things."

BNP said the government violated the constitution by not deploying army in the election, a claim the prime minister had denied.

Two days before the voting, Huda had said the government is bound to give army in line with the constitution.

Opposition leader and BNP chief Khaleda Zia has sent a letter to Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh urging him to conduct a joint survey before the work of the Tipaimukh Dam and Hydroelectric power plant starts.

Khaleda has voiced the opposition's anxiety over the issue and that it feels the need for a joint survey, the party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam told reporters on Wednesday.

"A solution has to be drawn through discussions between the two countries. There is still time, conduct a joint survey before constructing the dam," he said, quoting the letter sent on Monday.

The letter has pointed out that building the dam would not only endanger livelihood of Indians dependent on the Borak River but also 30 million Bangladeshis who are hugely dependent on the Meghna River.

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.