BANGLADESH

A Border Security Force (BSF) court has jailed eight of its personnel for 89 days for torturing a young Bangladeshi in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, Indian media reported on Wednesday.

The personnel were found prima facie guilty after a court of inquiry was instituted into the incident which took place in early February, a PTI report said.

They can resume duty only after serving the term in BSF's 'quarter guard' – the paramilitary force's version of jail, it said quoting officials of the border guards.

As additional punishment, one of the eight BSF personnel was demoted from the post of head constable to constable in order to facilitate his jailing, since as per the BSF rules, a head constable cannot be sent to jail, an official told PTI.

The jailed BSF personnel are Verendar Tiwari, VS Victor, Dhananjoy Kumar, Anand Singh, Amar Jyoti, Snajeev Kumar, Suresh Chand and Sunil Kumar.

The BSF, widely criticised for killing Bangladeshis along the border, suspended the eight of its personnel on Jan 18 and ordered 'court martial' proceedings against them recently after some Indian TV channels aired a video showing a Bangladeshi man being stripped, kicked and beaten by them.

The video showed three to four personnel, donning BSF-style dark green fatigues, stripping and then beating a lungi-clad man with his hands tied behind his back in the incident that reportedly took place on Dec 9.

Habibur Rahman, 22, son of Saidur Rahman of Satero Rashia under Durlavpur union council of Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj, was the man tortured. He told on Jan 19 that he was tortured by the BSF men while returning to Bangladesh with cattle through Khanpur border of Paba upazila in Rajshahi district on Dec 9 last year.

Villagers and relatives found nine more bodies floating near the site of a ferry accident in the river Meghna while the fate of at least 16 other missing people still remained uncertain on Thursday.

The death toll climbed to 122 on Thursday morning. Rescuers recovered 112 bodies until Wednesday evening when the official rescue operation was called off following early Tuesday's crash in the district's Gojaria upazila.

Family members and relatives of more than one dozen missing people were scouring the river for their loved ones on Thursday.

Munshiganj's deputy commissioner Mohammad Azizul Alam told that authorities have also kept their eyes open for the missing as he has a list of 16 people still unaccounted for as provided by their family members and relatives.

The passenger ferry, MV Shariatpur-1, carrying more than 250 passengers capsized early Tuesday after colliding with a cargo vessel.

The sunken ferry was salvaged on Wednesday afternoon and later was towed to the shore.

Rescuers called off their operation after they concluded searching 'every corner' of the salvaged ferry, said police superintendent Mohammad Shahabuddin Khan.

Local Coast Guard commander Ferdous Ahmed said identity of the newly found seven bodies could not be confirmed immediately.

Rescue ship Rustam's commander Fazlur Rahman said the salvaged ferry was now under Gojaria Police Station.

Shariatpur assistant superintendent of police (Naria circle) Mohammad Talebur Rahman told that 41 dead bodies have been handed over to their families and relatives until Wednesday.

Three committees have been formed by shipping ministry, BIWTA and the maritime transport directorate to find out the reasons behind the disaster.

The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) went up in the first hour of trading on Thursday, the last day of the week.

The index started gaining after the day's trading begun, up 74 points, hitting 4,584 points at 12pm.

The first hour's volume of trading was Tk 1.29 billion, with prices of 222 issues rising, 11 falling and three remaining unchanged.

The government will issue licences for new private commercial banks by April, finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said on Thursday.

"The new banks will have to begin their work within six months after getting licences," he told reporters after a meeting with visiting Asian Development Bank vice-president Xiaoyu Zhao.

He would not specify how many banks will get the licences. "The decision on this will be taken at a meeting of the Bangladesh Bank's board. I cannot say anything about this," he said.

A speedy trial tribunal on Tuesday sentenced a member of the banned Islamist outfit, Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), to death on charge of exploding grenade at the office of the Gazipur police chief.

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 judge Mohammad Motaher Hossain pronounced the verdict in presence of the accused, Mohammad Mamunur Rashid alias 'Jahid'.

Jahid hails from Barkona village of Saghata upazila in Gaibandha district.

The judge assured the convict of sending the verdict copy to his relatives following his request.

The police arrested Jahid with five grenades and bomb-making materials from Tongi on Feb 20, 2009.

According to the case details, the JMB member, handcuffed in police custody, exploded a grenade when he was taken before journalists at the Gazipur SP (superintendent of police) office the following day.

Around 16 people, including reporters and police personnel, were injured in the explosion.

Sub-inspector Nazmul Islam Khan later filed a case with the Joydevpur police in connection with the blast.

A total of 22 people testified in the case.

Today Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the ruling alliance, is in Bangabandhu Avenue to address a rally organised to protest 'hindrance to the ongoing war crimes trial, attempts to save the corrupt and plot against the democratic governance'.

The rally is organised by Awami League-led 14-party alliance.

The formalities of the rally began with the rendition of patriotic songs by Bangabandhu Sanskritik Jote at around 1:45pm. But the main programme commenced around 2:45pm with recitation from the Qur'an and Geeta.

Supporters are coming with processions to the rally venue on Bangabandhu Avenue.

Awami League presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury is presiding over the rally.

Main opposition BNP's chairperson Khaleda Zia will officially announce four-party alliance's extension from the March 12 grand rally.

Jammat-e-Islami's Nayeb-e-Amir Maulana Abdus Subhan briefed journalists about the decision taken by members of the four-party alliance at a meeting on Wednesday night. The over an hour-long meeting ended around 10:00pm.

"We discussed the draft of the announcement for expanding our coalition. We have offered some suggestions. The announcement will come at the grand rally on March 12," said Abdus Subhan.

Another member of the coalition Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman Andalib Rahman Partho said the discussion focussed on whether the government would be given an ultimatum or any other move.

He mentioned that the coalition would assume a different name after its expansion and that some names have already been proposed.

The meeting was also attended by Jamaat-e-Islami executive member Mia Golam Parowar, BJP secretary general Shamim Al Mamun, Islami Oikya Jote secretary general Abdul Latif Nezami, and Khelafat Majlish chairman principal Mohammad Ishaque.

The March 12 rally, convened by BNP, would be held in front of the party's head office in Naya Paltan.

Later, Khaleda Zia held another meeting with 10 other like-minded parties to discuss the preparations of the grand rally and new programmes to be announced from there.

The parties include National People's Party, Jatiya Gonotantrik Party, Islamic Party, Labour Party, and National Democratic Party. Khaleda also held another meeting with the leaders of Liberal Democratic Party.

Apple Inc took the wraps off a faster 4G-equipped iPad on Wednesday, hoping the latest version of its tablet can safeguard its dominance as rivals from Amazon to Samsung pile into the market.

CEO Tim Cook, presiding over his biggest product launch since 2011's voice-enabled iPhone 4S, introduced the highly anticipated third iteration of the tablet, which commands upwards of two-thirds of the growing market.

The newest iPad will be capable of operating on a high-speed 4G "LTE" or Long-Term Evolution network. At speeds roughly 10 times faster than current 3G technology, that may help banish the sometimes shaky video quality of older devices.

Apple is betting a 4G-equipped iPad will tempt more U.S. consumers to pay extra for higher-quality video on the go. That, in turn, should give Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc a revenue boost, analysts say.

Until now, buyers have been reluctant to shell out extra cash even for iPads with slower 3G connections. The cheaper Wi-Fi-only model - with much more limited Web access - is by far Apple's top-selling one today.

The company is counting on a warm reception to its latest tablet to fend off an increasingly aggressive challenge from Google Inc Android-powered tablets, with Microsoft Corp software-driven devices slated to come soon.

"Everyone's been wondering who will come out with a product that's more amazing that the iPad 2," Cook said.

"Stop wondering: we are."

The global tablet user base reached 67 million in 2011, according to researcher Strategy Analytics.

Earlier in the session, Cook again held forth on what he called a "post-PC world", in which users move increasingly away from traditional desktop and laptop computing and toward an array of portable devices.

And he announced that the company's new $99 Apple TV set-top box, a concept that late CEO Steve Jobs had called a "hobby," now supports high-definition 1080p screen technology.

"Last year alone we sold 172 million post-PC devices," Cook told the audience at the Yerba Buena Center in downtown San Francisco, Apple's preferred venue for product unveilings.

"And this made up 76 percent of our revenues. This is incredible."

Investigators arrived on the crime scene 12 hours after the incident taking place and two hours after getting to know that the man killed had been identified as a Saudi Arabian embassy official.

Khalaf Al Ali, an official with the consular section of the embassy, died about four hours after he was shot by unidentified criminals around 1:00am Tuesday.

But the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sleuths had not descended on the scene of crime until 1:00pm. In other words, they collected evidence like foot print after passage of such a long time, so very crucial in the investigation of a crime like murder.

Assistant police superintendent of CID Sabdar Ali, however, refused to accept the allegation, though he did accept that many evidences might have been destroyed or lost during those precious hours.

"CID had been informed at the right time. Traffic congestion might have delayed their arrival," said additional deputy commissioner of Gulshan zone Niyamul Haque.

He, however, claimed that police kept the crime scene enclosed until the CID sleuths reached there.

Incidentally, this is not an isolated incident of investigators showing lethargy in evidence collection once a crime has taken place. It was no different even after the killing of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, senior officials had then confirmed.

According to eye witnesses, Khalaf Al Ali was shot in the chest in front of his house at Gulshan's Road No. 120, Plot 9/A. Police took him to a private hospital where he died around 5:00am.

Police took a snap of the diseased and it only around 11:00am that they could establish the identity of the deceased.

Although several teams from police, Detective Branch, CID and RAB have been pressed to investigate into the killing, all seem clueless like any other layman.

Free screening camps, rallies, awareness meetings and discussions will be organised on Thursday as part of the World Kidney Day in Dhaka as elsewhere in the world.

President Zillur Rahman and prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages prior to the day, urged all concerned to raise mass awareness to prevent kidney diseases, as an estimated 20 million people suffer from various types of the ailment.

'Donate Kidney for Life' is the theme of the day.

Terming the theme 'appropriate and time-befitting' as 'it would encourage people to donate kidney to their close relatives', president Zillur Rahman urged the specialist physicians and the well-off to step forward to help out the poor kidney patients.

Hasina expressed her hope that all organisations concerned would play an important role in creating mass awareness about kidney transplant and the related diseases.

Bangladesh Renal Association, Kidney Foundation, Paediatric Nephrology Society of Bangladesh, Society of Organ Transplant Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Diabetic Society will jointly organise a rally and a discussion to mark the day.

To raise awareness, Bangladesh Renal Association will organise an open-air meeting at the capital's Rabindra Sorobor.

The Barakah Kidney Hospital and Research Institute Ltd at a press conference on Wednesday declared month-long free kidney screening camp and 40 to 50 percent discount on different surgical procedures of kidney.

The hospital will distribute awareness leaflets on Thursday.

The prime minister has urged the people to resist the 'anti-liberation forces' paid by Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and trying to save war criminals.

"I wonder how they can take money from the people who killed our mothers and daughters, and against whom we had waged a war. I wonder how they can take money for protecting war criminals," said Sheikh Hasina in parliament on Wednesday while taking part in a motion on the historic March 7 speech.

She made those remarks apparently referring to a news item appearing in a national Bangla newspaper on Mar 4 that alleged BNP chief Khaleda Zia took money from ISI before the 5th national election.

Hasina also recalled the criticism she had faced after terming the 1991 election 'an election of fine rigging' in her reaction to BNP then winning the polls.

"They had become victorious in the 91 election by using the money paid by ISI. Those who had criticised me at that time now understood how true that was," she added.

Drawing attention of the House, she said those in charge of Pakistan military and ISI at that time have also made confessions in a court of law under oath on the matter.

She also sought to stress the point that the newspaper which published the story 'is preferred by BNP'.

"Those who announce movements in the months like Dec and March do not believe in our independence. They are there just to protect war criminals. Everybody has to be aware of their betrayal," she added.

The prime minister went on to say that Bengalees who helped war criminals during the independence war are the real war criminals.

"Ziaur Rahman killed the Father of the Nation, scrapped all the laws to try them and finally released the war criminals."

Some disgruntled military officers in a coup killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members in 1975, four years after winning the war of independence. Ziaur Rahman became the president of the country within two years of the assassination.

Awami League leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofael Ahmed, Suranjit Sen Gupta, Mujibul Haque, Hasanul Haque Inu, Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Latif Siddiqui also participated in the motion.

bdnews24.com social affairs editor Baby Maudud and nine other women have been awarded 'Ananya Bishesh Sammanana Padak-2012' in recognition of their contribution to respective fields.

Ananya, a fortnightly magazine, formally conferred the awards on them at a function at the TSC auditorium of Dhaka University (DU) on Monday.

DU vice-chancellor A A M S Arefin Siddique gave away the awards.

Baby Maudud, a career journalist and columnist, was born in Kolkata in 1948. She has been in the field of journalism since 1967.

Prior to joining bdnews24.com, she has worked with Bangla national dailies Sangbad and Ittefaq, news agencies BBC and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and weekly magazine Bichitra.

The other award recipients are renowned women's rights activist Latifa Akhand (for contribution towards social development), Jowshan Ara Rahman (development and research), noted economist and founder member of the Centre for Women and Children Studies (CWCS) Dr Khaleda Salahuddin (economics and research), vice-president of Dhaka University Alumni Association (DUAA) Dr Selina Khalek (social welfare), eminent writer Rokeya Mannan (education and social work), Syeda Shamse Ara Rahman (education), journalist Setara Musa (media), president of Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP)-Bangladesh Zeenat Ara Bhuiyan and Zeenat Ahmed (sports).

Arefin lauded the contributions made by the award winners in their respective areas of action.

Ananya editor Tasmima Hossain presided over the function.


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Detection of three new human infections with the deadly H5NI strain of bird flu in a week has set alarm bells ringing as scientists have found evidence of the virus in the live-bird market in crowded Dhaka.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) confirmed a human case on Feb 26 when a worker of a live-bird market in southern part of the capital was tested H5N1 positive at the IEDCR's surveillance site.

Its director Prof Mahmudur Rahman told that they had informed the government's Department of Livestock right away and suggested 'immediate' steps to disinfect wet markets.

bdnews24.com saw no cleaning drive but learned the livestock department fixed a technical committee meeting for Wednesday instead of beginning to disinfect the market.

In the meantime, the IEDCR that oversees human infections of bird flu disclosed on Monday that another two cases were confirmed on Sunday night in their lab.

"They are also live-bird market workers," Prof Rahman told and added that they expected the livestock department to move quickly for the sake of public health safety.

"The virus's presence in live-bird market means it is now even closer to people," he added.

A scientist with the IEDCR told that they had run into evidence suggesting presence of the H5N1 virus in the live-bird market's garbage, as well.

The virus has the potential to cause severe illness in human with a high fatality rate.

"We are lucky as the strain (clade 2.2) of H5N1 that circulates in Bangladesh is less virulent, but it can change into another class (2.1), which is highly infectious to human," the IEDCR director said.

According to World Health Organisation, across the globe H5N1 killed 349 out of its 592 victims, except the latest two detected in Bangladesh.

Livestock authorities could not be reached immediately.

Chief veterinary officer Mosaddek Hossain, who oversees poultry infections of bird flu, declined comment when approached him at around 6.30pm.

Prof Nitish C Debnath, FAO expert on avian influenza, told that the government should launch 'wet market cleaning' drive at this moment.

"All should be vigilant to prevent sick poultries from entering into the market," he warned.

With four strains of flu virus – H5N1, H1N1, H3N2 and H9N2 – circulating in Bangladesh, the Food and Agriculture Organisation in Aug last year warned of a possible major resurgence of bird flu.

It said a mutant strain of the H5N1 virus is spreading in Asia including Bangladesh.

The government has confirmed first case of human infection with H5N1 in 2008, and two cases were reported in 2011.

IEDCR advises people wash egg shells and suggests consuming well-cooked poultry products.

It also urged not to litter giblets and dead birds just anywhere and maintain personal hygiene – cough into the crook of elbow and wash hands with soap often.

The first human infection from H5N1 was detected in 1997 in Hong Kong.


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Foreign minister Dipu Moni hopes the verdict of the International Tribunal for Law of the Seas (ITLOS) on the maritime boundary disputes between Bangladesh and Myanmar would be favourable for the country.

"The way we have presented data and statistics, as well as precedents," she said, "we are hopeful."

The minister expressed her hope at a dinner with editors and senior journalists at the state guest house Padma on Monday – about a week before ITLOS is set to settle the dispute.

The two countries approached ITLOS to settle the maritime boundary dispute in 2009 and the verdict is expected on Mar 14.

Dipu Moni said there have been instances of award by arbitrators based on principles of "equitable" sharing. "So we are more hopeful that we will at least get more than what Myanmar or India is proposing based on equidistance."

The dispute over the maritime delimitation between the countries began when Bangladesh tried exploring gas reserves in the Bay of Bengal.

While Dhaka demands "equitable" method to settle the dispute, both India and Myanmar push for the "equidistance" principle.

Bangladesh's interests could be hampered if the delimitation takes place based on equidistance principle, as it might end up forgoing its claim over 17 out of 28 sea blocks.

Responding to a query, Dipu Moni also said that the dispute with India over a similar issue would be settled by 2014.

She said, "Apart from protecting its rights on the maritime boundary issue, Bangladesh is also active in exploring and collecting the sea resources."

The government would be paying more attention to collecting the resources after the rights over the boundary are established, she added.

The foreign minister, Dipu Moni, has robustly defended the government's India policy saying more has been achieved than ever before and that exports from Bangladesh are growing much faster as a result.

"India is a huge market," she told editors and senior journalists over dinner at the state guest house Padma Monday night, "let's take advantage of that."

Dipu Moni blamed India bashers who she said were "out to spread confusion in their bid to gain electoral benefit". She agreed with an editor who said the anti-India rhetoric did not yield results in 2008 parliamentary elections. "Gone are the days when misinformation and confusion worked," she said.

She sought to set aside concerns over "failure" to secure Teesta deal by highlighting "work on both sides of the border" to facilitate bilateral trade.

"Has anyone tried to find out how many land ports have been upgraded to deal with increased trade?" she retorted as she tried to shoot down queries by one editor about granting transit to intra-India shipment.

She was obviously referring to increased exports of readymade garments thanks to the latest deal allowing duty-free access of 61 products including 47 textile categories.
She did not give any statistics, no one asked for the figures either. There was more concern about transit, border killings and share as a lower riparian country from common rivers.

Trade gap – US$ 3.5 billion in 2010-11—showed some signs of narrowing in recent months, with garments sales picking up, according to trade officials in Dhaka.

Bangladesh's export figure was better in July-Dec 2011—Tk 18.35 billion— than Tk 13.62 billion in the same period previous year.

"Border shootings have come down," Dipu Moni said, "but it hasn't come down to zero."

"Any killing along the border is unacceptable, and we protest as soon as any incident of shooting occurs," she said amid a barrage of questions regarding border deaths and the government's "failure" to raise its voice.

"The protests are lodged at all levels," she insisted.

"It is true, despite assurances from the highest levels in India, incidents of shooting continue to happen."

As one senior journalist pointed to demonstrations in Dahagram and Angorpota, the two largest enclaves, she said the ratification by India of the landmark 1974 land agreement would put things to rest.

"Did anyone else put any pressure on India to ratify the Indira-Mujib Treaty after the assassination of the Father of the Nation?"

The minister also defended the role of advisers to the prime minister and said they complemented her ministry's work. Her comment was sought in response to fierce criticism in parliament from two key ruling party allies –Rashed Khan Menon on Sunday and H M Ershad on Monday.

In clear references to Gowher Rizvi and Moshiur Rahman, both MPs alleged that the advisers were acting more on the interest of India than Bangladesh.

The two advisers had visited India in preparation for Manmohan Singh's much-hyped trip in September last year and publicly defended India's position as negotiations for such issues as transit or Tipaimukh were on.

The High Court (HC) on Sunday ordered Biman Bangladesh Airlines to appoint afresh those who were given retirement under a 'golden handshake' scheme during the last military-backed caretaker government.

The bench of justices Farah Mahbub and Abdur Rab, after hearing a number of writ petitions, also ordered reinstatement of those employees, who were offered the 'golden handshake', but finally, did not avail the benefits.

The Biman Bangladesh authorities have been told to appoint afresh those officials and employees against its 608 vacant posts considering their seniority, academic qualification, service record and medical fitness to continue in job.

The verdict also declared the 'golden handshake' scheme legal.

As for compensation for the period since their 'forced retirement', Biman has been told to take measures in accordance with its service rules.

As many as 1,877 Biman employees were given retirement under a 'golden handshake' scheme during the military-backed caretaker government in 2007.

The HC issued a number of rulings on the government after the Biman employees challenged the retirement decision in 2008, 2009 and 2010, saying that they were forced to retire. The Sunday's order came after disposing of 61 writ petitions out of the total 70 filed by 1,172 retired Biman employees.

"Biman cannot make new appointments unless the retired employees are reinstated gradually," lawyer for the petitioners Salahuddin Dolon told .

Only those who did not avail the benefits offered under the retirement scheme would be reinstated with the seniority they were enjoying prior to their retirement, said Salahuddin, who represented 536 petitioners during the hearing.

Barristers Rafiqul Haque, Abdur Razzak, Nazrul Islam, Omar Sadat and Mahbub Shafique, and advocates Abdul Matin Khasru and Ahsanul Karim also took part in the hearing for the rest of the petitioners.

Barristers Kamalul Alam, Akhter Imam, Zonayed Ahmed Chowdhury, and advocates Khandaker Diliruzzaman and Ekramul Haque Tutul appeared on behalf of Biman Bangladesh.

"Those who had taken benefits offered under the retirement would be appointed afresh only if they fulfil certain stipulated conditions," said Diliruzzaman.

"It is a victory for Biman as the court has ordered retirement under 'golden handshake' legal," said Diliruzzaman.

Forces opposed to the war crimes trials are using social networking sites and community blogs as tools for their propaganda, says Awami League lawmaker Baby Maudud.

"When the rumour targets a particular side, it is not difficult to make out who are behind the canard. Apart from rumours, there are campaigns with imaginative details on Facebook and other blogs," she said taking part in the thanksgiving motion on the president's speech at Sunday's session.

The government should be pro-active and efficient enough to stop the ongoing campaigns against the war crimes trials and keep the country's democratic practices unimpeded.

She slammed BNP chief Khaleda Zia's statement threatening to make the government "physically impaired".

"In the 21st century, they (the disabled) are referred to as 'physically challenged' ... while some are physically impaired, some others seem to be intellectually (impaired). When talked about her (Khaleda) way, the physically challenged can also feel hurt..."

Baby Maudud also called for a legal provision against anyone berating the physically challenged people.

Multinational sportswear companies Adidas, Nike and Puma who will market their goods to worldwide audiences in Olympics do not pay Bangladeshis minimum wages in five of their six product-manufacturing factories in Bangladesh.

"Race to the bottom," a report released by a British charity organisation, War on Want, has exposed exploitation of Bangladeshi workers producing goods for the three companies in the run-up to London 2012 Olympic Games.

The report presented a detailed picture of the conditions faced by workers in Bangladesh, mostly women, who produce the sportswear they sell.

"As well as gaining access to worldwide audiences to promote their products they (the companies) also aim to associate themselves with the Olympic values of fair play and respect," read excerpts from the research given on the charity organisation's official website in addition to the full research report.

"Our research finds that for the workers making goods for Adidas, Nike and Puma in Bangladesh, there is little sign of fair play or respect. Five of the six factories covered by our research did not even pay their workers the Bangladeshi minimum wage, let alone a living wage that allow them to meet their basic needs," the excerpts continued.

In breach of Bangladeshi labour law, workers producing for the three companies are being paid only 16p, which is equivalent to Tk 20, per hour on average, with two thirds of the workers working over 60 hours a week, revealed the research.

Bangladesh's labour law sets the standard minimum wage for garment workers earning equivalent to 94p a day while the working hour is fixed to be 48 hours a week, the report said.

"Many suffer abuse in the workplace, including sexual harassment and beatings," said the report focusing on the condition workers work for the sportswear companies.

The report has been prepared by taking workers detailed interviews.

"While low wages secure huge profits for the global sportswear industry, the more than three million workers in the Bangladesh clothing industry are left with an income that is often less than the living wage," said the report after mentioning that Bangladeshi minimum wage is one of the lowest in Asia and in the world as well.

Adidas has become sportswear partner of the London Olympic scheduled for Aug 29 to Sep 9 this year by spending £100 million. Adiddas would be able to clothe 70,000 volunteers of the Olympic and has the right to use the Olympic logo on its products.

Adidas hopes to achieve over £100 million in sales from its Olympic clothing lines alone. About 775,000 workers, mostly came through outsourcing, in 1,200 factories across 65 countries are making products for Adidas, which have enormous influence over the people employing workers for it.

Nike, the world's largest sport brand, has secured its association with the London Olympic Games through the official sponsorship of a range of high profile teams including the USA and athletes such as Mark Cavendish and Paula Radcliffe. Through its supply chains Nike influences the conditions of more than 800,000 employees in 700 factories across 45 countries, the report mentioned.

Puma's largest profile sponsorship deal is its relationship with Usain Bolt, arguably the highest-profile athlete taking part in the 2012 Games as he defends his Olympic 100 metre and 200 metre titles. Puma's manufacturing is outsourced to over 350 factories, a majority of which are in developing economies, involving around 300,000 workers, said the report.

The report came down hard on the companies as they have been exploiting workers, especially in the poorest countries like Bangladesh, despite signing 'codes of conduct' against the practice.

It called on UK government for introducing a Commission on Business, Human Rights and the Environment for monitoring activities of UK companies operating in other countries.

"London 2012 is our opportunity to extend the Olympic spirit of fair play beyond the Games themselves, so that all those producing goods for sportswear brands in factories around the world can benefit, both now and into the future. Now that would be an Olympic legacy worth celebrating," War on Want executive director John Hilary said while concluding his preface to the report.

Jatiya Party chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad on Monday accused India of illegally taking control of water of the common river Feni.

Just before starting a road march towards Feni district, Ershad also urged all to protest against such Indian move by rising above narrow partisan views.

"The Feni river is ours. No other (country) has right to this river," Ershad, a key ally of the ruling Awami League, told a street rally in the city's Banani Model Town.

A motorcade of around 250 vehicles started for Feni around 9:30am.

"There has been a plot to turn Feni, Mirsarai of Chittagong, Fatikchharhi, Khagrachharhi, Ramgarh, Noakhali and Comilla into deserts," Ershad said.

The river Feni was recognised as a common river in 2005 at a meeting of the Joint River Commission (JRC) in Dhaka.

The river originates in Tripura and makes a common border of 87 kilometres with Bangladesh. After travelling about 90 kilometres in Tripura, it flows into Bangladesh.

The controversy over the river's share of water remains unsolved for long allegedly because of India's reluctance to strike a deal with Bangladesh.

Being a border river with one side of the banks in India and the other in Bangladesh, no activity is allowed in 150 yards from the centre of the river.

But allegations have it that India is lifting water from the river violating rules and taking advantage of no agreement to equally use the water of the river.

MEETING WITH PM

In reply to a query on a meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday night, he said, "We have talked about election issues."

He said the discussion with the premier was fruitful but would not elaborate.

The deposed military dictator is scheduled to address seven street rallies during the march and a gathering at Government Pilot High School ground in Feni in the afternoon, his information and political affairs secretary Sunil Shuvo Roy told .

Earlier, the party had marched towards Sylhet on Dec 10-11 protesting against India's move to build a dam at Tipaimukh on the Barak River and to Nilphamari on Jan 17-18 demanding just share of water of the Teesta River.