BANGLADESH

Opposition leader Khaleda Zia has reached the venue of the 18-Party Alliance rally where she is expected to announce fresh anti-government agitation programme.

The BNP chief reached the rally venue in front of the BNP headquarters at Naya Paltan a few minutes after 4pm. Amid raucous applause she took the stage in a off-white saree, waiving at them.

On Mar 12, the former Prime Minister had given the government a 90-day ultimatum to restore caretaker government system, which expired on Sunday.

Khaleda had already had a meeting with her senior party advisors and leaders of the alliance where she is believed to have set fresh programmes.

The rally, being presided over by the BNP's Dhaka metropolitan unit Member Secretary Abdus Salam, kicked off around 2:30pm.

Jamaat-e-Islam's acting chief Maqbul Ahmed and Liberal Democratic Party President Oli Ahmed are sitting beside Khaleda. Other leaders of the 18-Party Alliance are also onstage.

Chief Whip of the Opposition in Parliament Zainul Abdin Farroque is moderating the rally.

The opposition is staging the rally while 30 of its top leaders are behind bars including BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Opposition chief Khaleda Zia on Monday gave the government time until Eid-ul-Fitr to reinstate the provision for caretaker government or face tougher agitation.

The BNP chaiperson issued the fresh deadline at the 18-Party Alliance's rally after the opposition's June 10 ultimatum expired on Sunday.

Adressing the gathering, the leader of BNP that leads the coalition said they were not considering fresh agitation programmes, for now, so as to spare people of avoidable sufferings ahead of Ramadan.

Khaleda, who was widely expected to come up with tougher agitation programme with many of her coalition's senior leaders still in jail, announced mild protest programmes in the months of Jun and July instead.

However, programmes like countrywide shutdown and laying of siege would be announced after Eid-ul-Fitr, she announced from the rally held in front of the party's Naya Paltan headquarters on Monday.

People were expecting the opposition to go for tougher agitation as the three-month deadline BNP had given the government for reinstating the non-party caretaker government system expired on Sunday without evoking any response from the government.

On Mar 12, from a similar public rally, Khaleda had threatened that the opposition would not have any alternatives but to go for tougher movement if their demand was not met by June 10.

The situation wornsened – adding fuel to the public apprehension of violent political standoff – as the government instead of considering the demand, went tough on the opposition leaders, throwing many of them behind the bar.

"I want to tell the government, accept the demand of the non-party caretaker government ... Resolve the problem through dialogue this time. I hope the government will be wiser this time ... Otherwise, tougher agitation like countrywide shutdown will be announced after Eid-ul-Fitr," Khaleda warned at the rally.

Opposition leaders including BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and its Dhaka metropolitan unit's President Sadeq Hossain Khoka are still inside jail even after securing bails from the court.

The protest programmes announced for the next two months are rallies on Jun 17 and 24, and July 1 and 15. The rallies will be organised across the country to press the government to meet their demands including cancellation of false cases against opposition leaders and their release.

The rallies will also protest what the opposition termed an 'anti-people budget' and demand 'return' of party leader M Ilias Ali, bringing killers of journalists duo Sagar-Runi and Saudi diplomat to justice, and reining in prices of essentials, fertilisers, agriculture products and power.

Besides, rallies will also be held at all metros and district towns on July 8 protesting corruption and gas-power-water crisis, and memorandum will be submitted to deputy commissioners.

Earlier, from a rally at Naya Paltan on Sept 27, the opposition leader had announced road march programme towards Sylhet, Chapainababganj, Khulna and Chittagong to drum up public support to their demands.

After ending the road-march programme at Chittagong on Dec 9, the opposition had announced another programme titled "Dhaka Cholo".

The High Court on Monday ordered authorities to remove all commercial establishments from Dhanmondi residential area.

However, the order would not be applicable to commercial establishments at Mirpur Road, Sat Masjid Road, Road-2 and Road-27.

The High Court bench of justices Nayeem Haider and Farid Ahmed, after hearing a public interest petition, also ordered approptiate authorities to issue notices before clearing the establishments.

The petitioner's lawyer Manzil Morshed said the clearing drive would have to be launched following the rules of Rajuk, by giving the owners notice and enough time for relocating their businesses.

All the 11 branches of Maple Leaf International School will get three years to relocate their campuses from the area, but until then the school authorities will have to introduce a system by employing people to contain traffic congestion in adjacent areas, said Morshed quoting the court order.

President of Dhanmondi Kalyan Samity Prof AFM Masud and Secretary MA Matin filed the petition on Feb 1, 2011.

Deputy Attorney General Mokhlesur Rahman said, "The court has ordered for evicting unauthorised commercial establishments from Dhanmondi residential area. The court also asked Maple Leaf International School to bring all of its 11 branches into one campus."

"The court also said that prior permission have to be taken from appropriate authorities before establishing any businesses there in the future," Rahman added.

Public Works Secretary, Environment Secretary, Dhaka City Corporation, District Commissioner of Dhaka, Executive Engineer of Power Development Board at Dhanmondi, authorised Rajuk officer of the area and Officer-in-Charge of Dhanmondi police station have been asked to execute the order.

Earlier, when the petition was filed last year, the High Court issued rule asking why eviction of commercial establishments should not be ordered to protect characteristics of a residential area.

The court then also embargoed allowing any new commercial establishment in the area for six months.

Two leaders of the opposition BNP, sent to jail in cases over violence during a general strike, were released on Monday night on bail.

"Following the court's order, BNP Organising Secretary Fazlul Haque Milon was released at 9:10pm from Dhaka Central Jail and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas was released at 9:30pm from BIRDEM hospital," Jailer Mahbubul Islam told bdnews24.com.

They were released on Monday night though the High Court had granted them bail on Thursday.

Mirza Abbas's Personal Assistant Sohel told bdnews24.com that Abbas would stay in the hospital for the night. "He will go home in the morning [Tuesday]."

Two crude bombs had exploded inside the Secretariat and a bus was torched in front of the Prime Minister's Office in the capital on Apr 29 during an opposition-sponsored countrywide dawn-to-dusk shutdown called to protest alleged abduction of BNP leader M Ilias Ali, one of the BNP organising secretaries.

Shahbagh and Tejgaon police had lodged two separate cases against a number of opposition leaders and activists alleging their involvement.

The opposition leaders accused of exploding bombs at the Secretariat secured anticipatory bail from the High Court on May 14 until submission of chargesheet in the case, but they were denied bail and sent to jail in the vehicle-torching case on May 16.

Later, 35 senior opposition leaders including Mirza Abbas and Fazlul Haque Milon got bail from the High Court in the arson case.

After the investigation officer submitted the chargesheet in the blasts case on May 31, the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka fixed July 26 to give a decision on whether it would accept the charges.

Some BNP leaders including party's Acting Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is in Kashimpur Jail.

On May 26, the High Court had granted six weeks' interim bail to five 18-Party Alliance MPs accused in the same case.

After the High Court on June 7 granted bail to Fakhrul and 28 other leaders in the arson case, the prosecution had warrants issued against them that requires jail authorities to produce them before the court in the bomb blasts case.

Lawyers for the opposition leaders on Sunday moved court for withdrawal of warrants to produce them before court in the case. Several petitions were pressed in the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's court.

Senior Special Metropolitan Tribunal's Judge Mohammed Akhteruzzaman will hold further hearing on the appeals on Thursday.

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Monday advised party MPs to act politely with the people of their constituencies.

"You have to change your attitude. You don't get votes with bad attitude. Don't point fingers while talking. Don't wave pistols to our activists. Don't send them to jail," the LGRD minister in the current Awami League-led alliance government told the MPs.

"You must remember that we are her because of our party activists," he reminded.

Ashraf's remarks came at a meeting of the Awami League Parliamentary Party, presided by Prime Minister and party chief Sheikh Hasina, at parliament building on Monday, some MPs told bdnews24.com.

There are allegations against several Awami League MPs of acting recklessly and showing bad attitude in their constituencies.

A recent incident saw MP Giasuddin of Gafargaon constituency in Mymensingh opening fire from his pistol in public.

Syed Ashraf said, "Only development work doesn't get vote. You need to go to the people and communicate with them."

Several MPs, declining to be named, said that Hasina had also suggested them to increase communication with their electorates.

They said that the party chief also advised them to clear all misunderstandings among the leaders and activists of the party and coordinate with each other.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged researchers to put more emphasis on functional research for Bangladesh's socio-economic development.

"It would be unwise to carry out research only for the sake of research. It has to be meaningful," she said while inaugurating the Designated Reference Institute for Chemical Measurements (DRICM).

"Researches will have to be carried with the goal of the country's socio-economic development," Hasina added.

The Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) set up the lone international standards chemical measurement institute on its Dhanmondi campus in Dhaka.

The Prime Minister said the nation needed practical research so that innovations were available and the common people could use it.

"We need befitting and sustainable research so that innovations are available and the common people can adopt them so that it helps boost agricultural and industrial production; so that maximum productivity, area and quality of services are increased; highest application of local resources and capabilities is ensured," she said.

Hasina said the newly installed facility will test foods, beverages and medicines. This institute will give prescription for quality control of the industries.

In this age of globalisation, she said, it was necessary to maintain quality to remain competitive. "The entrepreneurs will get necessary quality control assistance from this institute."

She called on the scientists, researchers, teachers, students to come forward to ensure highest productivity in the industrial and service sectors by utilising information and technology.

She paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman saying he had set up the BCSIR in 1973 for scientific research and innovating suitable technology for industrial sector. He had also gathered top scientists.

The Prime Minister cited various innovations of the BCSIR. The arsenic detection and removal kit, formalin detection kit, biogas plants and modified fuel efficient ovens developed by the institute have been a hit with the people. "These innovations are assisting in uplifting standards of the people's lives."

She also urged all to ulitise environment friendly technology in combating global warming and climate change risks and emphasised research in this sector.

"Our aim is to build a hunger and poverty free, rich, peaceful, modern science and technology-based Bangladesh within 2021. Through it we will build the Golden Bengal as envisioned by the Father of the Nation."

To reach that goal, she said, scientists, researchers, peasants, entrepreneurs and others will have to work together.

State Minister for Science and Technology Yeafesh Osman presided over the programme.

An influential global rights group has accused India of breaking promises to end killings along the border with Bangladesh.

In a New York-datelined statement, the Human Rights Watch said India should investigate fresh allegations of human rights violation by its Border Security Force along its porous border with Bangladesh and prosecute the responsible.

It said despite assurances to the Bangladesh government and public orders to exercise restraint and end unlawful killings and attacks on suspected smugglers, evidence documented and published by Indian and Bangladeshi nongovernmental organisations suggest that the BSF is once again committing abuses including extrajudicial killings, torture, and ill-treatment of both Indian and Bangladeshi people live along the frontier.

"The Border Security Force has reverted to its previous tactics of unilaterally punishing suspects, defying orders from Delhi issued last year to exercise restraint and protect the right to life," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.

"But the central government is also responsible, since it has failed to hold perpetrators accountable. Justice is the best deterrent against further violations," she said.

In December 2010, Human Rights Watch released "Trigger Happy, Excessive Use of Force by Indian Troops at the Bangladesh Border," which documented nearly 1,000 killings by the BSF over the last decade.

In January 2011, the Indian government assured Bangladeshi officials that it would order the BSF to exercise restraint and encourage the use of rubber bullets instead of more lethal ammunition, steps welcomed by Human Rights Watch.

Although BSF attacks decreased significantly over the next year, the new evidence presented suggests that Indian border troops continue to frequently abuse both Bangladeshi citizens and Indian nationals residing in the border area, the statement said.

The recent allegations claim that in order to get around the restrictions on shooting at sight, BSF soldiers have been subjecting suspects to severe beatings and torture, resulting in deaths in custody.

Efforts by local residents and activists to file complaints and secure justice have resulted in threats and intimidation, it said.

The National Human Rights Commission has sought responses when allegations are filed, but without adequate witness protection complainants end up risking further abuse, it said.

The group said large numbers of killings and other abuses have been reported in 2012.

Odhikar, a Dhaka-based human rights group, has documented as many as 13 killings by the BSF since January 2012.

Kolkata-based group Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has documented five other killings during the same time period, based on statements from witnesses and families of victims.

The government has withdrawn an officer-in-charge of the Terokhada Police Station in Khulna district for allegedly molesting a housewife.

The action was taken against OC Mamun-or-Rashid on finding the allegation against him true after a preliminary investigation. He has been attached to the Khulna Police Line, Superintendent of Police (SP) Tanvir Haider Chowdhury told bdnews24.com on Sunday.

Another sub-inspector of the police station, Shafiqul Islam, has been appointed in place of Mamun.

SP Chowdhury said that Mamun molested the housewife of Kushala village of Terokhada upazila on Wednesday when she went to the police station to lodge a general diary.

Additional SP Imamur Rashid investigated into the incident.

Arrest Warrant Against ASP

Judge Mohammad Sadiqul Islam of the First Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal of Dhaka has issued an arrest warrant against Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Barisal Abul Kalam Azad in a case filed against him by his wife Anwar-e Taslima for torturing her demanding dowry.

Counsel of the plaintiff Advocate Raihan Morshed told bdnews24.com that the court also issued arrest warrants against the ASP and three of his relatives in the case since they did not appear before it in compliance with its previous order.

The court framed charges against the accused on Sunday and fixed July 10 to record the deposition.

According to the case details, Taslima and Azad got married in Oct 2010 following a relationship through social networking site facebook.

Taslima in her case claimed that her family paid Tk 800,000 to Azad in two phases after their marriage. Later, he demanded an additional Tk 200,000 on Oct 8 last year.

But as her family refused to pay the amount, Azad tried to kill her by pouring a toilet cleaner in her mouth.

Violent clashes between police and protesters have left at least 10 law enforcers injured during a blockade programme in the city.

The United People's Democratic Front (UPDF)-backed Democratic Youth Forum (DYF) started the bloackade from 8am on Sunday to protest obstruction to their earlier programme to besiege the Parbatya Chattagram Land Dispute Resolution Commission office.

Police fired 20 rounds of rubber bullets and teargas shells to calm the situation after the clash erupted in Swanirbhar area in Khagrachari around 10am.

At least 10 police personnel were injued when the angry protesters swooped on them at one stage of the clash.

Four of the injured cops – Sub-inspector Obaidur Rahman, and constables Mohammad Jashim, Arafat and Mamum Mia – have been rushed to the Zila Sadar Hospital.

Soon after the Swanirbhar area had turned into a battle field, a team of Rapid Action Battalion-7 rushed to the spot to calm the situation.

"The situation is under control now," Khagrachharhi Assistant Superintendent of Police Kanon Debnath told .

Additional armed police has also been deployed at the site to avoid any further trouble.

Although DYF had announced to enforce a 33-hour blockade in the morning, the programme was later limited to 21 hours.

In a statement, forum's central president Natun Kumar Chakma said, "The government is conspiringly using the commission's Chariman Khademul Islam Chowdhury to throw tribal people out of their their own lands."

"The government is trying to foil the agitation by using RAB," he added.

A 'sorry' Speaker Abdul Hamid, on Sunday said 'un-parliamentary' remarks of the MPs criticising Bishwa Sahitya Kendra founder Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed will be deleted from proceedings.

He also criticised the news reports based on which the MPs had harshly criticised the noted litterateur on June 3 for making 'objectionable' remarks about the lawmakers and ministers.

"Some national dailies have shown a very irresponsible attitude by publishing such reports without checking the facts," Hamid said in a ruling in the beginning of the session.

Prof Ali Ashraf MP, who was presiding the session on June 3 in absence of the Speaker and his deputy Shawkat Ali, had asked Prof Sayeed to tender an unconditional apology for his alleged remarks made at a discussion organised by the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) on June 2.

His call came after several MPs including ruling Awami League's Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Jatiya Party's Mujibul Haque Chunnu and independent MP Fazlul Azim criticised Sayeed citing Bengali daily Inqilab's report that he commented that 'MPs and ministers act like thieves and dacoits and breach oath'.

But Sayeed, later on the same night, termed the contempt of Parliament allegation 'completely baseless' and 'false' and said he would not apologise for remarks which he never made.

On the following day, TIB had sent a copy of his speech and a video footage of his address at the programme to Speaker Hamid.

The Speaker on Sunday said, "I read his speech's copy and watched the CD. I came to the conclusion that his speech and the report published on the newspaper are totally different."

He said the report was the root of the unexpected event.

"Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed is a respected personality of the country. The un-parliamentarian remarks made in the unscheduled discussion [in Parliament] will be expunged."

He also asked the news media to be more careful about news reports.

Police prevented on Sunday launches headed for Dhaka from Barisal apparently to prevent people from joining an opposition rally, saying there was a chance of a cyclone.

But neither the weather office, nor the Barisal Launch Terminal authorities had any information of the inclement weather.

Police in the evening asked passenger ferries at the Barisal terminal to anchor in the mid-river.

Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Shaheduzzaman said, "Scheduled launch trips to the capital have been cancelled due to disastrous weather."

Launch communications on other routes will remain uninterrupted, he added.

The incident coincided with the one that took place ahead of opposition BNP's rally on Mar 12, when launch and bus communications with Dhaka from across the country were suspended allegedly by authorities.

The BNP and its allies are preparing for a rally at Naya Paltan on Monday and a senior opposition leader announced that they were expecting 1.5 million people in attendance.

Senior observer at Barisal Met Office Pranab Kumar Roy told bdnews24.com, "The weather is normal today. There is no cautionary signal in effect."

Assistant Boat Officer of Barisal Launch Terminal Bashir Ali said, "We don't have any instructions. Police have cancelled all the scheduled trips to the capital."

Terming the government 'fascist', opposition BNP has alleged that the government is once again conspiring to obstruct Monday's rally of the 18-Party Alliance.

Police had detained over 100 opposition leaders and activists across the country ahead of the rally to be addressed by Chairperson Khaleda Zia, party's Assistant Office Secretary Abdul Latif Jony said in a statement issued on Sunday evening.

"The fascist Awami League government is going ahead with its conspiracy to obstruct people from joining the June 11 rally like it did ahead of the Mar 12 rally," he said.

Police continued to obstruct opposition activists by setting up check-posts at entry points of Dhaka city and harassed them in the name of searching hotels in the capital, he said.

A list of detained leaders and activists of the party had also been attached with the statement.

"This is an incomplete list, as we are still receiving news of detentions across the country," it said.

According to the list, the detainees include over 25 opposition leaders of Dhaka, 28 of Khulna and 26 of Gazipur.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Sunday allowed the opposition BNP to hold its rally in the capital on Monday outlining 11 conditions to be adhered to during the programme.

BNP's Assistant Office Secretary Abdul Latif Jony received a letter signed by DMP Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) Habibur Rahman around 8pm on Sunday.

The conditions include limiting the use of loudspeakers in the rally area from Fakirapool Crossing to Nightingale Crossing and its duration to three-and-a-half hours.

The letter also specified that the rally stage should not be used for any purpose other than making political speeches, and acts that could go against the law and public interest would not be allowed.

The DMP also mandated that the rally stage could not be set up on the main road, people could throng the rally venue only two hours prior to its start and the rally must end by 5:30pm.

The conditions also include that people cannot gather in any open place before or after the time permitted for holding the rally, and traffic cannot be hampered and people's movement cannot be obstructed outside the area fixed for the rally.

The main opposition led 18-party opposition alliance is set to hold the rally at 2pm on Monday in front of the party's Naya Paltan headquarters.

The law-enforcers had specified similar conditions for opposition's Mar 12 rally at the same venue.

The Bangladesh Restaurant Owners' Association on Saturday declared all restaurants smoke-free in a move to ensure clean environment for public health.

The announcement is seen as a 'boost' for the anti-tobacco campaign as they said the proposed hike in tobacco taxes in the proposed 2012-13 budget could not meet their demand of 'higher' tobacco taxation.

"Today we declare all of our restaurants smoke-free," Kamar Uddin Ahmed Khokon, President of the association announced at the National Press Club.

He said they would ensure that the decision was followed in all of around 55,000 restaurants in the country.

Anti-tobacco activists hailed the announcement, but they said there would be challenge to implement it as the existing 2005 tobacco control act did not include restaurants in its public place definition.

However, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan said he would issue an ordinance within a month in this regard.

"I can assure you that within a month restaurants will be declared public place through an ordinance," he said while speaking at the function.

With at least 43 percent adults consume tobacco, World Health Organisation estimates, 57,000 people die and more than 350,000 suffer due to tobacco related illness in Bangladesh.

Experts suggested the government to ensure smoke-free environment following the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) that Bangladesh ratified as study showed passive smoking also kills.

"When the government is not doing it, we are trying to do something," Restaurant Owners' Association President Khokon said as he believed smoke-free restaurants would also help their business.

"If customers are not allowed to smoke inside (restaurants), they will not stay for long time. We will get opportunity to serve more customers," he argued.

Secretary General of the association M Rezaul Karim Sarker Robin told bdnews24.com that they had already formulated a strategy with the help of Dhaka Ahsania Mission to implement the decision.

A 'smoke free' sign would be placed inside the restaurants while managers would be instructed to ensure it.

"Owners have been requested to visit and monitor their restaurants," Robin said.

Hailing the move, Coordinator of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids in Bangladesh Taifur Rahman said if restaurants were identified as public place in the law the implementation would be easy.

"It has been proposed in the revised (draft) act," he added.

The Restaurant Owners' Association officials also believed that once identified as public place, they would be able to strictly enforce the decision.

Economists estimated the medical cost of tobacco consumption was twice the revenue the government earns from the industries.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith's hope for a 7.2 percent GDP growth and pegging the inflation rate at 7.2 percent in the new fiscal year will be very tough to achieve, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) observes.

The private research organisation made the observation while presenting its analysis of the budget for the 2012-2013 on Friday at a press briefing at the capital's BRAC Centre Inn.

CPD's Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said, "Though the inflation rate on food is decreasing but inflation on a point-to-point basis is still over 9 percent while the average inflation rate is more than 10 percent."

"The budget indicates that the prices of fuel and power may be increased in future. Then the prices of food products will escalate the inflation rate. Then it will become very tough to curb the inflation," he said.

He said, "The measures needed to achieve the goal of this budget are not in clearly outlined in the Finance Minister's proposal. Administrative revolution is necessary to implement this budget."

About the proposed facility in the budget to whiten 'black money', Dr Bhattacharya said, "CPD has always been vocal against the facility. This system will discourage the real taxpayers."

The new budget proposes to expand the facility for whitening 'black money' with a 10 percent penalty without any bars on where that money has to be invested. The Finance Bill states that untaxed money will be allowed to be legalised in case of undisclosed income.

"The Finance Minister did not say anything about this issue in his budget speech. A change in the Finance Bill has provided the backdoor for the facility. We are still protesting the facility of whitening black money," Bhattacharya said.

The CPD also protested the budget's proposal to increase minimum income tax to Tk 3,000 from Tk 2,000.

Bhattacharya said, "We had suggested increasing the tax-free income level from Tk 180,000 to Tk 200,000 in the budget. But we are surprised that the Minister did not consider our suggestion. But increasing the minimum tax to Tk 3,000 was the real surprise."

"It's against social justice since inflation is going up gradually. This decision brings the people with lower income under income tax."

He, however, did not think the deficit of Tk 520 billion is too big a figure to be worried about. "In numbers, the deficit can look like a very big one. But it's not big considering that it is 5 percent of GDP."

"What we are actually worried about is the bank borrowing."

"The budget proposes to borrow Tk 338.84 billion from domestic sources, of which Tk 230 billion will be borrowed from banks. This may reduce the rate of loan flow to the private sector as well as hamper the investment sector," the former Executive Director said.

Foreign funding included, the proposed budget has a deficit of Tk 460.24 billion and the shortfall is Tk 520.68 billion excluding foreign funds.

To meet the shortfall, the government plans to borrow Tk 338.84 billion from domestic sources, including Tk 230 billion from banks. The government also plans to get Tk 74 billion from savings certificates.

"The Finance Minister earlier had said a portion of the subsidy of the current fiscal will be transferred to the next fiscal year's budget. But he did not say anything about it."

Bhattacharya said the budget also did not mention the total size of subsidy.

The CPD was critical of the drop in the budgetary allocation for the agriculture sector and increase in the power and energy sector. Bhattacharya maintained that equality should be followed in budgetary allocation for all the sectors.

"Discrimination should not be created between urban and rural areas."

He said the prices of urea and Muriate of Potash (MOP) fertilisers would have to be increased if subsidies were not increased in the farm sector. "As a result, the production costs will go up and prices of food products will also increase. Inflation will edge up as a rule."

The CPD Distinguished Fellow also expressed his concern over the implementation of Tk 550 billion ADP. "The expenditure of the current year has to be increased by one and a half times to execute the ADP."

About the proposal to impose a flat 1.20 percent tax at source on all kinds of exports from the upcoming fiscal abolishing the existing tax slabs of 0.60 percent and 0.70 percent, he said that a negative scenario was created in the export sector in the last few months.

"I think that it was not proper to raise the tax rate to a large extent at this moment."

He remarked that the funding for the social security programmes was not enough.

"Though many organisations like the Pay Commission, Regulatory Commission etc. were thought to be made effective in the next budget, it didn't come true. Non-implementation of the PPP is also regretful."

The economist said the government signed a loan agreement with the IMF just a year ahead of the next general election.

"For this reason, the government has to cut the amount of subsidies. On the other hand, it has to raise taxes. So, this budget can be called 'mysterious'."

Wasfia Nazreen, the second Bangladeshi woman to conquer world's tallest peak Mount Everest, has dedicated her feat to the women's rights activists of the country.

"This is not only my achievement. I could not have done it without the support of the people of my country," she told reporters after her plane landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital at 1:25pm on Saturday.

"I'm dedicating my victory to those associated with women's rights movement."

Following her arrival in the country, Wasfia visited and paid her respect to the martyred intellectuals of 1971 Liberation war at the memorial erected in their memory at the capital's Rayer Bazar.

On May 26, the 29-year-old mountaineer reached the 8,850-meter high (29,035 ft) summit of Mount Everest from the southern side at 6:26am (Nepal time) with Ngima Girmen Sherpa and Da Kusang Sherpa.

From the top of the world, she said she had dedicated the feat to the resilience of the women in Bangladesh.

Wasfia is the fourth Bangladeshi mountaineer to hoist Bangladesh's flag on the top of Everest just a week after Nishat Mazumder did it as the first Bangladeshi woman.

Asked whether she ever thought of retreating after facing fearsome obstacles on her journey to the peak of Everest, Wasfia told reporters, "I never thought of retreating. But yes, there were times when I thought I would die."

"An avalanche had totally covered Camp-3 just a while after we left the place for Camp-4. We would have died if we were still there," she said while sharing some of her experience.

Also one of the Sherpa had saved her life once as she slipped from the track, Wasfia added.

Expressing her feelings about the moment when she achieved the feat, Wasfia said, "It was 6:25am (Nepal time) and sun was rising when I set my foot on the peak. I could see the summit of the 8,481-metre high (27,825 ft) Mountain Makalu from there."

"I could look at it from top. It's plainly impossible to express the beauty in words."

Wasfia, a rights activist, writer and development practitioner, said she wants to promote the women freedom fighter who fought bravely for Bangladesh's independence in 1971.

"We have failed to give proper respect to them yet after 40 years of independence. I want to tell the world about them from the highest peaks of all the continents," she said.

As Bangladesh turned 40 last year, Wasfia ventured into climbing the seven summits, the highest mountains in each of the seven continents through the 'Bangladesh on Seven Summits' campaign in July 2011.

As part of this effort, last year she climbed the 5895-metre-high Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa in October and near-seven kilometre high Mount Aconcagua in Argentina in December, the second highest of the Seven summits.

She also called on the country's young generation to quit any practice of corruption and dirty political view in order to work for the betterment of the country.

Wasfia announced that she would open a mountaineering training centre for women in the country for practical training. "I hope the centre will be launched in 2013. Initially, 50 women will be included in the training programme."

She congratulated Nishat Mazumder, the first Bangladeshi women to conquer Mount Everest. "When she ascended to the Everest summit, I was at Camp-3. This is a matter of pride to have two Bangladeshi women to conquer Mount Everest in one week."

Nishat scaled Everest's summit on May 19 from the northern side of the mountain in Nepal with M A Mohit, the second Bangladeshi to have conquered the Everest.

Earlier on May 24, 2010 Musa Ibrahim became the first Bangladeshi to scale the summit.

Mohit is the first Bangladeshi to scale the mountain twice. He first scaled the mountain peak on May 21 last year.

The government has strongly protested two articles appearing recently in The Economist and expressed its doubts over the intention of the writers.

"We feel very sad to see a gradual deterioration of quality and objectivity in the articles appearing in your well-reputed magazine over the past few years, particularly with respect to Bangladesh," said a rejoinder of the foreign ministry issued on Saturday.

The London-based magazine published two articles - "Politics in Bangladesh: Banged about: The prime minister sets the country on a dangerous path" and "Bangladesh's toxic politics: Hello, Delhi: It is up to India to try to stop Sheikh Hasina ruining Bangladesh" – in its May 26 issue.

The rejoinder said the two articles not only reflected a high level of ignorance of the reporter(s) about today's Bangladesh but were also full of misinformation and inaccurate conclusions.

"The Economist, in these articles, also shows utter disrespect towards the people of Bangladesh as far as their capability and ingenuity to address national issues is concerned, and nakedly invites foreign intervention!"

One of the reports said Bangladesh had 170 million poor Muslim, reacting to which the foreign ministry rejoinder urged the weekly to check facts before publishing stories in the future.

"We urge your reporters to study the demographics of Bangladesh for future reporting," it said.

The rejoinder, quoting several well-known international personalities including US President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, said Bangladesh had made significant progress in the recent times.

President Obama has told Sheikh Hasina last year in New York: "…You and your government are doing an excellent job in empowering women and in countering terrorism."

The rejoinder stated that the articles on Bangladesh's domestic politics seemed to be favouring return of an undemocratic rule in the country.

"Accusing the government of murder and attack on activists and journalists — without providing a thread of proof — is a malicious act and a demonstration of truly poor journalism by The Economist," the foreign ministry protested.

Three students, all from Mirpur in Dhaka, drowned on Friday in the ditch of the Madhabkunda waterfall in Moulvibazar.

The deceased were identified as Shahriar Ahmed, a 10th grader of Mirpur Bangla School and College, 'Munna', a ninth grader of Baitul Mamur Madrasa and 'Ashik', an HSC examinee from the Mirpur Commerce College.

They drowned around 1pm and divers from Sylhet recovered the bodies around 5:45pm, Baralekha Police Station Sub-Inspector Masudur Rahman said.

They were in a team of eight students from several institutes in Mirpur. Seven of them went to take a bath in the ditch as another one was sick, Munna's classmate Omar Hannan Rifat, who was in the team, too, told 
Witnesses said the trio drowned as they crossed a danger line marked with a rope.

The BNP has announced to hold its June 11 rally in front of its party headquarters as the authorities were yet to approve a venue for the opposition's pre-announced programme.

The party's Standing Committee member Tariqul Islam announced the opposition decision at a press briefing on Saturday. He said that they have not yet got permission for a venue and use microphones for the rally from the police and other relevant authorities.

"We'd like to request the government to grant permission for the rally promptly," he said adding "otherwise, we are determined to hold the Jun 11 rally in front of our party headquarters at Naya Paltan."

Earlier from a Mar 12 rally in Dhaka, the BNP chief Khaleda Zia had given the government a 90-day ultimatum to restore the caretaker government system, which the Awami League-led coalition government annulled through the 15th amendment of the Constitution last year.

BNP chief had warned of announcing 'tougher agitation programmes from a rally in the capital on Jun 11 if her party's demands were not met by Jun 10.

The BNP chief is expected to announce fresh agitation programmes from Monday's rally. Khaleda had already held meetings with leaders of the 18-Party Alliance on Thursday and discussed the issue.

The BNP-led alliance had sought permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on May 24 to hold the rally either at Paltan Grounds or Manik Mia Avenue or in front of the BNP headquarters at the Naya Paltan in the city.

The Jatiya Krira Parishad has already said that no rally can be held at the Paltan Grounds. There were no words regarding the other two venues the BNP has applied for.

Tariqul Islam, a former minister during the BNP-led government, on Saturday alleged that a delegation of the party, comprising of the Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament Zainul Abdin Farroque, MPs Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee and Abul Khair Bhuiyan, and Dhaka Metropolitan BNP unit Member Secretary Abdus Salam, could not meet the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner though they had waited for long on Thursday and Saturday.

"The officials there did not show least courtesy to the BNP delegation which is regrettable," he said.

The BNP leader alleged that the government was trying to thwart the rally. "BNP's rally will take place on Monday no matter whatever the obstacle is," Tariqul said.

He added that if there were any attempts to thwart the rally, the government would have to take the responsibility for 'unpleasant incidents'.

Tariqul also came down hard on police for not yet permitting to use microphones for the rally. He hoped that the number of people taking part in Monday's rally would be greater than the Mar 12 rally.

Terming Justice A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury an 'arrogant' man, senior jurist Barrister Rafique-ul Huq has said that 'Khoda' (God) has sent the High Court judge to trial.

"None can escape Khoda's justice, or else why our Justice Manik (Justice Chowdhury's nickname) is facing danger?" Huq told a programme in Dhaka on Saturday.

"Justice Manik drove steam roller over all of us. He was too arrogant. Khoda doesn't like an arrogant, swollen-headed man," he added.

Ruling MPs have been demanding removal of Justice Chowdhury since he censured parliament Speaker Abdul Hamid for his remarks criticising a verdict on the ownership of a piece of land. The speaker, however, is yet to react over the issue.

"The judiciary and the parliament are in a dispute over the issue," Rafique said and suggested settling the issue at the earliest. "Don't let it be an issue among the masses and in the media."

"So many appointments [of judges] in past few years have been politically influenced. It is difficult to get honest judgment from them. Such problems will end if qualified people are appointed," he said.

"Judges will have to grow beyond partisanship," he observed at the programme organised by the Reporters' Mukto Chinta Forum.

Barrister Rafique is the convenor of a citizen's rights organization, Nagarik Andolan. He has been in focus for his political comments on political issues.

Even though the senior 18-Party Alliance leaders including BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had secured bail in an arson attack case, chances of their release have remained uncertain as a chargesheet in a bomb explosion case has been submitted.

The Public Prosecutor involving the case has already sought a decision from a court to produce the alliance leaders in the Secretariat bomb explosion case. They will have to wait for their release until a decision regarding the petition comes.

BNP says the government has resorted to the tactic of "production warrant" to delay the release of the leaders despite securing bail from the High Court.

Production warrant is an order issued by a trial court to produce a person before the court in connection with criminal proceedings pending against the accused.

The new twist has come amid concerns that the country's politics could become more confrontational in the coming weeks as the government has refused to a June-10 deadline for restoring the caretaker government system.

BNP Chairperson Kahleda Zia is expected to announce fresh protest programmes from a rally planned for Monday in front of the party's Naya Paltan headquarters.

The defendants' lawyers have said they will move the court on Sunday to withdraw the petition filed by the Public Prosecutor.

A lawyer of the alliance leaders, Zoynal Abedin Mesbah, told bdnews24.com that he along with senior lawyers will go to the Dhaka Senior Special Tribunal and will seek an order to withdraw the petition seeking warrant to produce the accused in the court.

The lawyers representing the state, however, said the accused would have to file fresh bail prayers as their bail duration in the bomb explosion case has expired. They will have to stay behind bars if they fail to secure bail afresh.

Mesbah also said the accused would not get freedom until the petition is withdrawn.

A lawyer representing the state at a trial court, Abdullah Abu, told bdnews24.com that the alliance leaders had secured bail in the Secretariat bomb explosion case filed at Shahbagh Police Station until police submitted chargesheet in the case.

"They (alliance leaders) will have to seek bail anew as the chargesheet has been submitted," he said.

A High Court bench of Justices Salma Masud Chowdhury and F R M Nazmul Ahsan granted bail on Thursday to 30 leaders of the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance in a vehicle torching case during an opposition-sponsored countrywide shutdown on Apr 29.

Meanwhile, the Investigation Officer of the Secretariat bomb explosion case submitted chargesheet on May 31 against 29 leaders of the opposition alliance. A hearing is scheduled to take place on July 26.

On Apr 29, during the opposition-sponsored countrywide shutdown protesting against the 'forced disappearance' of one of BNP's Organising Secretaries, two crude bombs were hurled at the Secretariat and a vehicle was torched near the Prime Minister's Office.

Police filed two cases with Shahbagh and Tejgaon police over the incidents accusing 29 leaders of the alliance for the bomb explosion and 45 for the arson attack incident.

Ilias Ali, also the Sylhet unit BNP chief, has been missing since Apr 17.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has given 'verbal permission' allowing BNP to install a stage and hold Monday's rally in front of the party headquarters at Naya Paltan.

"Though belated, we have finally got verbal permission for Monday's rally and building the stage," the opposition Chief Whip in Parliament Zainul Abdin Farroque told reporters after a meeting with DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed on Sunday.

Farroque said the DMP Commissioner had assured them that a copy of the written permission would be sent to the BNP office within an hour.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia is expected to announce fresh agitation programmes from Monday's rally after a deadline for restoring the caretaker government system expired on Sunday.

"We sought police assistance to hold our rally peacefully," he said.

He vowed to make the rally a success.

A four-member BNP delegation, led by Farroque, joined the hour-long meeting at the DMP headquarters.

The other members of the delegation were BNP lawmakers Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, Abul Khair Bhuiyan and Dhaka Metropolitan Unit Member Secretary Abdus Salam.

Farroque said they would begin installing the rally stage opposite to the BNP headquarters by Sunday noon.

On whether the rally permission had any conditions attached to it, he said, "We have been told anything like that."

"We also gave no condition."

The 18-Party Alliance rally is scheduled to commence at 2pm on Monday.

The key index of Dhaka Stock Exchange posted a 43.11 points gain around an hour into trading on the week's fourth business day on Wednesday.

The DGEN reached 4785.04 points or 0.91 percent higher around 11:25am.

Shares and mutual funds worth around Tk 618.30 million changed hands so far with prices of 178 issues advancing, 15 declining and 14 remaining unchanged.

The index reached its peak at 4787.24 points around 45 minutes into the day's trading.

The DGEN closed at 4741.93 points or 1.41 percent up on Tuesday with a turnover of around Tk 1.96 billion which was around Tk 1.31 billion less than Monday's.

The DSE ended Monday's trading around 179 points down while it gained around 121 points at the opening of the week's trading.

The key index lost 63.59 points or 1.33 percent during last week's trading with a daily average turnover of around Tk 1.93 billion which was around Tk 1 billion less than the week before.

The ruling alliance MPs have asked the Chief Justice to remove Justice A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury in three days for his comment against the Speaker or they have threatened to revive the constitutional provision to impeach judges.

Hours after Justice Chowdhury commented during court proceedings that the Speaker has 'committed a crime similar to sedition' by criticising a verdict of the High Court, the ruling alliance MPs blasted the judge in the parliament and asked the Chief Justice to constitute judicial council for his removal.

Minister without portfolio Suranjit Sengupta, while speaking in the parliament on Tuesday, gave three days to remove Justice Chowdhury.

"Otherwise, the Section 96 of the 1972 Constitution will be revived," he said.

The Parliament had the power to impeach judges following the Section 96 of the 1972 Constitution. Military ruler Ziaur Rahman amended the provision and vested the power to the Supreme Judicial Council. The President can ask the Chief Justice to constitute the Supreme Judicial Council, according to the Constitution.
On Tuesday's session the Workers Party MP Rashed Khan Menon raised the issue of Justice Chowdhury despite reservation of the Deputy Speaker, who was on the chair.

Then Suranjit, Tofail Ahmed and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim of Awami League, Mayeen Uddin Khan Badal of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Mujibul Haque of Jatiya Party spoke on the issue and bitterly criticized Justice Chowdhury for his comment.

Other MPs, who were present in the House, were encouraging the speakers by thumping their tables when they were criticizing Justice Chowdhury or was mentioning the word 'impeach'.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was in the House when the issue was raised, but she left as soon as the MPs started speaking on the issue.
Suranjit said, "I am drawing attention of the Chief Justice and I will say that he (Justice Chowdhury) has violated the Constitution. What was discussed in the Parliament that cannot judged. He has violated the Constitution by doing that. He cannot remain a justice anymore."

He urged the President Zillur Rahman and the Chief Justice Mohammad Muzammel Hossain to form Supreme Judicial Council to remove Justice Chowdhury.

"We'll wait for three days. We'll see whether the Chief Justice forms any Supreme Judicial Council. If he doesn't, we'll revive our right to save the sovereignty of parliament," Suranjit said.

"He who violates the Constitution should not be on that chair," he said.

"We have abandoned the right to impeach. But we can bring it back in five minutes," he added.

Tofail termed Justice Chowdhury 'sadist'. "He likes to insult others."

Calling Justice Chowdhury by his nickname 'Manik' Tofail said, "He is a lucky guy. Abdul Matin Khasru made him justice when he was the law minister. BNP did not confirm him. We confirmed him as High Court judge after we came to power this time."

"There is another one...Manzill Murshid. It seems that he has no other job to do. He reads newspapers, goes to Manik and gets rules issued," he said.

"He (Justice Chowdhury) punished a traffic police personnel by ordering him to perform sit-ups for not saluting him. This judge wanted a seat in the business class though he bought a third-class ticket," he added.

Earlier on the day, lawyer Manzill Murshid drew Justice Chowdhury's attention to newspaper reports on remarks of the Speaker when the court was dealing the petition of handing over a land occupied by the Sarak Bhaban under Communications Ministry.

The Speaker last week in Parliament criticised a High Court verdict over the ownership the land. In the verdict, the court ordered the Roads and Highways Department on May 29 to hand over the land to the Supreme Court, which the court said the original owner of the land.

Speaker Abdul Hamid then urged the court to reconsider the verdict and said people would stand against the judiciary if they get agitated with court verdict.

Criticising the Speaker, Justice Chowdhury on Tuesday said Hamid has instigated people against the Supreme Court and the government, which 'is a crime similar to sedition'.

Tuesday's discussion in Parliament on the issue started when Workers' Party MP Menon drew Deputy Speaker's attention on point of order. The Deputy Speaker, however, seemed unwilling to allow any discussion. "Nothing serious happened in Parliament so that you can raise point of order. The discussion can be held tomorrow," he said.

Menon said, "The Speaker did not ask anyone to stand against the court. He spoke about coordination among the administration, judiciary and parliament. So, such attitude towards the Speaker cannot be accepted."

The MPs shouted that they wanted to have a discussion.

Awami League MP Sheikh Selim said parliament should pass a motion seeking apology from Justice Chowdhury.

The Deputy Speaker said he would prefer a discussion on Wednesday as he knew nothing about the issue.

"There are news reports in the internet. We have copies. We are sending those to you," Selim replied.

JaSad MP Badal said, "Such signs were seen during the Pakistan period. It's a bad sign...when the government is trying to make everything right, they are being obstructed."

Jatiya Party's Mujibul said Justice Chowdhury had become a judge 'at the mercy' of the Awami League government. "He is mentally ill. He has no authority to go to court," he said.

He also demanded revival of the Section 96 of the 1972 Constitution to ensure accountability of the judges.

At the end of the discussion, Deputy Speaker Shawakat Ali said, "We'll take decision after talking with the Speaker."

The Finance Minister A M A Muhith is expected to place Tk 1.9 trillion budget in the parliament on Thursday prioritising power, roads and physical infrastructure for the next financial year.

Insiders say that a meeting with the Prime Minister on May 11 finalised the budget framework for the next fiscal with a deficit of five percent of the GDP. Finance Minister, Finance Ministry and National Board of Revenue officials involved with the budget process were present at the meeting.

Those familiar with the details say that the 2012-13 budget will look towards 'infusing dynamism into rural development, human resource development and a stronger welfare system' on the back of a Tk 550 billion annual development plan.

Non-development expenditure will be over Tk 350 billion.

Local government, power, primary education, health and family welfare will receive most of the development funds. These are also among the top five ministries in terms of total budgetary outlay, according to sources.

However, defence ministry will get highest allocation if development and non-development outlays together taken into consideration. Defence is expected to receive Tk 120.88 billion for the next fiscal.

According to sources involved with the budget process, subsidies on petroleum, power and agriculture will rack up the total figure to Tk 345.33 billion almost 20 percent of the total outlay. Development expenditures on the other hand will be almost a third of the outlay.

Just about three-fourths of the budgetary outlay will be financed through the government's revenues. Tax collection worth Tk 1.12 trillion will account for 80 percent of the total revenues next year.

Bank borrowing amounting to Tk 201 billion will cover almost 40 percent of the half trillion taka deficit. The remainder will be made up through foreign aid and other sources.

The finance minister will be targeting an inflation of 7.5 percent although it apparently spun out of control this year.

When considering individual ministries, energy and mineral resources, and industries will see their allocation almost double. Primary and mass education funds will increase by about 40 percent, roads by 33 percent, and rail and waterways will increase by about 25 percent each.

GDP

The Finance Minister in the coming budget is targeting a 7.2 percent GDP growth for the next fiscal. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) based on economic indicators of nine months (July-March) predicting GDP growth for the current year at 6.32 percent.

Digital budget

A media statement of the government said on Tuesday that the finance minister will place the budget using digital tools. All the budget documents will be released on the website after it is placed in the parliament.

The budget related information will be available on www.bangladesh.gov.bd, www.nbr-bd.org, www.plancomm.gov.bd, www.imed.gov.bd, www.bdpressinform.org, www.pmo.gov.bd,

Recruiting agency owner Sayeeduz Zaman Bachchu who confessed to killing a teenage girl in the city’s Hatirpool area was taken on a four-day remand on Sunday.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim passed the order after Detective Branch of police produced him before his court seeking a 10-day remand for questioning him.
Police recovered the body of a teenage girl sliced into 26 pieces from a multi-storey commercial building in the city’s Hatirpool area on Saturday.
Local people first found a leg of the female body at a narrow passage outside ‘Nahar Plaza’ and informed Shahbagh police.
Police reached the spot around 11:30 am and conducted simultaneous searches inside the building and its surrounding areas to recover the remaining parts of the remaining body up to 1:30 pm.Detectives picked up six people, including Bachchu, on Saturday following the recovery of the dismembered body of Rumi, 15, daughter of Saddam Fakir of Gazipur Kazipara village in Alfadanga upazila of Faridpur district.
During interrogation, Bachchu, 28, owner of Sonali Travels located on the 13th floor of the commercial building, told police that he got introduced with Rumi over mobile phone two and a half years back.
He brought the girl to his office from Mirpur-10 at about 6 pm on Friday and had sex with her there.
Later, he strangulated Rumi to death at night thinking that he would be in trouble if outsiders come to know about her presence in his office, a police officer quoted Bachchu as saying.
Later, Bachchu sliced the body into at least 26 pieces, detached flesh from the bones and threw those in different areas.

The head coach of Bangladesh Cricket team Richard Pybus is looking forward to perform better in the upcoming tri-nation T20 tournament in Zimbabwe through building a strong team work as well as a good relationship among the players.
Addressing the first press conference at the Media Centre of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Monday, the newly appointed head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team Pybus said, “We are looking for additional talents identification that helps the team to play well”.
The new Bangladesh coach joined the Tigers on Monday and vowed to take the challenge of the tri-nation T20 tournament beginning on June 18 in Zimbabwe as his first assignment.
The 47-year-old Englishman gave his first appearance before the media here today.
Replying to a query regarding non-playing of test match by the Tigers for the last four months, Pybus said, it will not be too difficult to set with the pace and we can hope for better.
Pybus said he had been in Pakistan and experienced with the sub-continent weather; in addition, he had been experienced with the South African multi-cultural weather, both will help him to adjust with weather as well as the team.
AHM Mustafa Kamal MP, president of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Mr. Nizamuddin Chowdhury, BCB’s acting chief executive officer (CEO), were also present at the conference.Mustafa Kamal said we believe that the glorious career of new coach will take forward the teams’ performance.
Asked by journalists BCB’s President said Pybus will have complete freedom within his working arena; the board will provide him all-out support and never hinder to gain his objectives, strategic plans and goals related to the team.
Pybus was appointed Bangladesh head coach for a two-year term on May 30, in place of Australian Stuart Law who resigned in last April.
He will be Bangladesh’s third coach in a year as Law had been in the post for only nine months after succeeding another Australian Jamie Siddons in July last year.
Pybus hasn’t been in charge of an international side since 2003 but had flown to Bangladesh earlier last month to appear in interview for the post.
He arrived in Dhaka on May 10 and spent the subsequent day holding meetings with BCB president AHM Mustafa Kamal as well as some of the board directors and a handful of national players.
Pybus, who took up coaching in his mid-twenties, was appointed Pakistan coach for their 1999 World Cup campaign before returning to the South African provincial side. He coached Pakistan again until the 2003 World Cup and had stints with Titans and Cape Cobras (South Africa), and Middlesex. He was with Cobras until March 2012 and was also linked to the South Africa job last year.

Five sustained burn injuries as a fire broke out at Ghorasal thermal power plant Monday suspending power generation in no-1 unit of the power plant.
Official sources said the fire originated from a generator circuit-breaker  at about 11 am when repair work was going on at unit 2 of the power plant.
The injured were-foreman Abdul Ahad, electricians Raja Miah, Al Amin, Babu Miah and Amin .They were first rushed to the clinic of the power plant and then shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated. Condition of Abdul Ahad and Amin was stated to be critical.
Fire fighters of the power plant and a unit of Polash fire brigade extinguished the fire within 30 minutes.
Power generation at 55 megawatt no-1 unit of the power plant was suspended due to the fire incident.

The High Court on Monday asked the government why making public servants officers on special duty (OSD) without any specific reason and time limit should not be declared unlawful.

The bench of Justices Mirza Hussain Haider and Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarker issued the rule asking the Public Administration Secretary to respond within eight weeks.

The court issued the rule following a writ petition filed by former Secretary Asaf-ud-Daula.

It also ordered the Secretary to explain why the Public Administration Ministry should not make specific guidelines on OSD. He will also have to submit a report with a list of the officials of the ministry made OSD in past 10 years and the expenses the government had to bear for them.

The petitioner's lawyer Anik R Haque told the court that only the Public Administration Ministry has as many as 591 officials as OSD. Of them, three are Secretaries, 37 Additional Secretaries, 146 Joint Secretaries, 170 Deputy Secretaries, 190 Senior Assistant Secretaries and 45 Assistant Secretaries, according to him.

"These officials are paid Tk 15.031 million in basic salary every month. They are being paid from the taxes people pay," he said at the hearing.

In many cases, he added, skills of these officials were not used properly as they are made OSD.

He also said a circular issued in 1991 had explained that reasons behind OSD. "There has been no specific reason to make OSD 90 percent of those who are OSD now," he added.

OSD are usually political victims with having no work to do with either in the policy making or the implementation process of the government.

Sending officers on special duty is seen as a punishment because the government of the day feels no need to have them, mostly for political reason.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have caught a member of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on chargesof intruding into Bangladesh through Meherpur border.

BGB's Mirpur sector Assistant Commandant and 29 Battalion's Commander Maj Zahid said the trooper was arrested from Bajitpur on Monday afternoon.

He has been identified as Satya Paul Singh, a soldier from Shahpur camp under 119 Battalion of BSF.

BGB Bajitpur camp Commander Subedar Jalal Uddin said Satya intruded into Bangladesh while chasing a cattle trader.

As Satya crossed the border and came close to BGB's Bajitpur camp, he was detained, he added.

Maj Zahid told reporters that BSF 119 Battalion has been informed about the matter and the BSF member would be handed over to India at a flag meeting.