Sunday Bangladesh News

Lighter ship workers continue strike in Chittagong Staff Correspondent . Chittagong
The lighter ship workers continued to abstain from working on Saturday, thus suspending cargo transportation to and from Chittagong for the second day, to press home their demand for higher wages. The work abstention of the workers has also forced nine mother vessels in the Outer Anchorage of the Chittagong Port to wait idly, disrupting port activities severely, said sources. Port sources said four of the mother-vessels were waiting with imported food grains, four with cement clinker and one with fertilizer, all of which need immediate unloading for the sake of the national economy. The Lighterage Workers’ Union started the work abstention programme on Friday as per its prior announcement, especially after the workers’ demands remained unfulfilled even after several demonstrations. The workers staged sit-in programmes in front of the office of the Water Transport Coordination Cell in Agrabad on July 5 and 6, and also formed a human chain in Patenga to underscore their demands. Mohammed Isha, president of the Lighterage Workers Union, said their wages were not increased in the past four years even though the prices of essential commodities soared beyond their reach, and even though freight charges were increased several times. Sources said nearly 800 lighter vessels were engaged in carrying goods to and from Chittagong and loading and off-loading the mother vessels at the Outer Anchorage. The Water Transport Coordination Cell was holding a meeting with the leaders of the Lighterage Workers Union and Chittagong Port Lighterage Contractors Association in an effort to end the deadlock till the filing of this report in the afternoon.
Govt mulls all-party dialogue to wrap up series: adviser Staff Correspondent
The interim government is weighing the idea of convening an all-party dialogue to wrap up major recommendations extracted from the on-going talks with the political parties and civic groups to seal a final approval of the agreed issues. ‘At one point of the current bilateral discussions [with the parties], the government may call such an [all-party] dialogue, but its modalities must be finalised beforehand’, the commerce and education adviser, Hossain Zillur Rahman, told newsmen on Saturday after talks with Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan which proposed the idea of an all-party meeting in order to reach a consensus on major national issues. Addressing a joint-press briefing at the Chief Adviser’s Office after the 22nd meeting of the series of dialogues with political parties, the adviser said that the government was continuing its efforts to bring the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to the dialogue. A seven-member delegation of the Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, led by party ameer Shah Ahmadullah Ashraf, joined the dialogue with a panel of advisers headed by chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed at the latter’s office in Tejgaon. The party placed a 30-point proposal including introduction of Shariah law in every sphere of life. The party also proposed amendment to the constitution inserting ‘Allah is Almighty’ and elevating the status of the Khatib of the Baitul Mukarram national mosque to that of the chief justice. The party also wanted measures so that a woman could not assume top constitutional positions like president and prime minister of the country as, according to the party, Islam did not permit women’s leadership. It also asked the government to arrest rocketing prices of essentials, stop ‘destructive’ political programmes, continue the drives against corruption suspects, relax the state of emergency before the national polls and scrap ‘anti-Islamic’ provisions in the National Women Development Policy 2008. ‘We have also requested the government to take all necessary steps to hold a meaningful national election for smooth transition to democracy’, said Zafar Ullah Khan, the general secretary of the party. He said his party wanted a return to the presidential form of government. The commerce adviser said that Khelafat Andolan had emphasised selection of honest and competent candidates for elections to bring about qualitative changes in politics. The party also proposed that an all-party dialogue should be called to wrap up the suggestions made by the parties in the dialogues and to prepare a document for final approval on the agreed issues, said the adviser. He said that the party had also suggested that issues like enactment of laws to ban hartals and strikes and formation of a constitution commission could be discussed at the proposed all-party meeting. When asked how the government viewed the proposal for an all-party dialogue, the commerce adviser said that the government at one point of the on-going bilateral talks might call an all-party meeting. Asked if there had been any progress in the efforts to bring the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to the dialogue, Hossain Zillur said that many quarters were continuing the efforts. The government is pursuing its principle to involve everyone in the process, he said. On the second round of meeting with the Awami League, the adviser said that the party had said it would let the government know when it wanted to sit [for the next meeting]. The commerce adviser said that the government was trying its best to contain commodity prices. He referred to a number of budgetary measures in the social sector to help the poor cope with the situation. ‘We are trying to intervene so that there is no…manipulation of the market’, said the adviser adding that the recent oil price adjustment had a great impact on commodity prices.
TRANSIT TO INDIAWe won’t agree any deal contrary to sovereign interest: Iftekhar Staff Correspondent
The foreign affairs adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, on Saturday announced an ‘unequivocal and firm’ stance on the issue of transit to India, saying the foreign ministry would never ever agree any arrangement which is contrary to Bangladesh’s sovereign national interest. Referring to media reports on transit to India, he said, ‘I wish to announce unequivocally and firmly that the ministry of foreign affairs will never, under any circumstances, agree any arrangement that is contrary to our sovereign national interest.’ Iftekhar said, ‘We are prepared to negotiate with any country on any subject, but no solution can ever be imposed on us without our consent. This is an axiomatic truth of our diplomacy.’ ‘I wish to apprise all concerned of this in the clearest terms and reassure the nation in this respect,’ he said. After a meeting with the foreign adviser on Thursday, the Indian high commissioner, Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarty, was asked whether the transit issue would come up at the Bangladesh-India foreign secretary talks, scheduled to be held in New Delhi. Pinak said India was discussing the matter at all the forums as it is interested in transit. He said, ‘We believe it is purely an economic issue, not a political issue at all. But here it is made a political issue although I do not see any reason for that.’ Pinak, however, dismissed that India had set any timeframe to get the transit facility from Bangladesh.
BNP won’t accept conditions for joining dialogue Staff Correspondent
The BNP secretary general, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, on Saturday said his party was still willing to contest the elections if Khaleda Zia and other political leaders were released but reiterated that the party would not accept any conditions for joining the on-going dialogues. Delwar denied there was any communication or contacts between the BNP and the government and said that if the interim administration wanted to hold a free and fair election, political leaders, including Khaleda Zia, must be released and that ‘there is no alternative to it’. He also claimed that his party would go by the four-party alliance’s decision not to contest the local government polls and would not field candidates. ‘If anyone of us contests the polls, he will do it on his own and the party and the alliance will take action against them at a right time’, he said. Delwar was talking to a group of party activists from Narsingdi at his Sher-e-Bangla Nagar flat when the former general secretary of Biplabi Chhatra Union, Abdul Mannan Khan, a student leader during the 1969 mass upsurge, joined the BNP. Mannan Khan’s joining the BNP is seen as a measure to fill the gap created by the expulsion of the party secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in Narsingdi. Leaders of the district unit BNP, former lawmakers and leaders of its front organisations attended the programme. Maniruzzman, brother of 1969 martyr Asaduzzaman, party joint-secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan, acting office secretary Rizvi Ahmed, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Habibunnabi Khan Sohel and Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Jewel were present on the occasion. The BNP secretary general also expressed resentment that the government had not yet responded to the party’s call for sending Khaleda Zia’s sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman abroad for better treatment. ‘I think they [government] are not serious about the matter because of their bias against us though it was expected that all should be given equal chances for medical treatment’, he said. Responding to a question regarding the remarks of the party chief’s adviser ASM Hannan Shah that the decision to boycott polls was not taken at the party forum, Delwar said that making such comments was nothing new for him [Hannan]. Delwar accused the government of trying to implement ‘blueprint’ to give away oil, gas and other resources to foreigners.
Iran says talk of US attack ‘craziness’ Agence France-Presse . Tehran
Iran on Saturday dismissed speculation that it risked being attacked by the United States over its contested nuclear drive, saying that a military strike would be ‘craziness.’ ‘Any aggression or military action against Iran is an idiocy whose repercussions would hurt all,’ government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters. ‘I don’t think that such craziness and nonsense will prevail or is do-able militarily,’ he added. Iran has repeatedly vowed a crushing response to any aggression against its soil and an aide to the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Saturday that Iran would target US bases and Israel if it is attacked. ‘If America and Israel shoot any bullets and missiles against our country, Iranian armed forces will target the heart of Israel and 32 US bases in the region before the dust from this attack has settled,’ the Fars news agency quoted Mojtaba Zolnoor as saying. The United States and its top regional ally Israel have never ruled out attacking Iran over its nuclear drive, which the West fears could be aimed at making nuclear weapons. There has been concern an attack against Iran could be imminent after it emerged Israel had carried out manoeuvres in Greece that were effectively practice runs for a potential strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. Tensions over the nuclear standoff have surged again in recent days after Iran test-fired a broadside of missiles – including one it says brings Israel within range – in war games that provoked international concern. The Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, has also warned that if the United States or its regional ally Israel attack Iran, ‘then our response to them will be harsh and devastating.’ On Wednesday, Tehran said it test-fired its Shahab-3 missile – the longest-range weapon in its arsenal – and eight other missiles, adding it fired more missiles on Thursday in land manoeuvres at night and naval war games by day. Mottaki described the missile firing as a show of ‘Iran’s capabilities and ability in the military field.’ Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts aimed at solving the five-year nuclear standoff have also continued. World powers last month presented Iran with a package aimed at ending the nuclear crisis by offering Tehran technological incentives in exchange for suspending its sensitive uranium enrichment programme. Iran has proposed its own package – a more all embracing attempt to solve the problems of the world including the nuclear standoff – and has made much of the common ground between the two proposals. Iran’s nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili is to meet the EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, – who leads the talks on behalf of world powers – in Geneva on July 19 in their latest effort to break the deadlock, Iranian officials said. Elham again insisted that Iran would not give up enriching uranium, saying ‘no issue depriving our people of their rights can be debated. We will never accept any preconditions for negotiations.’ Western powers fear Tehran could use the process to make a nuclear weapon but Iran rejects the accusations insisting its nuclear programme is aimed solely at generating energy for a growing population. Indeed, Elham said it was the world powers who had changed their position and implied he believed they had dropped their demand for a suspension. ‘They themselves have retreated from their positions and became aware that such a request (for suspension) is an illogical one. Thus they have taken a rational move,’ he said. ‘The US position is showing that they are taking a logical path,’ he added, without giving further details. However, the offer handed to Iran by Solana last month makes it clear that Iran must suspend enrichment for full negotiations on the incentives package to begin. Iran has already responded to the offer in a document that has yet to be published but has been described by Solana as a ‘complicated and difficult letter that must be thoroughly analysed’.
No need for special drive before national polls, says Matin United News of Bangladesh . Chittagong
The home affairs adviser, MA Matin, has said the law and order situation is under control even though it has deteriorated a little bit. ‘I think that there is no need of conducting special drive before the national elections. Regular drives to arrest the listed criminals would continue as a routine work. Each criminal, no matter who is, wouldn’t be spared,’ he said. His remarks came while talking to the media after a closed door meeting on law and order situation with high officials of police and district administration at the Circuit House in Chittagong on Saturday. About the strike by river transport workers, he said the government was trying to solve the problem. Replying to a question about the release of the detained BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her two sons, Matin said the government was considering the issue and the home ministry had nothing to do with it right now. MA Matin said deputy commissioners and police supers were given directives to maintain law and order so that the ensuing local elections could be held peacefully. DIG (Chittagong division) AKM Shahidul Haq, metropolitan police commissioner M Akbar Ali and deputy commissioners and police supers of 11 districts of the division attended the meeting.
Two killed in ‘crossfire’ in Comilla, Jhenidah Our Correspondents . Comilla and Jhenaidah
Two alleged criminals were killed in separate incidents of ‘crossfire’ in Comilla and Jhenidah on Saturday and Friday respectively. Our correspondent from Comilla reports: An alleged criminal was killed in an encounter with the Rapid Action Battalion in Chandina upazila of the district early Saturday. The deceased was Ali Ahmed alias Oli Dacat,35, son of Abdur Rahim of Mohonpur-Nolpuripara of the upazila. The RAB sources said, on secret information, a team of the battalion raided Madaia village of Chandina upazila at about 4:30 am when Ali Ahmed and his gang were preparing to commit a robbery. As the battalion approached, Ali’s associates opened fire on its members forcing them to fire back triggering a gunfight that continued for 15 minutes. As the shootout ended, the RAB found Ali Ahmed dead. The elite force also recovered a pipe gun, an LG, three bullets, a knife and 7 cartridges from the spot. Ali Ahmed committed various grisly crimes including robbery and extortion in the area for long, the RAB said adding that he was accused in seven criminal cases filed with the Comilla sadar Dakshin police station. Our correspondent from Jhenaidah adds: A suspected criminal was killed in an encounter with the police in Jhenaidah Friday night. The deceased was Bidhan Pramanik, 28, son of Sadhan Pramanik of Paramanandapur village in Moheshpur upazila. The police said, acting on a tip-off, a contingent of the police had raided the Bedepara area of Khalishpur near the bank of the River Kobadak at about 8:30 pm. Sensing presence of the police, Bidhan’s associates started firing on the law enforcers forcing them to retaliate triggering a gunfight in which Bidhan fell dead. The police recovered two local guns, four rounds of bullets and 190 bottles of Phensedyl syrup from the spot. Acting officer-in-charge of the Moheshpur police station, Safiqur Rahman, said, Bidhan was accused in a number of cases including drug trade.
Seven Pak troops killed in ambush Agence France-Presse . Peshawar
Suspected Taliban militants ambushed a Pakistani paramilitary convoy Saturday in a restive northwestern town, killing at least seven soldiers and wounding dozens more, officials said. The convoy was heading to a fort outside Hangu district near the border with Afghanistan when the rebels attacked it with rocket propelled grenades and assault rifles, local police officer Shakirullah Jan said. He did not however confirm the death toll. A senior security official, said seven soldiers were killed and 25 wounded in the attack in the neighbourhood of Zargari, outside Hangu city. Security forces responded by attacking Taliban positions using gunship helicopters and artillery fire in the mountainous region. ‘We have reports three militants were killed and 10 wounded in retaliatory fire,’ the security official said. Hangu district, which has a history of violence between minority Shia and majority Sunni sects, is close to tribal areas bordering Afghanistan where pro-Taliban militants are active. Pakistan’s new government is facing growing unrest just five months after defeating US-backed president Pervez Musharraf’s allies in elections, with Islamist violence on the rise and political fissures opening up. Saturday’s attack on security forces was the latest incident in a bloody week in the country, including several bombings. A suicide attack killed 19 people near a protest marking the anniversary of a bloody government-backed raid on the radical Red Mosque in Islamabad six days ago. Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility officials said they were examining a range of possible culprits, including the mosque’s former students and Taliban militants based near the border with Afghanistan. That bombing was followed the next day by a string of six blasts in Pakistan’s populous southern port city of Karachi, which saw one person killed and 37 injured. Pakistani forces launched an operation two weeks ago against Islamic radicals near the northwestern city of Peshawar but the government has yet to convince its foreign backers it is serious about combating militancy. The government comprises the Pakistan People’s Party of former premier Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in December last year, and the grouping of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Kabul has also put pressure on Islamabad to tackle Taliban rebels based near the border, with a suicide car bomb attack on the Indian embassy in the Afghan capital on Monday leaving 41 dead and around 150 injured. Afghanistan has repeatedly accused Pakistan’s intelligence agencies of supporting the Taliban. Islamabad backed the hardline regime during its 1996-2001 rule but denies any current links to the militia.