REB seeks jolt in power pricesn Aminur Rahman RaselThe Rural Electri cation Board (REB) yesterday echoed four other power dis-tribution companies and recommend-ed a power price hike, in a bid to tackle the losses caused by the lifeline tari for low-tier consumers.

The REB o cials said this on the last day of the three-day long public hear-ing held by the Bangladesh Energy Reg-ulatory Commission (BERC) to decide on a proposed power price hike.

The consumer group who fall under the lowest slab of zero to 75 unit con-sumption have to pay what is known as the lifeline tari .

Brig Gen Moin Uddin, chairman of the REB which supplies power to one crore of the total 1.4 crore consumers in the country, told the Dhaka Tribune that the REB has 85 lakh household

consumers, of whom nine lakh con-sumers use 15 unit (each kilowatt-hour) power on an average and pay Tk90 each per month.

A further 55 lakh household con-sumers of the REB use more than 31 unit on an average a month and pay Tk136, he added.

Marginal increase of tari never a ects this ultra-poor group, as they

consume a very small amount of pow-er. As a result, the REB has to pay about Tk50 as subsidy against every unit con-sumed, Moin said.

The REB chairman said the losses would have been less if the board had more consumers, or if the existing con-sumers had used more units of power than the lowest slab.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

BusinessB1 The government has revised down the revenue target for the current scal year by 8.09% to Tk125,000 crore due to a collection shortfall in the rst seven months.

News5 The ongoing students movement of Jagannath University that entered day 22 yesterday created some dramatic moments.

Nation6 A group of Jubo League and Chhatra League activists attacked Kabirhat police station in Noakhali district yesterday following the arrest of two of their party members.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

7 | BOLTS FROM THE BLUE

Plan to reorganise home ministryPM says it is di cult for the ministry to run so many departments

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina takes the salute at the inaugural ceremony of Police Week 2014 at the Rajarbagh Police Lines of the capital yesterday PMO

n BSS Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yester-day said her government had plans to reorganise the home ministry to allow people to get services easily from the organisations under the ministry, in-cluding the police force.

It is a very di cult job for the home ministry to run so many departments including Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar and VDP, Fire Service and Civil Defence, Jail Police, RAB, Industrial Police, Tourist Police and River Police smoothly, she said.

So we are considering a plan to separate all these departments and ap-point manpower by reorganising the entire home ministry, Hasina added.

The prime minister also said only the separation of the police depart-ment was not enough, rather the whole home ministry would have to be reor-ganised to provide desired services for the people.

She made the comments while ad-dressing an evaluation meeting of the senior police o cials at the Interna-tional Conference Centre of the Prime Ministers O ce on the occasion of the Police Week 2014.

State Minister for Home Asaduzzam-an Khan Kamal, Home Secretary CQK Mushataq Ahmed, Inspector General of Police Hasan Mahmud Khandakar and Additional IGP (admin) Shahidul Haque also spoke on the occasion.

The prime minister said the govern-ment would recruit 50,000 additional workforce for the police to improve law and order. The appointments would be made in phases, she said.

Reiterating her governments tough PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Muhith for an end to contractual appointmentsn Mohosinul KarimFinance Minister AMA Muhith has tak-en a strong position against contractual appointments of retired public serv-ants which are usually given on politi-cal considerations.

The minister recently sent letters to the state minister for public admin-istration, cabinet secretary, principal secretary to the prime minister, public administration secretary and nance secretary requesting them to take nec-essary steps to stop contractual ap-pointments.

The public administration ministry was asked to prepare a guideline on contractual appointments and re- x the age limit for public service. Muhith also called for stopping any new appoint-ments until the guideline was prepared.

The public administration min-istry does not have any such speci c guideline. We are also considering the issues mentioned in the nance min-isters letter. Several initiatives would be taken soon, said Public Adminis-tration Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, con rming that the minis-try had received Muhiths letter.

He also said the state minister had already asked him to initiate a proposal on detail planning of the ministry.

According to ministry o cials, around 160 people, including some secretaries of the civil administration, are now on contractual service. Most of the appointments were given on politi-cal considerations.

In his letter dated March 1, Muhith said the government recently extended

the retirement age for public servants so that it would not be necessary to ap-point any o cial on contract.

However, public servants were still getting appointments on contract, and it was urgent to prepare a guideline to stop that, the letter said. In this situa-tion, the age limit for public servants must be xed again, it added.

Terming avoiding contractual ap-pointments logical, Muhith said: The extension of service period usually hampers other o cials. They become deprived of promotions or postings in

attractive posts. The deprived o cials also face allegations of partisanship.

Admitting the limitation of the gov-ernment on appointing some o cials on contract, the minister said: Some-times, we need to reappoint some of- cials. The public administration min-istry should analyse the exact scenario of the administration, so that they have knowledge about the retirement of public servants in the next six months or more.

Muhith also suggested that the min-istry approved contractual appoint-ments in case of e cient o cials and technical experts, and they might be given contracts in non-cadre special posts. l

Most of the appointments were given on political considerations

Chinese submarines in Bangladesh to help bring stability in the regionn Sheikh Shahariar ZamanChinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jun said procurement of Chinese sub-marines by Bangladesh would help bring stability in the region.

He made the remark at DCAB Talks, an event organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangla-desh (DCAB) at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday.

We help Bangladesh to strengthen its national defence ability in accord-ance with Bangladeshs strategy of defence building. And we also believe this kind of cooperation will make its own contribution to the stability of the regions security, said Li Jun, respond-ing to a question on Indias annoyance reported over procurement of Chinese submarines.

The Chinese ambassador said it would not go against anybody or make situation complicated.

What I want to say there is no need for such a worry about that. I think this kind of cooperation will contribute

PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Correction: Rise in forced disappearanceThe rights body Ain O Salish Kendra sent a clari cation regarding a report titled Rise in forced disappearance published on March 5 on the Dhaka Tribune.

The report was base on statistics provided by the rights group. The ASK in its clari cation said the number of the victims of alleged abduction should have been 30 in place of 41 that the Dhaka Tribune mentioned in its report referring to the data of the Ain O Salish Kendra.

The correction further said due to the incorrect formatting of the table the Ain O Salish Kendra report inadvertent-ly put the gure at 41. The abducted 30 people also include nine dead bodies recovered and the two who were later released. l

Khaleda yet to apply forde-freezing bank accountn Syed Samiul Basher Anik The National Board of Revenue yes-terday said it was yet to defreeze the bank account of BNP Chairperson Be-gum Khaleda Zia as she had not appliedfor it.

NBR said it had de-frozen all the frozen bank accounts, including the ac-count of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as the account holder wanted it to be free. The tax authorities had ordered to freeze bank accounts of many politi-cians and their family members during the tenure of army-backed caretaker administration in 2007-08.

We have de-frozen all the accounts following the letters from the account holders. But Khaleda had not applied

for it, NBR Chairman Golam Hossain told reporters.

She had not applied for the last 16 months in my tenure, he said.

The NBR in August 2007, asked all banks to freeze the accounts of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, her son Arafat Rahman Koko and nine others of her family.

The chairman also said: I have uno cially asked people from govern-ment and opposition if they apply, NBR will take steps to de-freeze their frozen accounts.

People just need to submit an un-o cial letter to the NBR and we will defreeze their accounts accordingly, he said.

PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Desco DPDC WZPDCO PDB REBConsumers/km 151 224 83 69 40Household/kWh/month

249 252 109 139 76

Revenue/km(Tk lakh)

58.29 97.68 12.62 11.24 3.22

Revenue/consumer/year (Tk)

38,602 43,607 15,204 16,289 8,050

News2 DHAKA TRIBUNE Friday, March 7, 2014

New policy in Malaysia to allow tra cking victims n Rabiul IslamThe Malaysian government has an-nounced a new policy that would pave the way for employment of the tra ck-ing victims in Malaysia.

It will also be an opportunity for such victims from Bangladesh, Mantu Kumar Biswas, labour counsellor of Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday. The Malaysian government is yet to in-form us o cially, Biswas said.

The new policy came into force on March 1. The rescued victims who are

no longer under the care and protection of the authorities will be issued special immigration passes on a monthly basis and a temporary employment oppor-tunity, reports Malaysian English daily The Star on its online edition.

Previously, the labour tra cking victims were only allowed to work upon completion of their PO, said Mohamad Khalid, chairman of Council for Anti-Tra cking in Persons and An-ti-Smuggling of Migrants.

The policy requires victims to ful ll certain conditions in order to be eligi-ble for the scheme. l

PMs adviser to visit India n Sheikh Shahariar ZamanJust before Indias election in April, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Inter-national A airs Adviser Gowher Rizvi is set to visit New Delhi next week.

In a separate visit, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque is also going to New Delhi on a return trip of his Indian counterpart Sujatha Singh on March 19 on 24-hour trip.

It is a return trip as the Indian foreign secretary has already visited Dhaka, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq A Karim told the Dhaka Tribune.

Sujatha arrived in Dhaka in Decem-ber on a 24-hour visit for the rst time as the foreign secretary capacity at the invi-tation of Shahidul. She had a one-to-one meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and an hour-long discussion with then Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia. She also met with Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad.

It was the rst visit of the foreign secretary after the government came to power in January, Tariq said. It is not a foreign o ce consultation but they will discuss the future course of action be-tween the two countries, he added. l

Tazreen Fashions MDsbail petition deferredn Md Sanaul Islam TipuA Dhaka court yesterday deferred the hearing of Tazreen Fashions Managing Director Delwar Hossains bail petition and xed March 13 for the hearing in a case led over the devastating re in the factory that killed at least 112 work-ers on November 24, 2012.

Dhaka District and Sessions' Judge Abdul Majid passed the order following a time petition led by defence counsel

ATM Golam Gaus. The lawyer request-ed the court to adjourn the hearing as prime defence counsel Kazi Md Nazi-bullah Hiru had been sick.

On February 25, Delwars counsel ATM Golam Gaus led a petition seek-ing bail for him.

On February 10, Dhakas Chief Ju-dicial Magistrate Md Ismail Hossain rejected the bail petition of Delwar but granted his wife Mahmuda one month conditional bail. l

Body of a youth found after 35 days of abduction n Our Correspondent, NarayanganjPolice found another body of a youth at the rst death anniversary of 17-year old Tanvir Mohammad Twaki from Kamtal area of Bandar upazila in Narayanganj yesterday.

The deceased is Emon, who is a student of class IX at Sonargaon High School. His body was found after 35 days since he went missing.

Police have arrested the victim's cousin and two others for their alleged involvement in the killing.

O cer-in-Charge of Bandar police station Akhtar Morshed said Emon used to reside in Kamtal area. He is the son of Mauritius expatriate Nurul Islam Nura and Ferdousi Begum.

Emon went missing on January 29. After being failed to nd him, Ferdousi led a case with the local police station on February 5.

The case was led accusing Emons uncle Piar Hossain, cousin Sahara Banu, brother-in-law Jasim Uddin another cousin Nur Alam and Masum.

Emons family had a long-term con-

ict centering land dispute against the mentioned accused, said the plainti .

Police arrested Emons cousin Al Amin and his two friends Saidur Rahman and Shahjahan Ali Jibon on Wednesday by tracking their mobile phones.

In interrogation the detainees said they had called Emon and brought him out of home at 8pm on January 29. Al Amin then kidnapped Emon and took him to a poultry farm named "Project Builders Ltd" where the accused killed Emon using lethal weapon. Later, they put the body into a sack and threw it to

the trash area.Police yesterday recovered the body

and sent it to Narayanganj Sadar Hospi-tal for an autopsy.

Ferdousi Begum said Emon had been picked up in front of her from the house. The kidnappers demanded Tk10 lakh as ransom. But they killed Emon after abduction.

She claimed that after ling of the case, police also arrested Piar Hossain and Sahara Banu. After the arrest, the kidnappers did not demand the ran-som money. l

Bikalpadhara asks Khaleda to initiate talksn Mohammad Al-Masum MollaBikalpadhara Bangladesh has urged BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to place a proposal to the government for holding a free, fair and inclusive election imme-diately.

The government formed through the January 5 election is illegal. We have told Khaleda Zia to place a pro-posal to the government to hold elec-tion immediately, Abdul Mannan, the Bikalpadhara secretary general, told journalists last night.

He also said they would not join the BNP-led 19-party alliance but work to-gether regarding the poll.

Party President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury held a meeting with the BNP chief at her Gulshan o ce last

night when the proposal was made. Mahi B Chowdhury, joint secretary

general of Bikalpadhara, told the Dhaka Tribune: We proposed the BNP chair-person to initiate a dialogue process. We requested her to call for a national consensus involving Dr Kamal Hossain, Kader Siddiqui, left-leaning political parties and if needed, you [Khale-da] go to Bangabhaban. I think Mad-am [Khaleda] has taken the proposal positively.

BNPs acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists that they decided to work together to oust the government. We have repeat-edly been talking about dialogue. We want a free election immediately. Both the parties have agreed that this gov-ernment is illegal. l

Former Muslim Leaguer enquires about freedom ghters welfaren Tribune ReportA Jatiya Party lawmaker, who was al-legedly a leader of Convention Muslim League that opposed the War of Inde-pendence in 1971, yesterday asked the liberation war a airs minister in par-liament about the government initia-tives for the betterment of the freedom ghters in his constituency, Trishal.

MA Hannan, who was the convener of Convention Muslim Leagues My-mensingh unit, also asked the minister about the number of freedom ghters in his constituency.

Minister AKM Mozammel Hossain in reply told the House that there were 443 freedom ghters in Trishal. Be-sides this, 50 more freedom ghters from Trishal were detected during the current scal year.

The minister said Sheikh Hasinas government had twice increased the allowances of the freedom ghters to Tk2,000 per month from the previous Tk900. The government had increased the number of freedom ghters bene -ciaries to 1.5 lakh from previous 1 lakh.

In the 2013-14 scal year, the min-

ister said, the number was raised to 2 lakh. He said the monthly allowance was raised to Tk3,000.

From July this year, the allowance would be increased to Tk5,000, Mo-zammel added.

He said the government adopted a project to construct housing projects for the landless freedom ghters at a cost of Tk227.97 crore.

The starred question (which the minister was supposed to read if speak-er allowed) was not tabled for discus-sion as the one-hour scheduled ques-tion-answer session for the minister was over.

Ahead of the 10th parliamentary poll, the freedom ghters and Awami League leaders in Trishal protested the party decision to withdraw party can-didate Reza Ali and extending support to Hannan in line with an agreement with the JaPa that took part in the elec-tion boycotted by the BNP-led alliance.

According to media report, the local leaders observed that the AL, which led the countrys Liberation War, must not compromise with a leader who op-posed the countrys birth. l Job seekers drop CVs at the rst National Career Fair 2014 organised by Career Development Centre at BICC in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Plan to reorganise PAGE 1 COLUMN 1stance against militancy and terror-ism, Hasina called upon all, including Bangladesh Police, to resist militants and terrorists from raising their heads again.

There is no room for terrorists and militants on the soil of Bangladesh and I urge all to remain vigilant against re-emergence of militants and terror-ists, she said.

The premier directed police to dis-charge their duties sincerely and free-ly to establish rule of law and protect democracy, constitution and human rights.

Hasina also asked police personnel to earn the con dence and trust of the people by ensuring their peace and se-curity, and directed them to take stern action against drug addiction, saying that it was taking the countrys youth community to the path of destruction.

The prime minister said members of the police force had earlier tackled the emergence of militancy, contained ex-tremists, as well as probing the Bangab-andhu killing case and important bomb blast cases successfully. You will have to maintain this trend, she said.

Hasina added that the police per-sonnel had been able to contain the rampage and sabotage unleashed by the BNP and Jamaat-Shibir across the country since February last year.

She also said anti-liberation com-munal forces were out to create an unstable situation in the country with the patronage of local and international militant out ts and agencies. l

Khaleda yet PAGE 1 COLUMN 2However, refuting the NBR chairmans statement, Khaleda Zias lawyer advo-cate Ahmed Azam Khan told the Dhaka Tribune that the statement was false and baseless.

We applied for de-freezing the ac-count two years back and constantly reminded the NBR on the update, but whenever we contact them, they inform us that they are waiting for an approval from the nance ministry, he said.

The lawyer also said he had served the application to director general of Central Intelligence Cell of NBR which was later served to NBR chairman and then, it was forwarded to the nance ministry.

Whenever we communicate with the DG of CIC, they said they were yet to get approval from the nance minis-try, he said. l

REB seeks jolt in power prices PAGE 1 COLUMN 5If the government failed to hike pow-er tari s, the REB would su er losses worth Tk645 crore taka, he added.

With only 12 of the 72 Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) currently making pro ts, Moin said: Our Palli Bidyut Samity cannot make pro t as they have small client bases.

He added that supplying power for irrigation caused losses worth Tk0.41 per unit, while last years total loss amounted to Tk250 crore.

We purchase every unit of power for irrigation at a cost of Tk4.26 and sell it for Tk3.85, and we have no other op-tion than to increase the tari rate.

It is a nancial mess. We are paying the debt service liability with our prov-ident fund. At the same time, we fail to increase our tari , the REB chairman added.

Ijaz Hossain, a professor of Bangla-desh University of Engineering and Technology, told the Dhaka Tribune that the REB needed the tari to rise, as it would need more time to x its losses. He also recommended that the government should give direct subsidy to the PBSs.

During the earlier days of the public

hearing, West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd, Power Development Board, Dhaka Power Distribution Com-pany and Dhaka Electric Supply Com-pany Ltd also demanded that the power tari for the lowest slab be hiked, as the companies were also su ering losses from the low-income consumer group.

Meanwhile, the technical evaluation committee of the BERC yesterday rec-ommended raising power tari s at the consumer-level for the REB, which pro-posed raising tari s by 12.58% per unit.

The committee recommended in-creasing the average per unit tari s for REB consumers by 3.48%.

BERC Chairman AR Khan, members Salim Mahmud, Delwar Hossain and Md Maksudul Haque, along with other

stakeholders attended the public hear-ing at the commissions o ce in the capital.

Assuring that the BERC would make its decision soon, AR Khan said: We had public hearings for the last three days and we will not make our consum-ers worried. We will give our judgment very soon.

On the other hand, BERC direc-tor-level sources said the regulators have plans to set the lowest slab at zero to 30 unit, while adjusting the follow-ing slab at 31-200 unit, in order to keep the existing six slabs on the prepaid meters.

Members of some left-leaning par-ties, including Communist Party of Bangladesh and Gana Sanghati An-dolan, also resquested the commission not to increase the tari s and called for decreasing the lowest slab.

A consumer of Gaibandha, Shah Mus qur Rahman, opposed any tar-i hike as it would create discontent among the people and prices of all commodities would increase.

He demanded that minimum charge for electricity should be withdrawn, as it put extra burden on the low-income users. l

Chinese submarines in Bangladesh PAGE 1 COLUMN 1to the regional stability and also to the need of Bangladesh national defence building, he said.

On March 1, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said two submarines would be inducted in Bangladesh Navy by 2015 to build it as a three dimensional force.

She also said the issue of construc-tion of a submarine base was under process. Two new frigates Abu Bakar and Ali Haider procured from China were commissioned on the same day.

According to IHS Janes Defence Weekly, Bangladesh was the second biggest Chinese arms importer with a total amount of over $350 million in 2012.

According to Stockholm Interna-tional Peace Research Institute, Ban-gladesh procured anti-ship missile, tank, ghter aircraft and other arms from China between 2008 and 2012. In the same period it also procured heli-copter from France, MP aircraft from Germany, light helicopter from Italy and APC from Russia.

Meanwhile, the Indian media on dif-ferent occasions published reports that New Delhi was not happy over the pro-

curement and it might create tension in the Bay of Bengal and increase Chinese in uence.

China-India-Bangladesh relationshipWhen asked on the perception that close BangladeshIndia relationship annoys China while strong Dhaka-Bei-jing tie worries New Delhi, Li Jun said relationship between Beijing and New Delhi was developing rapidly.

Citing bilateral trade gures, he said it was now $80 billion and Beijing and New Delhi were negotiating to have exclusive export processing zones for Chinese investors in India.

In the last one year, the prime min-isters of the two countries exchanged visits. So for China-Bangladesh rela-tionship, I dont think issue will devel-op at the cost of Bangladesh-India rela-tionship, he said.

He said even China and India can co-operate in Bangladesh to do something for the countrys development and also for the regional cooperation.

China-US-Bangladesh relationshipThe ambassador said an economically prosperous and politically stable Ban-

gladesh would make the region more stable.

Geographically it is located in a very important place. And also Bangla-desh can make a contribution to the sea route security, he said.

When asked why China congratulat-ed the government formed after Jan-uary 5 election, which it had opposed earlier, Li Jun said the election was held in line with the constitution.

Asked about holding a fresh elec-tion, he said: I think the international community and the foreign countries, they express their wish but I think this is an issue that should be decided by the Bangladeshi people themselves be-cause you know the countrys situation much better than outsiders.

The ambassador said last year the Chinese investment in ow to Bangla-desh was $33 million and the cumula-tive gure was about $1 billion.

China has also provided soft loan of over $1.2 billion for di erent projects and Dhaka submitted 14 projects to Beijing for nancing of about $9 billion.

China is yet to take any decision on the new projects as it was evaluating them, he said. l

REBs proposed power tariff for domestic consumers

Slabs Existing tariff (September

2012)

Pro-posed tariff

0-75 unit 3.36-3.87 3.9576-200 4.05-4.63 5.00201-300 4.18-4.79 5.50301-400 6.88-7.30 7.50401-600 7.18-7.62 8.00600 - above 9.38 9.90

Source: REB

3NewsDHAKA TRIBUNE Friday, March 7, 2014Eviction drive starts at public hospitals300 illegal establishments removed on rst day

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a special drive to evict illegal establishments from inside and around public hospital grounds in the capital.

Yesterday, on the rst day of the drive, around 300 slums, houses, shops and business centres were evict-ed from inside and around four hos-pitals - Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research In-stitute, National Institute of Eye Sci-ence and Hospital and National Insti-tute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR).

The drive started around 10am from Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Ha zur Rahman Khan, senior assistant secretary at the Health Ministry and co-coordinator of the eviction drive, said.

In presence of high o cials of the Health Ministry, Dhaka City Corpora-tion, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and

Magistrate of Dhaka Division Commis-sioner, the drive started upon the di-rection of Health Minister Mohammed Nasim.

Md Fosiullah, chief estate o cer of Dhaka North City Corporation told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the drive would continue next week in the Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital areas.

The drive started as per a decision taken at a meeting of the ministry held at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, State Minister for Home A airs Asa-duzzaman Khan Kamal, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Malek, Dhaka Metropolitan Police chief Benazir Ahmed, Health Secretary MM Niazuddin, Director General of Health Services Professor Din Md Nurul Haque were present at that meeting.

The meeting formed a committee headed by an additional secretary from the administration to lead the eviction drive. l

Cross-examination of Biranganas husband ends n Udisa IslamThe defence of war crimes accused ATM Azharul Islam yesterday ended questioning prosecutions second wit-ness Mostafa Miah who placed his dep-osition on Monday.

In his statement given at the tribunal 1, Mostafa said during the Liberation War, Azhar then a commander of al-Badr, and the Pakistani army had taken her wife to Rangpur Town Hall, a tor-ture cell for women, and tortured and raped her causing a miscarriage.

During the cross-examination, de-fence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder asked Mostafa about his wifes preg-nancy. He suggested that his wife was six months pregnant when she had been con ned. The witness answered in the negative and said she was two months pregnant.

Tarafder said his testimony was false saying that the prosecution made him to say all these. The witness answered: It is not true.

Mostafa was also quizzed about the geographical location of his home. The defence tried to prove that there was no neighbour named Rahman during the war, rather it had been a paddy eld.

Later the defence started grilling the prosecutions third witness, Mok-lesar Rahman Sarker, son of martyr Mamtaz Ali from south Ramnathpur of Badarganj in Rangpur. He testi ed at the tribunal on Wednesday. As Tarafder was sick, he could not question the two witnesses earlier.

The defence started cross examin-ing him after lunch break. Later the tri-bunal adjourned the proceeding until Sunday keeping it un nished.

On the contempt matter regarding New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), the tribunal 1 asked Asaduz-zaman, counsel for the HRW, to submit their reply without any a davit. The HRW counsel earlier pleaded to the tri-bunal that the rights watchdog wanted to submit the reply upon authorisation by its attorney Dinah Pokemner. l

Those disappeared are criminals, now hiding n Tribune Report State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday claimed that those subjected to forced disappearance had actually been hiding as they were listed criminals and hunted by police.

The BNP claims that in the last three months 56 of their leaders and activists became victims to forced dis-appearance. But the police have been hunting them for being listed criminals.

Through analysing video footages, they have been identi ed as responsi-ble for carrying out subversive activ-ities before the national election, he said while addressing a meeting with senior police o cials at the Rajarbagh Police Lines.

Kamal also asked the police to be more tolerable and lawful. He spoke in favour of reformation in the police de-partment.

At the meeting, several senior of- cials cited various problems in the force and demanded additional equip-ment and logistics supports. Dhaka Range Deputy Inspector General of Police SM Mahfuzul Huq Nuruzzaman demanded Armed Police Carriers (APC)

for every district, helicopters, ambu-lance, and prison van, and risk allow-ance for highway police.

Government to investigate Jessore cross re death

The home ministry will further in-vestigate the death of 41-year-old Rajab Ali alias Kala Rajab in cross re in Jes-sore, and take action if the law enforce-ment agency, is found guilty.

The National Human Rights Com-mission has investigated the incident and found that no gun ght had actual-ly taken place. It submitted the report to the home ministry on Monday.

I have received the report and I will investigate the incident further. If the law enforcers are found guilty, they will be brought to the book too since none is above the law, Kamal told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.

I will ask the inspector general of police to investigate the incident through the superintendent of police concerned.

A three-member fact- nding com-mittee led by an NHRC director was formed to investigate the death of Rajab in gun ght between his accomplices and the police early on February 16. l

AL, JaPa, JSD name candidates for JS reserved seats for women n Tribune ReportThe Awami League, Jatiya Party and Jatiya Samajtrantric Dal yesterday an-nounced the names of candidates for the upcoming elections to the 50 par-liamentary seats reserved for women.

The ruling Awami League named 39 candidates, with 20 chosen from the partys district units.

Only six former lawmakers from the last parliament four of whom were MPs from reserved seats, while two others were elected but failed to get party tickets for the January 5 general elections obtained nominations.

The list of candidates was nalised on Wednesday at a meeting of the partys parliamentary board, presided over by AL chief Sheikh Hasina.

The party selected the candidates from among 822 aspirants after con-

sidering their political backgrounds, role in agitation movements and public involvement, a press release signed by Awami League O ce Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap said.

According to the Election Com-missions schedule, elections to the reserved seats will be held on April 3. The deadline for ling nominations is March 9, while the last date for with-drawing nomination is March 18.

Awami League sources said the par-ty would submit the list of candidates to the EC on Sunday.

The AL nominees are: Selina Jahan Lita, Safura Begum Rumi, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, Umme Kulsum Smriti, Ak-ter Jahan, Selina Akter Banu, Laila Ar-juman Banu, Shirin Noyeem Punam, Kamrul Laila Jali, Hepi Baral, Rifat Amin, Nasima Ferdawshi, Lutfunessa, Mamtaj, Tarana Halim, Monwara Be-

gum, Mahjabin Khaled, Fatema Johra Rani, Dilara Mahbub Asma, Fatema Tujjahura, Fajilatun Nessa Indira, Pinu Khan, Sanjida Khanam, Sabina Akter Tuhin, Rahima Akter, Hosne Ara Babli, Kamrun Nahar Chawdhury, Nilufar Za-far Ullah, Rokhana Yasmin, Navana Ak-ter, Asmatul Kibria Keya Chowdhury, Shamsun Nahar, Fajilatun Nessa Bappy, Wasifa Aysha Khan, Jahanara Begum Surma, Shabiha Nahar, Feroja Begum Chinu and Suchitra Tangchangya.

The opposition Jatiya Party nominat-ed six candidates, including party presid-ium member Nur-e-Hasna Lili Chowd-hury, vice-chairmen Mahzabir Morshad, Shahanara Begum, Rawshanara Mannan, Khurshada Haque and Marina Rahman, sister of party chief HM Ershad, JaPa Of- ce Secretary Sultan Mahmud told the Dhaka Tribune.

Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam

Chowdhury also con rmed the names. Sources said opposition leader Raw-shan Ershad nalised the list and it was approved by Ershad. Some 96 aspir-ants, including GM Quaders wife, had sought nominations.

On the other hand, Jatiyo Sama-jtantrik Dal (JSD), led by Hasanul Haq Inu, named Lutfa Taher as their only candidate.

Meanwhile, 35 AL lawmakers from re-served seats in the ninth parliament did not get nominations. Many of the former MPs were not selected this time for their controversial activities, while others were dropped to maintain district quota.

They include the partys Relief & Social Welfare A airs Secretary Fari-dunnahar Laily, Mohila Awami League President Ashrafun Nessa Mosharaf, Jubo Mohila League President Nazma Akhter and Secretary Apu Ukil. l

US Army lauds BD female army o cers for professionalismn Mohammad Al-Masum MollaA visiting delegation of the United States Army yesterday commended the Bangladeshi female army o cials for their motivation, enthusiasm and pro-fessionalism.

Col Jennifer Walker, head of the delegation, said the Bangladeshi fe-male o cers and soldiers had already demonstrated their professionalism in military service.

Jennifer told the Dhaka Tribune: The rst thing that I have been so im-pressed with is how motivated every-one is. They are so enthusiastic. When your country relies on volunteer ser-vice members you have to rely on the factors that they are motivated and en-thusiasticIt is same in the US Army.

The senior US army o cial added: The other thing is the professionalism. They have already demonstrated their professionalism and are looking to con-tinue to develop their professionalism.

Jennifer shared her views with the Dhaka Tribune while attending a two-

day-long seminar titled US Bangla-desh Female O cers and Soldiers Sub-ject Matter Expert Exchange held at Bangladesh Army Headquarters.

In her address, Maj Sifat said the condition of women in Bangladesh was better than that in many other coun-tries across the world.

Though the US Army has around 250 years tradition of female army o cers and is more developed than the Bangladesh Army, they also nd it di cult to manage the family life and service life simultaneously.

However, Maj Nusrat Nur Al Chowd-hury echoed Sifat, saying the big chal-lenge was to keep a harmony between family life and service life.

Capt Jannatul Ferdous said: It is a tough job, but if anyone has determi-nation the challenge can be overcome.

All female o cers of Bangladesh army participated in the two-day-long seminar to address the obstacles they faced dur-ing their service in the armed forces.

O cials of Adjutant Generals Branch said recruitment of female

regular o cers started since 2001 and for the rst time in the countrys mili-tary history some 1,263 female soldiers were recruited.

They added that of the 1,263 female soldiers, 945 were for medical core who would be on training for one year.

Maj Gen Ashraf Abdullah Yussuf, ad-jutant general of the Bangladesh Army, said in his concluding speech that the Bangladesh Army attached due impor-tance to the services of female mem-bers and recognised their contributions to nation building activities.

Considering Bangladesh society, religion and the servicewe can real-ise that inclusion of female o cers and soldiers in the army has been a timely decision and certain. The female intake of ours would increase further, he said.

This seminar was organised with the objectives of changing role of female o cers in military service, identifying their potentiality and the challenges they faced in Bangladesh Army and bringing them to the mainstream military practic-es alongside their male counterparts. l

Army o cers pose for group photo session following a two-day long joint seminar on US and Bangladesh Female O cers & Soldiers Subject Matter Expert Exchange at the Army Headquarters yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Education minister: Competent new generation frontier soldiers against povertyn Tribune ReportEducation minister Nurul Islam Nahid said competent new generation would be the frontier soldiers of war of win-ning against poverty.

We want to become part of global society within 2021 as middle income country and within 2041 as developed country. We have to win against pov-erty, the education minister hoped, according to a press release.

Nahid said these while addressing as the representative of honorable Presi-dent and Chancellor of Da odil Inter-national University at the 4th Convoca-tion of the University at the permanent campus of the university at Ashulia yesterday.

He urged the private universities to keep all the expenses including ad-mission fees and tuition fees student friendly.

Dr Achyuta Samanata, an interna-tionally acknowledged social worker and Founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), KIMS and KIIT University of India attended the convo-cation as the convocation speaker.

The convocation was also addressed by Md. Sabur Khan, chairman, Board of Trustees and Prof M. Lutfar Rahman, vice chancellor of DIU. DIU conferred Honorary D. Lit. (Honoris Causa) on Dr Achyuta Samanata, which happened for the rst time in the history of pri-vate universities of Bangladesh.

In the 4th convocation, a total of 3,252 students were conferred degrees upon graduation and post-graduation and 15 out of them were awarded Gold Medal in di erent categories for best results.

Stressing on the importance of re-search and innovation in knowledge at

university level, the education minis-ter said considering world perspective and technological advancement, in-duction of new subjects, development of course curriculum, and method of teaching should be time be tting and updated.

He congratulated the authority of DIU to hold convocation at its own campus and said action wouldbe taken against those universities

who had not yet established their own campuses.

While delivering convocation ad-dress he said convocation is an annual a air in every university and this day the university look back with pride that it had prepared a batch of its students with all the skill and trainings to work for the society at large.

On this day, the university thrusts upon the young graduates enormous

responsibility, a responsibility which they cannot shrug o .

He also said that there had been rap-id changes in every eld and the world is virtually under the grip of the most powerful economic order. Economic power now determines almost every-thing. With the growth of ICT, the edu-cation scenario is also changing fast. ICT revolution has changed the way world behaves and thinks today. l

News4 DHAKA TRIBUNE Friday, March 7, 2014

City High Low

PRAYER TIMESFajar 5:10am

Sunrise 6:16amJumma 12:10am

Asr 4:25pmMagrib 6:04pm

Esha 7:19pmSource: IslamicFinder.org

WEATHER

Dry weather likelyn UNBWeather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country having chances of light rain or thundershowers at one or two places over Sylhet division until 6pm today.

Day temperature might remain nearly unchanged and night tempera-ture might rise by (1-2) degree Celsius over the country, Met O ce said.

The sun sets in the capital at 6:04pm today and rises at 6:15am tomorrow.

Countrys highest temperature 31.2 degree Celsius was recorded in Ranga-mati and Coxs Bazar and lowest 10.5 degrees in Srimangal yesterday.

Highest and lowest temperatures re-corded in some major cities yesterday were:

Dhaka 29.2 18.0 Chittagong 30.3 17.1Rajshahi 28.3 14.0 Rangpur 26.7 13.2Khulna 29.2 17.3Barisal 29.4 16.2Sylhet 29.8 13.8Coxs Bazar 31.2 20.1

Secretariat blast case hearing deferred n Md Sanaul Islam TipuA Dhaka court yesterday deferred for the seventh time the charge framing hearing of bomb blast case at the Sec-retariat on April 29, 2012.

Dhakas Special Tribunal 5 Judge AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan set June 16 for next hearing upon a time petition by the defence, additional public prosecutor of the court ABM Bashir Uddin Miah said.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 28 others are accused in the case. Several leaders in-cluding Fakhrul, Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Standing Committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Joint Secretary General Amanullah Aman ap-peared before the court yesterday.

On May 14, 2012, the High Court granted anticipatory bail to Fakhrul and 24 others in the case until sub-mission of the charge sheet. After the submission of the charge sheet, they got bail from the trial court on July 26, 2012. l

EC: Voting to be stopped, if violence in third phase upazila pollsn Mohammad ZakariaThe Election Commission warned that it would stop voting immediately, if anyone were to create violence in the upcoming third phase of upazila pari-shad polls scheduled to be held on March 15.

If any violence is created centring the third phase upazila polls, the commission will stop voting on the respective area im-mediately, Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz yesterday told reporters at the EC secretariat in Dhaka.

However, the commissioner said there would be a very little scope for violence to occur as it has given direc-tives to the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police to take stern actions against the violence mongers. The rst and second phase polls were

marked by stray incidents and the com-mission was fully aware of that.

The commission has also asked its eld level o cials to show zero toler-ance to violence, he also said.

When asked about whether the Chief Election Commissioners staying abroad would have any impact on the upcom-ing polls, Newaz said there would be no such impact on the forthcoming polls due to the absence of the CEC. The number of commissioners is immate-rial, he said. What really matter is how the commission performs, he added.

EC o cials said the re-elections of suspended 13 polling centres in the second phase polls would be held on March 10.

The centres are one centres of Tarash upazila in Sirajganj, two centres of Laksham upazila in Comilla, six cen-

tres of Faridganj upazila of Chandpur, one centres of Fakirganj in Bagherhat, two centres of Melandah and one cen-tres bakshiganj upazila in Jamalpur.

EC to hold by-polls of councillor post of ve municipalities

The Election Commission has asked the concerned upazila election o cers to hold by-election of ve councillors post in ve municipalities by March 23.

The commission yesterday issued a letter signed by senior assistant secre-tary Farhad Hossain in this regard.

The by-polls would be held for councilor of No-8 ward in Satkhira municipality, No-7 ward in Fulpur mu-nicipality of Mymensingh, No-7 ward in Parbotipur municipality of Dinajpur, No-2 ward in Kuliarchar municipality of Kishoreganj and No-8 ward in Savar municipality of Dhaka. l

AG: Allegations against Sayedee not newn Nazmus Sakib Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday told the top court that what the prosecution witnesses said about Delawar Hossain Sayedees war crimes in their testimonies at the tribunal had been published in press 12-14 years ago.

So, it is clear that the allegations were not new and the Jamaat-e-Islami leader had committed such crimes in Pirojpur during the 1971 Liberation War, he said.

The top law o cer of the country said according to the media reports, Deilya Razakar of 71 later took the name Delawar Hossain Sayedee which could not be overlooked. The press published such reports on the basis of evidence, he argued.

Mahbubey Alam said these while

placing arguments on the charge of killing Ibrahim Kutti where the Jamaat leader was given death penalty.

Assistant Attorney General Bashir Ahmed assisted Mahbubey Alam while Supreme Court lawyer SM Shahjahan represented Sayedee.

The ve-member Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Md Muzam-mel Hossain would resume the hearing on Sunday on the war crimes appeals case.

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 gave death sentence to Sayedee on February 28 last year. Later, the Ja-maat leader lodged an appeal with the apex for acquittal on March 28 while the government also registered anappeal to specify the punishment in all the six charges that were proved at the tribunal. l

n Abu Bakar SiddiqueCivil society leaders yesterday de-manded that the government immedi-ately cancel eld-level trials of Bt Brin-jals and withdraw the seeds distributed among selected farmers, claiming that the transgenic varieties were produced without taking adequate precaution measures against environment and health hazards.

Abdullah Abu Sayeed, chairman of Bishwa Shahitya Kendro, said the prime minister should reconsider the decision on Bt Brinjal cultivation in the country for the sake of public health.

The PM and her family may end up eating the Brinjals themselves, the writer added.

Speaking at a discussion programme arranged by an anti-Bt Brinjal alliance, the activists also alleged that the gov-ernment had violated the countrys constitution and two international protocols _ the Convention on Biologi-cal Diversity (CBD) and the Cartegena Protocol _ by releasing four genetically modi ed (GM) Brinjal varieties to the farmers.

The article 18 of the constitution states that the government has to pro-tect biodiversity and natural resources. But it failed to follow the guidelines of bio-safety rules and international con-ventions while releasing the varieties, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, executive director of Bangladesh Environmental-ist Lawyers Association (Bela).

According to article 8G of CBD and article 16 of the Cartegena Protocol, a country has to abide by existing laws and rules while introducing any GM crop at the farmers level.

However, the Bangladesh Agricul-ture Research Institute (Bari) released

Bt Brinjal varieties in the country on October 30 without giving any satisfac-tory explanation on the environment and health issues, the environmental-ist said at the programme, held at the Shahitya Kendros auditorium in the capital.

On January 22, Bari distributed seed-lings of four locally-developed Bt Brin-jal varieties _ named Bt Uttara, Bt Kajla, Bt Noyontara and Bt Isd 006 _ among 16 farmers for cultivation on one bigha (1/3 acre) of land each in Gazipur, Ja-malpur, Rangpur and Iswardi.

Rizwana also said the National Com-mittee on Bio-safety, which approved the release of the Bt Brinjals, got very little time to look into the pros and cons of the GM varieties as per di erent bio-safety rules and regulations.

Regarding the cancellation of the decision to release Bt Brinjals, Farida Akhter, executive director of Ubinig, urged the government to stop the eld-level demonstrations immediately as that could spell disaster for the envi-ronment and peoples health.

After experimenting for seven years

from 2006, Bari developed the four types of pest-resistant Bt Brinjal from local varieties by inserting a gene from a common soil bacterium, called Ba-cillus thuringiensis, which acts as a biological pesticide. Bari got techni-cal support from Indias Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), in which the American seed giant Mon-santo had a 26% stake.

Farida said the government should cancel the agreement between Bari and Mahyco as it gives the ownership right of the Bt Brinjals to the Indian company. l

Stop Bt Brinjal trials, activists urge government

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, CEO of BELA, addresses a view-exchange discussion on Open Cultivation Environment for Bt Brinjal and Risk on Human Health at Bishwa Sahitya Kendra in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

CPB observes 66th founding anniversaryn Tribune ReportCommunist party of Bangladesh (CPB) yesterday celebrated its 66th founding anniversary countrywide with di er-ent programmes.

The organisation began its found-ing anniversary observance programme through placing oral wreaths by the party leaders and activists at a tempo-rary stage in front of its party o ce. They stood some moment in silence in remembrance of the martyrs of the party.

A rally organised by party central committee started from the CPBs cen-tral o ce in the capital to mark the oc-casion.

Addressing the rally, its president Mujahidul Islam Selim said the party had faced repressions since its incep-tion and continued its struggles for establishing its ideals without making any compromise.

He said CPB will continue its move-ment for establishing socialism in the country embracing all obstacles.

Awami League and Bangladesh Na-tionalist Party, the two big political par-ties, which ruled the country for over 20 years, failed to ful l the aspirations of common people and remove the na-tional crises, he also observed.

The left leaning political parties, if united, would form a third political force beyond the axis of the two big po-litical parties, Selim said.

The rally was also addressed by party Secretary General Syed Abu Zafar Ahmed, central leader of the party Ah-san Habib Lablu.

The rally was followed by a proces-sion which ended in front of CPBs central o ce after parading thePaltan crossing, Motijheel and National Press Club. l

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid distributes awards at the fourth convocation of Da odil University yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Evening Masters to continue at RUThe VC says students' demand is irrationaln RU CorrespondentRajshahi University authority declared that the evening masters course at the university will be continued as usual despite huge objections and recent pro-tests from the regular students marred by violence in the institution.

While the other public universities of the country have been conducting the evening masters courses continu-ously, we alone cannot stop the trend and it would be continued, Rajshahi University Vice Chancellor Prof Mu-hammad Mizanuddin told newsmen yesterday.

Evening masters course has been introduced through due process and passed according to the approval of the academic council and the university syndicate, the VC added.

He told those in a press brie ng held at Senate building on the campus in Ra-jshahi yesterday.

Terming the students demonstra-tion against evening shift as irratio-nal, the VC said: the academic coun-cil and syndicate, two highest body of the university, have discussed about the merits and demerits of the course at length.

He also said: We have cancelled the decision of increased fees as per the demand of the students but the evening courses could not be cancelled because it will never a ect the regular students.

If the students have any complaint

regarding the authoritys decision, it would be solved subsequently after discussing with the representatives of general students. The authority was even ready to arrange an open debate to discuss the matter with the students, VC also said.

He sought cooperation from all stakeholders of the university to re-open the university on March 10 peace-fully.

In answering a question, he in-formed, the police had been directed to arrest the Chhatra League men who were found with rearms attacking the students who had been rallying in protest of evening masters courses and hiked fees.

The VC also expressed his regret for the February 2 violence and told that they would take stern action against the responsible persons who were in-volved into the incident after proper investigation.

As the university is closed, the mem-bers of the probe committee couldnt collect adequate data and information regarding violence while most of the students were absent in the campus. After reopening the campus, the com-mittee will gather pace to submit re-port, he also underscored.

Among others RU pro-VC Chowd-hury Sarawar Jahan, Treasurer Prof Sayen Uddin, Registrar Prof Entajul Haque, and Director of Public Relation Prof M Elias Hossain were present at the press brie ng. l

5NewsDHAKA TRIBUNE Friday, March 7, 2014JnU hall recovery raises false hopes for 2 minutesAgitators also put up barricade on a road at Chittarangan Avenue on the 22nd day of the movementn Mohammad Jamil Khan The ongoing students movement of Ja-gannath University (JnU) that entered day 22 yesterday created some dramat-ic moments when a hall was recovered for only two minutes.

As per schedule, the agitating stu-dents brought out a procession from the campus around 11am in a bid to recover Shaheed Bazlur Rahman Hall located in Malitola area where City Cor-poration built Shahhed Ziaur Rahman High School in 2006.

As soon as the students procession reached Rayshaheb Bazar intersection, police stopped them with a barricade. Being intercepted, the students took position there and continued chanting slogans against the grabbers.

The students also blocked a road in the area that halted tra c movement on Sadarghat to Gulistan route. Fearing attacks and vandalism, businessmen shut down shops as well as restaurants.

Suddenly, JnU BCL unit President Shariful Islam and Secretary Shirajul Islam rushed to the spot with another procession and talking with police o -cials they crossed the barricade.

Then, both the leaders with some of their followers entered Bazlur Rahman Hall and hung a signboard at the dormi-tory around 12:30pm.

Mysteriously, some locals, who were present during the recovery, tore o the signboard and set it on re just after two minutes.

When some of the BCL activists tried to protest, Shariful and Shirajul calmed them and left the place around 1pm.

Bazlur Rahman, principal of Ziaur Rahman School, told the Dhaka Tri-

bune that although it was a hall of the then Jagannath College, the students had no right to hang a banner at an ed-ucational institute.

Asked about the short-period hall recovery, Shariful Islam, who is also convener of hall recovery Sangram Par-ishad, said: We have peacefully recov-ered the hall and now it the duty of uni-versity authority to keep a hold on it.

He also said they would continue their demonstrations until all of the dor-mitories of the university were covered.

On the other hand, such kind of at-titudes of BCL leaders, who are lead-ing the movement, raised questions among general students.

Several students of the universi-ty said the BCL leaders were playing a game with the general students in name of demonstrations.

They consulted with police before launching todays agitation program-mme and went to the dormitory where a banner on the grabbed property hung, but managed to stay there only for two minutes, they said.

Refusing such allegations, the BCL President Shariful Islam some vested quarters is spreading the rumour and were trying to foil the movement of students.

Apart from recovering the hall, the students also created a blockade, stop-ping tra c at Chittarangan Avenue.

Tra c movement on Sadarghat to Gulistan route resumed around 2pm af-ter the students withdrew the barricade, said Harun-or-Rashid, deputy commis-sioner of police of Lalbagh division.

The students have been observing agitation programmes since February 12, demanding recovery of all of their dormi-tories grabbed by in uential quarters. l

Garment factory gutted in citys Jigatola n Tribune ReportA garment factory was gutted at Jigato-la in the capital yesterday evening.

Fire Service and Civil Defence o -cials said around 5:30pm some sta s saw sparks from a electric wire and soon a re spread to the entire rst oor of the ve-storey building.

On receiving information, 10 units of re ghters rushed to the spot and doused the re after one-hours e orts.

The workers were safe as the gar-ment was closed after the day shift at 4:30pm, said Major Mahbub, director of the re service. A nishing supervi-sor Mizanur Rahman sustained minor injuries while trying to douse the ame.

A few sta s were there to pack up the days work during the incident, said Shahnoor Islam, the owner of the factory named Green Leaf.

The ve-storey building housed an-other factory Bengal Group Garments on the third and the fourth oor but blazes could not up there.The Bengal Garments was also closed during the incident.

Owner of the factory said the small garments mainly produce jeans for lo-cal market, apart from exporting some jacket items.

We have a consignment of 20,000 ready jackets for shipment next day. Most of the wears have been gutted, he said.

A total of 250 workers work at the garment which is situated on the rst and the second oor.

Huge smoke engulfed the area with the re making the locals panicked. The garment has re extinguishers but those were unused as the factory was almost empty during the incident, said the re o cial. l

BCL expels seven at DU factional clash n Arif Ahmed The central unit of Bangladesh Chha-tra League yesterday expelled seven of its activists for involvement in a clash that took place between two factions of the student front at Dhaka Universitys Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall.

A press release was issued in this regard where Chhatra League O ce Secretary Sheikh Rasel stated that the activists were suspended because of their involvement in an unexpected incident at the dormitory.

The expelled were Chhatra League hall unit Vice-President Saddam, Joint General Secretary Gazi Hasib, Organis-ing Secretary Hashu and activists So-hag, Riad, Opu and Asad.

The central unit of the Awa-mi League student front also asked the hall unit President Abu Salman Prodhan Shaon and General Secretary Motahar Hossain Prince to explain by March 9 why actions would not be tak-en against them.

The expulsion came after the hall president and general secretary led

factions locked into another clash at Madhur Canteen over Wednesdays in-cident yesterday afternoon.

Witnesses said around 1:30pm the hall unit Vice-President Saddam and Organising Secretary Hashu who are followers of the units president at-tacked Shohag a follower of the general secretary, beating him indiscriminately.

At one stage, Chhatra League DU unit President Mehadi Hasan Molla and General Secretary Omar Sharif went to the spot and controlled the agitated students.

When asked about the incident, the DU unit president said: We have iden-ti ed the main culprits and would be given appropriate punishment from the organisation.

DU acting proctor Amzad Ali termed such incidents as unexpected and as-sured to take actions against the ac-cused.

Earlier, activists of Chhatra League Ziaur Rahman Hall unit locked into clash in the early hours over stealing shoes. The confrontation left at least nine injured. l

Primary assistant teachers term pay rise plan as unfair n Tribune Report Assistant teachers of government pri-mary schools yesterday protested a proposed pay raise by the government terming it unfair as the salary of as-sistant teachers would not be increased in proportion of the rise to that of head masters.

They formed a human chain in front the National Press Club in the capi-tal yesterday. The human chain pro-gramme was attended by several hun-dred teachers.

According to the teachers, salary of untrained assistant teachers would be increased from Tk4700 to Tk4900 and trained teachers from Tk4900 to Tk5200.

On the other hand, salary of un-trained headmaster would be en-hanced from Tk5200 to Tk5900 and trained headmaster from Tk5500 to Tk6400.

O cials of Primary and Mass Ed-ucation Ministry said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would announce the rise on March 9.

The rise plan is discriminatory. There should be a reasonable gap be-tween the salary of assistant teachers and headmasters and not more than that, said Shahinur Alamin, secretary general of Bangladesh Primary Assis-tant Teacher Society.

We would continue our demonstra-tion until the plan is amended, he said.

Teachers of government primary schools have been demanding increase of salary and up gradation of their sta-tus for a long time. Teachers also ob-served strike in schools on several oc-casions to realise the demands.

However, when government has decided to increase the salary, the as-sistant teachers are now terming the increase plan discriminatory.

Abul Bashar, a headmaster and teacher leader said although the de-mand of assistant teachers is logical, they should welcome the decision as a pay raise is in o ng.

After the announcement of raise, they can place their demands for fur-ther raise, he observed.

When contacted, Director General of

Directorate of Primary Education, Shy-amal Kanti Ghosh declined to comment on this.

Meanwhile, assistant teachers yes-terday observed human chain across the country to realise their demands. They also submitted memorandum to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this regard through local administration.

Assistant primary teachers in Chapa-inawabganj formed a human chain in front of local press club demanding amendment of the raise plan. Teachers also submitted memorandum to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through Upa-zila Nirbahi O cer, our Chapainawab-ganj correspondent reports.

Several hundred teachers of govern-ment primary schools formed human chain yesterday in di erent parts of Munshiganj district to realise the same demands, our Munsiganj correspon-dent reports.

Assistant teachers of government primary schools in Pirojpur observed same programmes to echo their de-mands, our Pirojpur correspondent reports. l

7 beat in Sirajganj over gas supply disconnection n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj Seven people, including three engi-neers of Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL), were yesterday beaten up by workers of Shah Mokhdum Cal-endar & Mercerising Mills in Shahzad-pur upazila of Sirajganj as supply of gas to the factory was disconnected.

Among the victims of beating were engineer Zahurul Haque, manager of Baghabari PGCL Unit; engineer Golam Morshed, the units vigilance manager; sub assistant engineer Rubel Hassan, driver Anwarul Islam, lineman Abdul Aziz and Mozammel Haque. The rest one could not be identi ed immediately.

PGCL Managing Director Md Ali

Hossain said supply of gas was discon-tinued as the factory authorities had been consuming more gas than they had been approved o cially for long but when our sta went there and dis-connected the supply, workers became irritated and misbehaved with them.

Apart from beating the PGCL men at the factory, angry workers also kept

them in con nement from 2:30pm to 5:00pm. The situation, however, be-came normal when the PGCL sta re-connected the gas line.

We are preparing to lodge a case with Shahzadpur Police Station in this connection, PGCL Managing Director said.

When asked, Md Alhaz Haider Ali,

owner of Shah Mokhdum Calendar & Mercerising Mills said the incident happened as the PGCL men came to the factory to disconnect gas supply with-out any prior notice.

O cer-in-charge of Shahzadpur Po-lice Station said they were aware of the incident but no one had come to le any case till evening. l

Cornice collapse kills couplen Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A couple was killed when the wife along with a portion of cornice of the rooftop of their newly built building fell on the husband at Bishwa Colony in Chittagong yesterday morning.

Deceased Rajib Chowdhury, 42, was a schoolteacher and his wife Sanchita Shil, 35, was an assistant food inspector of Chittagongs Hathazari upazila.

The family members of the deceased claimed the incident as pre-planned murder. However, the police did not nd any clue of murder.

Eye witness Supti Pal, domestic help of the victims, told the Dhaka Tribune that Sanchita, fell on her husband from the third oor when the cornice broke. The accident left them critically injured, she added. Later, they were rushed to the Chittagong Medical College Hospi-tal (CMCH) around 7am, where the on duty doctor pronounced them dead, said Abdul Mazid, o cer-in-charge of Akbar Shah police station.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Sanchitas sister Jhunu Shil expressed her suspicion that the couple were hacked to death in a pre-planned way.

The elder daughter of the couple, Akshya Chowdhury Aurpa, a class four student, said she and her younger sister Adrita were asleep during the accident.

Additional Superintendent of Police Sugyan Chakma, also the assistant di-rector of Rapid Action Battalion 7, who visited the spot, termed the incident an accident. An unnatural death case was lodged. l

Fire ghters climb up a building after a re broke out at a garment factory located on the rst oor of the building in the citys Jigatola yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Police intercept students of Jagannath University while they were going to Bazrul Rahman Hall with a procession MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Former state minister sued for irregularity n Tribune ReportThe Anti-Corruption Commission yes-terday sued former state minister for housing and public works Alamgir Kabir, including three others, over their alleged involvement in allotting a plot in lower rate than the actual value.

The allotment caused a government loss of over Tk15crore.

The ACC Deputy Director Jatan Kumer Ray has led the case with the Shahbagh police station, ACC Public Relations O cer Pranab Kumer Bhat-tacharjee told reporters.

The other accused were member of the National Housing Authority (land and asset management) Azharul Haque, its cashier Mansur Alam and ac-counts assistant Matiar Rahman.

According to the case statement, the minister, during his tenure allocat-ed a seven acre plot to an association named Dhaka Journalists Cooperative Society at a much lower rate than the prevailing market price in August 2006.

The statement stated that the actu-al value of the plot was Tk19 crore but was allotted for Tk3.40 crore only. l

6 NationDHAKA TRIBUNE Friday, March 7, 2014AL men vandalise police station in Noakhali n Our correspondent, NoakhaliA group of Jubo League and Chhatra League activists attacked Kabirhat po-lice station in the district early yesterday and committed vandalism centring the arrest of two of their party members.

At least 19 activists of the ruling par-ty including police were injured when the lawmen red blanks in an e ort to defend themselves from the attack.

The injured were Sahadat Hossain, 24, vice-president of Kabirhat upazila unit Chhatra League, Monir Ahmed, 40, Baktiar Uddin, 32, and Reaj Uddin, 35.

They were admitted to Noakhali Medical College Hospital.

Of them, Sahadat Hossain was re-ferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospi-tal as his condition deteriorated.

The Injured policemen were Md Ya-sin, Abdul Qyum and Babul Mia all admitted to police hospital.

O cer-in-Charge Mahbub Alam said Kabirhat Municipality Mayor Ja-hirul Haque Raihan, also general secre-tary of upazila AL, came to the police station and started misbehaving with the OC and other police o cials.

Mahbub added that he tried sever-al times to calm the mayor, but to no avail, and at one stage the mayor called his party men to the police station.

Hundreds of Chhatra League and Jubo League activists appeared on the scene and committed vandalism.

Mayor Jahir Uddin Raihan gave the version that he went to the police sta-tion to seek release of his two party members, Saiful and Baktiar, who were arrested before.

The party men heard that police beat the arrestees seriously and after hearing such news angry party men went there, he said.

The OC said legal action would be taken in this regard. l

Students ned in Barisal over clashn Our Correspondent, BarisalTen students of Chandpasha School and College in Babuganj upazila of Ba-risal were ned yesterday when they clashed over taking photos of two stu-dents chit-chatting on campus.

Mashiur Rahman, principal of the college, said two classmates, a male and a female, were chatting on Wednesday during a break when a group of stu-dents led by one Mizanur Rahman pho-tographed the two with mobile phone.

An altercation ensued, though it was settled when teachers intervened, the principal added.

Tension and excitement centring the incident, however, ared up again on Thursday as scu e broke out be-tween two rival groups on the campus.

Later on, teachers led by the princi-pal intervened to deal with the situa-tion and a meeting of the disciplinary committee was held in afternoon. Fol-lowing the meeting, ten second-year HSC students were ned and were cau-tioned, in the presence of their guard-ians, against getting into such issue again in the future.

Among the students who were pe-nalized, Mizan, Shipon, Raziv, Basir and Rakib were ned Tk two thousand each while Rubel, Mithun, Ali Akbar, Ashraful and Ataur were ned Tk one thousand each. l

BNP, Jamaat leaders sent to jail for attempting to foil upazila polls n Our correspondent, BarisalA Barisal court has sent 11 leaders and activists of Babuganj upazila unit of the BNP including one upazila chair-man candidate to jail, in a case lodged for attempt to foil the Upazila Parishad Elections.

Rejecting their bail plea, Magistrate Ra kul Islam passed the order after they surrendered before the court yes-terday.

The accused are Sultan Ahmed Khan, incumbent chairman of Babu-ganj upazila parishad and candidate for the same post in the third phase of Upazila Parishad Polls slated for March 15, former President of upazila BNP Wahidul Islam Khan, Madhabpa-sha Upazila Parishad Chairman Sultan Ahmed, President of Babuganj Upazila BNP Yusuf Talukdar, Sultan Molla, Ba-sir Ahmed, Shamsul Huq, Zahirul Huq, Shahin Molla, Monir Haoladar and Mokhles Hossain.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Siddikur Rahman of Barisal Airport police

station said the accused had disrupted communication by cutting roads near Madhabpasha Bridge on Barisal-Banaripara Road in the upazila on January 7.

Sub-Inspector Mainul Islam lodged a case in this connection with Barisal Airport police station on the same day.

Ebaidul Huq Chan, president of Ba-risal BNP, alleged that arrest of the BNP backed candidate, leaders and activists in false cases were part of ruling par-tys plan for rigging votes in the third phase of the upazila polls.

Yesterday a Barisal court sent Jamaat-e-Islami Barisal unit president Moazzem Hossain Helal to jail.

Defendants lawyer Zakir Hossain said Helal was accused in a case of un-leashing violence in the Barisal Port Road area during Jamaat enforced har-tal on December 5 last year.

Sub-Inspector of Kotwali police sta-tion Shohidul Alam lodged the case in this connection accusing Helal and more than 150 BNP-Jamaat leaders

and activists for assaulting police and torching and damaging transports on the day.

Helal yesterday surrendered before the metropolitan magistrate court and pleaded for bail.

Rejecting his plea, Magistrate Ra qul Islam passed the order.

On other hand, Sub-Inspector Shah-jahan of Kotwali police station and investigation o cer into the case yes-terday submitted charge sheets against 19 Jamaat-Shibir activists in a case for damaging and burning buses near the sadar upazila parisad during hartal on September 19 last year.

The accused include Aminul Islam Khasru, Nayeb-e-Amir (vice-president) of city Jamaat, Abdullah Al Nahian, president of city Shibir, Ra qul Is-lam, president of B M College Shibir, Kazi Mohidul, Ahsan Habib, Shohidul, Jobaer , Montu and Akash Khan.

Metropolitan magistrate ordered bench o cer to le the charge sheet and x the date of hearing on its ac-ceptance. l

11th Scienti c Conference held in CVASU n FM Mizanur RahamanThe 11th Scienti c Conference 2014 styled Emerging Challenges in Food, Health and Environment was held at the Chittagong Veterinary Animal Sci-ence University (CVASU) Conference Centre yesterday.

Fazlul Bari, vice-chancellor of CVACU, presided over the programme while Mike Robson, representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of UN in Bangladesh, spoke as the chief guest.

A total of 200 representatives from di erent universities, research insti-tutes, governments and NGOs, devel-opment assistants and donor organi-sations participated in the daylong conference.

Mike Robson said Bangladesh lagged behind India in terms of production of egg, milk and meat, though the coun-try had seen a gradual increase in pro-duction of animal resources in the past few years.

He also said CVASU had been work-ing on the One Health Concept and in

the future, the concept, upon imple-mentation, would be able to remove problems related to food, health and environment that had arisen due to changes in the climate.

Four papers Emerging Challenges in Food Security in India: Scope of Animal Husbandry by Professor SA Asokan, Emerging Challenges in Food Security in India: Scope of Animal Husbandry by Mike Robson, Some Emerging Challenges on Human Health by Professor Dr MA Fayez and Climate Resilient Research to Unravel Emerging Challenges for Future Environment by Professor Al Amin were presented at the conference.

Dr Mat Yamage, chief technical ad-viser of FAO in Bangladesh, Professor Dr Mojahid Uddin Ahmed of Bangla-desh Agricultural University, Professor Dr SA Asokan, dean of Madras Veteri-nary College, Dr MA Fayez, former di-rector of Bangladesh Health Directory and Professor Al Amin from Chittagong University (CU) attended the pro-gramme among others. l

Nine killed in separate road accidentsn Tribune ReportAt least nine people were killed in sep-arate road accidents in Brahmanbaria, Savar and Mymensingh yesterday.

Five people were killed as a CNG-run auto-rickshaw crashed into a jeep at Bariura in Sarail upazila on

Dhaka-Sylhet highway yesterday af-ternoon.

The deceased could not be identi- ed immediately.

Highway police said the accident took place around 3 am when the Dhaka-bound Pajero jeep smashed the auto-rickshaw, leaving three auto-rick-shaw passengers dead on the spot and two others injured.

The injured a minor boy and a woman succumbed to their injuries when they were taken to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital.

Meanwhile, four people were killed in separate road accidents in Savar of Dhaka and Mymensingh districts.

In Savar, two motorcyclists were killed as a truck rammed a motorbike

carrying them near Amin Bazar in Sa-var upazila in the morning.

The deceased identi ed as Ujjal, 22, son of Yusuf Ali and Naim, 22, son of Abdul Hamid hailed from Motra village in Basail upazila of Tangail district.

Witnesses said the Dhaka-bound truck hit the motorbike from behind on Dhaka-Aricha Highway in front of Bharkuta around 7am, leaving Ujjal dead on the spot and Naim injured.

Critically injured Naim was rushed to Enam Medical College Hospital, Sa-var, where doctors declared him dead.

O cer-in-charge of Savar Police Station Mostafa Kamal con rmed the incident.

In Mymensingh, two other motorcy-clists were killed when a bus of Shya-moli Paribahan hit their motorcycle on Mymensingh-Sherpur Highway at Emadpur in Phulpur upazila at noon.

The deceased were identi ed as Ety and Sumon. The accident took place when they were going to Tarakanda from Phulpur. l

Stepmother tortures daughter n Our Correspondent, JhenaidahA stepmother had allegedly tortured her daughter and damaged her eye at Furshandhi village under Jhenaidah sadar upazila yesterday morning.

Witnesses said Rozina Khatun, 20, daughter of Kalam Hossain of the vil-lage was brutally tortured by her step-mother over family feud.

Locals sent the daughter to Jhenai-dah Sadar Hospital as the step mother damaged her left eye.

When contacted, the duty o cer of Jhenaidah sadar police station said no case was led in this connection. l

Five workers injuredn Our Correspondent, TangailAt least ve construction workers were injured as an under construction bridge collapsed in Kalihati upazila under Tangail district yesterday.

The injured were identi ed as Azad, 40, in Ghatail upazila, Abdur Rahim, 45, Mukter Ali, 30, Shakil, 25, and Ab-dul Hai, 30, in Kalihati upazila of the district.

Shamim Al Mamun, chairman of Salla union parishad under Kalihati upazila, said the ve workers had fallen from the under construction bridge in Majhipara area on Akani canal in the upazila when it collapsed in the noon.

The injured were admitted to the Tangail General Hospital. l

Teen rescued 3 days after abduction n Our Correspondent, TangailA teenager boy was rescued from Sank-hola village under Ghatail upazila in Tangail on Wednesday night three days after his abduction.

Police also arrested the abductor identi ed as Farid, 37, son of Abdul Zabbar, resident of Rasulpur village un-der Tangail Sadar upazila.

Acting on a tip-o , a team from Madhupur police station conducted a raid at Sankhola village and rescued Azizul Haque, 16, son of Haji Muham-mad Razab Ali, of Caripara village un-der Kotiadi upazila under Kishoreganj.

Muzibur Rahman, o cer-in-charge of Madhupur police station, said Azi-zul had been abducted while going to school on March 2.

Later, the abductor phoned Azizuls family and demanded Tk3lakh as ransom. But, the family could not provide the demanded money and sought help of police. Father of Azizul led a case with Kotiadi police station on March 4. lStudents of Sonadighi Government Primary School attend class under open sky for accommodation crisis DHAKA TRIBUNE

School building cum cyclonecentre inaugurated in Kalaparan Our Correspondent, BarisalA two-storied primary school cum cyclone centre was in-augurated at Chalitabunia village under Kalapara coastal upazila of Patuakhali yesterday.

Nurul Amin, deputy commissioner of Barisal, inaugu-rated the Dhankhali Board Government Primary School cum Cyclone Centre building.

Caritas, Bangladesh Barisal region constructed the building spending around Tk96.23 lakh that was funded byCaritas, Canada and Secours Catholic Caritas, France.

The building has facilities like solar power, 20,000 litre rain water harvesting system tank, deep tube-well, and special ramp for old aged and disable people.

The speakers at the inauguration programme said the village with over 4,200 people was severely a ected by the devastating hurricane Sidr in 2007, adding that a cy-clone centre easily accessible for people of all ages, gen-ders and physical conditions, was a primary need for this disaster-prone area.

They also urged all to come forward in social welfare services to help the distressed and vulnerable coastal people. l

Girl kills self-jumping under train in Tangailn Tribune Desk A schoolgirl reportedly committed sui-cide by jumping under the wheels of a running train at Rajabari level cross-ing in Kalihati upazila on Wednesday noon.

The deceased was identi ed as Ankhi Akter, 14, student of class IX and daughter of Abdul Latif, a resident of Parkhi village in the same upazila.

Jahirul Islam, o cer-in-charge of Kalihati Police Station, said Ankhi jumped before a train heading for the northern region from Dhaka at the level crossing at about 12 noon in a hu with her mother and died on the spot.

Later, police recovered the body and sent it to hospital morgue for an au-topsy.

An unnatural death was led in this connection. lActivists of Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League vandalise Kabirhat police station in Noakhali yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

7Heritage Friday, March 7, 2014DHAKA TRIBUNE

n Tim Steel

Wikipedia, in its histo-ry of cotton, re ects much of the problem we, in the age of the internet, have in the study of history.

Received wisdom seems to be in danger of stultifying real academic ad-vances in such studies. What is your reference is the resort of the dyed in the wool traditionalists, who, if they nally manage by that means to over-whelm new ideas, will have e ectively ended history itself; a subject that has always been open to new perspectives and interpretations. Especially as new archaeological or documentary evidence emerges.

Countries like Bangladesh, widely regarded around the world, and even often in Bangladesh itself, as akin to a disaster-prone, irrelevant corner of the Indian subcontinent, may never be permitted to alter that perception if that attitude is allowed to gain ground.

The overall e ect of that Wikipedia entry for cotton, of course, simply re ects the weighting of research and literature, which unsurprisingly is heavily biased by academic work in

the far wealthier developed world.To speed read the entry, it is hard

not to miss brief references to the opinion that cotton, as a valuable crop seems to have originated as much in the east as in the west. Indeed, close examination of various sources rapidly establishes that, although humid climates damage archaeological traces of cotton fabrics, making it a rare nd in such climates, there is, in fact, little

doubt that cotton cloth was being woven at least contemporarily in east and west. And, most probably, earlier in the subcontinent than elsewhere. However, the entry reads as though South America, and the Indian sub-continent, were ancient co bene ciar-ies of the product of the plant.

That cotton played a huge part in the international trade of over three millennium of, speci cally, the Ganges Delta, is in fact now widely acknowledged. It would be interesting to speculate just how and when the manufacturing skill, that still plays such a great part in the economy of these lands (now known as Bangla-desh) developed. Unfortunately, the dampness and humidity of the lands mean that archaeological evidence may be hard to nd.

Always remembering that when world histories grandly refer to India, that ancient India included the lands of the Ganges, both basin and delta, both of which unquestionably played key roles in the ancient social, cultural and commercial history of the subcon-tinent, examination of such histories require to become more forensic, tak-ing account of contemporary geopolit-ical realities, and less grand overview.

Woven cotton samples from Mo-henjo-daro, in Sindh, dated from about 3,000 BCE, from a drier, less alluvi-um-covered place such as the Ganges basin, bear concrete testimony to the great age of cotton weaving in the subcontinent. And the early written references in the Rigveda, about 1,500 BCE, a written form of language almost certainly, like most identi ed ancient scripts, being developed to facilitate

trade and commerce, support the view that the naturally grown plant was in use in the early days of civilisation.

It has continued, of course, to be a vital product of trade and commerce ever since, right up to the present day, with the lands of Bangladesh still playing a role.

It comes as no surprise to any re-searcher that the prestigious industry blog, Plant Cultures, just before commenting on the Greek historian Heroditus, writing in the fth century BCE, repeated what was already a common misconception in Europe that trees that bore wool, surpass-ing in beauty and quality the wool of sheep, and the Indians wear clothing from these trees, noted, South Asia became famous for its textiles, and ne cottons were exported to the Greeks and Romans. Then the blog went on to note: Muslins from Bang-ladesh were particularly prized.

Noting the Dhaka product as a spe-ci c illustration of the more general, of course, strongly suggests that from those earliest times, as there are a lot of other reasons to suspect, it was the cotton growing, and the weaving skills of the lands of the delta that repre-sented the best of Indian cotton.

Which brings us back not only to the extraordinary history of cotton, and woven cotton fabrics, in Bangla-desh, but also to another indigenous vegetable product that also played a major role in international history of trade and culture, but also the history, speci cally, of Bangladesh.

Indigo. The very name of this rich and ancient dye, derives from the an-cient word, India, via the Greek word Indikon, Romanised to Indicum.

Today, it is most used to dye the cloth for the manufacture of jeans, that now-ubiquitous garment said to have been invented in the late 19th century by Levi Strauss, and still manufactured for that brand, amongst others, in Bangladesh.

It remains one of the worlds most famous, and earliest dyes, and seems to have originated, uniquely, in the subcontinent. It subsequently also en-joyed a period as one of the key trad-ing commodities from the southern states of North America, but was al-most certainly taken there in the 17th century, probably by early European traders, perhaps even the East India Company itself, who had considerable commercial links to that region.

It is not hard to see an obvious,

and natural, connection between the fabric and the dye. Nor is it di cult to imagine that bolts of the woven cloth were received in the ancient Middle East, especially Egypt, where we also

have evidence of direct, early trade with the Ganges lands. Doubtless, it arrived there already dyed with the natural blue of indigo. Quite literally,