Hasina, Khaleda meet over iftar

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia talking to each other at the iftar party hosted by Arms Forces Division at Senakunja in the Dhaka Cantonment on Thursday. Photo: Focus Bangla

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia shared a table at an armed forces iftar party in Senakunja on Thursday.
Hasina arrived at the cantonment at 7pm, while Khaleda had reached the venue a little earlier.
Both leaders shared pleasantries and enquired after each other's wellbeing over the iftar. Cabinet members and chiefs of three forces were also present.
The two leaders, oft-times bitter political rivals, rarely meet. Last year saw the two share a table at an Armed Forces Day ceremony during the caretaker government-following release of the two leaders from special jail.
In a more recent meeting this year, Khaleda visited Hasina's home to offer condolences on the death of the prime minister's husband Dr M Wazed Miah in May.
Our Staff Correspondent adds: It may be recalled that the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia met last a few months ago when the latter went to Sudha Sadan to console the former at the death of her husband nuclear scientists Dr. Abdul Wazed Miah.
Meanwhile, the two leaders exchanged invitations for iftar party late last month, but were unable to attend each other iftar party held on the same day.

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Dhaka to get 100 mw electricity Delhi to get access to Ashuganj port

Joint statement issued after Dipu Moni’s visit to India says

BSS, New Delhi

Bangladesh and India have recognized the need to expedite negotiations for finalizing an agreement to share the waters of Teesta river.
"Towards this end, they agreed to mandate their respective foreign offices to meet and discuss the technical and other parameters of this issue," a joint press statement issued here Thursday said. The statement was handed over to newsmen at a press conference addressed by the visiting foreign minister Dr. Dipu Moni at the Bangladesh High Commission at Chanakyapuri here before her departure for home ending the four-day official visit to India.
The two sides also agreed to immediately commence joint hydrological observations on the river and to undertake bank protection works, dredging of Ichhamati river and minor irrigation/ drinking water schemes on Feni river.
While agreeing to enhance cooperation in the power sector, India decided to provide at least 100 MW to Bangladesh on a priority basis.
Bangladesh side agreed to provide access to Ashuganj Port to facilitate the transportation of the Over Dimensional Consignments for the Palatana Power Project in Tripura. The statement further said the Indian side agreed to facilitate Nepal- Bangladesh and Bhutan-Bangladesh connectivity.
Both sides agreed on the re-opening Sabroom-Ramgarh trade point as well opening a land route at Demagiri-Thegamukh on the Mizoram border for bilateral trade.
India agreed in principle to provide a Line of Credit for railway projects and supply of locomotives, coaches and buses. India offered to take up construction of Akhaura-Agartala railway link under Indian assistance.
"India also agreed to assist Bangladesh in the dredging sector," the statement added. Both sides agreed to start Border Haats (markets) on the Bangladesh-Meghalaya border for mutual benefit of the people in these areas. They also agreed to movement of containerized cargo by rail and water for bilateral trade.
The two sides also welcomed the holding of the Joint Working Group on Trade last month and discussed broad economic issues to fully activate all institutional mechanism to promote two-way trade, initiate long pending trade facilitation measures and facilitate movement of businessmen and professionals.
Bangladesh specially raised the issue of duty free access to Bangladeshi commodities, removal of non tariff and para tariff barriers and improvement of infrastructures on the Indian side.
Dhaka and Delhi agreed to 'comprehensively address' all outstanding land boundary issues. Both sides expressed their intent to resolve outstanding issues relating to Dahagram and Angarpota enclaves and the Tin Bigha corridor.

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SC against military trial of BDR mutiny

Courts opinion has to be respected: Qamrul

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The Supreme Court has unanimously opined against a military trial of BDR mutineers, a highly placed source hinted to bdnews24.com although the opinion has been kept under wraps.
The opinion of the 11-member full bench of Appellate Division, headed by chief justice M M Ruhul Amin on the reference seeking directives on the trial process, was sent to president Zillur Rahman on Thursday.
The source, who asked to remain unnamed, said two of the judges made additional observations, but he would not divulge what those are.
Earlier, Supreme Court registrar Shawkat Hossain told bdnews24.com that he handed the file containing the opinion to the president at around 12:45pm.
Asked about the apex court's opinion, Hossain said: "The file was sealed. I cannot say anything about the content."
State minister for law Kamrul Islam told reporters at the Secretariat on Thursday: "Whatever opinion the Supreme Court has given, it will have to be respected." "No-one should question this opinion."
The president sent the reference to the court on Aug 17 seeking directives on the trial process, specifically whether the mutineers could be tried under the Army Act 1952. The court appointed 10 senior lawyers as amici curiae, advisers to the court', to advise on the reference.
It began hearing on the reference on Aug 25 and ended it on Sept 3.
The majority of the amici curiae observed that the BDR mutiny trial could not be held under the Army Act.
An inter-ministerial meeting on the BDR trial decided month to seek the chief justice's opinion as views varied widely on whether the mutineers should be tried under BDR, army or civil laws.
At least 73 people, including 57 army officers deputed to the paramilitary force, were killed in the bloody Feb 25-26 mutiny at the Peelkhana headquarters in Dhaka. Attorney general Mahbubey Alam, presenting the reference before the court on Aug 25, said the mutiny case filed in Dhaka saw 1, 779 people arrested so far.
Another 40 cases filed in connection with BDR rebellions outside Dhaka saw 1, 721 persons arrested. A total 3,500 people are facing trial in the cases, said Alam.

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Oil, gas protection body call half-day hartal on Sept 14

Hartal callers trying to harm country: Ashraf

UNB, Dhaka

A half-day hartal has been called in Dhaka City on September 14 (Monday) by National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports to press for scrapping the government decision to lease out offshore gas blocks to foreign companies.
Committee convenor Eng Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, who was leading a street march towards the Prime Minister's office this afternoon, announced the 6 am-12 noon shutdown from a peaceful rally near Shishu Park at Shahbagh after police intercepted the protestors. On September 14, the Committee will lay siege to TNO and DC offices across the country to press for their demands.
Shahidullah said the Committee will call a national convention after the Eid-ul-Fitr to announce its next action programme.
The Committee earlier began the street march from Muktangan at 12:30pm raising slogans against the leasing out of the offshore blocks and export of natural gas. Helmeted police stopped the marchers near Shishu Park where the protestors staged peaceful demonstration for sometime.
bdnews24.com, adds: Government spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam on Thursday said those who called hartal on Sep 14 on the excuse of protecting the country are instead trying to harm the country.
This will be the first general strike since the Awami League-led coalition government took office in January.
Ashraf, the local government minister, said, "The government is doing everything in a transparency manner. The government's initiative to explore gas and oil is to meet the country's demand, not to export, not to provide anyone with any extra facility."
Patience should be exercised by all sides, he said.
"Awami League could not come to power in 2001 as it had the policy for export oil and gas keeping a reserve for 50 years. The party still has the same stand," the AL general secretary said.
About the sample production-sharing contract, Model PSC 2008, he said: "As for now the PSC will be in force with the prevailing rules. However, the issues will be reformed and modified later in the new contract."

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Maritime boundary with India and Myanmar

Dispute to be resolved through talks: Azad

BSS, Sangsad Bhaban

The 9th Jatiya Sangsad on the fourth day of its third session Thursday expressed the hope that Bangladesh through bilateral discussions with neighbouring India and Myanmar would be able to resolve the dispute over demarcation of the country's maritime boundary.
Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad expressed this optimism while replying questions from lawmakers in the House on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Dipu Moni, now on a visit to India.
"The government is very much sincere for quick and peaceful solution to the important matter like demarcation of the maritime boundary by not wasting time," he said in reply to a written question raised by treasury bench member Tohura Ali on behalf of Begum Nilofar Chowdhury Moni.
Responding to a supplementary raised by ruling party lawmaker ABM Golam Mostafa, the information minister said the government wants to resolve the problem bilaterally as there is no alternative to solving such problems bilaterally.
Azad said initiatives have been taken to resolve the maritime boundary dispute with Myanmar through bilateral discussions. "The Foreign Minister has already visited Myanmar to discuss the issue," he added.

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Yet another Bangladeshi killed on border

BSF kills 72 since 1st Jan, 2009

Staff Correspondent

Indian Border Security Force shot dead yet another Bangladeshi cattle trader along Burimari border in Patgram upazila Thursday which is the second killing by BSF in as many days.
With this, total number of Bangladeshis killed by BSF since January 1, 2009 rose to 72 and that since January 1, 2000 to September 10, 2009 to 799. The victim who died on Thursday was identified as Waliur Rahman, 22, son of Hedol Mohammad of Auliarhat village of Patgram upazila.
Local sources said BSF jawans fired shot on Waliur near No. 843 border pillar when he was crossing the border for going to India, leaving him dead on the spot at 6:30 am. The BSF men later took away the body to their land.
Meanwhile, BDR sent a letter to BSF authorities protesting the killing and demanding immediate return of the body.
Earlier, according to UNB, Indian border guards gunned down a Bangladeshi cattle trader along Poladanga border in Sadar upazila early Wednesday. The victim was identified as Manir Hossain, 28, son of Entaj Ali of Kodalkathi village in the upazila.
A report published in 'The Bangladesh Today' on 1st September, 2009, said BSF killed 70 Bangladeshis in last eight months as Ershad Ali 32, a cattle trader who was killed along Putkhali border on 31 August.
According to statistics projected by 'Adhikar', a non-government human rights watchdog, in more than nine years between 1 January 2000 and 10 July 2009 a total of 789 people were reported killed, 846 injured and 895 abducted by the BSF.
With the killing on August 31 the number of Bangladeshis killed since 1 January 2009 stood at 70. Now after the two killings on September 9 and 10 the total rose to 72 and the total deaths from 1 January 2000 to September 10, 2009 stand at 799.
The killings of unarmed Bangladeshis by the BSF on the border are continuing in clear violation of the spirit of good neighborliness as well as international law and despite repeated pledges by the Indian authorities to stop it.

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