Polnews24: Jun 18, 2011

Saturday

Father locks son in wooden box

BOLIVIA, June 17 (bdnews24.com/Reuters)-- A man in Bolivia locks his 21 year old son inside a wooden box for two months.

You can hardly believe it... but this 21 year old man has been held prisoner inside this wooden box for the past 8 weeks... locked in by his father.

David Knelsen told police in Santa Cruz Bolivia that his son Johan was mentally ill... Knelsen said his son had stolen three chickens and that he had punished Johan by locking him inside this box.

SON FREED FROM BOX, JOHAN KNELSEN, SAYING:

"I went out and when I came back I they were angry with me here at home and some people tied me up and [he] put me in here. Eight weeks ago."

After police found out about incident, they ordered David to release Johan.

Inside the two metre-by-three metre box, police found pillows and plastic bottles that Johan had used as a toilet.

David and his family are members of a Christian faith group that follows a strict interpretation of the bible and shuns the use of technology.

Officials say there are dozens of Mennonite settlements in eastern Bolivia.

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Muhith pooh-poohs gas export talks

Dhaka, June 18 (bdnews24.com) ? Finance minister A M A Muhith has termed the gas export talks following the deal with a US company 'utterly nonsense'.

"We feel very happy that we could sign agreement with ConocoPhillips for the Bay," Muhith said on Saturday at a monthly luncheon of the Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) at the city's Sonargaon Hotel.

"We have maritime border disputes with Myanmar and India, but we need to lift gas from the sea. ConocoPhillips will do the job," he said.

"They will be bound to sell us the oil-gas extracted from the sea," the finance minister said, "So, the idea that gas will be exported is utterly nonsense," he said.

"Calling hartal over the deal is also nonsense," he added.

A production-sharing contract (PSC) deal was signed between the government and ConocoPhillips on Thursday, allowing the company start lifting gas from two blocks in the Bay of Bengal.

The National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has called a half-day hartal in Dhaka for July 3, demanding cancellation of the deal.

BLACK MONEY

In reply to a businessman's question whether people would be discouraged to pay taxes if they are given the chance to whiten black money, Muhith said, "I am against whitening black money."

"We've given chance to whiten black money, as it was seen in a study that 48 percent money of the economy is black," he said.

"But the move was not successful?only a little black money was whitened," he added.

The finance minister his budget speech for 2011-12 on June 9 proposed to whiten black money in the next financial year by slapping only 10 percent tax on investment in government treasury.

About the next years' budget proposals, he Muhith said, "The opposition and the media are very much concerned about the proposed budget, saying it is with a large deficit, high ambition and high growth rate."

"The Tk 1.6-trillion budget is not highly ambitious as our economy and market are expanding," he said.

"A deficit of five percent is natural. The budgets in past few years also had similar deficits," he added.

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BNP-Jamaat declare 3-day stir

Dhaka, June 18 (bdnews24.com) ? Opposition BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami have separately declared three-day agitation programmes in protest against a number of government decisions.

The two parties announced their programmes from two news conferences on Saturday.

At BNP's Nayapaltan head office, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said rallies would be held on June 21 and 28 in Dhaka city and elsewhere in the country to protest the price hike of fertiliser and agricultural produces, fuel, gas and transport fare.

On June 23, Fakhrul said, similar programmes will be held in the capital and the port city of Chittagong, protesting the government 'failure' to stabilise the share market.

Meanwhile, Jamaat acting secretary general A T M Azharul Islam announced similar programmes for the same days at a news conference at the party's Maghbazar head office.

Earlier, the opposition enforced a day-long lockdown on June 5, while a 36-hour non-stop nationwide shutdown on June 12 and 13, demanding that the caretaker government system be retained.

"The month-long programmes have been declared as part of our non-stop anti-government campaign. The four-party alliance members, including BNP and other allies, will jointly observe the programmes," Fakhrul said.

The opposition held rallies around the country on June 15 and 16 protesting police 'atrocities' and punishment by mobile courts during the hartal on June 12 and 13.

Before announcing the programmes, Fakhrul joined a meeting with other allies like JAGPA, NPP, Labour Party and NAP at the BNP office.

At the Jamaat press conference, Azharul Islam said, "The country is now passing through various crises. The government has completely failed to address water-gas and power crises, the sparing prices and deteriorating law and order."

The protest programmes were announced as the last resort to force the government to get over the problems, he said.

The programmes include submitting memoranda to deputy commissioners and upazila executive officers (UNO) across the country on June 21 to protest hike of fertiliser, seeds and other agri-inputs.

Besides, the party will hold agitation programmes in Dhaka and Chittagong cities on June 23, demanding punishment of those responsible for the share market debacle.

It will hold a similar programme on June 28 across the country to protest the spiraling fuel and CNG prices.

bdnews24.com/sm/arr/jk/ach/sam/1445h

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Comfort's Kuakata housing project kicks off

Dhaka, June 17 (bdnews24.com) ? Plot booking for housing under a project of Comfort Homes Limited at Kuakata in Patuakhali district has begun.

The realtor began booking plots of the Comfort Holiday City-Kuakata project at the city's Ruposhi Bangla Hotel on Friday.

Terming their project an environment-friendly one, Mohammad Enayetullah, managing director of the firm, hoped that it would attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Firm's chairman Jannatul Ferdous, chief advisor Mohammad Nurul Huda were, among others, present at the inaugural ceremony.

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Bahar rules out Renault F1 name change

London, June 18 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) ? Renault plan to retain their black and gold livery next year and any renaming of the Formula One team as Lotus is out of the question until at least 2013, Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said on Friday.

Malaysian-owned sportscar maker Lotus last year agreed a title sponsorship deal with the team until the end of the 2017 season with the aim of becoming co-owners along with Genii Capital.

Although the team is entered as Renault F1, the French car maker sold their remaining stake in the team to Genii last year.

"We enjoy a very good relationship with our partners Genii, we are very much involved in their business, we are happy with how it's run and as things are run properly and (are) well managed there is no reason for us to do any move," Bahar told reporters at a lunch in central London.

"We are absolutely fine as it is.

"If we decide to go for the long term (ownership) then a renaming would be an issue," he added. "But at the moment it's out of the question and it's not something we are pursuing. Out of the question until 2013."

Under the terms of the confidential Concorde Agreement governing the sport, team name changes have to be agreed by all teams -- something that is likely to remain an obstacle until the current version expires at the end of next year.

Group Lotus and rivals Team Lotus, owned by Malaysian aviation entrepreneur Tony Fernandes and also using Renault engines, have taken their fight over the use of the Lotus name to the London High Court.

A ruling last month, which Group Lotus are appealing, allowed Team Lotus to continue under that name while recognising that only Group Lotus could compete as just Lotus.

The judge also found that Renault were entitled to continue racing in the black and gold livery that harks back to the days of the old title-winning Team Lotus founded by the late Colin Chapman.

"I think you need consistency," said Bahar. "We like the livery in the black and gold, we use it in many road car limited editions on our side.

"It's a nice livery that is perceived well by the people, especially on the road car side, so I see no reason why we should change it."

Renault finished on the podium in the first two races of the season, with Russian Vitaly Petrov and Germany's Nick Heidfeld, and Bahar said Group Lotus were getting what they wanted out of their involvement.

"Although the first two results made us a bit hungry for more success, the bottom line is that we have to be very happy with what the team has achieved," he said.

"The partnership is running very well and I hope it continues to be like that. It's about the branding of Lotus, about technology transfer. The naming issue is there, unfortunately, but it doesn't really impact."

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Ex-GB staff seek 'total ouster' of Yunus

Dhaka, June 18 (bdnews24.com) ? Grameen Bank employees, who claim they were fired whimsically, have demanded Muhammad Yunus's ouster from all the working 36 associate organisations of the bank.

Suppressed Workers Council and Retired Grameen Employees Association jointly put forth the demand at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Saturday.

The Suppressed Workers Council comprises former employees, who claim to have been fired from the Grameen Bank in a high-handed manner.

Council's organising secretary engineer Mohammad Anisur Rahman told the press conference that Yunus, having failed to retain his position in the Bank, was trying hard to get associated with its sister organisations.

He feared in case Yunus was able to consolidate his association with those bodies, he would treat them as his own property. "He has already embezzled Tk 300 billion from these organisations," Rahman alleged.

After the press conference, council president Mohammad Masum Sarker told bdnews24.com, "Keen to retain his position of the managing director of Grameen Bank even after a decade of crossing the age bar of 60, Yunus is had fired about 8,000 employees deserving retirement facilities before they reached 60."

"Many of them were deprived of their due benefits," he maintained.

Sarker further said that Yunus was still carrying on as the chairman of all the associate organisations of the Grameen Bank.

Although the number of the associate organisations of the bank is 54, at 36 were in operation, he added.

Retired Grameen Employees Association president K M Shahidul Haque presented their 11-point charter of demands at the press conference.

The demands include implementation of the recommendations by the review committee on Grameen Bank, reappointment of the sacked employees and forming a new board of directors, among others.

Sarker told bdnews24.com the process of election to form a new board of directors would start from October as the term of the current board of directors would expire in December, and they were thinking of conducting campaign with an alternative candidate.

"No election was held earlier. Only the trusted men of Yunus promoted his interest by managing appointment to the board of directors," he said.

"We will challenge the legality of firing the employees before reaching 60 and would also wage a countrywide movement very soon," Sarker added.

bdnews24.com/sn/ach/nir/1950h

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Rough weather in coast may continue

Dhaka, June 18 (bdnews24.com) ? The wind-driven surge in the coastal areas may continue for another one or two days, the Meteorological Department has said.

Severe rain in the coastal districts over the last few days caused flooding in many areas, cutting off communications.

On Saturday, the highest rainfall was recorded in Maizdicourt of Noakhali, 66mm until 12pm. It was 58 mm in Cox's Bazar, 56 in Chandpur, 51 in Patuakhali, 35 in Barisal, nine in Feni, 45 in Khepupara, 10 in Sandwip, seven in Satkhira and three in Khulna.

As of Friday, heavy rain and rising tides had brought down embankments in Barguna, Bagerhat, Patuakhali and threatened to breach embankments in other coastal districts.

Special bulletin from the Met department on Saturday said the land depression over West Bengal and adjoining south-western part of Bangladesh remained practically stationary and it could stay over the same area for the day.

Under its influence, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Feni, Laxmipur, Bhola, Barisal, Patuakhali, Borguna, Chandpur, Pirozpur, Jhalokathi, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by a wind driven surge of 2-4 feet above normal astronomical tide and it could continue for next one or two days, according to the bulletin.

The depression was likely to move in a north-northwesterly direction further in land and weaken gradually by giving precipitation, it forecast.

Under its influence, steep pressure gradient would persist over the north bay. Squally weather may continue over the maritime ports and coastal areas of Bangladesh and the sea would remain rough, the bulletin said.

Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla were advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three (r) three.

All fishing boats and trawlers over the north bay were advised to remain in shelter until further notice.

bdnews24.com/sh/nir/2220h

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Info commissioner busts freedom myth

Dhaka, June 18 (bdnews24.com) ? Information commissioner Sadeka Halim has expressed her reservations on the actual freedom enjoyed by the Information Commission ? formed to implement the Right to Information Act.

"The Information Commission is said to be independent. But the commission has to work in tandem with the public administration ministry, information ministry and the finance ministry. So, it is an issue of scrutiny how much it is independent," she said.

Sadeka was addressing an experience exchange meeting, titled "Implementation of the Right to Information Act: Experiences of the Journalists", organised jointly by World Bank Institute (WBI) and Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) at a hotel in the city's Karwan Bazar.

In such a situation, she remarked, proper steps should be taken to create scope for the commission to work freely and to implement the Right to Information Act.

Sadeka said that the commission was not functioning properly, as it was operating with only a fourth of the manpower it needed.

She said most of the complaints came from the union council and upazila levels. However, they could not go to those areas for want of vehicles in proper shape.

The information commissioner claimed that they had so far disposed of 33 complaints, two complaints were underway and the commission would take 22 more complaints in its cognizance for disposal.

Addressing the discussion, Farid Hossain, Bangladesh bureau chief of the AP news agency, said the Right to Information Act was not only for journalists, but also for the people at large. He alleged that the act was not of much use in day-to-day journalistic activities, as it took long time to provide information. "However, the act is effective in investigative journalism."

The AP man said the implementation of the act was in primary level, although it was passed two years ago. He also claimed that the people were unaware of the act in most of the areas.

Information affairs secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamun said that some 10,000 information officers were recruited in different government and non-government organisations of the country to implement the act. "But the officers are not discharging their duties properly as they are not given any honorarium for additional work."

Chaired by editor-in-chief and chief executive officer of Boishakhi TV Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, the discussion was addressed, among others, by news editor of English national The Daily Star Ziaul Haq Swapan, director (governance) of Manusher Jonno Foundation Farzana Naim and executive director of MRDI Hasibur Rahman Mukur.

bdnews24.com/mk/kms/skb/2300h

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Hartal alternative: Quader formula

Dhaka, June 17 (bdnews24.com)?Awami League presidium member Obaidul Quader says staging peaceful rallies could be an alternative to general strike.

"Please, don't harm people trying to hit Awami League. Hartal is a tool that only inflicts sufferings on the poor," Quader said on Friday, referring to the opposition's shutdowns.

He made the suggestion at a discussion on budget and opposition politics, organised by Bangabandhu Academy at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity.

Quader, a former Awami League junior minister for sports, invited BNP to parliament to join discussions on the much-talked-about caretaker government issue.

"The government won't bow under the pressure of movement, but logical arguments in dialogue can work," he told the discussion.

BNP and the government have been at loggerheads over the caretaker issue since May 31, when prime minister Sheikh Hasina said there was no scope to retain the system as the court abolished it. She rather preferred polls under a fortified Election Commission.

Hasina recently asked the BNP to join parliament and place an 'alternative formula' on the issue.

The opposition maintains that they would not join the next general elections without a caretaker government in place.

Opposition chief Khaleda Zia on Thursday rejected the proposal for discussion.

She said: "She [Hasina] keeps saying over and over something that is not there in the verdict. The verdict says 'the Constitution (13th Amendment) Act. 1996 (Act 1 of 1996) is prospectively declared void and ultra vires the constitution'. Which means the system is not void yet.

"The verdict will be effective only after holding of the next two elections under the caretaker system. This is, in fact, mentioned in the latter part of the verdict," she added.

If the caretaker provision is retained, the former prime minister said, she was willing to join such discussions either 'inside or outside parliament'.

The Supreme Court on May 10 repealed the 13th Amendment to the constitution that introduced the caretaker government. But the court said the next two general elections could be held under unelected governments and gave parliament the liberty to decide on the issue.

Quader said the apex court had repealed the system in the first part of the verdict--the legal part--and in the latter part--political--it asked to consider peace, discipline and security.

To resolve the issue, he said, "The ice of crisis has to be melted first."

bdnews24.com/mmr/pks/sam/1720h

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Depression weakening

Dhaka, June 17 (bdnews24.com) ? The Meteorological (Met) Department has asked Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla maritime ports to display local cautionary signal number three over a land deep depression.

In a warning issued on Friday evening, the department says the depression over the south-western part of Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal moved slightly north-northwestwards, weakening into a land depression, now lying over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh area.

"It is likely to move towards the north-northwesterly direction further in land and weaken gradually by giving precipitation," the warning message reads.

It says squally weather may continue over the maritime ports and coastal areas of the country, while the sea could remain rough.

"Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three," it adds.

According to the message, low-lying areas of the coastal districts ? Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Feni, Laxmipur, Bhola, Barisal, Patuakhali, Barguna, Chandpur, Pirojpur, Jhalokati, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira ? and their offshore islands and shoals are likely to be inundated by a wind-driven surge one to three feet above the normal astronomical tide.

It has advised all fishing boats and trawlers over the northern bay to remain at shelters until further notice.

bdnews24.com/mhc/pd/ost/ssr/2300h

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Polls leave Akhaura port out of business

Brahmanbaria, June 18 (bdnews24.com) ? All activities at Akhaura land port have come to a halt due to Union Parishad elections set to be held in the area on Sunday.

"There'll be no trading through the port on Saturday and Sunday," port's C&F Agent Association general secretary Monir Hossain Babul told bdnews24.com.

Babul said the port activities were suspended following a decision taken by the exporters-importers' association because of the local body elections.

"There'll no trading also on Sunday as it's a holiday in India. However, passengers can pass through the port," he said.

Customs official Abul Bashar Chowdhury said the export-import through the land port would resume on Monday.

bdnews24.com/corr/ra/pks/sam/1500h

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Defence buys up in last fiscal

Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Dhaka, June 17 (bdnews24.com) ? Arms and ammunition imports increased by a million dollar in the last fiscal, with China being the top exporter to Bangladesh.

The country imported $24.61 million worth of arms and ammunition and parts and accessories in 2009-10 fiscal, while it was $23.71 million in the previous fiscal, according to Bangladesh Bank data.

China exported about $17 million worth of arms and ammunition in the last fiscal compared to about $10 million in the preceding fiscal.

The US, the UK, France and Russia jointly supplied about $0.11 million worth of arms and ammunition in 2009-10 fiscal, while it was about $7.4 million in the previous fiscal.

The finance minister in the proposed budget for 2011-12 fiscal has imposed 100 per cent supplementary duty on bomb, grenade, torpedo, mine, missile, revolver and pistol and similar explosives.

The minister has proposed to raise the defence spending of the country by Tk 27.76 billion to Tk 119.55 billion in the next fiscal.

It is 7.3 percent of the total budget size of Tk 1.64 trillion for the fiscal 2011-12.

For the current fiscal, the defence budget is 6.9 per cent of the Tk 1.32 trillion budget.

The revised spending, however, increased to Tk 93.22 billion from the original expenditure of Tk 91.79 billion.

Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith in his budget speech for 2011-12 on June 9 said the government had taken steps to modernise the defence system.

"There is no alternative to augmenting the defence capacity of the country through modernisation of armed forces," he said.

The government has taken steps to provide training to the three forces to enhance their operational capacity and efficiency.

"Side by side, we have been trying to procure modern equipment and modern technology-based military hardware and to enhance other benefits for the defence forces," he said.

He said approximately a total of 9,000 members of three forces were working in peace-keeping missions of the United Nations.

"Our armed forces have not only glorified the image of Bangladesh but also made significant contribution to the economy," he said.

"We believe that they will continue to leave their mark in the international arena in the similar fashion as they are doing now," he added.

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