07-03-2018

UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY
WeDNeSDAy, DHAKA, MARCH 7, 2018, FAlgUN 23, 1424 BS, JAMADI-US-SANI 18, 1439 HIJRI
The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visiting the stalls of jute product yesterday after inaugurating a threeday
multipurpose jute product fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). Photo : PID
UN body on economic,
social, cultural rights
to review BD Mar 15-16
DHAKA : The UN
Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights is
meeting in Geneva from
March 12 to 29 to review a
number of countries, including
Bangladesh, reports UNB.
Other countries are Mexico
(12-13 Mar), Niger (13-14
Mar), Central African
Republic (19-20 Mar), Spain
(21-22 Mar) and New Zealand
(22-23 Mar).
The committee will review
Bangladesh on March 15-16,
according to a message UNB
received from Geneva on
Tuesday.
The meetings will take place
on the first floor conference
room at Palais Wilson in
Geneva.
The above States are among
the 166 that have ratified the
International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR), and so are
reviewed by the Committee on
how they are implementing
the Covenant.
The Committee, which is
composed of 18 independent
human rights experts, will
meet delegations from the
respective States to examine a
range of issues relating to the
Covenant.
Colorful Rolling Grasslands
of Palouse
INTERESTING NEWS
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern
United States, encompassing
parts of southeastern Washington,
north central Idaho and, in some definitions,
extending south into northeast
Oregon. Located just south of Spokane,
the Palouse is a rich farming area of
some 3,000 square miles primarily producing
wheat and legumes. This area is
characterized by beautiful rolling hills,
lush green dunes and rich deep soil. For
photographers, the Palouse is an exciting
area to explore, in large measure
because it is comparatively unknown.
The peculiar and picturesque silt
dunes of the Palouse Prairie were
formed thousands of years ago during
Unlock potentials of jute,
jute products: PM
DHAKA : Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday
urged all to work sincerely
for unlocking the huge
potentials of jute and jute
products, reports UNB.
"Jute is our national
asset...this is an agricultural
product and industrial material
as well...its multipurpose
use is important for us...we
can expedite our socioeconomic
development by using
it," she said.
The Prime Minister said
this while speaking at the
National Jute Day-2018 programme
and inaugurating a
three-day multipurpose jute
product fair at Bangabandhu
International Conference
Centre (BICC). The Ministry
of Textiles and Jute organised
the function at
Bangabandhu International
Conference Centre (BICC)
with Textiles and Jute
Minister M Emaz Uddin
Pramanik in the chair.
Sheikh Hasina said jute
and jute products have good
demand both in the country
and elsewhere in the world
as people are now very much
aware about using ecofriendly
items.
"We can produce better
jute and jute products. If we
can work together, we can
tap the enormous potentials
of jute for country's development,"
she said.
Hasina laid emphasis on
regaining the past glory of
jute and its products. "We're
taking programmes for jute
development, its collection
and preservation."
She also said people related
with the jute sector
should look at new items
and markets for exporting
jute goods to fetch more foreign
currencies. "We must
not stick to one or two items
for our export basket...we
have to diversify our export
as well as grab new markets."
Referring to decades-old
machinery in public jute
mills, the Prime Minister
said these have to be
replaced. "We've to take
steps to procure new
machines for these mills."
The prime minister urged
all, including officials and
workers, to be sincere in protecting
the mills as these
provide their livelihood.
"You must protect these
industries and boost production,"
she said.
State Minister Mirza
Azam, chairman of the
the ice ages. Blown in from the glacial
outwash plains to the west and south,
the Palouse hills consist of more or less
random humps and hollows. The steepest
slopes may reach 50% slope while
the lowest low ranges from 5 to 130 cm
deep. Large areas of level land are rare.
The vast expanses of the rolling
Palouse hills were once covered with
native grassland before European settlers
moved into the area and began
intensive farming. Unlike some other
North American grasslands, such as the
short grass prairies of the Great Plains
and tall grass prairies of the Midwest,
neither fires nor extensive grazing by
large herbivores were historically a part
of the Palouse grassland ecology.
Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Ministry of
Textiles and Jute Saber
Hossain Chowdhury were
present as special guests.
Jute and Textiles Secretary
M Faizur Rahman
Chowdhury delivered the
welcome address.
Earlier, Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina handed over
National Jute Award among
12 individuals and organisations
under 11 categories for
their contributions to development
of the jute sector.
The 11 categories are best
jute grower, best jute seed
producer, best multi-jute
products producer jute mill,
best jute product producer
government jute mill, best
jute product producer nongovernment
jute mill, best
raw jute exporter, best jute
product exporter, best jute
fibre, best multi-jute product
exporter, best jute product
producer and highest jute
supplier organisation and
best multi-jute product producer.
Besides, the Prime
Minister handed over
awards to six winners of a
countrywide essay competition
in two categories at the
same function.
Ride sharing
service policy
to be effective
from Mar 8
DHAKA : The Ridesharing
Service Guideline 2017 of
Bangladesh Road Transport
Authority (BRTA) will come
into force from March 8,
reports UNB.
The ministry on February
22 issued a notice in this
regard.
Under the guideline,
ridesharing service companies
will have to collect
'Ridesharing Services
Company Enlistment
Certificate' while the motor
vehicle owners have to collect
'Ridesharing Motor
Vehicle
Enlistment
Certificate'.
Earlier on January 15, the
Cabinet approved the draft
of Ridesharing Service
Guideline 2017 to bring the
app-based transport services
under a legal framework.
Zia Orphanage
Trust case:
Now Kamal
files bail pleas
DHAKA : Salimul Haq
Kamal, one of the convicts
in the much-talked-about
Zia Orphanage Trust graft
case, has filed a separate
petition with the High
Court seeking bail in the
case, reports UNB.
Lawyer Palash Chandra
Roy filed the bail pleas on
Tuesday.
On February 8, the
Dhaka Special Court-5 convicted
former Prime
Minister and BNP
Chairperson Khaleda Zia
and sentenced her to five
years' imprisonment in the
Zia Orphanage Trust graft
case.
Five other accused in the
case-BNP senior vice-chairman
Tarique Rahman, former
BNP MP Salimul Haq
Kamal and businessman
Sharfuddin Ahmed, former
principal secretary Kamal
Uddin Siddique and
Mominur Rahman,
nephew of late President
Ziaur Rahman-were sentenced
to 10 years' imprisonment
each in the case.
6 African zebras make
public debut at Ctg Zoo
CHITTAGONG : A total of six zebras which were recently
brought from Africa are now open for public viewing at
Chittagong Zoo, reports UNB.
Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Zillur Rahman officially
released those animals inside the zoo on Tuesday noon. The government
brought six zebras from Africa at a cost of Tk 48 lakh,
he said adding that four of them are female and two male. He
also hoped that this addition will bring more viewers to the zoo.
Ruhul Amin, curator of Chittagong Zoo, said that for the first
time this species of zebra from Africa's Pretoria are included in
the zoo. A couple of tigers were also brought here from South
Africa in 2016.
Narcotics dept cops suspended
for taking alcohol
KHULNA : The DepartmentofNarcoticsControlhere has suspended
one of its sub-inspectors and a constable for consuming
alcohol and creating chaos in drunken condition, reports UNB.
The suspended cops were identified as Monojit Kumar
Biswash, sub-inspector of Khulna NarcoticsControlDepartment
('ka' circle) and Md Selim, constable of Detective Branch. Earlier
on February 27, Monojit and Selim went to Batiaghata Police
Station to file a case against some drug addicts but created chaos
there in drunken condition, said Md Rasheduzzaman, deputydirector
of NarcoticsControlDepartment. The matter was later
noticed by the authority after it was published in media and necessary
action was taken, he said.
Serial killer Rashu Kha, two others
to die for killing woman
CHANDPUR : A court here on Tuesday convicted three people
including notorious serial killer Rashu Kha and awarded them
capital punishment in a case filed over killing a woman after rape
in 2009, reports UNB.
Chandpur Women and Children Repression Prevention
Tribunal Judge also District and Sessions Judge Abul Mannan
handed down the verdict after examining all records and witnesses,
said Mir Kashem, sub-inspector of Chandpur Sadar
Police Station. The death convicts are - Rashu Kha, 45, a notorious
serial killer of the area, his nephew Jahirul Islam, 35, and
Yunus Miah, 42.
No ban on BD workers' recruitment
in Kuwait: Shahriar
Temporary restrictions on Khadim visa, he says
DHAKA : The government has confirmed
that there has been no ban on recruitment of
Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait in various categories
but a temporary restriction is imposed
on Visa20 category, better known as Khadim
visa, reports UNB.
"This is wrong reporting based on partial
information published in foreign media," State
Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam,
now on a visit to Kuwait, told UNB over phoneon
Tuesdayciting reports run by a section of
Bangladesh media. He said a section of people
violated the rules of Visa20 category and
brought more than one person for single family.
For this reason, the State Minister said, the
visa for this particular category will remain
restricted until further notice. "But visa for
other catogories remains open for
Bangladeshi," he said.
The State Minister said the government is
sincerely working to stop irregular migration.
"We will help Kuwait government in this
regard."
"We requested Kuwait government to issue
family visa for people who are working for long
time. They told us they will actively consider
that," he said. He said he talked to Bangladesh
community in Kuwaiton Mondayand gave necessary
directives to work together to stop irregular
migration.
The State Minister said there is no restriction
for Visa18 (company visa and labour) and
Visa17 (government offices) categories.
He said Visa18 category is the most widely
used one.
Meanwhile, the State Minister held separate
meetings with Deputy Foreign Minister of
Kuwait Khaled Sulaiman Al-Jarallah
andChairman of Kuwait Chamber of
Commerce and Industries Ali Mohammed
Thunayan Al-Ghanim. They discussed various
issues of mutual interest.
Kuwait started hiring Bangladeshi workers
in 1976 and until 2007 around 480,000 workers
were recruited, according to data available.
However, the Gulf state stopped recruiting
Bangladeshi workers in 2007 after its authorities
had detected irregularities in their recruitment
process and involvement in illegal activities.
BNP worries about Khaleda's
health condition in jail
DHAKA : BNP on Monday
voiced concern over the
health condition of its jailed
chairperson Khaleda Zia as
she has been suffering from
various diseases and
demanded the government
immediately ensure her proper
treatment, reports UNB
"Our chairperson's physicians
have said she has long
been suffering from various
ailments, including respiratory,
eye, knee and heart problems
and high-blood pressure.
Though her specialised
doctors repeatedly went to the
jail gate, the authorities didn't
allow them to visit her," said
BNP senior joint secretary
general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a press briefing
at the party's Nayapaltan central
office, he further said,
"We don't know under which
condition she (Khaleda) has
been there in jail. We're
deeply concerned over her illness.
We strongly demand the
government ensure her proper
treatment." The BNP leader
also demanded the government
immediately release her
from jail. "A three-time Prime
Minister, two-time
Opposition Leader and elderly
and sick politician like
Khaleda Zia is being tortured
keeping her in jail. We think it
is the utter violation of human
rights."
He alleged that the authorities
concerned are willingly
buying time to send the lower
courts documents to the High
Court regarding the verdict
against Khaleda Zia in Zia
Orphanage Trust graft case
only to prolong her stay in jail.
Rizvi strongly protested and
condemned the arrest of
Swechchhasebak Dal president
Shafiul Bari Babu from
BNP's human chain programme
in front of the Jatiya
Press Club today.
He alleged that law
enforcers and ruling party
men attacked their party leaders
and followers, and foiled
their scheduled human chain
programme at different parts
of the country, including
Thakurgaon, Jessore and
Kushtia.
Rizvi said an Indian web
portal ran a false and fabricated
report quoting a fake
Facebook status of their party
acting chairman Tarique
Rahman with an ulterior
motive. "We've long been saying
Tarique Rahman has no
Facebook and Twitter
accounts." He said their
party's sit-in programme
scheduled for Thursday will
be held in front of the Jatiya
Press Club from 11am to 12
noon instead of the party's
Nayapaltan central office.
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