26-07-2018

UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY
THuRSDAy, DHAkA, JuLy 26, 2018, SRABAN 12, 1425 BS, ZILqAD 11, 1439 HIJRI
No inventory of Barapukuria
coal since 2006: Nasrul Hamid
DHAKA : Petrobangla never made any
inventory since start of the Barapukuria coalmine
operation and supply of the coal to the
nearby Barapukuria power plant in 2006,
reports UNB.
State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul
Hamid on Wednesday said this while talking
to newsmen after receipt of a probe report
carried out by Petrobangla on huge volume of
missing coal from the Barapukuria coal mine.
"It seems all officials at the Barapukuria
mine are involved in such irregularities and
corruption. Action will be taken as per report
against the persons involved in the wrongdoings,"
he told reporters at Bangladesh
Secretariat.
"I received the probe report just now on
Wednesday. I'm yet to go through it. I have to
study it and then I can make comment", he
told reporters.
The state-owned Petrobangla formed a 3-
member inquiry committee, headed by its
director (mining) Quamruzzaman after it
detected alleged disappearance of 146,000
metric tons of coal from its subsidiary
Barapukuria coal-mine in Dinajpur.The
unusual shortage in coal supply led to the
forced shutdown of the nearby Barapukuria
power plant which triggered a huge power cut
in the country's northern region.
When it came to the notice of the Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, she expressed anger
and ordered for forming a high-power committee.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC) also formed a three-member
probe committee to look into the 'disappearance
of coal' from Barapukuria coal mine
and filed a criminal case against some 19 top
officials of the coal mine. According to an ACC
unofficial note, Managing Director of
4 killed in 'gunfights' in 3 dists
DHAKA : Two alleged drug traders and two
suspected robbers were killed in separate 'gunfights'
with law enforcing agencies in Khulna,
Rajshahi and Jashore districts early
Wednesday, reports UNB.
In Jashore, police recovered the bullet-hit
bodies of two suspected robbers on Jashore-
Manirampur road at Kanaitala in Sadar upazila
around 2:55 am.
The identities of the deceased could not be
known immediately.
Apurba Hasan, officer-in-charge of Kotwali
Police Station, said acting on secret information
that two gangs of robbers were exchanging
bullets, a team of police went there, recovered
the bodies and sent those to Jashore General
Hospital. The law enforcers also recovered
three sharp weapons and some rope from the
spot.
In Khulna, listed drug trader Emran alias
Rocky, 22, was killed in a reported gunfight
with members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)
at Maheshwarpur in Daulatpur upazila early
Wednesday.
Emran was the son another top listed drug
trader Sheikh Mizanur Rahman alias Hatakata
Mizan of the area.
Tipped off, a team of Rab-6 gave a signal to
a motorbike carrying three people to stop
around 3 am, said ASP Bazlur Rashid of
Rab-6.
Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Habib
Uddin Ahmed and others allegedly sold 1.16
lakh tonnes of coal and embezzled Tk 200
crore.
The districts which are facing power crisis
due to the shutdown of the plant include
Rangpur, Panchagarh, Nilphamari,
Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Dinajpur
and Thakurgaon as they receive power supply
mainly from the Barapukuria plant.
Officials said the authorities were trying to
ensure power supply to the districts from
alternative sources like power plants in other
districts-Sirajganj, Khulna and Rajshahi.
Officials said the shortage of coal suddenly
came to their notice a few days back when a
team from PDB visited the coal mine and
found that there was no adequate reserve of
coal in the yard of the mine.
They found that there was only 6,000
tonnes of coal reserved in the yard which
would meet the requirement of only 2-3 days.
The coal production in the Barapukuria coal
mine was suspended for about one and half
months under a programme to change the
mining shaft.
But the PDB was assured by the BCMCL
authorities of continuing the coal supply from
the reserved coal during the closure of the
mine operation.
PDB officials said the power plant requires
about 4,500 tonnes of coal a day when all the
three units are in operation. But now two
units remain off and only the third unit with
275MW capacity was operating to a tune of
130 MW.
The issue was immediately communicated
with Petrobangla, they said.
Petrobangla top officials identified inconsistency
in the coal reserve at the coal mine
yard.
Defying the Rab signal, the criminals opened
fire to Rab, forcing them to fire back in selfdefence.
At one stage, Rab recovered the body of
Emran along with a revolver, three bullets and
308 pieces of Yaba tablets from the spot.
Emran was wanted in seven cases, said the
Rab official.
In Rajshahi, Sazzad Hossain, another suspected
drug trader and son of Saim Uddin of
Haripur Banpara village, was killed in a 'gunfight'
with Rab at Kasba in Poba upazila early
Wednesday.
Tipped off, a team of Rab-5 conducted a
drive in the area around 1am. Sensing the presence
of the elite force, the criminals opened fire
on them that prompted Rab members to swing
into action, said deputy commanding officer of
Rab-5 Major AM Ashraful Islam.
After a brief gunfight, Rab members recovered
the body of Sazzad and sent it to Rajshahi
Medical College Hospital morgue. He was
wanted in seven/eight cases, said the Rab official.
With the latest deaths, at least 148 people
were killed in 'gunfights' with members of law
enforcement agencies while 37 bodies of suspected
drug traders were recovered after
reported gun battles between rival groups during
the countrywide anti-narcotic drives
since15 May.
DI delegation
discusses election
issues with
AL leaders
DHAKA : A delegate of
Democracy International
(DI) met the members of
the international sub-committee
of Bangladesh
Awami League (AL) at its
Dhanmondi party office on
Wednesday and discussed
election issues, reports
UNB.
Democracy International
co-founder and CEO Glenn
Cowan and Chief of Party in
Bangladesh Katie Croake
were, among others, present
representing the DI.
Road Transport and
Bridges Minister and AL
General Secretary Obaidul
Quader and AL International
Affairs Secretary Dr Shammi
Ahmed led the AL delegation
at the meeting.
The meeting was also
attended by subcommittee
members Ambassador
Shahed Reza, Dr Salim
Mahmud, Tarik Shomi,
Barrister Shah Ali Farhad,
and Mustaq Khan.
Representatives engaged
in fruitful discussions on different
aspects of national
and local level elections,
expressed their opinions on
various issues and pledged to
strengthen mutual relationship
and association, said a
press release.
Rehabilitate those
living on hill slopes,
Anisul to DCs
DHAKA : Environment and
Forests Minister Anisul
Islam Mahmud on
Wednesday instructed the
deputy commissioners concerned
to take necessary
steps for rehabilitating those
living on the hill slopes amid
risk of landslides, reports
UNB.
"The reason behind the
death in landslides is illegal
structures and tree felling. If
the local administration
doesn't not any initiative for
evicting the illegal structures,
then the problem will continue,"
said the Minister while
talking to the deputy commissioners
at a meeting on
the 2nd day of DC conference
at the Secretariat.
He also stressed the need
for massive tree plantation to
prevent landslide incidents.
"Many people who have no
land are making makeshift
houses in the hilly areas. The
evicted people again return
to the hills and started living
there after the end of the
eviction drive," he said.
Anisul also urged the DCs
to remain alert as monsoon
will remain for two months
more.
Month-long National Tree Fair is being held in the city's Sher-e-Bangla area. Tree-loving people are
coming in the fair.
Photo : Star Mail
Over half of city
polls candidates
businessmen: Shujan
DHAKA : More than 52 percent
of the total 548 candidates,
who are vying for mayor
and ward councillor posts in
the upcoming polls to three
city corporations, are businessmen
by profession.
While addressing a press
conference at Jatiya Press Club
organised to share the affidavits
of candidates contesting
in the upcoming city polls, civil
rights body Shushashoner
Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) said
this on Wednesday, reports
UNB.
Presenting a report, Shujan
representative Dilip Kumar
Sarkar also said at least 43
percent of the candidates taking
part in the three elections
have educational background
below the secondary level.
Elections to three city corporations
in Sylhet, Barishal
and Rajshahi are billed for
July 30.
In the programme, Dilip
also presented the information
of the candidates'
income status, picture of
their assets, number of cases
against them, their loan status
and description and
assessment of financial status
of all mayoral candidates in
the press conference.
Local government expert
Dr. Tofayel Ahmed said the
EC did not properly check the
information provided by the
candidates in their affidavits
and he urged that the EC
must verify the information
appropriately.
Shujan said, the Election
Commission (EC) has lost the
credibility, which was earlier
gained through successful
holding of polls in
Narayanganj, Cumilla and
Rangpur cities,
The civil rights body said
EC could not take any clear
step to prevent several incidents
of electoral code of conduct
violations already taken
place centring the upcoming
city polls.
That's why, Shujan
observed, public trust on EC
is eroding.
Mentioning the incidents
of bomb blast in Rajshahi, filing
of cases against the
activists of BNP mayoral candidate
in Sylhet and arrests of
several persons, Shujan said
these incidents are making
people worried and concerned
about the fairness of
the election.
Dilip Kumar Sarkar, said
"Before the National
Parliament election these city
polls are the biggest ones
organised by the EC and if
the EC fails to arrange elections
in a free and fair way, it
will give a negative impression
about EC among the
public."
Return of Bangabandhu's
killer to boost Dhaka-
Washington ties: Minister
DHAKA : Foreign Minister
AH Mahmood Ali has said the
return of Rashed Chowdhury,
a convicted killer of Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to
face justice would create a
tremendous amount of goodwill
about the United States
among the people of
Bangladesh, reports UNB.
Foreign Minister Ali had a
bilateral meeting with Deputy
Secretary of State John J
Sullivan on Tuesday at the
United States Department of
State in Washington, D.C. and
requested the US administration
to return Rashed
Chowdhury.
In response, Deputy
Secretary Sullivan stated that
he is aware of the issue and the
United States Department of
Justice is dealing with this, according
to Bangladesh
Embassy in Washington.
The Foreign Minister urged
the US administration to remain
engaged with Myanmar
to ensure dignified, safe and
sustainable return of the
forcibly displaced Rohingyas.
Acknowledging the fact that
it is a staggering burden on
Bangladesh to host 1.1 million
forcibly displaced Rohingyas
from Myanmar, Deputy
Secretary Sullivan assured that
the United States would continue
to work with Myanmar
government for their early
repatriation.
Minister Ali urged Deputy
Secretary Sullivan to continue
pressure on Myanmar.
In response, the Deputy
Secretary said the United
States would continue its pressure
on Myanmar to create safe
and secure conditions in
Northern Rakhine for repatriation
of the forcibly displaced
Myanmar nationals from
Bangladesh to their homes in
Myanmar.
During the bilateral meeting,
Sullivan profusely thanked
Bangladesh for its role in addressing
the Rohingya crisis.
The Foreign Minister is currently
visiting Washington,
D.C. at the invitation of
Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo to lead the
Bangladesh delegation at the
first-ever meeting on Advance
Religious Freedom.
The State Department is
hosting the high-level global
meeting on religious freedom
on July 25-26.
Mahmood Ali conveyed sincere
thanks and appreciation
of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina to the US President
Donald Trump and his administration,
for the strong and
consistent humanitarian and
political support to Bangladesh
in dealing with this massive
humanitarian crisis.
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