Banner Advertiser

Friday, September 9, 2011

[ALOCHONA] Shrinking Teesta wreaks havoc on life in North



Shrinking Teesta wreaks havoc on life in North

Withdrawal of upstream water by India drastically reduces flow in last 25 years severely affecting people in the region


Massive shoals are seen in the middle of the Teesta at Kaunia upazila in Rangpur as the river's downstream is shrinking fast. A Google Earth image, inset, shows how water of the river is being diverted through a canal from Gazoldoba barrage in the Indian state of Paschimbanga.

The withdrawal of Teesta waters by India continues to play havoc with the lives of the people in Bangladesh's northern region.

During the dry season, the flow of water in the river's downstream dwindles to 1,000 cusecs from around 5,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second), say sources at the Water Development Board's hydrology department.

It has been like this for the last 25 years for Gazoldoba barrage and some other dams built by India in the upper basin.

Though a signatory to the 1997 UN Watercourse Convention, which stipulates a "no-harm principle" in the use and conservation of trans-boundary rivers, India takes up most of the Teesta waters during the lean period, spelling disaster for the people in the land downstream.

"The Teesta has been shrinking fast for the last 10 years. Before 2000, we didn't dare to swim the river. Now we cross it by walking," said Taher Mollah of Char Gobordhon in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat district.

Water board officials said the volume of water in the Teesta drops steeply in December-March because India holds back almost all water in that period.

The flow in February used to be 4,000 cusecs at the minimum before India built Gazoldoba barrage in 1985.

Recently, The Daily Star correspondents have visited several villages along the river and talked to locals there to know how their lives are being affected by the retention of water in the upstream.

Fishermen, farmers, boatmen and small traders said many of them have been forced to change livelihood, as the river stays dry for at least six months a year.

Abdul Khaleque, 60, of Panjor Bhanga village in Kawnia upazila under Rangpur district is a fisherman. He said he can catch hardly 10 percent of the fish he used to catch 20 years ago.

Porimol, 65, of Char Vuthnath in the same upazila said his income from fishing started to decrease 15 years back, and things got so bad that he had to sell his boat 10 years ago. Now he uses a hand-net to catch fish, but what he earns that way is not enough to feed his family.

Life is even harder for the boatmen. Nazir of Char Vuthnath said he sits idle from September to March as the river runs dry during that period.

Latif, 50, a bamboo trader at Dushmara Char under Kownia upazila, said he used to carry hundreds of bamboo poles to Dhaka by the river all year round. "But the water flow now is low for nine months a year, leaving barely three months for us to do trade," he added.

Mohiuddin of Kalmati in Lalmonirhat said that farmers like him were once used to bumper years for rice. "But those days are long gone. Harvests have been very poor particularly in the last 10 years."

Around 30,000 acres of char (land emerged from river) on the Teesta lies unused for years as farmers cannot grow rice and other crops there for lack of water in the river, said sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension in Lalmonirhat.

The water table has been going down by around two feet a year in the northern region due to excessive use of ground water for irrigation.

Many Boro farmers are switching to tobacco cultivation since they cannot get the water needed to grow Boro rice in February and March. This trend is adversely affecting the country's food production.

Tobacco cultivation, which needs less water but poses serious hazard to human health and ecology, has almost doubled in the northern districts in the last couple of years.

The insufficient flow of water has also rendered useless the Teesta barrage, which Bangladesh built at Dalia point in Nilphamari for Tk 1,500 crore in 1990.

Originally, the barrage project planned to irrigate around 300,000 hectares of land in Rangpur, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Dinajpur, Bogra and Joypurhat districts during the dry season.

Under phase-I, the barrage was supposed to irrigate some 50,000 hectares of land in Rangpur and Nilphamari, said officials at the Water Development Board. But records show it could irrigate hardly 15,000 hectares of land on average.

Phase-II, which was aimed at irrigating areas in Dinajpur, Bogra, Gaibandha and Joypurhat, could not be implemented for lack of water in the river.

Sources close to the project said at least 40,000 cusecs of water is needed to irrigate the entire cultivable land in winter. Without this, the objectives of the project are bound to fail.

Sufferings of the people in the northern districts continue in the rainy season as well when too much water released from the upstream causes floods.

India started building Gazoldoba barrage some 70 kilometres upstream from Dalia point soon after Bangladesh began constructing the Teesta barrage in 1983. The Indian barrage opened after two years, while Bangladesh's took seven years to be in operation.

Originating from the Indian portion of the Himalayas, the Teesta enters Bangladesh at Kaliganj village under Satnai union of Dimla upazila in Nilphamari district. It courses 45 kilometres through Nilphamari, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts before meeting the Brahmaputra in Kurigram.

The river has lately come into public discussion, as there were high expectations that an agreement would be reached on its water sharing during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka on September 6-7.

However, the deal fell through at the eleventh hour, to utter frustration of millions living by the Teesta.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=201838


__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Mosquito trap (Dengue prevention)



Mosquito trap (Dengue prevention)

     

 

  It is just a mix of water, brown sugar and yeast.  

How to do it????? Follow these simple steps::----

1. Cut a plastic bottle in half, keep both parts. Can be Coca Cola / Pepsi bottle.

2.   Take the lower portion of the bottle. Dissolve the brown sugar in hot water. Let it cool down to ~70 deg F.

3.  Add the yeast. Carbon dioxide will form (This will attract the mosquitoes)

4.  Cover the bottle with a dark wrap and place the top portion upside down like a funnel. Place it in a corner in your house.

5.   In 2 weeks you will be surprised by the number of mosquitoes killed. Check this link and this other link.

 

 

 

 



__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Re: Low and disorder....



Train dacoity


http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/09/09/104218



http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/09/09/104233

On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 10:50 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:


http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/08/25/101586

http://www.thedailysangbad.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=College&pub_no=814&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&val=76435


On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 11:21 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:

8 cops sued, arrested for extortion



http://www.amadershomoy1.com/content/2011/08/23/news0782.htm
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/08/23/101120


http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/08/23/101156


http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=199868

On Sat, Aug 6, 2011 at 12:12 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Weekly Budhbar report



http://budhbar.com/?p=5968


On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 10:44 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:

44 children and 20 women were raped in July

http://www.unbconnect.com/component/news/task-show/id-54738


http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/08/02/96715


http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/08/02/96720
Three Indigenous slaughtered while trying to save girl from rape


http://unheardvoice.net/blog/2011/07/31/indigenous-girl-rape-by-bengali/








__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Re: FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT BETWEEN INDIA AND BANGLADESH



Some comments:

http://dailynayadiganta.com/2011/09/09/fullnews.asp?News_ID=298156&sec=1

http://dailynayadiganta.com/2011/09/09/fullnews.asp?News_ID=298206&sec=5

On Sat, Sep 10, 2011 at 10:13 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Zoglul Husain
zoglul@hotmail.co.uk  writes:

Hasina's agreement of subservience to India is a threat to our
independence and sovereignty. The people of Bangladesh cannot support
this sell out of national interest and surrender of sovereignty.
Except for may be the overt and covert lackeys of India, the people in
general will vehemently oppose the agreement.

Through this sordid agreement, India has attempted to bind Bangladesh
politically, economically, militarily, culturally, infrastructurally
and territorially with the help of Hasina regime. They want to reduce
Bangladesh to the status of Indian occupied Kashmir or Sikkim.

All the patriots must unite and develop political resistance to Indian
hegemonism. We will certainly defeat the overt and covert lackeys of
India and safeguard our independence and sovereignty.

Forwarding to you the Hasina-Manmohan Framework Agreement as published
in the Amar Desh, 10 September 2011, as follows

(Please click to read)
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/09/10/104416


On Thu, Sep 8, 2011 at 1:43 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Experts on Framework agreement



http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/09/08/104025




On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 3:04 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:


FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION FOR
DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA
AND
GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH



The Government of the Republic of India (hereinafter Government of India) and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (hereinafter Government of Bangladesh)

RECALLING the two countries' shared bonds of history, culture and common values;

DESIRIOUS of living in peace and harmony with each other and fostering good neighbourly relations based on sovereign equality, non¬interference in each other's internal affairs, and mutual respect and mutual benefit;

INSPIRED by an abiding faith in and total commitment to democracy, development, pluralism and peaceful co-existence;

REITERATING their common objective of eradicating poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease and promoting social justice and inclusive growth with a view to enabling their peoples to realize their potential to the full;

DESIROUS of promoting trans-border cooperation in the management of shared water resources, hydropower potentials and eco-systems and in the areas of connectivity and trade and economic cooperation;

CONVINCED that cooperation at the bilateral, sub-regional and regional levels will accelerate development and enable the two countries to realise their developmental aspirations, shared destiny and common vision of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia;

HAVE AGREED as under:

ARTICLE 1

 

To promote trade, investment and economic cooperation, which is balanced, sustainable and builds prosperity in both countries. Both Parties shall take steps to narrow trade imbalances, remove progressively tariff and non-¬tariff barriers and facilitate trade, by road, rail, inland waterways, air and shipping. Both Parties will encourage the development of appropriate infrastructure, use of sea ports, multi-modal transportation and standardization of means of transport for bilateral as well as sub-regional use.

ARTICLE 2



To enhance cooperation in sharing of the waters of common rivers, both Parties will explore the possibilities of common basin management of common rivers for mutual benefit. The Parties will cooperate in flood forecasting and control. They will cooperate and provide necessary assistance to each other to enhance navigability and accessibility of river routes and ports.

ARTICLE 3



To develop mechanisms for technical cooperation and exchange of advance information with respect to natural disasters. The Parties shall ¬also promote training and capacity building initiatives and cooperation between respective disaster management authorities, with a view to upgrading response mechanism.

ARTICLE 4



To establish arrangements for cooperation in generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, including electricity from renewable or other sources. The Parties also agree to use power grid connectivity to promote power exchanges to mutual economic advantage.

ARTICLE 5



To promote scientific, educational, cultural and people to people exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. These shall be implemented through programmes and joint initiatives in areas such as agriculture, education and culture, health, tourism, sports, science & technology and any other area that the Parties may agree. The Parties shall cooperate by means of exchange of data, scientific knowledge, collaborative research, training, common programmes and in any other manner as may be agreed between the two Parties.

ARTICLE 6



To develop and implement programmes for environmental protection and responding to the challenges of climate change through adaptation. The Parties shall collaborate on projects of mutual interest to preserve common eco-systems and, as far as practicable, coordinate their response in international fora.

ARTICLE 7



To harness the advantages of sub-regional cooperation in the power sector, water resources management, physical connectivity, environment and sustainable development for mutual advantage, including jointly developing and financing projects.

ARTICLE 8

 

To cooperate closely on issues relating to their national interests. Both parties shall work together to create a peaceful environment conducive for inclusive economic growth and development.

ARTICLE 9



To cooperate on security issues of concern to each other while fully respecting each other's sovereignty. Neither party shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the other.

ARTICLE 10



To establish a Joint Consultative Commission for effective and smooth implementation of this Agreement that shall meet once a year.

ARTICLE 11



The Agreement may be amended by mutual consent in order to enhance, deepen and widen the scope of cooperation, including regional / sub-regional expansion.

ARTICLE 12

 

This Agreement shall come into force on the date of its signing by the two Parties and shall remain in force until terminated by mutual consent in accordance with Para 2 of this Article.

Either Party may seek termination of this Agreement by giving a written notice to the other Party providing the reasons for seeking such termination. Before this Agreement is terminated, the Parties shall consider the relevant circumstances and hold consultations to address the reasons cited by the Party seeking termination in the Joint Consultative Commission.

Actions taken or agreements reached pursuant to this Agreement shall not be affected by its expiry or termination.

Done in Dhaka on the Sixth day of September, 2011, in two originals in English Language.

Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister                                                                  

Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister

Government of the Republic of
India

Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

 

http://www.mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=100018197&pid=2294


------------------------

ADDENDUM TO THE MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN INDIA AND BANGLADESH
TO FACILITATE OVERLAND TRANSIT TRAFFIC BETWEEN
BANGLADESH AND NEPAL



WHEREAS, on August 15, 1978, the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (hereinafter referred to as "parties") entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate overland transit traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal (hereinafter referred to as MOU).

WHEREAS, this Memorandum of Understanding remains in full force and effect, and

WHEREAS, the said parties now have agreed to make an addendum to the MOU to add new rail routes for facilitating overland transit traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. For the purpose of mutual benefits of the Parties, Para No. 04 of the MOU is amended and will read as follows :

(a) "Traffic in Transit" to/from Nepal and Bangladesh shall move through Indian territory by rail using Singhabad Railway station in India and Rohanpur Railway station in Bangladesh with their existing facilities. To ensure expeditious and smooth flow of such movement, necessary infrastructural facilities shall be provided by the two Parties within their respective territories.

(b) The existing rail route through Radhikapur Railway station in India and Birol Railway station in Bangladesh which has been suspended shall be brought into operation by converting Bangladesh portion into broad gauge. In this case, both the routes (proposed and the existing) shall be used for Nepal Transit Traffic by rail for additional operating convenience

(c) As far as feasible the "Traffic in Transit" to/from Nepal and Bangladesh shall move in full rake loads.

(d) For all "Traffic in Transit "from/to Nepal and Bangladesh, an additional One Time Lock (OTL) will be affixed by Indian customs at the border Land Customs Station (LCS) of entry into India which will be checked at the LCS of exit in India.

The Addendum to MOU shall enter into force from the date of its signing and remain in force till the validity of the MOU.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned duly authorised thereto by their respective Governments have signed this addendum to MOU.

Signed on this Sixth day of September, Two Thousand Eleven at Dhaka in two originals in English Language.

http://www.mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=501018198&flg=1







__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] 19 killed in clashes between student bodies since 2009



19 killed in clashes between student bodies since 2009




BCL found responsible for most of the casualties

Students' academic life has born the brunt of recurrent clashes between rival student organisations and factional infightings in the past two and a half years that have seen 19 students and student activists killed and played havoc with the academic atmosphere of a large number of the country's educational institutions.

According to newspaper reports, since the Awami League-led alliance came to power on January 6, 2009, several hundred students have also been injured in repeated clashes mainly between the activists of the AL-backed Bangladesh Chhatra League, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the Workers Party's student front – Bangladesh Chhatra Maitree, and the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.

The period has seen 19 students die in violent clashes at Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Chittagong universities, Dhaka Medical College, Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute, Khulna Government City College, Sylhet MC College, Comilla Victoria University College, Dewanganj Madrassah in Jamalpur, Mohammadpur in the capital city, Mehendiganj in Barisal, and in Khulna, Rangpur, and Narayanganj cities as well as Narail and Panchagarh towns.

BCL factional infightings accounted for 11 of the 19 students killed in this time. Of the rest, four ICB activists, two JCD members, and one of Chhatra Maitree have died in clashes over gaining supremacy at educational institutions and in different localities, submission of tender bids, and incidents of extortion and drug peddling. Besides, a former student leader of the Comilla Victoria University College was murdered by some BCL leaders when he protested their stalking of her wife.

To start with the last, BCL Rangpur district unit former joint secretary Masud Rana died in a factional clash on September 2 this year at Alamnagar in Rangpur city following a conflict over share of some money made from a Power Development Board tender.

On July 25, 2011, some leaders of BCL Comilla Victoria University College unit dispatched Nurul Islam Apel, a former vice president of the student union of the same college, when he went to them to protest against their stalking of his wife Ayesha Akther.

On March 20 this year in Khulna, BCL Terokhada upazila unit general secretary Imran Fakir was gunned down during a skirmish between the supporters of two chairman candidates in the run-up to the union parishad elections.

On February 12, 2011, BCL Dhaka Cantonment thana unit president Faruk Hossain was finished off on the premises of Adarsha Biddaniketan at Manikdi in the capital city in a clash to grab the control of the underworld of the area and extortion and drug peddling rackets.

In August 2010, BCL activist Palash Jamaddar of Mehendiganj upazila in Barisal was killed in an intra-party fight.

On July 12, 2010, rivals slew BCL activist Udayendu Singha, a third-year student of mathematic at the Sylhet MC College. 

BCL Dhaka city Adabar thana unit leader Wahiduzzaman was shot dead by a rival group on April 14, 2010 in the Pisciculture Housing Project area. 

On the 8th of that month, BCL Panchagarh municipality ward 1 unit organising secretary Faruk Hossain was done in a Chhatra League-Juba League scrap over the right to submit bids for leasing 10 ponds from the municipal authorities.

BCL Narail Sadar upazila unit president Amirul Islam Apu was finished off by a rival group of the organisation on March 20, 2010.

Eight days later, on March 28, Harunur Rashid Kaiser, a student of marketing at Chittagong University, was found dead near Baradighirpar in the port city, while AAM Mohiuddin Masum, a final-year student of political science at the university, was hacked to death at Sholoshahar Railway Station around one and a half months earlier, on February 11, 2010. The CU ICU unit claimed Mohiuddin was one of its members, termed the murder a politically motivated one, and blamed the BCL for the butchery.

BCL Jessore town unit convener Ripon Hossain was rubbed out by the activists of his rival faction on March 14 last year at Bhekutia Bazar on the outskirts of the town.

On February 3, 2010, Abu Bakar Siddique, a third-year student of Islamic history at Dhaka University, died at the DMCH from injuries sustained in a fierce fighting on the previous night between two BCL factions – one led by DU Sir F Rahman Hall unit president Saiduzzaman Faruq and the other by unit general secretary Mehdi Hasan Molla – aiming at to get enthroned as the group ruling the dormitory.

On January 7, 2010, a BCL group of activists snuffed out Chhatra Maitree Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute unit vice president Rezanur Chowdhury Sunny, six days into the incident of another BCL group in Khulna allegedly doing away with JCD leader Raihanul Islam Rabbi, a student of the Khulna Government City College, on January 1.

On March 31, 2009, BCL Dhaka Medical College unit general secretary Abul Kalam Asad Rajib was wasted in an infighting over extortion.

On 13th of the month, the ICS Rajshahi University unit secretary was killed in a turf war with BCL activists on the campus.

In the second week of January that year, Narayanganj City Corporation Ward 2 unit vice president Ibrahim Rony was done in during a BCL factional infighting over establishing dominance in the ward under Narayanganj Sadar police station.

BCL activists of Dewanganj Madrassah in Jamalpur were also blamed for slaying Hafej Ramzan Ali, an ICS activist of the same institution.

During the two-and-a-half-year period, the BCL also harassed and assaulted a large number of teachers of Chittagong and Jahangirnagar universities, Mymensingh Agricultural University, and other educational institutions.

At least 20 teachers of the Bangladesh Agricultural University were wounded when a group of BCL activists attacked them on August 8 last.

The university proctor, Abu Hadi Noor Ali, was the first to come under the attack for handing over to the police two students held on their suspected involvement in mugging in the university's botanical garden.

Proctor Mohammad Akhtar Hossain and assistant proctors Mohammad Monjur Morshed, Mohammad Moinul Islam, and Shipak Krishna Devnath of Chittagong University on August 1, 2011 tendered their resignations in protest against their harassment by groups of Chhatra League activists. However, they later withdrew the resignation letters, following a meeting with the university authorities.

On August 13, 2011, BCL activists foiled a teacher recruitment examination at the SD Degree College in Kotchandpur of Jhenaidah district. The BCL members also beat up the principal of the college, Amal Kumar Ghosh.

Chhatra League activists ransacked the office of CU Alaol Hall provost Hossain Kabir on February 18, 2011 over the issue of distribution of dormitory seats.

On May 22, 2011, BCL activists attacked a chemistry teacher of the Government Bangla College at Mirpur in the capital during an admission test. 

Many more skirmishes over tender-grabbing, extortion, and domination, among other issues, and other acts of violence carried out by Chhatra League, Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Shibir, and Chhatra Maitree members rocked different educational institutions including Dhaka, Chittagong, Jahangirnagar, and Jagannath universities, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology of Sylhet, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute, Islamic University of Kushtia, Khulna Medical College, Khulna BL College, Gournadi Government College in Barisal, Narail Government Victoria College, Feni Government College, Government Azizul Hoque College in Bogra, and Chittagong Polytechnic Institute.

When contacted, BCL president HM Badiuzzaman Shohag claimed his organisation did not tolerate any kind of violence on the campus in the past. 'We will not tolerate any violence in future, too.'

He also declared, 'If any one is found guilty of committing any violent act, he or she will be sacked from the organisation and handed over to the law-enforcers.'

According to Badiuzzaman, his organisation will rather help the law enforcement agencies maintain law and order in the country.

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/frontpage/32688.html


__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Tarique symbol of violent politics



Wikileaks

Tarique symbol of violent politics



Leaked cable discloses US envoy portrayed him as image of 'kleptocratic govt', saw him as serious threat to US interests in Bangladesh

Portraying Tarique Rahman as a symbol of "kleptocratic government and violent politics" in Bangladesh, the US embassy in Dhaka even recommended blocking his entry into the United States.

The embassy believed Tarique was "guilty of egregious political corruption that has had a serious adverse effect on US national interests", namely the stability of democratic institutions and US foreign assistance goals, a leaked US embassy cable says.

James F Moriarty, the then US ambassador, sent the confidential cable on November 3, 2008 to Washington and WikiLeaks published it on August 30 this year.

He cited several examples of Tarique's major corruption as he described his worries in the cable about the possible impact of giving him access into the US.

The decision in this regard, however, could not be known. Tarique has been staying in London since September 2008.

About six months after Moriarty's recommendation, Geeta Pasi, chargé d' affaires of US embassy in Dhaka, sent another cable to Washington on Tarique. It said the State Department was considering a determination for visa revocation for him under the Presidential Proclamation.

Tarique's corrupt practices have had deleterious effects on the US interests, Moriarty wrote, adding "His antics have weakened public confidence in government and eroded the stability of democratic institutions."

"Tarique's well-established reputation for flouting the rule of law directly threatens US financial assistance goals directed toward reforming legal codes, strengthening good governance and halting judicial abuses."

The bribery, embezzlement, and culture of corruption that the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's elder son has helped create and maintain in Bangladesh has directly and irreparably undermined US businesses, resulting in many lost opportunities, Moriarty wrote.

"His theft of millions of dollars in public money has undermined political stability in this moderate, Muslim-majority nation and subverted US attempts to foster a stable democratic government, a key objective in this strategically important region," reads the cable.

Tarique's flagrant corruption has also seriously threatened specific US Mission goals, it said.

The US embassy in Dhaka has three key priorities for Bangladesh: democratisation, development, and denial of space to terrorists. "Tarique's audaciously corrupt activities jeopardize all three."

"His history of embezzlement, extortion, and interference in the judicial process undermines the rule of law and threatens to upend the US goal of a stable, democratic Bangladesh. The climate of corrupt business practices and bribe solicitation that Tarique fostered derailed US efforts to promote economic development by discouraging much needed foreign investment and complicating the international operations of US companies."

Tarique's "flagrant disregard" for the rule of law had provided potent ground for terrorists to gain a foothold in Bangladesh while also exacerbating poverty and weakening democratic institutions, the cable said.

"In short, much of what is wrong in Bangladesh can be blamed on Tarique and his cronies," Moriarty wrote.

The US ambassador recommended that Tarique could be subject to Presidential Proclamation 7750 that can block one's entry into the US for the aforementioned reasons.

The cable, however, said the embassy was not seeking to apply the proclamation for Tarique's wife Zubaida Rahman, their daughter Zaima Rahman or his mother Khaleda Zia.

The elder son of Khaleda Zia, who led the government in 1991-1996 and later 2001-2006, became an all influential party leader during BNP's second term in office.

During the period, he established an alternative centre of power at Hawa Bhaban, the then political office of the chairperson. It was open secret that Tarique and his cronies used to interfere in the government activities and control all major business deals.

He, however, became powerless after his arrest during the tenure of immediate past army-backed caretaker government.

Terming him "the notorious and widely feared" son of former premier Khaleda Zia, the US ambassador mentioned that Tarique, arrested in an anti-corruption crackdown in March 2007, was released on bail on September 3 the next year. He flew to the UK on September 11 for medical treatment.

As a condition for his release, Tarique had to quit the post of BNP's senior joint secretary general, after enjoying the position for about five years.

But still abroad, he was made all-powerful senior vice chairman in December 2009 with a clear mandate to lead BNP in absence of his mother.

The cable termed Tarique "notorious for flagrantly and frequently demanding bribes in connection with government procurement actions and appointments to political office".

Saying that Tarique's release occurred despite multiple pending cases against him on charges of corruption, extortion, bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion, Moriarty wrote: "With deep political ties that reach the highest court in the land, Tarique managed to manipulate the judicial process and overcome a concerted effort by the Caretaker Government to block his bail."

"We believe Tarique has several passports, including a new one in which the UK issued him a visa in September. Another passport contains a five year multiple-entry B1/B2 visa (issued May 11, 2005). We suspect that passport is being held by the government."

Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) levelled serious charges against Tarique, the cable said, adding he reportedly had accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit wealth. There are multiple extortion cases pending against him, founded on the testimony of numerous prominent business owners who he victimised and exploited, the cable said.

"In one case, Tarique allegedly threatened Al Amin Construction owner Amin Ahmed with closure of the company unless he received a payment of 150,000 USD. Other local business leaders, including Mohammad Aftab Uddin Khan of Reza Construction Ltd, Mir Zahir Hossian of Mir Akhter Hossain Ltd, and Harun Ferdousi have each filed accusations detailing a systematic pattern of extortion on a multi-million dollar scale."

The ACC had also filed charges of concealing ill-gotten wealth, and the National Board of Revenue had brought tax evasion charges against Tarique, it added.

Tarique's corrupt activities were not limited to extortion of local companies, Moriarty wrote.

Saying that the ACC had also uncovered evidence in several bribery cases involving both foreign and local firms and individuals, he listed the following examples:

SIEMENS
According to a witness who funnelled bribes from Siemens to Tarique and his brother Koko, Tarique received a bribe of approximately two percent on all Siemens deals in Bangladesh (paid in US dollars). This case is currently being pursued by Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture and the FBI.

HARBIN COMPANY
ACC sources report that the Harbin Company, a Chinese construction company, paid $750,000 to Tarique to open a plant. According to the ACC, one of Tarique's cronies received the bribe and transported it to Singapore for deposit with Citibank.

MONEM CONSTRUCTION
An ACC investigator advised Embassy officials that Monem Construction paid a bribe worth $450,000 to Tarique to secure contracts.

KABIR MURDER CASE
The ACC has evidence that Tarique accepted a $3.1 million bribe to thwart the prosecution of a murder case against Sanvir Sobhan, the son of Bashundhara Group chairman. Sanvir was accused in the killing of Humayun Kabir, a director of the business conglomerate. An investigation by the ACC confirmed Tarique had solicited the payment, promising to clear Sanvir of all charges.

Moriarty also wrote that beyond bribery and extortion, the ACC reported Tarique had also become involved in an elaborate and lucrative embezzlement scheme. With the help of several accomplices, he succeeded in looting $3 lakh from the Zia Orphanage Trust fund.

He quoted an ACC source saying Tarique, who is a co-signatory to the trust fund account, used funds from the trust for a land purchase in his hometown. He also provided signed checks drawn from the orphanage fund accounts to BNP party members for their 2006 election campaigns.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=201716

__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Successful Shahara



Aminbazar Student Killing by Mob: Cops found 'guilty'

Judicial probe report to SC terms 6 dead innocent


Clothes and a sandal of the students bludgeoned to death by a mob of several hundred villagers at Keblarchar in Aminbazar on the outskirts of the capital early July 18.


A judicial probe committee has found that the six students, killed in a mob beating in Aminbazar in July this year, were innocent and not robbers, while police on duty at the spot were negligent in saving their lives, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The committee, formed by a High Court directive, submitted a 200-page sealed report to the Supreme Court registrar yesterday for placing it to the HC bench concerned, but the sources The Daily Star talked to have knowledge of the main finding.

Advocate Tajul Islam, whose writ petition sparked the investigation, said he was informed by knowledgeable sources that the probe also found involvement of a few policemen in the killing.

The six students were beaten to death by several hundred villagers at Keblar Char in Aminbazar near the capital on July 18 when they went there to enjoy the night of holy Shab-e Barat.

The slain students were Tipu Sultan of Tejgaon College; Towhidur Rahman Palash, Kamruzzaman Kanto and Ibrahim Khalil of Mirpur Bangla College; Shams Rahim Shamam of Maple Leaf International School; and Sitaf Jabi Munif of Bangladesh University of Business and Technology.

The sources said the probe report states that the villagers beat the students to death on suspicion that they were robbers, and police on duty there did not try to stop the villagers.

Tajul said the report also found that Al Amin, the only living victim of the beating, had pleaded with police to allow him to talk to his parents over the cellphone, but police did not allow him, instead they treated the already severely wounded young man roughly.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) of Dhaka AKM Enamul Haque and Metropolitan Magistrate Utpal Chowdhury submitted the report to SC Registrar AKM Shamsul Haque yesterday morning.

More details of the report could not be known instantly since the SC registrar and the magistrates did not disclose the contents of the sealed document to the media.

The sources, however, said the committee did not make any recommendation in the report.

CMM Enamul Haque on August 10 formed a one-member judicial committee with Utpal Chowdhury to investigate the tragic incident.

Earlier on August 3, in response to the writ petition filed by Tajul Islam on behalf of the National Forum for Protection of Human Rights (NFPHR), the HC asked the CMM to form a committee with a magistrate to investigate the incident.

Utpal Chowdhury said he recorded statements of 54 people including 11 police personnel, family members of the six slain students, and the sole living victim Al Amin during the investigation, and took one month to write the report.

"I feel the real picture of the incident have been rightly presented in the investigation report," he said.

He declined to disclose the findings and observations of the report, terming it a sub-judice matter.

SC Registrar Shamsul Haque last evening said he received the sealed report, and had yet to open it.

"We will place the report to the chief justice next week for his approval to place it before the High Court bench concerned," he said.

Tajul Islam, who is also the secretary general of NFPHR, said they did not get a copy of the report yet.

He also said the HC will hear the writ petition for further order on the issue after the court reopens in the second week of October on completion of its ongoing autumn vacation.

Two other committees were formed by the Police Headquarters and the Criminal Investigation Department in July to investigate the incident, but none of those could complete the task till date.

Family members of the victims said yesterday evening that they saw television reports claiming the probe report found the victims innocent. They said the probe finding is now their only consolation.

Abdul Kader, father of Kanto, and Al Amin's father Khabir Bapari said they feel relieved as their sons will now be cleared of the fake allegation of attempted robbery.

They demanded arrest and punishment of those who killed the innocent students, and who tried to mislead the case to save the killers.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=201709



__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Re: FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT BETWEEN INDIA AND BANGLADESH



Zoglul Husain
zoglul@hotmail.co.uk  writes:

Hasina's agreement of subservience to India is a threat to our
independence and sovereignty. The people of Bangladesh cannot support
this sell out of national interest and surrender of sovereignty.
Except for may be the overt and covert lackeys of India, the people in
general will vehemently oppose the agreement.

Through this sordid agreement, India has attempted to bind Bangladesh
politically, economically, militarily, culturally, infrastructurally
and territorially with the help of Hasina regime. They want to reduce
Bangladesh to the status of Indian occupied Kashmir or Sikkim.

All the patriots must unite and develop political resistance to Indian
hegemonism. We will certainly defeat the overt and covert lackeys of
India and safeguard our independence and sovereignty.

Forwarding to you the Hasina-Manmohan Framework Agreement as published
in the Amar Desh, 10 September 2011, as follows

(Please click to read)
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/09/10/104416

On Thu, Sep 8, 2011 at 1:43 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Experts on Framework agreement



http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/09/08/104025




On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 3:04 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:


FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION FOR
DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA
AND
GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH



The Government of the Republic of India (hereinafter Government of India) and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (hereinafter Government of Bangladesh)

RECALLING the two countries' shared bonds of history, culture and common values;

DESIRIOUS of living in peace and harmony with each other and fostering good neighbourly relations based on sovereign equality, non¬interference in each other's internal affairs, and mutual respect and mutual benefit;

INSPIRED by an abiding faith in and total commitment to democracy, development, pluralism and peaceful co-existence;

REITERATING their common objective of eradicating poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease and promoting social justice and inclusive growth with a view to enabling their peoples to realize their potential to the full;

DESIROUS of promoting trans-border cooperation in the management of shared water resources, hydropower potentials and eco-systems and in the areas of connectivity and trade and economic cooperation;

CONVINCED that cooperation at the bilateral, sub-regional and regional levels will accelerate development and enable the two countries to realise their developmental aspirations, shared destiny and common vision of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia;

HAVE AGREED as under:

ARTICLE 1

 

To promote trade, investment and economic cooperation, which is balanced, sustainable and builds prosperity in both countries. Both Parties shall take steps to narrow trade imbalances, remove progressively tariff and non-¬tariff barriers and facilitate trade, by road, rail, inland waterways, air and shipping. Both Parties will encourage the development of appropriate infrastructure, use of sea ports, multi-modal transportation and standardization of means of transport for bilateral as well as sub-regional use.

ARTICLE 2



To enhance cooperation in sharing of the waters of common rivers, both Parties will explore the possibilities of common basin management of common rivers for mutual benefit. The Parties will cooperate in flood forecasting and control. They will cooperate and provide necessary assistance to each other to enhance navigability and accessibility of river routes and ports.

ARTICLE 3



To develop mechanisms for technical cooperation and exchange of advance information with respect to natural disasters. The Parties shall ¬also promote training and capacity building initiatives and cooperation between respective disaster management authorities, with a view to upgrading response mechanism.

ARTICLE 4



To establish arrangements for cooperation in generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, including electricity from renewable or other sources. The Parties also agree to use power grid connectivity to promote power exchanges to mutual economic advantage.

ARTICLE 5



To promote scientific, educational, cultural and people to people exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. These shall be implemented through programmes and joint initiatives in areas such as agriculture, education and culture, health, tourism, sports, science & technology and any other area that the Parties may agree. The Parties shall cooperate by means of exchange of data, scientific knowledge, collaborative research, training, common programmes and in any other manner as may be agreed between the two Parties.

ARTICLE 6



To develop and implement programmes for environmental protection and responding to the challenges of climate change through adaptation. The Parties shall collaborate on projects of mutual interest to preserve common eco-systems and, as far as practicable, coordinate their response in international fora.

ARTICLE 7



To harness the advantages of sub-regional cooperation in the power sector, water resources management, physical connectivity, environment and sustainable development for mutual advantage, including jointly developing and financing projects.

ARTICLE 8

 

To cooperate closely on issues relating to their national interests. Both parties shall work together to create a peaceful environment conducive for inclusive economic growth and development.

ARTICLE 9



To cooperate on security issues of concern to each other while fully respecting each other's sovereignty. Neither party shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the other.

ARTICLE 10



To establish a Joint Consultative Commission for effective and smooth implementation of this Agreement that shall meet once a year.

ARTICLE 11



The Agreement may be amended by mutual consent in order to enhance, deepen and widen the scope of cooperation, including regional / sub-regional expansion.

ARTICLE 12

 

This Agreement shall come into force on the date of its signing by the two Parties and shall remain in force until terminated by mutual consent in accordance with Para 2 of this Article.

Either Party may seek termination of this Agreement by giving a written notice to the other Party providing the reasons for seeking such termination. Before this Agreement is terminated, the Parties shall consider the relevant circumstances and hold consultations to address the reasons cited by the Party seeking termination in the Joint Consultative Commission.

Actions taken or agreements reached pursuant to this Agreement shall not be affected by its expiry or termination.

Done in Dhaka on the Sixth day of September, 2011, in two originals in English Language.

Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister                                                                  

Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister

Government of the Republic of
India

Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

 

http://www.mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=100018197&pid=2294


------------------------

ADDENDUM TO THE MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN INDIA AND BANGLADESH
TO FACILITATE OVERLAND TRANSIT TRAFFIC BETWEEN
BANGLADESH AND NEPAL



WHEREAS, on August 15, 1978, the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (hereinafter referred to as "parties") entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate overland transit traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal (hereinafter referred to as MOU).

WHEREAS, this Memorandum of Understanding remains in full force and effect, and

WHEREAS, the said parties now have agreed to make an addendum to the MOU to add new rail routes for facilitating overland transit traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. For the purpose of mutual benefits of the Parties, Para No. 04 of the MOU is amended and will read as follows :

(a) "Traffic in Transit" to/from Nepal and Bangladesh shall move through Indian territory by rail using Singhabad Railway station in India and Rohanpur Railway station in Bangladesh with their existing facilities. To ensure expeditious and smooth flow of such movement, necessary infrastructural facilities shall be provided by the two Parties within their respective territories.

(b) The existing rail route through Radhikapur Railway station in India and Birol Railway station in Bangladesh which has been suspended shall be brought into operation by converting Bangladesh portion into broad gauge. In this case, both the routes (proposed and the existing) shall be used for Nepal Transit Traffic by rail for additional operating convenience

(c) As far as feasible the "Traffic in Transit" to/from Nepal and Bangladesh shall move in full rake loads.

(d) For all "Traffic in Transit "from/to Nepal and Bangladesh, an additional One Time Lock (OTL) will be affixed by Indian customs at the border Land Customs Station (LCS) of entry into India which will be checked at the LCS of exit in India.

The Addendum to MOU shall enter into force from the date of its signing and remain in force till the validity of the MOU.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned duly authorised thereto by their respective Governments have signed this addendum to MOU.

Signed on this Sixth day of September, Two Thousand Eleven at Dhaka in two originals in English Language.

http://www.mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=501018198&flg=1






__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___