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If disorder prevails,
'Rule of Law' sounds hollow
Sadeq Khan
An explosive situation of student disaffection has greeted the sensitive month of February, the commemorative month of 1952 language movement and its martyrs.
Dhaka University student Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique died on 3rd February, 30 hours after being wounded by a teargas shell fired by the police to stop a gunfight between rival factions of the Awami League's student wing in a dormitory. Miraculously Ujjal, another student residing in that dormitory jumped from the fifth floor of the hall, but survived. He has been taken out of the intensive care unit. Like Bakar, he was also apolitical...[ FULL STORY ]
Hosts grab 5th gold in SA Games
Special Correspondent
The hosts won the fifth gold medal in the 11th South Asian Games Thursday as the Golf Group team of Bangladesh clinched a gold on the seventh day of the Games, the private TV channel Desh TV reports.
Earlier, Bangladesh grabbed four gold medals in different events, including air rifle group (men's and women's) and weightlifting.
The opening ceremony of the eight-nation South Asian Games (SAG) 2010 was held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) in a befitting manner Friday last. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated it by releasing a white pigeon at the big bowl...[ FULL STORY ]
NO PUBLIC SECTOR SHARES YET
Many investors, few IPOs, record turnover at bourse
Faisal Rahim
The country's secondary capital market is on steady rise with market index hitting six thousand points last week leaving behind the moribund situation of the past several years. But the most noticeable setback in the bourse is the limited number of prospective chips with very few IPOs in offer compared to the growing number of investors crowding the floor and with huge inflow of funds.
Market analysts say it is high time the government should take definite moves to bring IPOs of more public sector entities to the market. There is no doubt the government leadership is also speaking of such move but without matching action in the ground. Here the paradox is that Bangladesh is now having a minister for industries coming from the country's communist household...[ FULL STORY ]
Israel's gift, Greek MP's response
On the eve of the New Year 2010, the Israeli Embassy in Athens, Greece sent three bottles wine to Theodoros Pangalos, Member of the Greek Parliament as a festive gift with the best wishes of Ambassador Ali Giachia. The Greek MP Theodoros Pangalos returned this gift and thanked the Ambassador with the following letter:
“Dear Mr. Ambassador, Thank you for the 3 bottles of wine that you sent me as season's greetings.
I wish to you, your family and everybody in the Embassy a happy new year...[ FULL STORY ]
Wake-up call for BNP still
goes unresponded
Amanullah Kabir
With heaps of issues on its shoulder, the lame duck opposition BNP appears to have finally decided to climb down from the fence and start moving somewhere. Long delayed but successful holding of council session of the party from the grassroots to the national levels with the exception of Dhaka and Chittagong – because of debilitating inner-party conflicts – has apparently injected a new life into it.
Likewise, after a long wait the BNP has started responding to the demands of its activists who have been suffering from a siege mentality because of the ruling Awami League's opposition-bashing politics since it came to power. Though late, still it is encouraging that the BNP central leadership is beginning to be assertive. Finally the workers' plea for political programmes that fell on deaf years for too long is being attended to...[ FULL STORY ]
February returns with haunting memories
M. Shahidul Islam
The month of February injects crushing fear in our hearts. February 21, 1952 turned into an emblem of sacrifice when our innocent heroic brothers had to die to save their mother-tongue. Exactly the same day in 1972, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman launched the Jatiyo Rakkhi Bahini (JRB) as a parallel armed force by diverting much of the scarce resources from the newly-built military forces of a war ravaged nation.
The JRB's creation having followed within weeks by the signing with India (on March 19, 1972) of a 25-year long Treaty of Friendship, the 27,000 strong, ill-fed and ill-equipped members of Bangladesh armed forces found themselves instantly thrown into a virtual spell of depressive shock and inactivity...[ FULL STORY ]
New move to bring back
remaining coup leaders
Shahriar Noori
The ruling Awami League leaders have taken a move to reactivate members of civil society to act as lobby for arresting the six fugitive anti-BKSAL coup leaders and bringing them back home from different Western countries. When brought back they will be executed without any delay like the already hanged five killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said the sources.
The move, if successful, will speed up the current drive that started after the 2008 parliamentary elections with the support of local and some foreign security agencies. Besides, for the first time the nation will see a Khatib of a grand mosque, who will be treated as a new member of civil society...[ FULL STORY ]
Chhatra League in marauding mood
Special Correspondent
Many of the old leaders of Chhatra League proudly say that the history of Bangladesh Chhatra League is the history of Bangladesh. They try to portray Bangladesh's history synonymous to that of BCL with total disregards to the nation as a whole and the political roles played by the others.
Definitely, they must be ashamed when they see their boys engaged in forcibly ousting general students from the dormitories, beating up the opponents on the campus, inciting violence in an ugly competition for sharing the booties of contracts and finally of the admission business by assaulting teachers and even chasing the admission seekers out of the campus.
All the good utterances of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the police authorities in containing the campus violence involving Chhatra League have, however, proved a futile effort...[ FULL STORY ]
Govt. should develop nationwide
chain of public libraries
Abdur Rahman Khan
Books open mind, broaden thought and reflect civilization. The number and quality books a nation produces also indicate the level of intellectual development of a society.
In Bangladesh, we have got a world class publishing and binding technology. The number of books produced every year is also high. But what we lacking behind is due to the dearth of quality manuscript and the big readership to match the national enthusiasm, says Mohiuddin Ahmed of the University Press Limited.
“We have a vibrant publishing industry that thrives centering around the month-long book fair organized in February every year to commemorate the great Language Movement of 21 February 1952. Ekushey is a popular emotion of our nation but the enthusiasm does not display the state of the art it should be,” Muhiuddin Ahmed told The Holiday...[ FULL STORY ]
Demand for solar panels increasing
Shamsul Huda
Solar power is gradually becoming an important alternative for energy demand. Since solar energy is available everywhere, this new technology may serve as a booster for rural electrification.
Use of electricity generating micro power plant panels has changed lifestyle of Bangladesh's coastal zone people, where the government's grid is yet to reach. This environment-friendly energy is cost effective, portable and affordable. It getting popularity in the country with the support of Infrastructural Development Company Limited (IDCOL), private entrepreneurs and some non-government organisations. The IDCOL data reveals that at present 450,000 solar home system (SHS) units have already been installed in the remote and coastal villages, agricultural farms and in educational institutions where students can study in enough light and can use modern equipment, said Sohel Ahmed, general manager of the Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Limited (RREL)...[ FULL STORY ]
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