Metropolitan

• Roundtable suggests steps to check price hike
• Music director Anwar Parvez dead
• Soccer fans ransack Palli Bidyut offices in 4 districts
• Nearly two lakh govt pry school teachers go on strike
• Six RMG units hold demo against mid-level staff
• Ghana restore pride for Africa
• Flood situation in Sylhet, Sunamganj likely to improve
• BEPZA chairman holds talks with leaders of WRWCs
• Gender disparity widens in proposed budget
• Dr Akhteruzzaman buried with state honour
• Banshkhali Eco-Park hanging bridge opens
• Concrete bridge over Karnaphuli will pose navigational hazard
• Call to eliminate child labour
• Banks where depositors’ money is not safe
• Barapukuria, Ashuganj power units out of operation
• Savings-investment hiatus leads to recession

Speakers at a roundtable underscored the need for enactment of stringent laws to control syndicates, constitution of a task force, making Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) more effective, regular supply of information and timely intervention by the government to contain unbridled price hike of essentials.

These observations were made at a roundtable titled "Role of the Government and the Budget in Ensuring Stability of the prices of Essentials," organised by Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Naziur) at the Jatiya Press Club in the city yesterday.

Chaired by the party’s chairman Md Naziur Rahman, the roundtable was addressed, among others, by BNP Secretary General and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, former Secretary Shah Abdul Hannan, Shilpa Bank chairman Prof. Abu Ahmed, former chairman of Sonali Bank Prof. Mahbubullah, Jatiya Party’s (Manju) secretary general Sheikh Shahidul Islam, Brig. (Retd.) Shakawat Hossain and eminent journalist Sadek Khan.

LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan identified the increase of prices in international market, low production of commodities and dishonest business syndicates as the causes of price hike in the country. Influential syndicates were mainly to blame for the abnormal price hike, he said, adding, the government would enact a law to check them.

"We have been compelled to increase the price of fuel oil due to the pressure of the donor agencies as they have threatened to stop their assistance unless the price was increased," said the LGRD Minister and called upon all to cooperate in bringing down the prices of essentials.

Admitting that "we should have controlled the price hike," Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, "we are trying to revitalise TCB."

The owners of black money will be encouraged if the system of whitening the black money is continued, the Health Minister observed.

This government has a tendency not to supply information, alleged former chairman of Sonali Bank Prof. Mahbubullah, underscoring the need for supplying information about the price of commodities in the international market.

When the price of sugar went up in our country, if the price of the commodity in other countries had been known here, then dishonest businessmen would not have been able to increase it, he observed.

Former Secretary Shah Abdul Hannan stressed the need for stern measures to control black money, else this illegal activity will continue to the detriment of the economy of the country.

Brig. (Retd) Shakawat Hossain said the government should take stern measures to reduce the prices of essentials. The government should constitute a task force to monitor the market in order to know as to why the prices were not coming down despite reduction of taxes. The Commerce Minister should not talk tall but take concrete steps, he added.

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Women are ignored and less focused in the 2006-2007 fiscal budget as there is no provision to support women in special or general projects.

The new budget allocated less than four per cent of the total amount for the development of half of the population for next one year although women activists demanded more than 8 per cent.

"As the arena is covered by PRSP (poverty reduction strategy paper) and the new budget did not add much so things would be the same", Shirin Akhter, a woman activist remarked.

Echoing the voice of the renowned woman activist, a recent study said that the overall picture presented by the expenditure data is one of substantial and worrying imbalance in the distribution of pubic expenditure between males and females. Gender inequalities are significant in Bangladesh with regard to literacy, labour market, public and private voice

The study was conducted by the North South University (NSU) and Gender Budget Secretariat (GBS). Dr. Kaniz Siddique, Professor of Economics, North South University led the research team. She is working with the government team engaged in the formulation of PRSP budget for the last three and half years.

Analysing a total of 1660 on-going projects across the GoB, it is found that 95 per cent (1576 projects) were gender non-targeted and only 5 per cent (90 projects) were gender targeted. It may be mentioned that, just two-years back the government introduced PRSP budget and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs was the first ministry which was brought under PRSP.

The significance of non-targeted projects within the sector is both in number (93 percent) and value (97 per cent). Gender targeted projects accounted for 7 per cent of the total number of projects and 3.5 per cent of total development expenditure.

"The findings of the study show that public resources will not automatically support reduction of gender inequalities and the empowerment of women. Gender budgeting offers a practical means to more effectively put mainstream gender into government activities", Dr. Kaniz told The Independent.

Looking at the sectoral breakdowns, it is found, among the 315 projects in farm sector, only two were targeted to women, and these constituted only 0.25 per cent of development expenditure. In education, of the 343 projects, 19 (6 per cent) were targeted to females and accounted for 5 per cent of development expenditure in the sector.

On the Revenue side, the study shows that due to the very low number of women employed by GoB in the agricultural sector, only 3 per cent of the revenue budget expenditure is allocated to women, 97 per cent goes to men. Putting Development and Revenue estimates together, it is estimated that 88 per cent of government expenditure in the agricultural sector is allocated to men and only 12 per cent goes to women.

Agriculture is a key pro-poor sector in Bangladesh and women’s dominant role in agricultural production and household food security is well recognised in government policy statements.

But the report reveals that agricultural sector expenditure is highly skewed in favour of men: it is estimated that 17 per cent of the development budget reaches women, while 83 per cent goes to men.

The survey shows that non-poor male-headed households were the major beneficiaries of agricultural inputs (in terms of monetary value), though, on average, poor women received a higher absolute value of benefits than non-poor women.

Subsidised agricultural inputs are more gender balanced relating to crop. The survey shows that women account for 13 per cent of employment in crops and horticulture and accounted for 9 percent of beneficiaries of government services to crops and agriculture.

Women account for 31 per cent of those working in crop production; 90 per cent of those employed in livestock, 30 per cent of those employed in forestry and 12 per cent in fisheries.

Given the gender roles of women and men in agricultural production, gender responsive situation shows that government inputs directed to homestead gardening and poultry are more likely to benefit women than men; while government inputs to horticulture are far more likely to benefit men than women.

Since employment in agriculture is the foundation of GoB’s pro-poor growth strategy, the income of women working in the agricultural sector is only 10 per cent of compared to men. Women account for 50 per cent of those working in homestead gardening but their average earnings are 13 per cent of their male counterparts. Women account for 95 per cent of those working in poultry yet their earnings were 3 per cent of those of men; and women account for only 50 per cent in receipt of subsidies to poultry farmers.

The government should adopt a two-pronged approach, which addresses gender inequities and gender biases within government institutions and their impact on poor men and women, boys and girls, the study says.

However the broad gender analysis of expenditure strongly suggests that beneficiaries of the vast majority of expenditure (non-targeted expenditure) should be made more explicit and transparent, that the policy and budgeting processes in line ministries should devote greater attention to the impacts of policies on the poor and women and that mechanisms for strengthening accountability to the poor, particularly poor women should be given urgent attention.

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Professor Dr Akhteruzzaman (56), Chairman of Forensic Medicine Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and a veteran freedom fighter, who was killed in a mysterious road accident in front of Eden College on Friday noon, was laid to rest at Azimpur graveyard with state honour yesterday.

Dr Arifuzzaman, elder son of the victim, received the body of his father Dr Akhteruzzaman from the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) at around 8am.

Teachers and students of the DMCH brought out a mourning procession on the premises of the college in the morning.

Dr Arifuzzaman filed a case with Lalbagh police station under Section 279/304 (Kha)/427 in connection of his father’s unnatural death in road accident. SI Delwar Hossain is the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case.

According to the case statement, Dr Akhteruzzaman received threats from some unknown persons as he performed his professional duties honestly. " My father was threatened several times for the last few days in a bid to resist him from performing his professional duties," Dr Arifuzzaman said in the case statement.

He urged the concerned authorities to investigate the matter to find out the mystery of his father’s death.

Earlier on Friday noon, a pajero jeep (Dhaka Metro-Gha-11-7110) hit the motorcycle of Dr Akhteruzzaman from behind a point opposite to the Eden College at Azimpur while he was returning to his residence at 55/B, Azimpur Officers Quarter. He fell down on the road.

Local people rushed him to the Emergency Department of DMCH with critical injuries. He succumbed to his injuries at around 2.30pm.

Local people caught the driver Manjurul Alam and seized the jeep and handed him over to the police. Md Tarekuzzaman, a businessman, is the owner of the jeep. Police are looking for him for interrogation to know whether he was in the car during the incident, Delwar Hossain, IO of the case told The Independent. He also said that Tarekuzzaman is yet to communicate with them till yesterday afternoon.

Police produced the driver Monjurul Alam before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court yesterday with a prayer of seven-day remand. The court granted two-day remand for him.

Anisuzzaman, nephew of the doctor said that his maternal uncle’s death in road accident was mysterious. He suspected that there was something behind the death as he was the chief of the four-member medical board set up to conduct DNA test of DIG Anisur Rahman, his wife Anwara Rahman and 14 children.

Dr Akhteruzzaman, hailed from Homna in Comilla. He left behind three daughters-Dr Parveen Shaila Zaman, Dr Parveen Dilara Zaman, Engineer Parveen Naila Zaman, two sons- Dr Arifuzzaman, Engineer Asaduzzaman and his wife Shahnaz Parveen.

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June 17: The newly constructed 400 feet long hanging bridge of Banshkhali Eco-Park, one of the biggest hanging bridges of the country, has been inaugurated today.

State Minister for Forest and Environment Jafrul Islam Chowdhury formally inaugurated the bridge as chief guest this afternoon.

The estimated cost of the bridge was Taka 25 lakh that made a bridge between the two lakes Bamerchara and Danerchara of the Eco-Park.

The two lakes were made by locals earlier for irrigation of their cultivation land with dams at Jaladi forest bit at Banshkhali upazilla under Chittagong district. After the forest department started a three-year project to establish an Eco-Park at the area that was a new concept to encourage tourism and save the forest at the areas.

The Banshkhali Eco-Park, 60 kilometers away from Chittagong town was established on 1000 ha of land in 2004. The implementation cost of Eco-Park project was Tk 5.57 crore and it took three years to be completed.

To encourage Eco-tourism among the visitors, the authority started construction work of hanging bridge on cables in July, 2005. The work was completed five months back.

Earlier, the government had constructed two hanging bridges at hilly tourism areas including 225 feet long Rangamati hanging bridge and 175 feet long Maghla hanging bridge at Banderban under hilly district.

Dr Topon Kanti, project director of the Banshkhali Eco-Park told the Independent that we expected, more visitors will come to the park to see the longest hanging bridge and natural hilly beauty of the park.

Chief forest conservator Mohammed Osman Goni, Salehuddin Ahmed, conservator of forest in Chittagong region, Md Humayun Kabir, Banchkhali thana Nirbahi Officer and chairman of Banshkhali Pourashaba Kamrul Islam Hossaini addressed the function as special guests. Dr Topon Kanti, project director of the Banshkhali Eco-Park, presided over the function.

Besides, the state minister Jafrul Islam also inaugurated the newly constructed rest house ‘Oairabati rest house’. The construction cost of the house was Taka 20 lakh at the Eco-Park.

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June. 17: The proposed Tk 556 crore 950 metre long concrete bridge over Karnaphuli river, about 5.5 kilometre upstream of the Chittagong Port the principal maritime port of the country, will damage the navigational channel of the port by increasing the level of silt, according to experts.

Vociferous protests from the citizenry, including persistent opposition from Mohiuddin Chowdhury, have been disregarded by the cabinet committee on purchase, which has given the go –ahead to the controversial concrete bridge project.

The mayor warned that construction of the proposed concrete bridge was against the national interest as Karnaphuli river would lose navigability posing a threat to Chittagong port. He said that the people of Chittagong would resist the construction of what he called a suicidal bridge.

The mayor suggested that in place of the concrete bridge, the government should opt for the construction of a cable staid bridge in greater national interest.

The concerned authorities have also ignored a request from the Ministry of Shipping not to go ahead with the construction of the concrete bridge and to construct either a tunnel or a cable staid bridge instead. In a letter signed by a senior Assistant Secretary on May 16, the Shipping Ministry told the Secretary of the Ministry of Communication that the proposed concrete bridge would render the navigation channel of the port inoperative.

The construction of Shah Amanat Bridge on Karnaphuli river has already damaged the navigation channel as huge amounts of silts piled up.. If another concrete bridge is constructed on the same river, the navigational channel of the Chittagong Port will be seriously affected, the survey report said.

Accumulation of silt in the Karnaphuli river extending from Sadarghat to Shah Amanat Bridge has now become a threat to the navigational channel of the country’s principal seaport.. .

The Chittagong Port Authority has conducted several surveys in the area and the findings of these surveys are disturbing insofar as navigability of the port channel is concerned. The survey found that alarming deposit of silt upstream would certainly hamper the operational activities of the Chittagong Port severely. So the CPA has no alternative but to maintain a schedule of continuous dredging of the area to keep the port as navigable as possible.. Otherwise, the experts opined, the main installations of the port would be affected badly. Which is why the Chittagong Port Authority has undertaken a project for capital dredging of the navigational channel from Sadarghat to Shah Amanat Bridge to maintain its navigability. Besides, round –the- clock dredging of all the 13 conventional jetties of the Chittagong Port has been continuing to keep the port navigable so that vessels can call at the port.

It may be mentioned that the concrete bridge project has been approved in the Cabinet committee on Purchase on Thursday last. It will cost taka 566 crore including a foreign exchange component of taka 372 crore provided byss the Kuwait Fund.

Major Bridge Company of China submitted the lowest bid of taka 336 crore while the second lowest was Hyundai of South Korea, quoting taka 449 crore. The Major Bridge company was awarded the tender for the project.

The design of the 950 metre long third bridge over the river Karnaphuli will have 14 concrete pillars.

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Speakers at a function yesterday called upon the countrymen to come forward for eliminating all forms of child labour from Bangladdesh and making it a child labour free nation.

They said it at a function jointly organised by Proshanti Child Club and Child Rights Convention(CRC), a child organisation in collaboration with the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) marking the observance of week long child labour elimination programme .

Dr Atia Begum of BNWLA inaugurated the function that included street rally, distribution of leaflets against child labour, discussion meetings and cultural function held at the office of Proshanti Child Club.

The function was attended by the representatives of different organisations like Nari Moitree, Prodokkhep, Aparajaya Bangladesh.

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Professor Wahid Uddin Mahmud, who was chairman of the Banking Sector Reform Committee, yesterday said that there were a few banks in the country where deposits of customers’ money were not safe.

The noted economist suggested merger, acquisition or take-over of those problem-banks as early as possible to avert a turmoil in the banking sector.

"Only one lakh taka of one’s total deposit in a bank is guaranteed by insurance. The rest of the deposit has no security. What will happen to depositors’ money if a bank becomes bankrupt? Most probably, the government will have to bear the burnt. So, I hope that the government and Bangladesh Bank will take necessary steps to avoid any untoward situation," he said.

Prof. Mahmud said, "the next government will need to form another banking sector reform committee, for the sector still needs reform despite remarkable improvement in the last decade."

"But," he said, "appointment of foreign consultants will not benefit the sector. Foreign consultants do not understand the reality and adaptability of Bangladesh. They read recommendations of the local bank reform committee and articles posted in Internet and write prescription. It is a wrong notion that any good thing has resulted from their prescriptions. I believe it firmly."

The Dhaka University Professor was speaking as chief guest at the Awarding Ceremony of the Bankers’ Forum, chaired by its president MA Khaleque, at CIRDAP auditorium in the city.

Dr Mahmud shared some of his experiences at the reform committee with the audience and said, that some good things came from the prescriptions of some local experts which happened due to good political intention. Both the BNP and Awami League governments have shown their good intention and sincerity to save the banks —perhaps sensing that the total political structure of the nation will collapse if the sector breaks down.

He said that the Bank Reform Committee recommended that one cannot act as director of a bank for two consecutive terms. Bangladesh Bank forthwith acted on it.

"But now, young girls and boys are seen in the meetings of the boards of directors of various banks. They are daughters, daughters-in-law or sons of bank-directors. These persons, in their tender age act as proxy to their fathers or fathers in law, which is unfortunate," he said.

He said that classified loans, which were disbursed under political pressure during the 80s and early 90s, had put the banking sector in jeopardy. Bank directors themselves were the main defaulters at that time.

"But these are now changing," he said adding, "Many of the private banks, which became sick due to bad loan, are now doing well. Even, some of the domestic banks have attained international standard."

Later he distributed Banker Forum award among the winners selected in four categories. Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd got the award as the best entrepreneur, for development in the socio-economic sector. Dutch-Banla Bank and Standard Chartered Bank received awards for working for the destitute. Pubali Bank Managing Director Khondokar Ibrahim Khaled won the "best banker" award.

Late Dr Muhammed Ibrahim, founder of the BIRDEM hospital, was posthumously given award in recognition of his contribution to the suffering people.

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The power crisis further deteriorated for last two days as the two units of power plants including the 125-megawatt unit at Barapukuria and the 30MW unit at Ashuganj went out of order due to mechanical glitches on Friday.

Following the sudden shortfall the northern region of the country is experienced frequent power outage, sources in the Power Development Board said.

The power generation fell to 3,550MW after the units tripped, against the total weekend demand for 4,200MW.

The power supply to the capital city fell to 1,300MW to 1200MW against the total demand for 1,600MW.

The power outage during the World Cup match sparked violence at some places. At Bhanga in Faridpur, angry people ransacked the power offices. They smashed windowpanes and pelted stones at PDB officials. The police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.

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The economy is going through a recession in terms of savings and investment, the rate of which virtually remained stagnant in the current fiscal compared to the previous year, official data and sources said.

What is more worrisome is that even with a low rate of savings, the country has not been able to translate the savings into investment. Some economists have observed that a substantial amount of funds may have been siphoned off or remain idle as ‘black money’.

Economic survey made along with budget documents shows that in 2005-06 national savings are estimated at about 26.6 per cent, whereas national investment is shown at below 25 per cent.

Pointing it out, former Finance Minister M Sayeduzzaman said, "If available foreign aid were taken into account, the total investment of the year could have been much higher."

"This shows that the benefits of potential higher investment in the economy have eluded the country because of lack of implementation capacity, mainly of the public sector," he told The Independent.

The inadequate investment as compared to savings in Bangladesh raises the question as to why the country fails to inject the savings into productive investment despite having the most liberal investment policies in South Asia and incentive packages.

The institutional weaknesses, the lack of entrepreneurial skills in the public sector enterprises and socio-political climate have been blamed for creating hindrances to both accumulation and efficient use of capital.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Executive Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), observed that a huge sum money was lying idle with the economy causing a yawning gap between savings and investment.

He said, "The opportunity of whitening the black money also failed to encourage investment in productive sectors." He underscored the importance of designing appropriate macroeconomic policies to promote the expansion of public and private savings and also to help the transmission of these savings into productive investment.

The savings and investment rate of Bangladesh has increased at a very slow pace in the last five years. The domestic savings have increased from 18 per cent in 2000-01 to 20.26 per cent in 2004-05 - less than 0.5 per cent increase per year.

The corresponding national savings show a relatively better sign- it has increased from 22.41 per cent to 26.61 per cent, an increase of 4.1 per cent of GDP.

The investment-GDP ratio was 23.09 per cent in 2000-01 while it shot to 24.970 per cent in 2005-06. The investment in public sector is now at an extreme low level of 6.3 per cent. The private investment has been increasing while the public investment is on the decline.

The savings-investment gap has been persistent since the early 1990s except in the year 2000-01, when investment exceeded savings. The excessive liquidity, savings in excess of investment, in the recent years has been almost 2 per cent of the GDP.Economic analysts have suggested that the country needs to boost its investment-GDP ratio and improve the capital output ratio to achieve a much higher rate of economic growth.

In Bangladesh a large number of households have a tendency to resort to holding unproductive assets or even to generate unearned or unproductive incomes.

Against this background, macroeconomic policies have to be designed to discourage such tendency and turn surpluses into productive forms of saving and investment. Furthermore, policies that promote domestic savings must go hand in hand with policies designed to step up productive investment, economists feel.

An economy can borrow from abroad to finance investments required for economic growth. But it may have adverse effects on the balance of payments as these loans will have to be serviced in the future, they observe.

The balance between domestic savings and investment reflects the foreign savings position of the country, and so the extra savings may fly abroad if national savings are not translated into investment, economists feel.

They are of the view that foreign investment is important to an economy for its growth but the role of foreign investment should be complementary, and should usually back up domestic efforts.

Bangladesh's domestic saving rate generally experienced a steady and substantial rise over the past quarter of the century. It rose from a low of 2.93 per cent of GDP at constant market prices in 1980-81 to a high of 20.26 per cent in 2005-06.

The rate of investment in 1980-81 was 10.6 per cent, which has increased to 24.97 per cent in 2005-06. Data on individual years have shown vast fluctuation in the rate of savings and investment. This is also reflected in the fluctuation in the growth rate of GDP.

President of Bangladesh Economic Association Dr Kazi Kholiquzzaman was also of the same opinion. But he said that the figures disclosed by the government were not convincing.

He said, "The government has shown 6.7 per cent GDP growth while national savings rate was 24.97 per cent in 2005-06. But economic methodologies suggest that 3 per cent growth results in 1 per cent GDP growth. So the GDP growth rate was to surpass 8 per cent."

"Economic data and figures, in reality, are exaggerated," he said and alleged that the government was depriving people of access to information. He stressed the need for accurate data and economic information for proper planning.

He said, "Economic growth rate in Bangladesh is not necessarily constrained by insufficient savings; rather it is hampered by poor level of investment and lack of efficient use of capital."

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Anwar Parvez, one of the most brilliant music directors and composers of Bangladesh, died at the Heart Foundation Hospital here yesterday after a prolonged ailment. He was 65.

He was suffering from prostrate cancer for a long time and was under treatment at the Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital. Later, he was shifted to the National Heart Foundation hospital yesterday.

Anwar Parvez, the proud elder brother of renowned crooner Sahnaj Rahmatullah and late matinee idol Jafar Iqbal, left behind his wife Jesmine Parvez, two daughters and a son.

When he was counting his days, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) brought a sweet smile on his face by rating three of his patriotic songs in the 20 popular Bangla songs selected through a survey.

One of the three songs that generated revolutionary spirit in the minds of all Freedom Fighters during the War of Liberation is: Joy Bangla Banglar Joy.

The two others songs written and composed after the Independence are: Ekbar Jete Dena Amaar Sonar Gayn and Ektara Tui Desher Kotha bolre Ebar Bol. All these songs that earned the hearts of all music lovers across the country and abroad were sung by his illustrious sister Shahnaj Rahmatulla.

Anwar Parvez, who represented a puritan musical Gharana throughout his life, earned special tribute from all music lovers for composing soul-searing songs for radio, TV and films.

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Angry soccer fans attacked electricity-supply offices in different parts of the country following power failure during World Cup football matches on Friday night, as the country suffers from a chronic electricity crisis.

Reports from the news agency correspondents said Palli Bidyut Samity offices were ransacked and at least 32 people, including employees and police, wounded in the nighttime violence in Bagerhat, Sylhet, Sunamganj and Jessore districts.

In Bagerhat, the agitated fans ransacked two offices of Palli Bidyut Samity in Fakirhat and Kachua upazilas following power failure during World Cup football matches on Friday night.

Two employees in Fakirhat PBS office sustained injuries during the attack, which is being retaliated with cases implicating throngs of people, sources said.

Officials said the PBS authority filed two cases with respective police stations accusing over 300 persons of creating the trouble.

Earlier on Wednesday night, agitated soccer fans had attacked and damaged four PBS offices in the district out of anger over the outages during these sultry summer days-and at the time when people are taken by the craze of the game.

Additional police were deployed at all the PBS offices in the district Saturday to prevent further violence.

The rural power distributors (PBS officials) said their daily electricity supply to the district is about 7/8 megawatts against the total demand for 18 megawatts, forcing them to go for rationing to manage the power shortfall.

In Sylhet, a band of enraged soccer fans took to the street in the city at about 8pm after power cutoffs during the match between Argentina and Serbia Montenegro.

They attacked three power stations in Jail Road, Upashahar and Kadamtali areas, kicking up the dust, witnesses said.

"The stone-throwing mob ran riot damaging a number of cars, furniture and windowpanes and assaulting 10 employees at the Jail Road power office," says a firsthand account of the nighttime orgies.

The unruly protestors also set fire to Upashahar substation and damaged Kadamtali station.

In Sunamganj, protestors attacked the local power office, ransacked officers’ club and offices of third and fourth class employees.

They also damaged a generator and a card-phone booth in Jagannathpur upazila auditorium. Twenty people, including police, were injured during the melee.

Such angry protest was also reported from Jessore. The PBS office at WAPDA Road in Jhikargachha came under attack on Friday night.

Angry people damaged the local power office and set ablaze a pickup van of the PBS.

They also attacked the house of PBS night guard and assaulted a number of people.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nazmul Huq and other officials went to the PBS office and brought the situation under control.

At national level, the power authorities have around one and half a thousand megawatts of electricity deficit in meeting the current demand-and the result is an on-again, off-again supply all over the country.

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Around 1,80,000 teachers of government primary schools under the banner of Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association (BPTA) went on strike from yesterday for an indefinite period to realise their 21-point demand including elimination of "salary discrimination" and introduction of "school-based examination system."

On the first day yesterday of the indefinite strike, the country’s 37,000 government primary schools were kept under lock and key by the teachers.

The agitated teachers said that their strike would continue until their demands were met. They will also start a fast-unto-death programme in the city on June 24 to force the government to meet their demands.

The programme was announced at a rally held at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city on Thursday, where thousands of government primary school teachers gathered carrying banners, festoons and placards.

Sources said, State Minister for Labour and Employment Amanullah Aman, who is representing Primary and Mass Education Ministry to look after the government primary school teachers’ demands, has communicated with the BPTA.

The leaders of BPTA are likely to meet the State Minister at his office today responding to his call. Then Mr. Aman will arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, reliable sources said.

"The first day of the strike for an indefinite period was observed peacefully across the country," BPTA general secretary Quazi AK Fazlul Haq told The Independent adding that they will continue their strike "until the decision of increasing our salary as per the decision of Primary and Mass Education Ministry is implemented."

According the BPTA, in the face of their continuous movement, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry decided last year to increase the salary of the teachers of the government primary schools but it was yet to be implemented.

Shaninur Rahman Shahin, head master of the Keshabpur Model Government Primary School, Jessore and General Secretary of the Keshabpur Government Primary School Teachers Association told The Independent that all primary schools under the Upazilas remained under lock and key yesterday to press for increasing the salary of the teachers.

The same picture was observed in the capital city’s primary schools when this correspondent visited some institutions.

But the students of the schools had to suffer a great deal, as they did not know the teachers’ strike in advance.

A teacher in the Motijheel Ershad Government Primary School was seen telling the students who had come to the school to go back.

"I have come from Basabo overcoming a lot of trouble but it is disheartening for me that I will have to go back," said Abdullah Al-Mamun, a student of class IV of the school expressing his resentment.

Meanwhile, the teachers of community primary schools started a fast-unto-death programme at Muktangan in Dhaka yesterday wearing shrouds to press their demand for inclusion of their salaries in the national pay scale. Around 500 teachers under the banner of Community Primary School Teachers’ Association began the hunger strike. There are about 3,246 community primary schools with 9,769 teachers in the country who are paid Tk 750 per month only.

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Workers of six garments in and outside the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) brought out demonstrations at their respective factory premises yesterday demanding removal of some mid-level staffs.

Witnesses said the demonstrations were almost peaceful despite large-scale participation by workers.

Witnesses said the workers of A1, Redpoint, Grade Tex, Youngone and Pradox have observed work abstention for hours since morning and staged sit-ins in front of their factories in the DEPZ.

Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) chairman Brigadier-General Ashraf Abdullah Yusuf later visited the workers and vowed to meet their demands.

Workers told the chairman that some mid-level management staff of the factories often misbehave with them and it continued even after the owner-worker understanding to resume work and create a better working atmosphere.

Meanwhile, officials of the Youngone, which remained closed for about a week, have visited the factory in DEPZ and taken preparations for its reopening, sources said.

In Kashempur of Gazipur district, the workers of Dana Sweaters come out of the factory in the morning yesterday and staged a sit-in at the factory premises demanding hike in pay.

A large number of forces from police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were deployed to avert any violent turn of the demonstration, according to sources.

Meanwhile, apparel business experts yesterday noted that abiding by the ‘social compliance’ was a must for the RMG entrepreneurs in overcoming the post-MFA challenges.

Speaking at a meeting on compliance, organised by the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) at a city hotel, the experts said the buyers are very sensitive about the social compliance.

"Buyers want to know whether the products originated from a factory which maintains social compliance properly," they said.

They said buyers look for a quality product from a factory free from child labour, forced labour and where the workers are skilled and where they have been provided with basic human rights.

"We all have need to be sensitive about the requirements of buyers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders," said the Deputy General Manager of South Asia Enterprises Development Foundation (SEDF), Deepak P Adhikary.

"As a human being, as a company and as a responsible person of the state, the entrepreneurs should maintain the social compliance strictly," he said.

Commerce Secretary Md. Abdul Karim urged the entrepreneurs to consider the compliance as an obligation, not to consider it as ‘an option’ to run business.

BKMEA president Fazlul Huque chaired the meeting while vice president of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedy addressed as special guest.

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June 17: Ghana’s "Black Stars" sliced apart the highly fancied Czech Republic 2-0 here on Saturday with a combination of speed and accuracy that threw Group E wide open and left the Czechs’ World Cup hopes teetering on the brink.

The Czech Republic would have been humiliated were it not for a slew of close range saves from Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, especially after they were reduced to ten men when Tomas Ujfalusi was sent off in the 67^th minute. But Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan - scorer of their first goal while Sulley Muntari got the other late in the game - also bounced the resulting penalty off the post, in the only flaw in an otherwise brilliant afternoon for the Ghanaians in their first ever World Cup finals.

However Gyan’s penalty was even more costly to him as having taken one effort when the referee hadn’t whistled he was booked for that and will miss their final group match against the United States. After coach Ratomir Dukjovic surprisingly dropped one of their most experienced players, Roma defender Sammy Kuffour, the Ghanaians made little bones of their tactics from the kick off.

Gyan beat the Czech offside trap in the second minute on a through ball from Stephen Appiah, shooting it low past the outstretched Cech. The Black Star’s forwards, fed by precise passing from Michael Essien and Appiah repeatedly cut through the Czech’s flat-footed defensive line with their speed.

The Czechs were lucky not to be three down by half-time after Gyan again broke through but Cech saved at his feet, while Appiah shot narrowly wide with only the keeper to beat.

Failing to recover the form that defeated the United States 3-0, the injury-hit Czechs suffered from having only one striker and lacked the cutting edge they needed to stretch the occasionally shaky Ghanaian defence to breaking point.

But the Ghanaians tightened up at the back and gained in confidence, and were rarely troubled by the cumbersome 1.96 metre gait of the Czech’s lone striker, Vratislav Lokvenc.

In contrast with the lethal accuracy and pace of Ghana’s packed midfield the Czechs desperately lacked deft footwork in their opponents penalty area. The Ghanaians had trouble picking up Tomas Rosicky’s runs through the middle, but the Arsenal bound midfielder shot wide after a beautiful move involving Pavel Nedved and fellow veteran Karel Poborsky. But the "Black Stars" repeatedly capitalised on the nervous-looking Czechs’ inability to retain possession in midfield.

Cech was forced into a brilliant save from Gyan after the Modena forward latched onto a goalkick that bounced past the Czech defenders. However any Czech hopes faded half way through the second half when Ujfalusi - whose missed header in the first-half had let in Gyan for the goal - was sent off for bringing down Matthew Amoah in the penalty area. Cech then beat off a peppering of shots over the next 20 minutes from the unbridled Michael Essien, Gyan, and Appiah, until he finally succumbed to Muntari in the 82^nd minute.

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STAFF REPORTER

The flood situation in the districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj is likely to improve further.

According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), water level in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna basin registered further rise at all points and most of the other rivers in this basin were also rising.

The Ganges-Padma registered rise at all points except remaining steady in Rajshahi and most of the other rivers in this basin either rose or fell.

Most of the rivers in the Meghna basin were falling. However, Surma and Kushiara are flowing over their respective danger levels at all points while most of the rivers in the South Eastern Hill basin have been observed to rise and fall.

According the FFWC, out of 86 monitoring points, 43 points recorded rise, 35 points recorded fall, seven points remained steady and seven points are flowing above their respective danger levels.

The Surma is still continuing to flow above danger level by 140 cm, 30 cm and 15 cm at Kanaighat, Sylhet and Sunamganj respectively while the Kushiyara registered fall by 31 cm at Amalshid, 10 cm at Sheola, by 2 cm at Sherpur and is still flowing above danger level by 122 cm, 45 cm and 17 cm at Amalshid, Sheola and Sherpur respectively, the FFWC bulletin said yesterday.

The Khowai observed rise by 45 cm at Ballah and is flowing above danger level by 25 cm while it receded by 20 cm at Habiganj, it added.

Meanwhile, significant rainfall has been recorded as 97 mm at Kanaighat, 88.5 mm at Dhaka, and 70 mm at Sherpur, 62 mm at Sheola, 45.5 mm at Parshuram during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am yesterday.

UNB adds from Sirajganj: Vast areas of the district were suddenly flooded as the jerrybuilt flood-control embankment at Khokshabari in Sadar uapzila collapsed yesteday under strong currents in the Jamuna river.

Over 100 houses were washed away by the churning floodwater in the morning. "People of the district, including the town-dwellers, panicked following the collapse of the embankment, says a spot report.

The flood situation in Kazipur upazila has taken a serious with most of villages submerged by floodwater.

About a hundred thousand people of the district have been reported marooned and water-born diseases have broken out in the flood-affected areas. Standing crops on vast tracts of land have been damaged.

Sources said an alternative embankment was constructed at Khokshabari at Tk 3.5 crore in 2005.

Locals alleged that as the embankment was not constructed properly, it gave in to the waves in the mighty river.

"Local Water Development Board officials neither visited the embankment area nor took any step to check the collapse of the embankment," many of the victims said.

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The Chairman of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) Brigadier General Ashraf Abdullah Yusuf held a meeting with the Workers Representatives for Welfare Committees (WRWCs) of different factories in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone last night.

WRWCs of some 66 factories joined the meeting that was called on emergency basis to discuss the demands of removal of two officials of A1 management and reopening of Youngone factory. Among others, DEPZ General Manager AZM Azizur Rahman and its’ top security officials were present.

The garment unit of Youngone has remained closed for the last couple of weeks after its’ workers resorted to vandalism leaving some valuables damaged demanding hike in pay.

DEPZ sources said the workers were urged by the BEPZA chairman to join their respective duties.

The chairman assured the workers of looking into the alleged misbehaviour by the A1 officials Humayun and Monjur and urged the workers to join their respective work, said the source.

Sources said, the Chairman would hold talks with the A1 management and ask it to remove the officials if they were guilty.

The meeting was continuing till filing of this report at around 8:15 pm, sources said.

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