Hasina meets Johra Tajuddin

Dhaka, Aug 25  Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met the party's Presidium Council Member Sayeda Johra Tajuddin at her residence in the city on Saturday evening, two days after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the by-polls to the Gazipur-4 (Kapasia) constituency.
Earlier, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told bdnews24.com that the ruling party chief would meet Johra Tajuddin at her DOHS (Defence Officers Housing Society) residence in Banani.
He, however, did not elaborate on the reasons for the meeting.
The by-election is scheduled to be held on Sep 30. The main opposition BNP has announced to boycott the polls.
Later, an Awami League Parliamentary Party meeting nominated Sayeda Johra Tajuddin's daughter Simeen Hussain Rimi for the by-polls.
The Gazipur-4 constituency fell vacant following the resignation of ruling Rimi's brother Awami League lawmaker Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj on July 7.
Sohel, the only son of the country's first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed and Sayeda Johra Tajuddin, had resigned as the State Minister for Home on May 31, 2009.
According to media reports, Sohel Taj's uncle Afsar Uddin Ahmad Khan, who was State Minister for Public Works in Hasina's previous cabinet (1996-2001), has already started lobbying with the party high command to get ticket for the by-polls.
General Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehdi also tried to secure nomination from the Awami League.
As per the schedule, the last date for submission of nomination papers is Sep 3, scrutiny on Sep 5 and the deadline for withdrawal of nominations is Sep 13.

Rimi to run for brother's Gazipur-4 seat

Dhaka, Aug 25 The ruling Awami League has nominated Simeen Hussain Rimi at Gazipur-4 by-elections as the seat fell vacant after her brother's resignation.
Party spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters on Saturday about party's decision to back the daughter of Bangladesh's founding prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad.
The seat fell vacant after Simeen Hussain's brother Tanjim Ahmad quit on Jul 7.

Agreement with WB in final stages: Muhith

Dhaka, Aug 25  Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has said the government is in the final stages of reaching an agreement with the World Bank to get the global lending agency back on board to fund the Padma bridge project.
He also expressed his hope to make a success of the efforts in this regard within a week.
Speaking with bdnews24.com on Saturday at his Minto Road residence in the capital, Muhith said, "All obstacles to reach the agreement are being cleared. I hope the matter will be resolved within one week."
The Washington-based lender cancelled its promised loan of $1.2 billion for the country's biggest-ever infrastructure project in June alleging corruption. Although the government later decided to bridge Padma river with its own resources, the Finance Minister has also been trying to bring back the global lender to fund the infrastructure project.
The global lender had spelt out a number of conditions for the government to fulfil after raising the allegations and suspended the fund for the project in September last year after Canadian authorities launched an investigation into SNC-Lavalin, a firm short-listed as a consultant for the project.
The World Bank cancelled the loan on June 30 claiming that the government did not follow their recommendations.
After the deal was scrapped, Information Communications and Technology Minister Syed Abul Hossain, who was the Communication Minister when the allegations were raised, resigned and former Bridges Secretary Mosharraf Hossain was sent on leave.
Meanwhile, several newspapers reported on Saturday that Integrity Advisor of the Padma bridge project and advisor to the Prime Minister Moshiur Rahman was also excusing himself from the project.
Muhith, however, said, "We will call for tenders in November if the World Bank returns to the project, and the bridge construction work will begin by April next year."

Salma Hayek: “I Am Proud to Be Mexican

Ap, Los Angeles
Saturday, August 25, 2012Salma Hayek says she is proud to be Mexican and that comments suggesting otherwise were “lost in translation.”
The 45-year-old actress issued a statement Thursday after German Vogue magazine quoted her as saying she “hardly had any memories of what it is to be Mexican.”
“I have never denied my background or my culture,” Hayek says in the statement released by publicist Cari Ross. “I have taught my child to embrace her Mexican heritage, to love my first language, Spanish, to learn about Mexican history, music, folk art, food, and even the Mexican candy I grew up with. I have always been an active part of my community. I have tried my whole life to represent my Mexican roots with honour and pride. It saddens me when my words are lost in translation and taken out of context to hurt the people of Mexico, whom I love.”
Hayek graces the cover of German Vogue and gives an interview about her role as the leader of a Mexican drug cartel in the Oliver Stone drama “Savages.” Telephone calls seeking comment placed to the magazine late Thursday night went unanswered.
This is not the first time Hayek has made remarks about her Mexican background that have drawn attention. Last year, she quipped to a reporter in Spanish, “If it wasn't because of my high heels, I would still be in Coatzacoalcos with 10 children.”

BUET reopens after 44 days

Written by mohsin Saturday, 25 August 2012 16:05

Dhaka, Aug 25  The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) reopened on Saturday after a 44-day shutdown stemming from protests by its teachers and students seeking ouster of the Vice-Chancellor.
However, no classes were held on Saturday.
Holding admission test to BUET for the 2012-2013 session has also become uncertain as the protesting teachers have been boycotting classes and other academic activities for more than a month.
Following the protest of the students and teachers demanding resignation of the VC and Pro-Vice Chancellor, BUET authorities had advanced the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation, from July 10. But the protesters continued their movement.
Some of the demonstrating teachers said they continued their protests at personal level by skipping classes but without any formal declaration of any protest plan to guard themselves against contempt of court charge.
The High Court on Aug 14 in a rule ordered authorities to start the admission process of the first-year students amid the teachers' protests.
Asked whether all the teachers had decided not to take classes, BUET Teachers Association General Secretary Ashraful Islam told bdnews24.com: "This is not the association's decision. If a teacher does not take classes, it's his personal decision."
The teachers' association has been leading the protest against the VC and the Pro-VC.
"We still demand that they (VC and Pro-VC) resign. We hope the government will take positive measures considering the situation of BUET," Islam said.
Vice-Chancellor SM Nazrul Islam, however, on Saturday hoped the teachers would return to classes.
"Maybe they did not come today (Saturday) as it was the first day. They will attend in the coming days," he said.
Asked what action would be taken if they didn't take the classes even after that, Islam dodged the query and said, "I'm in a meeting… I'll talk later."
The VC, who faced harsh protest from his colleagues and students recently, had earlier also threatened to continue the university's academic activities by appointing new teachers.
About the admission process, he on Saturday said the university's Academic Council meeting would decide on the issue on Tuesday.
However, a leader of the teachers association, preferring not to be named, told bdnews24.com: "The deans and chairmen of the departments will have to be called upon if the authorities decide to proceed with the admission test. But those teachers will not attend the meeting for sure."
The teachers association had started abstaining from work on Apr 7 demanding the removal of the VC and Pro-VC Habibur Rahman.
After the Prime Minister had promised to consider their demand, they had postponed the strike for one month. But as their demand was not met within July 7, they started work abstention for two hours from 11am.
Facing protests by the teachers and students, the BUET authorities shut the university on July 10, a month in advance for Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr, until Aug 24. The decision intensified the protests.
On July 11, 24 teachers holding academic posts resigned. Then the teachers association announced that the teachers would resign en masse on July 22 if there demand was not met.
They, however, postponed the 'resignation decision' until July 30. Since then they have been staging token hunger-strike on the campus for two hours from 11am every day.
After meeting former VCs and senior teachers of BUET, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid had said a solution would be worked out after discussions with the Prime Minister and the President.
The High Court on Aug 14 ordered the university authorities to immediately start procedures for admissions to the 2012-13 academic session. It also issued a rule asking why the movement of the teachers should not be declared illegal.
Since then, the BUET teachers have not announced officially any protest programme.

JU reopens Sunday

Aug 25 Jahangirnagar University is slated to resume academic activities from Sunday after a 24-day closure in the wake of violent clashes between ruling Awami League student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League and police.
Authorities say dormitories would be opened from Saturday afternoon.
A media release from the university said students would have to present their identity cards at the hall gates. Teachers would examine the cards, it said.
Students residing at halls would be allowed to enter their dormitories only between 8am and 11pm every day, the press release added.
University Vice-Chancellor Professor Anwar Hossain hoped that academic activities would go unhindered after the reopening.
On Aug 1, Tahmidul Islam Likhon, a post-graduate student of Economics and leader of a Chhatra League faction, was stabbed by assailants. The pro-government student wing's activists responded violently when the law enforcers went to detain a student in connection with the attack.
Five students were injured when police fired rubber bullets as the agitated students vandalised Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall Provost's residence and smashed a vehicle of the law enforcers.
Students had to leave their dormitories within Aug 3 when the university authorities announced Eid vacation in advance apparently to avert further violence.

Rajbari councillor sued for 'killing' BNP man

Saturday, August 25, 2012 A case was filed against a Jubo Dal leader of Rajbari district unit for his alleged involvement with the killing of an activist of BNP's Rajbari district unit in the wee hours on Friday.
SM Shamsul Alam Bablu, also the former convener of Rajbari district unit Jubo Dal, was gunned down in the town early Friday.
Bablu's younger brother Shahidul Islam Shimul filed the case against Mir Enam Ali Bachchu, also an incumbent councillor of Rajbari municipality, with Rajbari Sadar Police Station around 12:00am Friday, reports our Kushtia correspondent quoting Rajbari Superintendent of Police Rezaul Haque.
Enam had a rivalry with Bablu, Sahab Uddin Khalifa, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rajbari Sadar Police Station, said earlier.
Meanwhile, a half-day hartal which was called for Saturday protesting the killing was called off.
Ali Newaz Mohammad Khayyam, president of Rajbari district unit Jubo Dal, said, “We called off the hartal after police ensured thorough investigation and outcome within 72 hours.”
Police arrested Arif Biswas, an activist of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), BNP's student body, for his alleged involvement with the killing.
After the killing, Rajbari Sadar Police Station OC said some criminals opened fire on Bablu in Binodpur area of the town around 1:30am Friday when he was returning home from Rajbari Bazar.
The incident took place just 200 yards away from the Binodpur Police Camp.
The OC said a team from the camp rushed to the spot hearing the shots and took Bablu to Rajbari Sadar Hospital where the doctors on duty declared him dead around 2:15am.
The OC suspected that Bablu was the victim of a conflict between Ali Newaz Mohammad Khayyam, also a former lawmaker of Rajbari-1, and Harunur Rashid, general secretary of the same unit.
Bablu belonged to Khayyam group.
On March 2, unidentified criminals opened fire on Bablu's younger brother in the town.
Shimul however narrowly escaped the attack.