Movie Reviw of the week

We have Keanu Reeves back in a movie that's fun if not plausible. The basic premise has him playing a hard cop who spends a few crazy days hunting down the the men who framed him for his ex-police partner's murder.

Tom Ludlow (Reeves) is a widowed vice cop. His partner snitches to Internal Affairs mentioning some shady stories about Tom's past. Tom gets mad and later somebody shoots the partner dead. Tom is framed cause it all makes sense.

Tom's boss played by Forest Whitaker puts him on a desk job shuffling paperwork till the case blows over. But we can't have someone like the main character sit behind a desk. And what follows is a shooting spree to catch the killers in which many others get killed. It's bloodlust and it's popcorn fun.

The verdict:

We have actors who fit the roles for what they are intended to do. Reeves is a tough cop and he can do so without having to really act much. Whitaker on the other hand does his best and ends up providing enough acting to cover Reeves' lacking.

The movie is grim and obscenely violent at times. It shows that corruption is how the world works. While that I not a good message to impart, it does make for a more realistic setting. Of course, at the end of the movie the sort-of good guy wins so that's all good.

Pirated books flood city markets

Students face problems, traders count loss and government deprives of revenue



Pirated copies of books of higher education are flooding the bookshops in the port city, causing loss to the importers and distributors alongside depriving the government of revenue.



The students are also facing problems due to supply of such pirated books by a section of unscrupulous traders.

The books, reprinted and marketed in violation of copyright act, are now available at different bookshops in the city.

Police seize pirated books of higher studies
in the port city recently.

Police unearthed an illegal printing press and godown, seized huge quantity of such pirated books and arrested two people in this connection on April 16. A case has also been filed with Kotwali Police Station in this connection the same day.



Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) led by Assistant Commissioner (AC) Ashiqul Hoque Bhuiyan unearthed the press and four-room godown (storehouse) during its drive at a market near Boro Masjid on Sirajdoullah Road at Chandanpura in the port city.



Some 20,000 pirated books of different courses of higher education like MBBS, MBA, engineering and basic sciences worth over Tk 1 crore were seized from the godown.



Two people identified as Tofajjal Hossain Sajib, 27, an MBA student of Chittagong University and Shamsuddin, 35, were arrested in this connection.



The books of MBBS courses include Human Anatomy by BD Chaurasia, Human Anatomy by AK Datta, Atlas of Human Anatony by Frank H Netler, Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Langman's Medical Embryology, Test Book of Medical Physiology, Essentials of Human Anatomy by AK Datta and others.

Huge copies of books used in MBA course like Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotlers and Gery Armstrong, Accounting Principles by Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, Marketing Management by Philip Kotler and Kevin Lane Keller, Essential of Managerial Finance by Scott Besley and Eugene F Bridgham, Business Mathematics by DC Sancheti and VK Kapoor and Organization Behaviour were found stockpiled at the godown.



The recovered cache also included pirated books of basic sciences like Advanced Organic Chemistry (for BSC and MSC student) by Arun Baht and BS Baht, Modern Inorganic Chemistry by RD Madan, Theory and Problem's of Vector Analysis by Murray R Spiegel, Advanced Engineering Mathematics by HK Dass, Modern Microeconomics (Theory and Applications) by HL Ahuja and many other books.



Detectives also launched such a sudden drive and seized 108 copies of pirated academic books of MBBS courses from five bookstalls at Shahi Jame Mosque Shopping Complex at Anderkilla on January 22.



The bookstores were Panguine Library, Book Eden, Orient Book, Book Garden and Hossainia Library.



A case was filed under Section 82 of the Copyright Act with Kotwali Police Station in this connection. But, the bookshop owners were on the run until obtaining bails from the High Court in the capital to avoid the arrest.



“Since then we were in search of the press and the persons involved in publishing and marketing such books and at last we succeeded,” said Ashikul while talking to The Daily Star on Saturday.



Quoting confessional statements of arrestees, he said they (arrestees) have been marketing and supplying such books at different bookshops in the port city and the capital for the last two and a half years.



DB Inspector Mezba Uddin Ahmad, investigation officer (IO) of both the cases, will submit charge sheet in the first case soon.



Meanwhile students, teachers and traders demanded exemplary punishment to those involved in such illegal business.



Chittagong Medical College (CMC) Principal Prof Dr MA Wahab said students will face problems if they use pirated books with illegible prints and poor quality pictures of different human organs and diagram.



He said in medical study picture is very important and unclear picture might give a wrong message to the students.



Limon, a CMC student, said they prefer to buy the pirated copies of books due to their cheaper rates. He said sometime they get those at half the price or one third of reduced rates.



Golum Mostafa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Parama Publisher and Distributor, said they have been incurring a huge loss every year.



He said the pirated copies are small in size compared to the original ones and are published in one colour with bellow quality pictures while the original copies are four coloured.



Moreover, below quality papers are used in publishing the pirated copies to keep the price cheaper, he added.



Parama Publisher and Distributor is reportedly the lone importer and distributor of foreign academic books of different higher courses.

Terrible hot

The city is experiencing a terrible hot spell for the last few days. Load shedding and water crisis added to the situation. To find respite, this kid is splashing water all over his body to his heart's content from a shallow machine meant for watering a paddy field.

Make the National Board of Revenue (NBR) a color blind organization

Tying criminal code with tax code is problematic. However well intentioned those rules are, they usually do not serve the purpose, those usually backfire.

To quote from the following Financial Express news item - "He (the finance adviser) said the government will allow disclosure of all legally earned untaxed income under the existing law provided owners of the same are not facing any criminal charge."

The question that we want to ask is this: If someone is facing criminal charge, can she or he still have legally earned untaxed income? Yes, it is possible that this person have some untaxed income that was legally earned, but not previously declared. If that is the case, then, why would the law that the finance adviser talks about would not be deemed against the basic premise fairness and equality in legal rights?

I know what some of you or even the finance adviser may opine. "Eto kisu kore tu para jabe na" or "Criminal der abar constitutional right ki?" But these type of opinion is not helpful if we are really interested about developing a system that works, rather than being an ideal system. May be we can punish people with that attitude, but in the long run those kinds of law wouldn't pass the test of time. They also do not serve the purpose of building a better future.

One thing that our policy makers and the government agencies do not understand is that being in the position of responsibility - being a part of the government is one of the most difficult thing. If you want to ban something (such as block certain citizens from certain rights under the law), you have to be able to prove those allegations beyond doubt. If you can not ascertain an income as illegal beyond doubt, you have to consider it as legal (even if it might be the case!). Off course, it is also the responsibility of the government to keep investigating so that any illegal things are found. Until and unless that can be done, you have to learn to "let things to go".

Bottomline: Law enforcement have to start with a presumption that a citizen is always innocent until it is proven otherwise in the court of law and his or her assets are all legal until it is proven in the court otherwise. Doing one thing wrong does not prove that the person has done other things wrong. Each of the cases has to be proven separately and the person himself or herself has to be dealt with fairness and respect.

In doing that the authorities will have to let many things go untouched. But if you can catch few percent beyond doubt, that should be your starting point. Build capacity within the system that increases the initial success rate (the small percent) over the years. That way success might be slow, but it will be sure and stable. More importantly, it will not effect the economy adversely or the adverse effect will be much less than positive impact of the activities which wasn't the case during last few months.

A first important step in achieving that economic stability and confidence, NBR has to be made a blind organization. Let other agencies deal with criminal matters, not the NBR. Essentially, NBR is selling a product which is government service. This is a promise of future government service that NBR sells to the citizens - a promise to treat the people with respect and give every possible protection that the citizens needs from the State. Selling of that promise can not be successful unless NBR itself becomes more respectful to the individual rights of the citizens, no matter what kind.

If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.

Our very own shuttle train

Chittagong University, one of the oldest and most prominent universities in Bangladesh has often been known as a 'University with the shuttle train' because of its uniqueness of having shuttle trains for commuting to and from the campus everyday. From its very start, students are dependent on these trains and their running on time.

What really astonished me on my very first day in the university was the distance between the main town and the campus. It is approximately 22 kilometers from the port city on one hand; the road connecting our campus to the town is very narrow, dilapidated and congested on the other. That's why the shuttle trains having seven to nine compartments became a means of communication for almost twenty thousand students. The ageing trains not only render free service to the students but also save their valuable time.

It goes without saying that the evergreen campus is lifeless without the presence of these old but bold trains. The trains hold some special characteristics. Different compartments have different names such as Black Hole, Cockpit, CFC (Choose friends with care), Fata Fati, Ekakar and so on. After classes, we try to move to the station as fast as possible to grab the seats so that friends can sit in one corner and have some fun. It is hardly quiet inside the compartments as students sing different types of songs ranging from English to Bengali parody! The seats and sides are used as drums to add flavour to the music mood. So, who needs musical instruments! Amazingly enough, the harmony the singers create is praiseworthy although it sometimes may turn out to be tedious to some unwilling listeners. Others remain busy gossiping with friends about any topic under the sun.

Ah! Don't forget the bookworms! Although the train is always overcrowded, our bookworms do not miss the opportunity of reading books or magazines during the hour-long journey. They remain oblivious of the noise of the moving train or hollering that goes on in the name of singing! In fact, to some it opens up the horizon of the mind! And other bookworms say that they can best concentrate on a book when there is lots of noise around! So, it takes all kind to make this world, doesn’t it?

When students pass out every year and leave behind the well spent days, one memory they carry in their heart is the fantastic train rides to campus. Many of them still feel nostalgic thinking about their days of the shuttle trains.

Yes, our shuttle train is beset with many problems, and yet its selfless service to students has overcome all the inconveniences. Repair and reconstruction of the railway tracks have become a growing need of the time to speed up the trains. We want the number of trains and compartments to be increased to meet the demand of CU students. The authorities concerned and government should pay sensitive attention in this regard. They must appreciate that despite all the shortcomings and difficulties, the trains never forget to pick up students from many platforms. They are honest in performing their responsibilities.

Long live our shuttle trains!

IP Telephony ~~~~ Ushering in new hope for Bangladesh

Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the supervisory body of the country's telecoms industry, is going to launch IP telephony service by the middle of the year. The BTRC has decided to award the licence to local internet service providers (ISPs) to kick-start IP telephony service across the country.

IP telephony is Internet Protocol (IP)-based phone service that is very cost effective compared to traditional circuit-switched telephony services. In IP telephony voice is transformed into series of packets and then the packets are transmitted over a data communication network. Voice quality in IP phone service is quite impressive and it depends on the traffic condition of the network.

IP phone service has two distinct categories such as IP deskphone and softphone. IP deskphone resembles regular phone set but incorporates more interactive features and use session initiation protocol (SIP) to transmit packets. Cisco is one of the market leaders in providing IP deskphone solution. Softphone, on the other hand, is a web-based telephony service that requires multimedia equipment to initiate phone calls. Skype is an ideal example of the softphone that uses point-to-point protocol to transmit data.

In IP telephony you do not need to follow a phone number rather the phone number will follow you. Precisely speaking, you can enjoy IP phone service from any place where internet access is available. When you subscribe to the IP telephony service, the particular ISP will provide you with a unique number and you can use it to initiate voice call.

The chief advantage of IP phone is that it offers low-cost phone service. In traditional phone system when you dial a number a dedicated circuit is established between you and your counterpart. This circuit remains occupied throughout the conversation. Technically speaking, it is wastage of resource because nobody else can share the link. As a result, you pay high when you make long distance calls. But IP telephony eliminates this problem as it uses shared link to route packets to the destination. As soon as your voice is converted into a chunk of data called packet it is deliberately scattered over the network. All packets are given an identifier for accumulation and packets are sent over the available link.

An IP telephony system consists of three elements such as soft-switch, billing software and IP phone. ISPs install soft-switch and billing software at their end whereas client needs to install the IP phone at their end. The IP phone connects with the soft-switch through the internet and this device is responsible for handling all incoming and outgoing calls. Billing software keeps the call log and generates bill against each call.

For IP telephony service, ISPs will be connected to international gateway (IGW) maintained by other operators. All cell-phone operators are also connected with IGW. IGW operators will be responsible for routing calls between different networks.

In Bangladesh IP telephony ushers in a new scope for economic progress. The BTRC is planning to give licence for call centre operation. But it is not possible to make call centres viable without IP telephony service. Widespread implementation of call centres paves the way for bringing more Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services in the country. At this moment most of the ISPs do not have wide network coverage in rural areas. In this regard, WiMAX can play an important role in making IP telephony service available in rural areas. Vietnam is a good example of this where WiMAX technology has been employed to enable rural people to access IP phone service from their own places.

Dr Zafar Iqbal, professor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), told StarTech that IP telephony is a "promising technology and the government should come forward to make this technology available to the people. Our existing submarine cable has a huge bandwidth and we'll be able to utilise it properly if IP telephony service becomes a reality. IP telephony will also open the door of other IP-based services to the country".

Sumon Sabir, managing director of BDCOM, a leading ISP in the country, said, "We're ready to provide IP telephony service. But in some places outside Dhaka, we need more time to develop the infrastructure. Generally, IP phone is an expensive device but we're trying to explore cost effective products for the subscribers. Our projection is that if IP phone service starts in a few months, it will draw near about 10,000 users by the end of 2008 and by the end of 2010 it will be two-three lakh."

"We welcome the BTRC's move to materialise the long-cherished IP telephony dream but personally I believe that the revenue-sharing strategy is not a good decision. The BTRC can reconsider it. We also deserve more friendly approach from the government in importing equipment. From technical point of view, we'll face problem to route the traffic because all IGWs are based on TDM (time division multiplexing) technology but ISPs use IP-based network. So when we send data to IGW we must do TDM conversion. If all IGWs are IP compatible then it will leverage our operation. At this moment it is hard to provide cheap IP phone service in rural areas. But if the government opens the door to the WiMAX players, it would be more helpful to us," Sumon explained.

Compared to other countries, Bangladesh is a late entrant to the world of IP telephony. Worldwide traditional phone technologies are being replaced with IP-based operations. In the developing world, many companies have converted their antiquated PBX system to IP PBX.

During the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan, IP-based system was used for communications. According to FIFA estimates, IP telephony saved the organisation more than US$200,000 in telephone bills and networking costs over the month long event.

Dell'Oro Group, a research firm, projected that IP phone revenues are expected to double over the next five years, reaching just over US$6 billion by 2012. Major players in the IP telephony market are Avaya, Cisco, Nortel, Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent. Cisco has showed its outstanding performance in enterprise telephony equipment, securing second position in 2007.

Business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan said the IP Centrex market is expected to grow from 13,000 lines in 2001 to 10 million lines by 2008. Traditional Centrex market, which represented 16.5 million lines in 2001, is likely to drop to approximately 10.9 million lines by 2008. Most IP Centrex deployments at present are with small business that have less than 100 lines. The study also says that IP Centrex might increase the penetration of network-based business voice services from 15.4 percent in 2001 to 17.4 percent in 2008.

IP telephony has a bright future in Bangladesh. The government should make this technology available for common people.

Lifeline of City.

A worker removing solid waste from a drain of a tannery at Hazaribagh. Most of the factories in the area do not have any effluent treatment plant (ETP) and toxic water from these units flow down to the Buriganga, polluting the city's lifeline.

Rampant corruption at Viqarunnisa

Ministry requests ACC to take punitive action

The education ministry on Sunday requested the Anti-Corruption Commission to take action against the teachers and employees of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College who allegedly embezzled around Tk 50 crore of the school’s and government’s fund.

The ministry’s probe, conducted last year, also found that as many as 45 teachers including two principals of Viqarunnisa, one of the country’s most reputed educational institutions, were appointed illegally.

‘The probe report has been sent to the ACC for the taking of necessary action. The criminals have been identified in our probe report and the amount which has been embezzled by the school authorities is of a large volume, so they should face the action of the Anti-Corruption Commission,’ said a ministry official involved with the probe.

‘To my mind, the actual amount of money embezzled and other financial irregularities may involve a much higher amount than the ministry’s probe detected,’ he said. ‘The education adviser on April 10 signed the file sent to the ACC.’

The probe report said that more than Tk 23 crore had been extorted from students’ parents and guardians in the last four years, but the school’s authorities failed to produce any record of depositing the money in any bank. The authorities also paid Tk 3.75 crore to the teachers and employees in excess of their wages and salaries. They also did not deposit Tk 30 lakh exacted as VAT from the teachers and employees to the exchequer, said the report.

The school authorities also gave more than Tk 6 crore interest-free loan to the proposed Viqarunnisa Noon University five years ago, but the loan is yet to be returned, said the report. ‘Gross financial irregularities have also been detected in the construction of a school building.’ According to the probe report, the school incurred a loss of more than Tk 1.50 crore and Tk 1.9 crore due to irregularities in the construction of its Azimpur and Bashundhara branches respectively.

It also found that an excess amount of Tk 2 crore was spent in the construction of a building for English medium students on its main campus.

The report said the recruitment of the two immediate-past principals — Royena Hossain and Tahmina Khanam — was also illegal.

The school started its journey as a kindergarten in 1952. It was upgraded to a secondary school in 1958 and opened higher secondary courses in 1979. The school and college sections have a total of 400 teachers and 15,131 students. Besides its main campus on Bailey Road, it has three branches at Dhanmondi, Basundhara and Azimpur.

New textbooks for all pry students from next year

Primary and Mass Education Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury yesterday said primary students of all government and private schools will get new textbooks from next year.

“Now primary students get 50 percent new books and 50 percent old books. Many students are not encouraged due to lack of new textbooks. We hope all primary students will get new textbooks instead of old books from 2009,” she said while addressing as chief guest at the launching ceremony of Asia South Pacific Education Watch Report in the capital.

She also laid emphasis on quality education and said, “We have taken some initiatives not only for increasing the number of students at primary level but also for improving the quality of education.”

The launching ceremony was organised by Campaign for Popular Education (Campe) in cooperation with Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE) at LGED auditorium in the capital where Asia-South Pacific Education Watch reports on Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Cambodia were presented.

According to Bangladesh Watch Report, public expenditure for each student in a year in government primary schools was Tk 1728 in 2005 followed by Tk 1656 in ebtedayee madrasas and only Tk 664 in registered non-government schools.

“At the secondary level, Tk 2461 was spent per students in government-assisted schools and Tk 3810 for secondary level (dakhil) madrasas,” the report pointed out.

The report also revealed that 43 percent of government primary school students and 85 percent of government-assisted secondary school students had private tutors.

“Private tuition is the largest single private expenditure. The annual cost of private tuition for each student in government schools was Tk 4700 which is 42 percent of the total cost of their education, Tk 2210 in non-government schools which is 29 percent of the total cost, and Tk 1202 in madrasas which is 21 percent of the total cost,” the report added.

The report also pointed out that 10 types of institutions offer primary education, and in 80397institutions, a total of 16225158 students were enrolled with a total number of 344789 teachers.

At the secondary level, there are 18500 institutions, 238158 teachers and 7398552 students.

“The education sector has been receiving the highest public budgetary allocation in recent years. During the last five years, the allocation has been around 14 percent of the total national budget comprising about nine percent in revenue budget and about five percent in development budget,” said Azizul Haq, director-in-charge of Campe, while speaking at the launching ceremony.

Campe Deputy Director Tasneem Athar, ASPBAE Analyst Rene Reya, Asia Advocacy and Campaign Coordinator Raquel D Castillo and Education Watch Advisory Board Chairperson Kazi Fazlur Rahman were present on the occasion.

The journey begins

As Bengalis in Bangladesh and West Bengal celebrated Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla year 1415, the passenger train service, Maitree Express, commenced on its historic journey carrying a total of 498 passengers for its inaugural trip to Kolkata from Dhaka on the same day, amidst an overwhelming response from the people. The track on which the Maitree Express is rolling is new but the hope it carries is vintage. The cantonment station was given a facelift to face the occasion.

To a few passengers traveling the train it was a journey of reminiscence, not just a train carrying passengers to a country which is divided by an international border. Sheikh Raisul Haque, a passenger from Dhaka who had visited Kolkata by train before the service snapped after the Indo-Pak war in 1965, said, ‘I went to Kolkata in 1962. At that time I was a student of Class III. My father showed me a lot of things on the way, and now I took this train to give my son the same flavour I experienced 46 years ago.’

Traveling via cross-border trains is something totally new for the people of Bangladesh as the Maitree Express is the only cross-country rail communication service in the country.

‘I have gone to Kolkata before by air and bus, but traveling in a cross-country train is a completely new experience and I am extremely excited,’ said Sharmin Rashid, a passenger on the train, before the departure.

The mood at the cantonment station on the morning of April 14 was festive. Many of the passengers were carrying the national flag. Everyone had a spark in their eyes.

India and Bangladesh share a common border of 4096 km running through five points. The two countries also share history and socio-cultural heritage.

After 43 years

Passenger train communications were snapped between Bangladesh and India in 1965 following a war between India and Pakistan when Bangladesh, the then East Pakistan, was part of Pakistan.

There were three trains from Selaidah running into East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) - The East Bengal Express, the East Bengal Mail and the Barisal Express, in the past. Unfortunately the service stopped and the integration of the people in either side of the border was hampered.

With the vision of connecting the people of the two countries, after 43 years, the railway communications have resumed finally, after constant efforts from the past and current governments of both the countries. The Dhaka- Kolkata passenger train service supplementary deal was signed on April 10, 2008 which cleared the way for the cross-border journey of trains on the Dhaka- Kolkata route.

Earlier in 2001, the Bangladesh and India governments signed the agreement to resume the railway service. The commissioning of the cross-border train which was scheduled for an August 2007 start was delayed as Bangladesh and India failed to narrow down their differences over ‘security cage’ near the no man’s land on the border of the two countries.

India insisted on erecting 150m fencing on each side of the border to prevent illegal immigrants taking advantage of the train service, but Bangladesh strongly opposed it, arguing that such fencing in the borders is against the norms of friendly relationship between Bangladesh and India. Bangladesh in view of India’s concern about passenger security rather suggested a joint security agreement along the border, which included things such as strong monitoring and improved security inside the train.

Before this historic moment, freight trains had travelled between India and Bangladesh, after an agreement in 1972 that was later suspended. Petrapole-Benapole freight train service resumed in January 2001, which has facilitated the movement of cargo through the border through which more than 70 per cent of India- Bangladesh trade takes place.

The bus service between Dhaka – Kolkata was inaugurated in July 1999, since then both government and private bus service providers operate buses regularly on the Dhaka-Kolkata route. The Dhaka- Agartala bus service was inaugurated in September 2003 and buses also run regularly in this route.

Along with the bus and train service, in accordance with the India-Bangladesh air service agreement the two countries operate 30 flights each week. Quiet a few private airlines are also operating flights between the two countries. Since 1972, through eight specific routes, river transport between the two countries is also being operated regularly.

Restoring the bond

The differences between the two countries was preventing the historic resumption, however, fortunately, the Bangladesh council of advisers in a meeting on February 24, 2008, decided to approve the Indian proposal of a construction of a box-type temporary fence on no man’s land.

The resumption of this train service will hopefully be able to restore the bond which the people living in both the countries shared in the past. ‘The Maitree Express would be reconnecting the two countries, and will surely open up new windows of opportunity in various sectors and it will also help develop co-operation among the two countries,’ opined Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka.

The Maitree Express will substantially contribute to consolidating the ties between India and Bangladesh. ‘This is a historic moment as the train service will reconnect the two countries and will reunite the people of Bengal who have been together for thousands of years. The train will increase the rate of people-to-people contact on both sides of the border,’ said the communications adviser, Ghulam Quader, at the inauguration ceremony of the Maitree Express.

The Maitree Express will link two countries which have similar culture. Many people on the other side of the border also speak the Bangla language. The people in both the countries have always demanded such a service.

‘The Maitree Express is an absolutely wonderful concept. It will link the two countries and a new chapter in the relations between these two neighboring countries will open up,’ said the British High Commissioner in Dhaka, Anwar Choudhury.

Every one is hoping that, this time, the train service will not be hampered by any sort of political crisis. ‘The people of both the countries want this service to continue forever, and the government of both the countries should keep this train service free of politics,’ says Imdaul Haq Milon, a leading writer of the country, traveling on the Maitree Express on its first trip.

The Indian high commissioner also stated that everything will fall into place once the service starts and he also hoped that the future governments will also not create any sorts of obstacles which may hamper the train service.

‘I am optimistic about the future of this cross-country train service,’ says Pinak.

Security concerns

While operations have started, some key issues of the service such as the security have to be addressed in order to run the service smoothly.

Just a day before the inaugural trip of the Maitree Express, some crude bombs were found near the tacks in a place near Bankimnagar station on the Ranagaht-Gede line in West Bengal.

On the other hand a quiet a few right- wing organisations in Kolkata protested the relaunch of the train link. On top of that, Nikhil Banga Sangha (All Bengal Citizens’ Group), comprising Hindu refugees from Bangladesh before and after 1971 recently told the BBC, ‘Why should democratic and secular India seek to develop such links with Islamic Bangladesh?’

On its inaugural trip, the train from Bangladesh was stopped for about five minutes, at the Kushpur level crossing at Nadia, a place in India by villagers who feared an increased influx of people from Bangladesh; the journey resumed after the officials assured the villagers of no such thing likely to be taking place.

Such instances make it clear that the government from both the countries would have to establish security procedures of the highest level in order to prevent any unwanted events.

The Indian government has already set up a metal structure of 150 yards on the no man’s land near Joynagar as a preparation for the train service resumption. Bangladesh has not yet set up the fences on this side of the border; it, however, hopes to complete the fencing in the border area in six months, say officials at the communications and foreign ministries.

‘We hope to maintain a high level of security, as the safety of the passengers is of immense importance. We will take all the necessary steps in order to maintain security,’ says Mohammed Sarwar Mahmood, director of the South Asia wing at the foreign ministry. Metal detectors, luggage scanners and security archways have already been set up at Darshana station (the immigration point in Bangladesh), along with a 10-member team of the railway police who have been deployed on the train for security purposes, said official sources.

Immigration and service

The immigration formalities for the passengers of the Maitree Express will be conducted at two places. It will take at least five hours to complete the immigration process at Darshana in Bangladesh and Gede in India, and the total 538km journey would take eight hours.

Many people believe that the duration of the journey is too long. The duration, especially the time needed for immigration and customs, must be reduced. ‘If the duration of the journey is not reduced, then not many passengers will travel by Maitree Express,’ says KS Zaman, a passenger from Dhaka.

Apart from reduction in the time needed for immigration formalities, many passengers who were on the inaugural trip feel that other services within the train, including the quality of food, need to be improved if one wants to attract passengers.

Initially, in accordance with the agreement signed by the two governments which runs till 2010, the Maitree Express will run twice a week. The total journey from Dhaka-Kolkata is 538 km, 418km on the Bangladesh territory and 120 km on the Indian side.

The Indian train has the capacity to carry 366 passengers and the Bangladesh train 418 passengers. The Bangladesh government would get 75 per cent of the total earnings from ticket sales on the other hand the Indian government would 25 per cent as the larger chunk of the rail tracks fall on Bangladesh territory, inform officials of the Bangladesh Railways.

The governments of both the countries have plans of extending the contract if all things go smoothly, informs official sources. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens, businessman, and many families who have been disconnected during the partition in 1947 keep their fingers crossed hoping that the Maitree Express would help establish their long lost relations.

Travel by Maitree Express

The Maitree Express travels every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30am (Bangladesh standard time) in the morning from the cantonment station, Dhaka and from Chitpur Station, Kolkata, India at 7:10am (Indian standard time). In order to travel in Moitree express an individual has to obtain a visa of India which permits that individual to go to India through the Darshana- Gede border.

One has to buy the tickets from the special booths situated at the Kamlapur Rail Station in Dhaka after obtaining the visa. The tickets are sold at the Kamlapur Station every day. Maitree Express has a total capacity of 418 passengers. There are 36 air-conditioned cabins, 80 air-conditioned chairs and 302 non air-conditioned chairs in the seven compartments.

The fare has been fixed at $20 US for berth seat, $12 for a seat in the air-conditioned compartments, and $8 for a seat in the non- air-conditioned chair coach.

Immigration formalities will be conducted at Darshana in Bangladesh and at Gede in India.

In Kolkata the tickets for this train can be obtained from the international ticket counter at Fairily Place, Kolkata.

Have you registered to vote?

'What is your ward number?’ asks the enumerator at Motijheel TNT High School.

Sabina, a domestic worker, replies ‘108.’

‘That’s your house number. What is your ward number? Where do you live?’

‘It’s under Ramna thana.’

‘That isn’t here. Ramna is 53 or 54. I think your centre is in Moghbazar, but I’m not sure, so call this phone number —’ he hands her a form and underlines a set of digits, ‘and ask where you should go.’

This dialogue repeated itself at the various voting centres around Dhaka last week. Most people did not know what their ward number was and hence did not know where to go. Also, the notice published in the newspapers, which was compiled by the Bangladesh Youth Forum, had some errors in listing the relevant centres for each area. The officials present at each centre as well as the armed forces could only vouch for their individual areas and ward numbers and knew little of other parts.

It was just past 4pm last Saturday at Rajdhani High School where a long line of people waited to have their forms completed and photos taken. Enumerators were calling it a day and finishing off with the registration forms they had left — they had close to run out, not having expected as large a crowd. Though notices said the centres would be open from 9am to 5pm, the officials patiently repeated that it was actually 4pm, not 5pm.

Last weekend, voter registration centres in Dhaka Division were open for three extra days — April 11, 12, and 13 — for those who had missed out in the first rounds. People were asked to bring some form of identification such as a passport or a driving licence if they had these documents. Although initially it had been reported that those who turned up would have to explain why they had not shown up earlier, the hundreds that did crowd to each centre did not face much trouble except for waiting in long queues in the heat. The armed forces present at each centre made a point of approaching every individual who looked a little lost and helping out by telling them where they needed to go.

Each person who came for late registration had a different story. Some had filled out the registration forms when enumerators had gone door-to-door but had lost the corresponding slip needed when going to take the photographs. Abul Rashid, a 34-year-old private service holder, was one such. ‘You have to fill out the form again,’ he was told at the Rajdhani High School. ‘We can’t search out the matching form for you now.’ Apart from that, however, he was able to complete the process reasonably quickly. Once Rashid’s details had been filled in and he had signed the form, he went straight up to have his photograph and fingerprints taken. And that was that, for another two months at least, which is when the officials estimate that the voter identity cards will be available. They will have to be picked up by the holder who needs to bring the attached slip along.

As of April 11, 2008, according to the Election Commission website, a total of 5,61,77,041 citizens are now registered voters, with 1,01,16,343 completed voter identity cards and 57,99,402 already handed over to the owners. ‘Every day, the numbers are increasing,’ says Reaz Ahmed, communications manager for the Preparation of Electoral Roll with Photograph (PERP). ‘Three, four, five lakh people are being added daily to the list being prepared.’

The electoral roll preparation process has six phases to it, most of which have been completed by now. The first phase was collecting data and making preparations in terms of equipment, recruitment and training of the people involved in the registration process and setting up operational registration centres. The second stage was to obtain and scrutinise forms at the centres, serialising forms in laptops and making entries of the forms in logbooks. The third stage required maximum participation from the people as they came to be photographed, have their fingerprints taken and their data scrutinised. This is the stage at which people are slipping out of the final list; some forget the dates, some lose their slips and some just don’t bother. ‘We’re talking about a population of 180 million people,’ Ahmed says. ‘At some point you have to ask whether the system is at fault or whether it is the individual. If someone is still left out, after all the arrangements we have made, they will have to come forward after the draft is published. They will also have to give an explanation of why they hadn’t registered earlier.’

‘It’s a never ending process,’ Ahmed continues. ‘Take one district such as Noakhali — the work in each upazila has been completed and afterwards the centres were open for some extra days for those who had been left out.’ At some point, they have to stop waiting for people to show up and go ahead so the draft will be ready on schedule.

‘After the draft is published, there will be a time period of fifteen days when those names or other details have been wrongly taken down and those who are left out can come forward and still be integrated in the process,’ says Biswas Lutfur Rahman, deputy election commissioner for the Dhaka Division. The list is now undergoing revision and multiple checks at the army headquarters which allows them to eliminate duplicate voters and also catch on to false voters. Just this week in Gazipur, three such fakes were identified and arrested, and now have cases filed against them. However, fakes are uncommon and this instance is probably a case of a few people testing the waters to see if they could get away with it.

‘Duplicate registration, on the other hand, is something we have seen with more frequency,’ says Rahman. ‘There have been cases of people living in one district but owning land in a different one, so they register themselves in both places in order not to lose any legal right to that land.’ These double entries have so far been easily eliminated by checking fingerprints against the existing database. Rahman reports that they are keeping count of how many forms had been filled out during door-to-door visits and how many had actually been photographed and altogether completed the registration process.

Rahman says that with the aid of the army and a precise plan, they have managed to be perfectly on schedule in the preparation of the voter list and their problems have been minimised. He is not certain how long it will take to process the draft but informs that after the draft publication the only body that can facilitate the registration process is the Election Commission.

‘As for absentee voters, if they have family in the country, their family can notify the voting centre. Otherwise, they will always have the option of registering when they do come to the country, such as when migrant labourers return to Bangladesh. Voter registration is a process that will be carried out yearly from January 2 to January 31, so the list can be updated regularly as necessary,’ Rahman says. Additionally, Reaz Ahmed says that there have been many instances of people making a point of returning to the country and registering as a voter.

Furthermore, Rahman believes that they have done their utmost to promote awareness of the enormous significance of the process. ‘We have gone to localities and convinced people to participate as this voter identity card will serve the purpose of a national identity card. So it is not about whether you want to vote or not next election.’

Mobile subscribers reach 38.93m in March

The total number of mobile phone subscribers in Bangladesh rose to 38.93 million at the end of March from 37.55 million in February last.

Telecompaper, a Netherlands-based telecom website, reported the figure on the basis of the latest update from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

On April 17, the website reported that GrameenPhone was the market leader with 17.81 million subscribers, up from 17.20 million subscribers in February, while Orascom Telecom Bangladesh (Banglalink) was in the second place with 8.31 million subscribers.

TMIB (Aktel) and Warid Telecom International bagged third and fourth positions with 7.45 million and 2.79 million subscribers respectively.

Other operators-PBTL (Citycell) and Teletalk Bangladesh-remained steady compared to February and reported 1.56 million and 1.01 illion subscribers each respectively.

BD trade fair in Malaysia, S’pore from June

Mission Far-east, a Bangladesh single country trade fair will be held in Singapore from June 13 to 15 while in Malaysia from June 19 to 22 targeting to tape huge market of different Bangladeshi products and services.

The venue for the fair in Singapore is Ground of Mostafa Plaza (beside mosque) and Putra World Convention Centre in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

More than 100 stalls and pavilions of Bangladeshi banks, life insurance companies, jute and jute goods, handicrafts, readymade garments, vegetables, frozen foods, spices, housing and real-estate, soft drink and beverage, food stuff, toiletries and cosmetics, medicine, industrial products, computer software, tea, melamine and ceramic products, plastic and kitchenware and agricultural products will be accommodated in the fair.

Interested business houses are requested to contact with Dhaka International Exhibition Company (DIEC)'s Purana Paltan office or to call on 7163850, 01710852522 for stalls.

Remittances to come through post offices from June

Remittances being sent by expatriate Bangladeshis will be disbursed through 514 district and upazila post offices from June next following an agreement signed between Bangladesh Postal Department and Western Union Money Transfer.

The agreement will enable the expatriate Bangladeshis to send money quickly at a lesser cost and the recipients will get the money at home within 10 to 15 minutes.Internet and fax systems are being installed in the post offices for the purpose, and this facility will also be introduced in other sub-post offices gradually.

This was disclosed by Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Post and Telecommunications Brig Gen (retd) MA Malik at a function today in the city, said an official handout.

Malik was addressing as the chief guest a training programme for officials of postal department jointly organised by Bangladesh Postal Department and Western Union Money Transfer at Dakbhaban.

He urged the officials of the postal department to work with sincerity and devotion to ensure improved service to revive the reputation of the postal department. Director General of Postal Department Mobashsheur Rahman and Western Union Money Transfer Country Director Syed Kamal also addressed the function.In his speech, Syed Kamal outlined in detail the system of disbursing the remittances being sent by expatriates through the postal department. He said Western Union Money Transfer has already trained 900 officials of the postal department for the purpose.

Western Union Money Transfer is working in 38 countries, including Bangladesh, on sending remittances, he added.

Loss-making jute mills to be privatised

Bangladesh will privatise all loss-making state-run jute mills in phases, said a draft jute policy-2008 discussed at a workshop.

Jute and Textile Adviser Anwarul Iqbal opened the workshop at the International Jute Study Group office recently that saw participation from jute experts, private mill owners and farmers.“Efforts are underway to revive the past glory of jute,” assured the adviser. Jute is environment-friendly and has a huge demand across the world.

The draft policy envisages incentives to jute growers in the form of easy loan, improved seeds and necessary inputs for intensive cultivation. This is intended to reduce the cost of jute production. Besides, interests of workers of the offloaded mills will be protected.

The adviser assured that an investigation committee would be formed soon to probe into alleged corruption and mismanagement and closer of state-run jute mills. The world’s largest jute mill, Adamjee Jute Mills, that had earned fame and huge foreign exchange was closed down under the pressure of donors when it incurred heavy loss.

The draft policy also envisages promotion of extensive research in jute for multipurpose use of the golden fire.

Iqbal informed the workshop that cultivation of jute and production in Bangladesh had declined. He estimated the last year’s production at around 5.5mn bales as against 7mn bales in 1960s. Laying significance of jute a recent UNCTAD report said $1 earned from jute sector is equivalent to $4 earned from readymade garments.

PSC member A Dhaka court has sentenced a former member of the Public Service Commission (PSC) to 13 years imprisonment for illegally amassing wealth and concealing wealth information from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The court also fined Prof Md Mahfuzur Rahman 5mn taka. Judge AKM Arifur Rahman of the Special Court-10, located in the parliament secretariat complex, handed down the sentence.

Authorities have so far been unable to track down Mahfuzur and his punishment will come into effect from the day he surrenders or is arrested.

The sentence comprises two terms of three and ten years for concealing information a wealth statement to the ACC and amassing illegal wealth respectively. The jail terms are to run consecutively.

Hasina hospitalised for blood pressure

Detained former Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina was hospitalised yesterday for “unstable” blood pressure, an official said. Sheikh Hasina, 60, was taken to hospital for a routine check-up, but doctors found her blood pressure was unstable, said John Gomes, general manager of the Square Hospital where she was admitted.

“They checked her several times and each time her pressure was found to be low and unstable. She has been given medicines but she will be observed at the hospital for a while,” Gomes said. Sheikh Hasina has been detained on corruption charges since last July by the country’s military-backed government and was hospitalised for several days last month complaining of ear trouble, high blood pressure and other ailments.

Her hearing in her left ear was severely damaged in a 2004 grenade assassination attempt and she also has failing eye sight. In February, Sheikh Hasina, who was premier from 1996 to 2001, went on trial for allegedly extorting 435,000 dollars from a power company owner. The trial was adjourned after her lawyers challenged the legality of the case.

Bangladesh’s caretaker government took power in January 2007 after months of turmoil and violence sparked by Awami League allegations of vote-rigging against the outgoing Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The interim government has vowed to clean up Bangladesh’s notoriously corrupt politics before restoring democracy later this year.

BNP leader and the country’s most recent prime minister, Khaleda Zia, and some 150 other high-profile politicians have also been held in the government’s corruption crackdown.

Meanwhile, the Awami League has linked the success of any dialogue with Bangladesh’s caretaker government to the release of its detained chief. A senior leader of the party was yesterday quoted as saying that a dialogue with the government would be meaningless if Hasina was not sent to the US for treatment.

The party has launched a campaign, beginning with a signature drive, to press the demand that Hasina, a former prime minister, be released on parole.

But Home Adviser Major General (retired) M A Matin said the government was not thinking of releasing Hasina immediately.

Would you mind giving me a break?

Ever wondered how life would have been if there were not any relationships to handle? You could have been the lord of your existence, the lone traveler on this intricate journey. But alas, life never gave us that fortunate a chance and has therefore bestowed us with relatives which range from parents to siblings to significant others. Don't get me mistaken for a sadist or something. Of course, I am not against living a solitary life but sometimes the pressures and expectations that come from different quarters can get hard to cope with.

From the study quarter

Right from your toddler years, parents in Bangladesh, expect their children to get admitted in a popular school. Hence begins the pressure of having a picture perfect image in front of the admissions committee and answering all questions in the interview with zero mistakes. If the child fails, then he or she gets the blame of being too 'naughty'. In other words, the child just blew his or her so-called golden prospect of being in a top-notch school. It is a much worse scenario in Bengali medium schools where kids have to start coaching as early as 8 years of age (which is basically their time to play!). It is almost a 'study or die' situation in which the ultimate loser is the child, even if he or she gets admitted. Admission means more studying which consequently leads to the fact of losing the precious moments of childhood.

So as we grow up, parents expect us to excel in studies. “You have to be the top student this year or else how can I show my face to Ibrahim's mom?” Out of nowhere, the juncture for Board examinations arrive in which we literally don't get the time to breathe. “You must have all A's/G.P.A 5!” And then the big run for admission in college be it local or abroad. “Do you want all your extraordinary results to go down the drain? Put them into use in an Ivy or IBA!” Ah, the demands never end!

Sibling trouble

Siblings are and will remain the annoying pests of your life. When it comes to talking about relationship pressures, then siblings should come just after parents. Suppose you have an older sister who is much brighter and intelligent than you are. Without a doubt, pressure falls on you to be even better than her. Not only in the case of studies, it can also be of appearance which ultimately plays a big role during the time of dating or marriage. If your sister is prettier or fairer than you, then it is your fault that you are ugly and is not getting enough heads turned. Also if you are the older sibling then it is upon you to set a good example on the little ones. “Be careful of the steps you tread; your younger brother/sister is going to follow the same footsteps.”

The 'significant other' thing

Most of my 'not-single' friends come up to me and complain about the huge amount of strain put onto them by their boyfriends/girlfriends. Sometimes a bf can be so not understanding that if the girl has problems like a test or other plans that he gets all fired up and accuses her of ignoring him. Same goes for some girls too, who keep on checking their bfs every hour to know what they are up to. Eventually, there is nothing called space in the relationship and one ends up being stressed up most of the time.

Finally…

Pressures never really end and go on until you continue to live. When you enter adulthood, looking for a job becomes a must. There are pressures on you to get married and settled. After marriage, the obligation to keep your partner and children happy during all times.

We can probably never get rid of this but can surely ease it up a bit. Of course, parents have the right to scold us or expect the best from us. But just to remove the extra burden we could make them understand where to draw the line instead of going overboard. The best thing is not to compare yourself with others and prevent your relatives too from doing that. Trust me the whole situation becomes lot easier if we simply stopped comparing. I strongly believe in the adage “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” You should know where your strengths and weaknesses lie and make it clear to the people around you. So what if your brother is ahead of you in studies? Maybe you are a better guitarist than he is! And if your bf/gf is too nosy just mention it to him/her that the bugging is getting too difficult to handle.

It can be a hard-hitting task to maintain all these, but hey a mere worth's trying should not hurt. Just imagine how uncomplicated life would then be!

Nogordola in a year

In just a year, Nogordola has probably achieved what no other boutique could accomplish- a signature mark. The house can easily be recognised through their well researched, theme based motifs on the clothes they design. Rather than allowing the occasions to dictate style, they design to dictate style. From paintings of Qamrul Hasan, ancient kalamkari, and aborigine drawings to the pastoral patterns on shondesh, their reflection on the attires of Nogordola has been exceptional and unique.

Nogordola is a handicraft and handloom project of Dhaka Ahsania Mission and have recently, opened their second outlet at House # 3-G, Road # 11, Banani, reiterating their unique commitment for exploration of culture and to raise true and aesthetic beauty through the attires they design.

"Nogordola will uplift the local tradition and heritage. It will come forward to find out the country's roots. I hope it will continue its contribution for the welfare of the country," said Masayuki Inoue, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh on the ceremony arranged in celebration of Nogordola's first anniversary.

Dhaka Ahsania Mission President Kazi Rafiqul Alam said, "We need to assimilate our culture with the changing world. We are working for marketing the products of the members of Gonokendra. To facilitate, explore and creating opportunity for the handicraft items producers, DAM has taken this initiative.”

A daylong programme was organised to celebrate the day. A musical troupe rendered popular folks songs, while snake charmers mesmerised the audience with their bin and dancing serpents. A fashion show was also arranged to highlight their new designs for the coming Boishakh.

Rising rice prices outpacing controls

THE increase in rice prices began in January, lagging nearly two years behind the surge in prices of wheat, corn and other agricultural commodities. Still, the rise in rice prices began well before prices jumped 30% to an all-time high after various governments enacted controls to rein in prices.

Egypt, for example, announced a ban on selling export of rice in order to keep local prices affordable. The Philippines, meanwhile, announced plans for a major rice purchase in the international market in order to boost domestic supplies.

Rice prices have doubled since January, when it traded at about $380 a ton, boosted by strong Asian, Middle Eastern and African demand, to recent quotes of as much as $760 a tonne.

"I have no idea how importing countries will get rice,” Thai Rice Exporters Association president Chookiat Ophaswongse told the Financial Times. He expects prices will rise further.

Global rice stocks are at their lowest since 1976, adding to fears of fresh outbreaks of social unrest across Asia, where rice is a staple food for more than 2.5 billion people.

The Egyptian ban follows similar restrictions imposed by Vietnam and India, the world's second and third largest rice exporters. Cambodia has also announced an export ban.

The Indian government is trying to rein in local inflation by imposing restrictions on export of rice, a move Indian traders fear will halt all non-basmati Indian rice sales.

India's control measures include a 53% hike in the minimum price for selling non-basmati rice abroad, to $1,000 a tonne.

Analysts say that exports of premium basmati rice will likely continue, although the volume will probably drop because of minimum export price increases and reduced export tax incentives.

The Philippines -- the world's largest rice buyer -- wants to purchase 500,000 tonnes in a struggle to cover a production shortfall. Combined, foreign sales restrictions have removed about a third of the rice traded in the international market.

Rice is also a staple in Africa, particularly for small countries such as Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Senegal that have already suffered social unrest because of high food prices.

Indonesian officials have expressed concerns that surging food prices might lead to social unrest similar to that which brought down Suharto 10 years ago.

"In 1965 we faced a very, very depressing situation of social unrest,” a senior Indonesian government official says. "In 1998 we had a similar situation, and we hope in 2008 it's not another situation like that because the cost to the economy is too high."

China plans to increase prices paid to farmers for rice and wheat by up to 10% to encourage increased output and cool surging inflation that fueled retail price jumps of 23.3% last month.

Rail line to link Dhaka with London by this year

Rail enthusiasts with a sense of adventure and 23 days to spare will be able to travel by train from London to Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, when a new link opens later this year, reports The Sunday Times today.

The 7,000-mile Trans-Asian railway will follow one of the old Silk Roads through Istanbul, Tehran, Lahore and Delhi.

It is already being described by train buffs as “the world’s greatest railway journey” and will be longer than the Trans-Siberian railway, which spans 5,772 miles.

Under a United Nations-sponsored scheme, Pakistan and Iran will link up their lines in the coming months to join the sub-continent’s track to that of Europe for the first time.

The UN said the link would open up new trade routes within Asia and give the former Soviet republics of central Asia rail access to Iran’s strategic seaport at Bandar Abbas on the Gulf.

The route was extended when the Calcutta [Kolkata] to Dhaka line reopened earlier this month, more than 40 years after it was blocked during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965.

Last week, senior Indian officials met their Iranian counterparts in Tehran to discuss progress. India has already earmarked £90m to extend its vast rail network towards its border with Burma. From there just 218 miles of missing track stands in the way of an overland rail journey from London to Singapore.

An intrepid traveller will soon be able to leave London for Brussels, Cologne, Vienna, Bucharest, Istanbul, Tehran, Quetta, Lahore, Amritsar, Delhi and Calcutta before reaching the end of the line in Dhaka.

The prospect has caused excitement among Britain’s rail enthusiasts. Mark Smith, whose website Seat61.com promotes rail adventures around the world, was planning his first London to Dhaka itinerary.

His trip incorporates the Eurostar to Brussels, breakfast in Vienna and onward trains to Istanbul, where travellers must take the ferry across the Bosporus linking Europe with Asia. The ferry will eventually be replaced by an underground tunnel, but for now passengers will be able to enjoy views of the Aya Sofya and Topkapi Palace.

Smith’s journey continues with a Turkish express train to Lake Van, close to the Iraqi and Iranian borders, where passengers switch to another ferry to get to the Tehran-bound express, which is described as surprisingly modern.

Iranian engineers have extended their network through Kerman to the Pakistan border, where travellers will switch to a Pakistani train before continuing their journey to Quetta.

China, a big supporter of the project, is spending billions on extending rail lines to its Burmese border.

Trans-Asia railway sources said the only barrier to eventually connecting London to Yunnan province and Singapore was Burma’s military regime, whose poor human rights record means that no foreign funding is available to rebuild its railways.

Smith, who always books seat 61, said the journey offered a return to romantic overland adventure, despite some security concerns on the Iran-Pakistan border.

“If you have the time, a taste for adventure and can arrange the necessary tickets and visas, this promises to be a truly epic overland journey,” he said.

Muggers reign in port city again

Local artistes perform dance at a cultural function marking the Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bengali New Year, at DC Hill on Monday.

Muggers in Chittagong have made a fearsome comeback in the last few days after letup between October 2007 and February 2008, much to the anguish and anger of the city dwellers.

The muggers robbed businessmen, a college student and a journalist in a span of only seven days until Monday. Of the incidents, one was gruesome that shook the entire city and its people in complete horror during the period – the murder of a young madrasa student on April 5 night.

What was most appalling for Chittagong people was the fact that the killing took place in Jamal Khan area under Kotwali Police Station where a patrol team of police is always seen and on that night the on-duty cops did virtually nothing to prevent the mugging leading to the murder or chase the killers.

“I have lost my beloved brother. I know I won't get him back. But what is most shocking for us to bear with is the total indifference and lack of aptness of the on-duty policemen on that night,” said Enamul Hoque, elder brother of slain madrasa student Ziaul Hoque Jewel.

“Should the patrol team act sensibly, the murder of my brother might not be happened,” he said.

Witnesses said Jewel was returning his home at Shaheed Saifuddin Khaled Road adjacent to Jamal Khan with a friend named Saadi from Anderkilla after buying some notes. They both were classmates at Darul Ulum Alliya Madrasa at Chandanpura.

They got separated at the Jamal Khan Intersection at around 10:30pm. As Jewel approached only few metres, a gang of three muggers on board a CNG auto-rickshaw intercepted him. They snatched his Nokia N73 mobile set. The muggers stabbed Jewel indiscriminately and shot when he tried to resist them.

Hearing a hue and cry, Saadi rushed to the scene only to see his friend lying unconscious. Jewel succumbed to his injuries on the way to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

“I just cann't believe that Jewel would no more be alive in a stroke of few seconds,” Saadi burst into tears while reacting to the murder of his close friend.

Police could not arrest any of the killers until filing of this story on Monday afternoon.

Ataul Hakim, former president of Chittagong Press Club (CPC), was fortunate enough to be unharmed, albeit he was robbed of cash and kind at broad day light on April 3.

A gang of four muggers intercepted his rickshaw while he was returning to his home at Nasirabad from the CPC, in front of a refuelling station near District SP Office at Nasirabad Road at around 1:30pm.

“One of the muggers identified himself as top-notch Islami Chhatra Shibir cadre Sajjad Khan and ordered me to give everything I have. Fearing physical attack I instantly gave them my mobile set and Tk 1,000 but they became angry and asked for more. Then I gave them Tk 4,000 more I had in my another pocket,” Hakim said.

Hakim said the office of the district police super is just 15 metres off the mugging spot. He said this incident in fact proves how hapless the innocent city dwellers are.

Lipi Nath, a student of Chittagong College, was another victim of muggers in the busy college road area on April 5 morning. Two muggers in a motorcycle snatched a Nokia N Series mobile set from her, who was on a rickshaw, and ran away. Many pedestrians and commuters saw the incident but none of them came forward.

A gang of four miscreants on March 30 mugged Jewel Rana, a soldier of 24 Infantry Division, at around 8:30pm at Olonkar Intersection under Pahartali Ppolice Station. They took away his mobile set, ID card and Tk 16,000 in cash. The joy of the muggers, however, was short-lived this time as on-duty police reacted promptly and arrested all the four miscreants in less than two hours with the booty.

On March 29, businessman Jafar Sadeq came under attack of the muggers at Momin Road in the afternoon. The gang stabbed him before fleeing the scene.

The Cittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) in September last year detected 14 ringleaders, including four CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers, and arrested 12 of them. The actions had brought some relief and sense of security among the city dwellers.

But the criminals began to reign in again to rob of the sleep of the city dwellers due to the laxity of the law enforcement agencies these days.

Autistic Children's Welfare Foundation

Coming to aid of Autistic Children

Autistic children are being taken care of at the Autistic children's Welfare Foundation School in the port city.

Autistic Children's Welfare Foundation that started its journey at a three-storey building in the port city in October last year has expanded its activities in the capital on April 11 in an effort to provide support to the autistic children.

Its activities started temporarily at a building of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) at Mirzarpole in the port city to help the autistic children lead a normal life amid manifold problems.

The Foundation, a non-profit organisation, is now taking care of 28 autistic children under the supervision of 22 teachers, three parent teachers and two helping hands, sources said.

Success in the endeavour has inspired the organisation to launch its branch at Mirpur-12 in the capital on April 11, said Foundation Director (Admn) Lt Col Tofael.

While visiting the foundation office at Mirzarpole on Thursday, all the teachers and staffs were seen busy in guiding the autistic children on all the floors of the building with patience and tenderness.

Foundation Principal Tahmina Zarin said the autistic children come here with multiple problems like belated development of speaking ability, stereotyped or repetitive use of language, little or no eye contact, lack of interests in relationships, persistent preoccupation with parts of objects and inflexible adherence to specific and non-functional routines or habits.

Besides, they usually are habituated to avoiding crowd or interaction that force us to engage one teacher for one child and use separate and rare training equipments and therapy, which are expensive, she said.

“The teachers here are to show patience and serve with motherly love as these children need special care,” she said.

Child Specialist Dr Basana Muhuri, a life member of the foundation and mother of an autistic child, said the building is small and conjested.

“In fact, more space and further improved atmosphere are required to provide proper support to the autistic children and bring change in their behaviour,” she said.

She said number of patients are increasing everyday, but the foundation is not able to provide them treatment properly while some so-called autistic centres are just cashing on the situation and making money in the name of training and rehabilitation.

She said she visits the foundation every Saturday and train the teachers and mothers with her experiences. She said children develop autism genetically while abnormal formation of brain and some other abnormal chemical activities in brain are responsible for this.

She waved aside link of love or care with the development of autism while emphasising specialised training, education and rehabilitation to help such children lead a life like other normal children.

Referring to the service at the foundation, General Secretary Mahbubul Haque Khan said they receive only Tk 56,000 from 28 students as fees a month against the expenditure of around Tk 1.58 lakh.

He said they are unable to accommodate more autistic children here since the foundation runs in a building that we are bound to vacate at any time if CCC wants. “But, we are under pressure to increase number of children and their facilities” he added.

Mahbubul said the Foundation runs on donation on different organisations and individuals. He said it needs its own land, modern equipment, specialised training for the teachers and government patronisation for its smooth functioning.