A FINAL year student of Rajshahi University was killed on Tuesday during clashes between Chhatra League and Chhatra Shibir. Around 100 others were injured, 17 of them grievously, during the overnight clash. To avenge the Rajshahi killing, BCL men on the same day damaged six Shibir messes in Pabna and Gaibandha. On the other hand, a Dhaka City Corporation ward commissioner and Juba Dal leader was shot dead. Armed muggers shot and killed a rice trader while criminals strangulated an elderly woman in the city. Two factions of Chhatra League are reported to have clashed at Dhaka College. All these clashes and killings took place in a single day just within three weeks after a Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal leader was grievously injured and a week after a BCL student at Dhaka University died
Since Awami League led ‘Grand Alliance’ government came in power in January 2009, most of the campuses in the country turned terribly violent, These clashes and killings point to serious deterioration of law and order. According to reports, a tense situation prevails in some other educational institutions where serious clashes are apprehended. People are very much alarmed and feel insecure at such turn of the situation. Guardians are highly concerned about the safety of their sons and daughters, as campus unrest has gone beyond control. Violent clashes and deterioration of law and order seriously hamper the prestige of the country. Those not only lead to loss of lives and properties but also adversely affect investment and trade and commerce.

A final-year student and activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League was hacked to death by cadres of Islami Chhatra Shibir at Rajshahi University early yesterday.

Around 100 others were wounded in overnight clashes between BCL and Shibir activists.

Motihar police recovered the body of Faruk Hossain, a BCL activist and student of mathematics, from inside a manhole yesterday morning.

Police say Faruk was hacked in the television room of Shah Mokhdum Hall around 2:00am and dumped into the manhole.

The injured were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and RU Medical Centre. Condition of 17 of them is stated to be critical.

Shibir men had cut tendons of at least four BCL activists, said leaders of Chhatra League, associated student body of the ruling Awami League.

Police arrested 16 cadres of Shibir, associated student organisation of Jamaat-e-Islami, on charge of killing Faruk.

The RU syndicate at an emergency meeting last night suspended all classes till tomorrow and examinations till February 17.

A five-member committee headed by Prof Golam Kabir, dean of Life and Earth Science Faculty, has been formed to probe the violence and submit a report as soon as possible.

Students said the clashes erupted when BCL activist Asaduzzaman tried to enter his room at Shibir-dominated Bangabandhu Hall. Khalid, secretary of hall unit Shibir, barred Asad from entering his room around 8:00pm Monday and allegedly beat up him and another BCL activist Muhammad Kawser.

On information, police raided Bangabandhu and Latif halls and arrested 13 Shibir activists.

As the law enforcers left the dormitories, BCL activists attacked a Shibir worker at the TV room of Shah Mokhdum Hall. Shibir men equipped with firearms and sharp weapons reiterated, triggering a gunfight on the campus.

Police fired about 500 blank shots, rubber bullets and teargas shells to bring the situation under control.

Armed Shibir cadres sporadically clashed and exchanged gunshots with the police turning the campus into a battlefield. They also torched two rooms and damaged 30 others at the Suhrawardi Hall.

Faruk, son of Fazlur Rahman, hailed from Khoddorsagna village in Joypurhat sadar and was a resident student of Shah Mokhdum Hall. His body was sent to his village home after namaj-e-janaza at the university central mosque.

Among the injured, 19 BCL workers were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Of them, condition of Shafiur Rahman Badsha, Ruhul Amin, Feroz Mahmud and Shahidul Islam Johnny is stated to be critical as their tendons of hands and legs were severed.

SM HALL ATTACK
Over 30 Shibir cadres equipped with Chinese axes, hammers, rods, machetes and dagger entered the hall led by Ahad, hall unit Shibir general secretary, and Anis, former hall president, around 1:40am, said Shafiullah at RMCH.

“They first knocked Tawfik down. Anis caught me near the staircase and hit my back with a Chinese axe. I ran toward the main gate where several Shibir cadres started hitting me indiscriminately. At this stage, I ran towards the policemen at the gate who kicked me and went aside,” Shafiullah added.

AUTHORITIES’ VERSIONS
RU Proctor Chowdhury Muhammad Zakaria blamed on duty police for not playing proper role to maintain law and order. The hall provost Dulal Chandra Roy gave a similar statement.

Asked about the students’ requests for taking them outside the campus, the proctor said, “Violence erupted everywhere on the campus, how could we take them outside?”

RU Vice-chancellor Prof Abdus Subhan was not available for comment.

Nawsher Ali, commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star the police were helpless in the face of Shibir cadres’ “planned and organised” attacks.

He claims 20 policemen were hurt in the clashes and the police fired 400 teargas shells and gunshots to quell the situation.

PROTESTS
Angry BCL workers in Charghat upazila torched and damaged the upazila office of Jamaat-e-Islami around 12noon yesterday.

The BCL in a protest procession marched the main city thoroughfares and called for a rally in the afternoon today.

Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton attended the namaj-e-janaza of Faruk in Shaheb Bazar. Addressing the gathering, he said, the murder was “politically planned by Jamaat” and would be answered politically.

RU unit BCL president Awal Kabir Joy said the attack was planned to avenge the killing of RU Shibir general secretary Sharifuzzaman Nomani early last year. “Nomani was killed accidentally during clashes, but they murdered Faruk in a planned way.”

Home Minister Sahara Khatun ordered the police to arrest the killers of Faruk within 24 hours, reports UNB.

Talking to reporters at Civil Aviation High School ground in Kaola in the capital, Sahara said the police are instructed to arrest those responsible for the violence irrespective of their political identities.

ARRESTS
The police held 16 suspected Shibir cadres from different Chapainawabganj-bound buses in Godagari upazila between 2:00pm and 5:00pm.

Officer-in-Charge of Godagari police Zakirul Islam said the arrestees are mostly students of RU and Rajshahi College.

JAMAAT STATEMENT
Rajshahi city Jamaat Amir Ataur Rahman denied involvement of Shibir in the murder. “The incident occurred at night; who saw Shibir men committing the murder? It may be the result of Chhatra League’s internal feud.”

Meanwhile, in Pabna, two private hostels in Edward College area were torched around 9:30pm. Local Shibir leaders blamed Chhatra League for the arson.

BACKLASH AGAINST SHIBIR AT BUET
Our DU correspondent reports: In a backlash against the killing at RU, Chhatra League activists last night vandalised several rooms of Shibir men at four dormitories of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).

The ransacking was going on till filing of this report at 1:15am.

No one however was reported hurt as Shibir activists had already left the halls for fear of reprisals.

Meanwhile, Juba League Chairman and State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak and AL Organising Secretary BM Mozammel Haque last night sat with BCL leaders to discuss the recent spate of violence in different educational institutions
………….
Commenting on the latest violence at Rajshahi University, minister of local government and general secretary of the ruling party, Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters that, a large number of Chhatra Shibir [student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami] activists have already infiltrated in ruling party’s student front and several important posts in ruling party’s student front are held by these elements.

He said, these infiltrated Chhatra Shibir activists are behind campus violence in the country under the banner of the ruling party’s student wing.

When reporters asked, why the government or ruling party did not take any action, when they were sure of such infiltration of Jamaat-e-Islami student activists inside the ruling party’s Chhatra League, the general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League said, they came to know this matter just recently and proper action would be taken soon.

Syed Ashraf said terrorism and hooliganism in the name of student politics shall not be tolerated. When he was reminded that, similar warnings were uttered by him, his cabinet colleague, party seniors as well the Prime Minister in past one year and their student wing activists did not pay nominal heed to it, the general secretary of the ruling party in an embarrassed voice said, “we shall do our best to bring this matter under control.”

When the ruling party’s general secretary was speaking to reporters regarding violence at Rajshahi University on Monday [February 8, 2010], members of his own party’s student wing were engaged in serious violence at Dhaka College where more than 20 students were injured.

The clash took place between four fractions of the ruling party’s student wing inside Dhaka College. Members of law enforcing agencies did not take any initiative in bringing the situation under control, as the clash was within the ruling party men.

It is alleged that, most of the student leaders and activists of any ruling party in Dhaka College campus, always gets into various forms of crime, including massive extortion. Students compel the business establishments and traders in the locality of paying extortion on a regular basis. Every month, a few million Takas is collected from extortion by students of Dhaka College.

Student politics unfortunately has gone into grips of hooligans, thugs and professional criminals. In Bangladesh, the top-rated culprit in student politics can only attain a better position in any party’s student wing. Some of the leaders of the political party’s consider such elements as a kind of ‘might’ in facing political opponents. There are even allegations that, leaders of large political parties in the country regularly use such ‘mighty forces’ within their student wings in various forms of political violence, especially during anti government movements.

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World leader can understand unity and co work can guide real progress of Development.
Bangladesh and the United States of America (USA) have significant opportunities to work together to make a bridge between the Muslim world and the USA, said US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale, as the Obama government is taking major steps to that end.

She disclosed that there would be an entrepreneur summit in April this year in Washington, bringing young entrepreneurs from the Muslim world to create new access to business, while in March there would be a meeting of religious leaders in the US capital.

Besides, the new US government is trying to expand its education programme and access to English education, science and technology for those who are interested to avail of the scope.

“I think there are significant opportunities to work together and I am absolutely convinced that these are the issues that will strengthen both of our positions,” she said in an interview with UNB Monday.

Ms McHale, who came to Dhaka on a three-day official visit, said Bangladesh, given its moderate approach and philosophy of moderation, would be an increasingly important ally of the USA in the days ahead.

“During my stay here for couple of days and discussions, I focused on how we could actually work better together to address this very difficult issue,” she said about the task of rebuilding the ties.

Asked about any change in the situation after President Obama’s historic speech in Cairo last year, Ms McHale said, “Definitely, the Muslim community around the world has been encouraged by the speech, especially the young people who find a new opportunity to work together on variety of issues and building a bridge of knowledge and understanding.

“You know it is not easy; it’s hard to do, it’s hard to build new relationship. We’re working on new ways to reach out to the people,” she said, adding that the Obama administration is deeply committed to fulfilling all the words of the Cairo speech.”

Asked whether she discovered anything new here during her visit, Judith McHale said she has been struck by the way Bangladesh is growing with dynamism, economy and a sense of optimism and spirit of moving forward.

Obviously, she added, there are many significant challenges and people here seem to be optimistic about their future and ability to face those challenges.

Ms McHale was asked about any opportunity for Bangladesh to be an economic partner of the USA as US Congressmen recently termed Bangladesh a close ally of America. She retorted: “I am very encouraged to have the partnership between Bangladesh and the USA in many areas”.

And she appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s initiatives and commitment to democracy and the rule of law. Judith McHale also praised Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to India setting up new agenda in the region.

Asked about the critical challenges for Bangladesh, the US foreign office functionary said education, food security, global health, climate change and counter-terrorism are the challenges which require all to work together to address.

She noted Bangladesh has potential of natural gas reserve that might be used to address the energy issue and provide new source of income.

Ms McHale said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government seem to be going down very good on the positive path. “So, there are exciting possibilities to strengthen ties between the two countries.”

Asked about Bangladesh’s long-running demand for duty-free access of its products to the US market, she said President Obama is very clear about the understanding of the international trade and he will continue to support this.

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Announcing details of tighter rules for international students from Bangladesh ,India and elsewhere, British Home secretary Alan Johnson today said bogus students will find it difficult to gain entry and work in the UK illegally.

Johnson, who announced tightening of the student visa regime on Sunday, said genuine students will continue to be welcome.

The details announced today comes days after Britain suspended issuing student visas in north India, Bangladesh and Nepal, suspecting large scale irregularities.

The new regulations will ensure that students studying below degree level have a limited ability to work in the UK, and that their dependants cannot work here at all.

It will be even harder for bogus students, whose only aim is to work in the UK, to come into the country, he said.

The new measures for students include: a good standard of English; restricting the lowest-level courses to only the most trusted institutions; halving the amount of time a student studying below first degree level or on a foundation degree course will be able to work, to just 10 hours during term time.

The steps also include a ban on bringing in dependants for anyone studying a course for less than six months and a ban on dependants of anyone studying a course lower than foundation or undergraduate degree level from working. They will face removal from the UK if found violating the rules, he said.

Johnson said: “The points-based system was introduced to provide a rigorous system to manage legitimate access to the UK to work and study, with the ability to respond to changing circumstances.

“We want foreign students to come here to study, not to work illegally, and today we have set out necessary steps which will maintain the robustness of the system we introduced last year. I make no apologies for that.”

In addition, the new measures will include: a ban on foreign students studying below degree level if the course includes a work placement — unless that course is being provided by a university, college or training provider which has the status of ‘highly trusted sponsor’.
There will also be a requirement for students to demonstrate their English language ability by passing an approved secure test — this will apply to all students studying below (foundation) degree level, including those coming to study English language; and Johnson said the changes are part of a radical overhaul of the student system which began last year.

Since March 2009, the government has required all foreign students to be sponsored by a college licensed by the UK Border Agency, and to demonstrate that they can support themselves once they get here before being granted a visa.

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Bangladesh Minister for Industries Dilip Barua has called for stronger trade ties with India.

On his arrival here(Tripura) on Tuesday, Barua said he was keen to build on bilateral relations following Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina??s visit to India last month.

?Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India last month and discussed with the Indian Prime Minister, improvement of bilateral relations and increasing trade and industry between the two nations. We believe that it shall be implemented for the betterment of both countries. We shall aim to work together for a better developed Bangladesh and India,? said Barua.

Tripura??s Industry and Commerce Minister, Jitendra Choudhury, met Barua at the Akhawra Immigration Centre on the India-Bangladesh border.

Barua is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar, and officials from the Tripura Chamber of Commerce today to discuss the possibility of Bangladesh??s investment in the state.

Barua will also attend the 20th Tripura Industry and Commerce Fair.

Bangladesh annually imports about two billion dollars worth of products from India, and earns nearly 400 million dollars from exports.

India is Bangladesh??s largest trading partner in terms of imports and exports

Dilip Barua
Dilip Barua is a Bangladeshi politician. He’s the general secretary of the Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal (Marksbadi-Leninbadi) (‘Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist)’).[1] In January 2009, Barua was named Minister of Industries in the cabinet of Sheikh Hasina.[2] ndustries

He was born on February 28 in 1949. He completed his BSc (honours) in Physics, MSc from the Dhaka University. He obtained MA, Diploma in Journalism and LLB from the same university.

He was a leader of the East Pakistan Students Union from 1966-1970. He was a member of the Communist Party since 1969 and elected member of the Dhaka City Committee of the Party in 1972. He was the President of the Jubo Federation during 1977-1979.

Dilip is one of the architects of 14-party alliance. He played a vital role in formulation of 31-point reforms of caretaker government and 23-points programs.

During his long political career, he was imprisoned in 1969 as the student leader, in 1983 as a member of the Political Bureau. He led underground life for several times due to Political reasons

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Bangladesh, which has delayed exploration awards to ConocoPhillips and Tullow Oil Plc after disputes with neighbors, may deploy a floating liquefied natural gas unit this year to plug a shortage of gas, an official said.

Bangladesh is in talks with service companies for a floating LNG import facility and with LNG suppliers including Qatar to import the fuel, Shahidul Abedin, director of Bangladesh Oil, Gas & Mineral Corp., said in Singapore today.

?We will initially use a floating regassification unit to speed up imports and then build an onshore terminal near Chittagong,? Abedin said in an interview at the LNG Supplies in Asia Pacific conference in Singapore. ?We need LNG to augment our production.?

South Asian countries including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which once had a surplus of gas, are now resorting to imports of the cleaner-burning fuel in frozen form to meet a growing shortage. Consumption of gas in South Asia is rising more than 7 percent annually as governments build new power plants to provide electricity to industries and households.

Bangladesh plans to import between 3 million metric tons and 4 million tons of LNG a year, Abedin said. That would be adequate to meet the nation?s current shortage of about 500 million cubic feet of gas a day. Demand is currently at 2.5 billion cubic feet a day, Abedin said. Gas consumption is growing as much as 8 percent a year while output is constrained by delays in awards of new deepwater areas, he said.

Bangladesh Oil, or Petrobangla, plans to increase its 2 billion cubic feet a day of existing output by as much as 300 million cubic feet a day in three years as it tries to resolve the territorial disputes in offshore waters with India and Myanmar, Abedin said.

Area Disputes

The government is unable to issue exploration licenses in deepwater areas to Conoco and Tullow because Myanmar and India are laying claim to the areas, Abedin said.

Bangladesh is seeking to attract about $4 billion of investments in power plants and the LNG terminal, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, 64, energy adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, said in November.

LNG is gas that is cooled to a liquid for transport by ship to markets not connected by pipelines. The fuel is received at import terminals and converted back to a gaseous form so it can be piped to users.

What is LNG?

Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is natural gas that has been supercooled to
minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 162 degrees Celcius). At that temperature, natural gas condenses into a liquid. When in liquid form, natural gas takes up to 600 times less space than in its gaseous state, which makes it feasible to transport over long distances.

In the form of LNG, natural gas can be shipped from the parts of the world where it is abundant to where it is in demand.

LNG is an energy source that has much lower air emissions than other fossil fuels, such as oil or coal.

LNG is odorless, colorless, non-corrosive and non-toxic. Its weight is less than one-half that of water.

The use of LNG is a proven, reliable and safe process, and it has been used in the United States since 1944.

Natural gas is the world?s cleanest burning fossil fuel and it has emerged as the environmentally preferred fuel of choice.

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The 11th edition of the South Asian Games came to a grand closure here on Tuesday evening amid fanfare and dazzling firework which illuminated the Bangladesh capital.

A crowd of around 20,000 were held spellbound by the brilliant display of laser-beam show and colourful firework which brought the curtains down on the 12-day regional sporting gala dominated by the Indian athletes.

The two-and-half hour showpiece closing ceremony highlighted the Bangladesh culture and its heritage and was a thrilling experience for the spectators around.

Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman was the chief guest at the closing ceremony in which Chief of Army Staff General and President of Bangladesh Olympic Association Abdul Mubeen declared the Games closed.

The flag of South Asian Sports Council was handed over to chief of the Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi because India will be hosting the next edition of the SAG in either 2013 or 2014. Flag of SOSC was then lowered and Olympic torch was extinguished.

India, which is considered the regional sports super power, maintained their domination by winning 90 gold, 55 silver and 29 bronze medals. Pakistan finished second with 19-25-36 while hosts Bangladesh secured third spot with 18-23-56.

Pakistan?s greatest achievement in the Games was the 100 metres gold which was clinched by the hugely talented Naseem Hameed in the 8-nation contest.

Pakistan?s best show was clearly in athletics where Naseem, Basharat Ali, Zafar Iqbal, Mohsin Ali all won gold medals in addition to two silver and four bronze.

Pakistan also did well in hockey, squash, boxing, handball, judo, wushu, karate, squash, hockey, wrestling and weightlifting, winning gold medals in all these disciplines.

However, ordinary performances were displayed in basketball, football, golf, cricket, and
India won 90 out of the 157 gold medals. Pakistan finished second on the medal tally with 19 golds while host Bangladesh grabbed 18. Sri Lanka won 16 while Nepal and Afghanistan both earned 7 golds. Bhutan and Maldives didn’t won any gold medal

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