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Sunday, June 24, 2018

Khaleda’s health concern bites into government’s credibility

Shahid Islam


It’s an election year; although cloud of uncertainty blurs the political horizon by keeping the nation under suspense with respect to whether the country’s main opposition party will join the electoral race unless its demand for an interim regime is fulfilled to have the election conducted in a fair, unfettered manner. Added to this is the health concern of the BNP’s chairperson Khaleda Zia, who had undergone in prison some sort of sensual lapses of late, suspected as a minor stroke.

Genuine health hazard

The former PM has not been transferred to a hospital immediately after she became senseless and remained unconscious for nearly ten minutes.  Nor the prison authorities informed her next of kin, or party bosses, about this grave health deterioration of their leader. Being of the age of 73 — and having undergone the trauma imposed by deaths of close family members, including a son (Koko); eviction from a house where over four decades’ of memory starred painfully as she was forcefully thrown out; and now staying dumped in a ghost-infested abode for an alleged crime and conviction that had not benefitted her a penny personally—her health is certainly an issue that the prison authorities cannot just brush aside under any form of dictate from the power that be.

Mud-slinging politics

As she suffers in the prison, with serious health risk that could plausibly snatch away the last breath from her life, the government wants to make sure she goes for a treatment at the Bongobondhu Medical College Hospital, which she doesn’t like or prefer. Her party leaders insist she should be sent to her chosen private hospital, the United, that has better medical equipment like the MRI, and better lodging arrangement which the government-run hospitals lack.

But politics in Bangladesh has its own odour, and no wonder some ruling party leaders say the BNP leader is unwilling to go to the Bongobondhu hospital due to the name by which the hospital is run.
Our inquiry shows that not to be the reason. The first reason, as per some BNP insiders, is the security risk in the Bongobondhu medical college hospital due to most of its physicians and technicians being of AL indoctrination, denomination, and hence, blatantly partisan.  They are by nature antagonistic to Khaleda Zia.

This may sound incredible and, the world will simply laugh at hearing that doctors of a nation can be tagged with partisan rubric to pose grave threat to patience belonging to perceived or real opposition camps.That is however the reality in all public-run installations and institutions of this nation. The second reason is: even the VVIP suites in the Bongobondhu hospital are worse than normal cabins in any professionally run private hospital.

Jail code and humanism

As this political mud-slinging goes on, the charade is robbing the BNP leader of her vitality to survive; unless a prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment gets her out of this impending, life-threatening health hazard. The jail code may allow a prisoner to be treated at the public hospitalsonly, but, as George Orwell reiterated, some animals are alwaysmore equal than the others. A three time PM of the country—and an agile, uncompromising leader with the laurels to have snatched democracy from the jaws of dictatorship in the late 1980s— deserves to be more than equal by any count.Moreover, above all laws and regulations lies the innate codes of humanism that must reign supreme in any civilized society.

Political charade, painful parade

This political charade, or the painful parade, relating to the health of an old lady is not playing well in the public arena in an election year. By now, the nation has embraced Khaleda as a victim of the ruling party’s vendetta and recrimination. If she dies in prison, she’ll be a martyr of much distinction; as was her husband who emerged bigger in death than in life. God forbid, if Khaleda dies in prison, the BNP will then be more popular as a party for two reasons.

First: the party’s founding leader, ZiaurRahman, introduced multi-party democracy in the late 1970s in a country that became a one-party dictatorship after having won independence under the incessant quest for pluralistic democracy. Secondly: the BNP under Khaleda Zia too sought and strove to restore democracy amid a similar attempt to turn this nation into a one-party monopolistic political entity.

Hence, Khaleda’s death in prison will make her such a colossus in the cause of democracy restoration that no amount of eye-washing, guile, or hoodwink by any quarter will be able to eviscerate or diminish the glow of that feather of glory.

Last words

This was happening just before the Holy Eid-Ul-Fitr when many non-risk-posing prisoners even get pardoned as a gesture from the state. Here we have an uncompromising leader and former PM rotting in the prison due to her High-Court-granted bail being blocked by other warrants of arrest foisted upon her one after another; under a blueprint to throw her out of the political orbitor, to get her outright decimated.

May be, as a nation, we should get back to senses to leave for the posterity some magnanimous anecdotes that—like the globally acclaimed caretaker interim regime formula we once introduced and followed—others can emulate. As it stands now, the ‘Khaleda charade’ is badly biting into the credibility of the incumbent regime and the nation alike. It should end sooner.


  • Courtesy  —  Weekly Holiday/ June 22, 2018


Global pressure mounts for inclusive polls in Bangladesh


Shakhawat Hossain


As the next general polls draw nearer, the Western countries including United States of America (USA), European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) have started pressing the government of Sheikh Hasina for holding free, fair and inclusive polls in Bangladesh for the sake of consolidation of the fundamental basis of democracy in the country.

The international community, which had earlier raised questions about the credibility of 5 January election, are now been reportedly raising the issue afresh for an inclusive election in Bangladesh.

Significantly, the three western powers have categorically asked the government for inclusion of the main opposition, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in the next election so that it looks participatory one.

Though they may not have raised their voice for inclusive polls very strongly, the western powers are stressing that the next general election should be a “participatory” and “credible” one. Otherwise, they fear, the political instability in the country will make way to grow terrorism and many other problems in the country.

The next general election is due later this year. The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has indicated it would be held in December, 2018.

AL, BNP gear up for post-Eid face-off

The country’s political arena is abuzz with an imminent face-off between the Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) with both parties preparing to hit the streets after Eid-ul-Fitr. In an apparent show of strength ahead of the next general election, which may be held by the end of this year, the BNP is planning to launch a tough anti-government movement after the major religious festival of the Muslims later this month. On the other hand, ruling AL asserted that the government was prepared to resist any attempt to create anarchy by opposition leaders and activists.

On the other hand, ruling Awami League has taken the upcoming city corporation polls as a dress rehearsal leading up to the 11th parliamentary election scheduled for December this year. The elections to Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal city corporations will be held on July 30 while the schedule for the national nation will be announced in October. AL leaders and activists said as there is no other election before the national election, the party is considering the upcoming city polls as a dress rehearsal of the next big election.

Within this context, one important issue is overlooked - the government is bending the institutions to such a degree that the lines between political parties, government, judiciary and administrative divisions are increasingly getting blurred, and all the institutions are succumbing to the will of the ruling party. There is no institutional integrity any more.

Finally, it looks like there will be further destruction, and many more lives will be sacrificed before any kind of settlement is achieved, but the biggest fear is that nobody knows when and in what form such a settlement will materialize.

Bangladesh’s journey for democracy is yet to end 

With a general election on the horizon, various diplomatic missions are stepping up their efforts to help things run as smoothly as possible. The American, British and Indian ambassadors have all visited the Election Commission in recent months, as has the UN resident co-ordinator for Bangladesh. They have publicly expressed their concerns for the forthcoming election, and implored the commission to take measures to avoid the boycotts and violence that marred the election process last time around. Some in Bangladesh welcome these entreaties, but others in the ruling alliance consider them nothing more than attempts to meddle in their country’s affairs.

Already it’s turning into a rerun of the same old election story as the incumbent Awami League and its allies insist that the election will be held under the current government rather than a non-partisan caretaker regime, a device previously used to take the management of the election out of partisan hands. Meanwhile, the alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says it will do whatever’s necessary to stop the government from holding an election without giving up full control of the electoral process.

Everyone concerned clearly remembers the turbulence of the 2014 election, when all sorts of political violence boiled over, claiming many innocent lives. But the explanation for why it happened is still a matter of heated debate.

Difficult transition

A non-party caretaker government has been one such important tool that helped people effectuate a peaceful, and one might add fair transition of power, albeit with an exception in 2007 when the caretaker government illegally held on to power for two years.

The ruling Awami League, however, wants to reverse this course. They have amended the constitution to hold the election under an “all party” government, effectively headed by them, to be held on January 5, 2014, which the opposition parties, led by BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party), have summarily rejected.

In the absence of an opposition, 154 of the 300 seats have already been won by ruling members of parliament and their allies, without even one vote being cast, giving them a majority. The media is reporting a number of procedural lapses by the election commission to ensure the election of the 154 MPs would be unopposed. But, the Awami League is unfazed and undaunted. They are steadily cruising on the course they have set, stating that it is a constitutional requirement.

But, the results of the last few local elections quite clearly indicate that the government led by Sheikh Hasina has lost popularity as they have failed to win any significant elections held in the last two years. Even when the opposition boycotted, heavyweights of her party lost to rebels in her own party.

Sheikh Hasina, it seems, isn’t prepared to heed what the opposition or the broader international community are asking. She is also strongly backed by India. BNP is thus powerless to change the course that has been set by the Bangladesh Awami League.

UNHRC calls for free, fair and inclusive polls

Referring to violence and excessive use of force by state actors during the previous general elections, the UN Human Rights Committee insisted that Bangladesh should ensure the safety and security of all voters during elections.

During the 30th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of the HRC in Geneva, some countries such as USA, Australia and Switzerland have learnt to put stress on ensuring free, fair and inclusive polls in Bangladesh. Besides, Japan has also recommended ensuring a free, fair and inclusive general election, with full participation of all parties, and stepping up efforts to strengthen democracy in Bangladesh.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has also asked the government of Bangladesh to investigate all cases of arbitrary killings, enforced disappearances and excessive use of force, and prosecute and punish perpetrators. The inter-governmental UN body also called for establishing the truth about the fate and whereabouts of victims of the disappearances. Furthermore, ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances (ICED) was stressed.

Several countries, including Austria, Norway, France and the Netherlands, called upon the government to ensure that journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and civil society organisations were able to carry out their activities without fear of surveillance, intimidation, harassment, arrest, prosecution or retribution. Such
recommendations were made at the ‘Universal Periodic Review’ (UPR) organised by the council in Geneva.

Later on, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has adopted the draft report on the human rights review of Bangladesh, with recommendations on taking steps to halt forced disappearance, extra judicial killing, and ensure freedom of expression in media, politics and religion. During the 30th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of the HRC in Geneva, the UN member states made 251 recommendations. According to the HRC Secretariat and UPR, some 105 delegations took part on the third-cycle review of Bangladesh’s human rights situation. Of the recommendations, 167 were accepted, 60 were noted and the rest would be answered later. Bangladesh will give its final answer no later than the 39th Session of the HRC, slated for September.

EU wants inclusive, credible polls in Bangladesh

The European Union (EU) at a recent meeting held in Dhaka has hoped that the government of Bangladesh will ensure conditions for credible, transparent and inclusive elections.

At the meeting, Bangladesh also reiterated its commitment to provide all-out support to the Election Commission in holding free, fair, and credible election. The issues came up for discussions at the biennial meeting of the Subgroup on Good Governance and Human Rights in the framework of the EU-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement (CA) held in Dhaka, said a joint press statement.

At the outset, the EU delegation appreciated the generous and humane role and action of the people and the government of Bangladesh for hosting the Rohingya people fleeing violence in Myanmar.

Earlier in March, 2018, the European Union high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Federica Maria Mogherini in Brussels and US President Donald Trump’s aide Lisa Curtis during her visit to Bangladesh, UK secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson during his Dhaka visit, and a
delegation of European Union during in their Dhaka visit called for an inclusive election in Bangladesh.

It was reported that the Maria Mogherini raised the issue of the election during a meeting with Bangladesh foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali recently. It was learnt from officials in Dhaka and Brussels that the meeting was arranged on short notice and on Federica’s initiative to discuss the Rohingya crisis. At one point, the political situation came up in the discussion and Federica raised the issue of inclusive polls. She urged the Bangladesh government to conduct inclusive polls and stressed on a free, fair and credible election.

In reply, Bangladesh foreign minister told her that the government is not asking anyone not to participate in the election. He told her that though the BNP boycotted the general election on 5 January 2014, they participated in the local government elections and many BNP candidates won in different levels of the election. He went on to tell her that the election commission is trying its level best to conduct a free, fair and credible election and the government also wants BNP to take part in the election.

The Bangladesh foreign minister also urged her to tell BNP to participate in the next election. In reply, Federica told Mahmud Ali that an EU delegation has urged BNP leaders to participate the next election during their discussion with them.

Lisa Curtis wants to see inclusive elections

On 3 March, 2018, US president Donald Trump’s aide Lisa Curtis called for inclusive polls. She also raised the issue while having meeting with senior Bangladesh government officials including the prime minister’s international affairs adviser Gowher Rizvi, the prime minister’s security adviser Major General (retired) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and Foreign secretary Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali. The foreign minister told her that the government is committed to a free, fair, credible and inclusive election and would welcome observers from varies countries including the US. Following a query from Curtis, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said Bangladesh is committed to a free, fair and participatory election and that observers from different countries, including the US, are welcome.

  • Courtesy —  Weekly Holiday/ June 22, 2018 (Slightly abridged)

Thursday, June 21, 2018

বেগম জিয়ার জীবন নিয়ে শঙ্কা তৈরি হয়েছে বলে বলছেন তাঁর চিকিৎসক



বাংলাদেশে চিকিৎসার অভাবে বিএনপির কারাবন্দী প্রধান খালেদা জিয়ার জীবন শঙ্কা তৈরি হয়েছে বলে মনে করছেন তার ব্যক্তিগত চিকিৎসক।

দিনের পর দিন বিশেষজ্ঞ চিকিৎসা সেবা না পাওয়ায় মিসেস জিয়ার মস্তিষ্কে রক্তক্ষরণ বা পূর্ণাঙ্গ স্ট্রোকের ঝুঁকি তৈরি হয়েছে বলে বলছেন মেডিসিন বিশেষজ্ঞ অধ্যাপক ডা. এফএম সিদ্দিকী।

বিবিসির সাথে এক সাক্ষাৎকারে তিনি জানান, ট্র্যানজিয়েন্ট ইস্‌কেমিক অ্যাটাক (টিআইএ) হয়ে বিএনপি চেয়ারপার্সন গত ৫ই জুন পাঁচ মিনিট সময় অজ্ঞান হয়ে পড়েছিলেন।

মস্তিষ্কে রক্তচলাচলের সাময়িক বাধার কারণেই এটা হয়ে থাকতে পারে, অধ্যাপক সিদ্দিকী বলেন, কিন্তু টিআইএ-র শিকার রোগীকে যদি দ্রুত বিশেষজ্ঞ পর্যায়ে পরীক্ষানিরীক্ষা এবং চিকিৎসা না করা হয় তাহলে তার স্ট্রোক হওয়ার ঝুঁকি থাকে সর্বোচ্চ ৭০%। এবং সেটা যে কোন সময়ে ঘটতে পরে বলে তিনি জানান।

"তার চিকিৎসক হিসেবে আমি খুবই উদ্বিগ্ন। এবং যতক্ষণ পর্যন্ত তার শারীরিক পরীক্ষাগুলো না হচ্ছে ততক্ষণ পর্যন্ত আমাদের উদ্বেগ বা শঙ্কা কাটছে না," বলছেন অধ্যাপক সিদ্দিকী।

তথ্যসূত্র —  bbc.com। লিঙ্ক —  https://bbc.in/2K07GCs 

মন্ত্রীর অনুষ্ঠানেই অাধা ঘণ্টায় বিদ্যুৎ গেলো ৬ বার!




বিনাভোটের মন্ত্রীর অনুষ্ঠানেই বিদ্যুৎ গেলো ৬ বার। শেষ পর্যন্ত বক্তব্য থামিয়ে হতাশা প্রকাশ করেন মন্ত্রী। এমনকি হতভম্ব হয়ে পড়েন দর্শকরাও। এমন ঘটনা ঘটে ময়মনসিংহের টাউন হলে।

রোববার, জুন ১০, দুপুরে টাউন হলের তারেক স্মৃতি মিলনায়তনে মুক্তিযোদ্ধা একাডেমি ট্রাস্ট ও ভারতীয় হাইকমিশনের যৌথ উদ্যোগে মুক্তিযোদ্ধা সন্তানদের বৃত্তি প্রদান অনুষ্ঠান ছিল। এতে প্রধান অতিথি হিসেবে যোগ দেন ডাক, টেলিযোগাযোগ ও তথ্যপ্রযুক্তি মন্ত্রী মোস্তাফা জব্বার। বিশেষ অতিথি হিসেবে উপস্থিত ছিলেন ভারতীয় হাইকমিশনারের ডিফেন্স অ্যাডভাইজার ব্রিগেডিয়ার জেনারেল জে. এস চিমা।

মূল অনুষ্ঠান ছিল আধা ঘণ্টার। এর মধ্যেই ছয়বার বিদ্যুৎ চলে যায়। বিদ্যুৎ বিভ্রাটের ঘটনায় হতভম্ব হয়ে পড়েন দর্শকরা। কয়েকজন চিৎকার করে ক্ষোভও প্রকাশ করেন।


  • তথ্যসূত্র —  jamuna.tv । লিঙ্ক — https://bit.ly/2y4dc12 


গৃহবধূকে ধর্ষণ করলো যুবলীগ নেতা মাহমুদুল হক রনি





শনিবার, জুন ৯, রাতে রাজধানীর কলেজগেটে ধর্ষণের শিকার  হলেন ২১ বছরের তরুণী। শ্যামলীর বাসিন্দা এ গৃহবধূ জরুরি প্রয়োজনে ফার্মগেটে যেতে গাড়ির জন্য সড়কে অপেক্ষা করছিলেন।

কিন্তু রাস্তায় কোনো যানবাহন না পেয়ে তিনিসহ আরও এক তরুণী ধর্ষক স্থানীয় যুবলীগ নেতা মাহমুদুল হক রনির প্রাইভেটকারে (ঢাকা মেট্রো- গ ২৯-৫৪১৪) লিফট নেন। তাদের মধ্যে এক তরুণী শিশুমেলায় নেমে যান।

এরপরই সামনে থেকে গাড়ির পেছনের আসনে চলে আসেন মদ্যপ রনি। তিনি শ্যামলীর গৃহবধূকে গালিগালাজ ও ভয়ভীতি দেখান। এক পর্যায়ে তার মুখ রুমাল দিয়ে বেঁধে ফেলেন।

এরপর শিশু মেলা থেকে কলেজ গেটে আসার পথে ওই গৃহবধূকে ধর্ষণ করেন রনি। ওই সময় নিজেকে বাঁচাতে ধস্তাধস্তি করতে থাকেন তরুণী।

এ অবস্থায় প্রাইভেটকারটি কলেজগেট সিগন্যালে জ্যামে আটকা পড়লে পথচারীরা এসে গৃহবধূকে রক্ষা করে। তারা রনি ও গাড়িচালক ফারুককে আটক করে মারধরের পর শেরেবাংলা নগর থানার পুলিশের কাছে তুলে দেয়।

পরে রোববার সন্ধ্যায় ওই গৃহবধূ ধর্ষণ ও অপহরণের অভিযোগে মাহমুদুল হক রনির বিরুদ্ধে নারী ও শিশু নির্যাতন আইনে মামলা করেন।

ওই মামলায় সোমবার থেকে শেরেবাংলা নগর থানায় তিন দিনের রিমান্ডে রয়েছেন রনি।

  • তথ্যসূত্র  যুুগান্তর ডট.কম 


Subsidy outlay to spiral 80pc

Rejaul Karim Byron


Subsidy expenditure is set to increase 80.26 percent to Tk 37,804 crore in fiscal 2018-19 as the government looks to bankroll lower gas and fuel prices keeping an eye on the national election due to be held at the end of this year.

The government is planning to subsidise gas price for the first time next fiscal year as it is importing liquefied natural gas at a rate much higher than that of the locally produced gas.

The first consignment of imported LNG has arrived and will be added to the national grid in a couple of weeks' time. As soon as it is blended with local gas, the price will shoot up.

“But, it will be lower than the purchasing cost of LNG,” said energy ministry officials.

The per unit cost of imported LNG is Tk 25.17; after adding tax and regasification charges the total cost comes to Tk 33.44, according to Petrobangla.

The cost of production for per unit of gas would be Tk 14.64 when LNG and local gas are blended. The average retail price of gas supplied by Petrobangla from domestic sources is Tk 7.39 per cubic metre.

Subsequently, various companies of Petrobangla have proposed that the Energy Regulatory Commission should increase the gas price from Tk 7 to Tk 40 in various sectors like power, fertiliser and CNG auto rickshaws.

“Even after the price hike there will be losses because of imported LNG. So, we have sought subsidy from the finance ministry,” the energy ministry officials added.

The finance ministry has kept aside Tk 5,500 crore for subsidising gas price, up from Tk 2,500 crore in the outgoing year, said finance ministry officials.

Meanwhile, after a few years of historically low prices, fuel price has started to increase on the global market, meaning the need for fuel subsidy has emerged once again.

Next fiscal year, Tk 5,000 crore is being kept in the 'other heads' column if the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation's losses continue.

The energy and mineral resources division has proposed either subsiding the petroleum products or hike their prices. But the government has opposed to the idea of increasing the fuel prices in a time when the national election is so close.

BPC's profit plummeted 45 percent in the first 10 months of the fiscal year to Tk 3,995 crore due to the government's resistance to adjusting the domestic prices with that of the global market.

Petroleum prices dropped drastically on the global market in 2014 and remained almost steady for the next three years. BPC had incurred losses from fiscal 2009-10 through to fiscal 2013-14 and in the following three years made huge profits.

Since November last year BPC has been incurring losses and now it has stood at Tk 34 crore a day, said a BPC official. “If it continues this way, we may not be able to log in any profit for this fiscal year,” he added.

The government had given the state-run agency Tk 800 crore in fiscal 2015-16, but later the fund was withdrawn as it was not required. Since then BPC has not required any subsidy.

The subsidy in the power sector has been kept at Tk 9,200 crore in fiscal 2018-19, up from Tk 6,000 crore in the outgoing year.

Subsidies to the agriculture sector has been raised to Tk 9,000 crore from Tk 6,000 crore, while export and jute goods subsidy has been kept the same at Tk 4,500 crore. In the next fiscal year, food subsidy will be Tk 4,606 crore, which was Tk 2,729 crore this fiscal year.

  • Courtesy —  The Daily Star/ June 21, 2018

ADP execution rate lower

63pc of funds spent in July-May


FHM Humayan Kabir 

The government spent almost 63 per cent of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocations in the 11 months to May of fiscal year (FY) 2017-18.

Planning Commission officials said the rate of the development budget spending is two percentage points lower than that of the corresponding period in FY 2016-17.

The project implementing agencies will have to spend the remaining 37 per cent of the Tk 1.57-trillion ADP outlay of  FY '18, they added.

The officials said the agencies had failed to improve their project execution capacity. The officials said the worst performance of some agencies, including railway ministry and bridges division, hamstrung attainment of the target in FY '18.

According to the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), ministries and agencies spent Tk 989.78 billion during the period of the outgoing fiscal. This was 62.81 per cent of the total ADP outlay.

In the corresponding period of FY '17, the implementation rate was 64.72 per cent with a total expenditure of Tk 772.04 billion. Initially, the government prepared a Tk 1.64-trillion ADP for FY '18. It was later trimmed down to Tk 1.57 trillion in the third quarter amid the lower execution rate.

An IMED official said the government agencies, for the first time, spent higher amounts of funds from the external resources compared to the internal ones.

They spent 71.47 per cent of the available project assistance from the overseas development partners during the period of July 2017 to May 2018.

The agencies, however, utilised only 58.97 per cent of funds from the government's own resources in the last 11 months.

The government allocated Tk 520.50 billion from external resources as project aid and Tk 963.31 billion from internal resources in the revised ADP.

The autonomous and semi-autonomous government agencies spent Tk 49.70 billion, 53.94 per cent of their aggregate allocations of Tk 92.13-billion in 11 months.

The official of the commission said government agencies usually spend higher funds from the internal resources than those of external ones every year. But there is an exception this time, he added.

The railway ministry spent only 30.81 per cent of its total allocations in the ADP and the bridges division 42 per cent in the aforesaid period.

The primary and mass education ministry spent 48 per cent and water resources ministry 55 per cent of their allocations.

The government agencies executed 90 to 93 per cent of ADP over the last five years.

  • Courtesy: The Financial Express/June 21, 2018


AL political culture infested with corruption, violence

EDITORIAL


Political culture has become obsessively violent and corrupt in the current tenure of the Awami League-led government. People affiliated with the ruling party take advantage of local resources and exploit people and they use violent means to immobilise any voice against such exploitation. Such is the case of Mehedi Hasan, a writer and translator from Tangail. On Monday, the writer, as New Age reported on Wednesday, was ruthlessly attacked by ruling party activists as he raised his voice against illegal activities of an activist of the ruling Awami League at his village. The attacker in question is a follower of local AL leader and has been involved in illegally drawing power connections from a contractor with the Power Development Board for households and irrigation pumps after collecting Tk 2,700 for each household and Tk 7,000 for each pump. In March, a woman of the village died as the new power lines were not installed properly. The victim raised his voice against the political circle for running illegal business in the name of bringing power and the eventual killing of the woman. It is time that the ruling party took issues of corruption and violence of its leaders and activists seriously.


The political circle that assaulted the victim was earlier involved in extortion, obstruction to justice for rape and murder victims. Such allegations against activists of ruling party affiliates have become a common occurrence. In this column, we have previously written about the many ways ruling party activists exploit ordinary people to the extent that they do not even hesitate to extort money from people in extreme poverty. During the flash flood in haor region in 2017, ruling party men and their relatives reportedly took bribe from people to get their name enlisted for vulnerable group feeding programme. Vested quarters are formed in all public sectors involving government officials, law enforcement agencies and ruling party members that enjoy unbridled power and exploit people with impunity. In February 2017, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha allotted plots to 31 people, including ruling Awami League activists, allegedly on political consideration. Public banks are sanctioning risky loans in large amounts without following rules and regulations to people close to the ruling party. Any voice against such abuse of power and nepotism faces threats. In February 2017, a schoolteacher in Rangpur was assaulted for protesting against the corruption of the local AL leaders. The recent physical assault at hand is, therefore, by no means an isolated incident. 


To undo this deeply-rooted legacy of corruption and violence in the political culture, the government must judiciously investigate the attack on the victim in Tangail and bring perpetrators to justice. It must, therefore, recognise that to earn people’s trust, it needs a radical change in its political culture infested with nepotism, partisanship and violence.

  • Courtesy — New Age/June 21, 2018



MP’s SUV kills pedestrian

Staff Correspondent      

A photo collected from Shabab Chowdhury's Facebook profile shows the Audi SUV before the accident

Police on Wednesday initiated an investigation after a man was killed in a hit-and-run accident in the capital’s Mohakhali area on Tuesday night.

Police spotted a sports utility vehicle, owned by Kamrun Nahar Shewli, wife of an Awami League leader and a member of Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad for Noakhali-4 constituency, but was yet to determine who was driving the vehicle.

Ekramul Karim Chowdhury MP told New Age that the SUV (Dhaka Metro Gha 13-7655) was owned by his wife and the car was being driven by one of her chauffeurs.

Shewli is also the chairman of Kabirhat Upazila Parishad in Noakhali. But, witnesses who chased the SUV until it took a U-turn near the Mohakhali flyover and sped up to flee away said the man in the driving seat identified himself as Shabab Chowdhury, son of the lawmaker, and instantly revved up the car leaving the man dead in the street.

Ekram insisted that it was not his son and said, ‘We’ve five to six drivers but [I am] not sure which driver was driving the car... I was in Noakhali... it was an accident ... an accident is an accident’.

Police could neither seize the SUV nor arrest anyone until Wednesday night. 

Mirpur police deputy commissioner Masud Ahmed said, ‘We are trying to find out who was driving the car.’

He said police had a number of video footages which they would use to confirm who was responsible for the killing and if driver was intoxicated. 

The victim was identified at Selim Bepari, also a driver, who was returning home from Mohakhali DOHS area. 

Police and eyewitnesses said that the SUV was proceeding towards the Mohakhali flyover about 10:30pm on Tuesday and hit Selim when it was near the flyover.

Police took the body for further proceedings as a case was filed with Kafrul police by the victim’s family. 

  • Courtesy  —   New Age/June 21, 2018

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Corporate tax cut proposal — NBR estimates revenue loss at Tk 25 billion



 Doulot Akter Mala


The revenue authorities have estimated Tk 25 billion losses in corporate tax collection in the upcoming fiscal year (FY) provided the budgetary proposal made in this connection comes into force from July.

The finance minister, in his budget speech on June 07, proposed reducing corporate tax rate for all banks, financial institutions and insurance companies by 2.5 percentage points.

The Large Taxpayers' Unit (LTU) under the income tax wing of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) estimated the aggregate losses due to the reduction in corporate tax rates.

However, the private think- tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), in its post-budget press conference, estimated that the proposed tax cut is likely to result in an annual revenue loss of Tk 10 billion to the government.

The Finance Minister, AMA Muhith, proposed bringing down the corporate tax rates for both publicly-traded and non-publicly traded banks, insurance and financial institutions.

The corporate tax rate for publicly-traded banks, insurance and FIs has been proposed to be 37.5 per cent from the existing 40 per cent. Banks, insurance and FIs approved by the government in 2013 will also be able to enjoy 37.5 per cent corporate tax rates.

Non-listed banks, insurance and FIs will pay 40 per cent corporate tax from the existing 42.5 per cent. There are some 30 publicly-traded banks out of 57 across the country.

Apart from the 30 banks, nine non-listed banks will enjoy 37.5 per cent corporate tax rates in the next fiscal. The non-listed banks were approved by the government in 2013.

Talking to the FE, a senior official of LTU said around 60 per cent of the revenue of the unit comes from the banks. Banks pay tax in advance as per income tax ordinance-1984.

Banks pay tax in four instalments in all quarters of a fiscal year.

Anis A Khan, a former chairman of the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB), said the proposed cut would help the banks raise their capital base. The government will have to widen its net to offset the losses of corporate tax rather than focusing on only large taxpayers, he said.

"Effective tax rates of banks usually go up to 44 to 45 per cent due to the disallowance of expenditure by the taxmen," he added.

The high rate of corporate tax discourages investors, he added.

According to official data, the LTU collected Tk 104.40 billion taxes in the first three quarters (Q3) of the current fiscal. This means a 15.04 per cent growth over the same period of the last year.

The target of the LTU income tax wing has been set Tk 182 billion for FY 2017-18, projecting 31.65 per cent growth over the corresponding period.

The LTU official said it is now gearing up efforts to realise blocked revenues. Some Tk 50 billion revenues of LTU remain stuck with pending court cases.

Of the amount, Tk 30 billion is lying with the cases on disputes with the country's mobile phone companies on SIM subsidies. Cellphone companies claimed SIM (Subscribers' Identity Module) subsidies as tax-free income.

However, the taxmen termed it taxable considering it a promotional activity of the companies, officials said.

The LTU official said that the unit also started the process of realise the amount through mutual discussion with the companies.



  • Courtesy: The Financial Express/June 20, 2018.