Dhaka leads global protests against Copenhagen climate text

BARCELONA, Nov 8: Bangladesh led the global protests against waterdowning the upcoming Copenhagen climate negotiation text at the just concluded 189-nation Barcelona climate talks as coordinator of 49 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) here, reports BSS.
Bangladesh as coordinator on adaptation on behalf of LDCs protested the Developed countries bid to dilute the negotiation text by ignoring the urgency of adaptation actions across the developing countries including LDCs, SIDS and Africa as well as not proposing any massive scaling up of support for enhanced Implementation on adaptation actions as per Bali Action Plan and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Making statement at the closing plenary here, leader of Bangladesh delegation Dr Mihir Kanti Majumder called upon developed countries not to dash the global aspirations and hopes and asked them to immediately agree on a steep cutback of their dangerous greenhouse gases emissions.
He said, mitigation is the best adaptation.
Bangladesh delegation member and LDC lead negotiator on adaptation and fianc’ Quamrul Chowdhury asked both adaptation and finance co-chairs to help promote adaptation high on the negotiating text as proposed by LDCs and other developing country parties and scale up finance for adaptation, technology transfer and capacity building.
Meanwhile, the three-day Greenland Ministerial Dialogue of major economies ended also here calling for mounting global pressure to cut an ambitious legally binding deal at Copenhagen Climate Conference in December to combat adverse impacts of climate change and supporting most vulnerable countries like Bangladesh who have already prepared climate strategy and action plan under fast track funding mechanisms.
Chaired by in-coming Copenhagen Climate Conference president Danish minister Connie Hedegaard, it was addressed by dozens of ministers from major economies and developing countries including Swedish minister Andears Carlgren, US’s Todd Stern, UK minister Joan Ruddock, Australian minister Penny Woong, Canadian Michael Martin, Chinese minister Xie Zhenhua, Maldives vice president Dr Mohamed Wahed, Brazil minister Carlos Minc, Barbados minister Maxine McClean, Costa Rica minister Lidieth Quesada, Grenada minister Michael Church, Indonesia minister Rachmat Witoelar, Japan minister Kazuhiko Takemoto, Mali minister Tiemoko Sangare, Netherlands minister Jacqueline Cramer, Norway minister Erik Solheim, South African minister Buyelwa Sonjica while G 77 was represented by Lumumba DiAping of Sudan and LDCs by Quamrul Chowdhury of Bangladesh.
In-coming President of conference of parties (COP-15) to the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC) Danish minister Connie described the three-day minister known as Greenland Dialogue of Major Economies Forum as a successful one and called the ministers to instruct their negotiators to reflect this positive attitude and consensus at the negotiation table.
The host of COP 15 Danish minister also informed the ministers that Denmark as host of December climate summit would convene a pre-COP session in Copenhagen from November 14-15 to further reach consensus among nations to strike a climate deal in December to protect mankind.
At the insistance of G-77 representative ambassador Lumumba and LDCs principal negotiator Quamrul Chowdhury, major economy ministers agreed to the governance structure of new financial architecture and institutional arrangements under the guidance of the UNFCCC conference of parties known as COP with equal representation from developing countries including LDCs and SIDS and fast track and direct access for the most vulnerable countries.

Speaker for ensuring transparency in public sector

Speaker Abdul Hamid Advocate Sunday underscored the need for ensuring transparency and accountability in every sectors of the government by discoursing corruption, reports BSS.
He described corruption as a major hurdle on way to sustainable development and said the government is working to root out this social ill as per its election manifesto.
The speaker was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on “Financial Oversight and Role of Public Accounts Committee”, organized by the World Bank at a city hotel here.
Deputy acting country director of the World Bank, Dhaka, Tahseen Syeed and parliamentary representatives of the SAARC member countries were present on the occasion.
Abdul Hamid said the government believes in accountability and transparency for ensuring economic development of the country.
He said the government would have to ensure transparency and accountability in the public sector. He said the government already formed parliamentary committees, including public accounts committee, in the first session of the parliament.
The Speaker informed the delegations of the SAARC countries that a number of audit observations are still waiting for discussion.
“We need to build up capacity of the public accounts committee and at the same time the committee has to play a significant role in this regard by holding meetings frequently”, he said.

Works of Kapashgola Road in Ctg open

CHITTAGONG, Nov 8 : Mayor of Chittagong ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury today said Chittagong City Corporation and CDA launched a joint initiative for implementing a mega plan to upgrade the port city into an international one in a planned way, report BSS.
The plans will be implemented in short, medium and long term basis as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina showed positive attitude toward development of the port city, he said.
He was formally inaugurating the long-waited construction work of the 60 feet wide city’s Gani Bakeri-Kapashgola- Bahaddarhat crossing road.
Abdus Salam, Chairman of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), presided over the inaugural function held at Bahadderhat intersection.
Ward councilors Jahirul Alam Dobash, Ahamudur Rahman Siddique, CDA board members Mohammad Younus Goni Chowdhury, Mofizur Rahman and local elite were, among others, addressed the function.
Speaking on the occasion, the CDA Chairman said after completion of the road, the vehicles from Muradpur and Sholoshahar intersections would also be able to reach Sirajddoula road and Addarkillah directly through the Chawkbazar intersection.
He said CDA will duly compensate to the land owners as soon as possible.
CDA officials said the works of widening the Kapashgola Road up to 60 foot in four lanes with a total length of 2.19 KM stretching from Bahaddarhat crossing to Goni Bakery intersection would be carried out at an estimated cost of Taka 40.18 crore.

Rafiqul gets APR Chairman’s Award

M Rafiqul Islam Khan, National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts, got the Asia Pacific Regional (APR) Scouts second highest Chairman’s Award, reports UNB.
The award was given in the 23rd APR conference held the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Oct 27-Nov 1.
Khan was also selected as the APR Adult Resource Sub Committee member, said a press release on Sunday.
Rafiqul also received the highest award of Bangladesh Scouts “Silver Tiger” for his outstanding contribution in the filed of scouting in Bangladesh.

Dr Nazimuddin Ahmed passes away

Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed, a senior archaeologist in the country, died of cardiac failure at a city hospital here Saturday evening. He was 84, reports UNB.
Family sources said he breathed his last at 5:30 pm.
He left behind his wife, three sons and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.
His namaj-e-janaza will be held today (Sunday) at a mosque in city’s Mohammadpur area after Zohr prayers.
Dr. Nazimuddin was the director of the Archaeology department in then Pakistan in 1969 and later occupied the same post and successfully performed his responsibilities for 14 years after the independence of Bangladesh. On his retirement in 1983, he joined the UNESCO as the National Cultural Advisor.
In 32 years of his career, he had written 9 books on professional subject and about 50 articles in various magazines and journals.
His books are-“Discover the Monuments of Bangladesh” (UPL 1984), “The Epic Stories in Terracotta”, depicted on the Kantanagar Temple Dinajpur (UPL 1990); “The Buildings of the British Raj in Bangladesh” (UPL 1986), “Bangladesh Archaeology 1979”; “Mrittudut”(UPL 2008), “Mahastan, Mainamati, Paharpur”, “Silkroader Gourobmoy Pratnatattik Aisharja (Bangla Academy 2004); “Buildings of Khan Jahan” (UPL 1989), “Mahastan- a Preliminary Excavation Repo.

‘Education policy to uphold religious values’

Education Minister Nurul Islam Naheed on Sunday said the national education policy would be finalized upholding religious values, reports BSS.
“The government would not incorporate anything in the national education policy, which will harm religious values,” he told a view exchange meeting with leaders of Islami Education Protection National Committee in the conference room of the ministry of education here.
Convenor of the committee Maulana Muhiuddin Khan, member secretary Maulana Muhammad and members Maulana Muhammad Ishak and Maulna Syed Mosaddek Billah Al Madani, among others, addressed the meeting.
Education Secretary Syed Ataur Rahman, senior officials of the ministry and other committee members were present at the meeting.
Naheed said the draft of education policy has been circulated through Internet eliciting public opinion.
The government will consider the opinion of the people with due importance in finalizing the policy, he added.
The minister said the present government had taken initiatives to formulate a complete education policy for ensuring quality education.
“We’ll finalize the education policy by December and we want to implement it for achieving the target,” he added.
Naheed said the national education policy would be given importance on religious education to build moral character of students.
Highlighting the importance of madrasa education, the minister said the madrasa education would be time- befitting for improving the quality of education.
The leaders of the committee handed over a set of recommendations on the draft education policy to the minister.
The recommendations include incorporating basic education on respective religions of all faiths from class one, providing salaries, allowances and other facilities for teachers of independent ebtadae madrasa, establishing Islami Arabic University, ensuring necessary facilities in madrasa education for women like general education.
The committee leaders also proposed religion and moral education instead of ‘Lalitakala’ as additional subject in class one and two, ‘Health Science’ in class three, four and five and ‘Health Science’ in Class six-class eight.

Azad calls for proper utilization of astrology for mankind

Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad Sunday urged for utilization of the astrology for welfare of mankind through proper research and practice.
Inaugurating the three-day 18th Asia Astrologists conference at Kanchikancha auditorium here, the minister said, astrology is a science and it should be practiced rightly.
The minister said, the astrology is being practices in the country since ancient era, but it was found that many astrologers for their ill motive give people misleading information.
President of City University managing committee and former Member of Parliament M Moqbul Hossain and editor of weekly Math O Path R A M Obaidul Moktadir Chowdhury attended the function as special guests.
President of Bangladesh Astrologers Society G Kibria was in the chair while president of Asian Astrologers Congress M Anisul Haque, secretary general Prof. SKR Shastri, Harina Lal from Nepal, executive president of Asian Astrologers Society Chitta Ramjan Achariya and executive president of Chittagong chapter Dr Sree Ram Achariya, addressed, among others.
Mentioning the influence of astrology on people of Bangladesh, the information said right information can help people taking decision.
He appreciated the expansion of education and research on astrology in the country and said the government welcomes the new initiative saying such researches would help flawless application of astrology.
Astrologers from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Bhutan, Myanmar and Thailand are taking part in the conference.

KSA steps to protect health of Hajj pilgrims

As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stresses the safety of guests of Allah coming to perform Hajj for this year I430H/2009, it encourages the hajj mission of Bangladesh to inform the Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims about the influenza (HINI) and its way of protection from it as well as its treatment.
The press release said the pilgrims should also be briefed about its consequence through different mass media so that it may become a basic point for health awareness before arrival of the Hajj pilgrims in the Kingdom.
The steps will help prevent from spreading the disease amongst the pilgrims by the will of Allah, according to release.
The release said that Hajj visa will not be issued in favour of the people suffering from heart, neurology, asthma and kidney diseases and pregnant and excessively fat persons.
To prevent children less than 12 years and elderly people more than 65 years from performing Hajj and Umrah is the responsibility of the country concerned.

DU donates Tk 1.5 lakh to student’s father

Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University (DU) Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique Sunday handed over a cheque for Taka 1.5 lakh to Abdur Rahman, father of late DU student M Khairul Islam, reports BSS.
Islam, an MSc student of the Department of Physics of DU, was killed in a road accident in Rangpur on September 27 last.
Chairman of DU Physics Department Prof Shamim Chowdhury, Provost of Shahidullah Hall Prof Azizur Rahman and students of the department were present, a DU press release said here.
Speaking briefly on the occasion, Prof Arefin Siddique said the death of Khairul Islam was an irreparable loss.

Germany donates 50,000 Euro for cyclone-hit Jaymoni village

The German government has donated an additional amount of 50,000 Euro for a project being implemented by the German NGO “Kindernothilfe” at Jaymoni of Bagerhat district, reports BSS.
The region under Mongla upazila was devastated twice by cyclones, “Sidr” in November 2007 and “Aila” in April 2009, a press release said today.
To help authorities to identify resource persons and prepare the local community for the future in the cyclone-hit area, the German government supports various projects aiming at training specialists in the field in terms of precaution management, early warning and first aid.
The money would be used to educate and sensitize to 1,000 local people in the project area.
Two precaution-committees will be formed in two villages, which are endowed with emergency kits.
They will also carry out simulations of emergency situations to better prepare the local communities.
Kindernothilfe cooperates with two other German NGOs, “Helpage” and “Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe”, which are implementing projects in Khulna and Bagerhat for the most vulnerable already.
During the last two years, the German government has contributed almost 600 lakh Euro to their catastrophe precaution projects in the “Sidr” and “Aila” affected region, the press release added.

Weather

Dry weather likely

Weather may remain mainly dry with party cloudy over the country in next 24 hours till 6pm today (Monday).
Night temperature may fall slightly over the country, Met Office said. The sun sets in the capital today at 6:16pm and rises on Sunday at 7:09am.
Country’s highest temperature 33.5 degree Celsius was recorded Sunday at Sylhet and lowest 20.2 degree at Rangpur.

DHAKA NOTES