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Head lines US envoy offers help to improve law and order Hasina wants American experts to assess gas reserves STAFF REPORTER, The Independent Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep concern over the deterioration in the law and order situation across the country and the politics of killing of popular leaders of her party, terrorism, unbridled corruption and politicisation of all sectors being pursued by the BNP-led alliance government. She expressed her concern when the newly appointed 11th Ambassador of the United States to Bangladesh Harry K Thomas Jr. made a courtesy call on at her Sudha Sadan residence in the city yesterday. It was the first call of the US Ambassador on the Leader of the Opposition since he came to Bangladesh late last month. "Both sides had fruitful discussions on various pertinent issues, including functioning of democracy, economy, law and order and even export of natural gas from the country," said Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil emerging from the talks that lasted over-an-hour from 11-30 am. Thomas Jr. told newsmen that on behalf of the US government, he conveyed to the Leader of the Opposition deep condolences over the killing of her party leaders and workers. Replying to a question, Thomas said: "We discussed all issues, including gas export from Bangladesh". When newsmen asked him to elaborate on the issue, he said: "I have already expressed my views on the export of gas. I don’t want to repeat or explain it". Speaking in fragmented Bangla, he said: "The relationship between the people of Bangladesh and the US is very important and the existing friendship between the two countries would be cemented further in the coming days. For both of our countries, democracy and non-violence are very important". The US envoy also stressed the need for resolving political problems through non-violent means reiterating his country’s firm commitment to the cause of democracy. Sheikh Hasina referred to the escalation in the activities of several fundamentalist militant groups in different regions of the country, Jalil said briefing newsmen. The Awami League side at the talks wanted to know from the US envoy whether his country could extend help and cooperation for containing terrorism as well as maintaining law and order for the cause of democracy in Bangladesh. "We told the US Ambassador that democracy and human rights have been re-established in the country through an arduous mass struggle", Jalil said adding: "But these are badly being hampered now in the country and we also assured him that the Awami League would extend support if the US administration takes any initiative for the purpose." He said the US envoy assured Sheikh Hasina of all cooperation for strengthening democracy and for the improvement of law and order in the country. Jalil said the Awami League has clarified its stand on gas export saying: "We are not opposed to gas export, but we have to know its actual reserves first and if there is excess gas reserves, then we could go for export of the same." Referring to her meetings with former US Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Sheikh Hasina requested the US envoy to send experts from his country to assess the actual reserve of natural gas in Bangladesh so that a decision on gas export could be taken taking into consideration the interest of the country and its people first. Jalil said that at the talks, the Awami League side also pointed out that the alliance government had been politicising all sectors, including the administration and the judiciary, as well as the incident relating to repeated leak of question papers of the BSC examinations. "We also expressed out fear that the alliance government wants to consolidate its hold on power by politicising the administration with the recruitment of its partymen and that’s why question papers of the selection test for the civil service are being leaked", he said. The AL leader added that they informed the US side on the running of parallel government now in the country, one from the administration and another from the BNP office named Hawa Bhaban. Responding to a question on gas export, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Political Secretary to the opposition leader, said: "We think that it’s a wrong approach. We have expressed our opinion in this regard that Bangladesh should think first as to how it could ensure optimum use of gas". He replied in the negative when asked whether there was any discussion on the issue of hartal. At the talks, Sheikh Hasina was assisted by the Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil, party presidium member Kazi Zafarullah, her press adviser Jawadul Karim and AL Organising Secretary and her Political Secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury. Deputy Chief of the US Mission in Dhaka Judith Chamas and Political and Economic Counsellor of the US embassy Dandof McCollough accompanied the ambassador. Internal feud within Khulna BNP deepens STAFF CORRESPONDENT, KHULNA, The Independent Sept 1: Infighting within Khulna chapter of the ruling BNP has of late taken an almost explosive turn over the coming elections of its city and district committees. Though no dates have yet been finalised by the party, the polls are expected to be held sometime this month or early next month. One of the factions of Khulna city BNP is presently led by Mayor Tayebur Rahman and MP Ali Asgar Loby, while the other faction by the incumbent president and secretary of Khulna city unit MP Nurul Islam and Nazrul Islam Monju. Whip Ashraf Hossain MP is siding with the Nurul-Nazrul faction. The existing internal feud within BNP took a sudden turn for the worse when Ali Asgar Loby formed two separate preparatory committees recently for monitoring and overseeing the elections of the ward committees under Nosadanga and Khulna thanas. The Nurul-Nazrul faction has opposed the action of Loby, terming the formation of such committees by him as unconstitutional and illegal. The leaders of the Nurul-Nazrul faction said that only the existing than committees of the party had the constitutional right to form such committees. The rank and file were also divided over the issue which has generated tension and threatened the unity of the party leadership. The leaders of both the factions, including three MPs Nurul Islam, Loby, Ashraf and Mayor Tayebur Rahman were called to Dhaka for sorting out the internal conflict, but no tangible result emerged out of the meeting which was held recently at the residence of Food Minister Abdullah-Al-Noman, who is also the joint secretary general of BNP. According to political circles, the participation of several listed terrorists and criminals in the processions of the four-party alliance in the city on Friday has evoked sharp reaction of anger and anxiety among the Nurul-Nazrul faction. In a fax message, Nazrul Islam Monju has informed the party high command at Hawa Bhaban at Banani in Dhaka on Saturday, about the participation of the listed criminals and murderers of a central JCD leader Chanchal in the processions. The fax message also mentions that "further deterioration has occurred in the state of affairs within the party, which may endanger the lives of important party leaders and activists unless necessary measures are taken.’ In the fax message Nazrul Islam Monju has accused Loby of forming a committee of seven to "discipline" his opponents so that he could get his own men elected to the ward thana and city committees. Talking to the Independent this morning, Monju said that he and his faction are totally opposed to criminalisation of politics and politicisation of criminals, which he said was being pursued by the Loby-Tayebur faction. According to various sources, Ali Asgar Loby wants to be the president of Khulna city unit by replacing Nurul Islam who has been the head of the city committee since the launching of BNP 25 years ago. The aspirants for the post of secretary of the city unit are incumbent Nazrul Islam Monju and Zafrullah Khan Sacchu, who is regarded as one of the closest confidants of Mayor Tayebur Rahman. The Loby-Tayebur faction is backing former publisher of Dainik Dinkal professor Majedul Islam for the post of president of Khulna district BNP, while the other faction wants to elect either Whip Ashraf Hossain or vice-president of Red Crescent Dr Gazi Abdul Haque. Another aspirant for the post is Gazi Shahidullah, former chairman of now defunct Khulna Municipality. Advocate Shafiqul Alam Mona, who is now the member-secretary of the district committee and Sharuzzaman Murtoza, who was once tried in the CPB leader Ratan Sen murder case and acquitted by the court, are the hot aspirants for the post of secretary of Khulna district BNP-Businessman Sardar Moinuddin is also toying with the idea of contesting for the post of secretary. It may be recalled that two factions of BNP fielded separate panels of candidates for the posts of ward commissioners in most of the 31 wards of the city in the Khulna City Corporation election held last year. The factions also lobbied for separate lawyers for appointment to the posts of Public Prosecutor and Assistant Pubic Prosecutors of the district. In the Khulna Zila Krira Sangstha elections held in June this year, the two factions again opposed each other by fielding separate panels of candidates. Neither Mayor Tayebur Rahman nor Ali Asgar Loby was available here today for comment on the state of affairs of the party. Khulna Metropolitan and district police are reportedly apprehensive that taking advantage of the lack of unity among the leaders of the ruling BNP, miscreants may be engaged by interested quarters to play with the lives of politicians, and the outlaws may also cash in on disunity to get favours from some elements of the ruling party. |
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