July 22,2010

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government has a plan to create an education fund to provide free education to the poor and deprived students. "We are planning to create an education fund specially for the poor students to raise the literacy rate to cent percent for the overall development of the country," she said. The Prime Minister expressed her desire when the newly appointed Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarath Kumara Weragoda paid a courtesy call on her at her office here this morning. During the meeting, they discussed wide range of issues of mutual interests including expansion of bilateral trade and business and increasing import of Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals, ceramics, plastic wares and toiletries by Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister stressed the need for exploring cooperation in tourism, climate change issues, disaster management, health, agriculture science and ICT, literature and arts. Describing education as the key to attain progress and prosperity, Sheikh Hasina said keeping this in mind her government has attached due importance to further expansion of education across the country. In this context, she referred that her present government has made the highest allocation to the country's education sector in the current national budget, which will eventually play a key role in alleviating poverty. The Prime Minister mentioned Sri Lankan President's Education Fund and said the country can extend support to Bangladesh to form its education fund through sharing of experiences. On terrorism and militancy, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh will play its due role to free the South Asian region from the curses maintaining its firm stance against these social menaces. Sheikh Hasina said her previous government successfully restored peace and stability in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) by politically settling all issues of the CHT region.  

Charter change for halt to power grab: PM Sheikh Hasina

July 22,2010

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said there is an absolute need to amend the constitution to make sure that no power usurpers can impose their rule on the people again. She made the remark in the parliament on Wednesday before proposing a 15-strong "all-party committee' to review the constitution.”We want to keep the people's power in the people's hands, we want to keep the democratic trend unhindered and consolidate democracy. "For this, the amendment to the constitution carried out through military orders needs to be revised," said Sheikh Hasina. The correction of the constitution is needed to show respect to the High Court directives, as well, she added. She thanked the High Court for giving the "historic verdict" on the Fifth Amendment in 2005. Sheikh Hasina presented the proposal to scrutinize and report on amendment of the constitution under Rule 266 of the procedure. She said, "In the 2008 election we achieved not only two-thirds majority, but more than that. I think we've got the majority to accomplish a historical task." The prime minister said that the constitution was destroyed after the killing of independence architect Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. "The constitution was amended through military ordinance or orders," she added. The committee was passed unanimously by voice vote. The special committee will be helmed by deputy leader of the parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury. Senior Awami League leader and head of the parliamentary standing committee on law and parliamentary affairs Suranjit Sengupta has been made co-chair. On Tuesday, names of 17 out the 19 members of the draft committee were declared.  

Defending the special committee, Sheikh Hasina said the hard-earned constitution and the Army Act had no article on military rule. The other members are Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzaq, Tofail Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Rahmat Ali, Syed Ashraful Islam, Fazle Rabbi Mia, Rashed Khan Menon, Abdul Matin Khasru, Hasanul Haq Inu, Anisul Islam Mahmud, Hasan Mahmud, and Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury.

July 21,2010

An all-party parliamentary committee will be formed soon to amend the constitution in light of the High Court verdict over the Fifth Amendment to the constitution, Awami League General Secretary and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said on Tuesday. Addressing a meeting at the party office on Bangabandhu Avenue, he said the government has been working to fulfill its election pledge to uphold democracy in the country. The meeting was organized to exchange views on some important issues among leaders of the party's central working committee, Dhaka City Committee and presidents and secretaries of all thana committees and its other wings. The parliament members from Dhaka city also attended the meeting, chaired by Syed Ashraf. They discussed about the programmes to observe the National Mourning Day on August 15 and to commemorate the martyrs of the brutal grenade attack on August 21. AL Secretary Ashraful Islam urged the party leaders and workers to work together to ensure the trial of war criminals and foil all conspiracy against the process.

July 19,2010

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today sought World International Property Organisation's (WIPO) support for protection of the patent right of genome sequencing of jute decoded by Bangladeshi scientists recently. Describing the recent innovation of decoding genome sequencing of jute as a monumental achievement, she said after the innovation the golden fibre of Bangladesh will now regain its past glory through genetic engineering. The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the Asia- Pacific Regional forum of the WIPO at Hotel Sonargaon here this morning. With Industries Minister Dilip Barua in the chair, Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni and director general of WIPO Dr Francis Gurry also spoke on the occasion. Referring to phenomenal growth of the country's pharmaceuticals under the existing intellectual property (IP) waiver, she said these high quality pharmaceuticals are being exported to over 70 countries, including many LDCs and those are playing a tremendous role in ensuring primary healthcare in the countries. About intellectual property waiver, which is expected to expire by 2016, Sheikh Hasina requested the WIPO to extend the provision for another 15 years for the interest of the least developed countries (LDCs). The Prime Minister said the Intellectual Property has indeed gained immense importance in today's innovative world and become an effective tool for creating an enabling environment that fosters innovation and harnesses creativity. Laying emphasis on a better understanding of the IP by LDCs, she called for developing appropriate institutions and national capacity to effectively utilize intellectual property for accelerating socio-economic development of the countries. In this context, she said the LDCs also need to learn from successful initiatives of other countries, and share own experiences and practices to this end.

Awami League has chalked out four-day programmes to observe National Mourning day Aug 15, and Aug 21 grenade attack day

July 18,2010

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in exercise of her power elected chairmen of 11 subcommittees out of 19 at Friday’s central working committee meeting. 

Finance and Planning: Dr Mashiur Rahman, Law Affairs: Adv Rezaur Rahman, Agriculture and Cooperative: Abdur Razzak MP, Relief and Social Welfare: Tofael Ahmed MP, Publicity and Publications: Hossain Toufiq Imam, Science and Technology: Prof Dr Alauddin Ahmed, Liberation War Affairs: Maj Gen (retd) Shafiullah BU, Education and Human Resources: Prof Dr AK Azad Chowdhury, Industry and Commerce Affairs: Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmad, Cultural Affairs-Prof Dr Abdul Khaleque and Health and Population Affairs- Prof Dr Abdul Mannan MP.

 A press release of Awami League said remaining eight sub-committees will be formed after the constitution of full-fledged Advisory Council.

According to the party constitution, secretaries of the concerned departments will act as secretaries to these sub-committees. The party president will nominate assistant secretaries and members of the sub-committees.

The central working committee decided to mobilize public opinion against the war criminals and strengthen the grand alliance to frustrate their all conspiracies. The meeting decided to amend the constitution in the light of the Supreme Court judgment.

The meeting also decided to expedite the current party membership drive.

The central working committee will soon announce schedules for councils of the party’s organizational committees from the grass root to district levels