Subsidy thru’ TCB could challenge manipulators

It sounds absurd that in a poor country like ours,  25 per cent tax is imposed on the import of pictorials and drawing books used mostly by the students of English medium schools. Ex-Finance Minister, Saifur Rahman, had first imposed a 7.5 per cent duty on import of books.

It is a good decision to allow Sheikh Hasina to leave the country for better treatment abroad at least from the humane point of view. This might prove to be comfort for all those who considered dragging a seriously sick Hasina to courts again and again cruel, undesirable and vindictive. The supersonic speed in which the very courts that did not suspend the proceedings even if temporarily on health grounds cleared the legal barriers standing in the way of her going abroad has left many wondering about the newfound independence of the judiciary.

Practical and Effective Policy needed

Budget 2008-09

Local government is one of the elements of good governance and honest local government reaches development benefits to the grass-roots. Strengthening the local government bodies and ensuring participation of people in the democratic process of the country are essential for overall development of a country. Besides, it is equally important to separate the Election Commission from the Prime Minister’s Office to facilitate working of the EC as an independent body in the election process.

The price hike of POL products, a burning issue for both the developed and developing countries alike was raised at a press briefing by CPD Wednesday when light was also thrown on adjustment of petrol and octane prices in phases , in line with international market to reduce the pressure on government budget for next fiscal, against allocation for fuel subsidies. CPD is against rise in price of kerosene and diesel which are widely used by poorer section and irrigation purpose.

Budget 2008

The people deserve explanation to such move

We are happy that the Ministry of Land has started working on earmarking land with a view to formulating a national policy on land use. In the absence of any such policy we are fast losing arable land to miscellaneous uses and we shall be inviting disaster if this is not checked at the right point.  Available statistics point to the gravity of the situation. Our total area of land is about 36.5 million hectres of which 19.2 million hectres are available for cultivation.

Restraint® can reduce the urge to spend money you don't have

By Mark Lange

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper that must focus the people’s hopes and aspirations is naturally being delayed due to lack of a consultation for absence of a political government in the country. Let the next political government adopt the full-fledged PRSP as the general election is due in next six months, eminent economist Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud told a recent consultation. General Economic Division of the Planning Commission organised the two-day consultation, beginning Sunday, on the first draft of the second PRSP for a period of FY09-11.

According to a news item, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has already completed the first phase of the project to provide non-formal education to 30 thousand child laborers that started in July 2005. The second phase of the project is under implementation. We are encouraged to note that the government will provide education and training to child workers and extend micro finance to the parents of the children concerned for their income generating activities.

South Asia is a region frequented by whims of nature. Like several African countries where food riots broke out this year, South Asian countries including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are yet to recover fully from food shortages that mainly occurred due to recurring calamities. It is against this backdrop that cooperation among the South Asian countries needs to be intensified due to recent natural disasters and deficit in foodgrain production.

King Birendra’s assassination  and Gyanendra ascendinged the throne had all the ingredients for an end to the monarchy in Nepal. On Wednesday, the country’s Constituent Assembly voted overwhelmingly to abolish the 239-year old monarchy in that Himalayan kingdom the pave the path for a “secular, indivisible, independent and sovereign” republic. King Gyanendra has been given fifteen days to vacate the palace after which it will be turned into a museum.

Jimmy Carter revealed that Israel has 140 nuclear weapons. This reveleation frankly speaking has put the United Nations, its nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency and its chief Elbaradei, US President George Bush and many other western leaders on the dock. At the prodding of the Security Council the IAEA has been playing hell with the “rogue” Iranian and North Korean regimes on alleged charges of developing nuclear weapons secretly.

Some 10 percent of our population are disabled. Panelists at a meeting urged the government to enhance the allocation in the next national budget for the disabled and integrate them with the mainstream of development. Bangladesh Disability Forum and Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad jointly organized the meeting in the city on Tuesday.

It will be futile exercise of the caretaker government in setting stage for dialogue if the two major political parties remain stubborn in their demands about joining the dialogue. The AL and BNP have borne the brunt of the CG’s massive anti-corruption shelling but that does not change the reality that these two parties enjoy massive support of the people. If the next elections are free and fair as promised, these two parties are expected to retain their pre-eminent positions even with their supreme leaders in prison.