Bangladesh community outraged over shooting death

Community members claimed police left behind the body of Rafiqul Islam at Detroit Receiving Hospital without first identifying him or informing his family.

By Charles Sercombe

Chanting "We want justice," over 100 men and boys from the Bangladesh community stood outside City Hall last Friday protesting how police handled a recent homicide.

Community members claimed police left behind the body of Rafiqul Islam at Detroit Receiving Hospital without first identifying him or informing his family.

Islam, 46, was shot to death last Tuesday at about 10:30 p.m. in front of his house.

Police say it could have been a botched robbery or carjacking attempt. Neighbors called 911 after hearing gunshots.

When police arrrived, Islam did not have his wallet or identification on him. He was taken away by ambulance while police tried to track the suspected gunman and was later pronounced dead at Detroit Receiving Hospital.

Witnesses say a suspect was seen fleeing from the area and got into a dark van at Ellery.

On Friday, family, friends and concerned members of the Bangladesh community held funeral services and then went to City Hall to protest.

Their anger seemed to come from two issues, the police allegedly abandoning Islam at the hospital and previous shootings of members from the community.
Babul Miah said officers "spoke down" to the family and had an "attitude."

Interim Police Chief Ron Mathias explained to the crowd that when police arrived they had to act fast to try to save Islam's life and also hunt for his killer. He said police did not even know that Islam was in front of his house in the first few minutes they were there.

He said no matter, this case will be handled just like any other homicide.
"I can't make promises we are going to catch someone or not," he said.
Investigators have very little to go on in this case. State police are helping in the gathering of forensics evidence.

City Councilmember Abdul Algazali told the crowd that he would make a resolution to investigate how police officers conducted themselves during the investigation.

At one point in the rally, held during bitter cold temperatures, a hearse drove up in front of City Hall. A man got out of the hearse and opened the back door of the hearse, where a casket could be seen. It was not clear if the casket contained the body of Islam.

Another man from the crowd immediately closed the door and the hearse drove off.

Islam had just returned from a downtown restaurant where he was part of the wait staff. He is married and has two sons.

This is the first homicide of the year.

BANGLADESH: Report blasts primary school education

DHAKA, 11 February 2009 (IRIN) - Around 70 percent of children in Bangladesh who complete their primary education are unable to read, write or count properly, according to an internal report by the Department of Primary Education (DPE).

Sixty-nine percent of students who had completed five years of primary school were unable to read news headlines in Bangla newspapers properly, while 87 percent of pupils failed to do simple mathematical calculations, the study, entitled National Assessment of Pupils of Grades Three and Five - 2006, said.

Conducted by the Second Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-II) - a donor-assisted programme to ensure quality primary education for all children - the study reported that 72 percent of children were unable to write a short composition in Bangla - the mother tongue of over 95 percent of the population.

The report also found students "pitiably weak" in English, which plays a key role in day-to-day life, particularly in business, higher studies and technical education.

The quality of education in remote rural areas was far worse than in urban areas, largely due to a scarcity of English teachers and the predominance of religious schools (`madrasas') where English is not taught, the study said.

The report said students in the fifth grade completed only about 56 percent of the Bangla syllabus, 46 percent of the mathematics syllabus and 47 percent of the English syllabus.

Weak institutional framework

The PEDP-II study identified the weak organisational and institutional framework of primary education and the lack of a proper physical environment at school as leading causes of poor performance.

"Inadequate qualified teachers, lack of devotion on the part of the teachers, [and] poor support and monitoring from family largely contribute to the causes of weakness," Rawshan Ara Begum, head teacher of Chakhar government primary school in southern Barisal District, told IRIN.

"Many poor students come to school half-fed. They cannot pay attention to their studies in the afternoon classes as thirst for knowledge is replaced by hunger for food," she said.

According to Badrul Alam Tarafder, secretary in charge of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (PME), the government placed emphasis on enrolment without concentrating on the quality of primary education.

Insufficient contact hours

The PEDP-II study recommended that contact hours between teachers and students be increased and more attention paid to mathematics and literacy.

According to the DPE, children get only 500 hours annually to interact with their teachers in grades one and two. This increased to 700 hours from the third to the fifth grade.

This compared unfavourably to an international standard of 900 contact hours per year for grades 1-5.

One reason for the fewer contact hours was the running of double shifts in most government schools due to a lack of classrooms.

The low teacher-student ratio was another factor keeping contact hours down.

The study recommended that at least 90,000 new teachers be recruited and 60,000 new classrooms be built to enable the existing number of students to attend in a single shift.

Fewer holidays?

Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), a private research organisation, in its annual report for 2008 entitled Primary Education Halkhata (State of Primary Education), recommended reducing holidays.

"The future of the nation is dark because primary students lack adequate academic knowledge," said renowned academic Zillur Rahman Siddique. He attributed the low contact hours to long holidays.

At present in government primary schools, pupils get nine days holiday during the two Eid festivals, 15 days for the summer vacation and 20 days off for Ramadan. The report suggested seven days for the two Eids, five days in summer and 10 days for Ramadan would be more appropriate.

Some 200,000 teachers educate close to 19 million students in about 38,000 government primary schools country-wide. Teachers are paid by the government which also supplies free text books. At least 40 percent of students receive financial assistance based on their performance, attendance and the level of family poverty.

What is melamine, and why add it to milk?

A Chinese court on Thursday sentenced two men to death for their role in making and selling milk tainted with melamine. The chairwoman of the Sanlu Group, the dairy company at the heart of the scandal, was given life in prison.

At least six children died and nearly 300,000 fell ill after drinking the toxic dairy products last year.

Here are some questions and answers on the scandal:

WHAT IS MELAMINE?

-- A white powder used in plastic-making. It was first synthesised by a German scientist in the 1830s.

WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

-- Its most common form, melamine resin, a mix of melamine and formaldehyde, is used in the manufacture of formica, floor tiles, whiteboards and kitchenware.

WHY ADD MELAMINE TO MILK POWDER?

-- Melamine is rich in nitrogen, and relatively cheap. Adding it to sub-standard or watered-down milk makes the milk's protein level appear higher. Standard quality tests estimate protein levels by measuring nitrogen content.

WHO WAS AFFECTED BY THE TOXIC MILK?

-- At least six infants died in China, and about 300,000 more were hospitalised after drinking the contaminated milk.

-- More than 80 percent of the sick children were under two years old. Young babies that depend solely on milk were most vulnerable.

WHO ADDED THE MELAMINE TO THE MILK?

-- Unscrupulous middlemen working at the "milk stations" that sold milk from farms to dairy companies were identified as the main culprits by initial investigations.

WHICH COUNTRIES IMPORTED THE TAINTED MILK?

-- More than 20 mostly Asian and African countries and regions -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, Britain, Brunei, Burundi, Canada, China, France, Gabon, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Tanzania, Togo, Vietnam, and Yemen -- either pulled products off shelves, banned Chinese dairy imports, or stepped up tests in the wake of the scandal.

WHICH COMPANIES WERE IMPLICATED?

-- 22 Chinese companies were named as having sold tainted dairy products. Sanlu Group, China's top seller of infant milk powder, was the first to go public with melamine contamination. See FACTBOX [ID:nPEK20969] for the complete list.

-- New Zealand dairy export giant Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has a 43 percent shareholding in Sanlu, but has completely written off its NZ$201 million ($107.1 million) investment in the Chinese firm.

Source: Reuters (Writing by Gillian Murdoch; Editing by Ben Blanchard and Dean Yates)

Bangladesh Dec remittances up 20.5 pct on year

DHAKA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Money sent home in December by Bangladeshis working abroad rose to $765.79 million, up 20.5 percent from a year earlier, the central bank said on Sunday.

In July-December, the first half of the 2008/09 financial year, remittances from more than 5 million expatriate Bangladeshis totalled $4.5 billion, 31 percent higher than the same period of 2007/08.

In 2008, the number of Bangladeshis cleared for overseas employment exceeded 875,000 against 832,000 in 2007, according to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The central bank expects remittances to reach $10 billion in the current financial year.

However, some analysts say the inflow of remittances may slow down as the global credit crisis and recession in the developed world put jobs at risk.

The central bank said remittances would be affected only if instability in financial markets persists for long.

Expat income, a key source of foreign exchange for the impoverished south Asian country, hit a record $7.91 billion in the 2007/08 financial year, nearly a third higher than the previous year.

Strong remittances also helped offset the impact of the trade shortfall and kept the overall balance of payments in surplus.

The bulk of remittances came from Saudi Arabia followed by the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Britain, Qatar and Oman.

Remittances are Bangladesh's second-biggest source of foreign income after ready-made garments, which earned $10.7 billion in the 2007/08 fiscal year.

Banks make record operating profit despite global recession

In spite of the collapse of many banks in the United States and Europe amid global financial meltdown, the country's private commercial banks (PCBs) attained higher operating profit in 2008.

The initial figures of operating profit of at least 10 PCBs indicated that they have earned profits in 2008 following higher import payments and enhanced credit flow to the private sector.

Sources at Bangladesh Bank said that the PCBs were able to maintain upward trend of operating profit last year owing to the increased credit flow to the private sector as well as import payment growth.

The country's banking sector remained insulated from the global recession, the source further said.

According to a senior official of the central bank, most of the third and second generation banks could not achieve their internal operating profit target due to raising cost of funds for increasing the interest rates on deposit.

The operating profit does not indicate the real financial picture of the banks, as they have to leave aside provisioning against bad debts and taxes that are paid to the government from the operating profit.

According to the information provided by the Offsite Supervision Department of Bangladesh Bank, Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd made the highest amount of operating profit of Tk 630 crore in 2008, which was Tk 416 crore in 2007. Other banks which earned the operating profits are: Prime Bank Ltd Tk 480 crore, Pubali Bank Ltd Tk 365 crore, National Bank Ltd Tk 352 crore, EXIM Bank Ltd Tk 270 crore, United Commercial Bank Ltd Tk 260 crore, Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd Tk 218 crore, Mutual Trust Bank Ltd Tk 123 crore, Trust Bank Tk 135 crore, NCC Bank Ltd Tk 233 crore, Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd Tk 207 crore, Commerce Bank Ltd Tk 18 crore, Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd Tk 158 crore, BASIC Bank Ltd Tk 174 crore, City Bank Ltd Tk 160 crore and Social Investment Bank Ltd Tk 100 crore.

The operating profit of the 28 PCBs out of a total of 30 increased by nearly Tk 1404 crore to Tk 5138 crore in 2007 calendar year, from Tk 3734 crore in 2006, banking sector sources said.

The country's imports grew by 31.66 per cent during the first four months of the current fiscal over that of the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, the central bank officials said.

The value of letters of credit (LCs) against imports worth $7.898 billion was settled during the July-October period of the 2008-2009 fiscal compared with $5.999 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal, according to the central bank statistics.

On the other hand, credit to the private sector rose by 24.72 per cent to Tk 397.36 billion in October last from 16.19 per cent to Tk 223.99 billion of the corresponding period of the previous year, the central bank's data showed.

Bangladesh makes remarkable achievement in girls education

DHAKA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh has made remarkable achievement in increasing girls enrollment in primary level since early 1990s with the ratio of girls and boys at schools standing at 1:1 currently, a senior official said.

Secretary of Ministry of Primary and Mass Education M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told Xinhua recently in an exclusive interview that "The Bangladesh government has made tremendous efforts in getting more girls to schools and successfully achieved gender parity."

Now the net enrollment rate at the primary level in the country is 91.1 percent, of which male is 87.8 percent and female is 94.7 percent, while percentage of girls at schools is 50.7 among total 16.3 million students, he said.

Musharraf said, various measures have been taken to increase girls enrollment since the Compulsory Primary Education Program, covering grade 1-5, was implemented all over the country in 1993 after the Compulsory Primary Education Act was passed in 1990.

Under the program, tuition and textbooks are free of cost for all the students. The government also gives stipend to poor schoolchildren including both girls and boys. However, for grade 6-10 only girls are given stipend as the dropout rate of girls is much higher after grade 5.

There are also provisions for certain schools to attain gender parity.

According to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, the total number of the primary-level educational institutions in the country is about 81,000, among which 46.2 percent are government schools, 24.7 percent are Registered Non-Government Primary School(RNGPS) and 19 percent are religion schools.

For private-initiated RNGPS, the government extends 85-95 percent salary support to the teachers there. However, they must attain the gender parity with number of girl students accounting for 50 percent.

Besides, to eliminate gender disparity and ensure wide participation of women in development activities, 60 percent of new teachers post have been reserved for female teachers. As a result, the percentage of female teachers in the government primary schools has already reached 50.2 percent.

Massive social mobilization programs, including some initiated by teachers' associations, have been undertaken to encourage guardians to send the girl child to schools.

Meanwhile, when enrolling the student, the names of both the mother and the father are registered. For payment of stipend money to the students, the bank account has to be opened in the mother's name.

"These steps have contributed to the increase of the girl enrollment and the attainment of gender parity," Musharraf said.

"Girls' education has very positive impacts. For example, an increase in the education of girls decreases the rate of early marriage," he said.

BANGLADESH: Battling the effects of climate change

Bangladesh urgently needs support in developing a climate-resilient agriculture if its people are to survive and prosper in the long term, according to some experts.

Climate change is affecting the country in many ways. For instance, rising sea levels are causing some agricultural land in coastal areas to become more saline, reducing both the quality and quantity of the produce available.

In southern districts where land is only centimetres higher than the brackish estuarine water, large swathes of agricultural land are becoming arid: Crop yields are shrinking as a result of increased salinity due to rising water levels in the Bay of Bengal.

Agronomists and agricultural experts now worry that creeping salinity will engulf more and more land in the low-lying nation.

"The impact of climate change on agriculture is undeniable and will most certainly worsen if governments and donors fail to take appropriate steps right now," Ghulam Mohammad Panaullah, former research director of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), warned.

In coastal areas, cocoa nut and betel nut trees do not yield half of what they did two decades ago, while banana groves are dying out in their hundreds, Panaullah told IRIN.

At the same time, vegetables sold in the urban markets of Dhaka, Khulna and Rajshai are deemed tasteless and fetch low prices compared to produce from salt-free regions.

Climate-resilient agriculture

In a country where almost 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas, this is bad news.

According to the World Bank, Bangladesh's agriculture sector accounts for about 22 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), with another 33 percent of GDP is derived from the rural non-farm economy, which is also linked to agriculture. Around 54 percent of the rural population is employed in agriculture.

Bangladesh needs support for climate-resilient agriculture, ActionAid said in a report at the UN climate change summit in Poznan, Poland, which ended on 12 December.

Citing an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report which said South Asia might experience a 30 percent drop in agricultural production by 2050, ActionAid said the slide was already evident.

Food price volatility, which could be compounded by increasing climate change variability, is likely to be a serious problem for the foreseeable future, according to ActionAid.

The report said support for sustainable climate-resilient agriculture was key to enabling farmers to increase food security and adapt.

Photo: Shamsuddin Ahmed/IRIN
The Teesta river continues to erode its southern bank in the northwestern region of Bangladesh. Bangladesh tops the Global Climate Risk Index 2009
New techniques

Meanwhile, in an effort to address this, farmers have taken to raising their vegetable beds, maintaining the soil's moisture by covering the seed beds (and the manure around plants) with straw and leaves to prevent excessive evaporation and erosion, and increasing the amount of organic material in the soil.

Others are modifying their cropping patterns altogether, the report said.

"Bangladesh is one of the worst affected among countries that are facing the early impacts of climate change," said A.K.M. Rezaul Kabir, secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

In 2005 the government prepared a National Action Plan on Adaptation (NAPA) identifying 15 projects that needed to be undertaken, but "unfortunately three years have already passed and we have only just started implementing the first project," the official said.

Climate risk index

Bangladesh tops the Global Climate Risk Index 2009, followed by North Korea and Nicaragua.

Launched at the UN climate change conference in Poznan on 4 December, the index lists 170 countries and was drawn up by international NGO Germanwatch.

Natural calamities in Bangladesh led to the deaths of 4,729 people last year, and the average loss of property in Bangladesh due to natural disasters was over US$4 billion per year, the NGO said.

These changes are already having major impacts on the economy and on the lives and livelihoods of millions of poor people, according to a World Bank report.

It said predicted rainfall increase, particularly during the summer monsoon, could increase flooding in more vulnerable areas in Bangladesh.

In the longer term, global warming could lead to the disappearance of many glaciers that feed many rivers in South Asia, the report said.

"If that happens, green Bangladesh would turn into a grey desert and most people would die of starvation," predicted Mosharraf Hossain, a former parliamentarian from the coastal district of Laxmipur.

Bangladesh protests Indian ship crossing into its waters

Bangladesh Friday asked India to postpone a deep sea survey in its waters until a wartime maritime boundary between the neighbouring countries is settled by mutual agreement."Bangladesh is lodging a formal protest with the India government about activities of a survey ship in its (Bangladesh) waters," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

He said the Indian ship was seen surveying in the deep sea block 14 at the maritime area claimed by Bangladesh on terms of Territorial Water and Maritime Zones Act, 1974.

The ministry said the navy vessel that located the India ship during patrol asked them to leave Bangladeshi waters. The ship initially moved towards the Indian waters but came back to its earlier location Dec 25.

When Bangladesh navy asked for the second time to leave its maritime waters, the ship claimed that it was in the Indian waters.

Meanwhile, a navy officer requesting anonymity said that despite protest, the three survey ships, one belonging to India and two from Bahamas, continued their exploratory activities till Friday evening.

The officer said two more Bangladeshi naval ships were sent to the area to back up their patrol ship.

Bangladesh Nov remittances up 24 pct on year

Money sent home by Bangladeshis working overseas in November rose 24 percent to $767.35 million from a year earlier, the central bank said on Thursday.

In July-November, the first five months of the 2008/09 financial year, remittances from more than 5 million expatriate Bangladeshis totalled $3.75 billion, around 34 percent higher than the same period of 2007/08.

The central bank expects remittances to touch an annual $10 billion in the current financial year.

Analysts have expected the inflow of remittances to slowdown as the global credit crisis and recession in the developed world put jobs at risk.

However, the central bank said the remittances would be affected only if instability in financial markets persists for long.

The expat incomes, a key source of foreign exchange for the impoverished south Asian country, hit a record $7.91 billion in the 2007/08 financial year that ended in June, nearly a third higher than the previous fiscal year.

The bulk of remittances for the majority-Muslim Bangladesh come from Middle-Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, followed by the United States and United Kingdom.

Strong remittances also helped offset the impact of the trade shortfall and kept the overall balance of payments in surplus.

Remittances are Bangladesh's second-biggest source of foreign income after ready-made garments, which earned $10.7 billion in the 2007/08 fiscal year.

Bangladesh To Export 12 Ships To Europe By 2011

Western Marine Shipyard Ltd. (WMSL), a local shipbuilding company, will export 12 ships, weighing 5,200 tonnes each, by 2011 to Germany, Holland and Denmark, the Bangladesh's news agency BSS reported.

Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman inaugurated building of the 12 ice class ocean-going multipurpose vessels at the WMSL yard at Shikalbaha on the south bank of the river Karnaphuli in the district.

Quoting Dr Hossain, BSS reported that the export of such a big number of ships as a milestone for the country's shipbuilding sector and said it would definitely help Bangladesh find a secure place in global ship manufacturing market.

"The sector has enormous potentials and it would contribute to making Bangladesh a middle-income country soon.

"The sector has huge potential of contributing to the economy after garment sector and shipbuilding companies should not compromise with the quality in keeping the reputation in global export market," he said after the "keel-laying ceremony that symbolizes with hitting the hammer on iron-plate on the proposed structure of a ship to start the work.

Also present were German Ambassador to Bangladesh Frank Meyke, Denmark Ambassador Bea M Ten Tusscher and Shipping Secretary ATM Mokter Hossain, Managing Director of AB Bank Ltd Kyser A Chowdhury and Managing Director of WMSL Sakhawat Hossain.

He said separate rules and regulations are needed for the shipbuilding sector.

The adviser said pledges of giving special attention by two major electoral alliances in their polls manifestos for the promotion of the sector is really encouraging.

Dr Hossain Zillur asked the commercial banks to come forward in providing soft-term loans to the entrepreneurs in the sector.

Meanwhile Danish Ambassador Bea M Ten Tusscler said Bangladesh is not only a ship breaking country but also has emerged as a strong ship manufacturing and exporting state through concerted efforts.

She urged the concerned authorities to increase the facilities for flourishing the sector and to work with dedication to uphold the image of Bangladesh in the international arena.

WMSL has already built 54 various types of vessels. Of them, 49 were supplied in the local market and the remaining are for international market.

Trade body leaders from Dhaka and Chittagong, and entrepreneurs and bankers also attended the colourful inaugural function.

The adviser went round the WMSL establishment over 20 acres of land enriched with state-of-the-art technology.

Huge new population of Irrawaddy dolphins discovered in Bangladesh

Several species of dolphin and one porpoise species have been awarded greater protection through the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS) at its 9th meeting of Parties in Rome.

The Black Sea bottlenose dolphin, the Irrawaddy dolphin and the Atlantic humpback dolphin have all been moved to CMS Appendix I, the highest level of protection awarded by the Convention for species that are endangered and require countries to take urgent action to protect them from all threats they face across their range.

2 dolphins and 1 porpoise moved to appendix 2
The Mediterranean population of Risso's dolphin and West African population of Clymene dolphin along with the North West African population of harbour porpoise have been listed on Appendix II of the Convention, which means that countries commit to cooperating to increase the conservation of the listed species.

Mark Simmonds, International Director of Science for WDCS said, "This first step is a great success for the dolphin and porpoise species. We have worked very long and hard to make sure these endangered populations receive proper protection from all the threats they face including all sources of marine pollution, bycatch, ship strikes and climate change."

"Scientists working with WDCS through the Cetacean Liaison Group developed the formal proposals that countries have considered at this meeting. The process takes a long time, and WDCS is gratified to have a positive outcome for the animals" he said, "but now we need to hear that they will benefit from these listings by hearing commitment from the countries involved to develop agreements that will mean tangible protection for the animals from all the threats the face."

Long term conservation
When species are listed on the appendices CMS requires countries where these animals live (called Range States) to commit to long term conservation measures to protect them. This is most commonly done by developing multi-country agreements.

While WDCS is celebrating the important step of listing the animals, we are concerned that countries will not take the next step in developing the agreement to put that protection into action for the Irrawaddy dolphin.

The Black Sea bottlenose dolphin and the Mediterranean population of Risso's dolphin are already covered by the CMS agreement called ACCOBAMS, and WDCS will work closely with that agreement to help them redouble their efforts to protect these animals. Similarly, the Atlantic humpback dolphin and West African population of Clymene dolphin along with the North West African population of harbour porpoise are covered by the newest CMS agreement for Western African Aquatic Mammals, and WDCS will also work hard to ensure that these species benefit from protection as well.

Huge new population of Irrawaddy dolphins discovered in Bangladesh
Irrawaddy dolphins do not have any protection agreement across any part of their range in the Indian Ocean or in South East Asia. Current population figures for the Irrawaddy dolphin are unknown, although experts believe that some of the critically endangered sub-populations might number less than 100 individuals, and in the Philippines there may be just 45 dolphins left. Accurate estimates for the numbers of marine species of the Irrawaddy dolphin are also lacking although recently a previously un-studied population in Bangladesh was discovered to have as many as 5,800 individuals.

WDCS already supports conservation and education projects with many of the most highly threatened populations of Irrawaddy dolphins in the world. Currently, we are funding projects in India and Indonesia.

"All this work will amount to nothing if countries don't take the next important step and commit to reducing the threats that these animals face and by protecting the habitat they need to survive. We hope that they will not turn from this responsibly this week, and that they will agree to start the negotiations of these important agreements in South East Asia and the Indian Ocean. The Irrawaddy dolphin needs their commitment." said Mark Simmonds.

Burma navy can't compete with Bangladesh's

A Burmese military analyst said Burma's navy could not compete with Bangladesh's if the two countries come to blow over ongoing maritime boundary dispute in the Gulf of Bengal.

U Htay Aung from research and documentation department of Thailand-based Network for Democracy and Development said the Burmese Navy's weaponry and tactical skills are no match for those of Bangladesh.

"The Burmese government only has a few warships bought from China that break down often even during military exercises," said U Htay Aung.

"Many Burmese naval ships in Heingyi Island base were also destroyed by Cyclone Nargis," he said.

"That can also be one of the reasons why the Burmese decided to back off in the sea."

The forces of Bangladesh and Burma have gathered in striking distance at sea and land in areas between the two countries in a warlike situation amid growing tension over a disputed stretch of sea.

Ko Kyaw Myint, a leader of All Arakan Students and Youths Congress, an activist group based in Bangladesh confirmed that both sides had stepped up security in the border areas.

"[The Burmese authorities] are not allowing any water vehicle, including rice and other trade cargos, enter their territory from Bangladesh," said Ko Kyaw Mynt.

Reporting by Khin Maung Soe Min

Myanmar exits disputed waters

By Nizam Ahmed

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh kept troops on high alert along its border with Myanmar on Monday, while pulling back naval ships from the Bay of Bengal after Yangon stopped exploring for gas and oil in disputed waters, officials said.

Myanmar started the exploration early this month, despite protests by Bangladesh, in a stretch of sea both countries claim.

Bangladesh deployed naval ships to the area, reinforced troops along the 320 km (200 mile) border it shares with Myanmar, and sent a high-powered diplomatic team to Yangon to discuss the issue.

The team, headed by Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain, returned to Dhaka on Sunday, and said Myanmar had stopped exploration in the disputed waters and removed equipment.

"Myanmar has completely withdrawn equipment and ships from our water territory," Touhid told reporters.

Foreign Affairs Adviser (minister) to Bangladesh's interim government, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, earlier said a Korean company Myanmar had engaged to explore oil and gas for it had suspended its work and started withdrawing.

However, Myanmar's official media presented this as a technical move and said the South Korean company undertaking the exploration work had simply moved to another block after a successful seismic survey.

Security officials said Myanmar also built up army troops at strategic points on its side of the 320 km (200 miles) border, partly demarcated by the Naf river and shared by the two countries.

Both countries have also reinforced paramilitary border guards, officials and local villagers said.

Major-General Shakil Ahmed, chief of the Bangladesh Rifles border force (BDR) visited his troops at areas bordering Myanmar on Monday.

He asked his soldiers to keep on high alert but hoped the situation would not escalate into a military confrontation.

The BDR earlier advised people in border villages to leave their homes if the situation warranted.

Besides paramilitary guards, both sides have moved in army units, but deployed them five km (three miles) away from the border lines, to abide by international military convention.

The dispute would be a focal point of discussion when technical delegations from both sides meet in Dhaka on Nov. 16 and 17 to talk demarcation of their maritime boundary, officials said.

The two countries have been discussing this for years but without reaching an agreement.

Bangladesh knitwear exports up 12%

11 November 2008, Dhaka - Bangladesh's knitwear sector secured at least 12 per cent higher export orders in October this year over the corresponding period in 2007, according to a report in The Financial Express.

This was revealed by an analysis conducted by the research unit of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA). The unit analysed the UD (utilisation declaration) issued by the BKMEA to reach the conclusion.

"We issued UD 12 per cent higher in October over the same period in 2007, which indicates a turnaround in our sector after bad days in September," Md Fazlul Hoque, president of the BKMEA told The Financial Express.

Knitwear exporters experienced a negative growth by 10 per cent in September this year compared to the same period in 2007, the analysis said. The BKMEA chief said they got orders as usual from traditional buyers adding: "We received the usual orders from European countries, but there was a decline in orders from the US market during October."

Fazlul who heads the association of over 1300 knit factories, said Bangladesh will get increased orders from other new buyers shortly. Bangladesh generally manufactures T-shirt, Polo Shirt, pullovers, cardigan and other woollen products.

Zaid Bakht, Director, research of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) told The Financial Express that the analysis reflected the true picture of the apparel sector as we expected.

He said: "Buyers are procuring from Bangladesh due mainly to GSP facilities in the European nations, so there is unlikely to be any adverse impact on the RMG."

"Buyers have to pay 12 per cent duty if they procure apparel products from India or other countries whereas Bangladeshi products have preferential treatment in European nations," Bakht added.

He also said American buyers might reduce orders to some extent due to the slowdown in their economy.

Md Hasan Mahmud, Managing Director of Bay Cotton Excell Limited, told The Financial Express that he has adequate orders for export of knit products until May next year. "My company experienced the worst period in September, now we are in good position, but I think there is a need for further marketing to compensate for the loss due to the negative growth in September," he added.

Bangladesh'sknitwear factories exported US$ 5.532 billion in fiscal year 2007-08 against the target of $ 5.47 billion.

Source: www.thefinancialexpress-bd.info

Marriage Dowry As Major Cause Of Poverty In Bangladesh

ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2008) - More than 35 million people in Bangladesh, around a quarter of its population, face acute poverty and hunger. Dowry payments of more than 200 times the daily wage and costly medical expenses are major causes of this chronic poverty says research from the University of Bath.

Dr Peter Davis, of the Centre for Development Studies based in the University's Department of Economics & International Development, has been investigating the issues forcing families into poverty as part of a long-term study in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC), and Data Analysis and Technical Assistance Ltd., Dhaka (DATA).

The research found that those households with lower levels of education, that owned less land, had fewer assets and had many young children and elderly relatives, faced the most difficulty in escaping poverty.

The custom of paying a dowry to the future husband's family when a daughter is married is illegal in Bangladesh, but is still practised by most families living in rural areas. Payment is normally upwards from 20,000 Taka (around £190 or $313 U.S.) and since typical earnings are only 100 Taka (94 pence) per day, this can be a major contributor to poverty for many families with daughters.

Dr Davis found that medical expenses involved in the care of elderly relatives were also a common issue for families living in poverty.

"Some families face a 'double whammy', having to pay wedding expenses and dowry for their daughters at the same time in life when elderly relatives are needing more expensive medical care," said Dr Davis, who spent several months in the country training and working with researchers from DATA Bangladesh to conduct interviews with families for the study.

"Measures such as improving education, employment and health services could play a really significant role in alleviating poverty in these families.

"The government in Bangladesh has already taken positive steps in increasing the enrollment of girls in schools, which should decrease the practice of giving and demanding dowry."

The researchers surveyed 2,000 households based in 102 rural villages across Bangladesh, that were originally interviewed between eight and 14 years ago, to assess the changes in poverty and well-being that occurred over time.

They found that almost half moved out of poverty during this time, but around one fifth remained chronically poor and a small percentage fell into poverty.

Uniquely, the researchers combined household data with about 300 individual life histories to provide a deeper understanding of the causes of chronic poverty in the country, rather than purely using quantitative conventional research approaches.

Dr Davis explained: "This research is different because it is qualitative as well as quantitative, so it doesn't just measure the trends, but also finds out the stories behind the trends.

"The life histories collected for this study show that many poor people's lives improve and decline in a 'saw-tooth' pattern, where slow improvements are reversed by sharp declines caused by events such as illness, large medical expenses, wedding expenses and legal disputes.

"This contrasts with the smooth pattern of progress or decline which is often suggested by more conventional research approaches."

Dr Davis presented the findings with collaborators Agnes Quisumbing from IFPRI and Bob Baulch from the Chronic Poverty Research Centre at a workshop in August in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The workshop was chaired by the director of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies and was attended by more than 100 senior government officials, international donors and civil society representatives.

Dr Davis added: "We've had a lot of very positive feedback on the research we presented at the workshop and we are planning to hold further meetings with senior government officials and policy makers after the December elections."