News 11th April 2013

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11 April 2013

The World News Headlines This Week Japan nuclear leak fear

The operator of Japan’s crippled nuclear power plant says that it has detected a fresh leak of radioactive water from one of the facility’s storage tanks.

Tokyo Electric Power Co previously said two of seven huge underground tanks at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant had been leaking since Saturday if not earlier.

Pervez treason case delayed

Opposition activists have detonated small homemade bombs and set fire to several vehicles in capital Dhaka

Mass protests by Islamists calling for blasphemy law

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undreds of thousands of people have held protests in Bangladesh to demand that the government introduce an antiblasphemy law that would include the death penalty for bloggers who insult Islam.

Protest organisers called Saturday’s rally the “long march”, with many travelling from remote villages to the capital, Dhaka’s Motijheel area that became a sea of white skull caps and robes.

Supporters of Hefazat-eIslam, an Islamist group which draws support from tens of

thousands of religious seminaries, converged on Dhaka’s main commercial hub to protest against what they said were blasphemous writings by atheist bloggers, shouting “God is great – hang the atheist bloggers”.

“I’ve come here to fight for Islam. We won’t allow any bloggers to blaspheme our religion and our beloved Prophet

Mohammed,” said Shahidul Islam, an imam at a mosque outside Dhaka who walked 20km.

The religious group, which has the backing of country’s largest party Jamaat-e-Islami, organised the rally in support of its 13-point demand including enactment of a blasphemy law to prosecute and hang what they call atheist bloggers.

Protesters enforcing a general strike clashed with police, detonated homemade bombs and attacked vehicles

They defied a pro-government national strike by secular protesters - who staged a smaller rival protest in Dhaka - aimed at foiling the Islamists’ march.

“Around 200,000 people attended the rally,” Dhaka’s deputy police commissioner Sheikh Nazmul Alam said, while protest organisers put the number at over half a million.

A local leader of the ruling Awami League party was killed in Bhanga, a town southwest of Dhaka, when Hefazat-eIslami party supporters clashed with pro-government activists.

Al Jazeera’s correspond-

ent, who cannot be named for safety reasons, speaking from Dhaka, said that very huge crowds had gathered.

She said that while there was a lot of support for the march from the countryside where Hefazat-e-Islam is good at mobilising people from, the country is very divided.

It was the latest protest to rack Bangladesh, deepening tensions between secularists and the largest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, whose leaders are under trial for crimes committed during the country’s 1971 war of independence.

One killed as demonstrations engulf Bangladesh

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ne person has been killed and dozens injured at the start of a 36-hour strike by an opposition alliance in Bangladesh, officials have said.

A local police official said a truck driver died early on Tuesday from fatal head injuries after being hit by rocks.

The attack that killed the driver and injured several other people occurred

in Bogra district 175km north of the capital, Dhaka.

Protesters enforcing a general strike clashed with police, detonated homemade bombs and attacked vehicles in parts of Bangladesh, leaving one person dead and dozens injured, according to a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

An alliance of 18 parties were enforcing the na-

tionwide 36-hour strike that began on Tuesday to press for the release of more than 160 opposition politicians arrested in the last two weeks.

Calling a general strike is a common tactic in Bangladesh to highlight opposition demands.

The latest strike came a day after an conservative religious group enforced a shutdown on Monday to demand the government enact an anti-blas-

phemy law to try those who insult Islam and its prophet.

Bangladesh, a Muslimmajority nation, is governed by secular laws.

In the latest campaign, the country’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its 17 allies want Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to restore a constitutional provision that re-

quires a neutral caretaker administration to supervise the next general election expected in early 2014.

Hasina abolished the system in 2011 after the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional.

The 18-party alliance is also opposing trials of several opposition politicians on charges of war crimes allegedly committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.

Pakistan’s top court has granted former military leader Pervez Musharraf a breathing space in his battle against treason allegations dating back to his time in power. Judge Jawad Khawaja on Tuesday adjourned the treason hearing to April 15 to give Musharraf’s lawyers time to prepare a response, rejecting their plea to put the matter off until after the election to allow him time to campaign.

Children killed in NATO raid

At least 11 children have reportedly been killed in a NATO airstrike in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. The children were killed during a joint Afghan-NATO operation against Taliban fighters in the Shigal district of restive Kunar province bordering Pakistan late on Saturday, according to Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president.

Bomb kills five Americans

A car bomb blast in Afghanistan has killed five Americans, including three US soldiers and a young diplomat, while an American civilian died in a separate attack.

An Afghan doctor was also killed in Saturday’s attack in Zabul province.

Dozens killed in collapse

More than 60 people have been crushed to death on the outskirts of Mumbai after a building collapsed while under construction, with many victims believed to be labourers living at the site. A section of the seven-storey building in Thane, a suburb of Mumbai, collapsed late on Thursday evening before the entire structure came down.

Dutchman held for murder

Police in India have arrested a 43-year-old Dutch national, Richard De-Wit, suspected of killing a young British woman who was found dead on a houseboat in Kashmir.

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11 April 2013

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News This Week Multiple stabbings in college At least 14 people were injured in a stabbing incident Tuesday morning at Lone Star College’s CyFair campus in the Houston area. Authorities have detained one suspect at the campus in Cypress, Texas – so far the only suspect at this point, a sheriff’s spokesman told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

Serb gunman shoots 13

A gunman went on a shooting spree in the Serbian town of Velika Ivanca on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people, including a small child, according to Police Chief Milorad Veljovic.

The town lies roughly 25 miles south of the capital, Belgrade.

The man, in his 60s, entered five houses and shot six men, six women and one child dead.

EU unemployment increases

Official European Union figures show unemployment in the eurozone hit a record high of 12.0% in February, and young people are paying a particularly heavy price. The reported January rate of 11.9% was also revised up to 12.0%, meaning the continent has spent consecutive months at the new record level. Some 19 million people are out of work in the eurozone, 3.6 million of them under the age of 25.

Taliban attacked by military

A military operation against militants in Pakistan’s tribal region has left 110 militants and 23 government soldiers dead, Pakistan’s military said Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban gave a different version of events, saying five members of the Taliban-affiliated Lashkar-e-Islam militant group were killed. He did not address government casualties.

UN peacekeepers killed

At least 12 people – five United Nations peacekeepers, two UN staff members and five civilian contractors – were killed Tuesday in an attack in South Sudan. The five U.N. peacekeepers were from India and were part of a convoy of 32 Indian peacekeepers that came under attack in an ambush in Jonglei, South Sudan.

China creates milk shortage Chinese families are scouring the globe for powdered baby milk, creating shortages as far afield as the UK after a series of food scares damaged confidence in local supplies.

Tower Hamlets ‘losing out’ on public health funds O

Oxfam warns on world aid

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abour Councillor Lesley Pavitt has condemned the government for actively increasing health inequalities after new figures revealed that many deprived areas will receive far less funding for public health than more affluent areas – despite higher levels of deprivation and lower life expectancy.

For example, Tower hamlets is set to receive £113 in public health grant per person.

Meanwhile in Kensington and Chelsea – where both men and women are expected to live 8.4 years longer than in Tower Hamlets – the grant is £130 per person. The money comes from the Department of Health and is for local councils to promote healthy living and prevent illness.

Despite the gains made in the last decade, there is still much more to do on public health: smoking kills 80,000 people a year, alcohol over 6,500 and around one in four adults are obese. What’s more, the evidence is clear that public health problems are closely linked to poverty. It’s known, for example, that deprived children are nearly twice as likely to be obese as the least deprived.

Local Councillor Lesley Pavitt is calling on the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to look again at the allocations and abide by

his Department’s own aim of reducing inequalities in life expectancy between areas.

Labour’s deputy spokesperson for Adults Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Lesley Pavitt, said: “People in Tower Hamlets will find it hard to believe that Kensington and Chelsea, home to some of the richest people in the country, is due to get 13% more funding per person for public health initiatives than Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived boroughs in the country.

“The evidence is clear that public health problems are closely linked to poverty, but these latest figures show that Ministers have refused to listen to the evidence and have channelled funding to councils with wealth, healthy populations at the expense of areas like ours.

“If the government is serious about reducing health inequalities rather than making them worse, Ministers must change tack and give Tower Hamlets a fair deal on public health funding.”

‘The Government [has decided] to provide lower public health funding per person in deprived areas such as Tower Hamlets’

Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, Rushanara Ali, said: “The Government has taken the decision to provide lower public health funding per person in deprived areas such as Tower Hamlets than in more affluent areas such as Kensington and Chelsea.

“This will damage the ability of local healthcare providers to meet people’s health needs in deprived areas and could further increase health inequalities.

“I raised these concerns in Parliament during the debate on the Health and Social Care Bill in 2011.

“I am appalled that the Government is taking this course of action and it shows that you cannot trust the Tories with the NHS.”

xfam is warning that international aid to poorer countries has become the latest victim of the financial crisis, which could leave hundreds of thousands of people without lifesaving food and medicines.

Despite the UK’s pledge to lead the way in meeting its aid commitments, figures from The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show that aid fell by over £5.5 billion in 2012. This represents the largest fall in aid since 1997, shattering the promises made by most rich countries to give 0.7 per cent of their national income to the poorest.

Huge cuts were made by Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, the countries most impacted by the Euro Zone crisis. Whilst aid from the USA, Germany and Japan has also been cut the UK, by contrast, has budgeted to meet the 0.7 target this year, despite having been in economic recession.

Denmark, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden continue to meet their pledge to give more than 0.7 per cent of national income in aid. This proves that keeping aid promises to poor countries is, for some, a political choice rather than a fiscal necessity.

Oxfam’s Head of Development Finance and Public Services, Emma Seery, said: “The UK government has shown it is possible to keep aid promises even in the toughest economic times.”

Biggs chosen as mayoral candidate Tower Hamlets ‘break-in’

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abour Party members have chosen London Assembly Member John Biggs to stand against incumbent Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman in next year’s elections.

The former leader of Tower Hamlets Council was chosen as Labour’s preferred candidate to stand for Mayor by local members in a vote on Saturday.

He said: “I am delighted to have been given the trust of local Labour Party members.

“Over the next 12 months in the run-up to the elections, we will work hard to unite every community across Tower Hamlets, expose the failings

John Biggs: former council leader of the current Mayor and deliver our message of hope to every voter in Tower Hamlets.”

The Assembly Member for City and East was chosen ahead of Cllr Rachael Saunders, another former leader of Tower Hamlets Council Cllr Helal Abbas, and former deputy leader of the

council Cllr Sirajul Islam.

He will now stand against incumbent Mayor Lutfur Rahman – the borough’s first directly elected Mayor - in what is expected to be a closely fought contest next year.

Mr Biggs added: “Only Labour is on the side of ordinary people in Tower Hamlets and only Labour has a credible plan to tackle the housing crisis in the borough and attract the jobs and investment we desperately need in Tower Hamlets.”

As Mr Biggs is an Assembly Member an incumbent councillor will have to take over as Labour group leader in the Tower Hamlets Council chamber.

triggers security review

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laims of an attempted break-in to Tower Hamlets Council offices containing confidential documents have triggered a security review at the town hall.

An investigation was launched after the door of the Labour group’s office was found jammed following a break-in attempt.

The security breach is alleged to have taken place on the weekend of March 9 and 10 - just days after Independent Mayor Lutfur Rahman was defeated by opposition councillors in a crucial budget vote.

Town Hall: break-in suspicion Outgoing Labour group leader Cllr Joshua Peck said similar incidents have occurred in the past.

“The council must take steps to protect councillors’ offices and make sure nobody has access who shouldn’t,” he added.

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11 April 2013

News Metropolitan wins back right to teach non-EU students

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London university which had its licence to recruit students from outside the European Union reissued this week has welcomed the “excellent news”.

London Metropolitan University was effectively banned from enrolling foreign students last August when the now defunct UK Border Agency became concerned about its systems and administration for sponsoring them.

But this week the government ruled it had made the “necessary improvements”.

The university’s vicechancellor Professor Malcolm Giles said: “This is excellent news for our students and our university, which looks forward to welcoming students from around the world who want to study at one of London’s most diverse academic institutions.

“London Met has a long history of providing education to international students and we can now continue this long-term commitment to offer them quality education. Students can have

London Metropolitan University: the government ruled it had made the ‘necessary improvements’ total confidence that our processes are stronger than ever.”

Nearly 5,000 international students have already made applications to study with London Met for September 2013 and the university will now embark on a four-month promotional tour across 17 countries.

Meanwhile, chairman of the home affairs select committee Keith Vaz criticised the Bor-

‘London Met has a long history of providing education to international students and we can now continue this long-term commitment’

der Agency’s “hasty verdict” on the university’s procedures.

He said: “Today’s decision shows that the hasty verdict by the UKBA to revoke the licence at the start of the new academic year in September, which left thousands of genuine students in limbo and at risk of deportation, was the wrong choice.

“It was poorly handled and has irreparably damaged the UK’s reputation abroad as the destination of choice for overseas students.

“While it is right to tackle bogus students, to avoid this farcical situation in future, the Home Office must take up the

Committee’s recommendation that if an institution performs poorly in an inspection they should send in a task force to improve its procedures.

“The Home Office must also be fully transparent about the number of London Met students deported or those who have left voluntarily. No doubt they will be issuing an apology to the university.”

The president of the National Union of Students also welcomed the decision, but said the Home Office had damaged the reputation of UK universities.

Liam Burns said: “It is welcome news that students

have greater stability and security now London Met is back on the road to regaining its HTS licence, and that existing students can finally have confidence that they can continue their studies at a university with a licence.

“We do however have some pressing concerns about restrictions on numbers, work placements, and re-sits in this transitional year and will be urgentlyseekingfurtherclarification.

“NUS made the unprecedented move to stage an intervention in the court case between London Met and the Home Office last autumn in order to protect and defend international students, and in the process we have taught the government to think twice before again making such heavy handed decisions.

“This whole saga has shown why the Home Office urgently needs to take responsibility for the damage it has caused to the reputation of the UK’s world class education system and change the way it treats international students to ensure full and proper protection for those studying in this country.”

“It is deeply problematic for immigration policy to interfere with teaching and learning, both of which should be firmly in the hands of students and educators.”

Welfare reforms ‘hit poorest, vulnerable’ Electoral Commission saves

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housands of East London’s “poorest and most vulnerable” families are expected to be hit by changes to the welfare benefits system.

The government’s reforms came into force this month, and are expected to affect as many as 10,000 households in Newham and Tower Hamlets.

The two councils estimate up to 4,000 households are to be affected new caps in housing benefit.

A further 4,500 could be hit by the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ which means working age social housing tenants lose up to a quarter of their housing benefit if officials decide they have

more bedrooms than necessary.

Benefits help lines and workshops are available in Tower Hamlets to help people understand the impact of changes, while tenants in Newham have been invited to raise concerns with the council.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman said: “The unprecedented changes to welfare support, social housing reform and government cuts to services will affect our poorest families and vulnerable households most. Many could be pushed further into poverty.”

Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, attacked the bedroom tax: “La-

bour supports sensible welfare reform but the Bedroom Tax is far from that – it is unfair and won’t work. David Cameron’s Bedroom Tax will hammer families who are struggling to make ends meet, and could actually risk costing local tax-payers a fortune in higher private rents and covering the cost of driving people out of their homes.

“Two thirds of the households hit are home to someone with a disability, and the families of soldiers and foster parents will also be hit. Yet at the same time millionaires are getting a massive tax cut.

This is a deeply unfair policy.”

Banglatown ward name

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he independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England has kept the Banglatown name after much controversy over its possible deletion.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman said, “I’m delighted that the Commission has seen sense and rejected these divisive proposals and reinstated Banglatown on the electoral map.

“I’m proud to have led a campaign that has seen local people standing together to defend the modern inclusive borough that we take pride in.

I’m grateful to everyone who

Mayor Lutfur Rahman: ‘pleased’ has supported us. This is truly a victory for community spirit.”

“I am equally pleased that the historic contribution of East End and Labour movement icon, George Lansbury, has been reinstated along with St Dunstan’s – a name that means so much to Stepney residents.’’

This Week Thatcher funeral planned

The funeral of Baroness Thatcher will take place on Wednesday, 17 April, Downing Street has announced.

The 87-year-old former prime minister died on Monday, after suffering a series of strokes.

The funeral ceremony, with full military honours, will take place at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, following a procession from Westminster.

HBOS chief loses knighthood

Former HBOS chief executive Sir James Crosby has asked for his knighthood to be removed.

He will also forgo 30% of his £580,000-a-year pension following last week’s critical report into the bank’s collapse during the financial crisis. Sir James served as chief executive at HBOS between 2001 and 2006.

Measles epidemic hits 620

The number of cases in the Swansea measles epidemic has reached 620, with health officials warning there is no sign of the outbreak coming to an end.

The latest figure is an increase of 32 on Friday, with around 15 to 20 new cases being confirmed every day. Public Health Wales said there had been an excellent response to drop-in vaccination clinics last weekend.

Earthquake in Iran kills 37

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 37 people and injured 850 in south-west Iran, officials say. Rescue teams have been sent to the affected area, but darkness is hampering rescue operations. The quake struck 90km (60 miles) south of the country’s only nuclear power station in Bushehr, the US Geological Survey says.

Mother and son murdered

A mother, aged 41, and her six-year-old son have been stabbed to death in Lancashire, police said. Police found the boy in the front bedroom of a house in Lowlands Road, Bolton-le-Sands, five miles north of Lancaster, at about 11:40 BST. A man, 34, believed to be the child’s father, was found with stab wounds, airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital and arrested on suspicion of murder.

Mastercard probed on fees

Mastercard is being investigated by the European Commission over fees charged for card transactions made by people visiting Europe.

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11 April 2013

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Features United restarts Dhaka flight

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nited Airways will restart flying on Dhaka-Barisal route from 25th April 2013 to carry passengers from Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport, Dhaka.

United Airways, the first ever public limited company in aviation sector of Bangladesh, is now operating more international routes from Dhaka to Jeddah, Dubai, Muscat, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Kathmandu and Kolkata and also from Chittagong to Muscat and Kolkata. The airline is operating flights to all major domestic sectors from Dhaka. Last 6 years united operates 36000 flights.

The one way special fare for Dhaka-Barisal is starting from Tk. 3000 and return fare is Tk. 6000 (inclusive of all taxes). Initially, weekly two flights from Dhaka to Barisal will be operating on Thursday and Sunday.

It has also plan to operate Dhaka to Singapore, Yangon, Doha, Dammam, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Karachi shortly.

Now United Airways (BD) Ltd. has total 9 aircraft which are 37 seater two Dash-8-100, 66 seater two ATR-72, 170 seater three MD-83 and 250 seater two Airbus-310 aircraft. It also join another 170 seater MD83 and 66 seater ATR-72 aircraft with in short time.

On 10 July 2007, United Airways first took to the skies with a slogan “Fly Your Own Airline” and has been providing committed services ever since.

Since its inception, United received positive market response and presently holds a major share of the domestic, regional and international market.

In a span of just six years of operation, United Airways has established its brand reputation for its maintenance of schedule, service and safety with the employment of latest technologies.

Islamists demand blasphemy law Mass demonstrations taking place in Bangladesh, with Islamist protesters demanding Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government introduce a blasphemy law to protect Islam against what they see as insults from atheist bloggers

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ock-throwing protesters enforcing a general strike on Tuesday, clashed with police, detonated home-made bombs and attacked vehicles in parts of Bangladesh, leaving one person dead and dozens injured.

A local police official said a truck driver died early Tuesday from fatal head injuries after being hit by rocks. The attack that killed the driver and injured several other people occurred in Bogra district 175 kilometers (110 miles) north of the capital, Dhaka. The police official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly.

An alliance of 18 parties were enforcing the nationwide 36hour strike that began on Tuesday to press for the release of more than 160 opposition politicians arrested in the last two weeks.

Dozens of small bombs mostly explosives in tin pots went off in parts of Dhaka, where protesters clashed with police firing tear gas, private television stations Somoy TV and Ekattar TV reported. At least 25 people were injured, said the reports.

Calling a general strike is a common tactic in Bangladesh to highlight opposition demands, and the latest strike came a day after a hardline Islamic group enforced a shutdown on Monday to demand that the government enact an anti-blasphemy law to try those who insult Islam and its prophet.

Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation, is governed by secular liberal laws. In the latest campaign, the country’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its 17 allies want Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to restore a constitutional

‘This country is a secular democracy. So each and every religion has the right to practice their religion freely and fair. But it is not fair to hurt anybody’s religious feeling. Always we try to protect every religious sentiment’

provision that requires a neutral caretaker administration to supervise the next general election expected in early 2014.

Hasina abolished the system in 2011 after the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional.

The 18-party alliance is also opposing trials of several opposition politicians on charges of war crimes allegedly committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. Most of the 12 suspects belong to Jamaat-eIslami, an ally of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party headed by ex-premier Khaleda Zia. Bangladesh has been hit by a series of general strikes since Feb. 28 when the war crimes tribunal convicted a senior Jamaat leader, Delwar Hossain Saydee, of charges of rape and mass murder and sentenced him to death.

Violence triggered by the sentence left about 70 people dead and hundreds injured across Bangladesh. Bangladesh has a history of political violence. The South Asian nation has witnessed two presidents slain and 19 failed coup attempts since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina has firmly rejected demands

by Islamists for a new anti-blasphemy law to punish those who defame Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

In a BBC interview, she said existing laws were sufficient to punish anyone who attempted to insult religion.

Her comments came just days after hundreds of thousands of supporters of an umbrella organisation of Islamists held a massive rally in Dhaka. The marchers called for the death penalty for those guilty of blasphemy.

Ms Hasina said: “They have demanded it. Actually, we don’t have any plan to [bring in the law]. We don’t need it. They should know that existing laws are enough.

“This country is a secular democracy. So each and every religion has the right to practice their religion freely and fair. But it is not fair to hurt anybody’s religious feeling. Always we try to protect every religious sentiment.”

The Islamists have given a three-week ultimatum to the government to meet their demands, including tough punishment to those who they describe as atheist bloggers, who are also accused of making derogatory comments against Islam.

“We will go through all the demands and then we will see. If there is any reasonable one, we will fulfil. If it is not reasonable or not suitable for our country or society we will not accept it,” the prime minister said.

She also defended her government’s decision to arrest four bloggers last week on suspicion of harming religious sentiment through their work. The arrests prompted eight blog operators to black out their websites, with liberals accusing the government of yielding to Islamist pressure.

But the prime minister dismissed those accusations. “No, [it’s] not that. If anybody tried to hurt any sentiments of any religion or any religious leader, there is a law. We can take any action.”

Bangladesh has been rocked by a series of protests by opposition parties in recent weeks.

The Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party, has been holding demonstrations demanding the immediate release of its leaders, who are facing war crimes charges. Two of its senior leaders have already been convicted by a special tribunal.

Seven more are still facing the trial.

More than 80 people have been killed in clashes in the last few months, most of them shot by police. Human rights groups have accused the security forces of using excessive force to control the riots.

Ms Hasina defended the police action. “Security forces are law enforcing agencies, they have to protect people and people’s property. You know many police officers were killed… If police are under attack, what will they do?” she said.

The prime minister also rejected calls by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to restore a neutral interim caretaker administration to oversee parliamentary polls.

The BNP has said it will not take part in any election held under the incumbent government because it says the polls will not be free or fair. “If they don’t participate in the election, as a political party they will lose their seats,” Ms Hasina said.

With increasing political violence and instability, there is apprehension that the government might declare a state of emergency to bring the situation under control. But the prime minister firmly dismissed those fears, saying the government had no plans to impose emergency rule.

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10 January 2013

The World News Headlines This Week Gang rape case: five in court

Walmart, the world’s largest retail company, has been found to have had ties to a garment factory in Bangladesh where 112 workers were trapped and killed in a fire in late November 2012. The company, which buys $1 billion in garments from Bangladesh each year, initially tried to deny any connection

Mayor fires off angry letter over Banglatown

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ayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman has published a letter clamming planned changes to the borough’s electoral wards following the conclusion of a public consultation.

In the strongly-worded letter, Mr Rahman called on the Local Government Boundary Commission to scrap its plans to re-name wards after the tumultuous consultation period came to an end on Monday.

Mr Rahman’s detailed his response to the plans, writing that he objected in the “strongest possible terms” to the pro-

posals to scrap ‘Banglatown’, the removal of ‘St Dunstan’s’ from the Stepney Wards, and the re-naming of East India and Lansbury as Poplar North.

Referring to the move to drop the name ‘Banglatown’ from the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward, he wrote: “I struggle to comprehend why any individual or political entity would regard dispensing with this name as desirable, aside from as a very cynical blast on the proverbial dog whistle, aimed at attracting support from people who resent the Bangladeshi com-

‘Renaming the (Banglatown) ward as merely ‘Spitalfields’ would be a hugely reactionary, retrograde and provocative step’

Mayor Lutfur Rahman munity’s presence in t he area.

“Accordingly, renaming the ward as merely ‘Spitalfields’ would be a hugely reactionary, retro-

grade and provocative step”.

The Commission is due to publish its final recommendations in Spring this year.

Its draft proposals had also attracted criticism for removing the names of former Labour Party leader George Lansbury and former Bishop of London St Dunstan from

ward names in the borough.

Mr Rahman concluded: “I hope that you will consider my submission, as well as the views of hundreds of local residents expressed in related petitions, extremely carefully when arriving at a final decision.” eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk

Five sentenced to death for murder in Dhaka of Saudi diplomat

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special tribunal sentenced to death five Bangladeshi men for killing a Saudi diplomat in an apparent street crime earlier this year.

Initial speculation about the shooting had focused on Iran, which denied the accusations.

The suspects told investigators they were trying to rob the diplomat and shot him accidentally.

Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali, a 45-year-old official in the Saudi Embassy’s consu-

lar section, was killed near his home in Dhaka in March.

Tribunal Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain handed down the verdict Sunday, chief prosecutor Rafiqul Islam said. One of the men was tried in his absence, Islam said. He said the men can appeal the verdict.

Iran has been accused of other international attacks or attempted attacks against diplomats, including Saudis. Days after the shooting, Saudi Arabia sent investigators to assist

Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali was killed near his home in Dhaka Bangladeshi detectives. The defendants pleaded not guilty at the trial. After their arrest in July, the four men told investigators they tried to rob the

diplomat as he was going for a walk on the deserted street and shot him accidentally during a scuffle.

Police said the men were ar-

rested after a revolver and a car used in the killing were found in their possession.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh enjoys good relations with Saudi Arabia, which is a top destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

Relations between the countries were tested in October last year, when Saudi Arabia beheaded eight Bangladeshi workers who were found guilty of robbing and killing an Egyptian.

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Five men accused of raping and murdering an Indian student were read the charges in a nearempty courtroom on Monday after the judge cleared out lawyers for bickering over whether the men deserved a defence.

The 23-year-old physiotherapy student died two weeks after being gang-raped and beaten on a moving bus in New Delhi, then thrown bleeding onto the street.

Protests followed, along with a fierce public debate over police failure to stem rampant violence against women. With popular anger simmering against the five men and a teenager accused in the case, most lawyers in the district where the trial will be held refuse to represent them.

British soldier shot dead

A British soldier serving with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan has been shot dead by a man in an Afghan army uniform, according to the US-led military coalition. In a statement released on Tuesday, ISAF said that the incident, which took place in southern Afghanistan on Monday, was “under investigation”.

“The British soldier was killed when a suspected Afghan soldier opened fire first at Afghan troops and then at British soldiers,” said Major Martyn Crighton, an ISAF spokesman. “In the subsequent engagement, the attacker was killed by British troops.”

Many killed in drone attack

At least eight people have been killed in two suspected US drone attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal areas, security officials say.Both attacks took place in the Mir Ali area of the North Waziristan tribal district in the early hours of Tuesday. In Khiderkhel, eight missiles were fired at a compound, killing at least four people, security sources told Al Jazeera. In Essakhel, meanwhile, two missiles were fired, killing at least three people.

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Messi named world’s best

Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi has been named world footballer of the year for the fourth time in a row, marking another unprecedented achievement. He pipped Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo to the title.

No other male footballer has been named the best on the planet in four separate years, let alone four in succession.

Curry claims anger industry The Bangladeshi Caterers’ Association is calling for tougher food safety controls and has condemned what it sees as ‘sensationalist reporting’ in some media, particularly the Daily Mirror, which claimed that some curries could contain dog or cat meat

T

he Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA) this week called for further tests, tougher punishments and better enforcement to regulate the Curry Industry. At the same time, it is asking the media not to sensationalise reporting just to sell newspapers at the expense of the Curry Sector, which contributes almost £4 billion to the UK economy.

Representing over 12,000 British-Bangladeshi restaurants across the UK, the BCA wishes to respond to recent media headlines following the horsemeat scandal.

On 28 March 2013, the Daily Mirror published a story, “Dog or Cat in our Curry.” This resulted in serious damage to the Curry Sector at a time where the Industry is already under severe economic pressures.

The Mirror article follows findings from a BBC documentary, “The Horsemeat Banquet” where, as part of a special investigation, an Indian lamb curry was bought from an unnamed Indian take-away, only to find it contained no lamb. Neither did it contain, chicken, beef, goat or pork meat. However, as the meat source was not confirmed, the BCA feels that, as we do not know what the meat is, to suggest is was cat or dog was highly irresponsible and misleading. Of course it is totally unacceptable for a takeaway to sell anything other than what it is supposed to be, but reporting in this way simply damages the thousands of BCA members who work tirelessly to maintain high standards and service to its customers.

If an eatery is selling meat other than what they are sup-

‘We set the highest standards within our industry, and we call upon the Food Standards Agency to work with us to ensure both restaurants and suppliers are meeting food safety and hygiene requirements’ Pasha Khandakar, BCA president

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11 April 2013

Features posed to, we need to identify whether it is a problem with the individual eatery, or a problem with the supplier, and then make judgments accordingly and proportionately.

BCA President, Pasha Khandaker, said: “We set the highest standards within our industry, and we call upon the Food Standards Agency to work with us to ensure both restaurants and suppliers are meeting food safety and hygiene requirements. We want to see tougher punishments for anyone involved in breaking food safety laws. We also need improvements in enforcement. The BCA will also conduct its own independent research and inquiry amongst our members – following on from the BBC programme – as we take this issue extremely seriously.”

BCA Secretary General, M. A. Mumin added: “We have already been shocked as a nation, by the horsemeat scandal.

The BCA wants to introduce a safe list of suppliers that comply with strict standards. We are going to explore the possibility of implementing new quality assurance tests for the meat we purchase from our suppliers.”

The BCA is the umbrella organisation of approximately 12,000 British-Bangladeshi restaurants across the UK. It was established in 1960 to represent the Catering Industry run by the ethnic Bangladeshis. At present, the industry employs more than 90,000 people, mostly Bangladeshi origin, with an estimated yearly turnover of £3.5 billion. BCA organises various activities to promote Bangladeshi cuisine in Great Britain as well as in Europe.

Over the years BCA has established itself as the Pride of Bangladeshi Community through its relentless efforts in the interest of our community. With the passage of time, BCA is now generating huge business potentials for any suppliers, be it small cash & Carry or a giant business industry like Cobra or Coca-Cola.

The BCA is a democratically run organisation with a new executive committee taking control every 2 years. The present NEC was elected to office last December. The NEC is the highest forum within the BCA and three key personnel, viz, President, Secretary General and the Chief Treasurer run the day-to-day activities with all activities being scrutinised and passed at the following NEC meeting.

The BCA has been representing the Bangladeshi curry industry for the last 47 years. The Association exists to ensure that the views of the Bangladeshi Curry industry are represented in a forceful, coherent and coordinated way to government and policy makers in the UK and internationally. As the national trade association for Bangladeshi caterers, our primary role is to lobby government across the UK, representing the views of the curry industry.

We exist to make your views known to all those who affect your livelihood and future – Governments in Westminster and in Dhaka, British and Bangladesh Parliaments, local councils and international bodies like the European Commission – where a lone voice is seldom effective. Members of Parliament and civil servants increasingly look to the Association as the authoritative voice of our industry. The BCA is run on a not-forprofit basis with a team led by an elected President. A National Executive Committee governs it.

The BCA counts among its achievements: l The creation of a Bengali diaspora in the UK l Before 1960, the numbers of Bengalis in the UK were few hundreds l Soon after its inception in 1960, BCA successfully lobbied and arranged an exodus of Bengalis in Britain through popularly known “Queen’s Voucher”. l This exodus helped mushrooming catering industry in across the UK. l In the late 1990s BCA again successfully lobbied for SBS scheme visas, which saw few thousand Bangladeshis coming to UK on work permit l Protecting your business l Ensured the recognition of our business as curry industry to the policy makers. l Opposed Governments acts and regulations that might have adverse effect on our industry. l Protected members’ interests on Government business classification. l Fought increased visa fees. l Battled Government policy violations.

Clegg: ‘discriminatory’

Clegg criticised for curry bond

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ick Clegg’s plans to require overseas visitors from certain countries to pay “security bonds” of at least £1,000 were widely attacked tonight for being “discriminatory”.

The Deputy Prime Minister also toughened the Liberal Democrat message on immigration by announcing the party was dropping its policy commitment to offer an amnesty to foreign nationals who had been living illegally in Britain for ten years.

Under Mr Clegg’s proposals, visitors would have to put up a bond which would be forfeited if they failed to leave the country when they promised. The UK Border Agency has yet to draw up a list of which “high-risk” countries to which it would apply, but it is likely to include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and African nations.

Mr Clegg said the idea appealed to him and the Government planned to run a pilot into the scheme this year.

But Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, was scathing about the likelihood of the scheme getting off the ground, denouncing it as “unworkable, impractical and discriminatory”.

As a Foreign Office minister under Tony Blair, Mr Vaz rejected the scheme when it was examined by the last Government.

He told The Independent: “You have to decide which countries it applies to. If you do this worldwide, other countries will retaliate and ask UK citizens to pay bonds. If you choose your countries, you have got to have good reasons for that … if as suggested it would apply predominantly to south Asian countries, then that is discriminatory.”

He contrasted the cost of bonds with the £18,000 cost of removing illegal immigrants.