Dhaka to deal firmly with disturbances

Dhaka: Bangladesh's new government has sent out clear signals that it will not be found wanting when it comes to dealing firmly with law and order problems with the very first Cabinet meeting issuing directions to intensify an anti-terror vigil.

"We have reviewed the overall law and order situation in the country and asked law enforcement and intelligence agencies to remain vigilant," Commerce Minister Faruk Khan told reporters Wednesday after a two-hour-long cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina.

Khan said the cabinet had taken note of certain incidents of violence after last week's general elections and asked concerned agencies to "maintain peace and stability at any cost".

The 32-member cabinet met a day after Hasina's Awami League government was ceremonially installed and the ministers joined their offices with promises to fulfil their electoral pledges.

Order to rein in prices

Khan said the meeting decided to lower the price of diesel used for irrigation and increase subsidies for fertilisers primarily to bring relief to the farming community.

Also, Hasina directed the ministers concerned to take immediate measures to bring prices of everyday essentials within the reach of consumers, he said.

He said directives were issued to reinstate the system of fertiliser distribution of the previous Awami League regime between 1996 and 2001, when an open market system that relied on dealers was in place.

When the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) under Khalida Zia subsequently formed a four-party government, the system was scrapped.

"The meeting also decided to extend all privileges of a minister to the former chief adviser [of the interim government] Dr Fakhruddin Ahmad for a year, including security, healthcare and accommodation," Khan said. Ahmad's interim government was installed with military support after the January 11, 2007 proclamation of the state of emergency.

Khalida party rethinks agenda

Dhaka: Lawmakers of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former prime minister Khalida Zia are set to participate in parliament proceedings after having initially rejected the polls results, political sources and reports said yesterday.

"We have decided to take oath at the beginning of the first session of the new parliament," senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury told newsmen after a two-hour meeting of the BNP's parliamentary party chaired by Khalida late on Wednesday.

"We will join the first session of the parliament for the sake of democracy, [in] the country's interest, and to continue the democratic process."

The Daily Star newspaper, quoting party sources, said BNP lawmakers-elect could turn up for the first day's proceedings of the ninth parliament once the election of the new speaker was completed.

Chowdhury also called on the government to create the necessary environment to facilitate a proper role for the opposition in the house, adding: "we hope that our Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina will continue to exhibit the same kind of tolerance that she did in her post-election media conference."

"We are pledging that we will do whatever necessary to keep the government accountable to the parliament."

Reconciliatory tone

BNP won 29 of the 300 seats in the December 29, 2008 election, including three won by Khalida, of which she must give up two for by-election.

The BNP initially rejected the poll results that gave the Awami League-led grand alliance a three-fourths majority, alleging "massive rigging" but gradually came around to accept defeat and agreed to cooperate with the government.

Prime Minister Hasina, in her first press conference after the polls, sought Zia's cooperation and promised to "uphold opposition dignity in the house" and not to regard them in terms of their "number in parliament".