The week that was

Visitors look at the little magazines displayed at an exhibition arranged at the National Little Magazine Festival 2009 organised by Chittagong Little Magazine Library and Research Centre at Theatre Institute Chittagong (TIC) on Friday. Star Photo

Friendly ties with neighbours stressed
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said the government will take decision on different issues like Asian Highway and others upholding the independence and sovereignty of the country.
She said the present government believes in friendship to all and wants to maintain brotherly relations with the neighbouring countries as well as with the international community.
She was addressing as the chief guest a seminar on "Regional cooperation: Development of Bangladesh" held at the Bijoy Mancha of the on occasion of Bijoy Mela (Victory Fair) on Sunday.
Vice Chancellor of Premier University Dr Anupam presided over the seminar where Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Prof Dr Jyotiprakash Dutta and Prof Helal Uddin Nizami were the panel speakers.
Major (Retd) Emdadul Islam presented the key-note paper at the seminar.
The FM blamed the poor foreign policy of the previous BNP-led four-party government for tarnishing image of the country before the international community.
She blamed BNP for the communal politics in the name of anti-India stance. She said the anti-India politics is no more popular among the young generation.
Speakers at the seminar emphasised solving the unsettled issues through maintaining a good relation with all the neighbouring countries.
'No mockery of trial of war criminals acceptable'
Renowned writer and Shaheed Jaya (wife of a martyred) Begum Mushtari Shafi warned the government that people would not tolerate any mockery in the name of trial of war criminals and collaborators of the War of Liberation in 1971.
She demanded identifying the war criminals and collaborators, including the top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, bringing them to book.
She was speaking as the chief guest at a rally on the occasion of Victory Day celebration at Fateyabad Pally Sangathan Samity Ground in Hathazari upazila on Friday.
Prof Dr Touhid Hossain was the main speaker at the rally while Hathazari Press Club President Keshob Kumar Barua, Shimul Mohajan, Kalyan Pal, Hasanuzzaman Bachchu and Bikash Nandi spoke.
Mustari Shafi said Awami League has come to power this time with a pledge of trying war criminals but has not taken any initiative in this regard during its previous term from 1996 to 2001.
She also demanded measures to preserve all the mass graves across the country.
Later, Tijak Nattya Gosthy staged a drama and Proma Abrity Sangathan performed recitation at a cultural programme.

Massive afforestation emphasised
A daylong workshop on technologies of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) was held at Patiya Upazila Parishad auditorium on Sunday.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Abul Hossain was the chief guest at the workshop while Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Enayet-E-Rabbi was the special guest.
Abul in his speech emphasised the need for massive afforestation to combat natural disasters and save the environment. He hoped that BFRI-invented technologies would play a vital role in saving the environment.
BFRI Chief Research Officer Dr Mohammad Wahed Box in his presidential speech said the institute is carrying out research for proper use and protection of the forest. It invented around 40 environment-friendly and cheap technologies and 20 of them are being used at field level, Wahed said.
BFRI Divisional Officer Dr Daisy Biswas, Rafiqul Islam and Senior Research Officer Mohammad Jahangir Alam put up different aspects of forest and forest resources related technologies.
Officials of upazila administration, agriculture extension department, forest department, NGO representatives, nursery owners and teachers participated in the workshop.

Fair for people with disabilities
The 'Third Chittagong Divisional Disables' Fair'09' was held in the port city on Saturday.
Chittagong Disables' Society and the Fair Observance Committee jointly organised the fair at Chittagong District Shilpakala Academy auditorium.
Lawmaker Chemon Ara Tayab was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony with fair committee convener Saroj Kanti Das in the chair.
Chemon Ara in her speech said the fair would accelerate the process for attaching the people with disabilities with the mainstream of national development.
Chittagong City Corporation Councillor Gias Uddin, USA Volunteer Dr Michel Jones and National Disabled Sports Association Chittagong Chapter President Mahfuzul Haque Chowdhury were present as the special guests in the function.
Different products made by the people with disabilities were displayed at 15 stalls in the fair where over 500 people with disabilities, their relatives, NGO representatives and government officials took part.

'Inspire children in cultural activities'
Speakers emphasised inspiring the children to participate in the cultural activities more for their sound psychological and intellectual development.
Harmonious development of the children could be hampered if they do not pass their childhood amid enjoyment, they observed.
They were addressing the inaugural ceremony of a two-day 12th fine arts exhibition and drawing competition on Thursday.
Principal of Enayet Bazar Women's College Mahmuda Khanam was the chief guest at the ceremony organised by the Sangeet Parishad on its premises.
Former Principal of Chittagong Government Fine Arts College Prof Rita Dutta, Parishad Secretary Taposh Hore also spoke.