CLAIM YOUR PRIZE, EUROMILLIONES WINNING NOTIFICATION

Your Email Address has won (€ 714.738,71 Euro)
Euro-milliones Winning Numbers: 32-33-36-40-49 Estrellas (2-8)
Contact claim agent:(Liberty Hesta & Consultant)
Name: Reyes Garcia
Tel:+34-660-234-992
Fax:+34-916-904-787
Email:claimdepartment2@ozu.es

confirmation:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4730113.stm

Regards, Juan Antonio

Management

Qin Wang
Lloyds TSB Pacific Limited
Hong Kong Branch
Fax,+:852--301-53029
www.lloydstsb.com.hk
Thank you for giving me your time. Please be patient and read my email to you.
I am a staff of Lloyds TSB Group attached in private Banking Services. I am contacting you concerning a customer and, an investment placed under our banks management 3 years ago, I contacted you independently of our investigation and no one is informed of this communication and I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you.
In 2006, the subject matter; ref: bb/tsb/bank/73 came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our Private Banking Services Department. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of 8.35 million United States Dollars, which he wished to have us turn over on his behalf. I was the officer assigned to his case.
In mid 2007, he asked that the money be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Europe . He directed that I liquidate the funds and had it deposited with a firm in Europe . I informed him that our bank would have to make special arrangements to have this done and in order not to circumvent due process, the bank would have to make a 9.5 % deduction from the funds to cater for banking and statutory charges. He complained about the charges but later came around when I explained to him the complexities of the task he was asking of us. Cash movement across borders has become especially strict since the incidents of 9/11.
He told me he wanted the money there in anticipation of his arrival from Norway later that week. This was the last communication we had, this transpired around 25th February 2007. In June last year, we got a call from the security firm informing us of the inactivity of that particular portfolio. This was an astounding position as far as I was concerned, given the fact that I managed the private banking sector I was the only one who knew about the deposit, and I could not understand why he had not come forward to claim his deposit. I made futile efforts to locate him I immediately passed the task of locating him to the internal investigations department of our bank. Four days later, information started to trickle in, that he was apparently dead.
A person who suited his description was declared dead of a heart attack in Cannes , South of France . We were soon enough able to identify the body and cause of death was confirmed. The bank immediately launched an investigation into possible surviving next of kin to alert about the situation and also to come forward to claim his estate. If you are familiar with private banking affairs, those who patronize our services usually prefer anonymity, but also some levels of detachment from conventional processes. In his bio-data form, he listed no next of kin. In the field of private banking, opening an account with us means no one will know of its existence, accounts are rarely held under a name; depositors use numbers and codes to make the accounts anonymous. This bank also gives the choice to depositors of having their mail sent to them or held at the bank itself, ensuring that there are no traces of the account and as I said, rarely do they nominate next of kin. Private bankin!
g clients apart from not nominating next of kin also usually in most cases leave wills in our care, in this case; he died in testate.
What I wish to relate to you will smack of unethical practice but I want you to understand something. There is US$ 8,370,000.00 deposited, I alone have the deposit details and they will release the deposit to no one unless I instruct them to do so. I alone know of the existence of this deposit for as far as the finance firm, the transaction with our deceased customer concluded when I sent the funds to the firm, all outstanding interactions in relation to the file are just customer services and due process. The finance firm has no single idea of what's the history or nature of the deposit. They are simply awaiting instructions to release the deposit to any party that comes forward. This is the situation. This bank has spent great amounts of money trying to track this man's family; they have investigated for months and have found no family. The investigation has come to an end. My proposal; you share similar details to the late fellow; I am prepared to place you in a position !
to instruct the finance firm to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am prepared to share the money with you in half and no more. That is: I will simply nominate you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. We share the proceeds 50/50.
I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit. But on the other hand, you with a similar name as the original depositor would easily pass as the beneficiary with the rights to claim. I assure you that I could have the deposit released to you in a few days. I will simply inform our bank of the final closing of the file relating to the customer. I will then officially communicate with the finance company and instruct them to release the deposit to you. With these two things: all is done. The alternative would be for us to have the firm direct the funds to another bank with you as account holder. This way there will be no need for you to think of receiving the money from the firm. We can fine-tune this based on our interactions. I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that yo!
u do not be vindictive or destructive. If my offer is of no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you.
I am not a criminal and what I do; I do not find against good conscience, this may be hard for you to understand. I am a family man and this is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities. There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth undertaking. I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is from you refusing to work with me and alerting my bank. I am the only one who knows of this situation, good fortune has blessed you with a name that has planted you into the center of relevance in my life. Let's share the blessing.
If you find yourself able to work with me, contact me through this email account qinwang200@yahoo.com.hk . If you give me positive signals, I will initiate this process towards a conclusion. I wish to inform you that should you contact me via official channels; I will deny knowing you and about this project. I repeat, I do not want you contacting me through my official phone lines nor do I want you contacting me through my official email account. Contact me only through this email address. I do not want any direct link between you and me. My official lines are not secure lines as they are periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care in line with our Total Quality Management Policy.
Please observe this instruction religiously. Please, again, note I am a family man; I happily married with two kids. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to what the consequences might be, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should plan a meeting, soon.
I await your response.
Sincerely,
Qin Wang

Bangladesh out of World T20 Mon, Jun 8th, 2009 6:17 pm BdST

Dhaka, June 8 (bdnews24.com) – Bangladesh's hopes of qualifying for the Super Eights of the ICC World Twenty20 were dashed when they suffered a six-wicket defeat to Ireland in their Group A do-or-die match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Monday. Ireland, comprising of county cricketers, reached 138-4 with 10 balls to spare after Bangladesh could manage 137-8. Ireland reached the Super Eights along with India, who will face the Irish in a group-deciding encounter on June 10. After going down to defending champions India by 25 runs in the first match, Bangladesh needed to win against Ireland, who also stunned Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. Definitely the score Bangladesh put on the board was not enough to defend and captain Mohammad Ashraful's bowling changes were also questionable as he kept spinner Abdur Razzak out of the attack until 11th over and by that time the Irish had recovered from a sluggish start to reach 70-2. Razzak was introduced in the 12th over and proved his worth removing opener William Porterfield for 23 with his second delivery, but the captain did not bother to use Razzak's fourth over. Ashraful even did not consider to use Naeem Islam, who conceded just nine runs in the two overs he bowled. Basically it was the O'Brien brothers who turned the match in Ireland's favour as one-down Niall O'Brien played a hurricane 25-ball 40-run innings, of which he smashed three sixes off Mashrafee in an over. Niall also smashed three fours in his innings. It seemed Bangladesh were in the match till the start of 15th over after Mashrafee removed Gray Wilson in 14.2 overs, and Kevin O'Brien came to the middle to change the scenario. Needing 48 runs from 34 deliveries, Kevin O'Brien smacked two sixes and four fours in his 17-ball 39-run knock to propel Ireland home with 10 balls to spare. John Mooney was not out with 17 off 14 balls. Earlier, Bangladesh recovered from a lacklustre batting display early in the innings as most of the batsmen struggled against some quality Irish bowling to finish on 137-8. It was all Ireland for 19 overs as they kept Bangladesh's run rate below six until that point. Johnston was the star bowler finishing with 3-20 off his four overs rattling the Tigers' top order. But the last over of the innings saved Bangladesh's blushes as Mashrafee Bin Mortaza hit Alex Cusack for 20 runs with two sixes, taking the score past the 135-run mark and giving them something to defend. Mortaza finished with 33 off 16 balls and was their top scorer. The batsmen apparently threw their wickets away despite having made a confident start with Junaed Siddique smashing two successive fours in the opening over from Boyd Rankin to pick up 10 runs. The left-handed opener, Bangladesh's top-scorer against India, also took on Trent Johnston to hitting the first delivery Johnston bowled for a boundary and then went for the big one down the wicket in the next delivery only to see his skier caught by Jeremy Bray, leaving the side at 15-1 in 1.2 overs. When a solid partnership was needed, captain Mohammad Ashraful also threw his wicket away after being dropped on one at first slip by Kevin O'Brien off Johnson, who finally removed the Bangladesh captain for 14 off 10 balls studded with one six and one four. Johnston was the Irish hero after having Shakib Al Hasan caught by Gray Wilson for seven and then Tamim Iqbal was unfortunately run out for 22 and Bangladesh's hopes of piling up huge total was then dashed. Mushfiqur Rahim and Roqibul Hasan made 14 and 13 respectively before Mashrafee's big hitting in the final over. bdnews24.com/ar/lg/2225 hours

Bangladesh : 115 MPs received land plots during BNP govt Mon, Jun 8th, 2009 10:14 pm BdST BDNEWS24

Dhaka, June 8 (bdnews24.com) – RAJUK allotted plots in the capital's Banani, Uttara and Purbachal residential areas to 115 MPs during the past BNP-led government, almost all going to the ruling alliance members, the state minister for housing said on Monday. The MPs included 104 of the then ruling BNP-led four-party alliance, six of the then opposition Awami League and five from Jatiya Party, Abdul Mannan Khan told parliament in reply to AL MP Muhibur Rahman Manik. . Four BNP leaders and non-MPs also received the land allocations in the 'MP category', bringing the total number of the allotted 5-katha and 10-katha plots to 119, he said Ruling AL members said Monday most of the MPs of the previous government already owned land in the capital when they received the plots from city development authority RAJUK. On their concern for now-sitting MPs who owned no land in Dhaka, Khan said plots would be allotted to those who had applied for them in the new Uttara-Purbachal development. They would be offered soon after scrutinising around 165,000 applications, he said. RAJUK's sought after plots, to be had for less than market value, are generally allotted by lottery. In reply to a supplementary query, Khan said specific allegations against illegal allotment will be looked into. On plans to resolve housing problems in the city, the minsiter mentioned "four satellite towns, including the Jhilmil project." He said the government would resolve housing problems at Upazila and district levels with multi-storied apartment buildings. Teachers went abroad, stayed abroad A total of 192 teachers public universities have remained abroad, having failed to return after their sabbaticals ended, education minister Nurul Islam Nahid told parliament in reply to a question Monday. They went to pursue education or research opportunities, and did not return home even after their work ended, he said. Of them, 100 have been terminated and due money extracted from them while steps against the 92 others are being taken under university laws, he also said. In replying to a query from Rashed Khan Menon, MP for Dhaka-10, originally from Barisal, Nahid said a public university will be instituted in the district. Steps for its establishment have already been taken, said the minsiter. In reply to another question, minister said the government plans to supply free books at secondary school level. A totoal of over 8 million schoolchildren will get books for free with this move, he said. IT villages State minister for science and technology Yafes Osman said the government will set up 'IT villages' in five divisions. Work would start this year, he said. A 'hi-tech park' is being built at Kaliakoir in Gazipur, he said.

Top army officer seeks asylum in US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(39, 85, 114); text-decoration: none; ">Bangladesh Top army officer seeks asylum in US BDNEWS24 Tue, Jun 9th, 2009 1:40 pm BdST

By Arshad Mahmud. Washington, June 9 (bdnews24.com)—A top army officer posted to the Bangladesh embassy in Washington is seeking political asylum in the United States following his recall to Bangladesh last month . Brig Gen Chowdhury Fazlul Bari, defence advisor at the embassy here, was recently recalled after serving little over a year, a person close to Bari, preferring to be unnamed, said. He relinquished his position on May 7 and has never been seen in public since then. Bari was the No. 2 at the all-powerful DGFI during the 2007-2008 military-backed caretaker government and is known to have played a key role in the arrest of several top politicians and bureaucrats. In the wake of the Awami League's return to power several top Awami leaders including Abdul Jalil and Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir demanded severe curtailing of the influence of the military's intelligence wing in the civilian administration. They alleged that they were harassed and tortured during their incarceration by the people of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence . Although not naming him directly, the politicians' wrath was particularly directed at Brig Bari. It is not clear whether Bari would be granted asylum by the United States immigration authorities. To obtain permission to stay in the United States, the asylum seeker must prove to the authorities that his life would be in danger in his native country.

Bangladesh to make new defence policy...

News Today, Bangladesh 300509

Announcing various steps for professional development of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Friday said National Defense Policy will be formulated to ensure security of the country and its people, reports BSS.
She stressed the need for self-discipline and skill development of the military in keeping with the changed milieu of the new millennium.
"Right to self-administration as per the Constitution in internal discipline, administration and management of the Armed Forces will be ensured," she said while addressing a function in observance of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.
The Prime Minister told her audience that the present government would take all necessary steps to send more peacekeepers under the UN Peacekeeping Mission to work towards building a peaceful and prosperous world.
She expressed the hope that the peacekeepers from Armed Forces and Police Department would continue to give service in building a peaceful and prosperous world by working in various departments of the United Nations and in diplomatic activities.
At the outset, one-minute silence was observed in honour of the Bangladesh peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives during their peacekeeping mission and the victims of last February''s Pilkhana carnage. The Prime Minister further said efforts of the present government would be continued to build the Armed Forces as modern, strong forces capable of facing the challenges of the 21st century.
"Quality and skills of the members of the armed forces will be enhanced," she told the function, attended by diplomats, civil and military high officials and the elite. She also reiterated Awami League''s election pledge to keep the Armed Forces above of all "controversies".
"Appointments, postings, promotions of the Armed Forces'' members will be decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, skill and seniority," said the premier, who holds the charge of the Defense Ministry.
Hasina announced that the government will take welfare projects for the members of the armed forces.
Mentioning the country''s foreign-policy motto ''Friendship to all, malice to none'', the Prime Minister said the peacekeeping activities of the Armed Forces and Police are an important tool in achieving foreign-policy adjectives.
She reaffirmed Bangladesh''s full support to the United Nations'' provision 1 of the Article 1 which has ensured "Maintaining Peace and International Security".
"Our Constitution also upholds the matter of peace, independence and establishing justice all over the world. The Constitution has inspired us in maintaining peace and participating in the disarmament activities," she said.
UN Resident Coordinator Renata Lok Dessallien, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Hasan Mahmud and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.
General Moeen in his address informed the gathering that more contingents of the peacekeepers are going to join the UN peace mission very soon.
He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for her government''s support and patronage for sending Armed Forces'' members to the peacekeeping mission.
Later, the Prime Minister inaugurated a photo exhibition highlighting Bangladesh peacekeepers'' activities.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the services of heroic army and police personnel of Bangladesh would continue in the UN peacekeeping missions and in other diplomatic endeavours to ensure a peaceful and prosperous world for the next generations, reports BSS.
"Inshallah, we will take all necessary measurers to send more army and police to the peacekeeping missions for this purpose. The present government will do its best whatever need arises for this task," she said.
Referring to the Awami League led government from 1996 to 2001, Sheikh Hasina said, "we have set up the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) at Rajendrapur so that our members of the armed forces could discharge their duties smartly."
She said Bangladesh''s peacekeepers have been earning respect and gratitude of the peoples of concerned countries, improving Dhaka''s ties with the allies of peace efforts across the globe. The rank and file of the Bangladesh army has been adjusted with the international standard to further strengthen our involvement with the UN peacekeeping missions, she also said.
Bangladesh Army joined the family of "Blue Helmet" through participation in the UNIIMOG in 1988 with 15 military observers that was followed by Bangladesh Police in 1989 and Bangladesh Navy and Air force in 1993.
Besides, Bangladesh completed 45 out of 63 peacekeeping missions participated by 81,415 peacekeepers from the country. Currently, worldwide 92,655 troops and police personnel are working on UN peacekeeping operation in 20 countries.
Of them, 9,409 peacekeepers are from Bangladesh working in 13 UN peace keeping missions, being the second largest contributing country in terms of the number of army personnel and first in terms of the number of police personnel in the UN peace keeping missions.
The Prime Minister prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyred army offices of BDR carnage and also paid her profound respect to the greatest Bangalee of all time Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under whose leadership the nation earned the LONG-AWAITED independence.
Among others, Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral ZU Ahmed, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall SM Ziaur Rahman, Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division Lt General Md Abdul Mubin, Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad were present. In 1947, the UN first used military personnel in the consular commission in Indonesia and in the special committee in the Balkan area. The first UN peacekeeping operation took place in 1956 with the UN Emergency Force in the Middle-east. Since then, many peacekeeping missions were established with Bangladesh participation since the 1980s.
The Prime Minister distributed gallantry award among the wives of those who were killed and injured in different incidents during their peacekeeping missions. A total of 91 valiant sons of the soil laid down their lives till to date for the cause of world peace.
Sheikh Hasina said, "we have also taken steps to send Integrated Brigade to the Peacekeeping Operations. On my personal initiative, recruitment of women officers in the army started for the first time during our previous tenure and many of them are still serving in the UN peacekeeping missions successfully."
She said her government in 1996-2001 also implemented vast programmes to further strengthen the armed forces and ensure their qualitative improvement. Those programmes included formation of a composite brigade, an infantry brigade in Sylhet, a special works brigade including a construction battalion, a riverine engineering battalion, a support battalion, an ordnance company and a field ambulance.
"The Trust Bank Limited was established during our previous tenure for the welfare of the armed forces personnel. We also set up important establishments for the armed forces including the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) and the Armed Forces Medical College," she said.
Sheikh Hasina also said that her government during the 1996-2001 period procured Mig-29 fighter planes, C-130- carrier planes and L-117 radar planes to modernize the country''s Air Force. These additions were the steps towards taking our Air Force at a height of firm position alike the modern Air forces of developed countries.
Modern equipment, including Frigate, have been collected to develop the Navy, the Prime Minister said adding, "I personally handed over the Khulna Shipyard to the Navy in 1999 and Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory to the Army."
Sheikh Hasina said her previous government had also taken a number of welfare-oriented programmes, including health insurance, for the members of the armed forces with giving monetary benefits like salaries and Tiffin allowance. At that time, we also took a number of steps to resolve the housing problems of the members of the armed forces, she said.
The Prime Minister said her government''s efforts would continue to build the armed forces to face the challenges of the 21st century and improve the quality and skills of the members of the armed forces personnel. "We will keep the armed forces above all controversies with a view to building it as a patriotic, brave, efficient, and invincible force," she said in the light of her pre-election pledges.
She also said that the country''s defence system would be improved for the security of the people a National Defence Policy would be formulated to accomplish the task in this regard. "Our defence and police personnel can participate more widely in the UN peacekeeping forces and make further contribution to the international peace," she said.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh constitution upholds peace, freedom and justice allover the world and also support participation in the peacekeeping operations and disarmament around the globe."

Pharma industry can match RMG in export: Salman Tue, May 19th, 2009 11:05 pm BdST Dial 2324 from your mobile for latest news

Dhaka, May 19 (bdnews24.com)—The pharmaceutical industry will match the garment industries in export earnings if the government builds an exclusive industrial zone for production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), the manufacturers said. The president of Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Industry Owners' Association, Salman F Rahman, made the observation at a meeting with industries minister Dilip Barua on Tuesday. "As a least developed country, we will get the patent facility of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) up to 2015," he pointed out. "Capitalising on the opportunity, we can set up an API industrial zone to boost our export," Rahman, who owns Beximco Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharmaceutical firms, said He said Bangladesh can manufacture medicines without patent and export them. "We have already proved the success of pharmaceutical industry and have been demanding an API industrial zone since 2002." At the meeting, the director of the project, ABM Mushfiqur Rahman, said the government had begun land acquisition in a bid to establish API industrial zone at Bousia of Gazaria under Munshiganj. He said that the plots at the industrial zone can be handed over on completion of land acquisition and development of infrastructure in a year. A total of 42 industrial parks would be constructed on around 200 acres of land at a cost of Tk 213 crore, Mushfiqur said. The project had been initiated to help pharmaceutical industry face the challenges of local and overseas market. The project also aimed to help manufacture ingredients 90 percent of which are now imported, the director said. He said that the entrepreneurs would have to pay 60 percent of the development cost during taking ownership of each plot. The industries minister said the government was overseeing the project that is going on in full swing. A committee was formed with the representatives of pharmaceutical industry and Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation to oversee the construction of the industrial park. The president of BSCIC Asraf Md Iqbal said the initiative for the construction of the park was taken in 2005. bdnews24.com/rb/of/bd/2223h.

Pakistan envoy calls on Dipu Moni, discusses bilateral issues

BSS, Dhaka



Pakistan high commissioner Alamgir Bashar Khan Babar called on Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni at the Foreign Ministry here on Tuesday morning and discussed bilateral issues.

Babar expressed his deep shock and condolences at the death of Dr Wajed Miah, internationally renowned nuclear scientist and husband of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Bilateral trade and commerce, zero-tariff for export of products from Bangladesh to Pakistan, abolition of visa system for diplomatic and official passports and information sharing for combating terrorism were discussed in the meeting, said a release issued here.

On trade and commerce, Dr Dipu Moni stressed the need for establishment of direct shipping line between Chittagong and Karachi.

In response to Foreign Minister's emphasis on people-to-people contact between Bangladesh and Pakistan, the Pak envoy informed her that 10 women entrepreneurs from Bangladesh visited Pakistan under the auspices of Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka.

During the meeting the Foreign Minister raised the issue of resolving the unsettled matters pending for last 38 years between the two countries like sharing of assets, seeking formal apologies by Pakistan for the genocide in 1971, repatriation of stranded Pakistanis.

"South Asia is an immensely potential region in the world.

There are so many commonalities among the nations of the region. But due to the unresolved issues and mistrust among us we are not being able to harness our huge potential," the Foreign Minister stated.

She said political issues have to be resolved politically.

Pak High Commissioner said pending issues could come up in the Foreign Secretary level consultation between the two countries.

The envoy sought Bangladesh's support for Pakistani candidature in various international bodies like OIC, IAEA, UNDP and UNFPA.

Bangladesh foreign minister urges Pakistan to apologies for the 1971 genocide

Published on Asian Tribune (http://www.asiantribune.com)

Bangladesh foreign minister urges Pakistan to apologies for the 1971 genocide

Created 2009-05-13 00:27

M.A. Qader-Asian Tribune Correspondent in Bangladesh

Dhaka, 13 May (Asiantribune.com): Bangladesh Foreign Foreign Minister Dipu MoniMinister Dipu Moni on Tuesday urged Pakistan to apologize for the genocide its army had committed in the Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971.

She raised issue yesterday as PakistanHhigh Commissioner in Dhaka Alamgir Bashar Khan Babar met her at the ministry. The envoy had come to hand over a message condoling the death of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's husband Dr M A Wazed Miah.

During the meeting, the foreign minister put forward the issue of resolving the unsettled matters pending for last 38 years between the two countries.

"These included sharing of assets, seeking formal apologies by Pakistan for the genocide in 1971, repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and others," the ministry said in a press statement released after the meeting.

The foreign minister also stressed that Islamabad should take millions of stranded Pakistanis back and settle disputes over sharing of resources.

The High Commissioner said the foreign secretaries would take up the issues at the meeting. However, the date of the foreign secretary-level talks is yet to be fixed.

Pakistan does not recognize the killing of three million Bangladeshis, though Its former President Gen Parvez Musharraf during his trip to Dhaka in July 2002 apologized to Bangladesh for the "developments of 1971".

Meanwhile, Dipu Moni stressed the need for launching direct shipping services between Chittagong and Karachi ports to boost the bilateral trade. The current volume of trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan is around US $600 million.

Bangladesh imports cotton, yearn, fruits and other garment raw materials from Pakistan, while it exports mainly jute and tea.

The envoy sought Bangladesh's support for Pakistani candidature for international bodies like OIC, IAEA, UNDP and UNFPA, according to the statement.

-Asian Tribune-

Labour exploitation costs migrants $21 bln a year-ILO

Labour exploitation costs migrants $21 bln a year-ILO

Tue May 12, 2009 12:43pm EDT

* Exploitative practices cost workers $21 billion a year

* Desperate people lured by loans and cash advances

* Abuses most prevalent in Asia and among migrant workers



By Laura MacInnis

GENEVA, May 12 (Reuters) - Governments should crack down on unscrupulous recruitment practices that condemn up to 8 million construction workers, farm hands, and nannies to a contemporary form of slavery, a United Nations agency said on Tuesday.

Recruiters use cash advances to lure desperate people into jobs in which they are mistreated, deprived of pay, and charged exorbitant fees, according a new report on forced labour from the International Labour Organisation.

Though most common in Asia, the ILO said such exploitation takes place worldwide and bleeds as much as $21 billion from the annual wages of migrant workers.

It cited "collusion between recruiters in sending countries and employers in destination countries to trick these vulnerable migrants out of fair wages and employment conditions."

"This is widely seen as a modern form of debt bondage."

Chinese workers pay up to 2.5 times their expected annual income in recruitment fees to obtain jobs in the United States, the Geneva-based ILO found.

And in Indonesia, it said that many women hired as domestic workers abroad must agree to have as much as 90 percent of their salary paid directly to the recruitment agency in their first five months working overseas.

The ILO raised particular concerns about Thailand's shrimp, fishing, and seafood processing industries, and among shrimp producers in Bangladesh, and said labour coercion was a problem on farms and in rice mills, stone quarries, and handloom weaving factories across South Asia.

Indian brick kiln workers are often given loans and cash advances worth several months of earnings and then forced to work six days a week for 16 hours a day, leaving them with nowhere to turn until their debts are paid, the report said.

"Such situations point to a need for better oversight of recruitment agencies and their practices," it said.

"There is a need for more consensus and clearer guidelines on issues such as fee charging, contracts of employment, or the rights of short-term migrants to change jobs and negotiate terms of employment," the report said.

It also singled out Myanmar because of the "continued use of forced labour" by the former Burma's military rulers.



INFLATED FEES CAUSE DEBT

The ILO estimates there are 12.3 million people worldwide in some form of forced labour or bondage, including 4.2 million sex workers and 8.1 million employed in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and other industries.

The workers at highest risk in Latin America are in garment factories, on farms and in private homes, where domestic staff can be isolated and can face abuse, the report found.

Much like in Asia, the ILO said employers in Latin America entice workers with cash advances and then charge them inflated fees for food and shelter that keep them in debt.

Other abusive practices include compulsory overtime, such as the case of workers in Guatemala threatened with dismissal for refusing to work shifts for up to 24 hours, the ILO said.

Labour laws in the Middle East give employers undue control over their staff, including workers who travel across Africa and Asia to work in construction, the report said.

Inflated visa charges, high recruitment and transit fees, and altered contract terms have also been a problem for migrants travelling to Gulf states from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries, the ILO said.

Forced labour is also a problem in Africa, according to the report, which cited the example of seasonal workers in southern Ghana who are regularly deprived of wages. Kenya was described as a source, transit route and destination for people trafficked for forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation.

In Europe, it said Ukraine was in a similar situation, as both a destination and origin for people in bondage. The former Soviet republic has attracted inflows of coerced workers and sex workers from Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia.

"While most victims identified by authorities are women trafficked for sexual exploitation, the number of identified cases involving men trafficked for labour exploitation is growing," the ILO said of Central and Eastern Europe. (For the full report, see www.ilo.org/forcedlabour) (Editing by Stephanie Nebehay and Jon Hemming)

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Bangladesh urges Pakistan apology for 1971 ‘crimes’

WORLD Wednesday, 13 May, 2009 | 03:21 PM PST |

DHAKA: Bangladesh on Wednesday urged Pakistan to apologise formally for alleged atrocities committed by its army during Bangladesh’s bloody liberation struggle in 1971. Bangladeshi officials have said three million people were killed during the fight for independence for what was then East Pakistan, and the new government in Dhaka has vowed to try suspected war criminals. In a meeting with Pakistan’s High Commissioner on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni raised the issue of ‘seeking formal apologies by Pakistan for the genocide in 1971,’ a written statement said. A Pakistani envoy told Bangladesh in February to let ‘bygones be bygones’ and rejected plans to try those accused of murder, rape and arson. A private Dhaka-based group that has investigated the conflict has named 1,775 people, including Pakistani generals and local militants allied with Pakistan, as war crime suspects.

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Bangladesh plans stringent law against cyber crimes

The New Age Bangladesh Offenders may be handed 10 years’ imprisonment, financial penalty of Tk 1cr Nazrul Islam The government plans stringent measures to curb cyber crimes against the backdrop of rapid growth of information and communication technology and telecommunications networks in Bangladesh, officials said. The cabinet on Thursday approved in principle a few proposals to amend a three-year old legislature to ensure legitimacy and security of the ICT with provisions for jail terms and heavy financial penalties to tackle cyber crimes. The amendments to the law are expected to get parliament’s nod in its next session, to be summoned sometime early June, said an official at the ministry of science and information and communications technology. ‘The law is essential for us, and the government has taken steps afresh to facilitate fair use of the information technology in the country,’ MM Neazuddin, a joint secretary to the science and ICT ministry, told New Age. The provisions in the proposed law will come into force once it is passed by parliament, he added. The proposed law has suggested provisions for a maximum 10 years in jail and taka one crore in financial penalty for breaking into computer networks and putting false and libellous information or indecent materials on line. Publication of materials on web site or electronic devices that may encourage immorality or dishonesty, or may threaten law and order, tarnish the image of the country or may hurt one’s religious sentiment, are also listed as crimes and involve the same penalties. For speedy and effective prosecution of the offences, the government in consultation with the Supreme Court will set up one or more tribunals, to be called the Cyber Tribunals under the law. Ministry sources said that the government considered that the ICT law would be a vital element in the Awami League-led alliance government’s road to ‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021. Bangladesh’s ICT industry has been experiencing an exponential growth and making its presence strongly felt both in the public and private sectors. Over 5 million personal computers are now in use in the country with three million internet users, according to industry insiders. Telecommunications and data network across the country were also expanding rapidly, they said adding that most parts of the country were now connected with high-speed fibre-optic or microwave connectivity. Despite rapid growth of the sector, the 2006 law, which specified a number of crimes and penalties for them, remained ineffective as of now, a ministry official said. Concealment and destruction of computer source code or tampering with them, failure in submitting licence to the authorities concerned after its cancellation, false representation and concealment of information, leaks of classified information, publication of false electronic signature certificates, deceptive electronic signatures and committing crimes by using computers are among the other punishable offences under the proposed cyber act. Punishments for such crimes range between six months to 10 years in jail with financial penalties.