“Europe’s attitude towards

SECOND EDITION Mr Putin, its sanctions,

brought Mr Putin --
willingly or not -- to the
point of saying: ‘If you do
this, I will do that.’”
Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
Europe’s energy crisis

DHA K A W EDNES DAY S EP T EMBER 7 , 2022

Regd. No. DA 781 Vol. XXXII No. 227 Bhadra 23, 1429 BS Safar 10, 1444 Hijri 16 Pages : Tk 15.00

Economic growth,
peace figure high
Dhaka, Delhi resolve to settle all outstanding
issues including Teesta water sharing
STAR REPORT

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her “The two countries

Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have resolved many
agreed to work hand in glove to sustain outstanding issues in
economic growth and maintain peace, the spirit of friendship
security and stability in the two countries
and also in the region. and cooperation... we
Terming India the most important and expressed hope for
closest neighbour of Bangladesh, Hasina settling all outstanding
said bilateral relations between the two issues, including the
nations are known to be a role model for signing of the Teesta
neighbourhood diplomacy.
“If Bangladesh and India can work Water Sharing Treaty,
together as partners, it will not only benefit at the earliest.”
the two countries but also bring peace and Sheikh Hasina after talks with
prosperity in the region as a whole,” she Indian PM Narendra Modi
said in a statement issued after bilateral
talks with Modi at the Hyderabad House in
New Delhi.
After the talks, the two premiers issues, including the signing of the Teesta
witnessed the exchange of seven MoUs Water Sharing Treaty, at the earliest.
(memorandum of understanding) signed “…As long as Narendra Modi is here,
between the relevant authorities of the Bangladesh and India will resolve all their
two countries. Those include an MoU on problems,” she noted.
Kushiyara River. Terming her talks with Modi “another
Hasina said all the issues such as the round of fruitful discussion”, Hasina said
water sharing of 54 common rivers, its “outcome will bring benefits to the
including the Teesta, will be resolved. peoples of both our countries.”
“The two countries resolved many Following the nearly 90-minute of talks
outstanding issues in the spirit of in two formats -- one-to-one meeting
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina being greeted by her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, before a ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace friendship and cooperation, and we SEE PAGE 2 COL 2
in New Delhi yesterday. Hasina is on a four-day state visit to the neighbouring country. PHOTO: AFP expressed hope for settling all outstanding TALKS ON CEPA SOON: MODI -- B1

Rejoinder,
Tk 5 per km BIMAN RECRUITMENT ANOMALIES OUTCOME OF PM’S VISIT
our reply
Summit Group sent a
rejoinder to a report
Metro rail fare fixed
Appointments of 9 DEALS SIGNED
published by The Daily
Star under the headline:
“Capacity payments for
power plants: One third
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The government has set the metro rail fare at Tk 5 per

goes to three firms” on
August 31, 2022.
The rejoinder stated:
“Capacity payment
mechanisms seek to ensure
that sufficient supply of
electricity generation
capacity is available to meet
present and or future load
reliably. This is through
a payment to generators
who make the capacity
available, especially ahead
of anticipated demand.
“Capacity payment if
translated to you and I in
the society. It [sic] is akin
to renting an apartment.
For some issues, if we
are unable to stay in the
apartment over the period
of promised rental, it
could be that we are away
on holiday or staying in
parents’ home to help out.
Naturally, given the rights
to use the apartment being
reserved for us, we are
obliged to pay for these
rights despite not using it.
SEE PAGE 6 COL 5
kilometre.
From Uttara to Motijheel, the entire 20.10km length
of the service, the fare would be Tk 100 while the lowest
price of a ticket would be Tk 20, Road Transport and
Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said yesterday.
The rates were approved last week by Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina, around two years after a committee was
formed to fix the rate.
The transport ministry will now issue a gazette
notification in this regard and Dhaka Mass Transit
Company Ltd (DMTCL), which is implementing the
metro rail project, will develop a software for issuing
tickets.
Commuters will be able to buy prepaid cards that
can be refilled by up to Tk 10,000 with a validity of 10
years. There will be monthly, weekly, and family cards.
Single-use cards will be available too, officials said.
SEE PAGE 2 COL 1
pilots cancelled
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Appointments of nine pilots to Biman
have been cancelled due to irregularities
in the recruitment process, State
Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub
Ali said yesterday.
“Several newspapers reported on
irregularities and nepotism in the
recruitment. The incident has been
investigated to the highest level by
various agencies. Our ministry probed
it. Biman also carried out investigation,”
he said.
“Of those selected initially, nine
have been left out,” the state minister
said while addressing a dialogue with
Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters
Forum at the Secretariat’s media centre.
In February, Biman recruited 14 pilots
for the four Boeing 777s in its fleet amid
allegations of violating its recruitment
policy. Eight of them are captains and
six are first officers, several pilots had
told The Daily Star.
In response to a query, Mahbub Ali
said several pilots, who were recruited in
February, are currently training abroad.
After they return, report against them
will be reviewed and a decision will be
Withdrawal of water by India &
Bangladesh from Kushiyara river
Training of Bangladesh Railway
personnel in India
made regarding their recruitment.
He did not clarify if any of the nine
Collaboration in IT systems &
dropped were among those training applications for Bangladesh Railway
abroad.
“This is the last information I have. Training, capacity building in India
The final decision on them will be made for Bangladesh judicial officers
after their performance training.”
Scientific, technological cooperation
If the allegations against those who
between BCSIR and CSIR, India
were in-charge of the initial stage
of recruitment process were proved,
Cooperation in space technology
they would face disciplinary action, he
added. Cooperation in broadcasting
In April, the Prime Minister’s Office between BTV and Prasar Bharti
wrote to the civil aviation ministry to
investigate the “irregularities”.
The ministry then asked Biman to INAUGURATED
probe the recruitment of “controversial”
and “underqualified” pilots and co- 1,320 MW Rampal power plant
pilots.
After having a probe carried out, Rupsha rail bridge
the PMO in a report said instead of
considering Biman’s eligible pilots, the
national flag carrier recruited pilots PROJECTS FLAGGED OFF
who failed to get promoted to captain
in foreign carriers due to their poor Upgradation (double broad-gauge)
performance.
of Khulna-Darshana rail line
In November last year, Biman
published a circular for the Conversion of Parbatipur-Kaunia line
appointment of captains and first from metre gauge to dual gauge
SEE PAGE 2 COL 4

‘We’re facing Scrap the

decision to
global headwinds’ use EVMs
Truss in her first speech as 39 eminent
UK PM vows to ride out citizens urge EC
economic storm STAFF CORRESPONDENT

AGENCIES Thirty-nine eminent

citizens yesterday urged
Liz Truss took over as Britain’s the Election Commission
prime minister yesterday, not to use electronic voting
vowing immediate action machines in the next
to tackle one of the most general elections.
daunting set of challenges for In a joint statement,
an incoming leader in post-War they said the use of EVMs
history led by soaring energy may provoke political
bills, looming recession and debates and further reduce
industrial strife. people’s confidence in the
Truss, the fourth Conservative prime minister in six years commission.
and successor to Boris Johnson who was forced out over As a result, the country
scandals, acknowledged the severe global headwinds from will once again see a “failed
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic. election”, which would
“We are now facing severe global headwinds caused by push it into a state of crisis,
Russia’s appalling war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the statement said.
Covid. I am confident that together we can ride out the It added that the EC’s
storm. We can rebuild our economy, and we can become decision to use EVMs in
the modern brilliant Britain that I know we can be,” the 150 constituencies was
47-year-old former foreign secretary said outside her new “irrational”.
Downing Street home and office. “The EVM is a technically
Truss, who will later announce her government weak machine. There is no
appointments, said she had three priorities: tax cuts to boost voter-verified paper audit
the economy, help over rising energy costs, and sorting out trail in the machine and so,
the state-run National Health Service, reports Reuters. there is no scope for vote
However, she inherits an economy in crisis, with recount. The people will have
inflation at double digits and the Bank of England Two siblings along with their mother negotiate a waterlogged road on their way home from school in the capital’s Purba Tejturibazar to accept whatever the EC
warning of a lengthy recession by the end of this year. yesterday afternoon. Another pedestrian in between them is seen. Yesterday’s heavy rain sent many areas of the city under water, causing announces as the final result.
SEE PAGE 2 COL 5 suffering to commuters. PHOTO: AMRAN HOSSAIN SEE PAGE 2 COL 5