Dhaka, October 26
In a dramatic development, the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) today split with at least 100 party leaders, including some ministers and lawmakers, announcing the formation of a new outfit ahead of the general elections due in January, 2007.

At least 12 ministers in the Khaleda Zia government joined the new Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a day before the expiry of her term as the Prime Minister. As per Constitution, an interim non-party government will take over till the formation of a new government after the elections.

Announcing the formation of the new party, former Bangladeshi President Badruddoza Chowdhury and BNP standing committee member Col Oli Ahmed (retd) said at least 100 important BNP figures were in line and their names were not announced for "security reasons." The list so far has 12 ministers along with 12 prominent BNP leaders, they stated in a press conference here.

Mr Chowdhury and Mr Ahmed, both founding members of the BNP, said the new party would fight against corruption and other issues for which they accused the BNP of failing to deliver.

The LDP's formation came as the 14-party Opposition led by the Awami League vowed to bring the country to a standstill if retired Chief Justice K. M. Hasan takes over as the chief of the caretaker government when she leaves the office tomorrow after addressing the nation.

New York, October 26
A Sikh woman was discriminated against and insulted at her workplace here, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said.

"Based on consideration of the documentary and testimonial evidence, the commission determines that the respondent subjected charging parties and a class of similarly situated individuals to harassment on the basis of their race, national origin, sex (female)," the commision said in its finding.

Sukhvir Kaur had filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC last year after a manager at the National Wholesale Liquidators here, where she was employed, asked her to remove her turban. He also insulted her by saying that Indian and Pakistani employees were "dirty" and "nasty" and that Sikh employees were "thieves".

Sukhvir Kaur was told that Indians and Pakistanis were not wanted at the store, and that Guyanese and Spanish employees were preferred, according to the Sikh Sangat website.

The manager also threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the matter to the police. She was finally fired by the manager in October 2004.

The commission released its findings after a yearlong investigation. It also interviewed South Asian workers employed at the National Wholesale Liquidators branch where Sukhvir Kaur was employed. — IANS

United Nations, October 26
In a bid to help developing nations meet their sustainable development goals, India has suggested the establishment of a “Clean Technology Acquisition Fund,” to enable the countries access crucial technologies.

“This would encourage the use of clean technologies and significantly impact the realisation of sustainable development goals,” Indian delegate and MP Rahul Gandhi told a United Nations committee yesterday.

He pointed out that due to globalisation, external factors were contributing to the success or failure of developing countries to a greater extent than before.

“Developing countries are caught between intellectual property rights and trade regimes as well conditionalities imposed by the World Bank and the IMF, all of which erode their autonomy and flexibility to evolve policies and strategies for their economic growth and sustainable development which is critical to eradicating poverty and achieving Millennium Development Goals,” he said.

He told delegates that the controversial intellectual property rights (IPR) regimes must represent the tradeoff between innovation and wider human societal imperatives. " We need to revisit the IPR regimes to ensure that technologies necessary for pursuing the global imperatives of sustainable development are placed in the limited public domain and made accessible to the developing nations,” he said.

India, he said, recognised the importance of conservation, protection and sustainable use of genetic resources. — PTI

Islamabad, October 26
Close on the heels of President Pervez Musharraf indicating that he would not allow her to come back to Pakistan, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said she would return home from self exile once the election schedule was announced by the military-backed government.

Bhutto, who is head of opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) told a meeting of her party workers over phone from Dubai that real democracy would be restored in the country soon. The time was not far away when people’s rule would be established in the country, she added.

Her comments came days after Musharraf said that if Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, another exiled former Premier, were permitted to return to Pakistan before the poll, it would lead to political instability.

Bhutto and Sharif had recently threatened to boycott the 2007 elections if they were not allowed to contest.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said both Bhutto and Sharif were as Pakistanis as any one else could be.

Therefore, he said, they had every right to return to the country and contest the forthcoming general elections.

Jamali, who was chosen Prime Minister by Musharraf after the 2002 general elections, told newsmen in his native town of Nasirabad that he had no intention to retire from politics and would definitely take part in the next general elections. 
— PTI 

Dubai, October 26
Four Indians from the same family were burnt to death when the car carrying them burst into flames after being hit by another vehicle here.

The accident took place at around 6.40 pm on Tuesday, a civil defence official said.

Both vehicles caught fire on impact and passers-by were able to rescue only the UAE national driving the second vehicle, who sustained serious injuries, he said, adding that the family of four were burnt alive.

“The family was on Al Khawaneej Road trying to take a U-turn, when a UAE national motorist on the other side of the road hit the car close to the fuel tank, and both cars caught fire,” the official said.—PTI