Bangladesh’s two top political parties’ plans to boost counter-terrorism may be undercut by their pledge to exclude ‘anti-Islamic’ steps from their election manifestos ahead of the December 29 general polls.

The Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) both pledged to prevent actions that would denigrate Islam or could be interpreted as 'anti-Islamic', while the centre-right BNP's coalition partner, Jamaat-e-Islami, has proposed a Blasphemy Law.

The commitment to religion has added fuel to the fire surrounding recent debate over Bangladesh's secular foundations, and more after the recent warnings of a terrorist attack and a number of sculptures being attacked by Islamic fundamentalists in the last two months.

The leaders of the parties, Sheikh Hasina of AL and Khaleda Zia of BNP, started their campaigns at a shrine in the north-eastern city of Sylhet, the site of two major grenade attacks in the last five years and considered a key centre for militants. Election front runners and centre-left AL has promised to make counter-terrorism, especially regional counter-terror cooperation, their priority if they win office. The AL manifesto states: "Terrorism and religious extremism will be controlled with iron hand. The party will also pursue the trial of individuals who committed war crimes during the country's liberation war in 1971.”

AL chief Sheikh Hasina has also blamed the BNP and Jamaat for fomenting religious division in the country and sheltering terrorists.

"The main terrorist syndicate grew up with the patronage of the alliance government," she said, adding the BNP and its allies were mostly associated with "the rise of militant communalism”.

However, analysts warn the AL's own use of religion to woo the country's majority Muslim population may undercut its secular and counter-terror credibility and hurt long-term prospects of countering militancy.

"Even the Awami League, which has rarely used religion to campaign in the past, is competing with Zia to show who can be a better Muslim," said political science professor Golam Hossain, who teaches at Jahangirnagar University.

Khaleda Zia, who headed the centre-right coalition government between 2001 and 2006, pledged to repeal any laws that may be deemed 'anti-Islamic' and take strong actions against groups that seek to 'harm' Islam.

Zia has touted the BNP as the champion of Islam, with the record of passing a number of Islamist laws during their last regime, including a ban on Ahmadiyya publications.

And BNP's major ally, Jamaat-e Islami, which received nearly 10 per cent of the primary vote in the 2001 elections, has pledged to install a Blasphemy Law to protect the 'dignity' of Islam.

The BNP-led coalition's tenure was marked by the most number of Islamic militant attacks, including the coordinated 469 countrywide explosions on August 17, 2005.

Santa Rosa (US), December 19
W. Mark Felt, the former FBI second-in-command who revealed himself as “Deep Throat” 30 years after he tipped off reporters to the Watergate scandal that toppled a President, has died. He was 95.

Felt died yesterday of congestive heart failure, said John D. O’Connor, a family friend who wrote the 2005 Vanity Fair article uncovering Felt’s secret.

The shadowy central figure in one of the most gripping political dramas of the 20th century, Felt insisted his alter ego be kept secret when he leaked damaging information about President Richard Nixon and his aides to The Washington Post.

While some, including Nixon and his aides, speculated that Felt was the source who connected the White House to the June 1972 break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, he steadfastly denied the accusations until finally coming forward in May 2005.

“I’m the guy they used to call Deep Throat,” Felt told O’Connor, a San Francisco attorney whose story created a whirlwind of media attention.

Critics, including those who went to prison for the Watergate scandal, called him a traitor for betraying the commander-in-chief. Supporters hailed him as a hero for blowing the whistle on a corrupt administration trying to cover up attempts to sabotage opponents.

Felt grappled with his place in history, arguing with his children over whether to reveal his identity or to take his secret to the grave, O’Connor said. He agonised about what revealing his identity would do to his reputation. Would he be seen as a turncoat or a man of honour? — AP

The Pakistan Central Board of Film Censors (PCBFC) has amended the rules under which a film produced by foreign countries other than India could be exhibited in the country even if it has an Indian cast.

Responding to a writ petition, the secretary of the board told the Lahore high court that the amendments of the rules is designed to facilitate film importers and to revive the sick cinema industry in the country. Justice Tariq Shamim had directed the PCBFC to submit its reply to a petition that challenged the permission for the exhibition of Indian films in Pakistan.

The secretary submitted that certain films having Indian artists/crew imported from the countries other than India were being allowed for exhibition in the country in accordance with the provision of law. He said earlier under the Rule 10 (2)(b)(iii) of the Censorship of Film Rules 1980, any foreign film irrespective of its country of import, having Indian/Pakistani artistes was not allowed for exhibition.

In order to revive the cinema industry, which was declining rapidly, the federal government made an amendment to the Rule 10, under which films produced by other countries containing Indian or Pakistani artists could also be brought into the country, he said.

The petitions were filed by Saghar Nawab, chairman of the Pakistan Film Workers Association, and Muhammad Saleem Butt, vice-chairman of Cinematographers Association of Pakistan. The petitioners submitted that movies, which were exhibited in Pakistan included Goal, Race, Rahguzar, Tare Zameen Par, Bhagam Bhag, Welcome, Bhootnath, Jannat, Kismat Konnection and Money, etc.

Tamil Tigers claim that they have killed 130 Sri Lankan soldiers and injured more than 300 during their counter-attacks against the military push to take the Tiger’s northern stronghold of Killinochchi since last Tuesday but the military plays down the losses saying they had lost 35 men and that the LTTE’s claims were exaggerated.

The defence ministry, on the other hand, claims that the LTTE had lost 120 of their cadres and more than 250 were injured in the fierce fighting. There is no independent verification of the casualty figures as the media is heavily dependent on the official figures released by the defence ministry as well as those posted on the pro LTTE website, Tamil Net, to get both the versions of the on-going fighting.

The military said on Thursday that despite the stiff resistance from the Tigers, they have breached an LTTE-built embankment in several locations in the area, which was a main obstacle to the onward movement of the troops.

Santiago, December 19
A powerful earthquake shook central Chile, alarming residents of the nation’s second-largest city, but apparently causing no major damage, officials said.

The 6.3-magnitude quake struck at 6:19 pm (local time) yesterday and was centered about 45 miles (70 km) north of Valparaiso, according to the US Geological Survey.

The Seismological Institute of the University of Chile said the quake’s magnitude was 5.9.

The quake was followed by two aftershocks, one of which the USGS measured at magnitude 5.8.

But Carmen Fernandez, head of Chile’s Emergency Bureau, said there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. “It’s a strong quake, but it’s still 45 miles away from the city,” said John Bellini, a USGS geophysicist in Golden, Colorado.

“This would not be expected to cause large, widespread damage.” Valparaiso is Chile’s second largest city and lies 120 km (75 miles) northwest of Santiago. The quake was felt in Chile’s capital. — AP