Bangladesh: Railway sabotage marks blockade

Buses were burnt and railway lines sabotaged as clashes between demonstrators and the police were reported from different places across the country on Sunday, the second day of the fresh spell of rail-road-waterway blockade enforced by the opposition parties.

The blockade virtually snapped communications between the capital and the rest of the country badly affecting life and taking a heavy toll on economy. 

Railway remained a prime target of the blockaders as they torched carriages, 

removed fishplates and rail tracks at places causing derailment of several trains that left at least two dozens injured.  

At least 250 people were injured as an inter-city train on Dhaka-Chittagong route derailed in Burichang upazila of Comilla on Sunday night after miscreants removed fishplates from tracks in a spectacular act of railway sabotage.

Hamidul Haque, acting station master of Comilla Railway Station, told New Age that the locomotive and four carriages of the Dhaka-bound Mahanagar Godhuli Express had derailed between Rajapur and Shasidal railway stations around 7:45pm.

The sabotage forced suspension of train services on Chittagong-Dhaka and Chittagong-Sylhet routes, he said.

Miscreants set fire to the Natore district election office around midnight Saturday.

Five people were killed on the first day of the fresh 72-hour blockade on Saturday while widespread violence during the first spell of blockade had claimed 19 lives, many of them victims of transport arson. 

The death toll could continue to rise, as doctors feared that some of the victims with severe burns could succumb to their wounds. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led opposition alliance began enforcing the 72-hour blockade on Saturday in protest against the government’s move to hold ‘unilateral’ polls before reaching an understanding over an election-time administration.

Blockaders torched a bus carrying garment workers by spreading gun powder in front of Shiddhirganj power station at 7:00am on Sunday.

Police quoting the passengers said that at least 20 youths attacked the bus and set it on fire by spreading gun powder. Five of the workers suffered burns while others managed to get off the bus unhurt.

Another bus was torched at Hajiganj in Fatulla around 7.30am but none was injured. Chhatra Dal activists brought out processions in the town and blasted crude bombs.

Three passengers of a three-wheeler suffered appalling burns after blockaders hurled petrol bombs at the vehicle at Lebukhali ferry point in Patuakhali. One of the victims, Abdus Sattar, a retired madrassah teacher has been shifted Dhaka with 40 per cent of his body burnt. 

The other victims – Mujibur Rahman, 44, a teacher of Pagasia Alia Madrasa and Ataur Rahman, 40, land office staff at Dumki, have been admitted to Patuakhali General Hospital. 

Opposition activists continued to occupy the entrance to the Chittagong city at Colonel Haat and blockade railway at AK Khan crossing and in City Gate area halting train service between the port city and the rest of the country. The opposition activists went out on demonstration at Bahaddarhat, Bakalia, Dewanhat, Alankar crossing, Khulshi and Halishahar. Police fired rubber bullets at several places to disperse the protesters while pickets blasted crude bombs across the city.    

At least 30 people were injured as blockaders clashed with the police at Kaliakair in Gazipur after police obstructed a procession at Sahebbazar in Kaliakair bypass area.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the stone-throwing pickets. At least 30 activists, including BNP’s district unit secretary Kazi Saidul Alam Babul, sustained injuries in the clashes. The upazila unit of BNP has called a daylong strike in Kaliakair for Monday in protest at the police action. 

Activists of Swechchhasebak Dal brought out processions and blasted crude bombs at Joydevpur bazaar and at Tongi. They put blockade on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and damaged a number of vehicles.   

Assistant sub-inspector Hamid of Konabari police outpost said pickets had started fire on the highway halting traffic for an hour. 

Activists of the BNP-led alliance set fire to the district unit office of Jatiya Party in Kurigram and manhandled former minister Tajul Islam Chowdhury. The opposition marches attacked the Jatiya Party office at Sabuj Para in the town.

They pounced on Tajul Islam Chowdhury, also a Jatiya Party candidate for the next polls, at Kalibari crossing and vandalised his motorcycle.

The blockaders set fire to two carriages of Rajshahi-bound Uttara Express at Naldanga station in Natore around 10:00am leaving several passengers injured.

 At least 12 people were injured when four carriages and the locomotive of Dhaka-bound Dhumketu Express derailed around 2:00am after blockaders removed fishplates from rail tracks at Sholua near Sharda station in Charghat of Rajshahi. The injured were taken to the local clinics.   

Kamalapur railway station master Dipendra Saha said service of Dhumketu Express and Padma Express between Dhaka and Rajshahi had been cancelled for Sunday. Dhaka-bound Mahanagar Godhuli Express from Chittagong derailed     

at Pachora in Brahmanpara upazila of Comilla around 8:00pm after blockaders removed rail tracks.  

Trains from Bangabandhu Bridge’s east part and Akhaura arrived in Dhaka four hours late while trains from Sylhet, Khulna and Chittagong were late by three hours, he said. 

Tarakandi-bound Agnibina Express and Chittagong-bound Turna Nishitha left Dhaka four hours behind the schedule and Chittagong-bound Meghna Express stopped at Nauri in Shahrasti upazila due to railway sabotage, he said.

The correspondent in Natore said miscreants had set fire to the Natore district election office around midnight Saturday. 

Police fired five rounds to disperse the arsonists but none could be arrested.

Nahid Hassan, superintendent of police, said the arsonists had poured petrol and set fire to the office after smashing the windowpanes of two rooms. Fire engines put out the flames after frantic efforts. 

The Dulu Mukti Parishad has called a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the district for today demanding immediate release of BNP central leader Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu.

Opposition activists put blockade at different points on Rangpur–Dhaka highway, including Modern crossing, CO bazaar, Bus Terminal and Darshana intersection in the city, reported the correspondent there.

Police arrested 10 BNP men, including a municipal ward councillor, for vandalism in the town on Sunday. The BNP activists vandalised vehicles in the town on Saturday night. 

Three day-labourers suffered burns after opposition supporters set fire to a sand-laden truck at Fulbaria in Brahmanbaria and vandalised some other vehicles. Labourers Abdur Razzak, Zaher Mia and Md Mosharaf, all from village Nazirpur of Habiganj, were taken to hospital.

Auto-rickshaw driver Khairul Islam suffered burns after his vehicle went up in flames in a petrol bomb attack in front of Magura upazila complex. He was taken to Magura General Hospital.  

In Kaliganj of Gazipur, truck driver Minu Mia, 42, and his assistant Rubel, 30, suffered severe burns as blockade enforcers set the truck on fire on Ghorashal–Kaliganj road on Saturday night. They were shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The correspondent in Sylhet said crude bombs were hurled at the houses of two Jatiya Party-nominated candidates for the 10th parliamentary election in Sylhet.

Police said miscreants had thrown several bombs at the houses of former Sylhet municipal chairman Babrul Hossain Babul and Zakiganj upazila chairman Sabbir Ahmad at Bateshwar and Shahjalal upashahar respectively.

The opposition alliance also enforced a daylong shutdown in Dakkhin Surma, Companiganj, Goainghat and Jaintapur upazilas in protest at the ‘attacks’ on the alliance leaders and withdrawal of cases filed against them.

Blockaders vandalised two CNG-run auto-rickshaws and five rickshaws in Dakkhin Surma in the city. 

Blockaders torched a medicine-carrying covered van of Incepta Pharmaceuticals and ransacked nine other vehicles in Barisal on Sunday. 

Police foiled an attempt to block Barisal-Dhaka highway at Kashipur and Rupatali. 

The BNP-led alliance has called a daylong strike in Begumganj upazila for Monday protesting at the filing of ‘false’ cases against lawmaker Barkat Ullah Bulu, also joint secretary general of BNP.

In Dhaka, Juba Dal activists brought out processions at Hatirjheel, Mirpur 11, Tejgaon, Hajipara and Uttara while Chhatra Shibir men at Green Road and Khilkhet in the morning but police quickly dispersed them.   

The police recovered 16 live bombs at Green Road after clashes with Shibir men.  

Several crude bombs were also exploded by the blockaders in different parts of the capital in the morning.   Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws dominated the city streets in the morning. (source)

Bangladesh: Deprived AL nomination aspirants vent anger

Rivalries among Awami League leaders over nomination have come into the open in many constituencies after the announcement of the names of party candidates on Friday for the 10th parliamentary elections. 

With a hope to win AL tickets, a total of 2608 aspirants had collected party nomination forms against 300 constituencies. 

After the announcement of the names of the party candidates on Friday, the deprived aspirants and their supporters were staging protests in different constituencies.       

Many deprived aspirants have declared that they will contest the polls as ‘rebel’ candidates.  In Habiganj, Mushfiq Hossain Chowdhury for Habiganj 1 and Syed Tanvir Ahmed for Habiganj 4 constituencies bought nomination papers to contest the polls as ‘rebel’ candidates.

Supporters of Syed Tanvir Ahmed declared the party nomination winner Mahbub Ali ‘unwanted’ in the constituency.   

Leaders and activists of a faction of Abhaynagar upazila unit of the AL in Jessore district on Sunday observed a dawn-to-dusk general 

strike at Nawapara in protest at the party’s giving nomination to Ranjit Roy for Jessore 4 constituency. They demanded party nomination for whip Sheikh Abdul Wahab.

AL has given nomination to Abu Reza Mohammad Nezamuddin Nadwi, faculty member of the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed International Islamic University Chittagong, for Chittagong 15 constituency (Satkania-Lohagara). Leaders and activists of Satkania upazila unit of the AL protested at the nomination for Nadwi’s links with Jamaat-e-Islami. 

Abdul Matlab, acting president of Satkania unit of the AL, who was an aspirant for  the party ticket, told New Age that the grassroots leaders and activists of the upazila did not accept the nomination of Nadwi for the constituency as he had no relations with the AL, rather it was widely known that he had links with Jamaat. 

Nomination aspirants Yarul Islam and Makbul Hossain of Meherpur 1 and Meherpur 2 constituencies on Saturday announced that they would contest the polls as independent candidates to protest at the nomination of Farhad Hossain Dudul and Abdul Khaleque for the two constituencies.      

Leaders of Belkuchi upazila unit AL resigned en masse on Friday night as former fisheries and livestock minister Abdul Latif Biswas did not get nomination for Sirajganj 5 constituency. The AL has nominated Abdul Majid Mandal for the parliamentary seat.

Supporters of Latif Biswas also staged demonstrations on Saturday to protest at the nomination of Abdul Majid.  

AL leaders in Bogra 3 and Bogra 5 constituencies on Sunday staged demonstrations and threatened to resign en masse if the party did not replace the party candidates – Ansar Ali Mridha and Habibur Rahman – in the two constituencies. 

Several thousand supporters of former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain took to the streets and blocked Dhaka-Barisal highway at Kalkini shortly after the party named its central organising secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim as the candidate to contest the polls for Madaripur 2 constituency instead of Abul Hossain. 

Nomination of Reza Ali, a lawmaker, for Mymensingh 7 constituency sparked protests and clashes at Trishal leaving at least 10 injured. The activists loyal to nomination aspirants Madani and Anisuzzaman brought out violent processions soon after the announcement of Reza Ali’s nomination. They also barricaded Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, halting traffic for over an hour.

In protest at the nomination of AL central committee member Kazi Nabil Ahmad for Jessore 3 constituency, supporters of Shaheen Chakladar, general secretary of Jessore district AL, blocked highways at least at 12 points in Jessore town. They also declared Nabil ‘unwanted’ in Jessore. 

Supporters of nomination aspirant Mostafa protested at the nomination of Monirul Islam Monir for Jessore-2 constituency. 

Followers of deprived aspirants also staged protests in Jessore 4, Sirajganj 4, Bogra 5, Kushtia 4 Narail 2, Kishoreganj 3, Cox’s Bazar 3, Dhaka 4, Gaibanda 4, Naogaon 3 and Nilphamari 4. 

Sitting lawmaker AA Maruf Saqlain won the party ticket for Niphamari 4 (Syedpur-Kishoreganj) constituency despite protests by grassroots leaders of the two upazilas. During the meeting with the party president Sheikh Hasina in September, they urged her not to nominate Saqlain again as he had detached himself from the party activists and local people since the last elections. 

Deprived nomination aspirant for the constituency, Kohinur Akter told New Age that they were stunned by the party’s decision to nominate Saqlain again. 

AL presidium member Mohammad Nasim said it was difficult for a large political party like the Awami League to satisfy all. ‘There might be dissatisfactions over the nominations but it would not continue for long as all will be united and work for the party candidates when the electioneering will start,’ he said. (source)

Bangladesh: UN rights chief slams political leaders for death in violence

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has warned politicians in Bangladesh that they risk facing prosecution at the International Criminal Court based in the Hague for election time violence.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Pillary pointed out that Bangladesh is a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.  

‘In other situations, we have seen cases of political or election related violence where the perpetrators of such acts -- including political leadership -- have faced prosecution,’ she said.

Pillay was referring to six senior Kenyan politicians, including former ministers, who were initially charged with crimes against humanity at the international crimes court for offences they are 

alleged to have committed after elections that took place in December 2007 that resulted in as many as 1200 deaths.

In Bangladesh, dozens of people have died in recent weeks in violence primarily blamed on supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami who are demanding that an election takes place under a neutral government.

In the statement, given five days before the visit of Oscar Fernandez-Taranco the UN’s assistant secretary general of political affairs, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said she was deeply worried by the rising levels of political violence in Bangladesh resulting from the major parties failing to resolve their differences over the conduct of elections.

‘In recent weeks, supporters of both parties have been clashing with each other and with the security forces. Scores of people have been killed, hundreds injured, and there has been extensive destruction of property,’ the statement reads. 

‘In the past week, we have seen acts as extreme as protestors throwing Molotov cocktails onto public buses without allowing the occupants to escape, leaving women and children with horrific burns,’ the High Commissioner said.  ‘Such levels of violence are deeply shocking for the Bangladeshi people, the vast majority of whom want -- and deserve -- a peaceful and inclusive election.’

The High Commissioner also expressed concern about the on-going arrest and detention of key opposition leaders by the law enforcement agencies.  ‘This can further inflame the situation and rule out any possibility for engagement and dialogue between the main political parties,’ she said.

‘Whatever their differences, political leaders on both sides must halt their destructive brinkmanship, which is pushing Bangladesh dangerously close to a major crisis. Instead, they must fulfil their responsibility and use their influence to bring this violence to an immediate halt and seek a solution to this crisis through dialogue,’ Pillay said. (source) 

Bangladesh: EU to support only credible, inclusive elections

The European Union’s ambassador to Bangladesh William Hanna on Sunday said that the EU had not yet decided whether it would deploy observers to monitor the forthcoming 10th parliamentary polls scheduled for January 5.
After meeting the chief election commissioner, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, at the EC secretariat, the ambassador said that the deployment of EU observers would depend on the political and security situation in Bangladesh.
‘We came here just to discuss the issue of election observers and to discuss the technical aspects of how that will be done,’ Hanna told reporters after the meeting.
He said that the European Union had not yet made a decision on whether it would deploy observers. ‘That will depend on political and security situation’
‘I stressed to the chief election commissioner that we want to support an election which would be transparent, inclusive and credible,’ he added.
In the 2008 general elections, the EU deployed about 190 observers while a total of 585 foreign election observers oversaw the polls.
Earlier on Saturday, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and vice-president of the European Commission Catherine Ashton issued a statement on the preparation for general elections in Bangladesh.
‘Following the announcement of the general elections in Bangladesh on 5 January 2014, the EU remains concerned that there is still confrontation between the major political groups in the country on the composition of the government during the electoral period,’ the statement reads.
Calling on the leaders of all political parties to agree on a mutually acceptable formula so as to facilitate the holding of elections which fully reflect the wishes of the people, the statement said. ‘It welcomes the efforts of those who have been working to achieve this.’
‘We urge political leaders to refrain from any actions that could spark further violence. The EU remains concerned about intimidation and confrontation in the form of “hartals” (political strikes) and about the arrest of politicians and human rights defenders,’ it reads.
The statement went on to say that the EU was ready to consider sending election observers as it did in 2008. ‘However,’ it continued saying, ‘this depends on the political and security situation in Bangladesh. Ending violence and finding a political solution through dialogue are essential to allow a peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible election to take place.’
In January 2007, the EU suspended its election observation in part because the Awami League, which was in opposition at the time, boycotted the elections. At the time it stated, ‘Major efforts have been undertaken by the EU and other international partners calling on all parties and stakeholders to work urgently and co-operatively towards an election process which meets the rights and expectations of the people of Bangladesh and which satisfies international democratic standards. Unfortunately these have not been successful to date.’
It went on to to note, ‘In view of this and also because of the decision of major parties to withdraw from participating in the 22 January elections, … it has become clear we cannot pursue the [election observer mission] as we had hoped.’ (source)

Bangladesh: Vegetable farmers badly affected as supply chain strained

Vegetable farmers who send their produces to Dhaka and other cities from outlying areas have been badly affected by the opposition’s blockade programmes which have gone on since November 26 for six days with a day’s break.

Farmers from districts such as Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Rajshahi, Bogra, Gazipur, Manikganj and Jessore said that prices of vegetables had fallen by as much as 60 per cent in the past two days as very few wholesalers were buying goods to send to Dhaka.

Consumers, particularly in Dhaka, have also been badly affected paying higher 

prices for vegetables, with many items increased by between Tk 5 and Tk 10 a kilogram because of the increased transport costs resulting from the blockade.

‘Because of successive general strike and blockade programmes, and uncertainty about whether further programmes will be announced, the wholesalers are not going to farmers and as a result, the poor farmers, in need of money, are forced to sell their goods to local traders at a very low rate,’ Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity general secretary Subol Sarkar told New Age.

Referring to their district unit information, Subol said that a week ago, spring onions were sold for Tk 30 to Tk 35 in places in Manikganj but the price had on Sunday come down to Tk 15 to Tk 18.

‘In Bogra, aubergines that were sold for Tk 40 to Tk 45 a week ago are now selling for Tk 15 to Tk 20 a kilogram. Radish that was sold for Tk 8 to Tk 10 a kilogram a week ago is now selling for Tk 3 to Tk 4 a kilogram,’ he said.

Shahabuddin Obaidullah, a farmer of Rahimerkandi in Belabo in Narsingdi, told New Age on Sunday, ‘Today I sold cauliflower for Tk 1,000 per 100 pieces each weighing around 1 kilogram and beans for Tk 1,200 per 40 kilograms at local Jangi Shibbari under Belabo in Narsingdi. On Friday, I sold cauliflower for Tk 2,400 per 100 pieces and beans for Tk 2200 per 40 kilograms.’ 

He said that within two days, prices of red spinach came down at the local Jangi-Shibpur market to Tk 200 per 40 kilograms from Tk 500 and aubergine to Tk 600 or Tk 700 per 40 kilograms from Tk 1200 or Tk 1300 for the same amount.

DM Belayet Shahin, general secretary of Rob Nagarkandi IPM Club under Tangibari in Munshiganj, said that the drastic fall in red spinach price because of the the blockade programme had forced his next-door neighbour to distribute all the edible herbs to local people from his field as he will not be able to realise the collection and carrying cost of the herbs.

Farmers of Godagari in Rajshahi, the biggest tomato-producing area in the country, said that the price of tomatoes had reduced from Tk 1,400 to Tk 1,500 per 40 kilograms a week ago to half that price at Tk 600 or Tk 700 on Sunday.

The New Age correspondent in Bogra also reported that vegetable prices had reduced by almost 50 per cent in wholesale markets in the district town in the past three days and cauliflower was sold for Tk 8 to Tk 10 a piece, aubergine at Tk 18 to Tk 20 a kilogram, tomato for Tk 40 and radish for Tk 5 a kilogram on Sunday.

In Rajarbagh, Shantinagar, Hatirpool and New Market kitchen markets in the capital, the cost of vegetables was high.

Beans were retailing between Tk 40 and Tk 70 a kilogram, cauliflower between Tk 30 and Tk 45 a piece, radish between Tk 20 and Tk 30 a kg, aubergine between Tk 50 and Tk 70 a kilogram, spring onions between Tk 35 and Tk 45 a kilogram, tomato between Tk 100 and Tk 120 a kilogram and a bunch of red spinach weighing about 1 kilogram for Tk 30 on Sunday.

The Bangladesh Kanchamal Arat Malik Samiti president, Emran Master, told New Age that prices of vegetables had increased a bit in the capital as transport was suspended because of the ongoing countrywide blockade. (source) 

Bangladesh: High-powered body set up for Gazipur RMG factory fire probe

The government on Sunday set up a high-powered committee to investigate the fire in a complaint factory at Konabari in Gazipur on November 28, officials said.

The labour ministry has made the decision amid continued protest by the business groups as a group of miscreants set fire to the apparel unit of the Standard Group, leaving more than 27,000 workers jobless.

The high-powered committee, led by additional secretary of the home ministry, Moinuddin Khandaker, has been asked to submit its report in seven working days, the officials said after an emergency meeting with top officials of security agencies at Prabasi Kalyan Bhaban in the capital in the morning.

‘We took the matter seriously and necessary instructions have been given to the law enforcement agencies to identify the people involved in the attack [at the Standard Group],’ the labour and employment minister, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, told the reporters after the meeting.

Representatives from the police, the Rapid Action Battalion, the National Security Intelligence, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence and trade unions, and senior labour ministry official will be inducted into the investigation committee, the minister said.

Senior leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association, including its president M Atiqul Islam, and owners of the fire- ravaged factory also attended the meeting. 

The state minister for home, Shamsul Haque Tuku, said that the law enforcement agencies had started work to identify the

attackers. ‘We cannot tolerate such activities that put the industry at risk.’

Till Sunday night, the government was yet to set the terms of reference for the committee, ministry officials said. 

The Standard Group is the largest single apparel factory factory of the country which is fully compliant. Its clients include American Eagle, GAP, Zara, Tommy Hilfiger, KOHL’S, Sears, Abercrombie and Fitch and Gymboree.

After the fire, the multi-story building has been declared abandoned.

The New Age correspondent in Gazipur said that Saidur Rahman, administrator of the human resource department of Matrixport , a concern of  the Standard   Group, field a case with the Joydevpur police on Saturday night. 

The police have so far arrested 14 workers of different apparel factories for their suspected involvement in the fire incident.

The police also caught the imam and khadem of the mosque, where the PA system was used to spread the rumour that caused the attack, for interrogation.

According to the case documents, several hundred miscreants intruded into the factory building and set fire to and vandalised factory after a rumour regarding the death of two workers in police firing on November 28 .

Nineteen covered vans and four microbuses of the factory were also burnt in the incident.

Different business groups on Sunday demanded that the government should immediately take stern action against the miscreant who had set the factory on fire.

In separate statements, the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation and the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dhaka also expressed shock at the incident.

The federation’s statement said, ‘We express our strong resentment at the untoward incident. This incident will create a very grave negative image of the country.’

In its statement, the MCCI also expressed concern saying that the apparel industry was passing through a challenging situation and this might result in the reduction of export earnings.

Additional district magistrate of Gazipur Mohammad Mohsin, who is heading a seven-member inquiry team, said that it would start work today.

Another departmental committee headed by Fire Service and Civil Defence deputy director Jaharul Amin started investigating the the fire on Sunday.

The Gazipur Detective Branch officer-in-charge, Abul Khayer, said that 14 people has been arrested till Sunday.

On November 28, some 40 to 50 workers held a rally in front of the factory. (source) 

Bangladesh: BNP asks prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign to end crisis

Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday asked prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign to resolve the current political crisis over polls-time government.

‘The prime minister should resign respectfully to resolve the current crisis,’ BNP joint secretary general 

Salahuddin Ahmed said in a video statement on the second day of the 72-hour nationwide road-rail-waterway blockade.

The 18-party alliance led by BNP enforced the blockade in protest against announcement of schedule for election of the 10th parliament.

Salahuddin, who is now acting as the party spokesman, said the government still has time to accept the demand for polls-time non-party government.

He reiterated the demand to release detained leaders and activists of the opposition and withdrawal of cases against them.

He asked the government to stop attacks and repression on the opposition and cautioned that the current movement cannot be suppressed by unleashing repression. Rather, it would be intensified, he added.

Salahuddin was appointed as the party’s spokesman on Saturday following arrest of the party’s another joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi from the BNP central office on early Saturday.

Rizvi had been acting as the party spokesman for last several days and used to hold regular news briefing at the BNP central office, particularly during the blockade.

Salahuddin after getting the responsibility of the party spokesman did not appear at the party central office at Naya Paltan. 

Uniformed and plainclothes police have been deployed in front of BNP central office for last several days, particularly during the opposition enforced general strike and blockade. (source) 

Bangladesh: Last date of submission of nomination papers for 10th parliamentary polls today

The time for the submission of nomination papers for the 10th parliamentary election expires today amidst the nationwide blockade called by the opposition.

The Election Commission is unlikely to extend the time for the submission of nomination papers, chief election commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad hinted Sunday ignoring the demand from HM Ershad faction of Jatiya Party, a ruling coalition partner. 

On November 25, the EC announced that the 10th parliamentary election will be held on January 5. 

The BNP-led opposition alliance demanded cancellation of the one sided election.

The opposition alliance has been demanding inclusive election under a non-party administration with the participation of all the parties. 

The opposition has taken to the streets to press the demanding cancellation of the election schedule.

‘The schedule for the 10th parliamentary polls remains unchanged,’ the CEC told reporters when asked whether there was any possibility to defer the schedule for the submission of nomination papers.

Rakib, however, said that the Election Commission might change the election schedule if the major political parties reached a political consensus on the issue.  

When his attention was drawn to the ongoing blockade hampering submission of nomination papers, the CEC said the submission of nomination papers and other election process were going on across the country.

Asked about Jatiya Party’s call to extend the time for the submission of nomination papers, he said the Jatiya Part raised many demands, ‘And we are scrutinizing their demands.’

The EC is taking all the necessary steps to ensure safety and security of voters as well as all others, he said.

Asked whether the EC would hold the election keeping the main opposition BNP out of it, he said, ‘We waited for a consensus for too long so that all the parties can take part in the election. (source) 

Bangladesh: Khaleda Zia carrying out ‘genocide’, says prime minister Sheikh Hasina

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Sunday, accused the opposition leader, Khaleda Zia of committing genocide saying that the BNP chief was instructing arsonists to kill people in the name of agitation. 

‘She [Khaleda] lives a luxurious life and from her cosy, air-conditioned house, she is instructing her men to kill people. She is committing genocide by directing her men to kill people in arson attacks,’ Hasina said. 

Talking to reporters at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital after visiting the victims of arson during the opposition’s strikes and blockades, the prime minister said the way BNP and its ally Jamaat were killing innocent people by carrying out arson attacks and removing rail tracks was nothing but ‘genocide’ and it could never be called ‘politics’ or 

‘movement’. ‘It is absolute terrorism,’ she added. 

Condemning the mindless arson, Hasina urged Khaleda to stop killing innocent people, including bus drivers and passengers. ‘The opposition leader is in the habit of playing with the lives of the people… I would urge her to stop such cruelties,’ she said. 

The prime minister warned that the government would take sterner action against the people who were carrying out such heinous attacks. ‘Action will also be taken against those who are instructing and instigating such crimes. ‘We will not tolerate if she [Khaleda] orders killing of people.’

Referring to her phone call to the opposition leader for a dialogue, the prime minister said how much flexible she could be towards the BNP. 

The prime minister asked TV reporters and camerapersons to focus on the attackers and capture their photographs so that the culprits could be identified and tracked down. 

During the visit to the burn unit in the afternoon, she gave Tk 10,000 to the families of each victim and told the attending physicians that she would bear the cost of medicines which were not available in the government stock, for the burn victims from the prime minister’s personal fund. 

A total of 51 victims who suffered severe burns in arson attacks during the recent spells of strike and blockade enforced by the BNP-led alliance had been admitted to the burn unit of DMCH. Of them, 37 were undergoing treatment while nine succumbed to their wounds and five had been discharged after treatment. 

Md Zulfikar Ali, director (health affairs) at the Prime Minister’s Office, told reporters that the government had been providing treatment to the burn victims free of cost.    (source)

Bangladesh: Police besiege main opposition party BNP's headquarters

The central office of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party remained locked and confined by the police on Sunday after the police had stormed into the office breaking open the door on

first floor, vandalised office equipments including computers and arrested its joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on early Saturday.

No BNP leader or activist was seen at the party office on Sunday except the office staffs as they were avoiding the office fearing arrest.

The party assigned its joint secretary general Salahdddin Ahmed to act as the party spokesperson in absence of Rizvi, but he was not seen at the party office on the day. He said police were ‘harassing’ him.

Water cannon, riot car, prison van and huge members of police were seen deployed in front of the BNP office.

Police stormed into the BNP’s headquarters climing on the first floor by a ladder and breaking open a door on the first floor at 3.45am on Saturday and arrested Rizvi.

The police had later come out of the building breaking the locks of the main gate with a hacksaw after the 40-minute drive, during which they had ransacked the office, documents, computers and furniture of different rooms including that of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, witnesses said.

At the main gate of the BNP office on Sunday morning, an on-duty plain clothed sub-inspector, Moshiur Rahman, told New Age that they were keeping sharp eyes on the office accordingly they were instructed.

He said that they were directed to arrest anyone who would appear at the BNP office gate excepting journalists.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner (Motijheel zone) Saifur Rahman, however, claimed that the police were ‘just maintaining’ security around the area.

‘We have not sealed the office but no BNP leader came to enter the office’, he said.

The assistant commissioner defended the police’s breaking into the office saying that there was no other means to arrest Rizvi.

Rizvi was staying at the office since October 17. Most of the senior leaders of the party went into hiding after his arrest.

Salahdddin Ahmed, now the party’s spokesperson, told New Age from an unknown place over phone on Sunday that he was not coming to the office as the BNP leaders had decided to avoid arrest. (source) 

India expresses concern over polls-related violence in Bangladesh

Indian foreign minister Salman Khurshid has said India is worried over polls-related violence in Bangladesh.

‘I think there’re some developments that are worrisome. We’re all hopeful that Bangladesh democracy in transition will be as strong as it is in between elections. I know that there’re some issues in Bangladesh that make political parties very…sort of strongly divided in their opinions,’ he told reporters at a function in New Delhi on Saturday.

Khurshid said they are deeply engaged and involved in Bangladesh and in development projects and they would like to see Bangladesh remain peaceful, stable and prosperous.

He said the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies have organised a nationwide protest, demanding postponement of polls dates till an agreement is reached with the government on the formation of a caretaker government.

‘It has led to massive violence in the country and deaths of dozens of people. New Delhi has appealed to its neighbour to ensure peace and stability,’ he added. (source) 

Bangladesh government defers contract signing for offshore bidding for oil, gas amid political unrest

The government has deferred the signing of contracts with US oil company ConocoPhillips and Indian ONGC Videsh for oil and gas exploration in three shallow sea blocks for indefinite period due to ongoing political unrest, officials said.

On Thursday, the energy division asked Petrobangla, the state-run Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Corporation, to suspend the contract signing with Conoco scheduled for today, they said.

Energy Division secretary Md Mozammel Haq Khan on Sunday told New Age, ‘We have completed all the formalities much earlier. Now we are waiting for a peaceful time for signing the contracts since these are some international affairs.’

He did not give a specific date for the occasion. 

Mozammel also said that the contracts with ONGC would be signed after signing the contract with Conoco.

When asked, he said that the government had no legal obligations in signing the contracts now as it was not a policy decision.

On November 24, the energy division asked Petrobangla to issue letters asking the authorities concerned to sign contract with Conoco on December 2.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party led alliance has been enforcing strikes and blockades demanding caretaker government for holding national polls. In recent days, the opposition agitation became violent.

Meanwhile, the government approved the proposals of Conoco for oil and gas exploration in the shallow sea block 7 and ONGC Videsh for the shallow sea blocks 4 and 9 under the Model Production Sharing Contract 2012.

The shallow sea block 7 is adjacent to a deep sea block 11 where the Conoco is now conducting oil and gas exploration under PSC 2008 with another block 10.

According to the summary of the bid proposal, Conoco will conduct 2,350 line-kilometre two dimensional seismic survey and 500 square kilometre three dimensional seismic survey over shallow-sea block 7 and would drill one well in eight years with a $40 million investment.

The ONGC also proposed to conduct 2,847 line-kilometre two dimensional seismic survey and 300 square kilometre three dimensional seismic survey over the shallow sea block 9 and would drill three wells in eight years with $58 million investment.

On December 17, 2012, Petrobangla floated the international tender for oil and gas exploration in nine shallow sea hydrocarbon blocks — 2, 3, 4, and 6 to 11 — and three deep-sea blocks 12, 16, and 21 in the Bay of Bengal. 

Later, being pursued by a number of IOCs, Petrobangla halted the bidding process for deep sea blocks at that time and floated the tender again on October 26, 2013 by amending the model PSC 2012 offering the IOCs more stakes on the produces.

On May 28, Petrobangla also floated re-tender for oil and gas exploration in six shallow sea blocks — 2, 3, 6, 8, 10 and 11 — in the Bay.

In response, on July 29, only Santos-Krisenergy joint-venture submitted a bid for shallow sea hydrocarbon block 11.

Now Santos operates lone offshore hydrocarbon block 16 under production sharing contract. (source) 

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation signs import deals

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation struck fresh deals with eight Singapore based companies for importing 5.1 million metric tonnes of petroleum products from January to December 2014, officials said.

Under the deals BPC would import 3.8 million tones of refined oil and 1.3 million tones of crude, they informed.

The refined petroleum products will include 27 lakh tones of diesel, 7.60   lakh tones of furnace oil, three lakh tones of jet fuel, 30,000 tonnes of octane and 10,000 tonnes of kerosene, they said. 

BPC chairman Eunusur Rahman told New Age that the fresh deals were signed last week to get uninterrupted supplies of petroleum products in 2014.

‘During our stay in Singapore from November 19 to 26, we negotiated the deal with the representatives of the foreign firms before signing the agreements,’ he added.  

He said that the premium, or the charges in addition to fuel price of furnace oil was discussed as its price for 2014 fell by $ two  from $ 37 per tone in 2013.

The premium on other products remained unchanged, he said. 

In 2013, BPC paid the per barrel premium of $ 7.50 for octane, $ 4.80 for diesel, $ 5.80 for jet fuel and kerosene, officials said.

They said that a five-member high power team led by energy ministry secretary Mozammel Huq was in Singapore to strike the deals.    

The team included BPC chairman Eunusur Rahman.

The deals were struck with the suppliers from Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Maldives and Indonesia, they said. 

State-run BPC is the country’s lone importer and distributor of petroleum products.

Imported crude is refined by the country’s lone state owned Eastern Refinery Ltd.  (source)

Bangladesh: HT Imam holds ‘unofficial’ meeting at secretariat

The prime minister’s former adviser on public administration affairs HT Imam on Sunday held an ‘unofficial meeting’ at the secretariat saying goodbye to ministry officials and employees five days after his resignation.

He asked the officials to deliver their constitutional responsibilities all the time no matter which party was in power.

The retired bureaucrat-turned-politician called on the civil servants to work together rising above all differences as the incumbent government was passing through a transitional period before the next polls scheduled for January 5. 

‘Forget all differences and work together to build the country without being greedy for power,’ HT Imam, currently coordinating the ruling Awami League’s election campaign, said as he addressed the gathering of about 200 officials and employees in the public administration ministry’s conference room.

He said that the officers on special duty had expressed their resentment but now it was their turn to work.

‘There is nothing to rejoice or resent in the public service. All will enjoy the facilities already increased for them in the service,’ he told the officials, reminding them of benefits introduced by the Awami League-led government in the past five years for public servants. 

The five advisers, including HT Imam, resigned on November 26 a day after the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, asked them to do so amidst adverse criticism against the growing number of the PM’s advisers as the polls-time ‘small cabinet’ began to function in the run up to the 10th parliamentary elections.

HT Imam’s meeting raised eyebrows as the former adviser was now coordinating the AL’s election campaign. ‘Most of us were not aware of the unofficial meeting. We were asked by seniors to attend the farewell this morning,’ a deputy secretary said.

Asked about the meeting with HT Imam, the public administration ministry’s senior secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder said that it was an ‘informal farewell meeting.’

‘We have worked together for around five years. He is so senior to us that we cannot expect him to visit every room to say goodbye. So we sat together to bid him farewell,’ Abdus Sobhan said. 

Addressing the meeting, the senior secretary praised the role of HT Imam in increasing the facilities for government employees, including extension of retirement age by two years and dearness allowance. 

Sobhan also mentioned that HT Imam had contribution to the promotion process of a large number of officials in the bureaucracy. 

Additional secretary of the ministry Sohrab Hossain conducted the meeting that continued for more than an hour.  (source) 

Bangladesh: RTV newsmen beaten by JL men remanded in custody

A Dhaka court on Sunday remanded in police custody two journalists of a private television, who were beaten by Awami Juba League and handed over to the police, for four days for interrogation.

Witnesses said that RTV staff correspondent Tanzib Rony and cameraperson Prashanta Modak were beaten by the activists of the ruling Awami League-backed youth organisation at the capital’s Kamrangirchar in the morning while they were on duty to cover the 72-hour blockade being enforced by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party led alliance.

RTV staff reporter Khan Al-Amin told New Age that Tanzib and Prashanta were assigned to cover the blockade in Kamrangirchar area. 

At about 7:30am the opposition activists tried to bring out a procession front in front of a local hospital at Kamrangirchar. The pickets, however, left the spot immediately after explosion of two crude bombs and the journalists were taking footage of the scene, the witnesses said.

They said that suddenly Juba League activist appeared the spot and assaulted the journalists and then handed them over to the police, the witnesses said.

The two journalists were detained at the Kamrangirchar police station for seven hours and then a shopkeeper filed a case against 15 people including Tamzid and Proshanta for the explosions.

Kamrangirchar police officer-in-charge, however, claimed that they rescued the two journalists from the mob who were attempting to beat them on allegation of instigating bomb blasts.

At afternoon, the police produced them before the court and metropolitan magistrate Tariq Mainul Islam Bhuiyan remained Tamzid and Proshanta in police custody.

The court also rejected a petition moved by several lawyers seeking bail for Tamzid and Proshnta.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists faction president Ruhul Amin Gazi, and secretary general Shawkat Mahmud 

and Dhaka Union of Journalists faction president Abdul Hai Shikder and general secretary Jahangir Alam in separate statements condemned the arrest and remand of the two RTV journalists.

A release signed by RTV chief news editor Lutfar Rahman, said that Tamzid and Proshanta were assigned to cover the blockade in the old Dhaka including Kamrangirchar area and they were assaulted anti-blockade activists while they were discharging their duties.

The private television demanded immediate release of their two journalists.

In the statements, they said that the government showed its autocratic attitude by the remand of the two journalists in custody.

Earlier, police assaulted reporters of private television channels and damaged equipments of two channels while raiding the headquarters of BNP to arrest the party joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on early Saturday. (source)

Bangladesh: Juba Dal activist killed in Chittagong

Miscreants killed a Juba Dal activist at Kali Bari under Patiya upazila in Chittagong early Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Abdul Gafur, 38, son of the late Abdus Salam from Suvondondi union of the same upazila.

Patiya circle assistant superintendent of police Shafiqul Isalm said that locals found his body lying beside the road.

He was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

The police suspected that Abdul Gafur was killed during night. 

He might have been killed over internal feud, police said. (source) 

Bangladesh parliament speaker says not to contest polls to keep office above controversy

Jatiya Sangsad speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Sunday said that she had to drop the plan to contest the tenth national elections as the ruling Awami League wanted to keep the office of the speaker above controversy.

‘I had planned to contest the polls and a form was collected for me for party nomination for Noakhali 1 parliamentary constituency, but the party high command wanted to keep the office of the speaker above any controversy,’ Shirin told New Age at her office.

A lawmaker elected from one of the seats reserved for women, Shirin took oath as the speaker on April 30.

‘Taking oath, the speaker had wanted to avoid reception from local people of Noakhali 1 constituency, but the top party leaders had asked her to attend the receptions to continue close contact with the people of the constituency for contesting the parliamentary polls,’ said Noakhali’s Sonaimuri upazila chairman AFM Babul.

He said that being instructed, he had bought the party nomination form for Shirin, but three days 

ago they came to know that the party high command asked her not to contest the polls.

KM Ibrahim got the AL ticket from the Noakhali -1 constituency (Sonaimur and Chatkhil upazilas) according to list declared by Awami League secretary general Syed Ashraful Islam on Friday.

The tenure of the ninth parliament will expire on January 24, 2014 and the election to the tenth parliament is scheduled for January 5.  (source)