From New Age
The ninth anniversary of death of the legendary figure in the communist movement in the Indian subcontinent Amal Sen was observed on Monday through a commemorative ceremony held at the Workers Party of Bangladesh office in the capital.
The programme organised by the Amal Sen Smriti Rakkha Committee started with placing of wreaths at a portrait of the revolutionary communist icon, who was the founding president of the WP.
‘It’s a duty of all to show due respect to the late Comrade Amal Sen,’ WP president Rashed Khan Menon said.
WP general secretary Anisur Rahman Mollick and politbureau members Nurul Hasan Selim, Communist Party of Bangladesh president Manzurul Ahsan Khan and general secretary Muzahidul Islam Selim, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal secretary Sharif Nurul Ambia and assistant secretary Shirin Akhter, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal general secretary Khaliquzzaman, Gonotantrik Party secretary Nurul Rahman Selim, 11-party alliance convener Mahmudur Rahman Babu, Gano Forum leader Pankaj Bhattacharya, and Sramik Karmachari Oikko Parishad coordinator Wazedul Islam, among others, were in the ceremony.
A two-day fair will also start in Bakri of Narail on Tuesday to commemorate Amal. The fair will feature programmes including placing of wreaths at the place of Amal Sen’s cremation, a discussion, a rally, and cultural shows.
After the
formation of a unified Workers’ Party of Bangladesh, he was elected president of it in 1992 and again in 1995, and had held this post till 2000. He then
served as a WP central committee member until his death on January 17, 2002.
Dhaka stocks plunge sparks fresh protests
From New Age
The massive fall in share prices on the Dhaka Stock Exchange on Monday triggered fresh street demonstrations by the aggrieved investors in demand of a clear government policy for stabilising the capital market.
DGEN, the benchmark general index of the DSE, lost 3.33 per cent, or 167.68 points, on the day to close at 4,864.30 points. The DGEN slipped by 358 points in the past three days.
Agitated investors staged rowdy demonstrations in front of the DSE building at Motijheel keeping the traffic from Shapla square to Ittefaq crossing at a standstill from 12:20pm to 3:30pm.
Trading at the bourse started in a negative mood on the day with the DGEN losing around 125 points in the first five minutes. The index had fluctuated heavily throughout the session before closing below the psychological benchmark of 5,000 points.
Investors rushed out of different brokerage houses on the street at around 12:20pm and formed a human chain in front of the entrance to the DSE.
They set piles of wooden materials and paper on fire
and chanted slogans against National Board of Revenue chairman Nasiruddin Ahmed, finance minister AMA Muhith, Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman, and DSE president Shakil Rizvi for their failure to bring back stability to the market which had been passing through a depression for more than long one year.
The demonstrating investors demanded withdrawal of the latest NBR order banning investment of money earned in criminal ways in the securities market.
The statutory regulatory order of the revenue board said if the money was earned through criminal acts outlined in other laws then that fund would not be accorded the same privilege as that of undisclosed money.
Earlier in the budget session, the government allowed investment of undisclosed money in stocks without raising any question, subject to payment of a 10 per cent tax.
The NBR on several occasions said the provision would not be changed before the next national budget.
From the demo, investors also demanded stable government policies for stabilising the market. ‘When government policies regarding the equities market are not stable then how will those stabilise the market,’ an investor named Hamid asked.
‘The government is always coming up with short-term solutions for the market while prescribing us to go for long-term investment. This is really ridicules,’ he said.
To a question about the recent market downtrend and investors’ allegations, DSE senior vice president Ahasanul Islam first called on the investors to remain calm and act rationally. He then said, ‘The market is very sensitive and investors are reacting in a mercurial pace to its every change.’
He said the recent market downtrend was a cumulative effect of a number of issues.
‘The margin loan problem is still haunting the market and the lack of institutional participation has been intensifying it,’ he said.
He also said that ‘Rather than going for selling shares at a loss, investors should wait for corporate disclosures due to come out soon.’
The benchmark general index of the country’s premier bourse had slid 37 per cent over 2011 in a worst-ever crash that wiped out investments made by many thousands.
The DGEN which had stood at 8,290.41 points on December 31, 2010, closed on Thursday, the last trading day of the year, at 5,257.60 points, posting a lose of 3,032 points over the last calendar year.
Lack of coordination between the regulatory authorities and other stakeholders also made the measures taken by the government to rejuvenate the country’s ailing capital market ineffective. And so, the Dhaka stocks continued to fall like a stone from miles high in a hopeless, helpless state.
The massive fall in share prices on the Dhaka Stock Exchange on Monday triggered fresh street demonstrations by the aggrieved investors in demand of a clear government policy for stabilising the capital market.
DGEN, the benchmark general index of the DSE, lost 3.33 per cent, or 167.68 points, on the day to close at 4,864.30 points. The DGEN slipped by 358 points in the past three days.
Agitated investors staged rowdy demonstrations in front of the DSE building at Motijheel keeping the traffic from Shapla square to Ittefaq crossing at a standstill from 12:20pm to 3:30pm.
Trading at the bourse started in a negative mood on the day with the DGEN losing around 125 points in the first five minutes. The index had fluctuated heavily throughout the session before closing below the psychological benchmark of 5,000 points.
Investors rushed out of different brokerage houses on the street at around 12:20pm and formed a human chain in front of the entrance to the DSE.
They set piles of wooden materials and paper on fire
and chanted slogans against National Board of Revenue chairman Nasiruddin Ahmed, finance minister AMA Muhith, Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman, and DSE president Shakil Rizvi for their failure to bring back stability to the market which had been passing through a depression for more than long one year.
The demonstrating investors demanded withdrawal of the latest NBR order banning investment of money earned in criminal ways in the securities market.
The statutory regulatory order of the revenue board said if the money was earned through criminal acts outlined in other laws then that fund would not be accorded the same privilege as that of undisclosed money.
Earlier in the budget session, the government allowed investment of undisclosed money in stocks without raising any question, subject to payment of a 10 per cent tax.
The NBR on several occasions said the provision would not be changed before the next national budget.
From the demo, investors also demanded stable government policies for stabilising the market. ‘When government policies regarding the equities market are not stable then how will those stabilise the market,’ an investor named Hamid asked.
‘The government is always coming up with short-term solutions for the market while prescribing us to go for long-term investment. This is really ridicules,’ he said.
To a question about the recent market downtrend and investors’ allegations, DSE senior vice president Ahasanul Islam first called on the investors to remain calm and act rationally. He then said, ‘The market is very sensitive and investors are reacting in a mercurial pace to its every change.’
He said the recent market downtrend was a cumulative effect of a number of issues.
‘The margin loan problem is still haunting the market and the lack of institutional participation has been intensifying it,’ he said.
He also said that ‘Rather than going for selling shares at a loss, investors should wait for corporate disclosures due to come out soon.’
The benchmark general index of the country’s premier bourse had slid 37 per cent over 2011 in a worst-ever crash that wiped out investments made by many thousands.
The DGEN which had stood at 8,290.41 points on December 31, 2010, closed on Thursday, the last trading day of the year, at 5,257.60 points, posting a lose of 3,032 points over the last calendar year.
Lack of coordination between the regulatory authorities and other stakeholders also made the measures taken by the government to rejuvenate the country’s ailing capital market ineffective. And so, the Dhaka stocks continued to fall like a stone from miles high in a hopeless, helpless state.
Public servants to be barred from stocks investment
From New Age
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday asked the authorities concerned to issue an official order reminding the public servants, including members of the armed forces, that they could not invest in any profitable business, including in share market.
The prime minister, while presiding over the weekly meeting of the cabinet at the secretariat, said the government officials and employees as per the service conduct rules could not engage themselves in the capital market, which fluctuates frequently, or any other profitable business, a cabinet member told New Age.
The minister said that Sheikh Hasina had asked the authorities to strictly implement the service rules in this regard.
The order came amid widespread allegations that a large number of public servants, including military officers, had made huge investments in the share market in violation of their service conduct rules. It has been alleged that many such officers and employees remain busy monitoring the capital market online and trading even in office hours.
The cabinet approved the draft amendments to the income tax law, proposing tax waiver for foreign investors and mutual fund income and reduction of tax on brokerage commission to boost the stock market, facing a serious crisis for continuous depression for last one year.
‘No government servant shall speculate in investments. For the purpose of this sub-rule the habitual purchase and sale of securities of notoriously fluctuating value shall be deemed to be speculation in investments,’ reads Section 15 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1979.
It says that no government servant shall make any investment the value of which is likely to be affected by some events of which information is available to him as a government servant and is not equally available to the general public.
‘The authorities have been asked to issue a circular ordering that no public servant either in civil service or in military can invest in any profitable business like share market which fluctuates frequently,’ the prime minister’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the meeting at the secretariat.
He said that the official order would be made available soon with immediate effect.
The amendments of the tax law proposed reduction in tax at source on brokerage commission from 0.10 per cent to 0.05 per cent and waiving 10 per cent tax on mutual fund income to boost up the crisis-ridden stock market, the press secretary added..
The government imposed tax on foreigners’ investment in the capital market during the 2011-12 fiscal budget, but such investment was free of taxes before the current fiscal.
Short-sighted and uncoordinated regulatory policies reportedly helped create the stocks bubble and its riotous burst that had remained in the centre of the government’s economic mismanagement throughout past three years.
Sudden investment inflows, mostly from the banking sector, gave rise to a boom in 2010. Experts said use of funds by the alleged ‘market cartels’ had played a key role in generating a monstrous bull run, the price of which had to be paid later by the retail investors.
Since the beginning of 2011 to its last trading day on December 29, the general index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange dropped by 37 per cent of its value losing 3,032 points.
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday asked the authorities concerned to issue an official order reminding the public servants, including members of the armed forces, that they could not invest in any profitable business, including in share market.
The prime minister, while presiding over the weekly meeting of the cabinet at the secretariat, said the government officials and employees as per the service conduct rules could not engage themselves in the capital market, which fluctuates frequently, or any other profitable business, a cabinet member told New Age.
The minister said that Sheikh Hasina had asked the authorities to strictly implement the service rules in this regard.
The order came amid widespread allegations that a large number of public servants, including military officers, had made huge investments in the share market in violation of their service conduct rules. It has been alleged that many such officers and employees remain busy monitoring the capital market online and trading even in office hours.
The cabinet approved the draft amendments to the income tax law, proposing tax waiver for foreign investors and mutual fund income and reduction of tax on brokerage commission to boost the stock market, facing a serious crisis for continuous depression for last one year.
‘No government servant shall speculate in investments. For the purpose of this sub-rule the habitual purchase and sale of securities of notoriously fluctuating value shall be deemed to be speculation in investments,’ reads Section 15 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1979.
It says that no government servant shall make any investment the value of which is likely to be affected by some events of which information is available to him as a government servant and is not equally available to the general public.
‘The authorities have been asked to issue a circular ordering that no public servant either in civil service or in military can invest in any profitable business like share market which fluctuates frequently,’ the prime minister’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the meeting at the secretariat.
He said that the official order would be made available soon with immediate effect.
The amendments of the tax law proposed reduction in tax at source on brokerage commission from 0.10 per cent to 0.05 per cent and waiving 10 per cent tax on mutual fund income to boost up the crisis-ridden stock market, the press secretary added..
The government imposed tax on foreigners’ investment in the capital market during the 2011-12 fiscal budget, but such investment was free of taxes before the current fiscal.
Short-sighted and uncoordinated regulatory policies reportedly helped create the stocks bubble and its riotous burst that had remained in the centre of the government’s economic mismanagement throughout past three years.
Sudden investment inflows, mostly from the banking sector, gave rise to a boom in 2010. Experts said use of funds by the alleged ‘market cartels’ had played a key role in generating a monstrous bull run, the price of which had to be paid later by the retail investors.
Since the beginning of 2011 to its last trading day on December 29, the general index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange dropped by 37 per cent of its value losing 3,032 points.
ACC approves charges against Khaleda
From New Age
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday pressed graft charges against Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others for using undisclosed money in buying land for a charity named after the late president, Ziaur Rahman.
The investigation officer of the case, Harunur Rashid, submitted the charge sheet to the General Registration Officer of the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court after the commission had approved it in the morning.
The court officials said the charge sheet would be placed before the CMM, AKM Enamul Haque, today for his signature, from where it would be transferred to the senior special judge Mohammad Zohurul Haque for further proceedings.
Khaleda’s lawyer Sanaullah Miah told New Age, ‘The ACC pressed the charge against the leader of the opposition in a bid to harass her politically.’
The ACC has no authority to interfere in the affairs of the private trust, he added.
Khaleda, who had obtained an eight-week bail from the High Court in the case, on December 8, 2012, would go to the CMM court around noon today to furnish her bail bond, the lawyer said.
Charges were also pressed against Haris Chowdhury, political secretary to the then prime minister Khaleda Zia, Ziaul Islam (Munna), former assistant private secretary to Haris, and Manirul Islam Khan, former assistant private secretary to former Dhaka mayor Sadeq Hossain Khoka for helping Khaleda in committing the offence.
Charges were pressed against Khaleda, now leader of the opposition, for committing the offence under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947.
According to the law, the offence is non-bailable, and if the charge is proved, Khaleda may be sentenced to seven years in jail.
The three other accused may also be handed similar punishment for helping her in committing the offence.
The commission made the decision to submit the charge sheet in the case after examining the evidence and documents found during investigation, anti-corruption commissioner Muhammad Sahabuddin told New Age.
Thirty-six people were named as prosecution witnesses in the case, he said.
Harris Chowdhury is on the run while Khaleda and the two others are now on bail, the charge sheet said.
The Shaheed Zia Charitable Trust case was also the first case filed against Khaleda since the Awami League-led alliance assumed office on January 6, 2009.
Harunur Rashid, also assistant director of the commission, lodged the case with the Tejgaon police station on August 8, 2011 against Khaleda and the three.
According to the charge sheet, Khaleda, the then prime minister, had committed criminal misconduct by abusing her power in creating the trust as well as accumulating money from undisclosed sources and buying the piece of land at Kakrail in the city for the trust in 2005.
It also said that an account in the name of Shaheed Zia Charitable Trust had been opened with the Prime Minister’s Office branch of the Sonali Bank on January 9, 2005.
Around Tk 78.9 million was deposited in the bank account after a week. The BNP deposited Tk 61.9 million, Metro Makers Developers Ltd Tk 13.5 million and Ziaul Islam Tk 2.7 million, the charge sheet said.
It further said that the piece of land was bought on January 19, 2005 for Tk 65.2 million. But the seller, Suraiya Khanam, received Tk 12.5 million in addition to the amount the land was bought for.
The additional amount of money in the seller’s bank account came from the trust and the trust failed to show any valid source of the money, said the charge sheet.
It also said that Khaleda had not replied to any of the four letters the commission issued asking her to make a statement on the allegations.
Although the trust was set up in the name of charity, no charitable activities had ever been done by it, the charge sheet alleged.
The case was filed although the commission was yet to reply to a rule issued by the High Court on May 24, 2010 asking it to explain why its notice asking Khaleda to make a statement in connection with the probe into the alleged charity fund graft should not be declared illegal.
This is the second case, in which charges have been pressed against Khaleda since assumption of power by the Awami League.
On August 5, 2009 the corruption watchdog also pressed charges against Khaleda, Tarique and four others for embezzling Tk 2.1 crore from the Zia Orphanage Trust’s fund between June 1991 and February 2007.
Harunur Rashid, who filed the Zia Orphanage Trust case on July 3, 2008 during the rule of the military-controlled interim government, had submitted the charge sheet.
Khaleda is also facing at least three more cases on graft charges – GATCO graft case, Niko graft case and Barapukuria graft case.
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday pressed graft charges against Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others for using undisclosed money in buying land for a charity named after the late president, Ziaur Rahman.
The investigation officer of the case, Harunur Rashid, submitted the charge sheet to the General Registration Officer of the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court after the commission had approved it in the morning.
The court officials said the charge sheet would be placed before the CMM, AKM Enamul Haque, today for his signature, from where it would be transferred to the senior special judge Mohammad Zohurul Haque for further proceedings.
Khaleda’s lawyer Sanaullah Miah told New Age, ‘The ACC pressed the charge against the leader of the opposition in a bid to harass her politically.’
The ACC has no authority to interfere in the affairs of the private trust, he added.
Khaleda, who had obtained an eight-week bail from the High Court in the case, on December 8, 2012, would go to the CMM court around noon today to furnish her bail bond, the lawyer said.
Charges were also pressed against Haris Chowdhury, political secretary to the then prime minister Khaleda Zia, Ziaul Islam (Munna), former assistant private secretary to Haris, and Manirul Islam Khan, former assistant private secretary to former Dhaka mayor Sadeq Hossain Khoka for helping Khaleda in committing the offence.
Charges were pressed against Khaleda, now leader of the opposition, for committing the offence under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947.
According to the law, the offence is non-bailable, and if the charge is proved, Khaleda may be sentenced to seven years in jail.
The three other accused may also be handed similar punishment for helping her in committing the offence.
The commission made the decision to submit the charge sheet in the case after examining the evidence and documents found during investigation, anti-corruption commissioner Muhammad Sahabuddin told New Age.
Thirty-six people were named as prosecution witnesses in the case, he said.
Harris Chowdhury is on the run while Khaleda and the two others are now on bail, the charge sheet said.
The Shaheed Zia Charitable Trust case was also the first case filed against Khaleda since the Awami League-led alliance assumed office on January 6, 2009.
Harunur Rashid, also assistant director of the commission, lodged the case with the Tejgaon police station on August 8, 2011 against Khaleda and the three.
According to the charge sheet, Khaleda, the then prime minister, had committed criminal misconduct by abusing her power in creating the trust as well as accumulating money from undisclosed sources and buying the piece of land at Kakrail in the city for the trust in 2005.
It also said that an account in the name of Shaheed Zia Charitable Trust had been opened with the Prime Minister’s Office branch of the Sonali Bank on January 9, 2005.
Around Tk 78.9 million was deposited in the bank account after a week. The BNP deposited Tk 61.9 million, Metro Makers Developers Ltd Tk 13.5 million and Ziaul Islam Tk 2.7 million, the charge sheet said.
It further said that the piece of land was bought on January 19, 2005 for Tk 65.2 million. But the seller, Suraiya Khanam, received Tk 12.5 million in addition to the amount the land was bought for.
The additional amount of money in the seller’s bank account came from the trust and the trust failed to show any valid source of the money, said the charge sheet.
It also said that Khaleda had not replied to any of the four letters the commission issued asking her to make a statement on the allegations.
Although the trust was set up in the name of charity, no charitable activities had ever been done by it, the charge sheet alleged.
The case was filed although the commission was yet to reply to a rule issued by the High Court on May 24, 2010 asking it to explain why its notice asking Khaleda to make a statement in connection with the probe into the alleged charity fund graft should not be declared illegal.
This is the second case, in which charges have been pressed against Khaleda since assumption of power by the Awami League.
On August 5, 2009 the corruption watchdog also pressed charges against Khaleda, Tarique and four others for embezzling Tk 2.1 crore from the Zia Orphanage Trust’s fund between June 1991 and February 2007.
Harunur Rashid, who filed the Zia Orphanage Trust case on July 3, 2008 during the rule of the military-controlled interim government, had submitted the charge sheet.
Khaleda is also facing at least three more cases on graft charges – GATCO graft case, Niko graft case and Barapukuria graft case.
JU proctor quits as protests on
From New Age
The proctor of Jahangirnagar University, Arju Miah, on Monday resigned his position in the face continued teacher-student protests since a student was tortured to death by activists of Chhatra League on January 9.
The protesters described the proctor’s resignation as their partial victory and said they would continue the movement until all of their demands was met. They warned that they would wage a movement for resignation of vice-chancellor Shariff Enamul Kabir if he failed meet the demands.
Arju Miah announced his resignation at a press conference about 12:30pm in the senate hall saying that he had made the decision for the sake of ‘peaceful academic atmosphere on the campus’.
A media release issued by the university’s public relations office said, ‘Professor Dr Mohammad Arju Miah has willingly stepped down from the proctor’s post, considering the situation that arose after the death of Zubair Ahmed, a fourth-year student of English department.’
He turned in his resignation to allow the university’s ‘regular activities to continue’, read the release.
Despite leaving the position of the proctor, Arju still retains the posts of the provost of Shaheed Rafique-Zabbar Hall and president of the university shop owners’ association.
The teachers protesting under the banner of ‘Shikkhak Samaj’ said they would resume their academic and administrative activities today as the proctor had been removed but they stuck to their remaining demands, including ‘punishment’ of Arju Miah as per the university’s ‘efficiency and discipline’ rules for assaulting the president of the university teachers’ association, AA Mamun.
Nasim Akhtar Hossain, a professor of government and politics, told New Age, ‘We will join work tomorrow [Tuesday] but our movement would continue until all our demands are met. If the vice-chancellor fails to accept the demands, we would have no option but to wage a movement [for his resignation].’
‘Our demands have been fulfilled partially. Our key demands, the resignation of the entire proctorial body, expulsion of all people involved in Zubair killing, security of all students and teachers and proper academic atmosphere,’ she said.
After the proctor’s resignation, the students under the banner of ‘Jahangirnagar against terrorism’ announced that they would continue their protests until all their demands were met.
Amid continued protests, the university authorities have expelled three students for their involvement in torturing Zubair to death and police arrested four students. A security officer was also sacked after the killing.
The students and teachers are demanding a judicial investigation of the killing of Zubair Ahmed, a fourth-year English department student who was tortured to death on January 9 by a faction of Chhatra League said to be loyal to the vice-chancellor.
They accused the vice-chancellor of harbouring hooligans and warned him of movement for his removal if he failed to meet the demands.
The proctor of Jahangirnagar University, Arju Miah, on Monday resigned his position in the face continued teacher-student protests since a student was tortured to death by activists of Chhatra League on January 9.
The protesters described the proctor’s resignation as their partial victory and said they would continue the movement until all of their demands was met. They warned that they would wage a movement for resignation of vice-chancellor Shariff Enamul Kabir if he failed meet the demands.
Arju Miah announced his resignation at a press conference about 12:30pm in the senate hall saying that he had made the decision for the sake of ‘peaceful academic atmosphere on the campus’.
A media release issued by the university’s public relations office said, ‘Professor Dr Mohammad Arju Miah has willingly stepped down from the proctor’s post, considering the situation that arose after the death of Zubair Ahmed, a fourth-year student of English department.’
He turned in his resignation to allow the university’s ‘regular activities to continue’, read the release.
Despite leaving the position of the proctor, Arju still retains the posts of the provost of Shaheed Rafique-Zabbar Hall and president of the university shop owners’ association.
The teachers protesting under the banner of ‘Shikkhak Samaj’ said they would resume their academic and administrative activities today as the proctor had been removed but they stuck to their remaining demands, including ‘punishment’ of Arju Miah as per the university’s ‘efficiency and discipline’ rules for assaulting the president of the university teachers’ association, AA Mamun.
Nasim Akhtar Hossain, a professor of government and politics, told New Age, ‘We will join work tomorrow [Tuesday] but our movement would continue until all our demands are met. If the vice-chancellor fails to accept the demands, we would have no option but to wage a movement [for his resignation].’
‘Our demands have been fulfilled partially. Our key demands, the resignation of the entire proctorial body, expulsion of all people involved in Zubair killing, security of all students and teachers and proper academic atmosphere,’ she said.
After the proctor’s resignation, the students under the banner of ‘Jahangirnagar against terrorism’ announced that they would continue their protests until all their demands were met.
Amid continued protests, the university authorities have expelled three students for their involvement in torturing Zubair to death and police arrested four students. A security officer was also sacked after the killing.
The students and teachers are demanding a judicial investigation of the killing of Zubair Ahmed, a fourth-year English department student who was tortured to death on January 9 by a faction of Chhatra League said to be loyal to the vice-chancellor.
They accused the vice-chancellor of harbouring hooligans and warned him of movement for his removal if he failed to meet the demands.
ICT to hear arguments on Jan 26
From New Age
The International Crimes Tribunal on Monday set January 26 to hear the arguments on taking cognisance of the charges pressed by prosecution against detained Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.
On Monday morning the prosecution formally submitted a fresh charge sheet against Mojaheed.
Also known as war crimes tribunal, the ICT was instituted to try the suspects of 1971 war crimes.
According to prosecution sources, Mojaheed has been charged with 34 counts of war crimes, for his alleged complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 War of Independence.
Mojaheed faces charges of complicity in genocide in Faridpur, helping Pakistani occupation army in the abduction and murder of journalist Sirajuddin Hossain, musician Altaf Mahmud and freedom fighter Shafi Imam Rumi, son of Shahid Janani Jahanara Imam, in Dhaka, they said.
Mojaheed faces the charge of insisting on the occupation army to kill them immediately to prevent them from getting the benefit of general amnesty the then Pakistan president was expected to announce.
Mojaheed with his Al-Badr Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, also faces the charges of killing 25 to 30 people, looting about 300-350 houses and setting houses on fire in the villages of Balidangi, Boidyadangi, Majhidangi in Charbhadrasan in Faridpur.
He is charged with 34 counts of war crimes, including eight counts of genocide, eight counts of crimes against humanity and murder, seven counts for insisting upon the occupation army to kill several people and 11 counts of robbery and arson.
On December 28, 2011, the tribunal returned the charge sheet against Mojaheed and Jamaat assistant secretary general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and directed the prosecution to submit a fresh charge sheet against Kamaruzzaman by January 14 and against Mojaheed by January 16 in an organised way and proper format.
The tribunal of Justice Nizamul Huq, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir and judge AKM Zahir Ahmed had returned the charge sheets with the observation that prepared in a scattered and disorganised manner they were not in proper format.
On Sunday the prosecution submitted fresh charge sheets, which charged Kamruzzaman with nine counts of war crimes crime, including conspiracy, genocide and crimes against humanity.
The tribunal is yet to set a date for hearing the arguments on taking cognisance of the charges against Kamruzzaman.
Kamaruzzaman’s areas of operation included Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Tangail and Sherpur, according to prosecutor Zead Al Malum.
He also said Kamaruzzaman was the chief coordinator of Al Badr Bahini.
The International Crimes Tribunal on Monday set January 26 to hear the arguments on taking cognisance of the charges pressed by prosecution against detained Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.
On Monday morning the prosecution formally submitted a fresh charge sheet against Mojaheed.
Also known as war crimes tribunal, the ICT was instituted to try the suspects of 1971 war crimes.
According to prosecution sources, Mojaheed has been charged with 34 counts of war crimes, for his alleged complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 War of Independence.
Mojaheed faces charges of complicity in genocide in Faridpur, helping Pakistani occupation army in the abduction and murder of journalist Sirajuddin Hossain, musician Altaf Mahmud and freedom fighter Shafi Imam Rumi, son of Shahid Janani Jahanara Imam, in Dhaka, they said.
Mojaheed faces the charge of insisting on the occupation army to kill them immediately to prevent them from getting the benefit of general amnesty the then Pakistan president was expected to announce.
Mojaheed with his Al-Badr Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, also faces the charges of killing 25 to 30 people, looting about 300-350 houses and setting houses on fire in the villages of Balidangi, Boidyadangi, Majhidangi in Charbhadrasan in Faridpur.
He is charged with 34 counts of war crimes, including eight counts of genocide, eight counts of crimes against humanity and murder, seven counts for insisting upon the occupation army to kill several people and 11 counts of robbery and arson.
On December 28, 2011, the tribunal returned the charge sheet against Mojaheed and Jamaat assistant secretary general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and directed the prosecution to submit a fresh charge sheet against Kamaruzzaman by January 14 and against Mojaheed by January 16 in an organised way and proper format.
The tribunal of Justice Nizamul Huq, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir and judge AKM Zahir Ahmed had returned the charge sheets with the observation that prepared in a scattered and disorganised manner they were not in proper format.
On Sunday the prosecution submitted fresh charge sheets, which charged Kamruzzaman with nine counts of war crimes crime, including conspiracy, genocide and crimes against humanity.
The tribunal is yet to set a date for hearing the arguments on taking cognisance of the charges against Kamruzzaman.
Kamaruzzaman’s areas of operation included Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Tangail and Sherpur, according to prosecutor Zead Al Malum.
He also said Kamaruzzaman was the chief coordinator of Al Badr Bahini.
Energy sector turned into ‘haven for plunderers’: Khaleda
From New Age
The opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, on Monday said all corruption, irregularities, anarchy and plunder in public procurement would be investigated and the persons responsible would be brought to book if her party returned to power.
She said the power and energy sector had become ‘a haven for local and foreign plunderers’ with work orders of mega projects being given without tenders.
Khaleda, also the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, said her previous government had enacted public procurement act and public procurement rules in order to ensure transparency and accountability in public sector
purchase but the present government ignored them and passed another act giving indemnity to all acts of ‘plunder’ and turned the power sector into a ‘haven for the plunderers of the ruling party’.
The BNP chief said the government had pushed the economy to the ‘brink of bankruptcy’ by gross politicisation, tender manipulation and excessive increase in state expenditure in unproductive sectors. ‘Endless corruption in different projects prompted the World Bank and other donor agencies to stop release of funds and they are showing no interest in funding new projects,’ she said at the concluding session of the 53rd convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in the city.
Khaleda ridiculed the government’s claims of successes in the power sector saying the net loss in the sector was around Tk 800 crore during her rule but it rose to Tk 8,000 crore in the previous fiscal and experts projected that the loss would reach Tk 15,000 crore in the current fiscal despite fuel price hikes several times and average power generation did not increase beyond 1,000 megawatts.
She claimed that power generation during her government had increased to more than 4,000 megawatts but the incumbents were claiming that power generation had not increased by a single megawatt during the BNP rule. She said that if her successors had continued with the projects taken by her government, more 4,000 megawatts of power could have been generated by 2012.
She alleged that the incumbent government had created an ‘artificial crisis’ of power and become interested in setting up rental power plants reducing public sector power generation to 40 per cent of the total generation.
She also alleged that the ruling party-backed middlemen were given chances to plunder money through such rental plants with the government paying the price in dollar at a high rate.
Khaleda pledged for rapid and sustained measures to solve the problems in power and energy sector, ensure energy security, development of communication infrastructure, especially road, railway and waterways.
She also called for ‘national unity’ to face up to the ‘aggression’ of a ‘mighty neighbour’ on the environment, ecology, water and agriculture and referred to the Indian move to construct a dam on the River Barak and the impact of Farakka dam over past 40 years.
The opposition leader said the country was passing through a ‘grave crisis’ as democracy was in ‘danger’ and practice of regime change through fair elections had been obstructed. She called on the engineers to take part in the struggle for building a democratic and prosperous Bangladesh.
The IEB president M Nurul Huda, general secretary M Abdus Sabur and member- secretary of the convention preparation committee Mohammad Hossain also spoke at the programme.
The opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, on Monday said all corruption, irregularities, anarchy and plunder in public procurement would be investigated and the persons responsible would be brought to book if her party returned to power.
She said the power and energy sector had become ‘a haven for local and foreign plunderers’ with work orders of mega projects being given without tenders.
Khaleda, also the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, said her previous government had enacted public procurement act and public procurement rules in order to ensure transparency and accountability in public sector
purchase but the present government ignored them and passed another act giving indemnity to all acts of ‘plunder’ and turned the power sector into a ‘haven for the plunderers of the ruling party’.
The BNP chief said the government had pushed the economy to the ‘brink of bankruptcy’ by gross politicisation, tender manipulation and excessive increase in state expenditure in unproductive sectors. ‘Endless corruption in different projects prompted the World Bank and other donor agencies to stop release of funds and they are showing no interest in funding new projects,’ she said at the concluding session of the 53rd convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in the city.
Khaleda ridiculed the government’s claims of successes in the power sector saying the net loss in the sector was around Tk 800 crore during her rule but it rose to Tk 8,000 crore in the previous fiscal and experts projected that the loss would reach Tk 15,000 crore in the current fiscal despite fuel price hikes several times and average power generation did not increase beyond 1,000 megawatts.
She claimed that power generation during her government had increased to more than 4,000 megawatts but the incumbents were claiming that power generation had not increased by a single megawatt during the BNP rule. She said that if her successors had continued with the projects taken by her government, more 4,000 megawatts of power could have been generated by 2012.
She alleged that the incumbent government had created an ‘artificial crisis’ of power and become interested in setting up rental power plants reducing public sector power generation to 40 per cent of the total generation.
She also alleged that the ruling party-backed middlemen were given chances to plunder money through such rental plants with the government paying the price in dollar at a high rate.
Khaleda pledged for rapid and sustained measures to solve the problems in power and energy sector, ensure energy security, development of communication infrastructure, especially road, railway and waterways.
She also called for ‘national unity’ to face up to the ‘aggression’ of a ‘mighty neighbour’ on the environment, ecology, water and agriculture and referred to the Indian move to construct a dam on the River Barak and the impact of Farakka dam over past 40 years.
The opposition leader said the country was passing through a ‘grave crisis’ as democracy was in ‘danger’ and practice of regime change through fair elections had been obstructed. She called on the engineers to take part in the struggle for building a democratic and prosperous Bangladesh.
The IEB president M Nurul Huda, general secretary M Abdus Sabur and member- secretary of the convention preparation committee Mohammad Hossain also spoke at the programme.
UK favours dialogue for healthy democracy, fair elections in Bangladesh
From New Age
The UK secretary of state for international development, Andrew Mitchell, on Monday urged the government of Bangladesh to focus its attention on ‘ensuring a healthy democracy’ and boosting the private sector, according to a British High Commission press release.
He stressed that constructive dialogue and strong, independent and accountable institutions ‘are crucial’ to
achieve sustainable democracy and development, particularly in the run up to the next national elections.
For free and fair elections dialogue between the government and the political parties is crucial, he told a news conference at the British High Commission’s club at Baridhara.
Mitchell leaves Dhaka, on way to Kathmandu, Tuesday morning, ending a three-day official visit to Bangladesh beginning Saturday.
He described president Zillur Rahman’s attempt to consult major political parties as a ‘welcome move’ and said that ‘any agreement’ among the parties would help holding credible elections in Bangladesh.
Strong, independent and accountable institutions are crucial to achieve sustainable democracy and development, Mitchell said.
Re-affirming his country’s commitment to Bangladesh’s development, Mitchell said that Britain planned to a significant scale up its aid programme to Dhaka over the next three years, but it would depend on the ‘robust delivery of results.’
He also said that for scaling up the aid package, his country would emphsasise on ‘value for money and accountability for every British pound spent’.
Mitchell said that the British government had zero tolerance to corruption.
He said that his country would also expect Bangladesh government to focus its attention on boosting the private sector to let it play its role in development to generate growth, trade and jobs.
Mitchell said he raised the issue of Grameen Bank and its former managing director Mohammad Yunus with foreign minister Dipu Moni.
He described Grameen Bank as a stunning example in the world on lifting people out of poverty.
He said that foreign minister Dipu Moni agreed with him about the huge contribution of the founder of Grameen Bank.
He said that Moni told him that the government had to follow the law and the regulations on the issue of Grameen Bank.
Asked about the British government’s decisions getting tough with migrant workers and foreign workers, Mitchell said, ‘We must make sure that our visa system is effective.’
British High Commissioner Robert Gibson and Department for International Development country representative Gwen Hines were present at the news conference.
During his visits to UK-funded projects run by BRAC and UCEP, Mitchell emphasised the need for finding new solutions to reach the poorest to lift them out of the cycle of poverty.
Mitchell met prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia, finance minister AMA Muhith, foreign minister Dipu Moni and representatives of the private sector and NGOs.
The UK secretary of state for international development, Andrew Mitchell, on Monday urged the government of Bangladesh to focus its attention on ‘ensuring a healthy democracy’ and boosting the private sector, according to a British High Commission press release.
He stressed that constructive dialogue and strong, independent and accountable institutions ‘are crucial’ to
achieve sustainable democracy and development, particularly in the run up to the next national elections.
For free and fair elections dialogue between the government and the political parties is crucial, he told a news conference at the British High Commission’s club at Baridhara.
Mitchell leaves Dhaka, on way to Kathmandu, Tuesday morning, ending a three-day official visit to Bangladesh beginning Saturday.
He described president Zillur Rahman’s attempt to consult major political parties as a ‘welcome move’ and said that ‘any agreement’ among the parties would help holding credible elections in Bangladesh.
Strong, independent and accountable institutions are crucial to achieve sustainable democracy and development, Mitchell said.
Re-affirming his country’s commitment to Bangladesh’s development, Mitchell said that Britain planned to a significant scale up its aid programme to Dhaka over the next three years, but it would depend on the ‘robust delivery of results.’
He also said that for scaling up the aid package, his country would emphsasise on ‘value for money and accountability for every British pound spent’.
Mitchell said that the British government had zero tolerance to corruption.
He said that his country would also expect Bangladesh government to focus its attention on boosting the private sector to let it play its role in development to generate growth, trade and jobs.
Mitchell said he raised the issue of Grameen Bank and its former managing director Mohammad Yunus with foreign minister Dipu Moni.
He described Grameen Bank as a stunning example in the world on lifting people out of poverty.
He said that foreign minister Dipu Moni agreed with him about the huge contribution of the founder of Grameen Bank.
He said that Moni told him that the government had to follow the law and the regulations on the issue of Grameen Bank.
Asked about the British government’s decisions getting tough with migrant workers and foreign workers, Mitchell said, ‘We must make sure that our visa system is effective.’
British High Commissioner Robert Gibson and Department for International Development country representative Gwen Hines were present at the news conference.
During his visits to UK-funded projects run by BRAC and UCEP, Mitchell emphasised the need for finding new solutions to reach the poorest to lift them out of the cycle of poverty.
Mitchell met prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia, finance minister AMA Muhith, foreign minister Dipu Moni and representatives of the private sector and NGOs.
Prosecution asked to submit charges against Alim by March 15
From New Age
The International Crimes Tribunal on Monday asked the prosecution to submit by March 15 formal charges against Abdul Alim, former BNP lawmaker and minister.
The ICT issued the order after the prosecution informed it that the war crimes investigation agency had submitted its report against Alim in the morning
Also known as war crimes tribunal, the ICT was instituted for prosecuting the
1971 war crimes suspects.
The prosecution sought time for examining the investigation report and other documents submitted by the investigation agency for preparing the formal charges against Alim
The tribunal of Justice Nizamul Huq, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir and judge AKM Zahir Ahmed also extended the period of the conditional bail, it had granted to Alim on March 31, 2011, and asked Alim to appear before the tribunal on March 15.
The investigation agency submitted the report Monday morning in compliance with the order the tribunal had issued on October 18, 2011.
The investigation report found Alim’s involvement in 17 incidents of crimes against humanity in Jaipurhat during the War of Independence in 1971, including three rapes, murder of 684 people, dumping bodies of a number of them in mass graves, arson, abduction, torture, robbery and forced deportation of a number of people, the investors said.
Alim appeared before the tribunal seated in a wheelchair.
Arrested at Jaipurhat on March 27, 2011, Alim was released, on conditional bail, from Dhaka Central Jail on April 1, 2011.
He was arrested about nine hours after the tribunal had issued a warrant sought by the prosecution on war crimes charges.
On March 31, the tribunal granted him the conditional bail.
Among the war crimes accused, so far, the tribunal granted bail to Alim alone.
The International Crimes Tribunal on Monday asked the prosecution to submit by March 15 formal charges against Abdul Alim, former BNP lawmaker and minister.
The ICT issued the order after the prosecution informed it that the war crimes investigation agency had submitted its report against Alim in the morning
Also known as war crimes tribunal, the ICT was instituted for prosecuting the
1971 war crimes suspects.
The prosecution sought time for examining the investigation report and other documents submitted by the investigation agency for preparing the formal charges against Alim
The tribunal of Justice Nizamul Huq, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir and judge AKM Zahir Ahmed also extended the period of the conditional bail, it had granted to Alim on March 31, 2011, and asked Alim to appear before the tribunal on March 15.
The investigation agency submitted the report Monday morning in compliance with the order the tribunal had issued on October 18, 2011.
The investigation report found Alim’s involvement in 17 incidents of crimes against humanity in Jaipurhat during the War of Independence in 1971, including three rapes, murder of 684 people, dumping bodies of a number of them in mass graves, arson, abduction, torture, robbery and forced deportation of a number of people, the investors said.
Alim appeared before the tribunal seated in a wheelchair.
Arrested at Jaipurhat on March 27, 2011, Alim was released, on conditional bail, from Dhaka Central Jail on April 1, 2011.
He was arrested about nine hours after the tribunal had issued a warrant sought by the prosecution on war crimes charges.
On March 31, the tribunal granted him the conditional bail.
Among the war crimes accused, so far, the tribunal granted bail to Alim alone.
67-year-old man wants justice
From New Age
A 67-year man on Monday sought justice from International Crimes Tribunal against the detained Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nayeb-e-amir Delwar Hossain Sayedee for abduction and rape of his three sisters in 1971.
The 13th prosecution witness, who had a grocery shop at Parerhat in Pirojpur in 1971, broke down in tears while making his deposition before the tribunal, also known as war crimes tribunal, instiuted for trial of war
crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence.
‘I have been bearing the pain in my heart for the last 40 years seeking justice,’ he said.
In his deposition, the witness said Sayedee, along with his Razakar Bahini, attacked and robbed his house on a day in 1971 and abducted his three younger sisters.
Sayedee and the attackers handed the three sisters over to the Pakistani occupation army camp in Pirojpur, where they were raped for three days.
The three sisters came back home after three days, when they were freed from the army camp, and described to their mother the molestation they had to face at the camp of the occupation army.
The tribunal asked all, who were in the courtroom, not to disclose the identity of the victims.
The man, belonging to Hindu community, also stated that Sayedee had forced all the members of his family, along with about 100-150 Hindus of the locality, including Narayan Saha, Nikhil Paul, Sunil Paul, Haran Bhowmick and Gouranga Paul, to be converted into Islam and to say prayers at mosque.
Sayedee had named the man ‘Abdul Gani’ after converting him into Islam.
The man said he was reconverted into Hinduism after the independence of the country.
He also mentioned that all of his family but himself went to India to escape the shame and never came back. His father and mother had died in India.
Some of the Hindus, who were forced to be converted into Islam by Sayedee, had died and some of them went to India.
In the cross-examination by Sayedee’s defence counsel Mizanul Islam, the witness said the Razakars had robbed his shop along with other shops and houses of Hindus at Parerhat before the Pakistani occupation army reached there.
In reply to the defence counsel’s queries, the witness said he knew the 12 prosecution witnesses who had made their depositions before the tribunal in the case.
He said he could not recollect whether he had seen them during the war of independence, as most of the people, including him, had to remain in hiding most of the times in those days.
He also said that he could not say whether those prosecution witnesses, excepting Mahbub Alam, knew about the abduction and rape of his sisters.
He, however, said that Mahbub might come to know about the incident.
A 67-year man on Monday sought justice from International Crimes Tribunal against the detained Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nayeb-e-amir Delwar Hossain Sayedee for abduction and rape of his three sisters in 1971.
The 13th prosecution witness, who had a grocery shop at Parerhat in Pirojpur in 1971, broke down in tears while making his deposition before the tribunal, also known as war crimes tribunal, instiuted for trial of war
crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence.
‘I have been bearing the pain in my heart for the last 40 years seeking justice,’ he said.
In his deposition, the witness said Sayedee, along with his Razakar Bahini, attacked and robbed his house on a day in 1971 and abducted his three younger sisters.
Sayedee and the attackers handed the three sisters over to the Pakistani occupation army camp in Pirojpur, where they were raped for three days.
The three sisters came back home after three days, when they were freed from the army camp, and described to their mother the molestation they had to face at the camp of the occupation army.
The tribunal asked all, who were in the courtroom, not to disclose the identity of the victims.
The man, belonging to Hindu community, also stated that Sayedee had forced all the members of his family, along with about 100-150 Hindus of the locality, including Narayan Saha, Nikhil Paul, Sunil Paul, Haran Bhowmick and Gouranga Paul, to be converted into Islam and to say prayers at mosque.
Sayedee had named the man ‘Abdul Gani’ after converting him into Islam.
The man said he was reconverted into Hinduism after the independence of the country.
He also mentioned that all of his family but himself went to India to escape the shame and never came back. His father and mother had died in India.
Some of the Hindus, who were forced to be converted into Islam by Sayedee, had died and some of them went to India.
In the cross-examination by Sayedee’s defence counsel Mizanul Islam, the witness said the Razakars had robbed his shop along with other shops and houses of Hindus at Parerhat before the Pakistani occupation army reached there.
In reply to the defence counsel’s queries, the witness said he knew the 12 prosecution witnesses who had made their depositions before the tribunal in the case.
He said he could not recollect whether he had seen them during the war of independence, as most of the people, including him, had to remain in hiding most of the times in those days.
He also said that he could not say whether those prosecution witnesses, excepting Mahbub Alam, knew about the abduction and rape of his sisters.
He, however, said that Mahbub might come to know about the incident.
Ghulam Azam to be brought back to jail after discharge by hospital: IG prisons
From New Age
Ghulam Azam would brought back to Dhaka Central Jail after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital discharges him, the inspector general of prisons said on Monday.
‘We will bring him back to jail after getting a release letter from the hospital authorities,’ IG prisons Brigadier General Mohammad Ashraful Islam Khan told a media briefing at his office.
Azam is under treatment at the BSMMU Hospital.
‘An x-ray, recommended by the physicians, had been done on his waist on Monday’, BSMMU Hospital director brigadier general Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told New Age.
The doctors on Sunday advised Azam’s MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and X-ray after he complained of back pain.
Bhuiyan said the MRI could not be conducted as he had it done a few days back.
‘We are trying to bring the report from his home,’ he said.
‘If the report serves the purpose no fresh MRI test will be needed,’ he added.
On Saturday, the BSMMU authorities told the jail authorities in a letter that Azam needed no treatment in a hospital, after a medical board had given its report on his health.
But, on Sunday the medical board advised for shifting him to orthopaedics department following waist pain.
Azam, charged with 62 counts of war crimes, including crimes against humanity, was shifted to BSMMU Hospital from Dhaka central Jail.
His medical board comprises professor of cardiology Sajal Kumar Banarjee and associate professor of nephrology Habibur Rahman Dulal.
Ghulam Azam would brought back to Dhaka Central Jail after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital discharges him, the inspector general of prisons said on Monday.
‘We will bring him back to jail after getting a release letter from the hospital authorities,’ IG prisons Brigadier General Mohammad Ashraful Islam Khan told a media briefing at his office.
Azam is under treatment at the BSMMU Hospital.
‘An x-ray, recommended by the physicians, had been done on his waist on Monday’, BSMMU Hospital director brigadier general Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told New Age.
The doctors on Sunday advised Azam’s MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and X-ray after he complained of back pain.
Bhuiyan said the MRI could not be conducted as he had it done a few days back.
‘We are trying to bring the report from his home,’ he said.
‘If the report serves the purpose no fresh MRI test will be needed,’ he added.
On Saturday, the BSMMU authorities told the jail authorities in a letter that Azam needed no treatment in a hospital, after a medical board had given its report on his health.
But, on Sunday the medical board advised for shifting him to orthopaedics department following waist pain.
Azam, charged with 62 counts of war crimes, including crimes against humanity, was shifted to BSMMU Hospital from Dhaka central Jail.
His medical board comprises professor of cardiology Sajal Kumar Banarjee and associate professor of nephrology Habibur Rahman Dulal.
Farmers worried about cold injury on seedling beds
From New Age
Boro cultivation began across the country with farmers in many places expressing their worry that the seedling beds could suffer from cold injuries.
Farmers in the districts in northern Rangpur division as well as Jhinaidah and Manikganj said a good number of seedbeds in their areas had become yellowish due to fog and severe cold weather. The young plants aged below two weeks were the worst affected, they said.
However, officials of the department of agriculture extension in Dhaka said they were yet to receive any information about cold injury on seedling beds.
‘We have targeted to bring 47.8 lakh hectares of land under Boro cultivation and it would need 2.5 lakh hectares of seedling beds,’ DAE field service wing director Md Eunus Ali told New Age.
He said that the department was not at all worried about seedling beds as the target of 2.5 lakh hectares had already crossed and the government ensured supply of quality seeds.
DAE field level officials have been asked to advise farmers what to do in case of foggy weather and cold, he added.
‘Like most of the farmers in our area, all my seedling beds have been damaged in fog and cold injury… all the seedlings turned yellowish and gradually died,’ Md Jamat Ali, a farmer in Shibalay upazila in Manikganj said.
Md Mamun-ur-Rashid, deputy director of Manikganj DAE, claimed the affected seedbeds were very few and they had been trying to recover from the situation by advising the farmers what to do to tackle the situation.
Md Solaiman, a farmer of Ajitmari upazila in Lalmonirhat, said seedling bed damage will increase the cost of his boro production as he will have to buy seedlings from the market.
DAE officials in Dhaka said they have been advising the farmers to cover the seedling beds with polythene, pouring water in the bed in the evening and releasing it in the morning, applying muriate of potash (MOP) fertilizer or a mixture of water and cow-dung in the seedling beds to save the young plants.
DAE has set the target to produce 187 lakh tonnes of rice in the ongoing Boro season. Earlier, farmers got three consecutive bumper productions – 178 lakh tonnes in 2009, 183 lakh tonnes in 2010 and around 186 lakh tonnes in 2011.
New Age correspondent in Rangpur reported that farmers of eight districts in Rangpur division feared a reduction in boro output in the current season due to delayed transplantation for repeated cold wave coupled with dense fog that damaged a large portion of seedbeds.
The seedlings meant for transplantation have been turning yellowish due to the hostile weather, they said, adding that spraying pesticides did not help them much.
‘I managed to procure quality boro seeds at high prices and prepared seedbeds on 30 decimal of lands, but repeated cold wave and dense fog damaged the seedbeds. So, I have to take alternative ways to make up the damage that will cost me more time and additional investment, said farmer Alam Miah under Pirgacha upazilla in Rangpur.
Rangpur regional DAE officials said about 25 per cent of 38,706 hectares of seedling beds were affected by cold injury in eight districts of Rangpur division in the current season.
Kali Das Devnath, additional director of Rangpur regional DAE, said cold wave usually hits the northern region in mid-January when the plants become matured enough to resist the attack but this year the chilly weather hit earlier and caused damage to tender plants.
The farmers of the region prefer BRRI dhan-28 and 29 for boro farming which do not have cold tolerant characteristics and so the seedbeds have been damaged, Devnath added.
Boro cultivation began across the country with farmers in many places expressing their worry that the seedling beds could suffer from cold injuries.
Farmers in the districts in northern Rangpur division as well as Jhinaidah and Manikganj said a good number of seedbeds in their areas had become yellowish due to fog and severe cold weather. The young plants aged below two weeks were the worst affected, they said.
However, officials of the department of agriculture extension in Dhaka said they were yet to receive any information about cold injury on seedling beds.
‘We have targeted to bring 47.8 lakh hectares of land under Boro cultivation and it would need 2.5 lakh hectares of seedling beds,’ DAE field service wing director Md Eunus Ali told New Age.
He said that the department was not at all worried about seedling beds as the target of 2.5 lakh hectares had already crossed and the government ensured supply of quality seeds.
DAE field level officials have been asked to advise farmers what to do in case of foggy weather and cold, he added.
‘Like most of the farmers in our area, all my seedling beds have been damaged in fog and cold injury… all the seedlings turned yellowish and gradually died,’ Md Jamat Ali, a farmer in Shibalay upazila in Manikganj said.
Md Mamun-ur-Rashid, deputy director of Manikganj DAE, claimed the affected seedbeds were very few and they had been trying to recover from the situation by advising the farmers what to do to tackle the situation.
Md Solaiman, a farmer of Ajitmari upazila in Lalmonirhat, said seedling bed damage will increase the cost of his boro production as he will have to buy seedlings from the market.
DAE officials in Dhaka said they have been advising the farmers to cover the seedling beds with polythene, pouring water in the bed in the evening and releasing it in the morning, applying muriate of potash (MOP) fertilizer or a mixture of water and cow-dung in the seedling beds to save the young plants.
DAE has set the target to produce 187 lakh tonnes of rice in the ongoing Boro season. Earlier, farmers got three consecutive bumper productions – 178 lakh tonnes in 2009, 183 lakh tonnes in 2010 and around 186 lakh tonnes in 2011.
New Age correspondent in Rangpur reported that farmers of eight districts in Rangpur division feared a reduction in boro output in the current season due to delayed transplantation for repeated cold wave coupled with dense fog that damaged a large portion of seedbeds.
The seedlings meant for transplantation have been turning yellowish due to the hostile weather, they said, adding that spraying pesticides did not help them much.
‘I managed to procure quality boro seeds at high prices and prepared seedbeds on 30 decimal of lands, but repeated cold wave and dense fog damaged the seedbeds. So, I have to take alternative ways to make up the damage that will cost me more time and additional investment, said farmer Alam Miah under Pirgacha upazilla in Rangpur.
Rangpur regional DAE officials said about 25 per cent of 38,706 hectares of seedling beds were affected by cold injury in eight districts of Rangpur division in the current season.
Kali Das Devnath, additional director of Rangpur regional DAE, said cold wave usually hits the northern region in mid-January when the plants become matured enough to resist the attack but this year the chilly weather hit earlier and caused damage to tender plants.
The farmers of the region prefer BRRI dhan-28 and 29 for boro farming which do not have cold tolerant characteristics and so the seedbeds have been damaged, Devnath added.
Five hurt in BCL-JCD clash at Azizul Haque College
From New Age
Five students were injured as BCL and JCD engaged in a clash on Govt Azizul Haque University College campus on Monday.
Witnesses said Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal brought out a procession on the campus, led by Shafiqul Islam Shafique, convener of the college unit JCD, as part of their central programme, at 12 noon.
Bangladesh Chhatra League brought out a separate procession on the campus at the same time demanding trial and punishment to war criminals, which also paraded different points on the campus.
At one stage, the two processions came face to face, sparking hot exchanges between the processionists which led to a clash, leaving five injured on both sides.
BCL college committee convener Mahamudunnabi Russel alleged that JCD activists attacked their procession leaving Chemistry 1st year student Sohag Hossain severely injured, a charge denied by JCD college unit secretary Shahabul Alam Piplu who claimed that it was BCL who attacked first leaving four JCD activists injured.
As tension prevailed between the two student organisations the police were deployed on the campus.
Five students were injured as BCL and JCD engaged in a clash on Govt Azizul Haque University College campus on Monday.
Witnesses said Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal brought out a procession on the campus, led by Shafiqul Islam Shafique, convener of the college unit JCD, as part of their central programme, at 12 noon.
Bangladesh Chhatra League brought out a separate procession on the campus at the same time demanding trial and punishment to war criminals, which also paraded different points on the campus.
At one stage, the two processions came face to face, sparking hot exchanges between the processionists which led to a clash, leaving five injured on both sides.
BCL college committee convener Mahamudunnabi Russel alleged that JCD activists attacked their procession leaving Chemistry 1st year student Sohag Hossain severely injured, a charge denied by JCD college unit secretary Shahabul Alam Piplu who claimed that it was BCL who attacked first leaving four JCD activists injured.
As tension prevailed between the two student organisations the police were deployed on the campus.
Bangladesh PM says EC to be reorganised as per president’s suggestions
From New Age
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has said her government will reorganise the Election Commission as per the suggestions of the president.
‘The government has taken initiatives to strengthen further the EC to ensure the voting rights of the people and we would accept the suggestions of the president to this end,’ she said.
The prime minister categorically said her government had no intention to remain in power by snatching the voting rights of the people.
‘We believe in people’s empowerment and they (people) would decide who would go to power who wouldn’t,’ she said when the Canadian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Heather Cruden, called on her at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka Monday evening.
After the meeting, the deputy press secretary to the prime minister, M Nazrul Islam, briefed reporters.
Hasina highlighted the bitter experience of the caretaker government and said the last interim government overstayed in power illegally for two years instead of three months.
She said all elections under the present government were held in a free, fair and transparent manner and the government did not make any interference in the polls. ‘Many opposition candidates won these elections,’ she said.
The prime minister listed the government’s successes in the fields of agriculture, education, women empowerment and health.
She said the government had undertaken ‘Vision 2021’ programme to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021.
The prime minister sought more Canadian assistance in different sectors of the country.
The Canadian envoy praised the government’s successes in different fields including education, health, agriculture, women empowerment and food security.
She also lauded the election manifesto of the present government terming it well-planned.
Ambassador-at-large M Ziauddin and special assistant to the prime minister Abdus Sobhan Golap were present on the occasion.
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has said her government will reorganise the Election Commission as per the suggestions of the president.
‘The government has taken initiatives to strengthen further the EC to ensure the voting rights of the people and we would accept the suggestions of the president to this end,’ she said.
The prime minister categorically said her government had no intention to remain in power by snatching the voting rights of the people.
‘We believe in people’s empowerment and they (people) would decide who would go to power who wouldn’t,’ she said when the Canadian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Heather Cruden, called on her at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka Monday evening.
After the meeting, the deputy press secretary to the prime minister, M Nazrul Islam, briefed reporters.
Hasina highlighted the bitter experience of the caretaker government and said the last interim government overstayed in power illegally for two years instead of three months.
She said all elections under the present government were held in a free, fair and transparent manner and the government did not make any interference in the polls. ‘Many opposition candidates won these elections,’ she said.
The prime minister listed the government’s successes in the fields of agriculture, education, women empowerment and health.
She said the government had undertaken ‘Vision 2021’ programme to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021.
The prime minister sought more Canadian assistance in different sectors of the country.
The Canadian envoy praised the government’s successes in different fields including education, health, agriculture, women empowerment and food security.
She also lauded the election manifesto of the present government terming it well-planned.
Ambassador-at-large M Ziauddin and special assistant to the prime minister Abdus Sobhan Golap were present on the occasion.
Dhaka-Ctg Highway blocked in Munshiganj
From New Age
Hundreds of people blocked Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at Baushia in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj on Monday in protest against an attack on a UP chairman.
Gazaria thana officer Md Shahidul Islam said Baushia UP chairman Abdul Mannan Dewan Mona came under attack by supporters of his rival and defeated chairman candidate Nasir Uddin at Bhaberchar village in the upazila on Sunday evening.
Angered by the attack several hundred supporters of Mona brought out a protest procession and blocked the highway by placing barricade on it at 12:40pm Monday.
However, the road blockade was withdrawn after police intervention at 1:00pm.
Hundreds of people blocked Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at Baushia in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj on Monday in protest against an attack on a UP chairman.
Gazaria thana officer Md Shahidul Islam said Baushia UP chairman Abdul Mannan Dewan Mona came under attack by supporters of his rival and defeated chairman candidate Nasir Uddin at Bhaberchar village in the upazila on Sunday evening.
Angered by the attack several hundred supporters of Mona brought out a protest procession and blocked the highway by placing barricade on it at 12:40pm Monday.
However, the road blockade was withdrawn after police intervention at 1:00pm.
FIR accused Tarek, Mayeen and Kabir Sarkar granted bail
From New Age
Narsingdi District and Session Judge on Monday granted bail to three people accused in FIR in mayor Lokman Hossain murder case, including accused Tarek Ahmed.
Lawyers defending Tarek Ahmed told the court that their client was an international businessman, Managing Director of T Hossain and Company and a land owners.
Moving the bail petition, they said Tarek had gone to Saudi Arab to perform Hajj on October
30 before the killing of mayor Lokman Hossain and as such he was not involved in the murder of Lokman.
Public Prosecutor opposed the bail petition.
District and Session Judge Dr. Shahjahan after hearing arguments fromboth sides granted Tarek Ahmed bail.
The judge also granted bail to two other FIR
accused in Lokman Hossain murder case —Mayeen and Kabir Sarkar.
Narsingdi District and Session Judge on Monday granted bail to three people accused in FIR in mayor Lokman Hossain murder case, including accused Tarek Ahmed.
Lawyers defending Tarek Ahmed told the court that their client was an international businessman, Managing Director of T Hossain and Company and a land owners.
Moving the bail petition, they said Tarek had gone to Saudi Arab to perform Hajj on October
30 before the killing of mayor Lokman Hossain and as such he was not involved in the murder of Lokman.
Public Prosecutor opposed the bail petition.
District and Session Judge Dr. Shahjahan after hearing arguments fromboth sides granted Tarek Ahmed bail.
The judge also granted bail to two other FIR
accused in Lokman Hossain murder case —Mayeen and Kabir Sarkar.
DCs replaced in 10 dists
From New Age
Deputy commissioners have been replaced in 10 districts across the country.
The districts are Pirojpur, Bhola, Gazipur, Natore, Sherpur, Satkhira, Bandarban, Jhenaidah, Bogra and Chapainawabganj. 6 of former DCs have been transferred.
Deputy commissioners have been replaced in 10 districts across the country.
The districts are Pirojpur, Bhola, Gazipur, Natore, Sherpur, Satkhira, Bandarban, Jhenaidah, Bogra and Chapainawabganj. 6 of former DCs have been transferred.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)