Bangladesh High Court questions collection of high rate tolls from Mayor Hanif flyover users

The High Court on Sunday asked the government to explain in seven days the legality of collecting toll on high rate from vehicle users of newly constructed Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover in the capital.

The HC also asked the authorities to file an explanation as to why they should not be directed to take action against Orion Infrastructure Limited for collection of toll on creased rate and beyond the agreement on the toll.

The court sought another explanation from the government as to why they should not be directed to stop collection of tolls from the flyover on high rate.

A bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain issued the orders after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed by three Supreme Court lawyers, Satya Ranjan Mandol, M Shaiful Alam and Md Ruhul Quddus Patwary, challenging the legality of collecting the toll on high rate.

The court also asked the Dhaka South City Corporation to submit copy of agreement between the corporation and the Orion Group over the rate of tolls.

The court directed government attorneys to communicate the order to the authorities.

Secretaries to the communications, local government and co-operatives ministries, Dhaka South City Corporation’s secretary and the chief executive officer, Dhaka deputy commissioner and Orion Infrastructure Limited were made as respondents in the petition.

The writ petition was filed following various newspaper reports that Orion Group, the operator of the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover, was arbitrarily charging vehicles almost double the approved rate reasoning that the contract allowed them to revise the tariff every five years.

Because of the higher toll rate many vehicles were avoiding the flyover and crowding the roads below. The purpose of the 10-km flyover was thus losing the point, said the writ petitioners. (source)

Bangladesh: Panic continues in Barisal

Panic still grippes the people at Char Aicha of Charkawa union under Barisal Sadar upazila following attack on religious minorities after the killing of a college student.

At least 16 houses and 2 temples of Hindus were set on fire in the attack on Saturday following the death of college student Parvez Gazi in a clash between some Hindu youths and several others from Charaicha village on Thursday night over a badminton match on the Kalikhola Matri Government Primary School ground.

Most of the locals of the affected areas left their houses fearing harassment after the police arrested 25 people in connection with the incidents. The arrestees were sent to jail.

Barisal Bandar police station officer-in-charge Rezaul Islam said that no case was lodged in connection with the killing or the arson attack.

Students formed a human chain in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall demanding arrest of the culprits and killers of college student Parvez Gazi, They also cautioned the police not to harass any innocent people.

Local union parishad chairman Manirul Islam Chhobi said that the overall situation was still tensed although political leaders including lawmaker Mojibor Rahman Sarwar visited the spot and consoled affected family members on Sunday.

Sadar upazila chairman Azizul Huq Akkas, also the upazila BNP president, said that they were trying to convince the minority people to return home.

Barisal Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (south) ATM Mujahidul Islam said that they assured the locals of safety. 

The police opened a makeshift police camp in the area.

The deputy commissioner in Barisal, Shohidul Islam, said that the administration already started relief operation with distributing cash, food grains and construction materials. (source)

Bangladesh: Nizami’s defence granted 2 days for placing closing arguments

The International Crimes Tribunal–1 on Sunday allowed two days – Sunday and Monday – for closing arguments by the defence of detained Jamaat chief and war crimes accused Matiur Rahman Nizami.

The tribunal allowed the time disposing of a defence plea seeking review the tribunal’s November 13 order that closed the defence summing up of the case and put the verdict on CAV (curia advisary vult, a Latin legal term meaning court awaits verdict).

The tribunal disposed of the defence petition upholding its November 13 order keeping the judgement on CAV.

On November 13, the tribunal closed the defence case as no senior defence lawyers appeared before the tribunal for the fourth consecutive day. 

On the following day on November 14, Nizami filed an application seeking review of the November 13 order.

Moving the petition, Nizami’s chief defence counsel Abdur Razzak submitted that they were not able to turn up before the tribunal on the four days due to 84-hour countrywide nonstop hartal from November 10 to November 13. 

He referred to the adjournments in the appeal hearings of the condemned Jamaat leaders – Delwar Hossain Sayedee and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court due to hartal and submitted that they could not appear before the tribunal for justified reasons.

‘Your lordships can and perhaps in this trial should review the order. You have asked us to submit arguments in written but it cannot be a substitute for the oral one,’ he submitted.

Terming the November 13 order as an unusual one, the chief defence counsel submitted that the tribunal had accommodated the defence on many occasions earlier.

Prosecutor Mir Iqbal Hossain, on the other hand, vehemently opposed the petition and submitted that the tribunal’s November 13 order was justified and logical and that the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 did not permit to review the order.

After hearing both the sides, the tribunal asked the defence to start placing arguments once again and a senior defence lawyer Mizanul Islam began placing his arguments defending Nizami at around 12.30 pm.

His arguments resumes today. (source)

Bangladesh: Election Commission to meet president Nov 19

The Election Commission is scheduled for Tuesday to call on the president, Abdul Hamid, to talk about the issues related to the 10th general election.

The president’s office, Bangabhaban, made the schedule following a letter sent by the commission on November 14 seeking an appointment with the president, a commission official said.

Election commissioner Shah Nawaz told New Age that Bangabhaban fixed the date for the meeting. 

‘We are yet to come to know the exact time of the meeting,’ he said, adding that the commission was yet to get any letter from Bangabhaban.

He, however, said that the meeting would be held on any day this week.

‘We will apprise the president of our preparations and will seek his cooperation to fulfil our requirements,’ Shah Nawaz said.

Replying to a query, the election commissioner said, ‘We will sit soon to decide when the schedule for the 10th national election to be announced.’

Asked whether the commission would request the president to take initiatives to ensure the participation of all political parties in the polls, Shah Nawaz said that the commission’s functions were defined by the constitution and it would not engage in any activities going beyond the constitutional provisions. 

According to the constitution, the 10th national elections need to be held by January 24, 2014.

Election commissioners and officials hinted that the commission might announce the election schedule either at the end of this month or in the first week of December the polling day might be fixed in the second week of January 2014. (source)

Bangladesh: Dhaka court defer Adil-Elan hearing

A Dhaka court has deferred hearing to frame charges against human rights group Odhikar’s secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and director Nasiruddin Elan.

They are booked in a case of allegedly spreading distorted information about police’s May 5 anti-Hifazat drive.

Dhaka’s Cyber Crimes Tribunal Judge KM Shamsul Alam has set November 24 as the new date for the hearing that was scheduled for Sunday.

But since Elan could not be produced before the court the judge deferred the hearing.

Adil was, however, was present in the court.

The two have been accused of distorting facts, presenting false evidence against the drive by the security forces, doctoring photos with the help of Photoshop, and passing off someone alive as dead.

A report by rights group Odhikar claimed 61 people had been killed in the drive by police and security forces at Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar, where Hifazat-e Islam supporters were on an indefinite sit-in on May 5. (source)

Bangladesh: 70 apperal factories closed following unrest in Savar, Gazipur

At least 70 apparel factories in Savar and Gazipur was declared closed for Sunday following clashes between workers and the law enforcers that left 75 injured.

The clashes erupted at Ashulia of Savar and Konabari and Kashimpur in Gazipur when the police tried to disperse workers in the areas who took to the street demanding minimum Tk 8,000 as the minimum monthly wage and immediate reopening of closed factories, said witnesses.

A factory of Standard Group and at least 30 shops in the adjacent area of the factory in Gazipur were set on fire.

The workers continued with protests pressing for Tk 8,000 as minimum monthly wage, while apparel factory owners, after a meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina on November 13, accepted the award of the Minimum Wage Board fixing Tk 5,300 as the minimum wage for apparel workers.

In Savar, workers of different apparel factories in Jamgara, Jirabo, Kathgara and other areas of Ashulia blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway. 

They clashed with the police who tried to disperse them. At least 50 people were injured.  

Later, the authorities of some 50 factories including Rose Dresses Limited owned by Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Atikul Islam, was suspended their production for the day.

Ashulia Industrial police-1 chief Abdus Sattar said some workers came down on the Dhaka-Tangail highway and attacked vehicles before the police drove them off.

New Age correspondent in Gazipur reported that at least 25 people were injured in clashes between the police and sweater factory worker at Konbari and Kashimpur.

The agitated worker set fire to a factory of Standard Group and at least 30 shops of a market in adjacent area of the factory pressing for immediate reopening of the factory and wage hike.

Witnesses said workers Standard Group and others factories clashed with the police. They also ransacked some vehicles and factories and set fire to logs and burned tyres to block the Kashipmpur–Konabari road. 

The police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells to disperse the workers, triggering a clash that left 25 people injured, said assistant superintendent of Gazipur industrial police ASM Samsur Rahman.

The authorities closed 20 factories for the day apprehending further trouble. (source)

Bangladesh: Woman found dead at Dhaka's Uttara

The police recovered the body of a young woman from a drain at Uttara in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.

The body of the unidentified woman, aged about 20, was found in a drain of road 2 in Uttara sector 4 at 1:00pm.

Uttara West police sub-inspector Jakir Hossain said that on information, the police recovered the body.

The SI said that the woman was strangled and stabbed at different parts of her body.

The police suspects that she might have been killed over dispute in love affairs.

The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examinations. (source)

Bangladesh: BNP to take out black-flag processions Nov 18

The BNP-led opposition alliance will take of black-flag processions across the country today in protest against Sunday’s cabinet meeting attended by the ministers who had already ‘resigned’.

‘Holding cabinet meetings of ministers who had resigned is a clear violation of the constitution’, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told a news conference at the party’s central office at Naya Paltan. 

He said the opposition alliance will take out the processions in the capital as well as  divisional cities and district towns across  the country in protest against the government’s unconstitutional act.

Rizvi, however, did not spell out the time or the venue from where the procession would out in the capital.

The cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister was held on Sunday, a day before the normal schedule in the Secretariat.

On November 11, all the ministers handed in their resignation letters to prime minister Sheik Hsaina to pave the way for a small poll-time cabinet. 

The ministers continued their functions from the next day prompting a huge outcry against what the protesters called unconstitutionality.

Rizvi also protested against the police cordon put in place around the BNP central office by the government for several days back.

He said that confined by the police he was unable to come out of the BNP office.

The police on duty, both in uniforms and plainclothes, obstruct BNP leaders, activists and journalists from entering the party office, he said.

Rizvi asked the government to withdraw the police cordon around the party office. (source)

Bangladesh: Youth wounded while making bomb at Jessore's Benapole

A young man was injured while making crude bombs at Bahadurpur under Benapole port police station in Jessore at around 10:00am on Sunday.

The injured Uzzal Hossain, 25, was taken to a private clinic at Benapole under police custody, said Quayum Ali Sarder, officer-in-charge of Benapole port police station. 

The OC told the newsmen that the youth injured his leg while making crude bombs at his Bahadurpur residence.

‘He is undergoing treatments under the police custody’, he added. 

A case was filed with the police station in this regard. (source)

Bangladesh: Yusuf trial prosecution witness says it’s not her affidavit

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Sunday summoned two Bagarhat judge court lawyers and asked them to appear before it ‘without fail’ on December 4 to clarify an affidavit  prosecution witness Achhiya Khatun denied she had signed.

The two summoned lawyers are Sheikh Abdul Wadud and Shamima Akhter, also a notary public.

Wadud identified Achhiya while she  alleged signed affidavit before Shamima on September 30, 2010.

Yusuf was in the dock.

The seventh prosecution witness Achhiya, 70, is from Sonatala village under Sarankhola in Bagerhat district.

Her testimony on Sunday echoed what her son Abdul Malek Fakir, 56, had told the tribunal in tears as the sixth prosecution witness. 

Malek said that Yusuf was among the Razakar Bahini men who tortured and killed his father on June 9, 1971.

Replying to a query from the tribunal, Achhiya said that being unlettered she cannot read or write. 

She also said that she can only sign her name with great difficulty.

During cross-examination by Yusuf’s  lawyer Mizanur Rahman, Achhiya said that her husband was killed on a Thursday in the Bangla month of Bhadra during the Liberation War.

She said that she had filed a case with a Bagerhat court accusing Yusuf and his accomplices for killing her husband.

At this point, Mizan showed her a document and wanted to know whether the photograph and the signature in the affidavit were hers.

The tribunal, at this point, saw the affidavit, read it and asked the witness to answer the defence lawyer’s question.

She replied that it was her photograph but it was not her signature. 

‘I do not know what is an affidavit, I did not sign it either,’ she said.

The presiding judge, Justice Obaidul Hassan then asked the defence lawyer how the original copy of the affidavit signed by another person came to his possession.

‘I should keep as I am its beneficiary,’ Mizan replied.

The tribunal then asked how the affidavit  on a pending matter could go to his possession.

It said that the affidavit should have been in the possession of the person who is supposed to have signed it.

‘My lord, it should be in my possession as it is in my favour,’ Mizan replied.

‘Does it mean that you got it done?’ the tribunal asked.

‘No, my lord,’ Mizan replied. 

The content of the affidavit could not be known.

As Achhiya’s cross-examination ended, the tribunal passed the order summoning the two lawyers.

‘It appears that on 30.09.2010 an affidavit was sworn in by Achhiya Khatun who was identified by Sheikh Abdul Wadud, an advocate of Bagerhat Judge’s Court. The affidavit was sworn before Shamima Akhter, notary Public of Bangladesh,’ said the  order.

Since the witness in the witness stand on oath, denied having signed the affidavit it is necessary to ascertain the fact, it said.

Notary public Shamima Akhter and Sheikh Abdul Wadud, ‘are hereby asked to appear before the tribunal on December 4 without fail,’ said the order. 

The hearing resumes today. (source)

Bangladesh: Deer poaching during Rashmela in Sundarban, 27 arrested

Despite various preventive measures taken by the forest department and the law enforcement agencies, a good number of deer was killed by the poachers at different points of Sundarban during the Rashmela in Dublar Char area celebrated November 15-17.

In a drive on Friday midnight, a special team of West Forest Department of Sundarban arrested 27 poachers from Patkusta and Kalirchar area under Nalian Forest Station in Dakop upazila. They also seized 15 kgs of venison along with 2 trawlers from their possession.

Assistant Forest Conservator of West Forest Department in Sundarban Md Towfiqul Islam told the news agency, on receipt of a secret information, forest guards conducted a drive in the area and arrested the poachers who sneaked into Sundarban in the guise of pilgrims to attend the Rash Mela allegedly ‘managing’ a section of the forest personnel.

They are alleged to have entered the forest about a week before the commencement of the Rashmela, he said adding that the arrested were sent to the jail on Saturday while the venison was distributed among the destitute.

A case was filed with Dakop Police Station in this connection on Saturday.

Sources said, some poachers who moved to the forest in mechanised trawlers and boats carried necessary implements such as knives, axes, machetes, saws and plastic cords were used to make the traps to catch the deer live and kill them. Allegations are there that the poachers also destroyed a number of trees at the locations where the poachers were active.

The three day-long ‘Rashmela’, a traditional fair and Rash Purnima Snan (Sea bath) of the Hindu community, began from November 15 at Dublarchar in Sundarban. Rashmela is one of the main festivals of the members of Hindu community in the country.

Hundreds of people from far flung areas of the adjoining districts of Sundarban gathered at Dublarchar to attend the fair.

Earlier, West Zone Forest Department of Sundarban has been selected eight routes for the Rashmela pilgrims and viewers.  Additional forces of the law enforcement agencies including Border Guard of Bangladesh, Coast Guard and police were also deployed and set up check posts on all routes for the safety of pilgrims and viewers. (source)

Bangladesh ratifies Kyoto Protocol

Bangladesh has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol as the 4th country among the member of the UNFCCC.

Dr Aparup Chowdhury, additional secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, said this to the news agency while Bangladesh presented the Country Statement at the stocktaking Plenary Session on Saturday at United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 19 & CMP 9) at Warsaw in Poland.

In the statement, the Bangladesh delegation expressed agreement with the statements made by the Group 77 and China, LDC Group, Association of Small Island States and the African Group.

Bangladesh underscored the importance of taking the discussion under ADP forward in a more focused and formal manner.

It was time to deliver in a more concrete and definitive way, Bangladesh said.

‘Kyoto Protocol is one of the key elements towards closing the ambition gap taking into account the comparable efforts by Annex-1 Parties outside Kyoto Protocol. To this end, ratification by Country Parties to the amendment is fundamental,’ Aparup said in the statement.

But as of now, only three countries have ratified it.

Bangladesh had officially indicated its acceptance for the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol on 13 November in 2013, he declared at the plenary session.

Bangladesh also urged all Country Parties to complete the ratification process in order to make the amendments to the Kyoto Protocol effective as early as possible.

The Co-Chairs and the delegates from across the world greeted Bangladesh’s early response with a loud applause. (source)

Bangladesh: Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani’s 37th death anniversary observed

The 37th death anniversary of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, better known as the Majlum Jananeta, the leader of the oppressed, was observed on Sunday across the country.
Political parties and cultural organisations held discussions, distributed food items, blood donation and placed wreaths at his grave at the Maulana Bhasani Science and Technology University at Sontosh in Tangail.
The programme began with placing wreath in the morning by family members of the great leader and MBSTU teachers. Political leaders and social organisers visited the site and placed wreath through out the day.
Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, who was born in 1880 at village Dhangara under Shirajganj, carried out uncompromising struggles to empower the common people throughout his life.
BNP organised a discussion meeting on the grave premises which was addressed by Jatyatabadi Sramik Dal president Md Nazrul Islam Khan and Jatyatabadi Krisak Dal secretary Shamsujjaman Dudu and JAGPA secretary Luthfor Rahman at 11:00am.
Krishak Shramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddique Bir Uttam and his party men placed wreaths at the grave and held a meeting at historical Dharbar Hall at noon.
Bhasani Manch organised a discussion meeting on the Majar premises where poet Bulbul Khan Mahbub spoke on the life of Bhasani.
On the occasion, Bhasani Foundation organised a daylong blood donation camp to pay homage to the legendary leader on the campus. (source)

US's Nisha meets Bangladesh politicians, civil society members

US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal on Sunday met leaders of different political parties, members of civil society and newspaper editors.

The meeting was held at the residence of US ambassador in Dhaka Dan Mozena in the evening.

Communications minister Obaidul Quader, civil aviation minister Faruk Khan, liberation war affairs state minister AB Tajul Islam, prime minister’s advisers Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury and HT Imam, BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, BNP leader Osman Faruq, BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s advisers Shamser Mobin Chowdhury and Reaz Rahman, Jatiya Party chairman Anwar Hossain Manju,

JP-Ershad secretary general Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Jamaat leader Barrister Abdur Razzak, former FBCCI president AK Azad, AmCham president Aftabul Islam, Aziz Khan, Transcom Group chairman Latifur Rahman, Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam, CEO of Machranga TV Fahim Monaim, Manabjamin editor Motiur Rahman, former caretaker government advisers Tapan Chowdhury, Hossain Zillur Rahman, Rokeya Afzal Rahman and diplomats based in Dhaka were present. (source)

Bangladesh: ADB signs $1.5m tech assistance deal for RHD

The Asian Development Bank and the Government of Bangladesh on November 14 signed a technical assistance grant agreement of US$1.5 million for strengthening the Roads and Highways Department to support the government’s institutional development initiatives.

​The government of Japan is financing the TA through the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction. ADB will administer the fund, and provide technical support for project implementation, says a press release.

The release said the technical assistance project will help modernise the RHD and streamline its business processes. It will also support RHD to improve its schemes for maintenance of roads and bridges, and overloading control.

The technical assistance forms part of ADB’s attempt to strengthen the capacity of the overall road sector in the country, recent example of which also includes the ongoing South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation Road Connectivity Project that will enhance capacity of major international trade corridors and land ports, thereby boosting the national economy as well as facilitating sub-regional cooperation and trade. 

‘This TA will help improve human resources, auditing, management information systems, planning capacity, e-tendering, and computerisation of the RHD,’ said M Teresa Kho, country director for ADB’s Bangladesh Resident Mission.

‘In addition to other reforms as per an action plan, a training center for the RHD engineers will also be developed,’ she added. (source)

Show respect to common people beside foreigners, says Bangladesh human rights commission chief

National Human Rights Commission chairman Mizanur Rahman on Sunday urged politicians to have some regard for the common people while showing respect to the foreign guests.

He said, ‘We have high regard for foreign guests while we should also show due respect to the general people and do politics for their welfare.’

He made the call at a national seminar on ‘the impact of social and income security for older people at household level’. 

HelpAge International and Human Development Research Centre organised the programme at Mahbub Kabir Memorial Hall of Bangladesh Institute of Administration and Management.

Addressing the event as chief guest, the NHRC chairman said if brutality and violence become the means of politics, safety and security of people vanish.

He requested politicians and political parties to give up violence.

He informed the programme that the NHRC with the help of Law Commission finalised the draft Anti Discrimination Law to protect people of this country from all kinds of discrimination.

He said they also proposed that the Election Commission introduce a separate row for elderly people during election so that they could vote easily but the EC was yet to respond.

Mizanur Rahman called on all government ministries and departments to declare elderly people as the senior citizens and urged the government to take immediate initiatives in this regard.

Human Development Research Centre chief adviser and economist Professor Abul Barakat urged the government to launch old age allowance for each and every eligible elderly person.

He said in the country’s the population the number of people of over 60 years of age would increase by 20.2 per cent in 2051 though according to the population census of 2011 puts it at 6.5 per cent of the total population.

Professor Abul Barakat said at present there is one elderly person in every 15 people in Bangladesh and it would be one in every five by 2051.

He demanded increase in the amount of existing old age allowance from Tk 300 per month to Tk 1000 and adjust this with inflation.

Abul Barakat said the current allowance was too inadequate as urban poverty was higher than rural poverty due to the so-called urbanisation.

Journalist Abed Khan, HelpAge international South Asia regional director Peter McGeachie, country director Nirjharinee Hasan, Department of Social Services additional director Syeda Ferdous Akhter also spoke at the programme. (source)

Bangladesh: Lack of fogger machines disrupts anti-mosquito drive in Khulna

Delay in inviting tenders for buying fogger machine has stood in the way of launching mosquito eradication drive by the Khulna City Corporation.

KCC chief executive officer Tapan Kumar Ghosh served a notice last Wednesday upon assistant conservancy officer Md Anowar Hossain, asking him to show cause for the delay.

The city mayor, Moniruzzaman Moni, approved the project of purchasing 35 new fogger machines in the second general meeting of the ward councilors held on the last October 3.

But the file processing for inviting tenders was not completed by the official concerned of the conservancy department despite an official order issued by the mayor. 

The KCC chief executive officer said the officer concerned, Anowar Hossain, would face departmental action for failing to invite tenders in time.

The KCC acting chief engineer, Nazmul Hossain, said the file processing works should not have taken so long time from the day of approval. 

The mayor admitted that lack of monitoring by the senior officials was responsible for the delay of mosquito eradication drive in the city.

The KCC conservancy officer, Anisur Rahman, has said a stock of 5,000 litre of light diesel and 1800 litre of larvacide is available but the lack of fogger machines is hampering the mosquito eradication drive.  (source) 

Chhatra League men beat up Dhaka University journalist

No punitive action was taken as yet in the incident of attack on a Dhaka University reporter by Awami League-backed Chhatra League men Saturday evening over gathering information on extortion by the BCL activists.

A group of extortionists, also Chhatra League men, Saturday evening beat up the DU correspondent Eyamin Sajed of Bangla daily Amardesh online while he went to Curzon Hall premises on information that BCL men were collecting extortion from a shooting unit.

When contacted, the BCL central unit president HM Badiuzzaman Sohag branded the reporter as Shibir man saying ‘no journalist but a Shibir man was beaten up’.

He also termed the shooting unit that was working to produce a documentary for Shibir though the unit leader was the elder brother of a Dhaka city (South) Juba League leader Borhan Uddin Khan Toton. 

DU proctor Amzad Ali did not respond to repeated phone calls.

It is learnt that BCL’s DU Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall unit president Hasanuzzaman and his supporters demanded Tk 10,000 from the shooting unit that was working for producing a documentary.

While the BCL men were locked into an altercation as the unit gave Tk 7000, Eyamin, also a Dhaka University Journalists’ Association executive member, reached the spot and faced interrogation by the Chhatra League men.

The BCL hall unit activist Rakib Hasan, also DU Debating Society unelected general secretary, started beating him up.

Later, Eyamin was rushed to the Dhaka University Medical Centre.

Meanwhile a number of Chhatra League men said Rakib was involved with Shibir politics. 

‘But Rakib has been made the DUDS general secretary by using political power of Chhatra League,’ said a DUDS man.

The DUJA condemned the incident and demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers. (source)

Bangladesh: Draft policy defines 60-yr-olds as elderly people

The cabinet on Sunday approved a draft policy recognising those belonging to the age group of 60 years and above as elderly people.

The social welfare ministry placed the draft of the national elderly people policy 2013 at the weekly cabinet meeting with the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, presiding over at the secretariat.

‘The policy would help ensure poverty-free, safe and respectable life for the elderly people. The 60-year old and those above the age will be regarded as senior citizens from now on,’ cabinet secretary Mohammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters after the meeting. 

He said that the senior citizens would be entitled to the benefits and facilities meant for the old. 

The number of elderly people in the country like many others is increasing due to rise in overall life expectancy, the cabinet secretary said, adding that the elderly people’s age had been defined in keeping with the United Nations declaration. 

He said the elderly people, as per the policy, would get special care at the hospitals and transports.

Mosharraf Hossain said that the government would take initiatives to make sure that the elderly people lead poverty-free, safe and respectable life. 

‘More daycare centres and old homes would be established… The government would also introduce savings scheme for the welfare of the elderly people,’ he added.   

The cabinet also approved the draft of the International Mother Languages Institute (Amendment), Bill 2013, providing a provision that a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation could be accommodated in the board of the institute set up under a law with assistance from  the UNESCO. 

The cabinet secretary said that the education ministry proposed the amendment so that the International Mother Languages Institute could enjoy the status of UNESCO’s B category institution and get more technical assistance. (source) 

BNP wants solution thru dialogues, Khaleda Zia tells US's Nisha

Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday told the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Desai Biswal, that her party wanted a solution through dialogue to the present political crisis over an election-time government that would be acceptable to all.

The US assistant secretary of state, who arrived in Dhaka on Saturday on what is seen as a crucial mission to press the rival political camps to find a solution to the current impasse, met the BNP chief at her Gulshan

office last night. The meeting lasted more than an hour from 8:15pm.

After the meeting, BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury at a news briefing said Khaleda had told the US diplomat that BNP wanted a solution acceptable to all through dialogue for holding a free, fair, competitive and inclusive election.

He quoted the BNP chairperson as telling the US diplomat that the people of Bangladesh at the moment wanted credible elections and BNP would do whatever was necessary to this end.

Shamsher said that Nisha had told Khaleda that US wanted democratic governing system to continue in Bangladesh and political-social and economic stability in the country

He quoted Nisha as saying that the US looked forward to a free, fair credible and inclusive election in Bangladesh. She also said that the people of Bangladesh would take a decision on it.In reply to a question, Shamsher said that Khaleda had explained elaborately at the meeting what the people of Bangladesh wanted about the election. Shamsher also quoted Khaleda as telling Nisha that a fair election would not be held under a partisan government.

Asked whether the US envoy had urged Khaleda to join the election under an all-party interim government, he said, ‘It is out of question’.

Shamsher said the US diplomat had come here not to give any advice or put any pressure. 

Asked whether the issue of oath-taking of the interim government, scheduled for today, had come up during the meeting, he replied in the negative.

In reply to another question, Shamsher said the people of Bangladesh wanted a free and fair election which was possible under a non-party government.

He said it was not only the demand of BNP but also the people of the country.

He said the recent history of the country had proved that it was not possible to hold fair elections without a non-party government.Asked how Nisha had viewed the BNP’s stand, he said she had taken note of it. 

The US envoy said the US wanted free and fair election through which democracy would grow stronger in Bangladesh.

Shamsher said Nisha had told Khaleda that the US secretary of state had appreciated the statement the BNP chairperson had made at a news conference on October 21 when she showed a way to strengthening democracy and how to lead the country forward.

The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere when matters related to bilateral interests were discussed.

Khaleda told Nisha that Bangladesh and the US had special relations and it would grow stronger in the days to come. 

US ambassador Dan Mozena, acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and BNP chairperson’s adviser Reaz Rahman, among others, were present at the meeting. (source)

50pc textbooks yet to arrive in Bangladesh upazilas

The authorities could not as yet reach 13.64 crore textbooks, out of 31.50  crore, to upazilas for free distribution among the pupils of schools and madrassahs. 

National Curriculum and Textbook Board said it was worried that the text books could be distributed among all the students by January 1, the first day of the new academic year. 

Frequent hartals during the peak  distribution time was interrupting the efforts to reach the books to the destinations, officials said.

Officials said that well ahead of the coming academic year the NCTB had taken the plan to make sure that the textbooks reached the upazilas by November 30. 

But frequent hartals since October, they said made it difficult for the NCTB to accomplish the task.

Printers said the volatile political atmosphere was disrupting printing and transportation in the last leg of the programme. 

They called for keeping textbook transportation out of hartals’ purview.

NCTB distribution controller Mustak Ahmed Bhuiyan said until November 14 printers took 17.86 crore textbooks to the upazilas on trucks.

It is the responsibility of upazila education officers to send the books to the schools for distribution among the students.   

Mustak said that for the next year the government had taken the plan to distribute 1.80 crore pre-primary books, 11. 37 crore primary school books, 13.77 crore secondary school books and 4.62 crore books for the students of ibtadayi and dakhil madrassahs.

Until November 14, he said, the printers reached 17.86 crore books to the upazila education offices, 7. 40 crore for primary schools, 9.35 crore for secondary schools and 1.12 crore for the ibtadayi and dakhil madrassahs.  

Mustak said that the shipment of the pre-primary level textbooks was yet to begin. 

He said the NCTB had planned to reach the books to the upazila education offices by November 30. 

Hartals are proving a hindrance, he said. 

NCTB officials said that on an average about 25 lakh textbooks were shipped to upazilas per day. 

Disruptions for two or three days in a row leads to millions of books remaining stockpiled with the printing houses needing several days to ship to the destinations. 

Since October 25, NCTB got only three working days, October 30,31 and November 3, said officials. 

The schoolchildren in the remote areas face the prospects of not getting their books in due time.     

Out of 19,070 secondary schools 526 are in the remote hilly areas, 528 in the   coastal belt and 714 in the haor belt. 

Many of the 89,712 primary schools are also located in remote and inaccessible areas. 

Bangladesh Mudron Shilpa Samity senior vice president Tofayel Khan said the printers were facing problems in bringing paper to the printing presses, taking the books to the binders and ultimately to the upazila education offices and the whole exercise cost them lot more than usual. 

NCTB secretary Braja Gopal Bhowmik described November as the most important time for the distribution of the textbooks.

Hartals are creating hindrances in reaching the textbooks to the students before January 1, said Nurul Islam Nahid, who recently resigned as the education minister.

In 2010, the government began distribution of free textbooks to students of secondary schools. 

Free distribution of books among the primary school students began in 1981.  (source) 

Bangladesh opposition party to join elections, hopes prime minister Sheikh Hasina

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Sunday expressed the hope that the opposition would join the next elections and the people would exercise their voting rights.

‘The next elections would be free, fair and credible and I hope that the opposition would participate in the polls and the people would freely exercise their voting rights,’ she said.

The prime minister expressed this hope when visiting US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal called on her at her official Ganobhaban residence in Dhaka in the afternoon.

After the hour-long meeting, PM’s deputy press secretary Bijan Lal Dev briefed reporters.

The prime minister said her government has been working relentlessly to further strengthen democracy. ‘We want to further strengthen democracy and our stride has been reflected in all the elections held during the last five years of our tenure,‘ she said.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that 5,828 elections were held at different tiers in the last five years and 64,060 public representatives were elected through the polls. All the elections were held in a free, fair and neutral manner, and none could raise any allegation about the results, she said.

The prime minister said the all democratic institutions including Election Commission, the National Human Rights Commission and Information Commission are absolutely independent, while media is enjoying full freedom.

‘A voter list with photograph has been prepared. So, there is no scope for vote rigging,’ she said.

The prime minister said the EC is now very much capable of holding any elections and its capability has been proved in the last five years.

Stressing the need for maintaining democratic process, Sheikh Hasina said development would not be sustained without democracy.

About the suspension of the Genralised System of Preference facilities by the US government, the prime minister said the decision has affected a lot the downtrodden people of Bangladesh.

‘The decision is giving punishment to the poor workers,’ she added.

Sheikh Hasina urged the US government to pursue its business community to hike the prices of Bangladeshi garment products. ‘It would help facilitate the Bangladeshi garment owners to increase wages,‘ she said.

Mentioning the raising of the wages for the garment workers to Tk 5300 from 1600 in the last five years, she said: ‘Our party, politics and ideology are for the downtrodden and we are striving to improve the condition of poor people.’

Pointing out the much-talked TICFA agreement with the USA, the prime minister said the deal has already been okayed. A delegation from Bangladesh would visit the USA soon to this end, she said.

Laying importance on regional cooperation, the prime minister said her government has been trying to strengthen regional relationship to ensure welfare of the people.

The US assistant secretary of state expressed the hope that free, fair and credible elections would be held in Bangladesh to continue democratic process.

She said Bangladesh is a very important country in the region for mutual prosperity and security, saying that the US-Bangladesh partnership is extraordinarily strong and productive. (source)

Tazreen Fashions owner Delwar Hossain faces anger of victims’ families

Tazreen Fashions owner Delwar Hossain on Sunday faced anger of the family members of some workers killed in the factory fire and a group of right activists after he came out of the Supreme Court.

The protesters said Delwar had provided the court with false information about the heath condition of injured worker Sumaya Khatun.

The family members of Tazreen fire victims also demanded compensation from Delwar who was also encircled by the rights activists.

The right activists with family members of some deceased workers came to the High Court for the hearing in a writ petition three anthropologists had filed to bring Delwar to book as per the government ‘s investigation report on the Tazreen fire that killed at least 111 workers.

Sumaya, who underwent treatment for long at United Hospital in the capital with money raised from donation, was sent home last week after her health condition deteriorated, said Saydia Gulrukh, one of the three writ petitioners, in response to the court’s query. 

She is suffering from cancer possibly from exposure to fumes in the November 2012 Tazreen fire.

Despite the court’s order to arrange Sumaya’s treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital at the expenses of the government, the health ministry had taken no initiative yet, Saydia Gulrukh said.

She said that Sumaya was sent home at the advice of doctors who found no alterative way for her treatment.

Standing before the bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain, Delwar, through his counsel Fida M Kamal told the court that he had talked to the doctors who said Sumaya was released as she was now ‘well and out of danger’.

Rights activists asked Delwar why he had provided the court with false information. 

 They asked Delwar why Matin, brother of deceased Tazreen worker Rehana, was yet to be compensated for his sister’s death. Delwar replied how he could give compensation when the case was pending.

Father of deceased Rozin also threw similar questions at Delwar, who left the place quickly.

The High Court bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain, which was hearing the Tazreen fire case, said that it would follow the terms of reference used in compensating the victims of Rana Plaza collapse.

The court asked writ petitioners’ counsel Jyotirmoy Barua and deputy attorney general Biswajit Roy to inform it by Tuesday about the terms of reference set by different professionals in compliance with the directive of another bench following a writ petition over the April 24 Rana Plaza collapse that killed more than 11,000 workers. (source) 

BRAC gets million dollar global award

Bangladesh-based non-government organisation BRAC has been selected for a $ 1.0 million worth global award for replicating one of its health projects for slum dwellers in Africa.

Drug-maker GSK and the international NGO Save the Children jointly award different organisations with the ‘Healthcare Innovation Award’ as part of its ambitious partnership to save millions of children’s lives.

BRAC has been recognised for its ‘comprehensive’ mother, infant and child health programme, Manoshi, which it implements in Dhaka slums.

The project ensures births in skilled hands and quick referral to those who need emergency care.

Nearly 100 organisations from 29 developing countries applied for the award, of whom five were selected.

BRAC will also receive an extra $ 300,000 to test the Manoshi project in Sierra Leone slums where under-five and maternal mortality rates are amongst the highest in the world.

Founded in 1972, BRAC is known as the world’s largest NGO. It also operates in various countries outside Bangladesh. (source) 

Body parts of youth found in Narayanganj

The police recovered nine pieces of body parts of a youth on Sunday evening from Murapara Motherghat area under Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj.

The deceased was a youth aged about,30 years, the police said.

The beheaded body was dumped in a sack and eight pieces of sliced hands and legs in another sack, the police said.

Rupganj police station officer-in-charge Asaduzzaman Mir said that the killers might have dumped the head of the youth at another remote place so that it could not be traced. (source) 

Hearing in US Congress on Bangladesh political situation Wednesday

As the country’s bickering political parties seem nowhere close to any understanding over the polls-time government, a sub-committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress is set to organise a hearing on the political situation in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The sub-committee on Asia and the Pacific will arrange the hearing, titled ‘Bangladesh in Turmoil: A Nation on the Brink?’ to be held at Rayburn House Office Building, according to a web release of the office of House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ chairman Ed Royce.

Ali Riaz, professor and chairman, Department of Politics and Government, Illinois State University and a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, major general (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, President of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies and John Sifton, Asia advocacy director, Human Rights Watch will participate in the hearing as witnesses.

US representative Steve Chabot, chairman of the sub-committee on Asia and the Pacific, will also take part in the hearing.

On the hearing, chairman Chabot said:  “Bangladesh has long been considered a moderate, Muslim-majority nation in South Asia. However, today Bangladesh is in the midst of a struggle for its national identity, pitting secular moderates against religious fundamentalists.’

He said the extreme political tension that has gripped Bangladesh is threatening the next year’s parliamentary elections.

‘This political turmoil has already claimed one victim — Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal – resulting in proceedings that do not meet international standards. The United States has a lot at stake in Bangladesh.  This hearing will be an important opportunity to examine the cause of Bangladesh’s political tensions, the escalation of human rights abuses, and how this all impacts security interests in the region.’

On November 5, Steve Chabot visited Dhaka and met top political leaders during his visit and discussed political issues. (source) 

Minor boy killed by aunt in Chittagong

A seven-year old boy was killed in the city’s Halishahar area in Chittagong on Sunday morning.

The deceased Sabbir hailed from Bajitpur of Kishoreganj.

Police said Sabbir’s maternal aunt Swapna killed him by beating and strangulating the child after a quarrel with his mother.

Sabbir along with his mother used to live with his uncle and aunt after his father died, police said adding that Swapna was arrested after the incident. (source) 

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal general secretary Habibur Rashid Habib arrested

The Detective Branch of police on Sunday arrested Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal general secretary Habibur Rashid Habib at Shantinagar in the city.

The activists of Chhatra Dal, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed student organisation, protested against the arrest, while five vehicles were set on fire in the city.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (media and public relation) Masudur Rahman said that the detectives picked up Habibur at about 3:00pm. He, however, could not say in which case Habibur was arrested. 

Habibur was taken to Detective Branch office at Minto Road. 

The detectives had also raided the Habibur’s house at Bashabo in the city on November 14. 

Chhatra Dal activists took to the street immediately after the arrest. They brought out processions at places protesting against the arrest.

A bus of Unique Paribahan was set on fire at Fakirapul at about 3:30pm.

A Dhaka Paribahan bus was set on fire near the National Press Club at about 5:00pm. 

Unidentified youths set a covered van on fire at Shantinagar at about 5:00pm.

Another bus was set on fire at Rampura at about 5:30pm.

A taxi was set on fire at Fakirapul in the evening.

Fire Service and Civil Defence control room officer Kazi Nuruzzaman told New Age that they recorded that five vehicles were set on fire in the capital till 8:00pm.

New Age correspondent in Narsingdi reported that the police arrested three Chhbatra Dal leaders in Naringdi town on Saturday night.

New Age correspondent in Khulna reported that the police arrested at least eight leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir at places of Paikgacha and Digholia upazilas on early Sunday

Earlier, Swechchhasebak Dal general secretary Sarafat Ali Shapu and organising secretary Shafiul Bari Babu were arrested at Banglamotor in the city on November 14. They were also remanded in police custody for 10 days for interrogation in a case filed for violence during a general strike enforced by the BNP-led alliance in March. (source)

Bangladesh to get ‘polls-time’ cabinet today

President Abdul Hamid is scheduled to administer the oath of office to new ministers today at Bangabhaban for reshuffle in the cabinet of Sheikh Hasina ahead of the general elections. 

‘The president will administer the oath to a number of ministers of the all-party government at Bangabhaban on Monday afternoon,’ cabinet secretary Mohammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters on Sunday. 

He said the size of the interim government would be smaller than the previous cabinet. 

‘The prime minister apprised the president of her plan today for forming an all-party interim government to run the country before and during the election period,’ the cabinet secretary added. 

Earlier on the day, prime minister Sheikh Hasina told a cabinet meeting that she would downsize her cabinet to run the polls-time administration, declaring that it was the last routine meeting of the cabinet in its present form. 

Rashed Khan Menon of the Workers Party of Bangladesh told New Age that he would join the polls-time cabinet under Sheikh Hasina. 

Jatiya Party secretary general ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader said that he along with at least six other JP lawmakers, including Rowshan Ershad, Anisul Islam Mahmud, Mojibul Haque Chunnu, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu and Salma Islam, would be included in the interim cabinet.   

Anisul Islam told New Age that he along with six others of his party would join the interim cabinet. 

Existing cabinet members AMA Muhith, Syed Ashraful Islam, Obaidul Quader, Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, Matia Chowdhury, Hasanul Haq Inu and GM Quader are likely to continue as ministers, said officials adding that their resignation had not been sent to the president and so they would not require a fresh oath. 

Senior Awami League leaders Tofail Ahmed and Amir Hossain Amu were also requested to join the polls-time cabinet, said the officials and AL policymakers. 

The cabinet held its weekly meeting on Sunday, a week after all ministers and state ministers had resigned from the cabinet of Sheikh Hasina, triggering fresh controversy over its legality. 

‘The prime minister has said that today’s cabinet meeting is the last one in its present form. She will constitute an all-party government with elected representatives from various parties in parliament,’ agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury told reporters.

She, however, said that Sheikh Hasina had not specified how many new faces would be inducted in her smaller cabinet and how many of the present ministers would be excluded.   

Matia said all the ministers had submitted their resignation as per the desire of the prime minister. 

Citing examples of other democracies, LGRD and cooperatives minister Syed Ashraful Islam told the meeting that it was not legally essential to downsize the present cabinet to oversee the polls scheduled to 

be held by January 24 next year. 

Most of the cabinet members handed over their resignation letters to the prime minister on November 11 at the cabinet meeting while others tendered resignations earlier to pave the way for formation of a ‘smaller cabinet’ with around 20-22 members, according to policymakers.

All ministers and state ministers, but Ershad-led Jatiya Party faction leader GM Quader who resigned as commerce minister, continued holding offices even after their resignation, raising questions over the legality of their functions in the government.  

GM Quader had informed the Cabinet Division that he could not attend the weekly cabinet meeting due to unavoidable circumstances, the cabinet secretary said. 

Hasina on November 4 had asked her cabinet colleagues to resign so that she could induct some new faces in the polls-time cabinet.

Experts have already questioned the legality of the functions of ministers and state ministers in the government after their resignation.

The prime minister, however, clarified that members of her cabinet would continue to hold offices until the president accepted their resignations.  

Hasina earlier offered formation of an all-party government to oversee the next polls – a proposal turned down by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

‘To my party, submitting resignation letter means resignation. Why should I go to office after submitting resignation?’ GM Quader, also presidium member of Jatiya Party, told New Age. 

He said that that Jatiya Party had been a part of the Awami League-led alliance for the 2008 elections and accordingly joined the government of Sheikh Hasina. 

Quader said that his resignation also meant that the Jatiya Party was no more with the AL-led alliance. 

All other ministers and state ministers said that they would continue holding the office until their resignations were accepted by the president. 

The cabinet on Wednesday convened its weekly meeting, inviting all ministers and state ministers, who had already handed over their resignations to the prime minister, amidst controversies over legality of holding office after resignation. 

Sheikh Hasina on November 4 had asked her cabinet colleagues to resign so that she could induct some new faces in the planned smaller cabinet, which she called ‘all party government’ to oversee the national polls scheduled to be held by January 24 next year.

Experts questioned the legality of the functions of the ministers and state ministers in the government after their resignations. (source)

Tarique Rahman acquitted, Mamun jailed in money laundering case

A special court in Dhaka on Sunday acquitted senior BNP vice chairman Tarique Rahman of the charge of siphoning money to Singapore but sentenced co-accused Giashuddin Al Mamun to seven years in jail with monitory penalty in the same case, prompting protests by Awami League leaning lawyers on the court premises.

‘The prosecution could not prove the charges against accused Tarique Rahman beyond reasonable doubt,’ said Motahar Hossain, the special court judge-3, in the crowded courtroom in the Old Town of Dhaka amid intense security.

The court started delivering the verdict at about 11:55am and concluded it at 12:15pm.   

The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed the case with Cantonment police station on October 26, 2009 against Tarique Rahman, also the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, and his business partner Giashuddin Al Mamun on the charge of laundering money to Singapore.

Tarique has been living in London since September 2008 after he was forced into exile by the then army-backed interim government.

As Tarique was made a fugitive during the trial, none defended him.

The court, which earlier had twice issued warrants for the arrest for Tarique, in its judgment, recalled the warrants.

The special court judge-3 in the verdict stated that it had examined the wealth statement of Tarique submitted on June 7, 2007 and found that the accused had not committed offence under the money laundering prevention act using supplementary credit card and had not hid information of the withdrawal of $50,000 to 54,000 in Singapore.

About the acquittal of one of the most influential BNP leaders, the ACC-appointed prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajal told New Age, ‘It is not clear to us how the court considered the wealth statement of Tarique when no counsel defended him.’

The judge, however, sentenced Tarique’s friend, businessman Mamun to seven years in jail and fined him Tk 40 crore in the same case. 

Mamun was found guilty under section 13 (2) of the money laundering prevention act for taking $ 7.5  lakh from one Khadiza Begum for setting up of an 80MW power plant at Tongi in 2003.

The money was allegedly taken by Mamun as bribes from Khadiza Islam, director of Nirman Construction Ltd, for helping her win the power plant contract. 

Khadiza, however, had told the court that she had given Mamun the money as ‘consultancy fee’.  

The court also confiscated Tk 20, 41, 25, 613.28 related to the money laundering crime from Mamun for the people of Bangladesh. The money was deposited on July 31, 2007 in favour of the government.

Mamun was seen smiling in the dock while many of his associates were seen seeking his blessing.

Hundreds of lawyers loyal to BNP greeted the verdict with cheers and slogans on the court premises while the lawyers supporting Awami League staged protests against the prosecutors and even the judge.

The AL-backed lawyers chased Musharraf Hossain Kajol, among others, and also kicked the door of the courtroom in the presence of police. Kajol said the ACC would decide the next course of action.  

ACC commissioner M Sahabuddin said that the verdict had disappointed the commission.

‘The commission may appeal after receiving the full judgment,’ he said.

In his reaction, AKM Fakhrul Islam, who defended Mamun, told New Age that they would act after examining the full judgement.

The judge, Motahar Hossain, had set the date for delivery of the verdict after hearing both the sides on November 14.

The court had examined 13 prosecution witnesses, including US Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Debra Laprovoti, and both retired and serving government officials.

The court also examined five defence witnesses in the case but only for defending Mamun.   

Tarique is currently facing four more cases, out of 17, including charges that he had masterminded a deadly grenade attack on an Awami league rally in Dhaka in August 2004. (source)

Bangladesh High Court stays police remand of five BNP leaders

The High Court on Sunday stayed the remand of five top Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders in custody.

The bench of Justice Borhanuddin and KM Kamrul Kader also asked the police to send the five — BNP standing committee members Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar and Rafiqul Islam Mia, BNP chairperson’s adviser Abdul Awal 

Mintoo, also a business leader, and BNP chairperson’s special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas — to jail at once. 

Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Rezaul Karim on November 14 remanded the five in police custody for eight days interrogation in two cases filed with Motijheel police station for attack on the police and explosions of crude bombs at Kamalapur in the city during a general strike on November 5.

The High Court observed that the investigation officers concerned might interrogate the five at the Dhaka Central Jail gate.

After hearing a petition filed by the five, the bench also asked the Dhaka deputy commissioner and the investigation officers concerned to explain in two weeks why the order passed on November 14 by metropolitan magistrate Rezaul Karim would not be quashed.

A chaotic situation was created in the courtroom when the petitioners’ counsel AJ Mohammad Ali reminded attorney general Mahbubey Alam that the opposition Awami League in 2001 had killed at least 10 people by torching a double-decker bus by pouring gunpowder.

Mahbubey raised objection saying that the present situations should not be comparable to that of 2001. 

As the state attorneys and pro-government and anti-government lawyers locked into altercation slogans were also chanted against the attorney general.

The situation calmed down following request from their senior lawyers while the police in both uniform and plainclothes later forced public out of the courtroom.

AJ Mohammad Ali argued that the metropolitan magistrate remanded the politicians in custody for interrogation in violation of the High Court’s recommendations laid down in the landmark judgement in the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust versus government case in 2003.

He argued that magistrate Monab Begum had adjourned the remand hearing as the prosecution failed to produce any documents on progress of investigation in the case on November 9, magistrate Rezaul Karim on November 14 remanded the five in custody on the basis of a diary which had no sufficient evidence to satisfy the magistrate for the remand. 

One of the High Court directives stipulated that the investigation officer must state in details in the case diary the grounds for taking the accused in custody and would produce the diary involving progress of investigation for consideration of the remand, he contended.  

H argued that the magistrate was bound to follow the recommendations as per the constitution.

He said that the police in plainclothes had arrested the five leaders on November 8 without any warrant and on the following day the investigation officers prayed for their interrogations in custody implicating them in two cases to malign them politically.  

Mahbubey Alam argued that the remand should be upheld and the investigation should be allowed as many innocent people died following vandalism and torching of public vehicles. (source)

Tarique Rahman facing 14 more cases

BNP’s senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman is currently facing 14 more cases, 10 of which have been stayed by the High Court, after his acquittal of a charge of money laundering by a special court on Sunday, lawyers have told New Age.

The acquittal of Tarique Rahman of the charge would bolster his chances to return to the country after more than five years in exile, pro-BNP lawyers hoped.

The verdict is seen as a morale booster for BNP which is currently in movement to press for a non-party caretaker government to oversee elections set for January, reported Agence France-Presse on Sunday.

Tarique, the eldest son 

of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has been living in London since September 2008 after he was forced into exile by the-then army-backed government.

Tarique has been implicated in at least 17 cases, including the deadly August 21 grenade attack cases.

Ten of the cases have already been stayed by the High Court, said lawyer Syed Zaynul Abedin Mesbah, who is monitoring the cases of the Zia family. 

With the latest verdict on Sunday in the money laundering case, Tarique has been acquitted of three cases.

A special court deferred several times the hearing for charge framing against Tarique and her mother Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case before finally posting the hearing for December 8 while a financial loan case filed by the Sonali Bank was pending with another court.

His trial took place in absentia in three cases – the money laundering case and two cases relating to the August 21, 2004 grenade attacks on an Awami League rally which the current prime minister Sheikh Hasina survived with injuries but which left 24 people, including the Mahila League president Ivy Rahman, dead.

Treated as a fugitive, none defended Tarique in the cases.

In two cases filed in connection with the August 21, 2004, the speedy trial tribunal judge Shahed Nuruddin so far recorded the depositions of only 73 out of the 491 prosecution witnesses since the trial began in October 2011 against 52 people, including Tarique Rahman and his cousin Saiful Islam Duke.

When approached, Syed Rezaur Rahman, the chief prosecution counsel, told New Age recently, ‘Whoever is in power, the trial should be fair in order to ensure justice.’  (source)

Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad meets Shafi, seeks his blessing

Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Sunday met Hefazat-e-Islami chief Shah Ahmad Shafi and gave him an assurance that the JP, if voted to power, would help implement all demands of the 13-point charter of demands of the madrassah-based group.

In another development, JP presidium member Kazi Feroz Rashid told New Age that the party was likely to announce its decision to quit the Awami League-led `grand alliance’ at a press conference today. `A new political alliance may also be announced,’ said Feroz. Hefazat is campaigning for its 13-point demand that includes punishment to Shahbagh bloggers for allegedly defaming Islam and Prophet Muhammad (SM).

In the hour-long meeting, Ershad was said to have sought support of Maulana Shafi in the next elections but told newsmen after the meeting that he had met the Hefazat supremo to seek his blessing.

A five-member team led by Ershad reached the Hefazat office at Darul Ulum Muinul Islam Madrassah at Chittagong around noon and had an hour-long meeting with Shafi.

Quoting Shafi, Ershad told newsmen that the Hefazat chief had blessed him so that his desire was fulfilled.

The former military dictator also said that Hefazat-e-Islam was not a political party and brushed aside suggestions that he might form an alliance with the Islamist outfit.

Earlier, at a meeting of JP’s student wing on Thursday, Ershad had announced that he would launch a new alliance with some political parties and that he had also talked to some Islam-based parties.

After the hour-long meeting at the Hefazat headquarters on Sunday, Hefazat general secretary Junaid Babunagari said that Ershad had told the meeting that his party, if voted to power, would help implement the 13-point charter of demands.

The Jatiya Party chairman met Shafi to seek his blessing and assured Hefazat of taking initiative to implement its 13-point demand, Babunagari said.

Local lawmaker and JP presidium member Anisul Islam Mahmud and presidium member Ziauddin Ahmad Bablu were present during the meeting.

Ershad made compulsory the religious studies for schoolchildren, government holiday for Friday instead of Sunday and also inserted ‘Islam as state religion’ in the constitution during his nine-year rule in 1982-1990. (source)