The Supreme Court will go into 42-day long annual vacation today on the occasion of autumn and Eid-ul Fitr.
Both the Appellate and High Court Division of SC will reopen on October 8.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain on August 23 constituted 15 High Court benches for hearing and disposing of urgent cases during the vacation.
Source : The Daily Star
A female domestic help working at the house of a retired government high official in the city's Paribagh died mysteriously yesterday morning.
The dead is Morsheda, 14, of Mymensingh.
Police said the girl went to bathroom in the morning and was not coming out for long. As another housemaid, Kalpana, broke open the door, she found Morsheda lying on the floor.
Mahmudur Rahman Chowdhury, owner of the house, rushed the girl to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). But doctors declared her dead.
Source : The Daily Star
Three Bangladeshi youths were repatriated yesterday on completion of their jail terms for illegal intrusion into India.
Nurul Ferdous, officer-in-charge of Hilli Immigration Check Post (ICP) in Dinajpur, received the three from Indian ICP officers PK Mandal and Shantonu Chowdhury of Shuvazone Home at Balurghat in India, said official sources.
The repatriated are Nitai Barman, son of late Kartik Barman of Dinajpur, Umesh Mardi, son of Iswar Mardi of Naogaon and Munna Parvez, son of Akram Hossain of Natore.
They illegally entered India through the border points and were detained by Indian Border Security Force, sources said. Later, they were sentenced to prison terms by the Indian courts for illegal intrusion, sources added.
Source : The Daily Star
Three fishermen were drowned as a small fishing motorboat capsized after colliding with a fishing vessel in the estuary of the river Karnaphuli here early yesterday.
One of the dead is Amzad Hossain, 38. The identities of the two others could not be confirmed immediately.
Police said the motorboat Eagle 7 turned turtle after it was hit by MV Urka around 5:00am.
Seeing the incident, some small fishing boats from nearby areas came to the rescue of the fishermen and rescued 16 of them.
Three small boats pulled the capsized motorboat ashore in the afternoon.
Law enforcers recovered the three bodies from the cabin of the boat, said Md Kamruzzaman, sub-inspector of Potenga Police Station.
Source : The Daily Star
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) shot and injured a Bangladeshi and an Indian man at Hijaldi village in Kolaroa upazila yesterday morning.
The injured are Laltu Hossain, 35, a Bangladeshi cattle trader and son of Saker Morol of Sultanpur village of the upazila, and Indian cattle trader Abdullah, 30, son of Samsher Morol of Gonorajpur village of 24 Pargana of West Bengal of India.
Officer-in-Charge Subhas Biswas of Kolaroa Police Station said Laltu was shot when BSF opened fire from across the border at Bangladeshi cattle traders who gathered at Hijaldi village.
Angered at the incident, Bangladeshi and Indian cattle traders engaged in a clash with BSF at Hijaldi border in the morning, when BSF again fired shots, leaving Abdullah injured. The clash also left two BSF members injured.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and BSF later held a flag meeting at Hijaldi where BGB protested firing on Bangladeshis.
Source : The Daily Star
A college teacher, who sustained serious injuries in a road accident in Laxmipur Tuesday night, is now fighting for life in a city hospital.
The victim, Syed Abdur Rob, 45, is an assistant professor of management at Dhaka Commerce College.
Rob and his brother-in-law Mostaque Ahmed were injured as a CNG-run auto-rickshaw they were riding collided head-on with a tractor near Ramganj upazila bazar Tuesday night.
They were first taken to Ramganj Upazila Health Complex. With Rob's condition worsening, he was shifted to Dhaka. He is now under treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Square Hospital. Mostaque said Rob underwent a major operation on Wednesday.
Source : The Daily Star
Nine people were killed and 45 others injured in separate road accidents in Narsingdi, Jhenidah, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Dinajpur on Wednesday and yesterday.
Our Narsingdi correspondent reports: Three people were killed in a head-on collision between a covered van and a CNG-run three-wheeler on Dhaka-Narsingdi road in Bhatpara area of Sadar upazila in the district yesterday.
The identities of the deceased were not known immediately.
The accident took place around 9:45am when the Narsingdi-bound covered van from Dhaka and the Ghorashal-bound three-wheeler from Narsingdi collided face-to-face.
The driver of the three-wheeler and one of its passengers died on the spot while another female passenger succumbed to her injuries after she was taken to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital, police said.
Police seized the van but its driver managed to flee the scene immediately after the accident.
The bodies of the victims were sent to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital for autopsy.
Our Jhenidah correspondent says: A bus helper was killed and at least 15 others were injured as a Chowgacha-bound bus collided head-on with a Jhenidah-bound cement laden truck and the bus fell into a road side ditch near livestock office at Kaliganj upazila.
The deceased is Palash Hossain, 24, son of Babul Gazi, of Shalua village of Chowgacha upazila in Jessore.
The injured were admitted to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex.
Hundreds of vehicles stranded on both side of the road from 8:00am to 10:00am following the accident.
Our Gaibandha correspondent adds: One man was killed and 30 others were injured when a passenger crowded bus of Prime Saikat Paribahan turned turtle after the driver of the bus lost his control over the steering on Rangpur-Bogra highway at Ekbarpur in the district yesterday.
The identity of the deceased passenger was not known immediately after the accident.
The driver was sleepy and he was driving the vehicle carelessly, said Ayub Ali, a passenger of the bus.
Road communications of the route remained suspended for an hour after the accident.
Staff correspondent from Chittagong says: A female student was killed when a truck rammed a rickshaw that carried the student at Singapore Market of Agrabad in the port city yesterday.
The deceased is Sayeda Afrin Tania, 24, daughter of Muhammad Awal of Agrabad T&T colony. She was studied at first semester of Institute of Commercial Management (ICM) of Chittagong.
Our Lalmonirhat correspondent adds: Two people were killed in separate road accidents in different upazilas of the district at the same time on Wednesday night.
Witness said the first accident took place when a Bogra-bound stone laden truck from Burimari Land Port hit jute trader Dulal Miah, 45, of Court Toli village, while he was crossing road at the same village in Patgram upazila.
Transport worker Monsur Ali, 32, of Dowani village, was killed on the spot as he crushed under the wheels of a goods laden truck while he was crossing road in Barokhata area of Hatibandha upazila.
Our Dinajpur correspondent says: A motorcyclist was killed as he lost control over the motorcycle while he tried to over take a rickshaw van at Pachbibi upazila in Joypurhat on Wednesday evening.
The deceased is Ranu Sarkar, 50, of Ratanpur Sarkarpara, of Pachbibi upazila.
Source : The Daily Star
The 35th death anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam will be observed tomorrow with due honour, dignity, and solemnity.
Various socio-cultural and political organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes to honour the rebel poet and recall his memories.
Students, teachers, and staffs of Dhaka University led by the vice-chancellor will place wreaths and offer prayers at the mausoleum of the poet at 8:00am. Later, a discussion will be held on the mausoleum premises.
Officials and employees of Bangla Academy will place wreath at Nazrul's grave at 8:00am.
Yesterday, the academy organised a discussion at its conference room on the occasion of the poet's death anniversary, said a press release.
National Professor Kabir Chowdhury and Bangla Academy Director General Shamsuzzaman Khan, among others, spoke at the discussion.
Kazi Nazrul, who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression, died on Bhadro 12 according to Bangla calendar (August 29, 1976) at the age of 77.
Nazrul enriched Bangla literature with his fiery poems and explored a synthesis of different forces in a rebellion, expressing rage as well as beauty and sensitivity.
Nazrul's writings explored themes such as love, freedom, and revolution and inspired people to raise their voice against oppression and injustice during the British rule.
His writings injected patriotism, vigour, and strength into the freedom fighters during the country's liberation war in 1971.
Source : The Daily Star
A private member bill was placed in the parliament yesterday proposing enacting a law to make Bangladesh a nuclear weapons non-proliferation zone.
Ruling Awami League lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury placed the "Bangladesh Nuclear Weapons Non-proliferation Region Bill 2011" so that the people's safety is ensured.
"Bangladesh should prohibit development, production, storage, and use of nuclear weapons as the country has ratified various international conventions", Saber said in a brief statement tagged with the copy of the bill.
The bill was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Private Members Resolution Bill for scrutinising and reporting back to the House.
Source : The Daily Star
The Libyan embassy in Dhaka switched to the rebel side and has pledged allegiance to the National Transitional Council.
"The embassy supports wishes of the Libyan people and the revolution of 17th February and remains with choice of the people, as it was representing the people and the state, because it is belongings of the Libyan people," says a press release of the embassy yesterday.
The embassy will continue to provide the people with all facilities and will work to strengthen the relation between Libya and Bangladesh, the statement added.
Earlier, Libyan Ambassador in Bangladesh Ahmad Ateya Hamd Al-Imam resigned from the office on February 21 protesting the bloodshed in his country.
Meanwhile, sources said the officials and employees of the embassy on Wednesday removed portraits of Moammar Gadhafi and the national flag
Source : The Daily Star
Former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar used to avoid Joj Miah when both of them were in Kashimpur jail during the last caretaker government rule.
"I had talks with almost everyone in the jail during that time, except for the former state minister for home, who always avoided talking to me," Joj Miah told The Daily Star in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
"I wanted to ask him why he sought to meet me during my remand and to seek his help for getting out of the jail as their government falsely arrested me in connection with the August 21 grenade attack," he said.
He said when he was in Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office on 15 days' remand, the then CID official Ruhul Amin told him that Babar wanted to meet him.
"But the state minister did not meet me," he said.
According to Joj Miah, during his days in Kashimpur jail BNP leader Mossadeq Ali Falu, Awami League (AL) leaders Mohammad Nasim and Obaidul Quader spoke to him but BNP leader Babar refrained from talking to him.
Babar was arrested in 2007 and was in jail during almost the whole tenure of the caretaker government.
The former state minister, now in jail, is an accused in the Aug 21 grenade attack case.
Joj Miah was arrested in 2005 in connection with the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004 that claimed lives of 24 AL leaders and workers and maimed 300 others.
The prime target of the attack was AL President and now-Premier Sheikh Hasina, who narrowly escaped the worst consequence with an ear injury. Joj Miah was cleared of the charges through investigation in 2008 and was released in 2009.
While in jail, he took chances to have a talk with Babar, said Joj Miah, adding that he even sent a message through jail staff requesting Babar to allow him to talk with him. But he was told, "Sir [Babar] would not talk to you as there are some complications."
One day, Joj Miah also tried to talk to Babar face to face when the former state minister was taken to the court. Asked by Joj Miah he said, "Later."
Source : The Daily Star
Hours after a High Court directive, police yesterday arrested six employees, including a doctor and two nurses, of Ibn Sina Hospital in the capital in connection with the death of a newborn because of their negligence.
The arrestees are physician Anwarul Abedin, nurses Amena and Aysha, general manager Aminul Islam, and administrative officers Kamrul Hasan and Akhter Hossain.
Idris Sikder, father of the deceased baby, filed a case with Dhanmondi Police Station on August 24 accusing two doctors and two nurses of the hospital for their negligence in duty. The newborn died on August 9.
Another accused in the case doctor Shahida is now absconding, Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman of Dhanmondi Police Station told The Daily Star.
He said they arrested the three other officials of the hospital as their involvement was found in the preliminary investigation.
The OC, who is also the investigation officer of the case, said they picked up doctor Anwarul from Mazar Gate of the High Court around noon and the rest from the hospital around 2:30pm.
Earlier yesterday, the HC directed police to take necessary actions against the officials, doctors and nurses of the hospital, who are responsible for the loss of life, under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobindra Chandra Tagore also ordered police to submit a report to it regarding the case by October 10.
The court passed the order during the hearing of the suo moto rule it had earlier issued against Ibn Sina Hospital authorities following a report aired by private television channel Boishakhi on August 15 on deaths of three newborns in that hospital.
On August 17, the court issued the suo moto upon the hospital officials and doctors to explain why they should not be punished for the offence.
The next day the court also directed two officials of the hospital Sultan Mahmnud and Tajul Islam to appear before the court on October 16 to explain why they filed a general diary against the deceased newborn's father Idris Sikder and the allegation that the hospital authorities tried to bribe the Boishakhi TV reporter.
The HC also asked police to ensure security for Idris Sikder and his family and TV reporter Mahbub Alam.
Assistant commissioner of Dhanmondi circle, OC Dhanmondi, Idris Sikder and Mahbub Alam appeared before the HC bench yesterday as per its August 23 directive.
The HC on August 23 sought wealth statement of Ibn Sina Hospital by October 9 to examine whether it is involved in any corruption.
Source : The Daily Star
The African Union was due to hold a much delayed summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa yesterday to pledge funds for the famine gripping the Horn of Africa.
The AU has already pledged $500m, but the UN says that at least another $2bn is required to help those in need.
At least 12 million people in Somalia and neighbouring countries require emergency assistance, the UN says.
Tens of thousands are believed to have died since the crisis began.
African Union Commission chief Jean Ping urged Africans to "act out against hunger by providing both cash and in-kind support for urgent life-saving assistance to our brothers and sisters in the Horn of Africa".
The US, Britain, China, Japan, Brazil and Turkey have all pledged funds to the region, as has the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) - a gathering of Islamic countries - but the contributions have fallen short of the requested assistance.
Source : The Daily Star