Bashundhara chief faces arrest

DHAKA NEWS

A Dhaka court on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant against Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan Shah Alam and two others in a case filed against them for misappropriating Tk 2.63 crore.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shamsul Islam passed the order as Shah Alam, also the chairman and managing director of East West Properties Development Ltd, a concern of Bashundhara Group, and the two other accused did not appear before the court despite the court duly summoned them.

The two other accused are Mahbub Morshed Hasan, vice-chairman of East West Properties Development Ltd and Shah Alam’s son Sadat Sobhan who is also a director of the company.

The court, however, granted bail to another accused Towhidul Islam, the deputy managing director of the company, as he surrendered earlier seeking bail in the case.

Another Dhaka court on December 18 last year summoned Shah Alam and Sadat, Morshed and Towhidul to appear before the court on February 20 on fraud charges.

North South University Chairman Mohammad Shahjahan filed the case accusing the four for embezzling the money Tk 2.63 crore.

11,573 BCS hopefuls get nod for exam

DHAKA NEWS

The 11,573 Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) applicants of 33rd batch who failed to make online payments due to server shortcomings of Teletalk for appearing the examination will now be allowed to sit for examination.

The officials of Public Service Commission (PSC) took the decision at a meeting held at its office in line with a High Court order, a senior PSC official told on Wednesday.

The applicants are given time from 8:00am of April 29 to 10:00pm of May 2 to pay their fees of the examinations.

The 33rd BCS hopefuls failed to make payments due to server shortcomings even after filling in forms online by the April 7 midnight deadline.

The PSC refused to consider their application and did not issue admit cards forcing the civil service aspirants to go to the HC order.

On April 15, the HC following their writ petition stayed for three weeks the process for holding the 33rd BCS examinations.

PSC has fixed June 1 for holding preliminary test of the 33rd BCS examinations.

In response to the petition, the HC also issued a rule upon the authorities concerned to explain in a week why the circular issued on February 29 for holding the 33rd BCS examinations should not declared illegal.

The PSC chairman and its exam comptroller, the cabinet secretary, the Tetetalk managing director and its general manger (marketing) have been made respondents to the rule.

Earlier, 20 candidates for the BCS examinations jointly filed the writ petition with the HC saying that they have deposited money, filling BCS application forms through Teletalk for appearing the examinations.

But the authorities have not issued admit cards for them, the petitioners said.

Adv AKM Fayez, counsel for the petitioners, earlier told the court that several thousands of BCS candidates have not got admit cards due to technical problem of Teletalk.

He prayed to the court to direct the authorities concerned to give his clients scope so that they can participate in the BCS exams.

Mojahid denied bail in grenade attack case

DHAKA NEWS

A Dhaka court on Wednesday rejected the bail petitions of Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid, an accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases.

Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 passed the order after a lengthy hearing on the bail petitions filed by Mojahid.

Earlier in the day, counsels of six accused in the cases cross-examined Sharif Faruq Ahmed, the then sub-inspector of Motijheel Police Station and also the complainant of the cases.

The court later fixed April 30 for the next hearing of the cases.

Twenty-four people including Awami League leader Ivy Rahman were killed and around 200 others injured in the grisly grenade attack on an AL rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21 in 2004.

The then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack.

BACKGROUND

After the grisly grenade attack in 2004, two cases were filed in connection with the attack – one under explosive substances act and the other for killing people.

In 2008, the CID submitted charge sheets against 22 people including former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu and 21 Huji men including militant kingpin Mufti Hannan.

On July 3 last year, 30 more people including BNP's Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, BNP chairperson's political secretary Harris Chowdhury and Mojahid were made accused in the supplementary charge-sheets.

Of the 51 accused, 32 including Babar and Mojahid are now in jail and one was released on bail. Tarique and 18 others are absconding.

ICT Rejects SQ Chy's Discharge Plea

DHAKA NEWS

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday rejected BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's petition seeking discharge from the charges of his involvement in crimes against humanity committed during country's Liberation War in 1971.

The three-panel tribunal headed by Justice Nizamul Huq also turned down another petition of the detained BNP leader which sought some changes to his indictment order.

Salauddin who is now facing 23 specific war crimes charges present in the tribunal dock during the day's hearing.