Sohel Taj's resignation not 'accepted'

BANGLADESH NEWS

The resignation of ruling Awami League lawmaker Tanjim Ahmed from parliament was not ‘accepted‘ as the letter was not properly submitted, Speaker Abdul Hamid said on Wednesday.

"The resignation letter has not been accepted since it did not properly follow the Constitution and Rules of Procedure," the Speaker told reporters at a press conference at the parliament building.

Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj, son of the country's first prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad, resigned as lawmaker on April 23 and declared that he would no longer be involved in active politics.

On May 31, 2009, he stepped down as state minister for home following what he told his close aides was a row with a cousin of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The resignation of this young politician, who was elected from Gazipur-4 constituency in 2001 and 2008 national polls, came as a shock to Awami League leaders and workers and ordinary people.

In his resignation letter to Speaker Abdul Hamid, Sohel Taj said, “My constituency is 197, Gazipur-4 (Kapasia). I submit my resignation letter to you under section 67 (2) of the Constitution of People's Republic of Bangladesh.”

In an open letter to his constituents as well as the countrymen, he said, “I have resigned from the posts of MP and state minister on justified grounds.”

Ilias victim of political enmity: Wife

DHAKA NEWS

Tahsina Rushdir Luna, the wife of BNP leader M Ilias Ali, claimed on Wednesday that her husband became a victim of political enmity.

"Political rivalry is behind the disappearance of my husband," Luna claimed during a press conference at her Banani residence. But she could not elaborate whether it is intra-party rivalry.

“I do not hear any word of hope about my husband even seven days have been elapsed since my meeting with the premier,” Luna said.

On May 2, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured Luna of all-out efforts to rescue Ilias when she went to meet with the PM at her official residence Gono Bhaban to request her to take initiatives to find out her missing husband.

BNP Organising Secretary M Ilias Ali, 51, also a former BNP lawmaker from Sylhet, and his driver went missing in the night of April 17.

His car was found abandoned in Banani with all its four doors wide open, giving an impression that he was abducted.

Luna said on Wednesday, in this situation, she is looking at the PM to get good news.

She also expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation of law enforcement agencies and said no member of law enforcement agencies met her for long.

JS budget session likely to begin May 27: Speaker

BANGLADESH NEWS

The budget session of the ninth Jatiya Sangsad is likely to begin on May 27, Speaker Abdul Hamid said on Wednesday.

The Parliament Secretariat has sent a proposal to President Zillur Rahman for summoning the session, the Speaker told reporters at his JS office.

On April 22, while speaking in a pre-budget discussion with the Economic Reporters Forum at the finance ministry in the capital, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the budget for fiscal 2012-13 is likely to be tabled in the parliament on June 7 and to be approved on June 28.

This will be the fourth budget session of the current parliament.

AL MP summoned for ‘grabbing land’

BANGLADESH NEWS

The High Court on Wednesday summoned ruling Awami League lawmaker Aslamul Haque to appear before it on May 16 to explain his role over occupying a four-bigha land of Mirpur Government Bangla College in the capital.

In response to a writ petition, the court directed the deputy commissioner of Dhaka to conduct a survey over the land through forming an expert committee and to submit a report along with relevant papers before it by May 16.

The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim passed the order following the writ petition filed by advocate Manzill Murshid on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

Murshid filed the petition on the basis of a report published in Bangla daily Bangladesh Protidin on May 5 stating that the possession of four bighas of land of the college is under Aslam’s deed.

The HC also issued a rule upon the government to explain in two weeks why its failure to protect the land should not be declared illegal.

In the rule, the court asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to recover the land from the possession of Aslam, the lawmaker from Dhaka-4 constituency.

'Missing' DU teacher appears in Khagrachhari

BANGLADESH NEWS

A Dhaka University teacher appeared in a Khagrachhari police station on Wednesday two days after he went missing.

Dighinala police said Dr Nuruddin Alo, a lecturer of political science, went to the police station with stab injuries on his body around 1:30pm and fell unconscious immediately.

Police whisked him off to Khagrachhari Adhunik Sadar Hospital, reports our Khagrachhari correspondent, quoting Sahadat Hossaion, officer in-charge of Dighinala police station.

Alo remained missing since Monday night.

Several of his students said that on Monday night they had an SMS from Alo that read, “They have kidnapped me. Please do something for me."

But despite repeated tries, the students could not reach him over his mobile phone.

Enamul Haque Emu, a fourth-year student of political science, who also received an SMS from Alo, told The Daily Star that he filed a general diary with Shahbagh Police Station in this connection Tuesday evening.

Sources said Alo lived in Tongi and ran an English medium school there.

Tongi police said he had been involved in a dispute with a woman named Nurun Nahar.

Nahar, a physician by profession, hails from Chittagong. At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium on March 25, she claimed that Alo married her in 2008 and he was used torture her for dowry.

But the following day, Alo dismissed the allegations as absurd. At a press conference at DU Journalists Association office, he said, "I am still a bachelor. And there's no question of torturing anyone for dowry."

Contacted, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said the incident was mysterious. "We have urged the law enforcement agencies to locate the missing teacher."

Hartal violence: Khokon gets bail

DHAKA NEWS

BNP lawmaker Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon secured bail till May 20 nearly three hours after his surrender before a Dhaka court on Wednesday in an arson case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Erfanullah granted the bail upon a bond of Tk 10,000 with two grantors.

Earlier at 10:00am, Taherul Islam Touhid, a counsel of Khokon, filed a bail petition before the magistrate court immediately after the surrender of the BNP leader.

The metropolitan magistrate passed the bail order after holding hearing on the bail petition.

Tejgaon police filed the case against Khokon and some other BNP men a couple of hours after a vehicle was torched near the Prime Minister's Office during the April 29 shutdown.

Khokon on April 3 secured an anticipatory bail from an HC bench in connection with the case.

Earlier on May 2, two HC judges delivered dissenting orders on the bail petition of Khokon.

The presiding judge granted anticipatory bail to Khokon till May 9 and asked him to surrender before the trial court by this period while the other judge rejected his bail petition.

Later, the issue was solved at a third bench of the HC with the interference of the chief justice.

The third bench of the HC granted Khokon bail till May 9 and asked him to surrender before a lower court for furnishing bail-bond by this period.

Khokon following the HC order surrendered before the trial court on Wednesday and sought bail.