BCL-Shibir clash Government MC College closed sine die,Sylhet-Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

SYLHET: Government MC College was closed for an indefinite period on Monday morning following a clash between Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Meanwhile, the college authority has formed a five-member probe body led vice principal professor Al Helal Bhuiyan by to investigate the incident on the same day.

MC College principal Dhiresh Chandra Sarker came up with the declaration after emerging from a meeting of academic council and teachers’ association.

He said, “All examinations will be underway but the administrative activities will be stopped during the closer.”

Earlier on Sunday night, the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Islami Chhatra Shibir were locked into a fierce clash that left at least 20 people injured on both sides.

Meanwhile, two groups of BCL College unit locked into another factional clash on the same day over establishing supremacy.

Over 200 rooms of MC College student dormitory were gutted during the clash as the agitated leaders and activists of Chhatra League set fire during clash with Shibir.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid asked authorities concerned to find out the culprits who set fire the student dorm of MC College and take legal action against them.

The directives were sent through a press release from the Education Ministry on Sunday night.

As per the release, the minister contacted with Sylhet City mayor, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, DIG of Sylhet range and Deputy Commissioner immediate after informed about huge loss in MC College student dorm fire.

Nahid requested the higher government officials to take necessary steps including douse the blaze on emergency basis.

The minister also expressed his concerned over such kind of criminal activities.

August 21 grenade attack case against 52 persons Deposition deferred till Jul 15,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

DHAKA: A Dhaka court Monday deferred till July 15 submission of deposition by the witnesses in August 21 grenade attack case against 52 persons, including BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman.

Judge M Shahed Nur Uddin of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 fixed the date held in the city’s central jail in Nazimuddin road.

The court also asked the defense counsels to cross examine the witnesses separately in the cases.

Accused, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s nephew Lt Commander (retd) Saiful Islam Duke, Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid were present in the court.

On April 9, a Dhaka Court on Monday granted bail to three former inspector generals of police and three investigation officers in August 21 grenade attack case.

They are former IGPs M Ashraful Huda, Shahidul Haque and Khoda Box, former special police super Ruhul Amin, senior ASP of CID Munshi Atiqur Rahman and ASP Abdur Rashid.

Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Shahed Nur Uddin granted them bail upon a bond of Tk 50000.

Meanwhile, the court also rejected the bail plea of another accused Abu Taher as the allegation against him was considered as non-bailable.

Chief Prosecutor of the case Syed Rezaul Rahman and Advocate Khandaker Abdul Manna was present in the court.

On August 21 in 2004, a terrible grenade attack was made on an Awami League meeting at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.

A total of 24 people, including wife of former party general secretary and incumbent President Zillur Rahman and AL’s the then Secretary for Women’s Affairs Ivy Rahman, died in that attack. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the then opposition leader, narrowly survived the attack.

Motijheel Thana SI Faruk Hossain, AL leader Abdul Jalil and Saber Hossain Chowdhury filed three separate cases with Motijeel Thana over the incident.

BNP standing committee member MK Anwar opposes Padma bridge with own fund,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Reiterating their party's stance, BNP standing committee member MK Anwar on Monday asked the government to resolve dispute with the World Bank instead of going to construct the Padma bridge with local fund.

“It will create extra burden on the people if the government tries to collect money by issuing bond or imposing surcharge. Even it will have a bad impact on the economy,” he said while addressing a discussion at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) organised by Sushil forum, a pro-BNP body.

The BNP leader suggested the government to take actions against corrupt persons in line with the World Bank allegations and convince the Bank to fund the Padma bridge project.

“Even it would be possible to build a number of bridges on Padma if the money which was looted in the last three years is given back,” the former minister said.

Meanwhile, Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque asked the government to disclose the letter sent by the World Bank and made the names of the corrupt persons public.

“If necessary, we will take two meals in a day. We will cooperate with the government to construct the Padma bridge. But, before that the government must seek apology for the Padma bridge scandal,” he said while addressing a discussion at the National Press Club organised by Jasas, a front body of BNP.

Earlier on July 1, the main opposition party in its formal reaction said that the construction of the Padma bridge with World Bank fund will be better for the country and there is still scope to resolve the issue with the WB instead of going for alternative funds with tough conditions.

World Bank misses Finance Minister AMA Muhith briefing,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

No representative of the World Bank was present as Finance Minister AMA Muhith told development partners that there has not been any corruption in the Padma bridge project and that the government showed zero tolerance to corruption regarding the project.

In a meeting with the Local Consultative Group (LCG)-a joint body of the government and the representatives of the local development partners, Muhith quoting an international lawyer told the donors that the government position regarding the WB allegation was right.

However, the development partners welcomed the government’s zero tolerance to corruption and said they also show zero tolerance to graft and will observe the government stance in this regard.

The WB on June 29 cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the project on grounds that it had evidence of a corruption conspiracy involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and private individuals.

After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the finance minister in lengthy speeches in the parliament presented the government position regarding the WB statement, on Monday at the LCG meeting the government formally presented the official position to the donors.

However, though there has been huge stir over the WB’s allegation no representative of the organization was present at the meeting held at the National Economic Council (NEC) auditorium at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Asked about whether any WB representative attended the meeting, ERD Secretary Iqbal Mahmood did not give any reply. However, a WB official told that in the LCG meetings the WB is represented by its Country Director Ellen Goldstein but as she is now in Washington none from the organization was present at the meeting.

The official also said, Goldstein herself oversaw the Padma bridge project. That is why no other official was delegated to the meeting.

However, a high official of the ERD said in absence of the country director any WB official could represent her in the meeting. He said in the past, other officials attended such meetings in absence of Goldstein.

The official also said may be WB Dhaka office did not send any representative to the meeting complying with any instruction from the Bank’s headquarters in Washington.

UN Resident Coordinator and LCG Co-chair Neal Walker represented the development partners while ERD Secretary Iqbal Mahmood represented the government at the meeting.

After the meeting, the finance minister told reporters that he has urged the development partners to judge for themselves about the World Bank’s issuance of open press statement on its cancellation of Padma bridge funding on graft allegations.

Pak troops escorted by BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury Chy killed 5',Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

A war crime victim on Monday told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that he witnessed his family members to be murdered brutally in a raid of Pakistani Army escorted by BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury in the 1971 liberation war.

Advocate Nirmal Chandra Sharma, 67, the sixth prosecution witness in a war crimes case against the BNP leader, lost his mother, brother, uncles and nephew in the raid. His father Joyonto Kumar Sharma, whose left hand and leg were riddled by bullets, died after suffering for 5-6 years.

Nirmal who was also in the line of fire managed a narrow escape and later joined the liberation war against the Pakistani occupational forces.

In his about 100 minutes long deposition, the witness often burst into tears while narrating the incident of the day.

DUJ declares ATN Bangla Chairman Mahfuzur Rahman, 11 journos persona non grata,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Dhaka Union of Journalists has declared ATN Bangla Chairman Mahfuzur Rahman and eleven journalists persona non grata for manipulating news and attacking a DUJ leader at a human chain.

The journalists are – Za E Mamun, head of news of ATN Bangla; its special correspondents Shawkat Milton, Keramat Ullah Biplob, Manash Ghosh, Nadira Kiran and Mahmudur Rahman, senior reporter SM Babu, staff reporters Minhajur Rahman Rahat, Mahfuz Rahman Mishu and Mainul Ahsan, and Shamim Ahmad of Bangle daily Bhorer Kagaj.

DUJ leaders took the decision in its executive committee meeting held at its office on Sunday, said a DUJ statement on Monday.

Terming Mahfuzur Rahman 'enemy of the mass media', the union leaders demanded immediate arrest of him for inspiring the attack, destroying journalists' unity, practicing yellow journalism and attempting to diverting the killing of journalist couple Sagar and Runi.

The attack is a conspiracy to foil the trial of killers of Sagar-Runi and to breach the unity of journalists, they viewed.

On June 24, Jahangir Alam Prodhan, organising secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists, came under attack after he had called for arrest of Mahfuzur Rahman at the human chain organised to demand the arrests of the killers of Sagar and Runi.

Stray tiger returns to Sundarbans,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

A Bengal Tiger that entered locality in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira Sunday and stayed there for about 30 hours finally went back to the Sundarbans Monday morning.

The tiger returned to the wild at around 9:30am following continued efforts including firing blank shots by forest department officials, said a press release of Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh.

Earlier, the tiger became weak after passing two days without any food at Golakhali in the upazila, said Toufiqul Islam, a forest official of Satkhira, informed a Satkhira correspondent.

The people of Golakhali, Kalinchi and Tengrakhali areas had been passing time with great anxiety due to the presence of the tiger in their locality.

Most of them preferred to stay inside homes in fear of the tiger.

It was suspected that the male tiger is sick.

Khokon Gazi and Haren Mondol, two locals of Golakhali, first saw the tiger standing at their shrimp enclosure around 6:00am Sunday.

On information, a team of forest department and Tiger Response Team rushed to the spot around 8:00am and blasted over 100 crackers and fired 25 blank shots to send it back to forest.

As the members of forest department failed to send the tiger back to Sundarbans, they surrounded the tiger with a net enclosure, resisting it from entering the village.

The villagers earlier complained that the forest department personnel had not acted properly to send the tiger back to the forest.