BNP, Jamaat link with Aug 21 attack:Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

DHAKA: Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif Friday said investigation has proved that bigwigs of then BNP-Jamaat government had link with the August 21 grenade attack.

“They formulated the blueprint of the grenade attack,” the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant added.

He came up with the statement while placing wreaths at grave of President’s slain wife Ivy Rahman at Banani Graveyard marking her eighth death anniversary.

“August 21 grenade attack case is being investigated and its judgment will soon be completed,” he said.

Talking about the BNP’s remark of Awami League involvement with the incident, he said, “The remark is disheartened. Those, who have come in power by killing, can do nothing better but spread fake information.”

“Khaleda’s involvement was clearly proven from the deposition given by then Army officer Rumi,” he stressed.

Besides, he was urged the opposition party to refrain them from spreading propaganda.

Talking about BNP programme after Eid, Hanif said, “We do not bother about their programme. There was no public support in their past anti-government movements during three years. So, they are recently trying to create public opinion in favor of their programmes.”

journalist Sagar-Runi murder DNA profile found from Runi’s shirt,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

DHAKA: A full DNA profile of a person was found from slain journalist Meherun Runi’s T-shirt, she wearing during the murder, in a laboratory test in the United States.

RAB is thinking that killer of the journalist couple might be the owner of the DNA.

The DNA test of Sagar Sarowar and his son Megh is underway, sources said.

Director of RAB Media Wing M Sohayel said the investigation team will start identifying the killers after getting the forensic and DNA report.

As per the information from US laboratory test, several persons’ fingerprints were found in most of the samples of the killing, RAB officials said.

Earlier on April 18, the High Court directed the authority concerned to transfer the twin murder case of journalist couple Sagar and Runi to Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as the detective police admitted their failure in this regard.

Senior reporter of ATN Bangla Runi and her husband Sagar Sarowar, who was news editor with Maasranga Television, were murdered at their west Rajabazar rented house in the city on February 11.

Nowsher Alam Roman, younger brother of Runi lodged a case accusing some unidentified persons on February 12.

On February 16, the twin murder case was transferred to the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) for fair investigation

Banani Graveyard eighth death anniversary Ivy Rahman,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

DHAKA: President Zillur Rahman Wednesday paid tribute to his late wife Ivy Rahman by placing floral wreath at her grave to mark her eighth death anniversary.

He arrived there at 10:30am at Banani Graveyard in the city. 
  
Later, he placed floral wreath at the grave of family members of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and left the place at about 10:50am.

After placing tribute by the president, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader, foreign minister Dipu Moni, Home Minsiter Sahara Khatun, State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak, PM’s special assistant also AL joint-general secretary Mahbul Alam Hanif, Dhaka University vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique and among others placed wreaths.

Besides, leaders of Awami Mohila League and other associate organizations of Awami League also paid their rich tribute to the memory of Ivy Rahman by placing wreaths on behalf of their respective organizations.

After paying tribute, a milad mahfil and Doa mahfil was held at Banani graveyard mosque. Leaders of Awami Mohila League and other associate organizations of Awami League joined the programme.

Separate programmes have chalked out by her family members and different organization to mark the day.

Another Milad Mahfil will be held at Bangabhaban after Asr prayer.

Ivy Rahman, the Awami League women`s affairs secretary and president of Mohila Awami League, received severe injuries in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack at an Awami League rally in the city targeting incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the then leader of the opposition, who narrowly escaped the attempt.

Ivy Rahman succumbed to her injuries at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) on August 24, after three days of the heinous killing of another 23 leaders and activists of the Awami League.

Senior Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta:Khaleda Zia must admit mistake of backing grenade attack,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Minister without portfolio Suranjit Sengupta on Friday said opposition leader Khaleda Zia must apologise to people admitting her mistake for what he said backing the August 21 grenade attack.

“I appreciate BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for recently admitting her mistake by backing former president Iajuddin Ahmed as the chief adviser to the caretaker government, and she should now admit her fault in patronising the August 21 grenade attack,” he told a discussion at the city’s Osmani Auditorium.

According to media reports, Khaleda at a meeting of the BNP standing committee on August 2 “admitted her mistake of backing Iajuddin as the chief adviser to the caretaker government”.

“Backing Iajuddin was not the only mistake the BNP chairperson made,” Suranjit said adding, “She should admit and apologise to people for all her mistakes, including backing the August 21 grenade attack and delaying the war crimes trial.”

“It’s natural to make mistakes in politics, but there’s also scope for corrections in politics. It’s better to admit the mistakes,” he said.

“If she doesn’t admit the fault and prefers the culture of violence, bloodshed and obstructing constitutional course, she’ll lose her position in democratic politics,” he added.

Speaking at the discussion, organised by Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote marking the 8th death anniversary of AL leader Ivy Rahman, State Minister of Law Quamrul Islam accused the then BNP government of destroying a lot of evidence of the grenade attack case.

Ivy, the then Women Affairs secretary of the AL, along with others was injured in a grenade attack on an AL rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city on August 21, 2004. She later died at the Combined Military Hospital on August 24.

“But, I think, the trial on the grenade attack will be completed under this government,” he said.

The trial proceedings are progressing fairly well as 62 witnesses have already testified in the court, Quamrul added.

“Not only the trial of the grenade attack, but also the trial of war criminals and 10-truck arms haul case will be completed before the end of our tenure,” he said.

Scrap Grameen Bank ordinance amendment:Senior BNP leader Moudud Ahmed,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The main opposition BNP on Friday urged the government to repeal ‘The Grameen Bank (Amendment) Ordinance, 2012’ to return the control of the Nobel winning microcredit organisation to its poor women owners.

“The government has declared a war against 80 lakh poor women with amendment to GB’s 1983 ordinance…so we demand the government scrap the amendment,” BNP stalwart Moudud Ahmed told a discussion.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sangskritik Dal (BJSD) organised the discussion, titled ‘The Prime Minister’s Proposal on Electoral System: People’s Apprehension’, at the National Press Club.

Addressing the programme as the chief guest, Moudud said BNP will revoke the amended ordinance if it is voted to power.

On Thursday, President Zillur Rahman promulgated an ordinance amending the Grameen Bank Ordinance, 1983 giving more power to the Grameen Bank (GB) chairman to choose its managing director.

In his reaction hours after the promulgation of the amended ordinance, Noble laureate and former Managing Director of Grameen Bank Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus said: “I hope, there’ll come a government in the future, the first job of which will be to revive the glory of this bank by returning the bank to its poor women owners holding a function at the national level.”

Accusing the government of establishing its control on the GB like a state-owned one, Moudud, also a BNP standing committee member, said the government’s move will deprive the majority women board members of their rights to take decision on the bank’s development.

Terming the present regime undemocratic and autocrat, he said the government is pushing the country towards confrontation by creating issues one after another. He said, “People want to get rid of this regime… they don’t want to see Awami League in power anymore.”

Describing the prime minister’s poll-time small cabinet formula as merely a remark not proposal, Moudud said if she gives such proposal his party will never agree to it.

“BNP won’t accept the interim government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina even if all the cabinet members are selected from the opposition for that government,” he said.

He once again urged the government to amend the 123 article of the constitution and restore the caretaker government (CG) system to oversee the next general election.

About his party’s anti-government movement plan, Moudud said they will launch a non-stop agitation programme to force the government to reinstate the CG system. “The movement will continue until the government incorporates the CG system in the constitution.”

The BNP chairperson will finalise the agitation programmes at the party’s standing committee meeting on Sunday night, he added.

BNP Standing Committee member Goyeswar Chandra Roy and president of Swadhinata Forum Abu Naser Md Rahmatullah, among others, addressed the discussion presided over by BJSD president Mej (retd) MM Mehbub Rahman.