Khaleda Leaves House after an Hour

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 18 Opposition leader Khaleda Zia left parliament an hour and a quarter after joining it on Sunday following her 83-day long absence.

She did not rejoin the session after the break for Maghrib prayers after leaving the parliament building at 6:35pm.

Other opposition MPs including opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, Moudud Ahmed, Mohammed Jamiruddin Sarker and M K Anwar went back after the break.

The BNP chief had led the MPs from her party and allies to the House after they had sat it out for 77 business days.

The team of opposition MPs entered parliament at 5:12pm through the west side gate with speaker Hamid presiding over the session, who the BNP has been calling 'impartial'.

The ruling MPs, however, were silent when the opposition entered the House. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina was present in parliament that time along with deputy leader of parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury, Jatiya Party president H M Ershad and other senior MPs of ruling Awami League-led 14-party coalition.

Khaleda did not speak in parliament. However, BNP MPs Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie and Rehana Akter Ranu joined the session's discussion on the president's speech in her presence.

After Ranu's speech, Awami League's reserved seat MP Fazilutunnesa Bappy and opposition's reserved seat MP Shammi Akter engaged in a heated argument to liven things up after a long time.

As the argument was turning into an ugly one, opposition chief whip Farroque and ruling party chief whip Abdus Shahid stepped in and requested the two women MPs to calm down.

The argument began when opposition MPs responded to Treasury Bench MPs' remarks over BNP's relationship with former Jamaat-e-Islami chief and war crimes suspect Ghulam Azam, reports of BNP taking money from Pakistani intelligence outfit ISI before elections, allegations of money laundering against BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and some other issues.

According to Parliament Secretariat, there were 284 working days in the 12 sessions of the ninth parliament in all, including the ongoing 12th session's 30 working days.

MPs of BNP and its allies were absent in 233 working days while Khaleda was present on only six.

Claiming that parliament lacks a "congenial atmosphere", the opposition had been continuously boycotting parliament session up until now.

According to law, a seat is lost if a legislator is absent for 90 consecutive working days.

The last time the BNP MPs attended a session was Mar 24 last year. BNP and its allies have 39 seats, including those reserved for women, in the 350-seat in the house.

End Teesta Deadlock: PM to India

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 18  Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has called on India to quickly resolve the deadlock over Teesta river water-sharing treaty and include Bangladeshi experts in studies before building controversial Tipaimukh dam.

Hasina conveyed her messages to Indian high commissioner in Bangladesh Pankaj Saran on Sunday when the envoy called on the prime minister at her office.

Later, prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed reporters about the discussion at the meeting.

She urged India to reciprocate the steps taken by Bangladesh for a better bilateral relations and sought stern action against killing of Bangladeshi citizens along the border. She asked India to ratify the land boundary agreement in parliament.

Hasina requested India to stop construction of dams detrimental to environment and ecological balance.

Recalling the contribution India made to the War of Liberation, the prime minister observed that Bangladesh and India were enjoying an excellent relationship than ever before.

She reiterated her pledge for ensuring regional connectivity and referred to the steps her government has taken to that end.

Hasina also assured the Indian envoy of all supports necessary for discharging his responsibilities in Bangladesh.

Ambassador at-large M Ziauddin, principal secretary to the prime minister Sheikh M Wahid Uz Zaman, secretary to the prime minister's office Mollah Wahidduzaman were present at the meeting.

Earlier, presiding over first meeting of National Disaster Management Council this year, Hasina emphasised compliance with the building code strictly to avoid casualties from earthquake. 

Tarique Indicted, Aug 21 Case Trial Starts

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 18 A Dhaka court on Sunday framed charges against senior BNP vice-chairman Tarique Rahman for the Aug 21, 2004 grenade attack, beginning trial in the case.

Twenty-nine others were also indicted at a special court of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1. Judge Mohammad Shahed Nur Uddin set Mar 28 for deposition.

Charge against BNP chief Khaleda Zia's elder son Tarique has been framed in his absence as he has been staying in UK for over three years.

Earlier, charges against 22 were framed during the tenure of last caretaker administration.

At least 24 people died, including senior Awami League leader Ivy Rahman, wife of President Mohammad Zillur Rahman, in a grenade attack on Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina's rally in Dhaka on Aug 21 2004.

Hasina narrowly survived the attacks and over 100 others suffered injuries.

Allegations were there that there had been attempts to divert the course of investigation during the BNP-Jamaat-led coalition government. During the last military-backed caretaker government, CID official Fazlul Kabir submitted two chargesheets on June 11, 2008 accusing 22 people of being involved with the attack.

The court on Aug 3, 2009 ordered further probe into the case following petition from the state lawyers.

Abdul Kahar Akand, special police superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), submitted supplementary charge-sheets in the cases on July 3 last year accusing Tarique, Khaleda's former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed and 27 others of complicity in the attack.

At present, the total number of accused is 52, including the previous 22.

The newly accused include the former state minister for home during the BNP-led 2001-6 cabinet Lutfozzaman Babar, Khaleda's nephew Saiful Islam Duke and BNP MP Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad.

The hearing on the discharge plea began on Sept 11 last year.

Nineteen of the 52 charge-sheeted accused in the Aug 21 grenade attack cases are now staying abroad. The two cases were filed under the explosive and murder acts.

Banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu of BNP were among the formerly accused

Prosecution to Outline Deposition Against Sayedee

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Mar 18  The war crimes tribunal has ordered the prosecution to submit an application elaborating its future course of action regarding witness testimony against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee.

The tribunal ruled that it pass an order in response to that application after which the prosecution might proceed with the deposition of the investigation officer. The tribunal set Mar 20 for further order in this regard after submission of the application.

The prosecution had expressed its desire on Sunday to depose the investigation officer of the case but wanted to keep the option of bringing in further witnesses afterwards.

The International Crimes Tribunal, set up to deal with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, was expected to hear testimony of 28th prosecution witness in the case against Jamaat executive council member Sayedee who has been indicted on 20 counts of war crimes.

However, since there were no witnesses other than the investigation officer, the hearing was adjourned till the next date.

ADJOURNED TILL MAR 20

As soon as the court came back from lunch recess, tribunal chairman, Justice Nizamul Huq asked prosecutor Syed Haider Ali what he intended to do with further witnesses in the Sayedee case.

The prosecutor, who has been handling Sayedee's case, said that he wanted to depose the investigation officer but wanted to keep the option of bringing further witnesses later on.

The tribunal did not consider the proposition fully acceptable and indicated that it had reservations about allowing further witnesses after deposition of the investigation officer.

Tribunal member Justice A T M Fazle Kabir also asked the prosecutor whether he was fully prepared with the all the paperwork that technicalities required when deposing the investigation officer especially regarding the seized documents and other evidences that had to be submitted and exhibited.

The prosecutor indicated that he had adequate preparations.

However, the defence raised an objection in this regard.

But Justice Huq assured them saying that the court would not allow anything that be prejudicial against the defence.

Counsellor Mizanul Islam, who generally leads cross-examination of the witnesses, said that once the defence cross-examined the investigation officer, its entire line of defence would be compromised. "So cross examination of the investigation officer would certainly be prejudicial against the defence."

He point out that there were 68 material witnesses according to the prosecution's documents. "Only 18 have been deposed so far, so it is not a matter of the odd one or two that may be deposed later."

The tribunal chairman then issued the order saying that the prosecution could choose to depose the investigation officer only after it had passed an order in response to the application detailing the prosecution's future course of action.

At this, Mizanul Islam wondered whether there would be a hearing of the application, to which the tribunal chief said, it would depend upon the court's consideration.

The defence counsel then submitted, "The matter is certainly up to the court, But it is my advanced submission that the court conducts a hearing of the application before passing the order."

The proceedings in Sayedee's case were thus adjourned till Mar 20 and the prosecution resumed reading the 110-page formal charge against Jamaat assistant secretary general Abdul Quader Molla.

FIRST CASE TO TRIAL

Sayedee's is the first case to proceed to the trial stage at the tribunal. The prosecution on Sept 4 proposed framing of charges against him on 31 counts for crimes against humanity and genocide.

On Oct 3, the tribunal indicted Sayedee on 20 counts including murder, rape, arson and loot.

The tribunal also sent Jamaat's former chief Ghulam Azam to jail on Jan 11. His indictment hearing began on Feb 15.

Besides Sayedee, Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed and assistant secretaries general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla, and Bangladesh Nationalist Party's standing committee member and MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury have been detained on war crimes charges.

The tribunal granted conditional bail to former BNP lawmaker and minister Abdul Alim on March 31 last year. The bail was extended till Mar 23 on Mar 15 when the prosecution submitted formal charges against the BNP leader