Amid Raids and Arrests, Senior BNP Leaders

DHAKA NEWS

Amid raids and arrests, senior BNP leaders have gone into hiding, as the government's sudden tough stance against the opposition's continuous agitation yesterday sent panic sweeping through the ranks of the 18-party alliance.

Police arrested the BNP's Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in the capital's Kakrail area around two hours after yesterday's dawn-to-dusk hartal, the last of the two back-to-back shutdowns called by the BNP-led opposition alliance to protest the disappearance of its leader M Ilias Ali.

Earlier, during the hartal hours and on Sunday night, law enforcers rounded up 10 opposition men, including former student leader Kamruzzaman Ratan -- a close associate of Ilias Ali -- and former deputy minister Sirajul Haque.

In the early hours yesterday, police raided BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's Uttara residence. In the afternoon, they swooped on standing committee member Mirza Abbas' house at South Shahjahanpur.

Unlike on other hartal days, Fakhrul and other top leaders were not seen in the party's central office at Nayapaltan yesterday. They had gone into hiding fearing arrests in two cases filed for explosions in the secretariat compound and the torching of buses on Sunday, insiders said.

Fakhrul and several senior leaders of the BNP and its allies are accused in the two cases, filed on Sunday night.

Yesterday's lockdown ended without any major incidents of violence with a thin presence of opposition pickets on the streets.

The main opposition party termed the cases against its leaders "ill-motivated" and called a countrywide demonstration for tomorrow in protest at the raids and filing of the cases.

Hours before his arrest, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan office said fresh agitation programmes would be announced from a protest rally tomorrow.

Asking the government to withdraw the cases, party's senior leader Moudud Ahmed at the briefing said cases and raids would not be able to weaken the agitation and that the government would be removed through a movement.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku at a briefing at his office said the BNP leaders were named in the cases on the basis of intelligence and more opposition leaders would be accused if their names came up.

He claimed the violence during Sunday's hartal took place on instructions of the BNP high-ups.

Political tensions have been running high since the disappearance of Ilias Ali, an organising secretary of BNP and also a former lawmaker, and his driver around midnight of April 17 from the capital's Banani area.

On April 19, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia alleged some government agencies had picked up Ilias Ali. On the same day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Ilias might be hiding himself on Khaleda Zia's instructions.

Two weeks on, law enforcers are yet find the two.

In protest at the incident, BNP enforced back-to-back countrywide hartals across the country from April 22 to 24.

RAIDS, CASES AND ARRESTS

The law enforcers raided Mirza Fakhrul's Uttara residence early yesterday. However, Fakhrul was not home.

Considering the distance between his house and the party office, he usually spends the night before a BNP-enforced hartal day at places adjacent to the Nayapaltan office, party sources said.

Police scaled the boundary wall of Fakhrul's house around 4:30am and knocked on the door.

Rahat Ara Begum, his wife, opened the door and allowed the law enforcers in. They combed through all the rooms before they left, Rahat told .

Police also raided BNP leader Mirza Abbas' South Shahjahanpur residence yesterday afternoon to arrest him in connection with the case filed for torching of buses. He was not home at the time either.

Afroza Abbas, wife of the BNP leader, said some 25 cops entered her house around 2:30pm and wanted to know the whereabouts of her husband. The team then searched the house for nearly 30 minutes before leaving.

Police also searched the house of Khairul Kabir Khokon and his wife Shirin Sultana's at the capital's Khilgaon. Both of them are former lawmakers.

A raid was also conducted at BNP leader Habib-un-Nabi Sohel's house in the capital.

In a late night development, police raided the house of Jubo Dal president Moazzem Hossain Alal's Lalmatia residence in the capital around 11:00pm yesterday, when he was not home.

Earlier on Sunday night Tejgaon police filed a case against 44 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance for torching a vehicle near the Prime Minister's Office that day.

The accused include Mirza Fakhrul, party standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and Hannan Shah, party Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, party lawmaker Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, and Liberal Democratic Party President Oli Ahmed.

On the same day, Shahbagh police accused 28 opposition leaders in a case in connection with the "bomb" blasts on the secretariat compound, with Mirza Fakhrul the main accused.

CHIEF JUSTICE REJECTS APPEAL

The chief justice yesterday turned down an appeal to constitute a special High Court bench for an urgent hearing on bail petitions of five top BNP leaders accused in the two cases.

The five are Mirza Fakhrul, Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, Sadeque Hossain Khoka and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

A group of senior pro-BNP lawyers led by Moudud Ahmed and Zainul Abedin made the appeal, meeting Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain at his Supreme Court office yesterday afternoon.

Zainul Abedin told The Daily Star that the chief justice refused to constitute a special HC bench as the court hours had expired by the time they made the request.

“The chief justice, however, advised us to move the bail petitions before a regular bench of the High Court on Wednesday [tomorrow].”

He added they will place the petitions before the HC tomorrow.

THE HARTAL

Yesterday, all educational institutions, business establishments and most shops and shopping malls by the major thoroughfares remained closed. The government offices remained opened.

The city started to get back to normalcy in the afternoon, with the opposition not declaring any more shutdowns.

On Wednesday, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday issued a four-day ultimatum to the government to locate Ilias Ali and his driver, or her party would go for tougher agitation.

The BNP-led 18-party alliance called the back-to-back shutdowns on Saturday afternoon.

Police picked up former deputy minister for health Sirajul Haque on his arrival in front of BNP's Nayapaltan office yesterday around 7:40am.

A running battle took place after pro-hartal activists brought out a procession and were jointly resisted by Bangladesh Chhatra League members and law enforcers at Adabor around 7:00am, leaving one injured. Police picked up one from the spot.

Pickets exploded five cocktails at different areas in the city.

Like recent hartals, the BNP headquarters remained cordoned off since the morning. Law enforcers did not allow party leaders and activists to hold processions or rallies.

Large contingents of law enforcers were seen patrolling the main thoroughfare and key points of the capital.

Most passenger buses and private cars stayed off roads fearing vandalism. A few CNG-run auto-rickshaws were seen on major roads of the city.

At least 15 buses started from the city's Sayedabad Bus Terminal for Comilla and Narsingdi in the morning. There was no report of any long-route bus leaving the other terminals in the capital.

BNP BREIFING

Moudud Ahmed, a member of BNP standing committee, said filing cases against the party leaders and activists will not weaken the opposition movement.

“The government is committing crimes one after another; it is only a matter of time before it will fall,” he said during a press conference at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

Asked about the whereabouts of Mirza Fakhrul, Moudud, skirting around the question, said two cases had been filed against the acting secretary general.

To a query on alleged involvement of the accused leaders in violence, Moudud replied, “Top leaders like Fakhrul can never be associated with crimes like vandalism or bomb explosion.”

LDP President Oli Ahmed in a statement said he has been on a tour in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar since April 26 to attend some family programmes. “It's really funny that cases have been filed against me while I'm not even in the capital.”

Jahangirnagar University start jumping 'sinking ship'

DHAKA NEWS

Jahangirnagar University, Apr 30  As the teachers-students' agitation seeking ouster of Jahangirnagar University vice chancellor Sharif Enamul Kabir gains strength, people close to Kabir seem to have started deserting him.

The students on Monday continued to protest against Saturday's beating of cultural activists by 'members' of Bangladesh Chhatra League, reportedly patronised by Kabir.

Hundreds of students carrying took out a torchlight procession in the evening.

Meanwhile, members of Shikkhok Somaj, a teachers' platform, continued their siege of the VC's residence to press for his resignation for appointing 'unskilled' and 'unnecessary' teachers.

Giving a boost to the agitation, three teachers, reportedly loyal to the VC, in a statement on Monday said they had lost confidence in the current administration and expressed concern over the 'undemocratic acts' of its top officials.

The three teachers are Social Science Faculty dean Sajed Ashraf Karim, Bengali Department teacher Prithila Naznin Nilima and Computer Science Department's Prof Hanif Ali, all members of another platform of teachers loyal to the beleaguered VC.

Some others who had been regularly attending the programmes of pro-VC teachers were also absent from Monday's programmes.

Sacheton Karmokarta-Karmachari, a platform of officials and employees of the university, has also expressed solidarity with the protesting teachers and students.

On Sunday, former VC Prof Abdul Bayes, who had been supporting Kabir, had stepped down as the dean of the Business Studies Faculty.    

Govt to make Bangladesh terror-free:Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

HABIGANJ NEWS

Habiganj, Apr 30  Holding the past BNP-Jamaat alliance government responsible for promoting terrorism in the country, prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her government is committed to free Bangladesh from terrorism and militancy.

She came up with the remarks on Monday at a view exchange meeting with the local political leaders at Rashidpur of Bahubal upazila after inaugurating two important gas plants in the district – highly sophisticated Muchai Compressor Station and Rashidpur Condensed Fractionation Plant.

Hasina said the country's agriculture sector was witnessing a revolution. "Bangladesh will be made self-reliant in food production by 2013."

Announcing that all the upazila health complexes across the country would be upgraded to 50-bed ones, she said the number of beds at the Habiganj Sadar Modern Hospital would soon be increased to 250 from the present 100.

Finance minister A M A Muhith, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Enamul Haque, US ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena, energy secretary Mesbah Uddin and president of Chevron Asia Pacific Exploration and Production Co Ltd Melody Meyer also spoke on the occasion. 

LGRD Minister Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Apr  The BNP is not assisting the government in its efforts to find out missing opposition leader M Ilias Ali, local government minister Syed Ashraful Islam has said.

He, however, hoped that Ilias would be traced out.

The LGRD minister, also Awami League general secretary, said several drives to find out Ilias were on and expressed hope that the operations would yield the 'logical result' – his rescue.

Ashraf was addressing a rally organised by the ruling party's Dhaka city unit in front of its Bangabandhu Avenue headquarters.

Ilias, one of the organising secretaries of BNP, and Ansar Ali, the driver of his car, have been missing since Apr 18.

The BNP and his family have been claiming that government henchmen picked them up, an allegation denied vehemently by the government.

"Ilias Ali's party doesn't want his rescue," Ashraf said.

Many of senior the BNP leaders did not even receive calls' when contacted to speak about the issue, he added.

Law-enforcement agencies have conducted 12 drives to find the missing opposition party leader, he said.

"We are giving our 100 percent to trace Ilias Ali. The government is determined to keep the drives going until his rescue," he said.  

Prime Minister has Given an Appointment Elias' wife Wednesday

DHAKA NEWS

Dhaka, Apr 30 The prime minister has given an appointment on Wednesday to missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali's wife, hours after her appeal for a chance to meet Sheikh Hasina.

"The prime minister will meet Tahsina Rushdir at 6pm," her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told

Earlier in the day, Rushdir had at a press conference expressed her desire to meet Hasina over the disappearance of her husband

"My children are facing uncertainty and insecurity. I can't even send them to school. I want my husband back at any cost," she had told the media at her Banani residence as 12 days have passed since her husband went missing.

"If the prime minister allows, I want to meet her along with my family," she said alleging that the law enforcers were becoming 'less helpful' in finding out her husband.

Ilias, the main opposition BNP's one of the organising secretaries, went missing along with his driver past midnight on Apr 17. His abandoned car was found from Mohakhali in the capital.

The 18-party opposition alliance led by BNP observed two-day general strike on Sunday and Monday demanding 'return' of Ilias Ali, also chief of party's Sylhet chapter.

The opposition also enforced general strike for three consecutive days starting Apr 22 over the same demand alleging that 'government agencies abducted' Ilias.

On the other hand, the government has been saying that it was 'an opposition-staged drama' to create an issue.   

BNP Leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed Speaks at a Press Conference

DHAKA NEWS

The ruling Awami League and the main opposition BNP have adopted conflicting policies against each other. The AL has decided to counter the ongoing BNP agitation while the opposition is determined to oust the government at any cost.

The situation was very alarming and would increase turbulence in the country's politics, Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government,

He said the AL and BNP stances might put the country into deep political turmoil.

The opposition's anti-government movement to press home its demand for the restoration of a non-party caretaker government to hold the next general elections acquired a momentum with the sudden disappearance of M Ilias Ali, one of the central leaders of the party, on April 17.

Ever since, the BNP has been accusing the government of being behind what it has called the forced disappearance while the government has been refuting it and terming the incident a planned drama by the main opposition.

The BNP has already enforced a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal over a period of five days to mount pressure on the government to find Ilias. During the period, the nation witnessed the death of five people, with scores of people being injured together with a series of violence, vandalism and setting vehicles afire.

Frustrated with the agitation, the government has decided to handle the opposition with an iron hand. It is now obvious that the government and ruling party policymakers are in little mood to spare anyone in the BNP if they try to disrupt public life.

“The main opposition has been hurling threats at the government only to gain political benefits. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia does not want Ilias Ali to be found,” AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam alleged yesterday while speaking at a party rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.

If they [BNP] wanted Ilias, they definitely would have cooperated with the government, which they did not, he said while referring to the AL's appeal to the BNP to help the government in tracing Ilias.

Sources in the ruling party believe that had the government gone soft on the opposition, the BNP would have tried to derive advantage from it. They are of the opinion that the government has been trying its best to trace Ilias but the five days' hartal and violence have discouraged the government high-ups from working on the issue sincerely.

“How can we tolerate their [opposition] resorting to violence and vandalism when it is the government's responsibility to ensure people's safety and security?” Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AL joint general secretary,

He said the government had shown tolerance when the opposition observed peaceful programmes. “It [govt] cannot sit idle when they [opposition] vandalise vehicles and damage public property, business and houses. It just can't happen,” he added.

For their part, opposition policymakers think they have no way of retreating from their position after Ilias has gone missing and raids have been made and “false” charges brought against their senior leaders.

They say the only option they had was to go for tougher agitation, which of course including a series of hartals and blockades.

If the opposition had softened its stance over finding Ilias, the government would have more opposition leaders disappear to foil the anti-government movement and to weaken the party ahead of the next elections, according to senior BNP leaders.

Moudud Ahmed, a BNP standing committee member, said the opposition would go for an even stronger movement and there was no alternative to ousting the government to have its demands realised.

“There is no point of return now as all the issues have been created by the government and they must solve those,” Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, another BNP standing committee member,

He alleged that the BNP had been forced to launch the movement as the government had caused the disappearance of Ilias Ali, filed false charges against senior BNP leaders and had not restored the caretaker government system.

Asked about the charges brought against the BNP leaders, Hanif, also a special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said, “It was he [BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir] who threatened to set the country ablaze if their leader was not traced. So it was obvious that the law enforcers would bring charges against him over the blasts and vandalism.”

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's May 5-6 Visit to Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The USA is likely to push for a framework for defence cooperation between Dhaka and Washington during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's May 5-6 visit to Bangladesh.

It will press for signing the much-talked-about Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (Ticfa) and strategic partnership deals with Bangladesh.

Dhaka, however, wants to proceed with caution in respect of signing any deal with Washington, and it is not ready to ink any deal with Washington during Clinton's 24-hour visit.

Duty-free and quota-free access of Bangladeshi apparel to the US market and deportation of Lt Col AM Rashed Chowdhury, condemned killer in Bangabandhu murder case, will figure prominently in the talks between the two sides.

Washington may offer stronger cooperation and partnership in gas exploration, and in power and energy sectors.

As part of her three-nation tour (Bangladesh, India and China), Clinton is expected to arrive in Dhaka at 4:00pm on May 5 and hold meetings with government high-ups, opposition leaders and civil society representatives to discuss US-Bangladesh cooperation in political, economic and security matters.

According to the draft programme schedule, on her arrival, she will first hold talks with her Bangladesh counterpart Dipu Moni at the foreign ministry. They will discuss political, security and economic cooperation between the two nations. The talks will be followed by a joint press conference.

Clinton will later call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discuss a wide range of bilateral issues. The foreign minister will host a dinner in honour of the US Secretary of State.

On May 6, she will hold a meeting with the Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia, Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and civil society representatives. She is expected to leave Dhaka for Kolkata at about 3:30pm.

They said the top US diplomat would discuss with Dipu Moni the issue of the death of Aminul Islam, a leader of Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, who was picked up and tortured to death allegedly by law enforcers.

International rights bodies strongly condemned the incident and demanded proper probe into his death.

Four US officials yesterday met high-ups at the foreign ministry and discussed issues relating to Clinton's upcoming visit.

Sources said Clinton's meeting with Khaleda will feature many issues including political repression and harassment, disappearance of political leaders, violation of human rights, the caretaker government and the next general election.

Diplomatic sources said her upcoming visit is very crucial and has a special significance in strengthening ties between the two nations.

They said the US that is still unhappy with Prof Yunus' removal from Grameen Bank wants partnership with Bangladesh as it has special strategic importance to the USA in the present global and regional circumstances.

Officials at the foreign and the commerce ministries said Dhaka is yet to decide on signing the Ticfa agreement. It is still scrutinising the deal to figure out its future implications.

The Ticfa promises to protect investments, remove obstacles in bilateral trade and create a forum for discussing issues relating to trade and investment.

Although both the sides reached an understanding over the key issues laid down in the trade deal, Dhaka is yet to complete formalities to ink the agreement.

Similarly, no decision has been made about signing a “strategic partnership” or defence deal with Washington at this moment.

However, senior government officials said there wouldn't be any big problem in completing all procedures to sign an agreement if both the governments wish so.

“In the past, we had completed procedures overnight. So, the possibility of signing agreements during Hillary Clinton's visit cannot be ruled out,” said a government high-up.

Dhaka has proposed forming a joint commission to create a regular forum to discuss issues regarding security cooperation, said government officials.

Diplomatic sources said Washington wants more engagement with Dhaka in the area of security cooperation. The US believes that Bangladesh's role is vital to maintaining security in the Bay of Bengal. Besides, it considers Bangladesh as an active partner in regional counterterrorism efforts, they said.

They said USA's desire to enhance military engagement with Bangladesh is evident in the recent visits by US high-ups, including Andrew J Shapiro, US assistant secretary of state of Political-Military Affairs, and the first-ever Bangladesh-US Dialogue on Security Issues held in Dhaka on April 19.

On April 24, Shapiro said at the Carnegie Endowment Roundtable in Washington, DC that defence ties between the USA and Bangladesh are one of the most robust in South Asia.

“Bangladesh is a key player in maintaining security in the Bay of Bengal. They are an active partner in regional counterterrorism efforts and we are working to enhance their ability to respond to natural disasters,” he said.

“Our cooperation with Bangladesh is a prime example of how US security assistance can play a critically important role in our diplomatic engagement,” Shapiro said at the roundtable.

Diplomatic sources said the USA wants a “strategic partnership” deal with Bangladesh to create a regular forum to discuss issues like counterterrorism, food security, climate change and energy. But it is yet to put forward a formal proposal for signing such an agreement, they said.

Foreign ministry officials said the commerce ministry had sent the Ticfa draft to the Prime Minister's Office for its opinion.

They said the ministry was of the opinion that the government should do an in-depth scrutiny of the Ticfa to know about its future implications and impacts.

“We [the foreign ministry) are not in favour of inking any deal hurriedly. But there are people in the government for signing agreements on trade and defence cooperation without delay to improve Bangladesh-US ties that suffered serious setbacks in recent times,” said a senior government official asking not to be named.

On December 1, last year, Dan Mozena, US ambassador in Dhaka, said at a press conference, “Washington wants to sign the trade agreement, which is moving forward, to create a forum for discussing full range of issues relating to trade and investment.”

Royal Thai Air Force Carrying Shahjalal International Airport

BANGLADESH NEWS

An aircraft of Royal Thai Air Force carrying 15 officials yesterday skidded off the runway while landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport injuring three Thai officers.

The injuries sustained by the three officials-- Capt Wing Commander Chakkapol Hirranrattana, Wing Commander Surasak Sukbang and Flight Lt Pitchaya Burrangratchahirarun -- were minor, said sources of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab).

Caab officials said the injured and other officials, who came to Bangladesh on a cross-country mission, are being taken care of by Thai embassy in Dhaka. The Thai Air Force members -- eight officials and seven crew members-- were supposed to leave for New Delhi today.

Aircraft movement remained suspended at the airport for nearly 30 minutes after the incident, which took place at about 8:50am, Caab sources said.

The aircraft ATR-72 skidded off about 350 yards and hit a boundary wall of the airport. Its wings got smashed, seats uprooted and the cockpit damaged, witnesses said.

The reason for the accident could not be learnt immediately.

Emergency rescue team from Caab, Air Force and Biman Bangladesh Airlines rushed to the spot. However, before the rescue mission started, all 15 officials managed to walk out of the damaged plane.

Air Commodore M Shafiqul Alam, member (operations and planning) of Caab, said the aircraft is beyond repair.

Caab has already formed a four-member team headed by Flight Operation Inspector Squadron Leader (retd) Masud Akhtar Khan to investigate the accident, he said.

Besides, a team from the Thai Air force will reach Dhaka today to investigate the accident.