BNP knows how to get it: Moudud

BANGLADESH NEWS

Dhaka, May 18 Brushing off the Prime Minister's claim about the caretaker government, the BNP on Friday said it knew well how to bend the government to its demand to hold the next general elections under a non-party government.

"The Prime Minister said she knew how to deal with the opposition. We'd like to tell her, the opposition also knows how to make the government give in to the caretaker government issue," Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed told a pro-BNP doctors' meeting at the National Press Club.

"A worldwide public opinion has been created about a non-partisan, neutral government in Bangladesh," Moudud claimed.

"US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee recently came to Dhaka and said that a free and fair election will have to be held in Bangladesh, so that all parties can participate. So there is no way to discount this demand."

The former law minister said the Prime Minister' Sheikh Hasina's comments about a neutral caretaker government and the opposition at the reception by Bangladesh Chhatra League on Thursday were a reflection of her 'dictatorial' mentality.

Hasina on Thursday said: "The people of Bangladesh don't want to see another 'demon' called the caretaker government. The caretaker government gave nothing but misrule."

The Prime Minister said democracy here will be practised in the same manner as it is in other countries.

Moudud said the government will be "forced to go to polls under a neutral caretaker government" and reiterated that they knew "how to get it done".

The senior BNP leader alleged that the government was influencing every constitutional organisation such as the Public Service Commission and Anti-Corruption Commission.

He said the government detained top leaders of the BNP so that the party cannot take part in the polls. He believed the government will not be able to keep the leaders in jail for long using this ploy.

There's nothing to be frustrated about, Moudud said to his party leaders and supporters. "The government won't be able to thwart [our] movement keeping so many leaders in jail."

Doctors Association of Bangladesh organised the programme demanding release of the imprisoned alliance leaders, information on the whereabouts of missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali and staging the upcoming polls under a neutral caretaker government. 

30 opposition leaders shifted to Kashimpur jail

BANGLADESH NEWS

The jail authorities on Friday shifted 30 out of 37 18-party alliance leaders, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, accused in hartal violence, from Dhaka Central Jail to Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur.

Masud Hasan, a deputy jailer at Dhaka Central Jail, told that the 30 leaders were transferred to Kashimpur jai in two phases around 1:00pm.

He said seven of the 14 leaders, who had been granted division status, were sent to Kashimpur Central Jail Part-1 and Kashimpur Central Jail Part-2.

They are Fakhrul, BNP standing committee members Khandker Mosharraf Hossain and ASM Hannan Shah, its Self Reliance Affairs Secretary Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, Students Affair Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Liberal Democratic Party President Oli Ahmed and Bangladesh Jatiya Party President Andaleeve Rahman Partho.

BNP's Education Affairs Secretary Khairul Kabir Khokan and three others, detained during Thursday's general strike, have already been sent to the Kashimpur Central Jail. They were sent to the prison along with 19 others who landed in jail on Wednesday.

"Those who are kept at Dhaka Central Jail are BNP Vice-Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Standing Committee Members MK Anwar, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Mirza Abbas, Joint Secretary General Amanullah Aman, Organising Secretary Fazlul Haque Milan and International Affairs Secretary Nazim Uddin Alam," the jail official said.

Inspector General (Prisons) Brig Gen Mohammad Ashraful Islam Khan told that the leaders were transferred to Kashimpur for their better accommodation facilities.

"We sent mainly some VIP prisoners and some students leaders to Kashimpur jails", the IG-Prisons said.

On Wednesday, a Dhaka court sent Fakhrul and 32 other opposition leaders to jail after refusing them bail in a case filed over torching of a bus in front of the Prime Minister's Office during a countrywide shutdown on Apr 29.

The leaders failed to get bail after surrendering at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in the morning. The High Court had earlier rejected them bail and ordered them to surrender at the trial court.

A case was filed with the Tejgaon Police Station against 44 leaders and activists of the BNP and its like-minded parties on charges of torching a vehicle in front of the Prime Minister's Office during the countrywide shutdown on Apr 29 protesting against the 'disappearance' of one of the party's organising secretaries, M Ilias Ali.

Detective Branch of police on May 10 submitted charge sheet against Fakhrul and 45 of the opposition alliance in the case filed under Speedy Trial Act.

Of the 37 leaders, 34 were sent to jail on Wednesday when they were to surrender before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court while three others, including BNP's Education Affairs Secretary Khairul Kabir Khokan, were sent to jail after they were arrested on Thursday.

Bangladeshi cattle trader killed by BSF

BANGLADESH NEWS

A Bangladeshi cattle trader was killed early Friday after Indian Border Security Force (BSF) hurled cocktail and fired a shot at him at Daudpur border in Birampur upazila of Dinajpur.

The deceased was identified as Saidur Rahman Chiku, 50, of village Poli Mahmudpur of the upazila, reports our correspondent in Dinajpur.

The incident took place when Chiku was returning home from India through Daudpur frontier with some other cattle traders at about 4:30am, BGB officials said quoting locals.

BSF personnel of Gobindapur camp of 29 BSF Battalion of Dakkhin Dinajpur hurled cocktail at the cattle traders leaving him critically wounded.

Later, the BSF men caught Chiku and gunned him down on the spot, BGB officials added.

Lt Col Tayeb Ul Haque, commanding officer of Phulbari 40 Battalion, confirmed the incident.

Driver tells of Bibhas accident

DHAKA NEWS

The speedometer of the bus was out of order that led to the accident that killed journalist Bibhas Chandra Saha, the driver said on Friday.

Describing the incident before a Dhaka court, Mofizul Islam said he saw a private car and a motorbike back to his bus through the left rear-view of the vehicle.

“Suddenly I heard a sound of smashing as soon as I turned the steering wheel into left side as per the instruction of my assistant," he said while giving a statement before Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Aziz.

At one stage, the passengers of the bus and passers-by started shouting that the motorcyclist died, he said adding that he stopped the vehicle and managed to flee the scene as locals chased it, sources told our correspondent.

The magistrate recorded the statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), Masudur Rahman, additional deputy police commissioner,

Mofizul could face three-year imprisonment if found guilty, the police officer said.

According to Mafizul's statement, he has no academic knowledge and even he cannot read or write. He can only sign his name. He collected driving licence from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority in 2005. Since then, he was used to drive trucks until holding bus steering last year.

Bibhas Chandra Saha, 46, chief crime reporter of The Independent, was killed on May 11 evening when a bus of Maitri Paribahan crashed into his motorcycle in the capital's Dhanmondi area.

Acting on a tip-off, detectives captured Mofizul, from Shahrasti upazila of Chandpur on May 13.

Later, Mofizul was placed on a three-day remand for interrogation.

270,000 yaba tablets seized, 4 held

CHITTAGONG NEWS

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized 270,000 yaba tablets and arrested a yaba smuggler along with his three accomplices at Asadganj in Chittagong on Friday morning.

The arrestees are Abdur Rashid Kulu, 50, Sabbir Ahmed, 30, of Teknaf upzaila, and Ataul Karim, 28, and Mohammad Ismail, 27, of Shahpari Dwip (Island) in Cox’s Bazar district.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint-team of Rab-1 and Rab-7 conducted a drive at a warehouse in the area under Kotwali Police Station around 4:00am and arrested the four people, reports our correspondent in Chittagong.

The Rab personnel seized 2,70,000 pieces of Yaba, kept in 14 sacks, those were mixed with sacks of plum from a truck, said Commander M Sohail, director of Rab Legal and Media Wing.

Sohail said, “There are special marks in the sacks those are carrying yaba.”

The estimated price of the yaba to be around Tk 10 crore, he said.

Terming it as the biggest ever yaba haul in the country, the media wing director said, “The tablets came to the country from Myanmar on Thursday night.”

Major Ziaul Ahsan, acting commanding officer of Rab-7 said, “We seized the sacks of yaba when the sacks were being unloaded from the truck.”

Ahsan told reporters in front of the warehouse that Ataul Karim rented the warehouse from one Abdul Malek Chowdhury three moths ago.

Malek Chowdhury said, “Ataul rented the warehouse from me for three years. He also gave me Tk 2.40 lakh in advance for one year and said they will store imported items like jams and jelly.”

CJ concerned over backlog of cases

DHAKA NEWS

Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain on Friday expressed his concern over piles of cases remained pending in different courts across the country impeding the achievement of the stated goals of judiciary.

“A total of 20,32,046 cases, remained pending until January 1, 2012, in all courts and tribunals” the chief justice said.

He said this while addressing as the chief guest at a seminar on ‘Potential of Information and Communications Technology in Case Management and Court Administration’ held at the Supreme Court auditorium in the morning.

The United Nations Development Programme and Bangladesh Supreme Court jointly organised the seminar.

Muzammel Hossain also expressed his optimism that Information and Communications Technology will quicken the entire process of justice delivery system.

FBCCI urges steps to avert confrontation

BANGLADESH NEWS

Dhaka, May 17 Bangladesh's apex business body chief A K Azad has urged the Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith to discuss with the prime minister for an initiative to avert a 'confrontational situation' in politics.

"We all know that confrontational political programs like shutdowns severely affect the country's economy. We the business community do not want such programmes," FBCCI chief Azad told the minister on Thursday at the consultative committee meeting on the upcoming budget at Dhaka's Sonargaon Hotel.

"I will request you, as you are a senior minister of the government, I think the second man of the government, to find an honourable solution.

"I urge you to talk to the prime minister to find a solution to avert a confrontational political situation in the country by discussing with all," Azad, President of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries added.

"It is not possible to advance economy without all the political parties reaching a consensus," said Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, chief of apparel exporters' association BGMEA.

He also pointed out that a quarter was trying to destabilise the readymade garments sector by spreading rumours to incite workers towards violence. "Punitive steps have to be taken against those or the sector will face serious crisis."

The programme was jointly organised by the National Board of Revenue and the FBCCI gather suggestions of businessmen regarding the upcoming budget.

Every year, businessmen make suggestions in a meeting chaired by the finance minister and those which are given priority are considered by the finance ministry while finalising the budget proposal.

But this year the 'confrontational political' issue has been raised by the apex business body as a major concern as opposition enforced six shutdowns in less than three weeks.

The opposition alliance is enforcing a nationwide shutdown on Thursday protesting a court order that sent 33 senior opposition leaders to jail in a case filed over torching of a bus in front of the Prime Minister's Office during a shutdown on Apr 29.

On Wednesday, six buses and a taxi were torched in Dhaka in a spell of pre-shutdown violence.

The business platform also made a similar call to the opposition to avoid confrontation in a statement earlier.

Khaleda Zia to lead Oppn hunger strike

BANGLADESH NEWS

Dhaka, May 17 BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will lead a mass hunger strike of the 18-party opposition alliance on Sunday.

The hunger strike is aimed at pressing for the release of top opposition leaders, party's standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan told journalists at Khaleda's Gulshan office late on Thursday night.

Even as Khan talked to the media, the BNP chief was holding a meeting with the leaders of the alliance constituents.

However, authorities are yet to respond to the opposition's application for a venue to hold the hunger strike, Khan said.

The opposition has requested the government to allow them to use one of the three places – the Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) premises, or any vacant place at Mahanagar Natya Mancha or Ramna Green – as the venue for protest programme.

"We are trying for a venue. If we do not get any place, we'll sit in front of the party's headquarters at Naya Paltan," he added.

Khan also said that the BNP-led alliance had announced to submit memoranda to deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahee officers across the country demanding reining in shooting prices of essential commodities on May 23 and hold protest rallies across the country on May 27 seeking restoration of the caretaker government system and withdrawal of cases against top opposition leaders.

Thursday's meeting followed a countrywide dawn-to-dusk general strike demanding release of top opposition leaders held in cases over violence during a shutdown on May 29.

Anwar given JU reins New VC puts peaceful campus on top of his do-list; appointment comes soon after his controversial predecessor resigns

BANGLADESH NEWS

Prof Shariff Enamul Kabir has finally stepped down as vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, ending months-long standoff and unrest on the campus.

Soon after his resignation, President Zillur Rahman appointed Prof Anwar Hossain, a professor of biochemistry at Dhaka University, as the new vice-chancellor of JU.

JU teachers and students, who had been demanding Prof Shariff's resignation over his alleged involvement in campus violence and irregularities in appointment of teachers, termed his stepping down "a victory of good over evil".

Bangabhaban sources told  that Prof Shariff tendered his resignation to the president, also chancellor of JU, after a brief meeting at the Bangabhaban yesterday afternoon.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and University Grants Commission Chairman Prof AK Azad

Chowdhury were also present at the meeting where the president expressed his desire for appointing Prof Anwar Hossain as JU vice-chancellor and asked Nahid to take steps to that end, the sources added.

Contacted, Prof Anwar, also president of Dhaka University Teachers Association, told this correspondent his priority was to end the deadlock at the university and bring a peaceful atmosphere on the campus.

“I think my new job is very important. My challenge is to bring peaceful academic atmosphere in the university,” he added.

On the impasse, Prof Anwar said he would try to solve the mater in consultation with teachers, students and the other people involved with the university.

Asked about the alleged disturbance by a section of Chhatra League leaders on the campus, he said, “I will evaluate the situation impartially and without considering anyone's political affiliation.”

Meanwhile, agitating students and teachers thanked the prime minister and the president for their initiative to end the crisis in JU by "forcing" Prof Shariff to go.

Talking to , Prof Nasim Akhtar Hossain, convener of Shikkhak Samaj of JU, welcomed the appointment of Anwar Hossain as new VC of JU.

“We hope the stalemate at the university will now be over," she said.

Since his "political" appointment as VC in February 2009, Prof Shariff earned widespread criticism for his alleged involvement in various anomalies in teaches' recruitment, patronising a group of Chhatra League leaders to put pressure on his dissidents.

Apart from chopping down trees indiscriminately on the campus in the last three years, teachers and students allege, Prof Shariff leased out the university lakes.

Teachers and students started demanding his ouster after the murder of Zubair Ahmed, a student of English department, by some BCL activists on Jan 9.

It is alleged those involved in the murder received Prof Shariff's blessings on many occasions.

On 10 March, a large number of teachers and students of the university joined in to gear up the movement for his ouster.

Under the banner of Shikkhak Samaj, agitating teachers enforced strike in the university while the students launched a fast-unto-death on April 24 demanding removal of Prof Shariff.

Agitated teachers on May 4 postponed their demonstration on assurance from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that she would look into the matter.

On Many 3, Hasina separately met the pro-VC and anti-VC factions at her Gono Bhaban residence in efforts to end the crisis.

Another relaxed hartal BNP leader Khokan held

BANGLADESH NEWS

The BNP-led alliance observed its countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal in a rather relaxed way yesterday.

A large number of motorised vehicles were seen plying Dhaka streets during the hartal and not too many pickets.

However, there were a few stray incidents of violence between the law enforcers and pro-hartal activists in the capital and a few other places in the country.

The BNP central office was cordoned off during the hartal hours. Law enforcers did not allow anyone to enter or exit the office.

Police picked up around 30 pickets in front of the party's central office in Nayapaltan yesterday.

The arrested pickets include Khairul Kabir Khokan, BNP Narsingdi district unit president, who was arrested in front of the BNP central office around 9:00am. Mizanur Rahman Minu, joint secretary general of BNP, was slightly injured as he got involved in a scuffle with law enforcers who were trying to get Khokan into a police van.

Khokan was later sent to jail after he was shown arrested in a blast case filed with Paltan Police Station on April 29.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police claimed that 19 people were arrested in the city during the hartal hours.

In Chittagong, neither picketing nor any untoward incidents were seen.

The alliance had called the hartal the day before demanding the return of BNP leader Ilias Ali, who has been missing since the wee hours of April 18, and release of the alliance's top leaders sent to jail by a Dhaka court on Wednesday in connection with arson.

On Wednesday, 33 opposition leaders, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were sent to jail in an arson case filed on April 29 with Tejgaon Police Station.

Yesterday a few homemade bombs went off, and a few incidents of vandalism and police detentions were reported in different parts of the capital.

Three homemade bombs went off at Mirpur-1 intersection around 7:30am while two exploded at Shahjahanpur intersection around 10:40am. The pro-hartal activists vandalised a vehicle near Mirpur-10.

Two battery-run three-wheelers were also vandalised near Khilgaon Flyover around 9:30am. Police detained two people from the spot in this connection.

Four Shibir activists were detained at Pallima Community Centre in Khilgaon and five others were arrested in Jatrabari.

However, a good number of minibuses and cars and a large number of CNG-run three-wheelers were seen plying the city streets. Rickshaws were found dominating the thoroughfares.

No intercity or long-distance buses set out from the capital since morning even though train and launch services were normal.

All educational institutions, business establishments, most shops and shopping malls on thoroughfares remained closed.

In Narayanganj, 20 pro-hartal activists were injured as police charged truncheons on a procession yesterday.

Police detained seven opposition activists, including local pro-BNP Jubo Dal convener Maksudul Alam Khandker Khorshed. Ten people, including BNP leader ATM Kamal were injured when police charged truncheons on the procession at Mondalpara.

Meanwhile, 10 activists were injured when police tried to prevent hartal supports from burning tyres on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Sonargaon upazila of the district.

A few central leaders, among whom were Nazrul Islam Khan, Abdullah Al Noman, Zainul Abdin Farroque, Barkat Ullah Bulu, and Rehana Akhter Ranu, managed to enter the party central office during early hartal hours yesterday.

After the daylong hartal, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan in a press briefing at BNP central office said fresh agitation programmes would be declared today [Friday] after consultation with party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The party's incumbent and former lawmakers were scheduled to observe a token hunger strike at 10:00am tomorrow at the Sangsad Bhaban complex.

On Monday, the BNP standing committee and 18-party alliance in a meeting had decided to observe a mass hunger strike on Sunday. However, no formal declaration was made in this regard and no details were given.

Image lost after Bangabandhu killing restored: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

BANGLADESH NEWS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her party had restored the dignity and image of the country that it had lost after the assassination of Father of the Nation and the most of his family members.

“The people of Bangladesh achieved dignity through independence, but it was lost after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975. We've gained the lost dignity back, and this is our biggest achievement. There could be no achievement bigger than this”, she said.

The prime minister said this as Awami League leaders met her at her official residence of Gono Bhaban to greet her on the occasion of her 31st homecoming day yesterday.

On this day in 1981, Sheikh Hasina, now president of the AL, returned home after six years in exile following the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by some ambitious and disgruntled army men on August 15, 1975.

Both Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana could escape the August 15 onslaught as they were abroad when the assassination was carried out. Sheikh Hasina was elected president of AL at its three-day national council held on February 14-16, 1981.

The prime minister said her government restored the spirit of the Liberation War in the constitution through the 15th amendment. The constitution was mutilated by the successive military governments after the Bangabandhu's assassination, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said after the assassination, she and Sheikh Rehana came to Delhi from Germany, where she had stayed for six years.

AL leaders, including Dr Kamal Hossain, requested her to take the responsibility of the party to strengthen it and to mobilise public opinion worldwide against the killing of Bangabandhu, she said.

She recalled that Sajeda Chowdhury, also an AL leader, used to ask her to come to politics for ensuring the overall development of the country's people. Sheikh Hasina said she had no intention to be the chief of the party. Rather she wanted to work as an activist, she added.

But, due to repeated request of the party leaders, she agreed to serve the party with a condition that if a single leader opposed her leadership she would quit, Sheikh Hasina said.

She mentioned that Awami League was such an organisation, which could not be destroyed, as the party was born in the hands of the Father of the Nation.

Sheikh Hasina also said she always gave her all-out efforts so that the party remained united and there was no factionalisation.

In an emotion-choked voice, the prime minister said her target was how to serve the people of the country and to change the fate of its people. “My father, mother and brothers sacrificed their lives for the people of the country”.

Since her return to home, she has been trying to ensure socio-economic development of the country though the path was not so smooth, she said.

The prime minister said she always had the intention to fulfill the desires and aspirations of the common people of Bangladesh, and she had met many of those.

She said many had cautioned her not to go for the trial of the killers of Bangabandhu. “If I was scared of death, I would never return to Bangladesh”.

Mentioning that her government was working relentlessly to deliver a better and prosperous life for the country's people, the Awami League chief also asked its party workers to work in the light of the ideology of Bangabandhu.

The prime minister also recalled the memories of her exiled life and the memories of those days when she returned home 31 years ago.

Deputy Leader in Parliament Sayeda Sajeda Chowdhury, AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, AL presidium members Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Selim, Kazi Jafarullah, AL advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu, Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, and other central leaders were present, among others, on the occasion.