Grameen Bank Managing Director appointment very soon:Finance Minister AMA Muhith,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Monday said the government would very soon appoint a managing director to the Grameen Bank.

He said the government is amending the GB ordinance 1983, which governs the Nobel Peace Prize winning microfinance organisation, "just to appoint the managing director of the bank."

The minister came up with comments after a meeting with Mamunur Rashid, chairman of the GB commission, at the secretariat in the capital.

On May 16 this year, the government formed the four-member commission to review the activities of microlender and its associated organisations, and make recommendations on how to run the organisations.

The commission, which will also review the regulatory institutions and mechanism of the lender and recommend ways to bring it under the purview of state regulatory agencies, has been asked to turn in a report within three months.

The post of the bank's managing director fell vacant after Prof Yunus resigned in May last year following his removal from the bank he founded three decades ago to take financial services to the poor.

The likely changes in the ordinance, already approved by the cabinet, will only deepen suspicions among the bank's supporters at home and abroad that the government wants to take control of the bank and its associated organisations.

rime Minister Sheikh Hasina Cabinet okays draft of vested property ordinance

BANGLADESH NEWS

The cabinet on Monday approved the draft of Vested Property Return (second amendment) Ordinance-2012.

According to the new ordinance, the government-listed property claimants will be able to lodge appeals in 10 months instead four months from the issuance of the gazette notification.

Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters emerging from a regular cabinet meeting.

The president would promulgate an ordinance shortly in this regard, said Musharraf.

The meeting also approved the draft of Islami Arbi Affiliating Act 2012 with a provision to bring more than 1900 Fazil and Kamil madrassas under its authorities in a manner similar to National University.

Under the new act, Islami Arbi University will prepare curricula, conduct examinations, confer degrees and administer academic activities and training.

The government has responded to a long-drawn demand of the madrassa students by approving the draft, said the cabinet secretary.

Qawmi madrassas will however continue to remain excluded from the new system.

'BNP home minister Lutfozzaman Babar perhaps involved in August 21 grenade attack'

BANGLADESH NEWS

SM Mizanur Rahman, a former acting commissioner of DMP, on Monday said former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and several others were perhaps involved in the August 21 grenade attack.

The former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) acting commissioner testified about the grenade attack before Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1.

On the very day of grenade attack, Babar hurriedly directed army experts to destroy two live grenades that had been recovered from the place of occurrence, Mizanur said.

The former state home minister's initiative proved that he tried to destroy evidences, Mizanur, the 63 number prosecution witness told the court.

In his two-hour-long statement, Mizanur said Babar did not take any initiatives for deployment of sufficient law enforcement agencies to ensure security to the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21 in 2004.

When Mizanur attempted to take action against Obaidur Rahman, the then deputy commission (east) of DMP, and other authorities concerned, in connection with the grenade attack, Babar and the then IGP Shahidul Haque prevented him from doing this, he told the court.

After the incident as per his official procedure, Mizanur requested Babar and the IGP to visit the spot. But they discouraged him saying 'do not cross your limit'.

Mizanur also told the court that he took an initiative so that the injured victims could file cases against the criminals responsible for the grenade attack, but Babar here also prevented him.

Babar rather directed police to file cases in connection with the attack.

Mizanur will be cross-examined on August 12.

High Court Speedy trial court that deals with an arson case Against 46 Opposition Leaders,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The High Court on Monday stayed operations of a speedy trial court that deals with an arson case against 46 opposition leaders for eight weeks.

The trial proceedings of the case filed against the leaders including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has eventually come to a halt.

The HC came up with the order after hearing a writ petition filed challenging the legality of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court’s decision to give judicial powers to Metropolitan Magistrate Harun-or Rashid to hear and dispose of the case.

Police filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station against the accused opposition leaders hours after a vehicle was set ablaze near the Prime Minister's Office during hartal on April 29 this year.

During the day's proceedings, an HC bench also issued a rule upon the authorities concerned to explain in two weeks why the CMM Court's decision to give judicial powers to Harun-or Rashid to conduct Speedy Trial Court-5 of Dhaka for hearing and disposing of the case should not be declared illegal.

Secretaries to the ministries of law, cabinet and public administration, inspector general of police, CMM of Dhaka and Harun-or Rashid have been made respondents to the rule.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told that Speedy Trial Court-5, which has framed charges against the accused in the arson case on July 31, cannot proceed with the case for next eight weeks following the HC order.

Recording statements from the witnesses in this case will not take place at this speedy trial court on August 7, he said.

Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, chief counsel for the writ petitioner, said that all proceedings of the arson case filed against the opposition leaders will remain stayed for eight weeks following the HC order.

BNP lawmaker Mahbub Uddin Khokon, also an accused of the case, on Monday submitted a supplementary writ petition to the HC, stating that as per provisions of Speedy Trial Act 2002 only the government is the authority to form speedy trial courts and to determine the judicial jurisdictions of judges of those courts for dealing with cases.

But, the Chief Magistrate Bikash Kumar Saha on July 31 in an order gave judicial powers to Metropolitan Magistrate Harun-or Rashid to conduct the Speedy Trial Court-5 for dealing with the case, violating the provisions of the law.

Earlier on May 9 this year, the CMM in another order assigned Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Erfan Ullah conduct to Speedy Trial Court-7 of Dhaka for dealing with the same case. This speedy trial court earlier was scheduled to hear the charge framing of the case on July 31.

Mahbub Uddin Khokon filed the original writ petition on July 29 challenging the legality of CMM’s May 9 order to give judicial powers to Magistrate Erfan Ullah to conduct the Speedy Trial Court-7 for dealing with the cases.

Since the court of Magistrate Harun-or Rashid on July 31 framed charges in the case, petitioner Mahbub Uddin Khokon on Monday submitted the supplementary along with the original writ petition challenging the legality of CMM’s July 31 order of giving judicial powers to Magistrate Harun-or Rashid to conduct the Speedy Trial Court-5 for dealing with the case.

Hearing the arguments, the HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order of stay and issued the rule.

Earlier in the day, another HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo returned the petition to the petitioner’s counsels, after Justice Ejarul Haque felt embarrassed to hear the matter.

The bench did not mention any reason behind the judge’s feeling so.

BNP won't accept polls under party govt BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir welcomes EC for deciding not to use EVM in next JS polls

BANGLADESH NEWS

The main opposition BNP on Monday categorically said the Election Commission roadmap to hold the next parliament election under a political administration would be unacceptable to them and the people.

The party, however, welcomed the EC for deciding not to use electronic voting machine (EVM) in the next general election.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on Sunday at a press briefing said the EC is not prepared to use EVM in the next election.

At the same briefing, Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak said the next parliamentary polls will be held under the current constitutional provisions as the people have "accepted" the 15th Amendment to the constitution.

The 15th amendment scrapped the caretaker government system and introduced the provision of holding the parliamentary election within 90 days prior to dissolution of the parliament.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said it would be a grave mistake if EC prepares any roadmap to hold the election under a political administration.

“No election will be allowed to hold in the country without a non-party neutral government system. So people will not accept EC’s plan to hold election under political administration,” he said while talking to reporters.

He however said the EC took right decision regarding EVM system. “We are against EVM system since its inception as we believe EVM will not be able to reflect people’s verdict.”

He was talking to reporters after paying tribute at the grave of late president Ziaur Rahman along with the leaders of Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), a pro-BNP body.

Later the DAB, Netrokona district unit BNP leaders also placed a floral wreath at the grave of the party’s founder.

Soon after Alamgir’s departure from the area, two groups of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists engaged into a mild clash outside the graveyard that left few persons injured.

Mutineers' arms surrender was a drama: inspector general of police (IGP) Nur Mohammad,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Surrendering weapons by the mutineers of the then Bangladesh Rifles during the 2009 mutiny was nothing but a drama, said former inspector general of police (IGP) Nur Mohammad on Monday.

"Only three to four firearms were surrendered on that day," the former IGP said.

He was testifying before the Metropolitan Sessions Judges' Court, set up temporarily at the Alia Madrasa playground in the capital's Bakshibazar, in the BDR carnage case.

Nur Mohammad said he went near gate No.4 of BDR (now Border Guard Bangladesh) Pilkhana headquarters in the evening on February 25, 2009 where senior officials of the other law enforcing agencies were present.

Around midnight, the mutineers took the former IGP, Home Minister Shahara Khatun and State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam inside the headquarters for negotiation.

But when they entered Pilkhana some mutineers started placed their demands, Nur Mohammad said. "They were very rigid about their demands."

After negotiation with the minister and state minister, they agreed to hand over the weapons but only three to four firearms were surrendered around 1:00am on February 26, 2009, he said.

When the minister and the state minister asked about the officers and their families, the BDR jawans denied to say anything about them, Nur Mohammad mentioned.

They also did not allow the ex-IGP, the minister and the state minister to enter the Darbar Hall but they were taken to the officers' quarters, he said.

They found panicked family members of a number of BDR officials at the officers' mess.

The state minister went out of Pilkhana with some family members including the IGP's daughter, who were inside the officers' quarters, around 4:00am, he said.

About his son-in-law, Nur Mohammad said he last talked to his son-in-law Cap Mazhar, who was a close aide to the then BDR chief, around 9:30am on the first day of the mutiny when the captain informed the IGP about the heavy gunfire inside the Pilkhana.

Later, Cap Mazhar's body was found near a sewerage line at Nawabganj in the city along with the bodies of other officials.

3 graft cases against Chittagong City Corporation mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury quashed,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

The High Court on Monday quashed all the proceedings of three corruption cases filed against former Chittagong City Corporation mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

The HC bench of Justice Borhan Uddin and Justice Mahmudul Haque handed down the verdict after holding hearings of three separate petitions filed by Mohiuddin in September 2004.

Advocate Hari Sadhan Dev Brahman moved the case on Monday on behalf of the former mayor.

On November 12, 2003, now defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption filed three separate cases against Mohiuddin on charge of misappropriating a total of Tk. 9 lakh from the holding tax of Nupur Cinema Hall in Chittagong.

The three cases were filed for misappropriating Tk. 3 lakh on three occasions.

Later in September 18, 2004, the HC stayed the proceedings of the cases and issued three separate rules upon the government to explain why the proceedings of the cases should not be quashed.

After holding hearing on the rules, the HC bench on Monday delivered the verdict.

We’ve not fallen from sky, threatens Destiny Group,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Employees of Destiny Group on Monday threatened that they have not fallen from the sky and will come up with befitting answer to prove their power and presence.

They claimed the news against the controversial group is wrong and believed vested interests are behind the propaganda.

“We have 45 lakh distributors across the country. We’ll wait till the Eid-ul-Fitr to see whether our bank accounts are opened or not,” Saifur Rahman Tipu, general manager, marketing, sales and operation told a press conference at the National Press Club.

Tipu claimed 3,000 employees of Destiny Group are not getting their salaries for the past three months due to freeze of its bank accounts by the central bank and the revenue board.

But he failed to answer how many of Destiny’s bank accounts have been seized, which once again proved that the controversial group lacks transparency and accountability.

The press conference was overcrowded as Destiny gathered its employees and distributors there.

Bangladesh Five foreign ministers barred to attend Palestine conference

BANGLADESH NEWS

DHAKA: Five foreign ministers of countries, including Bangladesh, are not being allowed to attend emergency meeting of Non-Aligned Bloc called by PA President Abbas in Ramallah to discuss renewed statehood bid at the UN.

Israel will not allow the foreign ministers of the countries, which have no ties with Israel, reports The Jerusalem Post.

The foreign ministers of other countries, Cuba, Indonesia, Malaysia and Algeria, will not be allowed passage to Ramallah, said the daily.

Israel will allow through its gates the foreign ministers of seven countries who have ties with Israel.

Government officials said a decision was made Sunday to allow the foreign ministers of Egypt, India, Colombia, South Africa, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe attend the conference.

The ministers are making their way to an emergency meeting Sunday of the ‘Palestine Committee’ of the Non-Aligned Movement in Ramallah, but not those foreign ministers from countries without ties with Israel.