New President must be neutral, acceptable:BNP leader Moudud Ahmed

BANGLADESH NEWS

“The role of a President in the forthcoming polls is very important. We want to see such a personality for the position who is neutral and acceptable to all,” he said.
He hoped the ruling Awami League-led government would show wisdom in the Presidential polls, “otherwise there would be no other option but for the 

opposition to force the government in accepting their demand for a caretaker government.”
BNP Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed was speaking at a meeting of Dhaka Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal – demanding release of their detained colleagues – at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters in the capital.
“Even after such repression, oppression on the opposition, we showed highest respect for the President. We hope the government will notice our goodwill and come forward to avoid any conflict in the country.”
He hopes that the government will create a situation so that the forthcoming election takes place under a ‘non-partisan government’. “Let the opposition not come down to the streets for their one-point demand.”
Nineteenth President Zillur Rahman died on Wednesday, undergoing treatment in Singapore at the age of 84. According to the constitution Presidential poll is due to take place by Jun 19.
Since the Awami League enjoys three-fourth majority in Parliament, it is highly unlikely that a President outside the party’s choice will be elected.
Moudud Ahmed urged the government to take initiatives to tackle the current political crisis.
He dubbed the Mar 11 police raid inside the BNP headquarters as ‘unprecedented’.
He also alleged that the judicial system in Bangladesh was not functioning properly.

Baitul Mukarram National Mosque:dignitaries attend Zillur’s Qulkhwani

BANGLADESH NEWS

The Qulkhwani organised by the Islamic Foundation ended around 5:45pm with special prayers.
The late President’s family members, a number of state dignitaries, ruling Awami League leaders and foreign diplomats attended the Qulkhwani.
Zillur Rahman breathed his last at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on Mar 20 afternoon after fighting for life for 11 days, bringing curtains on a colourful career lasting over six decades.
The dead body of the 84-year-old statesman and politician arrived in Dhaka on Thursday noon and was kept at the presidential palace, Bangabhaban, for people to pay their last respects.
He was buried in the grave of his beloved wife Ivy Rahman at the capital’s Banani Graveyard on Friday.
The government had also declared three days of national mourning starting Thursday upon his death. A public holiday was also observed on Thursday.

BNP to join Parliament urged place plans for President:Suranjit Sengupta

BANGLADESH NEWS

His statement came after BNP’s Standing Committee Member and former Law Minister Moudud Ahmed said on Saturday that there should be a ‘neutral’ and ‘acceptable’ President.
“You can place your proposals in the House,” Suranjit said at a discussion at the National Press Club.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will again nominate a just candidate. Keep faith in her,” he said, referring to the nomination of Zillur Rahman in 2008 and Justice Shahbuddin Ahmed in 1996.
Suranjit said any Bangladeshi citizen over 35 years of age is eligible for the post of President, but it needs nomination and support of specific members in Parliament.
He said he preferred a candidate for the figurehead post from among politicians.
On Saturday morning, Moudud Ahmed stressed the importance of the new President.
“Role of new President in the upcoming national election is very important,” he said.

Zillur Rahman died on Wednesday in Singapore at the age of 84. According to constitution a new Presidential election must take place within Jun 19.
Since Awami League has the three-fourth majority in Parliament, it is highly unlikely that a President outside of its choice will be elected.

first Buddhist Bihar of Munshiganj Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Venerable Atish Dipankar had trekked to Tibet in China to preach Buddhism and immensely contributed to the studies of medicine and irrigation there, reads an inscription on a white marble stone found at Bajrojogini village.
The inscription reminds of the glorious and prosperous past of Bikrampur in Munshiganj district. Atish Dipankar, the most famous scholar from Bangladesh, was born a thousand years ago at Bajrojogini in Bikrampur.
However, except some scripts mentioning the names of Bajrojogini and Bikrampur, no other evidence like archaeological sites or reliable relics was found earlier until yesterday when a group of archaeologists revealed their discovery, a Buddhist Vihar, after three years of excavation.
“This is an incident of huge importance to all of us. Many historians have mentioned about a Vihar at Bajrojogini in Bikrampur, but we are lucky to find it just within three years,” Prof Sufi Mustafizur Rahman .

Sufi Mustafiz, executive director of Oithya Onneswan and a faculty member of archaeology department at Jahangirnagar University, led the excavation.

The archaeologists found the maiden Buddhist Vihar of Bikrampur after excavating the site for three years just one kilometre off the ancestral home of Atish Dipankar.

Dhamma Pala, the second king of the Pala Dynasty (900-1100) established at least 30 Buddhist Vihars in Samatata area. Only seven to eight of those Vihars have so far been discovered, Mustafiz informed.

“I think this is one of those Vihars established during the Pala Dynasty,” he said.

Historians say Atish Dipankar himself was the chancellor of the Vikramshila, one of the Vihars founded by the Pala king, from where he had headed for Tibet. Around 8,000 students studied in this university under 108 teachers, who were eminent scholars under the preceptorship of Dipankar Srigyan.

“We have the name of another Vihar called Bikrampuri which was also founded by Dhamma Pala. But we don’t know its location. I think this is the Bikrampuri Vihar,” Prof Mustafiz said.

“The similarity between the names of the Bihar and this area also suggests so,” added Sufi Mustafiz.

He claims the latest Vihar is the oldest archaeological site in Bikrampur.

All the antiquities and archaeological sites found in Bikrampur include the mosque of Baba Adam Shah of pre-Mughal Sultani era, Idrakpur Fort and Mirkadim Pul (bridge) of the Mughal era and the Golden Temple of the British era, said Mustafiz.

Besides those, archaeologists and historians collected more than 100 idols and sculptures of different gods and other relics including beads and masks from Bikrampur. All these are preserved at the National Museum, Kolkata Museum and Barendra Museum.

Moreover, copper plates of different dynasties including Chankra, Barman, Sena, Deva have been found in and around Bikrampur. The name of Bikrampur appeared on those plates several times.

“But no systematic excavation has been taken in Bikrampur in recent years,” said Sufi Mustafiz who worked as the research director of the excavation project.

Historians say the name Bajrojogini was derived from Tibetan scripts written by Tibetan scholar Taranath and others where they mentioned it as the birthplace of Atish Dipankar Srigyan who is treated as the second Buddha in Tibet.

Though Dipankar earned the title the Light of Asia, his name and birthplace were in the dark until Sarat Chandra Das (1849-1917), a scholar as well as diplomat from Chittagong, had visited Tibet as an envoy of the British ruler.

Sarat Chandra resurrected the name of Atish Dipankar and his birthplace from Tibetan Tanjur inscription.

In the inscription it was said Dipankar was born in a royal family of Guada in Bikrampur of Bengal, which was on the east of Bajrasana. His father’s name was Kalyansri and his mother was Prabhavati.

Dipankar wrote 175 books on Buddhist theology, medicine and engineering in Tibetan language and was given the prestigious title “Atish” for his immense contribution to these fields of studies. He stayed in Tibet for more than a decade until his last breath at the age of 72. He was buried in Krethang near Lama.

The Agrashar Bikrampur Foundation had earlier invited the archaeologists, who selected nine sites in Bajrojogini and Rampal in Munshiganj sadar upazila. They conducted a number of primary excavations at Sukhbaspur-1, Raghunathpur-1 and 2, Guhapara-1, Jeorgebari and Manasabari and three sites at Bajrojogini, said Nuh-Ul-Alam Lenin, chairman of the foundation.

“Many people say the Padma river has destroyed all the signs of prosperous Bikrampur. But we can still find many things if we look for it,” Alam told journalists yesterday after revealing the discovery.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Bogra

BANGLADESH NEWS

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday went on a two-day visit to Bogra and Joypurhat.

She will offer her condolences to family members of those killed in recent acts of violence between opposition activists and law enforcers, party sources said.

The BNP chief started for Bogra from her Gulshan residence around 4:00pm yesterday. She was accompanied by BNP leaders including Selima Rahman, Sadeque Hossain Khoka and Mirza Abbas.

A team of leaders of BNP and its associated bodies, led by its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, is already in Bogra to make preparations in advance of the visit.

Khaleda, staying for the night at Bogra Circuit House, will start for Joypurhat along with the leaders around 11:00am today.

On the way, she will meet family members of the victims, who were shot dead in police firing on March 3. She will meet them at Matidali intersection of Bogra around 11:30am.

At Panchbibi upazila of Joypurhat, she will hold a condolence meeting on the premises of Salaipur High School around 1:00pm.

They will start back for Bogra at 2:15pm and have lunch at the Circuit House in Bogra.

Around 3:30pm, Khaleda will visit a Hindu temple that recently came under attack by religious bigots in Gabtoli upazila.

Khaleda will speak to some other families of the March 3 victims on the Aria Bazar School premises in Shahjahanpur upazila, Bogra, at 5:00pm.

She will depart for Dhaka around 6:00pm.

The former prime minister was scheduled to visit Bogra on Friday but she postponed the tour until yesterday to mark the three-day mourning period over the death of President Zillur Rahman.

Khaleda requested that no gates be built on her way to welcome her. Likewise, she told party men in Bogra not to host a reception for her.

Tornado Comilla-Brahmanbaria:Hundreds still in the open Death toll in tornado climbs to 22; rescue operation wrapped up

BANGLADESH NEWS

Many from the tornado-ravaged villages of Brahmanbaria moved into schools yesterday as their homes had been flattened by the twister that left an eight-km-long trail of destruction on Friday.
Besides asking people to move into six school buildings, local authorities yesterday started setting up tents in the 20 affected villages of Brahmanbaria sadar, Bijoynagar and Akhaura upazilas.
The body of Yasmin Begum, 35, was recovered 250 yards off her home in Chinair early yesterday while nine-month-old Sabiha of Chinair died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday evening raising the death toll to 22.
Shell-shocked locals were yesterday seen sitting beside the debris the 15-minute tornado left behind on Friday evening around 5:30. Funeral processions were seen snaking through the devastation.
In the morning, some of the victims were trying to pitch up improvised tents made with plastic sheets in the worst-affected villages of Patirhata, Urshiura, Chandi, Chinair, Kodda, Radhika, Bashudev, Badshala in Brahmanbaria sadar; Azampur in Akhaura and Merashine in Bijoynagar upazila.
Road and rail communication were restored early yesterday after uprooted trees, wrecked vehicles and debris were removed from rail lines and the Comilla-Brahmanbaria highway.
Rescue operations conducted by the army, Border Guard Bangladesh, the Fire Brigade, Rapid Action Battalion and police were wrapped up around noon.

Yesterday, many locals of the surrounding areas came to their neighbours’ aid with food.

“While some brought puffed rice, perched rice or buns, others brought home-cooked meals,” said M Nazmul, 70, a freedom fighter who was seen distributing food among the affected people in Urshiura, Chinair and Patiasar villages.

About 20 hours after the disaster, the tornado-hit people got something to eat from the government. The local administration started distributing rice and cooked food in the afternoon.

It also distributed 15 kilograms of rice, two bundles of corrugated iron sheets and Tk 6,000 to each of the affected families.

However, Anwar Hossain, 52, whose niece Lila Begum and sisters-in-law Rokeya Begum and Amena Begum had been killed, said he received half a sack of rice from the local administration and that was it.

Deputy Commissioner Noor Mohammad Majumder of Brahmanbaria, “While we distributed our relief, Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd gave Tk 3,000 and two bundles of corrugated iron sheets to each of the affected families.”

Each family with a deceased was given Tk 20,000, he added.

Mentioning that the government relief was not enough, locals urged the authorities concerned to think about their future as well. “How can I survive since I have lost my only cow? They are giving us food for today. What about tomorrow or the day after?” said Milon Mia, 30, a farmer of Chinair.

“We want to stand on our own feet again. Please arrange employment for us,” appealed Sentu, 36, a farmer of Chandi village.

According to local lawmaker Rabiul Moktadir Chowdhury, at least 1,000 families were affected by the twister, which also uprooted around 3,500 trees, ruined crops and destroyed houses.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit the affected villages in a day or two.

Meanwhile, a man died after being electrocuted by an overhead cable in the district. Sources said he was trying to get a better view of the devastation from the roof of a building when he was electrocuted.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon shocked

BANGLADESH NEWS

Heads of state and government of different countries and international dignitaries have expressed deep shock at the death of President Zillur Rahman and extended their sympathy to his family members and Bangladeshis.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday offered his “condolences to the bereaved family of the president, the government and the people of Bangladesh”.
Zillur Rahman made important contribution to his country’s democratic transition throughout his political life, Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement, according to the UN’s official website.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on behalf of the government and the people of India, in a statement said Zillur was a patriot and a man of high ideals. An ardent advocate of friendly relations between India and Bangladesh, he was held in high esteem by the people of India, said Manmohan.
“On this tragic occasion, we extend our deepest condolences to the people of Bangladesh. We pray for the peace of his departed soul…,” the statement said.
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, in a statement addressed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said, “With his passing, the people of Bangladesh have lost a man of vision and a true son of the soil who rose to the highest office.”
Pranab, in a separate statement addressed to the president’s son Najmul Hassan, said, “His demise is a personal loss to us…. We offer you, your sister and the other family members of President Zillur Rahman our heartfelt condolences and stand by you in this hour of grief.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the president, from his early days as a history student and political activist, dedicated his life to the Bangladeshi people. His efforts helped lead to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 and his subsequent decades of public service helped Bangladesh establish itself as the democracy it is today.
“As Bangladesh nears the 42nd anniversary of its independence, President Rahman’s death offers a moment for all Bangladeshis to come together in mourning and reflect on what unites them as a nation,” Kerry added.
Australian High Commissioner in Dhaka Greg Wilcock said Zillur’s life was interwoven with Bangladesh’s history. His four years as the president of Bangladesh followed decades of service to his nation.
“Our thoughts are with President Rahman’s family and the people of Bangladesh as they mourn their loss,” Wilcock added.
Afrasiab, Pakistani high commissioner to Bangladesh, said the government of Pakistan has postponed the country’s National Day celebrations scheduled for March 23 in the capital to mourn the president’s demise.
The president of Russia, president and prime minister of Singapore, prime minister of Malaysia, foreign minister of Canada, prime minister and foreign minister of Japan, president of Nepal, president and foreign minister of Maldives, king and prime minister of Bhutan, president of Pakistan, president of China, president and foreign minister of Iran and king of Thailand have also sent condolence messages.
Besides, the flag was kept at half mast yesterday in Bhutan.
Secretaries general of the OIC, commonwealth, D-8, Swedish embassy, Dutch ambassador and country representative of the UN Women in Dhaka also condoled the death.
Meanwhile, the 111 member arms treaty meeting presided over by the Australian foreign minister yesterday paid respects to the Bangladesh president in New York by observing two minutes’ silence.

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman trial at final stage Closing arguments begin Sunday

BANGLADESH NEWS

The trial of war crimes accused Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman is set to enter the final stage as the International Crimes Tribunal-2 yesterday fixed next Sunday for beginning of the closing arguments of the case.
The three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan with members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Judge M Shahinur Islam fixed the date as the defence for the third consecutive date yesterday failed to produce their last witness.
The court, however, gave another chance to the defence saying it would allow their witness if they could produce him/her on Sunday.
As per relevant laws, after hearing the closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, the tribunal will set a date for delivering the verdict.
Meanwhile, the tribunal directed the police to submit an execution report by April 10 on the arrest warrant it had issued earlier against three Jamaat leaders in connection with a contempt of court rule.
The court gave the directive after the defence of Selim Uddin, one of the three Jamaat leaders who was arrested following the arrest warrant, submitted explanation to the tribunal over the rule issued on February 7.
KAMARUZZAMAN’S CASE
The tribunal had fixed yesterday as the last chance for recording the testimony of the fifth and last defence witness in the case as the defence had failed to produce the witness on Monday and Wednesday.
On Monday, neither the witness nor any senior defence counsels appeared before the court citing “unavoidable situation”. The main opposition BNP-led 18-party combine enforced hartal that day.
On Wednesday, the defence sought an adjournment saying their witness could not come from Sherpur due to the two-day hartal enforced on Monday and Tuesday.
Kamaruzzaman’s counsel Ehsan A Siddiq yesterday told the tribunal that their witness could not appear due to health condition and prayed for an adjournment.
The tribunal fixed Sunday for hearing the closing arguments from the prosecution and said it would allow defence testimony if the defence could produce their witness that day.
On June 4, 2012, the tribunal indicted the Jamaat assistant secretary general on seven charges which include murder and torture of unarmed civilians during the Liberation War in 1971.
As many as 18 prosecution witnesses including the investigation officer of the case gave their testimony against the Jamaat leader, while four defence witnesses have testified in the case.
CONTEMPT RULE AGAINST JAMAAT LEADERS
Yesterday’s proceeding started at 10:42am and Tajul Islam, on behalf of Jamaat leader Selim Uddin, submitted written explanation in connection with a contempt of court rule.
On February 7, the tribunal asked three Jamaat leaders including Selim Uddin to explain as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for making “provocative and derogatory remarks” about the tribunal.
Two other leaders are Jamaat acting secretary general Rafiqul Islam Khan and central executive council member Hamidur Rahman Azad.
The tribunal issued the notice on the basis of reports published in The Daily Star and Bangla daily Prothom Alo on February 5 on a Jamaat rally held in the capital the previous day.
The Prothom Alo quoted Selim Uddin as saying: “There is no scope for the controversial tribunal to deliver any verdict if the country is to be saved from a civil war.”
Azad was quoted as saying at the same programme, “This tribunal cannot exist anymore.”
quoted Rafiqul Islam as saying, “Don’t push the country into a civil war by delivering one-sided verdicts against our leaders. If anything happens to Quader Mollah, every house will be on fire.”
On March 6, the tribunal ordered the police to arrest the three Jamaat leaders and produce them before the court for “deliberately avoiding” appearance before the tribunal.  The trio missed their day in court four times.
Following the warrant, law enforcers arrested Selim Uddin on March 8 and produced him before the tribunal on March 10. On that day, the tribunal asked him to give explanation yesterday.
The tribunal, however, granted bail and exempted him from personal appearance. Selim was kept detained in other criminal cases.
After Tajul Islam submitted Selim’s explanation, the tribunal fixed April 10 for further order in this regard and asked the police to give an execution report on the arrest warrant within the date.
PETITION FOR TWO JAMAAT LEADERS REJECTED
Meanwhile, the tribunal rejected a petition filed by Tajul Islam on behalf of the two other Jamaat leaders for modifying the February 7 order so that they could be exempted from personal appearance before the court.
Submitting the petition, Tajul said Jamaat leaders Rafiqul Islam Khan and Hamidur Rahman Azad wanted to appear before the court but could not for “unusual circumstances” and sought their exemption from personal appearance.
The tribunal said it was not possible as three lawyers of the Jamaat leaders had withdrawn their power of attorney and the tribunal had already issued arrest warrant against them for“violating “its order.
“Besides, how could you file power of attorney [vocalatnama] for fugitives?” the tribunal questioned Tajul.
Tajul said the tribunal could consider his prayer as it was a matter of contempt of court rule.
“We consider the matter [of filing power of attorney for fugitives] leniently and that’s why we are not sending you to Bar Council,” the tribunal said and rejected the petition.
Bangladesh Bar Council is licensing authority to lawyers of the country for practising law.
The tribunal closed its day’s proceeding at 10:55am.
Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday rejected war crimes accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s petition to join parliament session as the concerned act does not allow the tribunal to do so.
SQ Chowdhury filed a petition saying according to a section of East Pakistan Assembly Members’ Privileges Act, 1965, he was entitled to join parliament session.
The tribunal yesterday also disposed of SQ Chowdhury’s another petition.
SQ Chowhdury in his petition prayed to the tribunal to ask the authorities of Kashimpur Jail-1 to investigate how and by whom his conversation of December 16, 2012 was uploaded in YouTube.
He also prayed to the Tribunal-1 to take step as the jail authorities did not let him take legal action for defamation.
The tribunal said the matter was not related to the case and was rather an internal matter of the jail authorities.
Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, chairman of Tribunal-1, however directed the jail authorities to take step so that SQ Chowdhury could sign on power of attorney for filing a defamation suit.
The tribunal yesterday also rejected bail prayer in two cases against war crimes convict Delawar Hossain Sayedee as the case documents were never submitted by the prosecution to the tribunal.
Defence counsel Mizanul Islam said two cases filed with Pirojpur Sadar Police Station and Zianagar Police Station were transferred to the Investigation Agency of the International Crimes Tribunal. The cases are still under investigation.
Yesterday was fixed for hearing the closing argument of the defence in the war crimes case against former Jamaat ameer Ghulam Azam at the Tribunal-1.
But, following the declaration of a public holiday to mourn the death of president Zillur Rahman, the tribunal adjourned proceeding at about 11:30am.

Speaker Md Abdul Hamid likely to be 20th president Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Speaker Md Abdul Hamid is likely to be sworn in as the 20th president of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, two highly placed government sources confirmed last night.
Hamid, who has been discharging the presidential responsibilities since March 14 during to President Zillur Rahman’s absence due to his deteriorating health, has already been forwarded the message.
A freedom fighter Hamid hails from Kishoreganj district, the very place from where Zillur Rahman had come.
The Election Commission will shortly hold an election in parliament to elect  the next president.
As per the constitution, in the case of a vacancy in the office of the president due to death, resignation or removal, the EC must hold elections to elect new president within the period of 90 days after the occurrence of the vacancy.
AL insiders said the government high command had a mental preparation that it might need to elect a new president, as Zillur Rahman’s condition deteriorated over the last few days,
After talking to close circles like Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Matia Chowdhury, Syed Ashraful Islam, and a few others in and out of the government and the Awami League, the prime minister picked Hamid, insiders added.
Hamid, who was the chairman of freedom fighter recruiting camp at Meghalaya in India and the commander of a sub-sector of Bangladesh Liberation Force (Mujib Bahini), was elected member of parliament six times — in 1973, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2008 — from Kishoreganj-5 constituency.
In the National Assembly Election of 1970, he was elected as the most junior member from Mymensingh-18 constituency.
Hamid was the president of Kishoreganj district Awami League before being elected as the Speaker of the 9th Parliament. Earlier in the seventh Parliament of 1996, he was unanimously elected as the Deputy Speaker and later became the Speaker. In the Eighth Parliament he served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
As the present government finishes its tenure in January 2014, Hamid will be in office for most of the tenure of the next government, no matter whichever party or parties forms it.
He will also have to go through a crucial political situation ahead of the next general polls, as the ruling AL and opposition BNP are at loggerheads over the mode of the poll-time government.
According to the constitution, the president shall hold office for a term of five years from the date of his joining office.
Sources said deputy Speaker Col (retd) Shawkat Ali might be made the Speaker at the next parliament session and then a new deputy Speaker would be picked to fill Ali’s place.

Bangladesh president Zillur Rahman body arrives

BANGLADESH NEWS

The body of President Zillur Rahman arrived in Dhaka Thursday noon, a day after he died at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

A flight of Bangladesh Biman Airlines carrying the body of the 84-year-old president touched the ground of Shahjalal International Airport around noon.

He will be laid to the eternal rest by his wife at the Banani graveyard around 5:00pm Friday.

His first namaz-e-janaza would be held at the Jatiya Eidgah Maidan at 2:30pm and the second janaza at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 3:30pm Friday.

The president went to Singapore on March 10 for treatment for his respiratory problems and other complications.