BANGLADESH

Jahangirnagar University (JU) authorities have announced that regular classes and examinations would continue even as students continue their boycott of academic activities following the killing of a student.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the JU authorities said the decision to continue classes and examinations as per schedule was taken at a meeting of the university administration at the Senate Hall. Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Shariff Enamul Kabir chaired the meeting.

Zubair Ahmed, a final year undergraduate student of English Literature, was beaten and stabbed on Jan 8 -- reportedly by activists of a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) group, believed to have the vice-chancellor's backing. He died at United Hospital the following day due to excessive bleeding.

Students have since boycotted classes and examinations in an attempt to get the varsity administration to accede to four demands, including trial for Zubair's killers as per law and resignation of the university proctor and security officer.

The police have arrested two BCL activists in connection with the killing, while the JU authorities expelled three students following the incident.

The university also sacked its security officer on Friday in the face of ongoing protests by students and a section of teachers.

According to Saturday's media statement, the meeting discussed steps taken after Zubair's killing. It was decided that necessary steps would be taken to find out the killers and execute exemplary punishment within a short period, the statement said.

Among those who participated in the meeting were pro-VC Prof Dr Mohammad Farhad Hossain, treasurer Prof Dr Mohammad Nasir Uddin, registrar, proctor, provosts of the dormitories, chiefs of different faculties and institutes, and chairmen of all departments.

Main opposition BNP has said people will not accept reappointment of chief election commissioner (CEC) A T M Shamsul Huda for a second term.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain at a discussion in the city on Saturday said that he has seen some reports in the newspapers that the CEC could be reappointed.

"What can be more unfortunate than that? The person is loyal to the government. Then why did the president stage a 'drama' in the name of dialogue (with the political parties) if he is to be reappointed?" he asked.

Mosharraf said that the re-formation of the Election Commission (EC) would also be unacceptable to the nation if the non-party caretaker government system is not restored before that.

The tenure of the EC led by chief election commissioner (CEC) A T M Shamsul Huda will end by the middle of February.

President Zillur Rahman has already held dialogue with various political parties to have their opinion on the formation of the next EC.

Taking part in the dialogue, Jatiya Party, a key partner in the ruling combine, and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh had proposed extension of the tenure of the incumbent EC.

Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain had said there is no legal bar to reappointment of Shamsul Huda as the CEC – a view echoed by senior Awami League leader Suranjit Sen Gupta.

During the dialogue with the president, BNP said that initiates should be taken to restore the caretaker government provision before the re-formation of the EC.

Parliament on June 30 last year passed the 15th Constitution Amendment Bill, scrapping the caretaker government proviso.

Ever since, BNP has been demanding restoration of the 15-year-old constitutional provision that mandates an elected government to transfer power, on completion of its term, to an unelected non-partisan caretaker administration to oversee a new parliamentary election.

In this regard, Mosharraf on Saturday suggested the government to bring a bill to restore the constitutional provision of caretaker government system in the next parliamentary session that will begin on Jan 25.

Saying that the demand for restoration of the caretaker government system has turned into a 'national demand', the BNP leader said that most of the parties during the dialogue with the president gave their opinions in favour of the caretaker government system.

"There'll be a mass uprising in the country if the election is held under a party-backed government defying the demand," he added.

The discussion was organised by Sammilitya Peshajibi Parishad (combined professionals' council) at the VIP Lounge of the National Press Club in memoriam of International Islamic University, Chittagong (IIUC) vice-chancellor Prof Mahbub Ullah who died on Jan 7 while undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospitals in Dhaka.

Chaired by council president Mahmudur Rahman, the programme was addressed, among others, by Dhaka University teachers Prof Mahbub Ullah, Prof A F M Yousuf Haider, Prof Sadrul Amin, economist Abu Ahmed, Federal Journalists Union president Ruhul Amin Gazi, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, advisor Ahmed Azam Khan and former vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Prof Mustahidur Rahman.

The first phase of Biswa Ijtema, or the World Congregation of Muslims, is set to conclude on Sunday through seeking peace and harmony.

The bank of the river Turag has turned into a sea of people as tens of thousands of people have been streaming into the scene to join the final prayer.

Devotees were seen walking towards the venue as traffic was halted. Many traveled overnight.

The gathering, which began on Friday, is considered as the second largest Islamic gathering after the Hajj.

Organisers usually say the congregation's final prayer attracts not less than two million devotees.

A blanket security has been in place for a peaceful holding of the meet, which shuns politics and is devoted to revival of Islamic values that advocate peace and harmony.

President Zillur Rahman, prime minister Shekh Hasina, opposition leader Khaleda Zia and Jatiya Party chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad are expected to join the final prayer.

Gazipur police superintendent Abdul Baten told reporters that they arranged special security for the political leaders who would remain beyond the reach of the common people.

Hundreds of thousands of devotees were seen sitting on the streets --Kumarpara road near Ashulia and the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway beside the ground.


The gathering had hosted the ritualistic dowry-less weddings prior to the Asr prayers on Saturday.

Thousands of devotees had thronged the Ijtema grounds on Saturday, making their way from various parts of the country to attend the congregation, which is totally informal and is not presided over by anyone.

Tablig Jamaat, a non-political religious group, organised the gathering.

Saturday had started with Pakistani religious scholar Mohammad Ehsan's lectures after the Fazr prayers at dawn.

Bangladeshi cleric Maulana Nurul Haque had addressed the congregation after the Zohr prayers, followed by Indian scholar Zobayerul Hasan after the Asr prayers and Ahmed Latt after the Magrib prayers.

Before the Asr prayers, Hasan had married off couples who enlisted their names in the wedding register through a traditional ceremony of the Tablig Jamaat.

Hasan will conduct the final prayers while Indian maulana Sa'ad will address the congregation from dawn.

Dressed in traditional robes and prayer caps, huge columns of devotees from far-flung villages and towns in Bangladesh, as well as across the world, made way towards the gathering site on Friday, braving overcrowded buses and ferries, and enduring long delays and a dense fog.

Ijtema's appeal has grown largely over the years among those who cannot afford to go to Meccah for the Hajj.

The second phase will begin after a four-day gap on Jan 20. The final prayer is on Jan 22.

Biswa Ijtema has been taking place since the 1960s when it used to take place at Dhaka's Kakrail mosque.

In 1948, it took place at the Haji Camp in Chittagong, and shifted to Narayanganj's Shiddhirganj in 1958.

With a steady increase in the number of devotees attending, Ijtema was shifted to the banks of Turag in Tongi in 1966 and has been taking place there since then.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the engineers to ensure services to maximum number of people with limited resources, and make proper utilisation of tax money of the people.

"We have resource constraints. It will be possible to render services to many more, if planned and proper utilisation of the limited resources is ensured," she said after inaugurating 53rd convention of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB) on the IEB premises in the city on Saturday.

The prime minister said the engineers have been given responsibility to construct roads, bridges, schools, colleges, universities, houses, mills, factories and other establishments, and 85 percent budget for development activities is spent through the engineers.

"So, quality maintenance and proper utilisation of state resources depends on honesty, dedication and efficiency of the engineers," she said.

For this, she said, emphasis would have to be given to proper planning and use of proper technologies. "I hope our engineers and technologists would give more attention to this end," she said.

She stressed the need for manufacturing sustainable machineries and infrastructure and their maintenance at a low cost as well as innovation of alternate energy and energy-saving machines and techniques for building low-cost houses.

Underscoring the need for adopting developed cultivation method as well as improving crop preservation method to ensure food security, the prime minister also urged the engineers to find out ways to reduce post-harvest losses as it accounts for around Tk 300 billion per year in the absence of appropriate preservation.

She put emphasis on sustainable and environment-friendly development programmes to face the adverse impacts of the climate change as it has appeared as a big challenge.

Referring to the government subsidy of around Tk 1 billion for importing agricultural equipment, Hasina hoped that the country could be self-reliant in producing the equipment through providing technology, training and capital to the manufacturers.

The prime minister praised the engineers for producing electronic voting machines (EVM) for holding all elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.

Earlier, Hasina distributed medals and certificates among 12 engineers for their outstanding contribution in their respective fields in 2011.

IEB president engineer Nurul Huda and general secretary engineer Abdus Sabur also spoke on the occasion, while engineer Munir Uddin Ahmed gave the welcome address and engineer Mohammad Hossain, member secretary of the 53rd Convention Preparation Committee, proposed a vote of thanks.

Following a number of embarrassing incidents, the Anti Corruption Commission has once again asked the cabinet ministry to fix the issue of warrant of precedence with regard to its chairman and two commissioners.

A separate request has also been sent to the inspector general of police to treat the ACC top officials according to the protocol and to facilitate ACC flag-bearing vehicles.

"ACC is a constitutional body and it warrants respect," ACC chairman Golam Rahman told . He said that ACC commissioners were facing embarrassing situations in state offices and events.

The letter, sent on Jan 8 to the cabinet secretary, said according to the law, the two ACC commissioners were of the same rank as High Court justices.

But they are not listed as such in the warrant of precedence, which is causing embarrassing problems.

The High Court justices are ranked ninth on the warrant, along with election commissioners and persons of state minister status.

An ACC official seeking anonymity told  one of the commissioners was seated with government officials at the last Independence Day state event.

Another was barred from using the VIP lounge at Shahjalal University, though his rank permits him to do so.

The official said ACC commissioners faced an embarrassing situation while entering the president's residence, Bangabhaban, with their vehicles on July 25 last year for a state event.

ACC commissioner Shahabuddin Chuppu told  that the authorities had been asked to fix the issue once before, but to no avail.

Every year Biswa Ijtema held in Bangladesh. The annual Biswa Ijtema, billed as the largest annual Islamic event only after the hajj pilgrimage, began on Friday at Tongi on the outskirts of Dhaka amid tight security.

The World Congregation of Muslims, that shuns politics and is being held in two phases like the previous year, kicked off in the morning on the sandy bank of the Turag River.


The first phase will run through to Jan 15 and the second one from Jan 20 to Jan 22, during which the faithful pray and listen to religious scholars. It was launched by Tablig Jamaat, a non-political group that urges people to follow Islam in their daily lives.

Thousands of Muslims seeking peace and the revival of Islam's tenets joined the inaugural session begun after Fazr prayers with a lecture by Pakistani Hazi Abdul Wahab.

Huge columns of devotees began streaming towards the gathering site from dawn, braving overcrowded buses and ferries and endured long delays and dense fog.

Dressed in traditional robes and prayer caps, thousands, from far-flung villages and towns and across the world, started gathering at the ground even from Thursday. Ijtema's appeal has grown largely over the years among those who cannot afford to go to Makkah for the hajj.

Heavy security is in place to ensure safety. Junior home minister Shamsul Hoque Tuku has visited the Ijtema ground to see the security.

A large number of police, Ansar and RAB personnel have been deployed around the venue to ensure security of the devotees.

President Zillur Rahman and prime minister Sheikh Hasina have issued statements on this occasion.

The first phase will end with Sunday's Akheri Munajat or final prayer. Muslims of 32 districts are taking part in the first phase of this gathering.

The second phase will begin after a four day gap on Jan 20. On Jan 22, this annual world gathering would end with Akheri Munajat.

Biswa Ijtema has been taking place in Bangladesh (then Bengal) since the 1960s. At the beginning, it would take place at Dhaka's Kakrail mosque. Then, in 1948 it took place at Haji Camp in Chittagong and in 1958, it took place in Narayanganj's Shiddhirganj.

With increase in number of people attending it, in 1966, the Biswa Ijtema was held at the bank of Turag in Tongi. From then on, it has been taking place there.

The country's biggest Juma prayer was held on Friday, the first day of Biswa Ijtema. People have been gathering from all over the country to attend this congregation which is totally informal and is not presided over by anyone.

PRESIDENT, PM LAUD GATHERING

The president in his statement welcomed foreign guests and said, "This great congregation is playing an important role in spreading Islamic morals and the teachings of 'Sunnah' among the residents of the world.
"To enforce peace, unity, solidarity and brotherhood in the Muslim world, the Biswa Ijtema is really important. Everyone should be inspired by great Islamic ideals and devote themselves to the welfare of humanity."

The prime minister in her message said, "Through the foreign guests attending the Ijtema, our long cherished non-communal mentality, natural mildness, hospitality and tolerance will reach the world.

IJTEMA GROUND

One of the organisers, Mohammad Gias Uddin, said the 160-acre ground has been covered with canopy stretching more than a kilometre. Though cooking materials could not be managed for local Muslims, a separate tin-roofed area has been earmarked on the venue's north-west side with gas, electricity, telephone and other modern facilities for foreign devotees, he added.

The whole ground has been divided in 39 khitas or blocks marked for 64 districts in the first phase and 38 khitas in the second.

Eight bridges have been thrown up on the Turag, supervisor of pontoon bridge construction major Mohammad Emran Islam Bhuiyan said.

SECURITY

Tongi has been covered with a multi-layer security blanket thrown by police, elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansar and intelligence agencies.

Deputy commander of RAB-1 major Mohammad Nishadul Islam Khan said more RAB personnel have been deployed for security this year than the previous years. They have divided the Ijtema ground and its surrounding areas in five sectors, he said.

RAB helicopters will hover in the sky in the six days of the two-phase Ijtema, the RAB official said. Members of the elite force in plainclothes are watching over each block, too, he added.

River patrol teams started work on Thursday, patting down those entering the ground and watching from towers. Moreover, security personnel have mingled with the devotees in the blocks, dressed in white and wearing special cap.

RAB bomb squad members are also on the ground.

Gazipur police superintendent Abdul Baten said a total 10,000 security personnel including RAB and police are working to ensure safety at the Ijtema ground. Overall security is being monitored with several RAB and police close circuit cameras.

TRAFFIC CONTROL

Traffic is being controlled to ensure safe transportation of the devotees.

Government-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) is operating single- and double-decker buses between Jan 12 and 24 to facilitate easy movement of pilgrims to and from the congregation.

Parking places have been designated to avoid gridlocks.

Four-day cultural programmes in Dhaka and Chittagong have been scheduled from Jan 13 to mark the fourth death anniversary of renowned playwright Selim Al-Din.

The programme, tittled Selim Al-Din Shoron Utsav, have been initiated by the Selim Al-Din foundation and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in association with the Drama and Dramatics Department, Bunan Theatre, Chittagong's Nattodhar Organisation and Pantomime Movement.

"We have plans to make this a countrywide festival in future," convenor Nasir Uddin Yusuf, a prominent playwright in his own rights, told .

Selim Al-Din, who passed away on Jan 14, 2008, was a pioneer playwright in post-Tagore Bengali literature and played a great role in taking drama and theatre to the mainstream in this region. He had also compiled the first Bengali dictionary on dramatics. Al-Din's book, Madhya Juger Bangla Natya, was the result of his extensive research on the narrative form of Bengali drama and sheds light on the long history of drama practices in Bengal.

Al-Din, originally named Moinudddin Ahmed, was born on August 18, 1949 and was the founding chairman of the Jahangirnagar University's drama and dramatics department and the Bangladesh Gram Theatre. The university amphitheatre was renamed Selim Al-Din Muktamancha in 2011.

Al-Din's most notable plays include Muntasir Fantasy (1976), Kirton Khola (1980), Keramat Mangal (1984), Chaka (1990), and Jubati Kanyar Mon (1991).

He received the Ekushey Padak and Bangla Academy Padak among others for his lifelong dedication and work in the area of Bengali drama. Some of his writings have been selected as academic texts in universities of many countries, including Bangladesh.

very sad news police in the district are investigating a case of reported rape of a Grade-V student, who has been tested pregnant, allegedly by a 63-year-old man.

Police arrested Ranjit Natt, a resident of Hoybatpur village of Nalchhiti upazila, on Friday after the victim's mother filed the case against him with Nalchhiti Police Station, said Nalchhiti police chief Masuduzzaman.

Natt, a retired teacher of Paota High School, refuted the allegation that he had raped the girl and said he was a victim of a conspiracy.

The incident came to light after the victim was admitted to Nalchhiti Health Complex with extreme stomachache and she was found pregnant after medical examination.
The age of the victim, was, however, not clear.

Awsaful Islam Rasel, a doctor at the health complex, told  that the victim was admitted to the complex on Jan 8. After a test at a local clinic on Jan 12, the report shows she is a 19-week pregnant.

The victim told reporters at the hospital, "Many days ago, our neighbour Ranjit sir called me to his house when it was empty and had sex with me."

After the rape, Ranjit allegedly held a knife to her throat and asked not to tell anyone about this incident, she said.

Ranjit refuted the allegation and said, "The allegation has been brought against me as part of a conspiracy to get hold of my property."

He said the girl's family had bought land from him and had been living there. He said that the case was filed against him to take control of his property.

It is the regular news but area is different or same at least 17 people died after a bus carrying more than 40 passengers crashed into a ravine amid thick fog in Bandarban on Saturday morning, officials said.

The accident took place around 7.30 am, officer-in-charge (OC) of Thanchi police station Niyamat Hossain told .

The Pahari Paribahan bus was headed from Thanchi to Bandarban when the driver apparently lost control at Shilijhiri due to poor visibility, leading to the crash, he said.

Thanchi upazila Awami League president Uhalaching Marma, her daughters, an employee, two staffers of the NGO Caritas and bus driver Shubhash Barua were among the dead, Niyamat said.

Some tourists also died, he said, though details are still awaited.

According to the OC, police, army and border guards personnel joined the rescue operation but heavy fog hampered their initial effort. Several survivors are being treated at Bandarban Sadar Hospital, he said.

Duty doctors declared four persons dead on arrival, Niyamat added.

Dr Prabir Chandra Bhoumik at the hospital confirmed that four persons, including the driver's assistant Nurul Islam, died at the hospital.

He said eight survivors have been sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for further treatment.

Earlier, Thanchi upazila's acting officer of women affairs Emran Hossain had told  from the accident site that the death toll was 16 but the police later put it at 13.

Members of the medical board formed for former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam has opined that he does not need to be treated at the hospital.

"The board members have suggested in their report that Ghulam Azam does not need treatment in hospital," Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital's director brigadier general Mohammad Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told  on Saturday.

The medical board's chief, A B M Abdullah, said, "We might submit the report to the Dhaka Central Jail authorities on Sunday, as Saturday is a government holiday."

Ghulam Azam is at present in the BSMMU's prison cell.

He was hospitalised within hours of a court on Wednesday refusing him bail and sending him to jail.

Azam, 90, said to be suffering from age-related health complications, was hospitalised following an appeal by his lawyers.

But doctors told journalists after a thorough examination that Azam, a war crimes suspect, is medically all right.

A three-member board headed by Medicine department chairman A B M Adullah was formed the following day to look into the issue. They have prepared a report after examining Azam for the last two days.

About the current physical condition of the former Jamaat chief, Dr. Abdullah said, "He has gallbladder stones and high blood pressure but his pressure is under control."