BANGLADESH

The High Court on Sunday summoned the author, publisher, editors and National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) chairman for terming late president Ziaur Rahman as the 'proclaimer of independence' in text books.

The order from the bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Jahangir Hossain will require them to appear in court in person on Feb 2 to explain the reason behind providing such 'confusing' information in the books.

The author of the book is Ratan Siddiqui, publisher Mohammad Tafazzal Hossain, and editors are Safiquddin Ahmed and Muhammad Abdul Jalil.

The court ordered the five and the education secretary to explain in two weeks why they should not face trial under criminal and civil laws over the matter.

It also asked them to explain why the publication and distribution of the books would not be declared illegal and why seizure of the books not be ordered.

The High Court directed the inspector general of police to submit a report after removing all copies of the books across the country within 15 days.

The orders were issued following a writ petition filed by one Mohammad Ahsanul Haque over the mention of former president General Ziaur Rahman to have proclaimed independence in the text books named Pragati Nimna Madhyamik Bangla Byakaran o Rachana for classes seven and eight.

Belal Hossain Joy and Awlad Hossain argued the case for the petitioner while deputy attorney general ABM Altaf Hossain stood for the state at the hearing.

Hossain told the book mentioned 'Major General Zia' as the proclaimer of independence in one place.

"Though, the late president was a Major then," he added.

"In another section," he said, "Ziaur Rahman was mentioned as the proclaimer of independence on Mar 27 on behalf of Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman)."

"Such contradictory and confusing information is misleading for the future generations," the counsel contended.

The High Court on Jun 21, 2009 had settled a longstanding dispute over the proclamation of independence saying it was the nation's father Sheikh Mujib who proclaimed the independence in 1971.

A speedy trial tribunal has passed capital punishment on one Zahidul Haque Rintu for murdering his niece Sadia Naoshin Priyanka, a class XII student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 judge Mohammad Motaher Hossain delivered the verdict on Sunday.

According to case details, the convict had strangulated Priyanka, 17, with a scarf sometime between 10:30am and 11:45am on July 18, 2007. The girl was murdered at her home: 536/1 Peyarbagh Noyartol.

According to details, Rintu, who stayed with his brother's family, regularly abused Priyanka sexually. After the victim's father learnt of the crime, he threw Rintu out of the house.

An irate Rintu, according to the complainant, threatened to kill the family. On July 18, he found Priyanka alone at home and strangulated her.

Priyanka's father Mohammad Sultan Faruk, an accountant with Border Guard Bangladesh, filed a murder case with Ramna police the following day.

Police submitted the chargesheet on June 27, 2009, making Rintu, then 28, the lone accused.

On Sunday's Priyanka's parents expressed satisfaction over the verdict.

Special public prosecutor S M Rafiqul Islam and former special public prosecutor Sarkar Shahidul Islam took part in the hearing on behalf of the state.

Testimonies of 26 people were taken during course of the trial.

Activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, have allegedly torn down the newly constructed security wall of the Shahid Minar at Rangpur Carmichael College.

Principal of the college Dwipakendra Nath Das said the Shibir supporters did this early on Sunday morning. Construction of the boundary wall had commenced on Thursday.

Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Altaf Hossain told that the principal filed a case accusing some unnamed Shibir activists in this connection.

President of the organisation's college unit 'Palash' had warned him on mobile phone Saturday night not to erect the 200-metre long wall as their camp, called Shibir or tent, is beside the wall, Das said.

"He had also threatened that the wall will be crushed if his warning is not heeded," he added.

"They are giving me death threats since the filing of the case," the principal said and alleged that his request for police deployment has been ignored.

The deputy inspector general (DIG) of Rangpur police range Binoy Krishna Bala ordered the district police superintendent (SP) Saleh Mohammad Tanveer to ensure security and safety of students as well as the principal after he had informed him about the threats, Das said.

"The Shibir activists are still roaming around freely," he said.

The SP acknowledged the order but denied the allegation. "We have never said that we would not deploy forces. We will send the forces at the earliest."

Pro-government student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League's Rangpur city unit and general students have taken out procession on the college campus protesting against the demolition.

The protesters held a meeting after the procession and declared a ban on political activities of Shibir on the campus.

The prime minister has warned her party's MPs to 'mend their ways' in time.

Also the Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina told a meeting of the party's parliamentary party on Sunday that she had up-to-date information on all the legislators and she had already gone through 200 of them.

Several sources at the meeting said it was on the basis of these reports that she made her warning.

Hasina also urged Awami League MPs to improve communications with citizens and party workers. A source said she had warned the MPs that those who cannot earn the trust of party colleagues in the next two years would not get a nomination in the next election.

The source said Hasina announced that she would hold meetings with teams of 25 MPs once she had gone through all the reports.

A bill was tabled in parliament on Sunday with provisions of up to seven years of jail sentence for production, storage, marketing, sale, carrying, supply and exhibition of pornography.

Home minister Shahara Khatun presented the 'Pornography Control Act 2012' after which it was sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny.

According to the bill pornography is any dialogue, acting, posture, unclothed or partially unclothed dance in cinema, video, photography, graphics, audio-visual image or imagery otherwise captured and displayable, which causes sexual arousal and has no artistic or educational value.

Also, such books, magazines, sculptures, cartoons and leaflets which cause the sexual arousal, and their negatives and soft copies would also be considered pornography.

The home minister said pornography was spreading like 'a terrible disease' across society and in absence of any law the 'crime and criminals' cannot be stopped.

The highest punishment, that of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Tk 500,000, is reserved for those making pornography using children.

The cabinet approved this law on Jan 2. On that day prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad had told the media the crimes under this bill would be tried under special tribunals.

A seven-year term and Tk 200,000 fine was reserved in the bill for those who will lure a person, with or without their knowledge and film or photograph them.

For blackmailing a person with pornography, two to five years of jail and Tk 1-200,000 fine was proposed.

The BNP has shortened the route for its public procession in Dhaka on Monday.

"The route of the procession has been cut short taking Khaleda Zia's safety and the environment into consideration," BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced after a meeting of the highest policymaking forum, National Standing Committee.

The procession will start at 2pm from the party headquarters in Naya Paltan and parade down Kakrail, Shantinagar, Malibagh, Mouchak before ending at Maghbazar. The previous route would have gone past Maghbazar to Bangla Motor.

The BNP chairperson chaired the one-hour long meeting of her party's senior advisors at her Gulshan office after clashes between police and opposition supporters during countrywide antigovernment demonstrations left at least four people dead.

Four were killed as police opened fire on BNP processions in Laxmipur and Chandpur earlier in the day.

Committee members, R A Gani, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, M Shamsul Islam, Mahbubur Rahman, M K Anwar, Jamir Uddin Sircar, A S M Hannan Shah, Rafiqul Islam Mia, Abdul Moin Khan, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Gayeswar Chandra Roy and acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir were present at the meeting.

Metropolitan BNP president Sadeque Hossain Khoka and chairperson's adviser Osman Faruk were there on special invitation.

BNP's Dhaka procession was rescheduled from Sunday to Monday after police declared section 144, a ban on public gathering and processions, on that day.

Fakhrul called on the government to cooperate in the procession. "We hope the government will come to its senses and it will not impede our peaceful protest programmes," he said.

He warned that the government would have to take the responsibility if the processions were barred.

"On Monday, there will be processions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Bogra, Joypurhat and Habiganj as well. The procession in Khulna will be held later since the police ban there," he added.

"The government's tyrannical face has been revealed to the people through these police attacks on ordinary people," he said.

In reply to a query, he said the party's programmes to protest the police attacks would be announced after Monday.