BANGLADESH

BNP thinks that the US is correct in being concerned over human rights situation in Bangladesh, especially on account of alleged extra judicial killings by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

BNP Acting Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir discussed the party's stance over the matter with journalists on Saturday.

He thanked the US for discussing Bangladesh's human rights situation in its Congress.

"Human rights are being violated to the hilt under this government. A number of BNP leaders and activists, including Organising Secretary M Ilias Ali, have been kidnapped and killed.

"We've spoken against these many times, but the government did not pay any heed. Even the US Congress heard that the human rights in Bangladesh are now in tatters. It's worrisome," he said.

Robert O Blake Jr, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the US, told the Congress on Thursday that the US has authentic information on extra-judicial killings and abductions by RAB in Bangladesh.

Blake said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had conveyed during her trip to Bangladesh in May the concern of her country over the murder of labour rights activist Aminul Islam and the disappearance of opposition leader Ilias Ali.

Aminul had been killed and Ilias disappeared in April.

Despite prayers and good wishes, Humayun Ahmed, losing his battle to cancer, started on his final trip to Bangladesh, in a coffin.

Relatives of the popular contemporary fiction writer boarded a flight from the John F Kenedy Airport around 9am (BDST) on Sunday.

Hundreds of expatriate Bangladeshis have gathered at the airport to bid final farewell to the writer. The Bangladeshi permanent envoy to the UN A K Abdul Momen was present too at the time of departure.

Momen said the Emirates flight carrying the writer's mortal remains was scheduled to land at the Hazrat Shahajalal International Airport, Dhaka at 8:40am on Monday via Dubai.

The writer will be laid to rest at Nuhash Palli on Tuesday.

Earlier, Shammilata Shangskritik Jote President Nasiruddin Yusuf Bacchu said the writer's remains will be kept at the Central Shaheed Minar on Monday from 11am to 2pm so that public can pay their last respect.

He said a janaza will be held at the National Eidgaah at 2:30pm and then Humayun's body will be kept at Birdem's mortuary.

The writer will be laid to rest at Nuhash Palli after Johr prayers On Tuesday, Bachchu added.

The prolific writer breathed his last at a New York hospital after suffering from cancer for nine months. When his condition deteriorated, his younger brother Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and his wife Yasmin Haq went to New York and were with Humayun when he died.

The writer's first wife, Gultekin, was in New York too but she was not seen at the hospital or anywhere. According to sources, she might be present at the burial at Nuhash Palli.

A family source said Gultekin was supposed to arrive in Bangladesh by 11am on Monday.

Humayun was diagnosed with cancer less than a year ago. The prolific writer, who has authored more than 300 bestsellers, was 64 at the time of his death.

Apparel factory workers have blockaded the Dhaka-Sylhet highway and demonstrated for over two and a half hours pressing for various demands including payment of due wages.

Quoting eyewitnesses Rupganj Police Station's Officer-in-Charge Atikur Rahman Khan said that workers of Harvest Rich Garments factory at Rupganj took to the streets at Bhulta Aukhab area around 9am on Suday.

At one point, they vandalised the windowpanes of the factory building and seven to eight vehicles on the street, he said.

They withdrew from the street around 11:45am after the factory authorities assured to pay their dues within Monday.

The nearly two and a half hour stop in traffic has led to a large backlog on the highway, the police official added.

Anwar Hossain, a worker of the factory, said that their wages for two months were pending. Every month they receive payment not before 22nd-23rd, he added.

The workers became agitated when they came to the factory on Sunday and found that their wages were not yet ready. At one point, around 6,500 workers started demonstrating in the factory premises.

They vandalised the windows of the factory building and the adjacent branch of Rupali Bank. They later took to the streets and vandalised a number of vehicles, police said.

Sporadic chases and counter-chases took place between the workers and police when they tried to force the demonstrating workers out of the highway.

Director of Industrial Police's Adamjee unit (Battallion 4) Mahbub Alam told : "The owners have assured to pay the due wages within Monday after talks with the workers. The workers withdrew demonstration around midday."