BANGLADESH

The Dhaka Stock Exchange's key index registered a gain of 16.48 points in the first hour of Monday's trade.

The DGEN rose 0.37 percent to stand at 4469.36 points at 11:15am amid fluctuations on the week's second business day.

Shares and mutual funds worth around Tk 1.49 billion had changed hands until then, with prices of 115 issues gaining, 78 declining and 26 sticking to their opening prices.

The previous week was marked by fluctuations in the DGEN. It added 191 points through the week and the average daily turnover was Tk 5 billion.

People associated with the capital market have attributed the increased trading at the bourses to hike in institutional investments.

However, many have expressed their fear of a scam pointing out that trading had increased for only a number of issues.

The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange has gained nearly 160 points or 8.4 percent over the last 13 working days (from Aug 5 to Sep 2), a turnaround from the trend observed over the four weeks before that (from July 8 to Aug 2) where the DGEN had shed nearly 4.4 percent.

The turnover also saw a massive hike in the period, striking Tk 58.59 billion, rising by nearly Tk 20.71 billion or 55 percent from the amount of trade in-between July 8 and Aug 2.

On Sunday, shares and mutual funds amounting close to Tk 5.41 billion change hands, maintaining the trend of staying above Tk 5-billion mark seen over the previous six days.

DSE Senior Vice President Ahmed Rashid Lali told bdnews24.com: "The index and turnover are rising as large and institutional investors are coming into play."

Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association President M A Hafiz said the price of shares was drawing the investors in.

He told bdnews24.com: "Share prices have gone down a lot, which is why the investors are jumping into the arena."

However, when questioned why they did not join the market earlier as the prices were down then also, the merchant bankers' chief replied, "The liquidity crisis is less than before and the investor confidence has also grown."

Hafiz attributed the lessening of liquidity crisis to the fall in call money rates and rates of interests of the banks.

The Bangladesh Bank records show that the call money rate was 19.66 percent in January and had fallen to 10.91 percent by Aug 7.

However, Dhaka University's Finance Department Teacher Osman Imam has expressed his fears that a scam could be in the making.

"Of the trade over the last few days, a large chunk was that of 8-10 companies' shares and most of them were IPO shares," he told bdnews24.com. "Such transactions are signs of manipulative activities."

The DU Professor added that the capital market regulators, Securities and Exchanges Commission, should keep an eye out on this. "Or else, the investors could be adversely affected."

With the assurance of Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque to consider going back to the traditional system of medical and dental admission tests if the lawsuits are withdrawn, a breakthrough in the impasse over the issue seems in sight.

After the much-awaited meeting with Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, the protesting admission seekers halted their protest on Sunday for now and urged lawyers who filed petitions against the decision of scrapping admission test to pull out.

Aspiring admission-seekers said the lawyer Yunus Ali Akond had assured them of withdrawing the lawsuit.

But the lawyers told bdnews24.com that they would withdraw their lawsuits only when the admission was advertised, a decision that people feared might delay the admission process further.

"We have requested them and they assured us of withdrawing the lawsuit," one of the protesting students Ashik told bdnews24.com.

When heard about the lawyers' views expressed to bdnews24.com, he said on Sunday night that they would request them again tomorrow (Monday).

Aspiring medical students burst into protest on Aug 13 just a day after the Health Minister announced that GPAs in the SSC and HSC examinations would be the sole yardstick to ensure, what he said 'quality' admissions in medical and dental colleges.

Experts had earlier told bdnews24.com that as students of two sessions – current and previous – would sit the admission test, a decision in this regard should come at least a year in advance.

The dispute over the admission tests reached the High Court on Aug 14, seeking a ruling from the court. Petitioner Yunus filed a supplementary appeal on Aug 27 requesting an order to hold the admission through traditional system, but it drew a split verdict.

Father of a student filed another petition with the court against the government decision later.

In the meantime, a second group of aspirants also took to the streets more than two-week later to support the ministry's decision.

The minister called the Sunday's meeting aiming to calm the frayed tempers.

"We have filed the petition for the sake of students. We will withdraw it if their (the government's) intention is to protect the students' interest," lawyer Nazrul Islam Rajon, who is arguing for the second petition filed by a guardian, told bdnews24.com.

He, however, said they would withdraw if the government published the admission test circular.

Dr M Mushtuq Husain, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Chikitshak Sangsad, a forum of doctors, who earlier criticised the ministry's decision to scrap admission tests, said the lawyers should respond to the students' request.

"It was for the students they filed the lawsuits ... now they want it pulled out, so they (the lawyers) should do it at the earliest," he said and added, "Any delay would only delay the admission process."

He also urged the ministry to start their process of taking admission tests.

Director of the Medical Education of the Directorate General of Health Services Dr Shah Abdul Latif said withdrawal of lawsuits would help them advertise details of the admission process.

But lawyer Yunus told bdnews24.com that: "My petition went to the third bench. I'll await the hearing. But I'll withdraw once the government advertises the admission."

"What guarantee word of mouth does have? Let them publish the admission circular first."

Altogether there are 8,493 seats in all the medical and dental colleges in Bangladesh.

The number is 2,811 in the 22 government medical colleges and 4,245 in the 53 private ones. The nine public dental colleges and medical colleges' dental units have 567 seats while the 14 private dental institutes have 870 seats.

Rapid Action Battalion on Sunday arrested six people over suspicion of being linked with planning the robbery and murdering Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) leader Dr Narayan Chandra Datta Nitai.

The elite force presented the six arrestees including Dr Nitai's car driver Kamrul Hasan Arun and his chamber manager Saifur Rahman before the press at its headquarters on Sunday.

RAB claimed Saifur was the mastermind behind the robbery plan while he rebutted the accusation.

At the press meet, Arun also named Saifur as the main man behind the robbery which turned into a murder. RAB officials whisked both of them away from the reporters after they began arguing angrily following Arun's claim.

Police's Detective Branch arrested five other suspects earlier who have already confessed to the link with the murder.

RAB disclosed the arrest of the six new suspects on Sunday, taking the number of total arrestees in connection with the incident to 11. DB officials were also present at the press conference.

The other RAB arrestees are compounder Tariqul Islam and Bokul Mia, Rafiqul Islam and Mohammad Sayeed.

The elite force said Bokul, Rafiqul and Sayeed directly participated in the robbery while the other three planned the whole affairs.

Detectives had arrested Masum Mintu, 'Masud', 'Saidul', Pichchi Kalam, and 'Faisal', on Aug 25.

Masum Mintu, a professional thief, was presented by Detective Branch officials on Saturday noon who claimed to stab Nitai first in the chest, followed by Bakul after they broke into the first floor of the house by cutting the grill.

Dr Nitai, a BMA Executive Committee member and Swadhinota Chikitshok Parishad (SwaChiP) leader, was knifed to death on Aug 23 early morning at his home on Mahakhali's National Institute of Disease of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH) residential area.

RAB spokesperson M Sohail said at Sunday's press meet: "We are not done yet. The investigation will dig up anybody who has been left out but who was a part of the plan."

He said the six were arrested in the last two days from Tongi, Mawa and the capital's Karwan Bazar and Mohakhali areas in raids.

Saifur was the manager of the Dr Nitai's chamber at Reliance Medical and Services. On Sunday, he was made to confront driver Arun whose link to the murder was brought to light on Saturday by Masum Mintu, one of the arrestees who law enforcers claim had made the fatal stabs that killed Dr Nitai.

Arun said, "Saifur managed the driver's job for me. Later, he proposed to me to rob Tk 2 million and about 100 bhoris of gold from Dr Nitai's house."

He also claimed that Saifur had given him Tk 500 and told him to leave the city after the murder.

His claim was dismissed by Saifur right away. "I am not connected to this. I haven't even heard his (Arun) name before."

Then they engaged into a heated argument.

RAB's Sohail said, "Recently, Saifur proposed to Arun and compounder Tariqul Islam about robbing Dr Nitai's house. Arun contacted the others later but failed to rob the house one time nearly two months ago."

He said Arun was also accused in several other cases and have also served five years in prison in another case.

"Arun attempted the robbery at Dr Nitai's house with the other robbers who he had met in prison as those were also jailed in different cases including murder."

The RAB spokesperson added, "We have found initial evidence that the plotters also spoke to two doctors before the murder."

Earlier, RAB had arrested 'Kamal', who they claimed as another member of the gang. However, the detective police refused to take his custody saying he was the wrong 'Kamal' who had no ties with the murder.

RAB then handed 'Kamal' to Banani police in the wee hours of Monday. He was sent to court later charged with suspicious activities but was released on bail.

About this matter, spokesperson Sohail said Kamal was released, but he might be kept under watch just for the sake of the investigation. "This is also a matter to be looked at."

He said Sayeed, one of arrestees, talked to Kamal several times on the phone.

All the arrestees have confessed until now that Dr Nitai was killed as he protested their robbery attempt. But Sohail said the law enforcers will look whether it was a premeditated murder.

"We cannot ignore any leads."

However, family members of the doctor have been claiming it was a premeditated murder over recruitment at the NIDCH. But the law enforcers insist that Nitai's murder took place during the burglary.

RAB has already handed the six to DB police.

A case was filed by the father of the deceased, Tarit Kanti Datta, over the incident with the Banani police mentioning that Tk 500,000 had gone missing after the incident.

Asked why RAB was investigating the case even without being asked by the DB, the paramilitary force's Legal and Media Wing Director Sohail said, "RAB, DB, police or any other law-enforcing agency helps each other in any case."

"This is also happening in this case. There should be no room for confusion or misunderstanding."

He said they will also try to find whether the arrestees were connected to any other similar incidents.

Sohail further said that the grill of the window at Dr Nitai's house was also cut like those at the Rajabazar flat of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, who were killed there on Feb 11.

DB Deputy Commissioners Monirul Islam and Mollah Nazrul Islam and Dr Nitai's wife Dr Lucky Datta were also present at the press meet at RAB headquarters at Uttara.

The BUET authorities have filed two cases accusing around a hundred teachers and students of launching attacks on the offices of the Vice Chancellor and Pro-VC, vandalism, ransacking records and looting Tk 0.3 million.

The cases, which demonstrators claim is part of a conspiracy to stifle their VC and pro-VC ouster movement, were filed at the Shahbagh Police Station after 11pm on Sunday by the university's Assistant Registrar (Security) Golam Kuddus Khan.

"A total of 49 teachers and students have been named and another 50 unnamed are accused in the two cases," Shahbagh Police Station's Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shirajul Islam told bdnews24.com.

The first case accuses 20 teachers and five students for attacking the office of Vice Chancellor S M Nazrul Islam, vandalism, looting Tk 0.3 million and ransacking records.

The list includes BUET Teachers'Association Registrar Ataur Rahman, Civil Engineering Department Teacher Ishtiaque Ahmed and Mechanical Engineering Department Chairman Ehsan.

The second case accuses 19 teachers and five students and another 50 unnamed 'miscreants' for attacking the office of Pro-VC Habibur Rahman, vandalism and ransacking records.

Vice President of the teacher's platform, Maksud Helali, and Mahbub Razzak were named in the list of accused.

Meanwhile, immediately after the cases where filed, police went to the campus and cordoned the demonstrators for some time, hiking tension in the area.

'It was Chhatra League'

The demonstrators have claimed that activists of the ruling party's student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, kicked the doors of the offices when they swooped on the VC and Pro-VC's offices on Sunday. They added that they were not responsible.

On Sunday, the students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology gave the embattled Vice Chancellor and the Pro-Vice Chancellor until 11am Monday to resign.

Or else, they threatened the authorities with 'tougher' agitation alongside the on-going nonstop sit-in demonstrations in front of the administrative building that continued through the night. The teachers, who were the first to raise the demand for resignations, also declared to join in.

Earlier in the morning, they burnt effigies of the VC and the Pro-VC as the 10am deadline they had given ended with no result.

They paraded down the campus chanting slogans against the duo and began staging sit-in in front of the administrative building, joined by the teachers.

Meanwhile, about 50 activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League's BUET chapter, which has been disbanded, donning white T-shirts gathered in front of the university cafeteria. The T-shirts read 'Honourable teachers, please keep classes out of the movement'.

They took out a procession carrying a banner 'Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Chhatra League'. They say the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami people were fanning the demonstrations against the VC and his deputy.

Tension ran high when the BCL activists reached the administrative building where the students were staging protests.

The BCL activists tried to enter the administrative building claiming that the VC and the Pro-VC had been confined to their offices, leading to a scuffle as the students tried to prevent them from interfering in their programmes.

The BCL supporters, however, forced their way into the offices of the VC and Pro-VC, and on their way out of the offices, they took the loudspeaker the general students were using.

According to the demonstrators, only a handful of the BCL activists were students of the university. BUET Proctor Dr Humayun Kabir said, "Some outsiders are trying to destroy our movement by attacking us. But we are not afraid (of them)."

Currently, the BCL has no official committee at BUET. This is the first time the BCL adherents came out on the campus since students and teachers burst into protest demanding resignation of what they say the 'corrupt' VC and Pro-VC.

When asked for comment on the demand, VC Islam said, "I have not been given any deadline. The teachers discussed with me yesterday and I listened to them and also told them about my thoughts."

"The government's decision is my decision," he added.

Leaders of the university's teachers association met the VC and Pro-VC on Saturday to ask them to step down for the sake of the university.

The BUET erupted into protests as students took to the streets on the first day it reopened after 44 days of closure on account of the Eid-ul-Fitr. General teachers also did not go to classes after the university reopened on Aug 25.

The agitation has also made the fate of thousands of admission-seekers uncertain.

The teachers' association began work abstention on Apr 7 demanding removal of the VC and Pro-VC. They continued with the programme until the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged a solution to the crisis after consulting the President, the Chancellor.

They resumed agitation as no decision came forth from the government and announced nonstop work abstention from July 14.

In the wake of the teacher-student movement, the authorities had advanced the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation to close it on July 10 but the decision failed to deter the protests and the teachers kept boycotting the classes.