BANGLADESH

Language Movement veteran and Democratic League Chairman Oli Ahad was laid to rest at Banani graveyard in the city on Saturday night following largely-attended funeral after his second Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer) at Baitul Mukarram Nation Mosque.

Oli Ahad died of old age complications at city's Shamarita Hospital in morning. He was 85.

He was pronounced dead by doctors around 9am after being kept on life support over the last few days. Ahad was admitted to Shamarita Hospital in a critical condition on Oct 14 as he was suffering from lung infection.

His wife, Professor Rashida Begum said the veteran politician had been ill since March. He spent a spell in the hospital from March to April, before being taken home after his condition improved. He was brought back after it deteriorated again.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia expressed condolences over Ahad's death.

His mortal remains were taken to the Central Shaheed Minar around 1pm for people to pay tributes. Many other fellow Language Movement veterans, including Abdul Matin and Rowsan Ara, and political leaders paid their respect.

Abdul Matin said, "It was Oli Ahad who had inspired us to join the Language Movement. He not only led the Language Movement but also all the democratic movements in the country."

Rowsan Ara said Ahad had inspired them to join the Language Movement without fearing for lives.

BNP leaders Abdullah Al Noman, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Awami League leader Abdul Matin Khasru, AL's student front, JASAD and many others placed floral wreathes on the coffin and paid their last respect.

Khasru said Ahad's death was an irreparable loss for the country.

"At present there is no political personality like him in the country," BNP leader Noman said and added that the young generation should follow him.

From Shaeed Minar Ahad's body was taken to Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. After his funeral prayer there, the body was brought to Banani Graveyard.

Ahad was one of the key founders of East Pakistan Muslim Chhatra League formed on Jan 4, 1948.

He was also the founding General Secretary of the Ganatantrik Juba League and was the first person to be arrested in the Language Movement on Mar 11, 1948.

Ahad, during his life-long political career, also served as the Publicity Secretary and Organising Secretary of East Pakistan Awami League.

He joined the National Awami Party (NAP) of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani through the Kagmari Convention in 1957.

The veteran politician played key roles in the movements for speech and personal freedom, democracy and freedom of press in Bangladesh, and had to go to prison several times for protests.

He also had to face trial in a military tribunal in the 80s. The weekly Ittehad, which was edited by him, was banned at that time for raising public opinion against dictatorship.

Oli Ahad was given the highest state recognition, Swadhinota Padak, in 2004 for his contribution to Bangladesh's independence and the Liberation War.

He was born in Islampur village of Brahmanbaria's Sorail. His only daughter Barrister Nomin Farzana practices in the High Court.

Two people were killed and one injured in a road accident in the city's Banani area on Saturday evening.

The accident took place on the Banani Road No. 12 around 6pm.

Sub-Inspector of the Banani Police Station Ariful Islam told bdnews24.com that a car lost control and ran over a pedestrian identified as Nazrul Islam. Two passengers of the car were seriously injured.

Islam was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where doctor pronounced him dead.

He was a construction worker and lived at Karail slum in Banani, the police said.

The two injured passengers of the car were taken to United Hospital, where one of them succumbed to his injuries.

Police suspected that the deceased might be the car driver.

Police seized the car.

A Grand Jury will decide whether charges will finally be framed against Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Hasan Nafis, who was arrested by FBI in a 'sting operation' in New York over a 'bomb plot'.

"This is not the stage to say whether Nafis is guilty or not," Brooklyn Federal Court's spokesperson Robert Nardoza told bdnews24.com on Saturday (New York Time).

"If the Grand Jury opines that final charges should be pressed against Nafis, then the hearing will start and Nafis' statement will be recorded. He can then claim innocence or accept charges against him."

Meanwhile, New York's human rights lawyer Ashok Karmakar told bdnews24.com, "Usually the sensational cases are sent to the 12-member Grand Jury these days. Nafis' case is one of the most sensational cases in recent times."

"However, the Grand Jury Board will only listen to the statement of the investigating officer and will see documents submitted by him. Based on that, they will decide whether the case should continue," he explained.

"Even though, the accused has no option to represent his case at this time, the Grand Jury can play a major role in ensuring justice."

The bomb charge

The US Department of Justice said in the statement on Wednesday Nafis had been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and provide material support to al Qaeda. He faces life sentence in prison, if convicted.

The FBI said on Wednesday morning (evening in Bangladesh) Nafis parked a van laden with 'explosives' in front of the bank in Manhattan and went to the adjacent Millennium Hilton Hotel. From there, he repeatedly tried to set off the mobile phone detonator of the 1000-pound bomb. However, it did not explode as the explosive was fake.

The NYPD said that Nafis was led on by an undercover FBI agent into their trap. He was under surveillance since July after he tried to search reliable associates to carry out the attack on behalf of al-Qaeda.