BANGLADESH

The High Court on Tuesday forbade publication of political novel 'Deyal' without correction by Humayun Ahmed on the assassination of the nation's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the post-75 developments.


The suo moto ruling by the bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Jahangir Hossain came on Tuesday after Attorney General Mahbubey Alam brought to its attention the two sections of the novel published by a Bengali-language daily on May 11.

Alam objected to the depiction of Bangabandhu's youngest son Sheikh Rasel's killing in the two chapters.

The court on its own volition slapped an embargo on the publication of the book without correcting the portrayal.

The Information Secretary and the Education Secretary have been asked to contact the writer over the matter.

Even though Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was mentioned in the famed fiction writer's various writings, this is his first extensive foray into the assassination of the founding president and the post-75 events.

Ghulam Azam, considered by many as the symbol of war crimes during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, was yesterday indicted on five charges of crimes against humanity.

After framing the charges, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 set June 5 for the trial to begin with opening statement from the prosecution.

The charges against Ghulam Azam include involvement in murder and torture of unarmed people; and conspiracy, planning, incitement and complicity to commit genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 war.

The charges were based on 60 incidents of crimes against humanity.

Ghulam Azam was the ameer of East Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami during the Liberation War. He campaigned across Bangladesh and even in Pakistan (then West Pakistan) in an attempt to foil the liberation efforts.

He played a key role in forming Shanti (peace) Committee and Razakar, Al Badr and Al Shams forces, which actively helped the Pakistani forces in committing massacres across the country. Three million people were killed and over two lakh women were raped during the nine-month war.

Yesterday, Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq read out the charges with an introduction to the formation of the tribunal, a brief history of the Liberation War, a profile of Ghulam Azam and submissions of the prosecution and the defence along with the court's views on the case.

Justice Md Anwarul Haque and AKM Zaheer Ahmed are the other members of the three-member tribunal.

Justice Huq said the materials in hand support that Ghulam Azam had conspired with the occupation forces, planned and incited crimes, and was complicit in crimes against humanity; and he was responsible for commissioning of international crimes in 1971.

He did these by delivering speeches, issuing directives, making press comments and meeting heads of different civilian and army administrations, the tribunal chairman said.

“There is no bar to holding the trial after 40 years,” Justice Huq said while reading out the charges between 10:40am and 12:45pm yesterday.

“The tribunal also found that the trial can be held [against Azam] for offences committed in 1971 under this [International Crimes Tribunal] act of 1973.”

Ghulam Azam sat still in the dock as the tribunal chairman read out the charges.

The 89-year-old was wearing a Jinnah cap (a brown cap named after Pakistani leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and white punjabi and pajamas.

He was produced before the tribunal at 10:35am in a wheelchair. He first took a seat in the dock at the back of the courtroom. Following requests from his counsels, the tribunal allowed him to sit in the dock near the judges' bench.

On permission, the former Jamaat ameer stood up, grabbed his crutch with the right hand and walked to the dock unaided.

After the charges were read out, he was asked if he pleaded guilty or not guilty.

At that, he stood up and delivered a 10-minute speech.

He said, “I don't consider myself guilty.”

He said he was on the list of collaborators of Pakistani forces but claimed he was not a war criminal.

One of the charges against him was involvement in the torture and murder of 38 people in Brahmanbaria on November 11, 1971, including Shiru Miah, a sub-inspector of Mohammadpur Police Station.

The Pakistani forces with the help of their collaborators -- Razakar and Al Badr Bahini -- killed the 38 after receiving a written order from Ghulam Azam, the charges said.

The tribunal also charged him with conspiring to commit crimes on six occasions upon which different crimes against humanity were perpetrated across Bangladesh.

The former Jamaat chief was charged with planning to commit crimes on three occasions, which resulted in different crimes against humanity committed across the country.

He was also charged with 28 instances of provoking crimes and his complicity in 22 incidents of crimes against humanity.

The five charges against Ghulam Azam cover crimes against humanity; attempt, abetment or conspiracy to commit such crimes; other crimes under international law; complicity in or failure to prevent commissioning of any such crimes; and liability for crimes as an accomplice and commander, according to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.

If convicted, he could get the death penalty. The act only allows a convict to appeal to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against his conviction and sentence.

The tribunal took the charges into cognisance on January 9 this year, four days after the prosecution placed the charges. Ghulam Azam was sent to jail on January 11 after the tribunal rejected his bail.

Among other family members, Ghulam Azam's wife and his son former Brig Gen Abdullahil Aman Azmi were present at the courtroom during the charge framing yesterday.

After the indictment order was passed, they had lunch in the courtroom during the recess.

After the proceedings, Abdur Razzaq, chief counsel for the Jamaat leader, told the media that the tribunal had passed a “completely wrong order”.

Opposition leader and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has returned home after undergoing a medical treatment at Singapore's National University Hospital.

A Singapore Airline flight carrying her touched the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport just before 11pm.

Khaleda's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan said the opposition leader underwent a full medical check-up in Singapore.

"She (Khaleda) is fine now," he added.

Top party leaders including acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Jamir Uddin Sarker, Nazrul Islam Khan, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Aman Ullah Aman, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Fazlul Haque Milon and Juba Dal president Moazzem Hossain Alal, among others, received her at the airport.

She had left Dhaka for Singapore to undergo a medical check-up on Apr 9.

People taking Hajj pilgrimage under government arrangement this year will have to pay Tk 44,398 more than they did last year.

The cabinet on Monday provisionally approved a proposal on the Tk 303440 Hajj package with the additional cost of Tk 18375 for meal.

Cabinet Division secretary Mohammed Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters the rise in cost was due to the devaluation of taka against Us dollar and Saudi rial.

Bangladesh pulled off a sensational five-wicket win against defending champions India in the Asia Cup to keep their hopes alive of progressing.

Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (46 not out) and Nasir Hossain (54) scripted the incredible result after the pair smashed 64 runs for the fifth wicket as the Tigers reached the stiff target with four balls to spare.

Vice-captain Mahmudullah brought up the winning run with a four.

Earlier, Earlier, India scored 289 for 5 in 50 overs with the help of a vigilant 100th ton from the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, as they were invited to bat first by the home skipper Mushfiqur Rahim.

The 38-year-old master batsman, who completed the landmark in the 44th over with a single off the fourth ball of Shakib Al Hasan's over, needed 138 balls to achieve it.

During his 147-ball knock, Tendulkar struck 12 overs and a six before being caught behind. Suresh Raina made 51. Together they added 86 runs for the third wicket.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza ended his stay having him caught behind by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim towards the end of the 46th over.

The prime minister has urged the people to resist the 'anti-liberation forces' paid by Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and trying to save war criminals.

"I wonder how they can take money from the people who killed our mothers and daughters, and against whom we had waged a war. I wonder how they can take money for protecting war criminals," said Sheikh Hasina in parliament on Wednesday while taking part in a motion on the historic March 7 speech.

She made those remarks apparently referring to a news item appearing in a national Bangla newspaper on Mar 4 that alleged BNP chief Khaleda Zia took money from ISI before the 5th national election.

Hasina also recalled the criticism she had faced after terming the 1991 election 'an election of fine rigging' in her reaction to BNP then winning the polls.

"They had become victorious in the 91 election by using the money paid by ISI. Those who had criticised me at that time now understood how true that was," she added.

Drawing attention of the House, she said those in charge of Pakistan military and ISI at that time have also made confessions in a court of law under oath on the matter.

She also sought to stress the point that the newspaper which published the story 'is preferred by BNP'.

"Those who announce movements in the months like Dec and March do not believe in our independence. They are there just to protect war criminals. Everybody has to be aware of their betrayal," she added.

The prime minister went on to say that Bengalees who helped war criminals during the independence war are the real war criminals.

"Ziaur Rahman killed the Father of the Nation, scrapped all the laws to try them and finally released the war criminals."

Some disgruntled military officers in a coup killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members in 1975, four years after winning the war of independence. Ziaur Rahman became the president of the country within two years of the assassination.

Awami League leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofael Ahmed, Suranjit Sen Gupta, Mujibul Haque, Hasanul Haque Inu, Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Latif Siddiqui also participated in the motion.

bdnews24.com social affairs editor Baby Maudud and nine other women have been awarded 'Ananya Bishesh Sammanana Padak-2012' in recognition of their contribution to respective fields.

Ananya, a fortnightly magazine, formally conferred the awards on them at a function at the TSC auditorium of Dhaka University (DU) on Monday.

DU vice-chancellor A A M S Arefin Siddique gave away the awards.

Baby Maudud, a career journalist and columnist, was born in Kolkata in 1948. She has been in the field of journalism since 1967.

Prior to joining bdnews24.com, she has worked with Bangla national dailies Sangbad and Ittefaq, news agencies BBC and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and weekly magazine Bichitra.

The other award recipients are renowned women's rights activist Latifa Akhand (for contribution towards social development), Jowshan Ara Rahman (development and research), noted economist and founder member of the Centre for Women and Children Studies (CWCS) Dr Khaleda Salahuddin (economics and research), vice-president of Dhaka University Alumni Association (DUAA) Dr Selina Khalek (social welfare), eminent writer Rokeya Mannan (education and social work), Syeda Shamse Ara Rahman (education), journalist Setara Musa (media), president of Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP)-Bangladesh Zeenat Ara Bhuiyan and Zeenat Ahmed (sports).

Arefin lauded the contributions made by the award winners in their respective areas of action.

Ananya editor Tasmima Hossain presided over the function.


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The World Marketing Summit (WMS) on Saturday adopted Dhaka Declaration with a call to play a vital role in guiding the future of marketing to embrace human mind, heart and soul in the concepts and practices of the specialised discourse.

It was declared by WMS chairman Prof Syed Ferhat Anwar on the concluding day of the three-day summit at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

"Bangladesh has established a track record in inclusive development and set models that other countries are adopting," the declaration said.

It said problems in the world might not be solved through the existing concepts and practices, and marketing could be used to resolve the crisis.

"The focus of marketing should shift from products and services to customers to human spirit."

Marketing guru Philip Kotler said every country has its own opportunities and problems and solution to all the crises is in the hand of the people of that particular country.

"The solution is in your hand," he said.

Terming Bangladesh a very peaceful country, he said it can move towards prosperity.

He said there is Chinese or Indian way of economic development but now it is time to define Bangladesh way of economic development.

About Prof Muhammad Yunus, he said many people abroad know Bangladesh because of him, and his microfinance has given opportunities to the poor.

Energy adviser to the prime minister Toufik-e-Elahi Chowdhury said public sector and private resources could be put together to solve problems.

"When we deal with people, we must not forget they have heart, head and soul," he said.

WMS chairman Anwar said many who participated in the programme did not have knowledge about Bangladesh.

"Now all of them are leaving Dhaka with positive minds and this is one of the achievements of the summit to portray Bangladesh in a positive manner," he said.

Over 60 academics, corporate, world body and NGO officials attended the programme.

The next summit will be held in March next year

A Pakistani national detained in Dhaka admitted to detectives that he was involved in match-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League T-20 tournament, police sources said.

Detectives said they found evidence to prove his involvement and that they were going to seek Interpol's help to get financial transaction data of suspect Sajid Khan's bank account in Pakistan.

Detective Branch (DB) of police on Monday placed Sajid on a two-day remand, a day after the Bangladesh Cricket Board authorities handed him over to Mirpur police in connection with suspicious activities around Mirpur Outdoor Stadium. A cricket board official also filed a case with Mirpur Police Station in this connection.

A senior police official yesterday told The Daily Star that during the remand 35-year-old Sajid admitted that he had contacted several players of different teams to fix matches.

The official said they were preparing to seek the help of Interpol to get the details of Sajid's account with Silk Bank in Pakistan.

Police sources said Sajid came to Dhaka on February 10 posing as an import-export businessman but since his arrival he had always been around some players.

“When the players stayed in a Dhaka hotel, he stayed at a nearby hotel; when the players went to Chittagong, he went there. When the players returned to Dhaka, he also returned,” said a police official.

Hailing from Gulshan Zahur in Karachi, Sajid himself was once a player in the domestic cricket league and he is a close friend of a Pakistani player playing in BPL, sources said. They said Sajid developed connections with other players of the league by using his “friend”.

According to sources, another Pakistani national had also come to Bangladesh for match fixing but he left the country on Friday.

The High Court yesterday directed Dhaka City Corporation to remove all structures from the car parks in the city's Karwan Bazar within two months.

The verdict came on a writ petition filed on April 12, 2010 by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh following a report in The Daily Star under the headline "Car park lost to market".

DCC had allowed setting up of over 65 shops at the car parks, which would worsen traffic congestion in and around the busy commercial area of the capital. According to the report, construction of the shops was almost complete.

Responding to the public interest litigation, the HC on April 12 of that year ordered the DCC authorities to maintain status quo on any construction at the car parks in Karwan Bazar. It also issued a rule upon the DCC to explain why construction at the sites should not be declared illegal.

Besides, the court sought an explanation from DCC as to why it should not be directed to demolish the illegal structures, if any, at the places meant for car parking, in order to ease traffic jam in the area.

During yesterday's hearing, petitioner's counsel Manzill Murshid told the court that people face severe traffic jam on the VIP road near Karwan Bazar as the car parks are eaten up by shops and other structures.

DCC must not take steps to serve anybody's business interests to the detriment of public welfare, he added.

An HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim then came up with the verdict. It also declared illegal the DCC's decision to construct the shops.

The DCC authorities did not make any reply to the HC rule, but Assistant Attorney General Yeadia Zaman represented the government, Manzill said.

The Anti-Corruption Commission will no longer have to depend on the law enforcers for some of its probe-related requirements, as they now have their own investigation arm.

ACC commissioner Mohammad Sahabuddin Chuppu told , "The probe unit will collect information about corruption of a number of organisations in the communications, and the health and education sectors, the National Board of Revenue, customs, port authorities and the capital development authority RAJUK."

"Probing corruption and investigating in conventional manner usually does not bring the expected results or is not up to the mark," the circular issued on Sunday regarding the probe unit's formation said.

"Since the need to collect information through detective action arises while probing most corruption allegations, a detective unit has been formed…," it read.

A separate circular was also issued assigning commission's deputy director Mir Joynul Abedin Shibli and assistant director S M M Akhtar Hamid Bhuiyan to run the unit.

On the jurisdiction of the unit officials, the circular said they will function under the supervision of the commission's director general. They will need to take permission from the ACC chairman before any investigation.

The officials in the unit will get an additional pay of Tk 5,000 per month.

Just two hours before the first semifinal is set to start on Tuesday, Chittagong Kings said they will move court over the BPL authorities' decision to allow Barisal Burnerst to play Duronto Rajshahi in the second semifinals.

Samir Quader Chowdhury, CEO of SQ Sports, which owns the Kings, told a media conference about the decision of the team. Coach Khaled Mahmud and manager Nasir Ahmed were present there.

Shafiqul Haque Heera and Faruque Ahmed, the managers of semifinalists Dhaka Gladiators and Duronto Rajshahi, respectively, and Khulna Royal Bengals media manager Jahid Razzaq Masum were also present in the conference.

Dhaka's Heera said his team will support the Kings if they were thrown out illegally.

Faruque of Rajshahi said they will also back the Kings if they were dropped unlawfully. He, however, added they are not abandoning the first semifinal against the Burners at 2pm.

Journalists staged an hour-long strike on Monday, demanding proper investigation and trial of the murders of all their colleagues, including the recently slain couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.

They wore black badges and demanded an immediate end to torture on journalists through the pen down from 12 noon to 1pm.

As per the programme announced earlier by the National Press Club, Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), journalists across the country will stage a token hunger strike from 10am to 4pm on Mar 1.

The hunger strike programme will be centrally held at the National Press Club premises.

On Feb 11, Maasranga Television news editor Golam Mostofa Sarowar, alias Sagar Sarowar, and his wife, ATN Bangla senior reporter Meherun Nahar Runi, were found murdered at their rented flat in the city's west Rajabazar.

Police are yet to arrest anyone or name any suspect over the murder.

On Sunday, the investigators said they are 'almost certain' about the motive behind the killings of the journalist couple but cannot disclose it for the sake of the investigation.

The war crimes tribunal on Thursday rejected the second bail petition for Jamaat-e-Islami guru Ghulam Azam facing charges of crimes against humanity.

The International Crimes Tribunal, set up to try crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, said that it found no documents substantiating the former Jamaat-e-Islami chief's claim of deteriorating health.

Justice Nizamul Huq, chairman of the tribunal, said in his order that charges had already been taken into cognisance and the court was currently in the middle of hearing formal charges while stated that the prisoner had been in custody since Jan 11, 2012, which was not unreasonably long.

There were several other items that the court dealt with on Thursday.

In the case against Jamaat executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee where the court was expected to hear further witness testimonies, the tribunal adjourned the proceedings till March 4 as the prosecution could not produce witnesses on Thursday and it failed to guarantee presenting any further witnesses next week.

The tribunal also adjourned the scheduled indictment hearing of Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed till March 11, as defence counsel Munshi Ahsan Kabir pleaded that he had not even been able to read the documents served upon him on Feb8, which were in total almost 7,000 pages.

In response to petition brought by the defence against Bengali daily Janakantha, the tribunal chairman has asked the reporter concerned to be present at the court on Sunday at 10:30 for further proceedings on the matter.

The biggest exhibition of Bangladesh's software industry, BASIS SOFTEXPO-2012, is set to start on Wednesday.

To be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, the exhibition will remain open from 10am to 8pm every day until Feb 26.

A total of 140 local and foreign companies will participate in the event, convenor of the exhibition's organising committee, Tamzid Siddique, said at a media conference on Saturday.

Tamzid, also joint secretary-general of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), organisers of the event, said more than 80 seminars, technical sessions, open sessions and business matchmaking presentations will be held during the fair.

The expo will have seven zones: business software, outsourcing, mobile application, cloud and communication, IT-enabled services, IT education and e-commerce.

This year, more than 100 new IT inventions will be displayed as part of the exhibition, Tamzid said. Code Warriors' Challenge, IT Innovation Search Programme, Job Fair, BASIS Freelancer of the year award and the gala award night would be the highlights of Soft Expo, he added.

The entry fee has been set at Tk 50. There will be no entry fees for students.

BASIS is organising the expo since 2003.