BANGLADESH

The five-day Durga Puja festival ended in the district, which witnessed a bout of communal violence recently, with sombre immersion of Goddess Durga's idols in the sea with a call for communal harmony.

People of different faiths took part in the immersion.

Hindu devotees bade an emotional farewell to Durga through immersion in ponds, lakes, rivers or sea across the country after inviting her to return next year.

After the Maha Dashami, the last day of the Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of the Bengali Hindus, at different Puja mandaps, the devotees started taking out Bijoya Dashami procession carrying Durga and her children to the beach from 2pm.

Several kilometres of area at Laboni Point of Cox's Bazaar sea beach echoed with the slogans of "Maa Durga Ki Jai" (Hail Mother Durga).

Huge number of Hindu devotees joined the immersion. Thousands of local and foreign tourists and followers of other religions also enjoyed the event. The locals said that the number of people on the beach exceeded 200,000.

The immersion of the idols started with an announcement from the Bijoy Mancha set up at Baluchar with the reciting from the Hindu scripture at around 4pm.

Carrying the idol on their shoulders, devotees went into waist-deep water into the sea and immersed the deity.

District Puja Udjapan Committee General Secretary Babul Sharma told bdnews24.com that the Durga idols of over 100 Puja pandals out of 248 in the district were immersed in the sea.

"A call for maintaining communal harmony in the district has been made through solemn immersion of Durga idol in the sea which was attended by people believing in all religions."

Cox's Bazaar District Council Administrator Mostaq Ahmed Chowdhury, Athin Rakhain MP, Deputy Commissioner Ruhul Amin, Superintendent of Police) Selim Mohammad Jahangir, public representatives and local unit leaders of political parties spoke in the programme.

Bijoya Dashami is the special ceremony of reaffirming peace and good relations among people.

Durga Puja, the annual Hindu festival also known as Sharadiya (autumnal) Durga Utsav, is the worship of "Shakti" [divine force] embodied in goddess Durga. It symbolises the battle between good and evil where the dark forces eventually succumb to the divine.

Eid-ul-Azha holidaymakers are spending longer time on the highways in terrible traffic hold-up.

With the extra pressure of vehicles to transport travellers, passengers have to suffer several more hours as the makeshift cattle markets thrown up for the Eid even beside the highways have narrowed the road.

On the highways from Dhaka to Chittagong, Tangail and Mawa, the scenario was almost the same. Vehicles were crawling on Wednesday like they did on Tuesday.

It takes over an hour for the vehicles to cross one kilometre on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway due to the work to build the elevated expressway and the cattle markets.

The pains of the passengers on the highway starts at Jatrabari, the starting point of the vehicles destined for the southern and eastern districts. The regular jam on Kanchpur bridge remains, adding to the sufferings of the holidaymakers.

Vehicles moved at a snail's pace from Meghna bridge to Comilla's Gouripur on Wednesday.

Qamrul Islam, a passenger of a Comilla-bound Asia Line bus, told bdnews24.com that he started at 4pm and was fretting about when he would reach home.

"Several cattle markets have been set up beside the highway. Vehicles of other routes are increasing the pressure by using this highway," he said.

bdnews24.com's Comilla Correspondent was at Chouara Bazaar. He also put down the jam to the cattle markets.

At Mawa, a passage for 17 southern districts, the lack of piers caused the gridlock. Piers at Paturia of Manikganj and Daulatdia of Rajbari were also seemed to be inadequate to handle the vehicles. Passengers had to stop at the piers for around five hours on Wednesday.

Munshiganj Correspondent said three main terminals are out of order now. Vehicles are using two new piers, one of which is for lighter vehicles only, to cross the Padma river.

Over 600 vehicles stranded on each of the roads linked to the piers at the two ends, Mawa and Kewrakandi. The number was increasing fiercely.

The gridlock stretching from Gazipur's Chandra to Tangail's Karatia became longer for the trucks that could not use the pier at Mawa.
Rakibul Hasan from Biswas Betka of Tangail got on a bus at 6am in Dhaka. He reached Tangail at 1pm.

"I didn't get it why the vehicles got stuck for hours. We've come to know that the trend of the drivers of inter-district buses and cattle-laden trucks to make some extra profit by driving fast and overtaking others caused the gridlock," he said.

Tangail district Road Transport Workers Union General Secretary Mir Lutfar Rahman told bdnews24.com: "Not only the buses in Tangail, buses of northern and southern districts and cattle-laden trucks have created additional pressure."

Highway Police's Gorai station in-charge Sanwar Hossain said if a vehicle breaks down, it takes a long time to reach it, let alone repair or remove it fast.

Customs officials on Monday seized nearly 5kg gold from a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight returning from Dubai at the Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong.

A team of Dhaka and Chittagong customs officials jointly conducted the raid and seized the gold from a bag which arrived on BG-048 flight early in the morning.

Airport Customs Assistant Commissioner Shahidul Islam told  the flight carrying 170 passengers landed at around 4am. "Forty-one gold bars were seized from a bag."

No one had yet been arrested in connection with the incident, he added.

SUBHANALLAH

The annual Hajj pilgrimage started early on Wednesday with more than two million Muslim believers beginning their trek in buses, cars and on foot for the nearby tent city of Mina.

White-clad pilgrims from nearly 150 countries are taking part in this year's Hajj in what is the largest gathering of Muslims in the world. Some 125,000 Bangladeshis are performing Hajj this year.

According to Arab News, hundreds of thousands of believers chanting "Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik" ("Here I am, O Allah, here I am"), began their trek Tuesday night to Mina.

The weather was moderate with a mild and cool breeze blowing across the Mina valley.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said all of the pilgrims took position in Mina by Wednesday noon.

Saudi Arabia has left nothing to chance to ensure that pilgrims perform the arduous rituals with ease and comfort. Prince Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee, is personally following up the security plan.

Thursday is the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage when pilgrims ascend Mount Arafat, some 10 kilometres (six miles) southeast of Mina, to spend the day in prayer.

The hilltop and the surrounding plain is where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final Hajj sermon before his death.

After sunset, the pilgrims head to Muzdalifah, between Mina and Arafat, where they collect stones to throw at the devil, one of the last rituals which takes place Friday and marks the first day of Eid-ul-Azha, the annual feast of sacrifice.

The symbolic "stoning of the devil" is followed by the ritual sacrifice of an animal, usually a lamb.

During the remaining three days of the Hajj, the pilgrims continue the ritual stoning before performing the circumambulation of the Kaaba shrine in Mecca and heading home.

All Muslims are required to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetimes if they have the means to do so.

Detectives in separate drives on Monday arrested 10 people including an official of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in connection with forgery in the Dhaka University 'Kha' unit and Jagannath University admission tests and public service recruitment tests.

The fraudsters had provided admission seekers with answers in return for money, Moshiur Rahman, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told reporters.

The arrestees were identified as ACC Assistant Inspector Mofizur Rahman, former officer of the National Bank Kafil Uddin Mahmud, BBA student of the American International University of Bangladesh Rafayet Sani, former DU students Abdullah Al Mamun of English Language (currently doing MBA at DU), Amitav Chowdhury Amit of Political Science, Nurul Huda aka Dollar Mahmud (Zia Hall, Room No. 103) of Journalism and Masscommunication, and Habibur Rahman Habib, fourth year JnU student of Economics, Rubel Biswas, fourth year JnU student, and Ishtiaque Ahmed Parash of Political Science and Sazzad Hossain of Microbiology of the same university.

They were produced before journalists at the Police Media Centre on Monday noon.

After the press conference, ACC's Assistant Inspector Mofiz told bdnews24.com that after the agreement, they provided examinees with a special kind of watches ranging from Tk 12,000 to Tk 14,000. Examinees could receive answers of questions inside the examination hall via short messaging facility in the watches.

Mofiz admitted to have provided answers by this method at several admission and selection tests in return for one lakh to one-and-a-half lakh taka.

Among the arrested, Rafayet Sani, Abdullah Al Mamun, Amitav Chowdhury Amit and Dollar Mahmud looked up answers of questions. Parash, Sazzad, Habib and Rubel were in charge of keeping regular correspondence with the examinees, while Mofiz and Kafil co-ordinated the entire activity.

"The gang of tricksters has committed fraud at several competitive examinations since 2009," said Additional Sub Commissioner Moshiur Rahman.

They had about a hundred mobile phones looking like watches in their possession and it had been established that they provided answers to about hundred examinees in each examination, said Moshiur.

They were arrested in raids conducted from Shahabagh to Khilgaon in the capital on Monday.

The forgery through the special watch first came to notice during the 'Ka' unit examination of the Jagannath University on Oct 12. Invigilators held one student who received a short message on the watch-cum-mobile shortly after examination began. An Awami League activist was also arrested when he tried to get the student freed.

Authorities later released them following intervention from the Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders.

Later, one examinee and two Awami League activists were arrested at the test for admission to the 'Kha' unit of the same university on Oct 19.

It was that day that detective police had held three people red-handed taking ransom for a Jagannath University examinee held captive in the Zia Hall of Dhaka University.

Private sector has vehemently opposed the government move to amend the company law to appoint administrators to rogue firms.

Top businessmen and their leaders held a meeting at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on the issue and briefed the journalists as it concluded.

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry President A K Azad told reporters, "Even under the existing provisions, a court of law can appoint administrator to any business house, so there is no need to change the laws."

"Keeping the case of Destiny in mind, the government should not take hasty steps to amend the company law," Azad said.

Urging the government to dump the initiative to change the laws, the business leader said, "Businessmen are completely against this amendment. We don't want such laws. There is no need for this [amended] law."

The Commerce Ministry submitted a proposal at a Cabinet meeting on Monday to amend the company law provisions for appointment of administrators keeping the controversial multi-level marketing company Destiny in mind.

Azad said vested quarters would get a chance to misuse the law if it was amended.

"If the law applies only for the MLM business in our country, then we will give our opinion. But we will face harm if the law applies to all companies."

The meeting at Sonargaon Hotel was also attended by former FBCCI President Mir Naser, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) President Jahangir Alamin, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin and leaders of other business organisations.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed on Tuesday said at a programme in the capital the government would appoint administrators on six to seven grounds in line with the amended law it was set to bring.

According to the law, the board of directors of any company would be given 15 days to show their cause why an administrator should not be appointed to that company, he said.

"This law's goal is to protect the property, which the current law does not cover."

Commerce Secretary Ghulam Hossain, however, said on Monday that the Cabinet approved it in principle and sent it back to the ministry for further review.

"The Cabinet set two conditions – incorporation of a safety clause and vetting from law ministry – before tabling of the proposal again for final clearance," he said.

The government had no intention to use the laws for political purposes or to harass anybody, the Secretary said.

"The Cabinet instructed us to consult all stakeholders and the ministry is going to have its first meeting on Oct 30," he said.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury on Wednesday came down heavily on Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia for not visiting Ramu upazila in Cox's Bazaar district to be at the side of the victims of the recent communal attacks.

"The Opposition Leader recently visited China and is scheduled to visit neighbouring India soon. But she didn't visit Ramu (that lies a short distance away)," she said.

She made the comment while distributing special VGF rice and winter clothes among the poor at Gouradar Union Parishad Bhavan of her electoral constituency in Nakla upazila in Sherpur district.

Incensed apparently by a Facebook posting of a photo defaming the Quran, religious fanatics destroyed 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and more than 100 houses in Ramu, Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas of Cox's Bazaar and Patiya upazila in Chittagong from Sep 29 night to noon the next day.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda strongly condemned the heinous attacks and had said that she would visit the scenes of the sectarian violence after her China visit.

The former prime Minister will pay a week-long visit to Indian from Oct 28 at the invitation of the Indian government.

Matia said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina could not visit the scene right away since she was in the US to attend the 67th United Nations General Assembly.

"But she had directed the Home Minister to visit the spots and strictly handle the situation. On her return, the Prime Minister went to Ramu and took measures to rehabilitee the victims, ensure their security and bring the culprits to justice."

The ruling Awami League leaders have been blaming local BNP lawmaker Lutfur Rahman Kajal of instigating the violence in Ramu 29. But the BNP says the ruling party intentionally makes such claims to wreak political vengeance on the opposition.

Matia, also an AL Presidium Council Member, said: "The Awami League doesn't believe in political revenge, but those who had looted and set ablaze the Buddhist households and monasteries are being captured through the video clips."

Indian media has splashed news about the upcoming visit of Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia to New Delhi from Oct 28 as she embarks on a diplomatic exercise to strengthen relations with the neighbour of Bangladesh.

Popular Indian daily Hindustan Times published a news on Oct 23 saying, "With New Delhi leaving no stone unturned to maintain the momentum in bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh, India will be hosting Begum Khaleda Zia."

Khaldea will be leaving for New Delhi on Oct 28 for a seven-day trip at the invitation of the Indian government and is scheduled to meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress party President Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, among others.

Hindustan Times said it was part of the strategy of the Indian government to maintain good relations with all key stakeholders in Bangladesh.

Daily News & Analysis newspaper reported on Oct 24, "The visit comes with just over a year left for general elections in Bangladesh, and a sharp decline in the popularity ratings of ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."

The paper said Teesta water sharing agreement and the Land Boundary Agreement were expected to take a major share of discussions.

Bangladesh and India failed to sign the Teesta interim agreement during the visit of Indian premier Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September last year due to strong opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Both countries signed the Land Boundary Agreement in 1974 and Bangladesh ratified it the same year but India is yet to ratify it making it ineffective as the deal stipulates that it would not be effective until both parties ratify it.

The Times of India under a headline of "India reaches out to Khaleda Zia ahead of Bangladesh polls" reported, "While the BNP has always been known for its anti-India stance, New Delhi knows that it is imperative to at least make an attempt to mend fences with her in the run-up to the general elections slated to be held next year."

"New Delhi added value to its relationship with Dhaka but it knows that ties with BNP are crucial to make this process irreversible."

The Statesman reported that "Ms Zia's party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has always been regarded as favouring Pakistan over India but sources in the government said that they are hoping that Ms Zia's visit will help change that perception and help India develop closer ties with the BNP."

Three times Prime Minister, Khaldea Zia visited China from Oct 14 to 20 at the invitation of Chinese Communist Party. During the visit, she met members of the Chinese leadership including Chinese Vice President Xi Jingpin and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

all muslim brother pls take my salam.eid brings you all happiness. EID MUBARAK

The opposition BNP has announced fresh agitation after the Eid-ul-Azha over the demand of elections under a non-party government.

"The people have turned their back on the government. They want change. They don't want to see this government again," BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan told a human chain programme in front of the National Press Club on Friday.

"A non-partisan government is needed so that the people can vote whoever they like," he said.

"We'll give momentum to our movement over the demand after the Eid. No election will be allowed without a non-party government," Khan added.

The human chain programme was organised by the Mohila Dal's Mohammadpur unit in the city in protest against the arrest of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal chief Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal.

He termed the government 'a failure on all fronts' and said it had led to the country being labelled 'corrupt' in the global arena. The government itself was neck-deep in corruption, he added.

The BNP leader also termed 'most shameful' the visit of a World Bank panel to review Anti-Corruption Commission's investigations into the alleged corruption in the Padma bridge project.

A new defence witness for Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee on Sunday said there were no incidents of loot, plunder or arson during the nine-month Liberation War.

Abdul Halim Fakir, aged 55, said he was a student of ninth grade during the war, but did not see any Pakistani soldiers or their collaborators raid his village.

Although a large hospital bed, as ordered by the tribunal on Thursday, had been arranged and lay before the court, Sayedee's 15th defence witness, who had taken ill over lunch on Wednesday, did not need to lie down.

The 65-year old Abdus Salam Howladar faced Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali's cross-examination, which concluded to make way for another new witness from Sayedee's defence.

The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal-1, set up to try crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, indicted the Jamaat executive council leader for 20 war crimes on Oct 3, 2011.

The allegations include murder, rape, arson and loot in and around Parerhat of Pirojpur.

Saydee's third son, Masood Sayedee, has also completed his cross-examination. The defence submitted a large volume of material through Masood as he has been mainly assisting the defence team with material for cross-examination of prosecution witnesses.

There were no further witnesses for Sayedee although the defence still has four more witnesses to go.

The tribunal said after lunch, referring to its order of Thursday (Oct 18) that an order had already been passed and it stood. The tribunal had ordered that Sayedee's defence would not be allowed any more time after Sunday if they failed to bring all their witnesses on that day.

When Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali approached the tribunal to fix a date for closing argument which would be the next phase of the trial, chairman Justice Mohammad Nizamul Huq said, "An appropriate order will be passed tomorrow."

Jamaat chief defence counsel Abdur Razzaq put to the tribunal several times that the defence had already filed applications in this regard and if the tribunal chose to pass order in chambers, the defence be heard.

The tribunal, however, did not commit either way. Before rising, it reminded the senior defence counsel that he had failed to produce his remaining four witnesses by the end of the day.

Gonoforum and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Presidents Dr Kamal Hossain and Prof AQM Badruddoza claimed on Sunday the country was not doing well and called for political unity to emerge from the situation.

Kamal and Chowdhury who broke away from the ruling Awami League and opposition BNP, respectively, did not outline what should the basis of the unity be or with whom it should be forged, however.

The senior politicians emerged from a programme titled 'Announcement of a greater national unity' at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel to speak to reporters but would not make it clear whether their parties were mulling over joining forces.

Columnist Syed Abul Maksud and Ganasashthya Kendra chief Jafrullah Chowdhury also spoke at the programme.

"Our politics and governing system are infected with disease. But there is always a cure however serious the disease is," said Hossain, also a former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

"The people of Bangladesh have that strength. And the strength is political unity. Let us come together to forge a unity to make ailing politics healthy."

Chowdhury, the former President of Bangladesh, said, "Greedy politicians, some selfish businessmen and bureaucrats are pulling the country from behind. All must stand up against them."

"That's why politics of unity needs be pursued. The unity can be built without dissolving respective political parties.

Referring to their past records of rubbing shoulders with chiefs of the AL and BNP, a journalist asked whether they planned alliances with any of them again.

"There is no chance of making a scapegoat (out of people)," said Dr Kamal, who had joined the Awami League-led 14-party alliance formed to wage movement against BNP.

"There is no question of having Iftar until they (BNP) swear over the Quran that they would not get involved in criminal activities or corruption anymore, endanger democracy and unleash torture on the opposition," said Chowdhury who recently showed solidarity with several BNP programmes.

Badruddoza Chowdhury, the founding Secretary General of BNP, had Iftar with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia last Ramadan and is supporting the BNP in its demand for reinstating caretaker government for overseeing the next parliamentary elections.

Parting ways with the Awami League, Hossain floated Gonoforum about two decades ago, but joined a coalition with the party once again in 2004.

Both Gonoforum and Bikalpadhara were with the Awami League-led alliance until the forestalled parliamentary elections of Jan 22, 2007. But they moved away from the Awami League in the 2008 elections.

Regarding his party's support for reinstating caretaker government system, Chowdhury said, "The verdict cancelling the constitutional amendment said two more elections can be staged under caretaker government. We had gone there only to express our support for caretaker government system."

When asked whether his efforts for unity are only election-centric, Hossain said, "The 2008 elections were the result of the coalition we had formed, the demands we had raised in 2004, though I did not join the coalition at the last moment."

Answering a question over the format of next caretaker government, the Gonoforum chief said, "A civil uprising, public hearing and the demand of the masses will decide what the government will look like and what the election process will be."

The programme was moderated by former Organising Secretary of Awami League Mahmudur Rahman Manna.

Manna was excluded from Awami League's central committee after his role during the immediate-past military-backed caretaker government earned him the tag of one of the reformists, who are widely believed to have supported then the rulers' idea of getting riding of Hasina and Khaleda from politics.

Senior journalist ABM Musa and Prothom Alo's Associate Editor Mizanur Rahman Khan also spoke at the programme.

Maksud backed the statements of the two senior political figures and commented that "they should be assisted" in their new effort.

Musa was optimistic that the leaders will "fulfil expectations of the people".

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.

A leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday expressed his conviction that relations between CPC and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) would be further strengthened in the future.

Vice-Minister of CPC's International Department Chen Fengxiang expressed the firm belief at a formal meeting between the visiting BNP delegation, led by its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, at CPC International Department in Beijing.

Fengxiang agreed to Khaleda's suggestion that there should be more exchanges of visits and engagements between the representatives of the two parties at different levels.

Khaleda said Bangladeshis always considered China as a special friend. She recalled with gratitude the contributions China made to the economic and infrastructural development of Bangladesh and expressed confidence that it would be furthered.

The former Prime Minister reiterated that BNP believed in 'One-China' policy.

Vice-Minister Chen mentioned the contributions of Khaleda to consolidation of the bilateral relations, which were started by BNP founder late President Ziaur Rahman.

During the talks, Khaleda was accompanied, among others, by BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Mahbubur Rahman, party Vice-Chairpersons Selima Rahman and Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Khaleda's Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan.

The meeting was followed by an official lunch in honour of the visiting BNP delegation.

The Inspector General of Police on Wednesday told the High Court the police had immediately ordered reinforcements on being informed about last month's hate attacks on Buddhist settlements in Ramu.

Hassan Mahmood Khandaker came up with the claim in the report after the higher court wanted to know what the police had done when one of the worst communal riots in decades had broken out.

The report, however, did not mention exactly when the police first received the news, amid allegations that they were too late to react to the violence.

Deputy Attorney General Al Amin submitted the report, prepared by Senior Assistance Superintendent of Police (Law) Md Mizanur Rahman on behalf of IGP, to the bench of Justices Mirza Hossain Haider and Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo.

On Oct 3, the court asked the police and the Ministry of Home Affairs to report in 15 days detailing what they had done to protect the lives and property of the minority Buddhists.

The riot that began on Sep 29 night lasted for two days, leaving houses, shops and temples of Buddhists and Hindus looted, ravaged and burnt.

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, a resident of Ramu, moved the court. The Home Secretary was also asked to respond but he failed to turn in his version and prayed for more time.

According to the report, immediately after receiving the news of riot from the Cox's Bazaar district's Superintendent of Police, the IGP had made arrangements for additional police deployment at Ramu, and contacted other stakeholders of the government for ensuring security of the minority community.

"He along with the Home Minister visited the area the day after the incident. At that time he ordered Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the area to take immediate action against those involved in the incidents at Ramu and other places," said the report.

"The DIG himself monitored the overall situation and performances of RAB, police, Armed Police Battalion and BGB deployed in the affected areas.

"A three-member team led by the DIG of the Chittagong range has been formed to investigate the Sep 29 incident at Ramu, alongside the probe initiated by the government," the report continued.

"As many as 16 cases were filed with four police stations in Cox's Bazaar following the incidents at Ramu and its adjoining areas and 211 suspects have been arrested."

The report continued, the police had also been directed to secure the lives and property of all minority communities, their places of worship including pagoda, temple, and church in line with the High Court order.

It further said precautionary measures were taken to prevent a repeat.

"The Inspector General of Police is also holding meetings with local leaders of all religious communities, politicians, and members of the civil society in the affected areas. The Inspector General of Police visited Cox's Bazaar district on Oct 15 for evaluating the latest situation there," it clarified.

The riot broke out over the allegation of denigrating Islam by a Buddhist youth. At least seven Buddhist temples, 30 houses and a number of shops were set afire during the riot.

The hate attacks spread to Cox's Bazaar's Ukhia and Teknaf and Chittagong's Patia the next day.

Ramu Police Station's Officer in-Charge Nozibul Islam was removed after the incident amid allegations that the riot would have been avoided had police gone into action immediately.

Train services on the Dhaka-Chittagong route resumed after a nine-hour halt due to derailment of the engine and two vans of a container train in Kasba of Brahmanbaria on Thursday.

Rail operations resumed only minutes before the noon, Assistant Station Master of Brahmanbaria Shoyeb Ahmed told bdnews24.com.

The Kasba derailment took place in less than 24 hours of restoration of rail link with Chittagong after a derailment in Feni, snapping the link again.

Earlier, another Assistant Station Master at Brahmanbaria, Moinul Islam, told bdnews24.com, "The Dhaka-bound train from Chittagong derailed around 3am when it neared Kasba station, snapping rail link of Chittagong with Dhaka and Sylhet."

He added that a rescue train from Akhaura was at work to remove the derailed engine and the vans.

Dhaka-bound Turna Nishita and Dhaka Mail were stuck midway as the lines were closed since dawn.

Rail link of Chittagong and the rest of the country was snapped on Wednesday dawn also after a similar accident near Feni. A container train had derailed and blocked the lines hampering train operations.

Speaker Abdul Hamid on Tuesday cast doubt of the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) survey that said at least 97 percent Members of Parliament are involved in 'negative activities'.

He also questioned the identities of the 600 participants based on whose opinion the TIB made the claim.

Speaking with the journalists, Hamid said the TIB report meant only to dishonour Parliament and its members.

"Seeing this kind of report, even I have been offended as a Member of Parliament."

After conducting a 'survey' on 149 MPs, the Berlin-based anti-corruption organisation's Bangladesh chapter on Sunday published the report. It said 97 percent of these MPs were directly involved in 'negative activities', seven of whom are reserved seat women MPs and five are MPs from the opposition.

The Speaker said, "This cannot be called a survey in any way."

"There are 160 millions of people in 64 districts in the country. TIB conducted the survey by taking opinions from only 600 people at 42 districts. Based on their words, they concluded that 97 percent MPs are bad. Is it right?"

About the participants of the survey, he said, "My question is – who are these 600 people whose opinion TIB has taken? Do they work for TIB? If this is the case, then the survey was not conducted scientifically."

"Ninety-seven percent bad MPs means only nine are good among a total of 300 MPs. Doesn't it mean that 291 MPs have established a reign of anarchy across the country?"

"The people would have protested if that had happened. Because people of this country are conscious enough. But nothing like that has been seen or has happened anywhere," he added.

The Awami League on Monday brushed aside the TIB findings saying the report was prepared to make way for unelected people to assume power.

Main opposition BNP, on the other hand, said the survey was applicable only in case of the ruling party MPs.

Speaker Hamid on Tuesday was speaking with the journalists after inaugurating a tree plantation programme at Parliament building premises.

He also blamed the 'culture of being late' for the quorum crisis in Parliament, which the TIB report mentioned.

"Bangladesh's culture is like this—the programme scheduled to start at 9 will begin at 9:30. But Parliament session never begins half an hour behind schedule, maybe it starts five or 10 minutes late. It happens all around the world. But I don't get it in what way this raises the cost to run Parliament?"

Acting Secretary to Parliament Mahfuzur Rahman and the Speaker's Personal Secretary Zainal Abedin were also present during the tree plantation programme.

The FBI on Wednesday arrested a Bangladeshi man in a sting operation on charges he attempted to blow up the New York Federal Reserve Bank with what he believed was a 1,000-pound (450-kg) bomb, federal authorities said.

Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, 21, faces charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda, the US Department of Justice said in a statement. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

The FBI said the public was not in danger because the explosives provided to Nafis were never in working condition and the suspect was closely monitored by the undercover agent - highlighting a script law enforcement has employed several times this year in similar cases, including one in Washington and another in Ohio.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama had been briefed about the arrest.

"Attempting to destroy a landmark building and kill or maim untold numbers of innocent bystanders is about as serious as the imagination can conjure," said Mary Galligan, FBI acting assistant director-in-charge. "The defendant faces appropriately severe consequences."

In an initial appearance in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Nafis wore a plain brown crew-neck T-shirt, dark-colored jeans and sneakers. He barely spoke during the brief hearing, mumbling answers of "yes" to questions from US Magistrate Judge Roanne Mann.

According to the criminal complaint, Nafis traveled to the United States in January 2012. Once in New York, he claimed to be in contact with al Qaeda members overseas, although federal agents found no evidence that he was working for al Qaeda or that he was directed by the organisation, according to a US official who declined to be named.

Nafis considered several targets for his attack, including the New York Stock Exchange and a high-ranking government official, whom the US official identified as Obama.

In the end, the criminal complaint said, Nafis decided to focus on the Federal Reserve Bank in lower Manhattan, which stands like a limestone and sandstone fortress atop what is believed to be one of the world's largest stockpiles of gold.

RECRUITS

To create a cell to help him carry out the bombing, Nafis began to seek out recruits, eventually bringing on board an undercover agent working for the FBI.

The two met on Wednesday morning and traveled by van to a New York warehouse, where Nafis assembled what he thought was a 1,000 pound bomb, before driving to the Federal Reserve Bank, among the most secure and guarded buildings in Manhattan.

After parking near the bank, Nafis walked to a nearby hotel and recorded a video statement in which he said, "We will not stop until we attain victory or martyrdom," according to the FBI.

Nafis was arrested in the hotel as he repeatedly attempted to detonate the inert bomb, the FBI said.

New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, whose department was part of the operation, objected to suggestions that Nafis' plans were crude and bumbling.

"I don't see how you characterise (him as) unsophisticated, I mean he was arrested, but he clearly had the intent to create mayhem here," Kelly told reporters.

Other FBI sting operations this year have netted at least one foreign suspect, as well as some from the United States.

In February, a 29-year-old Moroccan man was arrested near the US Capitol wearing a vest he believed was full of al Qaeda-supplied explosives, and charged in an attempted suicide bombing of Congress.

Five self-described anarchists in the Cleveland area were arrested in May and accused of plotting to blow up a four-lane highway bridge. An undercover FBI agent had sold the men inoperable detonators and plastic explosives.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index opened Tuesday's trade with a surge as it gained 39.11 points bagging a Tk 774.08-million turnover within half an hour.

The DSE General Index reached 4506.89 points gaining 0.87 percent at 11am on the week's third business day.

Of the traded issues so far, prices of 163 advanced, 18 declined and 11 remained at their opening prices.

Bangladesh's premiere bourse had opened the week lower shedding 30 points in its key index.

Over the previous week, the DGEN shed 164 points or 3.53 percent. The average daily turnover was Tk 8.51 billion. In the week before, the key index fell by 36 points.

The central bank is buying US dollars from the market to keep the expatriates interested in remitting money back home.

Bangladesh Bank on Monday bought $50 million.

"We are buying dollars from the market to prevent fall in its price against taka," General Manager of the bank's Foreign Exchange Reserve and Treasury Management Department Kazi Saidur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

The inter-bank exchange rate for the greenback was Tk 81.25 on Monday which was Tk 81.80 a fortnight ago.

The foreign exchange reserves with the central bank on Monday reached a new record of $11.65 billion.

The expatriates remitted $593 million in the first 12 days of October, setting another record. They are remitting more money to foot the Eid-ul-Azha bill, Saidur Rahman said.

According to him, the forex reserve was $11.53 billion on Thursday. Bangladesh received $203 million in the first five days of October and $390 million in the next seven days (Sep 6 to 12), he said.

Rahman hoped the remittance in October would be the highest for a month.

In the first week of September, just before paying import bills of Asian Clearing Union (ACU), the reserves stood at $11.46 billion.

A top official of the central bank, requesting anonymity, told bdnews24.com that the reserves would go further up once the International Monetary Fund clears $150 million in the second tranche of the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) next month.

According to Bangladesh Bank, the first three months (July-September) of the current fiscal year saw expatriates remit $3.5517 billion, nearly 20 percent higher than $2.9687 billion they had in the same period last fiscal year.

Last year, Bangladesh had received $1.0115 billion in July, $1.1018 billion in August and $850.5 million in September.

In January this year, it received $1.2214 billion remittance, which was also a record for a single month.

The World Bank's external panel on Monday asked the Anti-Corruption Commission for some documents.

Commissioner M Shahabuddin told reporters the touring delegates of the global lending agency requisitioned for the papers in the second meeting with them.

"They have some requirements and we will supply them with the papers," M Shahabuddin said after a meeting with the panel at the ACC headquarters.

The three-strong panel led by former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno Ocampo arrived in Dhaka early Sunday.

The two other panel members are Timothy Tong, former Commissioner of the Independent Commission against Corruption in Hong Kong, and the former director of the UK Serious Fraud Office, Richard Alderman.

The Commission will again meet with the panel in December or January, Shahabuddin said. The commissioner added the panel did not say when they would submit their report, nor did they hand any list to the ACC

"They also have some suggestions and we also have some. We will assist each other by exchanging those," he added.

ACC lawyer Anisul Haq said the panel was reviewing the information already given by the commission. "They inquired about anticorruption laws and which activities are considered as corruption," he added.

The lawyer categorically said the panel was yet to hand over any documents to the commission.

In the meeting, ACC chairman Ghulam Rahman and WB Country Director for Bangladesh Ellen Goldstein were present.

Earlier on Sunday after the first meeting, Chairman Rahman said the World Bank had agreed that Bangladesh's laws and rules will be followed in investigating alleged corruption in the Padma bridge project and handing down punishment to the guilty.

The fate of the $2.9 billion project now depends on the panel's findings, as the report will decide whether the largest financier in the project will return with its $1.2 billion promised fund.

The World Bank on June 29 had cancelled its pledged fund, claiming to have found 'credible evidence' of high-level corruption by government officials, SNC-Lavalin executives and private individuals for the project. But the government refuted the allegations.

Amid the government's persuasion, the Bank announced revival of the agreement on Sep 20 but said the final decision would be taken based on its enquiry supervision panel's report.

The Bank's graft probe panel is assigned to supervise the anti-graft watchdog's current investigation into the corruption allegations from outside as per the condition set by the bank.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim on Saturday expressed his hopes that the lender's review panel will ensure transparent investigation into the alleged corruption in the project.

Bangladesh had signed a loan agreement with Washington-based lender, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency last year to construct the six-kilometre long bridge, biggest ever infrastructure project in Bangladesh.

After the World Bank decided to cancel funding for the project, former Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossain resigned and the Bridges Division Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan was sent on leave, as part of an understanding with the global lending agency.

Besides these moves, the government also agreed to allow the ACC to supervise the investigation into the alleged corruption later.

শারদীয় দুর্গোৎসব, বিশ্বকর্মা পূজা, ঈদ-উল-আযহা ও সাপ্তাহিক ছুটির কারণে টানা ১১ দিন বাংলাদেশের সবচেয়ে বড় স্থলবন্দর বেনাপোল দিয়ে আমদানি-রপ্তানি বন্ধ থাকছে।

এতে সীমান্তের দুই পাশের ট্রাকজট আরও বাড়বে বলে মনে করছেন বন্দর সংশ্লিষ্টরা।

ভারতের পেট্রাপোল বন্দর সিঅ্যান্ডএফ স্ট্যাফ ওয়েলফেয়ার অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের সেক্রেটারি কার্ত্তিক চক্রবর্তী বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর ডটকমকে জানান, শারদীয় দুর্গোৎসব, বিশ্বকর্মা পূজা ও ঈদ-উল-আযহা উপলক্ষে পশ্চিম বাংলায় ২০ অক্টোবর থেকে ২৯ অক্টোবর পর্যন্ত ছুটি ঘোষণা করেছে রাজ্য সরকার। ছুটির কারণে এ সময় পেট্রাপোল বন্দরের সব কাজকর্ম বন্ধ থাকবে।

তবে বন্দর, কাস্টমস ও দুই দেশের সিঅ্যান্ডএফ এজেন্টরা জানান, ১৮ অক্টোবর বিকেলের পর পেট্রাপোল ও বেনাপোল কাস্টমস ও বন্দর কার্যালয় বন্ধ হয়ে যাচ্ছে।

৩০ অক্টোবর মঙ্গলবার সকাল থেকে আবার আমদানি-রপ্তানি কার্যক্রম চলবে বলে জানান বেনাপোল কাষ্টমস ক্লিয়ারিং অ্যান্ড ফরোয়ার্ডিং এজেন্টস অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের সহ-সভাপতি সিরাজুল ইসলাম সিরাজ।

এদিকে সীমান্তের দুই পাশের ট্রাকজট টানা ছুটির কারণে আরও বাড়বে বলে আশঙ্কা করছেন সংশ্লিষ্টরা।

সিরাজুল ইসলাম জানান, প্রায় এক মাস ধরে নোম্যান্সল্যান্ড থেকে আমড়াখালী পর্যন্ত পাঁচ কিলোমিটার ট্রাকজট রয়েছে। বন্দর চালুর পর থেকে কখনও এত দীর্ঘ ট্রাক জট হয়নি।

“রপ্তানি পণ্য নিয়ে যে সংখ্যক ট্রাক প্রতিদিন পেট্রাপোল বন্দরে যাচ্ছে তার চেয়ে অনেক বেশি ট্রাক দেশের বিভিন্ন স্থান থেকে বেনাপোল বন্দরে আসছে। আর এ কারণে ট্রাকের জট কমছে না। দীর্ঘ ছুটির কারণে বেনাপোল থেকে পেট্রাপোল বন্দরে রপ্তানি বন্ধ হয়ে গেলে এ জট আরো বাড়বে।”

বেনাপোলের মতোই পেট্রাপোলেও ট্রাক জট রয়েছে বলে জানান পেট্রাপোলের কার্ত্তিক চক্রবর্তী।

তিনি বলেন, বন্দরে স্থান সংকুলান না হওয়ায় বন্দরের ট্রাক টার্মিনাল, পেট্রাপোল পার্কিং ও বনগাঁও টার্মিনালে কয়েকশ’ পণ্যবোঝাই ট্রাক অপেক্ষা করছে।

“দীর্ঘ ছুটির কারণে এসব পণ্য পেট্রাপোল থেকে বেনাপোল বন্দরে ঢুকবে ছুটি শেষে। এতে পেট্রাপোল বন্দর এলাকায় তীব্র যানজটের সৃষ্টি হবে।”

বেনাপোল আন্তর্জাতিক চেকপোস্ট ইমিগ্রেশন পুলিশের পরিদর্শক কামরুজ্জামান জানান, ছুটিতে বেনাপোল আন্তর্জাতিক স্থলবন্দর দিয়ে আমদানি-রপ্তানি বন্ধ থাকলেও পাসপোর্টধারী যাত্রীদের যাতায়াত স্বাভাবিক থাকবে।

পাওনা টাকার খোঁজ করতে গিয়ে রাজধানীর বাড্ডায় দুর্বৃত্তদের গুলিতে আহত হয়েছেন এক প্রবাসী বাংলাদেশি ও তার স্ত্রী।

রোববার রাত সাড়ে ১১টার দিকে মধ্য বাড্ডার আদর্শনগর বড়টেক এলাকায় এ ঘটনা ঘটে।

আহত নিজামুল হক (৩০) ও তার স্ত্রী নাজমা বেগমকে (২৪) ঢাকা মেডিকেল কলেজ হাসপাতালে ভর্তি করা হয়েছে।

নিজামুল হাসপাতালে সাংবাদিকদের বলেন, তিনি যুক্তরাষ্ট্রে থাকেন। সেখানে পলিক নামে আরেক বাংলাদেশিকে তিনি কিছুদিন আগে কয়েক লাখ টাকা ধার দেন।

গত সেপ্টেম্বরে দেশে আসার পর টাকার প্রয়োজন হলে পলিকের সঙ্গে যোগাযোগ করেন নিজামুল। আলোচনার পর পলিক মধ্য বাড্ডার আদর্শনগর এলাকায় আজাদ নামে তার এক বন্ধুর কাছ থেকে টাকা নিতে বলেন।

সে অনুযায়ী আজাদের সঙ্গে যোগাযোগ করে রোববার রাতে আদর্শনগরে যান নিজামুল ও নাজমা। আজাদের দেয়া ঠিকানা অনুযায়ী একটি দোকনে যাওয়ার পর দুই যুবক তাদের ‘কিছু টাকা’ দেন বলেও নিজামুল জানান।

এরপর ওই দোকান থেকে বের হতেই কয়েকজন যুবক তাদের লক্ষ্য করে গুলি ছুড়ে পালিয়ে যায় বলে জানান নিজামুল।

ঢাকা মেডিকেল পুলিশ ফাঁড়ির উপপরিদর্শক মোজাম্মেল হক বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর ডটকমকে বলেন, “নিজামুলের শরীরে তিনটি এবং নাজমার শরীরে দুটি গুলি লেগেছে।”

আহত নিজামুল পুলিশকে বলেছেন, তিনি পলিককে ৭ লাখ টাকা দিয়েছিলেন। তবে রোববার রাতের ঘটনার পর নিজামুলের কাছে ৫৩ হাজার টাকা পাওয়া গেছে বলে এসআই মোজাম্মেল জানান।

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Monday detained a doctor for allegedly threatening Meher Afroz Shaon, wife of late celebrated writer Humayun Ahmed, on Facebook on her birthday.

RAB Legal and Media Wing chief M Sohail told bdnews24.com Ehsanuzzaman was caught from Dhaka's New Eskaton area.

"Ehsanuzzaman and his associates created a Facebook group of 12 people and threatened Shaon in the social networking site. They ran negative propaganda against her," he said.

He (the doctor) was detained based on Shaon's complaint, Sohail added.

The RAB officer said they will hold a press conference on the issue later.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Monday seized around 67,000 yaba pills from Cox's Bazar district's Teknaf upazila.

BGB personnel seized the banned but popular club drug at around 12:30am from Sabrang area near the Myanmar border from the banks of the Naf River, BGB's 42nd Battalion's Commanding Officer Lt Col Zahid Hasan told.

No one was detained during the seizure, he said.

The pills, which were smuggled from Myanmar, have an approximate value of around Tk 20.14 million, he added.

The newly appointed four judges of the High Court Division took oath on Monday.

Chief Justice Mohammad Muzammel Hossain administered the oath while Supreme Court Registrar A K M Shamsul Islam moderated the programme. Justices from both the divisions of the Supreme Court were present at the programme.

The four judges are – Justice Mohammad Ruhul Quddus, Justice Mohammad Khasruzzaman, Justice Farid Ahmed and Justice Mohammad Nazrul Islam Talukder.

They were appointed as additional judges of the High Court on Nov 4, 2010. There services have been regularised on Sunday in line with Article 95 (1) of the Constitution.

With the new appointments, there are 98 judges in the High Court now bringing down the number of additional judges to 20. The Appellate Division has seven judges.

Ferry service through Mawa in Padma river came to almost standstill as the only terminal in operation there were under threat due to river-erosion and strong current.

According to BIWTA Mawa terminal officials, the number 1 ferry terminal suddenly perished in the Padma River around 7pm on Sunday. Fifteen shops that were there on the river-bank also lost in the river. Several people standing on the pontoon and the river-bank also fell in the river. Five of them were missing till Monday morning, they said.

Under the circumstances, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority on Sunday night requested all vehicles to use Paturia to cross the river.

Meanwhile, cracks were seen on the new number 4 terminal, which was ready to put in operation. Terminal officials said land from under the terminal 3, which is in operation, has started eroding.

"On Oct 9 the number 2 terminal were closed down due to erosion. Just after five days number 1 terminal faced the similar fate. Work to prepare the number 4 terminal as alternative was underway, but cracks were seen on it at night," Assistant General Manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Ashikuzzaman said.

"Tension is running high in Mawa," he added.

He said the fire service divers could not conduct rescue operations at night due to strong current. "They will resume rescue operation in the morning to look for the missing shopkeepers," the BIWTC officer said.

Officer-in-charge of Mawa Police station Khandaker Khalid said four of the five missing have been identified as Byron Mia, 45, Abul Kashem, 60, Janu Mia, 50 and Abul Kalam, 55. All of them are shopkeepers at Mawa and hail from Kandipara village under Medini Mandal union.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Azizul Alam said the BIWTA Chairman has been informed of the overall situation and added that efforts were underway to maintain ferry services.

Munshiganj-2 ruling party MP Sagufta Yasmin, also Parliament Whip, has asked authorities to take immediate steps to look for the missing persons. She also urged the Water Development Board officials to take steps to stop erosion.

bdnews24.com Munshiganj correspondent said that vehicles only in case of emergency were using the number 3 terminal to cross the river. Fewer vehicles were seen at the terminal in the morning.