BANGLADESH

Home minister Shahara Khatun has contradicted a statement of the Saudi government that a team from the middle-eastern country has come to Bangladesh to investigate the killing of its embassy official.

"The delegation has come to know the progress of investigation into the murder of Khalaf Al-Ali," she said on Wednesday after a meeting with the Saudi team.

Riyadh sent the eight-member team, comprising officials from Saudi home and foreign ministries, as Bangladeshi law enforcers are yet to arrest or identify anyone in the murder case though one month has passed since the incident.

An Arab News report said Bangladeshi police have failed so far to track the killers.

Saudi deputy foreign minister for protocol affairs Alauddin Alaskari told Arab News on Tuesday that the team's main objective is to identify the culprits and bring them to book.

Home secretary C Q K Mustaq Ahmed and inspector general of police Hassan Mahmood Khandker, who were present at the meeting with the Saudi team, also said it has come to know the progress of the investigation.

Quoting members of the visiting team as telling the meeting, Shahara said they have been informed about the investigation from the beginning, and expressed their satisfaction over the probe.

They are likely to meet prime minister Sheikh Hasina also, she added.

According to the schedule, the delegation will have a meeting with the investigators on Thursday.

Asked about progress in the police investigation, the minister said it is advancing 'satisfactorily'. "The investigators are working sincerely."

Unknown gunmen had shot Al-Ali, 45, an official with the consular section of the Saudi embassy in Dhaka, near his Gulshan house in the wee hours of Mar 6.

Later he died at Dhaka's United Hospital, where he had been admitted with severe bullet injuries.

Some 200 Dhaka University students blocked traffic for an hour in the city's Shahbagh area in a rare midnight protest on Wednesday to demand justice for the alleged attacks on Hindus in Satkhira two days ago.

The protesters who live at Jagannath Hall also announced that they would form a human chain in front of the prime minister's office at 10am on Thursday and wear black badges in protest against the attack.

They gathered in the dormitory around 10pm on Wednesday and later took out a procession. They took position at Shahbagh at midnight.

They were seen torching papers and tyres on the street that was not that busy after Wednesday midnight.

Ramna zone police assistant commissioner S M Shibli Noman told around 1am on Thursday that the students were demonstrating peacefully and police had been there to stop them if they turn violent.

The protesters said students of Fatehpur High School at Dakkhin Sripur of Satkhira's Kaliganj upazila on Mar 26 staged a drama Hujur Kebla, written by Abul Mansur Ahmed, to mark the Independence Day.

A local newspaper reported that Prophet Mohammad was disgraced in the drama, they said. The report made local Muslims angry at the school's assistant head teacher Mita Rani and other Hindus in the area, the protesters said.

They reportedly looted around eight homes of Hindus, including that of Mita, in the area and set fire to those houses on Monday alleging that Rani allowed the students to stage the drama to disgrace the prophet with an intention.

Manik Rakkhit, a Jagannath Hall student, demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers.

His fellow Prodip Chowdhury said National Human Rights Commission chairman Mizanur Rahman talks about many other issues but he is silent about torture on Hindus.

He said Monday's attack was similar to that of Chittagong's Hathazari on Feb 10.

The demonstrators urged prime minister Sheikh Hasina to take steps to stop such tortures and punish the attackers.

Rapid Action Battalion now says it cannot trace the businessman whose complaint sent the paramilitary force chasing and killing six 'muggers' in a 'gunfight' in Narsinghdi on Monday.

According to RAB, they had conducted the drive against the 'muggers' following a phone call from a businessman Maruf Hossain.

Though RAB termed the six deceased as 'renowned robbers', found that only two of them had any case against them - one for attempt to robbery and the other one over land dispute.

The rest - four of the deceased and four arrested from the spot – have no cases lodged against them.

Family members of the six suspected muggers have alleged that their killing was pre-planned.

National Human Rights Commission chairman Mizanur Rahman Khan on Wednesday hinted at an investigation into the latest 'gunfight' of RAB, which has been accused of thousands of extra-judicial killings all across the country.

The gunfight reportedly took place around 2:30pm in an area adjacent to bridge number 5 on Narsinghdi-Madanganj road in Narsinghdi Sadar upazila.

RAB on Monday said Maruf informed them that muggers had snatched Tk 40,000 from him and were fleeing in a microbus.

The paramilitary force launched a drive led by RAB-11 commanding officer Lt Col Abu Hena Mostofa. The battalion is headquartered at Adamji in Narayanganj.

RAB was reluctant to disclose the name of the complainant for 'safety reasons' but later gave it out under pressure from the relatives of the deceased.

Police said businessman Maruf Hossain lives in Dhaka's Rayerbazar area.

Asked where he is now, RAB-11 deputy director Maj Khandker Gholam Sarwar told on Wednesday that they are in dark about his whereabouts since the incident.

Narsinghdi Sadar Police Station officer in-charge Asaduzzaman said Maruf had called him, too, through mobile phone.

"I had asked him to file a general diary or case. But he didn't turn up," Asad said.

"He cannot even be traced after the incident," he added.

ONLY 2 OF 10 HAD CASES

The six deceased identified as – Nahid Molla, 18, 'Arif', 18, Masum Afrad, 30, 'Mosharraf', 35, Mobarak Hossain, 30, and 'Jamal', 35.

Investigations by suggest that only two of them had cases against them, though they were described as 'renowned robbers' and 'cause of people's annoyance' by the elite force.

Jamal, son of Akkas Ali from Noakanda village of Polash upazila, had an arrest warrant against him over an allegation that he was found preparing for robbery, Polash Police Station officer in-charge Atikur Rahman Khan said.

Jamal lived in Bhulta of Narayanganj's Rupganj upazila.

Another deceased, Arif, son of Bholanagar area's Abul Hashim Mia, had a case over land dispute, according to the Sadar police chief.

Arif sat for SSC examinations this year from Kararchar Moulvi Tofazzal Hossain High School.

One more deceased, Nahid Molla, son of Hossain Molla of Bilasdi area, was a SSC candidate and had no case against him, OC Asaduzzaman said.

Nahid appeared at the SSC examination from Mir Emdad High School.

His elder brother Lokman Molla, an employee of Narsinghdi municipality, told : "My brother was linked to the incident as part of a conspiracy after being murdered."

Police also said truck driver Masum Afrad, son of Gias Uddin Afrad from Bandardia village of Shibpur upazila's Masimpur union, Mosharraf, son of freedom fighter Abdul Awal from Kurerpar village of Sadar upazila's Meherpara union, and signboard maker Mobarak, son of Kashem Ali from Meratala village of Roypura upazila's Mirzapur union had no cases against them.

Afrad's elder sister Jharna Begum said, "RAB shot dead my brother when he was taking the truck loaded with soil from the spot to Itakhola."

Three people were injured and arrested by RAB from the spot. They are Amar Biswas, 38, of Roypura upazila, 'Masum', 28 and 'Shawon', 25, of Shibpur upazila.

Of them, Amar, son of Sureshchandra Biswas from Pirijkandi village of Roypura upazila, Masum, son of Amin Uddin from Omarkandi village of Shibpur upazila, and Shawon, son of Amin Uddin from the same upazila's Kumardi village, also do not have any cases against them.

Another arrestee, Monir Hossain, 30, son of Suruj Mia from Patharpara village of Sadar upazila, also had no cases.

Monir was sent to jail through court as he has no case against him, RAB-11 deputy director Sarwar said.

Although he claimed that arrestee Masum has a case filed with Shibpur Police Station, officer in-charge there Belayet Hossain said there is no case against him at his police station.

RAB-11 deputy assistant director Jamal Uddin on Tuesday filed three cases against the six deceased and four arrestees over allegations of preparing for robbery, hindering government job and carrying arms illegally.

The first war crimes tribunal on Wednesday indicted the BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on 23 counts of genocide and other crimes against humanity including murder, rape, arson, abduction, confinement and complicity.

The three-judge International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT), headed by Justice M Nizamul Huq and set up on Mar 25, 2010 to deal with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, directed the prosecution to begin opening arguments followed by witness examination on Apr 29.

The BNP policymaker's defence was also directed to submit their witness list along with other documents by that date.

The BNP MP from Chittagong is the second person to be indicted for crimes against humanity. Apart from him, witness deposition is going on against the Jamaat-e-Islami executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee for war crimes as well.

Justice Nizamul Huq said in his order that the court was of the view that there was "sufficient grounds to presume that [SQ Chowdhury] had committed offences under section 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2 [of the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act of 1973]."

Justice Huq then proceeded to read out 23 charges against the BNP policymaker in a crowded courtroom with a diminished seating capacity as some of the benches have been shifted to the second tribunal housed in the Old High Court Building that once served as the chambers of the chief justice.

The indictment order began with a brief historical context from 1947 leading up to the Liberation War of 1971 when the accused BNP leader had allegedly carried out crimes against humanity in his native Chittagong.

What charges?

Upon reading out the charges, the tribunal chief asked Salauddin Quader whether he had heard and understood the charges.

Salauddin Quader replied that he neither heard them nor did he understand them.

Justice Huq said that since the charges were read out in his presence, it would be presumed that he had heard them.

The judge then asked the BNP leader, "Are you guilty or not guilty?"

Salauddin Quader: Of what?

Justice Huq: The charges

Salauddin Quader: What charges?

Justice Huq: It is presumed that he pleads 'not guilty'.

Salauddin Quader: I can reply once I have the charges in writing and have seen them. I have not seen them, so I cannot say.

Justice Huq: You have been elected an MP five-six times. It is like saying that you would require someone's statement in writing before you are ready to reply.

The tribunal chairman then continued with his order ignoring the six-time MP's interjections and fixed the next date of trial and mentioned in the order that it would continue on every working day unless otherwise mentioned.

Scene 1

Typical to the days when the mercurial BNP politician's hearings are scheduled, Wednesday did not fail to entertain the audience at the tribunal with theatrics from both the MP and his counsel who at one point declined to obey the court's order.

The chief prosecutor, however, was up first to point to a number of newspaper reports that quoted another BNP leader M K Anwar, a former agriculture minister, saying that the court had reverted to a jungle law by accepting the statements of 15 witnesses without the scope of cross-examination.

After a few minutes of deliberation, Justice Huq said he would deal with the matter at 2pm, when the court returned from its lunch recess.

Justice Huq then called Munshi Ahsan Kabir, a defence counsel for Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed and said that although he wanted less of it, the political lectures were increasing.

He was referring to statements of Salauddin Quader's wife. One SMS message Farhat Quader Chowdhury had sent out says that the decision regarding 15 witnesses had turned the trial into a farce and she asks what the point of such a farce was after all. "Why not hang them in Paltan Maidan directly?"

The BNP leader then said that he be allowed to speak since the judge had made some comments about his wife. The tribunal did not respond.

This was followed by Salauddin Quader's defence counsel Fakhrul Islam taking the podium with eight petitions. He insisted that the petitions be heard before the tribunal passed its order.

Justice Huq did not agree with the submission and asked the counsel to take his seat.

When Fakhrul Islam kept on with his insistence, the tribunal chairman raised his index finger pointing at the counsel and said in an uncharacteristically loud voice, "Stop! And take your seat!"

The counsel said, "I most respectfully decline to abide by the order. And you must hear me."

He then continued to submit that the petitions needed to be heard. The tribunal replied that they would be heard after the order had been passed. Justice Huq then proceeded to pass the indictment order.

SQ Chowdhury in ICT

The prosecution submitted formal charges against Salauddin Quader on Nov 14, 2011 and the tribunal took them into cognisance three days later.

The Chittagong MP was shown arrested for war crimes charges on Dec 20, 2010, five days after his arrest.

The investigating agency submitted a 119-page report with around 8,000-page data to the chief prosecutor on Oct 3 in a bid to prove allegations of war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War.

Besides Sayedee whose case is the most advanced and Salauddin Quader, Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed and assistant secretaries general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla, and have been detained on war crimes charges.

The tribunal also sent Jamaat-e-Islami's former chief Ghulam Azam to jail on Jan 11 and will issue his indictment order on Apr 17.

The tribunal last week extended bail of former BNP MP Abdul Alim and member of Ziaur Rahman's cabinet, ordering the prosecution to place the formal charges on Apr 24.

Bangladesh has extended the water transit protocol with India for a year and now considering a long-term deal on the issue, said shipping secretary Abdul Mannan Hawlader on Monday.

"The trade treaty with India has been extended for three years on Mar 29. Under this the water transit protocol has been renewed for a year," the shipping secretary told reporters at the shipping ministry on Monday.

He said the renewal was made effective from Apr 1.

The trade treaty signed in 1972 with provision for renewal after three years was expired on Mar 31.

The water transit protocol was first signed in 1980 under a bilateral trade agreement which facilitated 'mutually beneficial arrangements' for the use of the waterways for commerce.

Shipping secretary said India wanted to renew the water transit protocol for three years in line with the bilateral trade treaty.

"The two countries will hold a meeting on the issue soon. If the outcome is positive there is a possibility of a long-term protocol renewal," he added.

Under the protocol, India uses Bangladesh's internal river routes for transporting goods from western part to its eastern states.

At present, Bangladesh receives Tk 55 million a year in fees from India under the protocol. "There is a possibility the fee will increase in future," shipping secretary said.

Mentioning that Bangladesh's cement industry would have faced problems if the protocol was not renewed, Hawlader said, "Local cement factories import almost 80 percent of its raw material from India through river routes."

Earlier in the day, Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran paid a courtesy call on shipping minister Shajahan Khan at his office.

Asked about the meeting, Hawlader said they discussed bilateral issues.

Inmates of a Dhaka University dormitory set on fire two buses and vandalised another three on Monday night following an altercation with a bus driver in city's Azimpur area.

The inmates of S M Hall indulged in violence in front of Azimpur Maternity Hospital around 10.30pm.

They brought one of the buses to the university campus before damaging it completely.

Fire service man Farid Uddin told they tamed the blaze around 11pm.

"The incident took place after five students of S M Hall, who got into the bus near the city's Science Lab area, were forced to get down in front of Home Economics College," university proctor Amjad Ali told .

"Those students wanted to travel up to Azimpur," he said and added action will be taken against those found guilty after investigation into the incident.

However, the inmates of the hall alleged that they indulged in violence as they heard that one of the university students had been abducted by the transport owners.

At least six suspected muggers were killed and two others injured in a 'gunfight' with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Narsinghdi Sadar Upazila on Monday, an official of the elite force said.

"The gunfight took place around 2:30 in the afternoon in an area adjacent to bridge number 5 in Narsinghdi," RAB-11 Narsinghdi commanding officer (CO) lieutenant colonel Abu Hena Mostofa told .

He said a businessman had informed them that a group of muggers, riding a microbus, robbed him of Tk 40,000. "We immediately threw up a barricade on the road near bridge number 5," he said.

"When the muggers with the microbus came close to the Bridge area, they opened fire. RAB members also fired back," the officer claimed.

According to him, the firefight lasted for around half an hour.

Six of the muggers died on the spot and two others were injured, Lt Col Mostofa said but he could not immediately confirm their identity.

Two RAB members were also injured in the 'gunfight', he added.

A Saudi government team is coming to Dhaka on Tuesday to investigate murder of its Dhaka embassy staff, a foreign ministry official said.

"The Saudi Arabian investigation team is coming tomorrow (Tuesday)," the foreign ministry's director general Mohammad Nazrul Islam told bdnews24.com on Monday.

Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem Al-Ali, 45, an official with the consular section of the embassy, was shot by unknown gunmen near his Gulshan house in the wee hours of Mar 6. He died around 5am at the city's United Hospital.

Police are yet to make any arrests or name suspects.

Limon Hossain, who lost one of his legs in a RAB shooting immediately before taking the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination last year, has finally been able to sit for the first year test this year.

"My examination was supposed to end this year. But I could not take part in the first year final examination as I lost my leg last year. Therefore, I'm sitting for the test now," Limon told after reaching Government Boys School centre at Pirojpur's Kaukhali.

He came to the centre by a rickshaw wearing his artificial leg on Sunday.

"Though I lost my leg, I had to rush to the court for cases," a frustrated Limon said. "If Allah wishes, one day I will definitely stand on my one leg by becoming a true human being."

He urged everyone to pray for him before entering the centre.

Limon was a first year HSC examinee from the upazila's Kathalia PGS Multi-purpose Technical School and College under Business Management section.

The paramilitary force reportedly shot Limon after taking him to a place adjacent to his house at Jamaddarhat in Rajapur upazila of Jhalakati on Mar 23, 2011.

Limon's left leg had to be cut off. He claimed that RAB shot him without even alerting him when he went to get his cows from the field.

The elite force the same day filed two cases against the teenager under the arms act and another for obstructing government duty and attempting to injure and kill RAB personnel.

Limon's mother, Henuara Begum, also filed an attempt-to-murder case against six RAB-8 men and six unidentified people.

"Limon's HSC examinations were supposed to end this year. But RAB's cruelty has taken away one year from his life," she told last year.

"Moreover, he had to lose one of his legs forever," she had said.

Hawa Akter Jui could be spotted easily in the midst of those taking Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination at Narsighdi Government Women's College on Sunday.

For, she was dictating answers to her cousin Sania Akter.

After the first day's test of Bengali First Paper, she told reporters: "I could not study well for a long time due to illness. Even so, I have sat the examination with help of the local authorities and my teachers."

"Today's test went well. I expect to get an A plus," she added.

Jui's husband Rafikul Islam had allegedly cut fingers off her right hand on Dec 4 last year for refusing to give up on her studies. He has been detained in Dhaka Central Jail since.

Jui, however, has not lost her courage, her friends said.

Mother Parveen Akter said, "My daughter is continuing with the studies through her struggles." She urged everyone to pray for Jui.

Her father Yunus Mia said, "It would have felt better if Jui could write herself."

Narsinghdi Government Women's College principal A H M Abual Islam told reporters the authorities will continue to help Jui all the way.

"It is very unfortunate that she has to sit the test this way. I hope she will prove herself achieving a good result."

Narsinghdi Government College teacher Abu Bakr Siddiqui said Jui has already showed a 'lot of courage'.

After rising last week, the benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) rose on the first trading day of the week to cross the mark of 5000 points.

Gaining 48 points in first five minutes of the Sunday's trading and falling afterwards, the index closed to 5102 points with a gain of 132 points or 2.64 percent.

Of the traded shares and mutual funds, prices of 233 advanced, 30 declined and four remained unchanged. The turnover was Tk 8,130 million.

On Thursday, the DSE general index fell to 4990, plummeting 48 points. Of the traded issues, 107 gained 150 lost and eight remained unchanged. The turnover was Tk 9,340 million, which was the highest in four months. The last highest turnover was Tk 10,510 million on Nov 23 last year.

The DGEN rose 231 points or 4.87 percent last week with an average daily turnover of Tk 7,990 million. Last week's average daily turnover was 67.74 percent higher than that of the previous week.

The index increased 215 points or 4.75 percent in the previous week and 198 points or 4.57 percent in the week before.

Within hours of a parliamentary standing committee proposing formulation of a law to regulate multilevel marketing (MLM) business, the central bank on Sunday warned people against investing in unapproved banking institutions.

In a media statement signed by managing director AFM Asaduzzaman, the Bangladesh Bank cautioned investors not to be swayed by abnormally higher rates of interest offered by 'some institutions'.

"It is to notify all that some institutions under different names are operating like banks in various districts across the country. They are collecting money from people by promising an abnormally higher rate of interest and profit," read the statement.

"As making investments in those institutions not approved by appropriate authorities increases the possibility of being deceived, people are being requested to abstain from going for any financial transaction with those institutions," the statement added.

The central bank notice came amid reports of illegal banking by Destiny 2000 Ltd published in various newspapers over the last few days.

Earlier in the day, the parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry decided to request the finance minister and the central bank governor for action against Destiny-2000 Ltd-like MLM companies.

"Such companies are swindling people out of millions of taka. We will write to the finance minister and Bangladesh Bank for stopping illegal banking and businesses. We will request for immediate action," said ABM Abul Kashem, chairman of the standing committee.

On Mar 6 last year, then commerce minister Muhammad Faruk Khan had said a law was underway to bring the MLM companies within the legal framework.

There are 62 registered MLM companies operating Bangladesh, Faruk Khan had said.

He had told journalists that only Destiny has 4.5 million clients. Another prominent MLM company is Unipay-2 U.

With regard to rising controversy against Destiny 2000, finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Sunday said that action would be taken against the company if the ministry of commerce and Bangladesh Bank make such a recommendation.

GMG Airlines, the largest private airline of the country, has announced suspension of its flight operations from Mar 30 for what it called 'strategic restructuring against rising fuel price and competitive global market'.

A media statement from the company said on Wednesday that the airlines will go off air starting Friday.

"As we transit to the new strategy, our operations will be temporarily suspended with effect from Mar 30, as we await the delivery of new-generation aircraft, clear legacy issues, execute the rightsizing and organise ourselves better to take up the future challenges," chief executive Sanjiv Kapoor said in the statement.

GMG Airlines is planning to adopt a new business strategy in the light of rising fuel prices and changing international competitive environment through a 360 degree restructuring of its strategy, organisation, fleet and business model, he elaborated.

"It (airline) will redesign its route network to focus on higher yield, higher growth domestic and regional routes using new-generation narrow body aircraft," Kapoor added.

GMG Airlines started operations on local routes in 1998 and introduced international flights in 2004. BEXIMCO bought a large number of company's shares in 2009.

Flight operations have been suspended on six international routes since January. The company, the first private airlines in the country, used Boeing-767 and MD-80 airplanes for its international flights.

Only three local flights have been in operation on three local routes using two Dash-8 aircraft.

"One of the hired Boeing-767 airplanes was returned and the other two are set to be returned to the manufacturers. Instead, the company will bring two narrow-body aircraft," GMG director (Marketing and Customer Experience) Asif Ahmed told .

"Besides, a decision has been taken to exclude three MD-80 aircraft from the GMG fleet. Of the three, one is owned by the company while the other two were hired. Besides, a Dash-8 model aircraft will be sent for maintenance," said Asif.

"Flight operations will resume after getting the narrow-body aircraft," he added.

The press release said during the period of suspension, all ticketed passengers will be given a full refund through the airlines' sales offices and employees will be paid compensation benefits in accordance with the labour law.

Students of Titumir College on Wednesday blocked the street from Mohakhali to Gulshan-1 in protest against Tuesday night's detention of their fellow students over vandalism in a bar run by Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.

The demonstrating students vandalised several vehicles on the street blocking traffic in the area around 12pm on Wednesday.

Police held at least 26 students of the college from Ruchita Bar in Mohakhali area after they allegedly rampaged it around 10:45pm on Tuesday.

A handful of their fellows gathered in front of the college on Wednesday noon demanding their release. At one stage, they burned papers on the street.

They also hurled brickbats on the nearby buildings, breaking window glasses.

Gulshan zone's deputy commissioner of police Lutful Kabir told that they discussed the issue with the teachers of the college.

He said the situation would calm down after the detainees would be freed on bail bond.

Traffic on the street came to halt for over an hour also during Tuesday's vandalism in the bar.

Gulshan Police Station officer-in-charge Rafikul Islam said, "The incident originated from a personal-level conflict over payment. Others might join afterwards."

He, however, said police will check who were responsible.

"Legal steps will be taken against those responsible for the incident," he added.

Now a days many old parents are shock his/her children.The High Court has asked the government to explain within three weeks why it should not be directed to enact a law making it mandatory for the children to bear the maintenance cost of their parents in old age.

The vacation bench of justices Mohammad Anwarul Haque and Mohammad Khasruzzaman passed the order on Wednesday after primary hearing on a writ petition.

The law secretary and the social welfare secretary have been made respondents to the rule.

Abdul Jahid Mukul, founding president of Gazipur Adult Rehabilitation Centre, filed the writ petition seeking the High Court directive to the government to enact a law so that old parents can claim their maintenance costs from their children.

Advocate Fariduzzaman Farhad stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Rajik Al Jalil represented the state.

Leading mobile operator Grameenphone has signed an agreement with Kaspersky Lab's local representative Officextracts to ensure enterprise security solutions for its users.

A Grameenphone media statement on Wednesday read, "Officextracts, a local software distribution company, will distribute security products of the Kaspersky Lab and will also ensure service and assistance to the mobile operator's commercial clients."

Grameenphone has started Kaspersky Lab and Internet Security (anti-virus) software to guard against various viruses, spyware, crimeware, hacking, phishing and spamming while using internet, the statement added.

Now bangladesh start their 3g licence work in step 3.when 3g comes bangladesh fully then we are get good tecnology and our communication will be fast.The telecom regulator has proposed to award licences for 3G mobile service in the country on Sep 3.

In its draft guideline for issuing licence, the regulator – Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) – has also clarified that in all, five mobile phone operators would be awarded 3G licence and not four, as decided previously.

BTRC chairman Maj Gen (retd) Zia Ahmed confirmed that the draft titled "Cellular Mobile Phone Service (3G/4G/LTE) Regulatory Licence Guideline 2012" was forwarded to the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications on Wednesday afternoon.

He said the process of distributing the licence would begin once the ministry finalises the draft.

Earlier, BTRC finalised the draft guidelines providing scope for awarding 3G mobile service licence with options to upgrade to 4G and long-term evolution (LTE) without any extra fees.

3G LICENCE AWARDEES

Teletalk will get the licence as the state-owned firm while three others would be selected from the existing five private mobile operating companies. The fifth one to get the licence will be a new operator, said Zia.

The licence would be valid for a period of 15 years.

AUCTION TECHNICALITIES

According to the draft guideline, the licences will be auctioned again if at least two operators do not take licences.

Zia Ahmed, however, expressed hope that more than five operators would be eager to buy licences.

AUCTION PROCESS BEGINS MAY 7

The draft states that advertisement for the auction would be published on May 7.

The operators will have to apply to take part in the auction on July 12 and the name of the operators eligible to take part in the auction would be made public on July 19.

BTRC chairman said the draft proposes $30 million as bid money for every megahertz of spectrum.

If the draft gets final nod, the operators will have to pay Tk 500,000 to apply for the auction and Tk 100 million as the licence fee. The licence holders will have to pay 5.5 percent revenue sharing and one percent social obligation fees every year.

LICENCE HANDOVER WITHIN NOVEMBER

The draft says that every operator willing to take the licences will have to pay the same amount as called by the highest bidder.

"The operators will receive the licences within 60 working days from the day bidding is held", Zia Ahmed said referring to the guideline.

3G ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN 3 YRS

The draft guideline proposes to take 3G services to other parts of the country within three years. "The operators will have to extend network in three phases."

It also talks of Tk 1.5-billion bank guarantee for a 3G licence, out of which BTRC would take away Tk 500 million if the operators fail to meet any phase of the targeted network. In case of their success in one phase, Tk 500 million would be refunded.

Old operators, who already have 2G services, would have to finish the first phase of network expansion in six divisions within six months and the new ones within a year.

Old operators will be given 18 months for the second phase of network expansion in 30 percent districts and new ones will get two years.

The last phase will have to be finished within three years of licence issuance.

Claiming that Jamaat-e-Islami is uniting inside and outside the country under various names, Awami League general secretary on Tuesday advocated ban on the 'anti-liberation' party.

"We need to grow beyond the notion that photograph of Ghulam Azam and Jamaat have to be around for democracy [in the country]," he told a discussion in the capital.

Referring to the ban on Nazi forces in Germany and the political party of Benito Mussolini in Italy, he said: "Should we say there is no democracy in those countries?"

Ashraf, also the local government and rural development minister, said: "Jamaat, Muslim League and PDP were banned [after the independence]. But after Bangabandhu was assassinated, these anti-liberation parties were allowed back in politics by Gen Ziaur Rahman."

He urged everyone to stay alert against Jamaat's activities inside and outside the country.

Ghulam Azam, the Jamaat-e-Islami chief during the Liberation war, is currently facing war crimes charges.

He stayed in London for seven years after 1971 and returned to Bangladesh in 1978 during Gen Zia's rule.

On the issue of war crimes trial, Ashraf, said: "The trial began under hostile conditions as it started 40 years after the crimes were committed, and most of the witnesses are either missing or dead."

Azam had allegedly led the infamous, 'Peace Committee', Rajakar, Al-Badr and collaborated with the Pakistan Army, which executed massacre and torture in Bangladesh during the Liberation War.

He also allegedly advocated the cause of Pakistan in the middle-eastern countries during the war.

Police have detained 26 students of Titumir College for vandalising a bar of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation in the capital's Mohakhali area.

Confirming the action, Gulshan police station officer in-charge Rafiqul Islam said they are looking into the matter to find the reason behind the incident.

Traffic on the road to Gulshan-1 from Mohakhali's Amtoli intersection was halted for at least one hour during the incident that took place at the bar 'Ruchita' around 10:45pm on Tuesday.

Normal traffic movement on the road could resume only around 12:30am.

"The incident occurred following a dispute at the bar. The students might have joined later," OC Rafiqul said.

Action will be taken against those found guilty for the vandalism at the bar of the state-owned BPC, he said.

"We reached the spot soon after the brawl begun, but we could not do much as the number of police personnel was not enough," Rafiqul added.

Although a hostel of the college is located close to the bar, the college's Marketing Department teacher Halim told , "Those who vandalised the bar did not come to the hostel ... those staying here are examinees."

About detention of the students, he said, "Police arrested them just to maintain law and order. But the way they were beaten up is not right."

The Department of Environment (DoE) has ordered closure of three paper mills and fined them Tk 1.45 million for polluting the Karnaphuli river.

The action was taken during a special drive of a team led by Zafar Alam, director of Chittagong division DoE, at the mills, located near the river in the Halisahar Kha Chaar area in Patiya.

"Haqqani Pulp and Paper Mill, Ambia Pulp and Paper Mill and Anwara Pulp and Paper Mill have been fined Tk 1.45 million as they did not take any step [to stop pollution of the river] despite being warned in the past," assistant director of Chittagong division DoE Mohaammad Mainuddin told .

"The mills have been polluting the Karnaphuli river and the environment, as they did not set up effluent treatment plants (ETP)," he added.

He said the department also fined a brickfield, Kerani Haat Bricks, at Satkania upazila Tk 75,000.

President Mohammad Zillur Rahman and prime minister Sheikh Haisna on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the foreigners who had supported the causes for the birth of Bangladesh in 1971.

"I am offering my gratitude to all those, who offered us humanitarian and moral aids during our fight for freedom," president Mohammad Zillur Rahman told a function organised to honour the foreign friends at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

"You stood by us from across the globe and encouraged us," he said.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina said, "It is a singular honour for me to be in your midst at this solemn ceremony of awarding Bangladesh Liberation War Honour and Friends of Liberation War Honour to those who we owe a debt of gratitude for our hard-earned freedom." Hasina told the honouring function.

"In our pride, the foreign contributors to our liberation war in 1971 have been equal partners," she added.

The president and the prime minister gave the awards to 83 of the foreigners who stood for Bangladesh in the fight against Pakistani forces in 1971. Many had raised their voices against repression, genocide and put pressure on then the West Pakistan.

While India took bold steps in support of Bangladesh's struggle, many foreign politicians, diplomats, artistes, authors, journalists and students from across the world had come forward to back Bangladesh's causes for freedom in the face of widespread violation of human rights and war rules.

"It is matter of pride for us that many of our foreign friends sympathised with us, many took part in the 1971 liberation war," the prime minister said.

Representatives of heads of state or government of eight countries received the Liberation War Honour from the president.

Bangladesh, then the eastern wing of Pakistan, gained independence through a nine-month bloody war that ended with the surrender of thousands of Pakistani soldiers on Dec 16, 1971. The war cost the lives of about 3 million people while about 200,000 women were raped and nearly 10 million people took shelter in refugee camps in India.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni helped the president and the prime minister give the awards on Tuesday.

The chief justice, ministers, advisors to the prime minister, MPs, chiefs of the three forces and top government officials attended the programme.

A fire at Nimtoli in the old part of the city on Monday gutted a polythene factory and damaged property and valuables worth about Tk 40 lakh.

Resulting from an electric short-circuit, the fire raged through the factory for an hour from 3:00pm until fire fighters brought it under control.

"The fire originated from power fluctuations at a polythene factory called SM Telecom," said fire service deputy director Mizanur Rahman.

The place where the fire broke out is the ground floor of a residential five-storied building, and no casualty has been reported, he added.

The fire brings back the horror the country experienced back in June, 2010 when more than 110 people were charred in a fire that engulfed several houses and shops in the same locality.

"I fear Nimtoli tragedy may revisit if reasons causing this type of fire is not attended properly," said Babul Hossain, a second-floor resident of the building.

The war crimes tribunal will hear the prosecution on Mar 29 countering Jamaat-e-Islami guru Ghulam Azam's petition for discharge.

The International Crimes Tribunal, set up to deal with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, deferred indictment order of BNP MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to Apr 4 and extended the bail of another BNP man Abdul Alim.

The three-judge tribunal, headed by Justice M Nizamul Huq, ordered the prosecution to begin placing formal charges against Alim on Apr 24. The court ordered the prosecution to submit the formal charge, witness testimonies and other documents to the registrar's office by Apr 1 for the defence to collect them by Apr 2.

Justice Huq told Salauddin Quader's defence counsel Fakhrul Islam the newly appointed member of the tribunal, Justice Mohammad Anwarul Haque, would also have to agree with the indictment order.

"So he needs to become familiar with the proceedings of the case. Once he has perused them and familiarised himself with the case, we shall pass the order."

The tribunal chairman, thus, deferred the order scheduled business for Tuesday by a week.

As regards Jamaat's former chief Ghulam Azam's case, his senior counsel Abdur Razzaq has concluded countering the prosecution's arguments in support of the formal charges against the 89-year old retired politician by way of moving a discharge petition.

Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum prayed his arguments be heard on Mar 29 since the prosecution needed to have extensive work done on the petition. The court granted his prayer just before breaking for lunch.

Razzaq has been arguing that certain charges against Ghulam Azam do not have the necessary details as prescribed by the tribunal's own rules and pleaded that those charges be dropped.

The main contention of the defence arguments was that, contrary to the prosecution's claims, Razakar, Al Badr, Al Shams and such fronts mobilised by Jamaat and its student wing, the Islami Chhatra Sangha during the Liberation War, do not constitute auxiliary force as defined by the tribunal's laws.

He said that these fronts had to be under the direct control of the Pakistan military for them to be regarded as auxiliary force. Razzaq has also argued that charges against Ghulam Azam were vague and did not show any direct link between atrocities and his lectures.

Razzaq has also held that the inordinate delay of 40 years between the alleged time of commission of the crimes and bringing forward the case against Azam pointed to malafide intentions.

He had said it was only because the Jamaat has become a formidable political force that these war crimes charges were being levelled against its leadership. Razzaq represents the entire Jamaat leadership at the war crimes tribunal.

JAMAAT GURU IN ICT

On Dec 12, the prosecution brought a 52-point charter of charges against Azam and appealed for his arrest. Later, following the orders, charges were re-arranged and presented to the tribunal on Jan 5.

He was produced before the tribunal by its order on Jan 11 and sent to jail on the same day. Since that evening Ghulam Azam has been shifted to the prison cell of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for better treatment considering his delicate health.

Azam had allegedly led the infamous 'Peace Committees' and collaborated with the Pakistan Army during the Liberation War. He also spoke in favour of Pakistan to the Middle Eastern countries during the war, according to the prosecution.

He stayed in London for seven years after 1971 and returned to Bangladesh in 1978 during Gen Ziaur Rahman's rule. Having led Jamaat for long, Azam retired from active politics in 1999.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina said on Tuesday she was grateful to foreigners who had supported the causes for the birth of Bangladesh in 1971.

"It is a singular honour for me to be in your midst at this solemn ceremony of awarding Bangladesh Liberation War Honour and Friends of Liberation War Honour to those who we owe a debt of gratitude for our hard-earned freedom," she told a function organised to honour the foreign friends at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

"We owe you our sincerest gratitude, and profound respect," she said.

"In our pride, the foreign contributors to our liberation war in 1971 have been equal partners," she added.

President Mohammad Zillur Rahman and the prime minister gave the awards to 76 of the foreigners who stood for Bangladesh in the fight against Pakistani forces in 1971. Many had raised their voices against repression, genocide and put pressure on then the West Pakistan.

While India took bold steps in support of Bangladesh's struggle, many foreign politicians, diplomats, artistes, authors, journalists and students from across the world had come forward to back Bangladesh's causes for freedom in the face of widespread violation of human rights and war rules.

Representatives of heads of state or government of eight countries received the Liberation War Honour from the president.

Bangladesh, then the eastern wing of Pakistan, gained independence through a nine-month bloody war that ended with the surrender of thousands of Pakistani soldiers on Dec 16, 1971. The war cost the lives of about 3 million people while about 200,000 women were raped and nearly 10 million people took shelter in refugee camps in India.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni helped the president and the prime minister give the awards on Tuesday.

The chief justice, ministers, advisors to the prime minister, MPs, chiefs of the three forces and top government officials attended the programme.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia have sent greetings to Bangladesh's cricket star Shakib Al Hasan on his 26th birthday.

"The prime minister wished Shakib a glorious future and hoped that he would lead Bangladesh's cricket to new heights," Hasina's special assistant (media) Mahbubul Haque Shakil told bdnews24.com on Saturday.

Khaleda's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan also told bdnews24.com that Khaleda sent a cake and flowers with a greetings card to Shakib.

Party's sports affairs secretary Raihan Amin Talukder took the presents to Shakib's Mirpur residence, he said.

Shakib was born on Mar 24, 1987 in Magura. His debut test match was against India in 2007 while his ODI debut was against Zimbabwe the previous year.

He won the title of 'Man of the Tournament' in the just-concluded Asia Cup by scoring 237 individual runs and claiming six wickets during the tournament.

After 40 years of Liberation War, Bangladesh is set to honour its foreign friends on Mar 27 for their contribution to the freedom struggle in 1971.

The cabinet has approved a list of 132 but the government finally invited 110 friends, out of which 75 have consented to either come themselves or send their representatives to receive the honour.

This was disclosed by foreign minister Dipu Moni and state minister for liberation war affairs M Tajul Islam at a press briefing at the foreign ministry on Saturday.

The invitees will receive gold-plated silver metallic plaques bearing replica of the national mausoleum and a citation on silk cloth.

"We had formed a national committee to identify the foreign personalities contributing to our Liberation War," Dipu Moni said.

"We had prepared a list of 560 people, and finally we short-listed 132 names," she said.

In the first phase, daughter-in-law of former Indian prime minister Sonia Gandhi received the Bangladesh Freedom Honour awarded to Indira Gandhi in July last year.

President Zillur Rahman and prime minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over the award to the recipients at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

"The committee has worked for the last two years and it is an ongoing process."

TRIPURA CHIEF MINISTER

When asked why Tripura chief minister is being honoured, the foreign minister said Manik Sarkar was a youth leader in 1971 and he contributed to the Liberation War.

Tajul Islam, also a freedom fighter, said he is the witness of the Manik's contribution to the Liberation War.

"He was junior to me by two to five years but when I went to Tripura, I saw him personally going door-to-door to seek help for freedom fighters," he said.

"Besides, it is we to decide whom we will give honour not the people of other country," he said referring to the ongoing agitation in Tripura as to why Manik Sarkar is being awarded in Bangladesh.

INVITEES

The foreign minister explained that out of the 132 in the list, they could manage to invite only 110 of them.

"Forty years have passed and many of them have changed their addresses and we found it difficult to locate them," she said.

PAKISTANIS IN THE LIST

When asked why there is no Pakistani in the list, the foreign minister said it is an 'ongoing process'.

"We acknowledge that there is a small group of Pakistanis which did raise voice for Bangladesh, and I am sure that after scrutiny they will be honoured," she said.

The liberation war affairs minister said the government has taken necessary steps to provide security to the invitees.

The telecom regulator has finalised the draft of the guidelines for awarding 3G mobile service licence with options to upgrade to 4G and long-term evolution (LTE) without any extra fees.

In the draft, the regulator -- Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) -- has proposed to give four companies the licences including two from existing five private mobile operators and a new one.

Teletalk will get the licence as state-owned firm.

"The draft will be sent to the telecommunications ministry next week," BTRC chairman Zia Ahmed told bdnews24.com in an interview on Thursday.

The work to award the licences would be complete by June or July after the ministry nods the guidelines, he added.

On Aug 9, a high-profile meeting of senior ministers and advisors chaired by the prime minister Sheikh Hasina took the decision to auction the wireless telecom spectrum to facilitate nationwide spread of 3G technology and wireless broadband services.

Ahmed had earlier said both local and foreign firms would be able to bid for the spectrum.

A top BTRC official has said 3G licence holders will be able to upgrade licences to 4G or LTE without any fee once the Cellular Mobile Phone Service (3G/4G/LTE) Regulatory Licence Guideline 2012 is cleared.

In the draft guidelines, the fee for every megahertz has been proposed at Tk 1.5 billion.

The floor price of 3G licence auction has been set Tk 15 billion.

The BTRC chairman said the estimated revenue from 3G licence is Tk 80 billion.

State-owned Teletalk, along with private operators Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi, Airtel and Citycell, is offering 2G services now.

The 3G technology will make mobile telephony much more efficient, with high-speed data transfer facilitating users to watch mobile TV, make video calls, using navigation equipment and access many other services.

LTE's data transfer speed is 80 percent higher than 3G.

Experts say 4G and LTE are same. Its download speed is 100 megabyte per second and upload speed is 50 Mb/S.

LTE's data pipe is built in such a way that users are able to do work of desktop computers with their mobile phones.

Bangladesh have demanded deduction of five runs from Pakistan's total score of Thursday's Asia Cup final for 'deliberate' obstruction by a Pakistani bowler to Mahmudullah in the last over of the match.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) operations committee chairman Enayet Hossain Siraj on Saturday told bdnews24.com that they have appealed to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the International Cricket Council for review of the act of Pakistani bowler Aizaz Cheema.

"The appeal was made at a meeting with ACC," he said.

Current BCB chief A H M Mustafa Kamal is also ACC head, while former Bangladesh cricket player Syed Ashraful Haque is the organisation's chief executive.

The ACC has taken the plea into cognisance.

In case Pakistan get the five-run penalty or Bangladesh get five runs added to their score, Tigers could be the new Asia Cup champions.

Pakistan won by two runs after Bangladesh could score only six runs from the final over bowled by Aizaz Cheema.

BCB made the appeal to the top Asian cricket body alleging Cheema had deliberately blocked batsman Mahmudullah in the final over which they believe cost them the game.

He said, "Though the umpire had warned Cheema during the game, Bangladesh is not satisfied."

"We have seen video footage of the incident several times. It is clear that Cheema blocked Mahmudullah deliberately," Siraj added.

A never-say-die Bangladesh had lost agonisingly by two runs in a nail-biting thriller to hand Pakistan their second Asia Cup on Thursday.

Pakistan had batted first and scored 236 losing 10 wickets in the final match while chasing 237 to win, Bangladesh scored 234 for the loss of eight wickets in 50 overs.

The BCB appeal is in line with Section-42 (5) of the ICC's playing conditions.

Governments should offer farmers 'suitable' alternatives to growing tobacco as the 'detrimental' costs of planting tobacco far outweigh their economic benefits.

"Tobacco growing carries health, environment and socio-economical risks. Evidences show more and more farmers want to quit planting it. But you have to give them alternatives," Anne-Marie Perucic, health economist of World Health Organisation's Tobacco free Initiative, said on Thursday.

"The alternatives will vary by country," she told bdnews24.com on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore.

She said incidents of diseases related to the farmers' exposure to tobacco like green tobacco sicknesses are steadily increasing across the globe.

"It (tobacco cultivation) causes deforestation and contaminates water supply because of pesticides. Soil degrades because of intensive use of fertilisers for tobacco growing."

In addition, she said, cigarette butts littered anywhere are also toxic and detrimental to environment.

"You will also see unfair contractual arrangements between farmers and tobacco industries. They are trapped in vicious circle of debt and unable to get a fair price for their product.

"It also promotes child labour because tobacco growing is labour-intensive, particularly in harvesting season and most farms in developing countries are of small acreage and family-owned," she said.

In Bangladesh it is alleged that loans disbursed by tobacco companies is making more and more farmers turn to this sector.

They ignore health hazards of working in fields where these plants are cultivated.

"Even though I am suffering from various physical disorders including chest pain and breathing problems, I have to go to the tobacco field to work," Mariam Begum, a 32-year-old farmer in the northern Nilphamari district, told bdnews24.com earlier.

Visiting a tobacco factory in northern Haragach village it was found that primary school goers were making bidis (local cheaper cigarettes) amid tobacco dust.

"You cannot force upon farmers to reduce supply," the WHO economist said and that alternatives should be explored and programmes should be developed to cut demand and to support farmers wishing to switch.

She said the 2005 WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that Bangladesh ratified tells governments to keep provision of support for economically viable alternative activities.

"It also tells for protection of the environment and the health of persons."

But, Perucic said research is needed to find out alternatives, which will be different from one country to another.

She said the Ministry of Agriculture in Brazil provides technical support to rural farmers.

They provide credit with lower interest rates to agricultural families engaging in tobacco who wish to invest in other activities.

Alternative activities are very diverse there ranging from fruits, vegetables, aquaculture to animal husbandry, she said.

Kenya is promoting plantation of bamboo among small tobacco farmers. They are getting immense benefits both economically and environmentally, as it requires little investment to grow bamboo, but benefits are higher.

Tobacco growing subsidies were phased out by 2010 from European countries. Amounts moved to a tobacco fund to promote knowledge on effect of tobacco but also research on alternatives to tobacco growing.

According to latest edition of The Tobacco Atlas, countries do not profit economically from tobacco production and consumption -- in fact, they suffer great financial harm.

The health damage from a single pack of cigarettes costs US$35 to an American smoker, it said.

Bangladesh have won the toss and will field first against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Mirpur on Thursday.

An unchanged Bangladesh come into their biggest tournament finalwith back-to-back wins against Asian giants India and Sri Lanka and will be gunning for the head of the other one, Pakistan, to clinch their first major title.

Pakistan have replaced bowler Wahab Riaz with wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

In nine previous battles against Pakistan in the tournament, Bangladesh failed to see any success.

The Tigers may find some inspiration from the match against Pakistan in 1999 World Cup, the only of the 30 matches they won against the South Asian giants.

Bangladesh won the ICC Trophy in 1997 and then made it to the final of a home tri-series against Sri Lanka in 2009. But, if they win this one, it will be arguably their biggest win in ODIs.