BANGLADESH

The immediate past acting managing director of the Grameen Bank yesterday refuted the claims that the microcredit lender has never paid dividends to its shareholders.
Dividends were paid to all the shareholders, said Nurjahan Begum who had taken over the charge of acting managing director of the Grameen Bank after Dr Muhammad Yunus stepped down from the bank in May last year.
The bank gave 100 percent dividend in 2006 and 20 percent in 2007 and 30 percent in 2008, 2009 and 2010, she said in a statement.
Nurjahan, who also retired last year, had been with the bank for 35 years since its inception.
Her comments came a day after Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said Grameen Bank founder and Nobel laureate Prof Yunus did not pay dividends to its shareholders.Of the 84 lakh borrowers of the bank, 55 lakh borrowers have so far bought shares of the bank, Nurjahan said.
The borrowers bought shares of Tk 55 crore to become owners of 97 percent shares of the Grameen Bank, whereas the government owns the rest 3 percent as it bought shares worth Tk 1.80 crore.
The Grameen Bank has so far paid Tk 2.52 crore to the government as dividends and Tk 63 lakh each to Sonali Bank and Bangladesh Krishi Bank.
Nurjahan said the Grameen Bank could not pay dividend until 1996 as it did not earn enough profit to do so.
She said dividend could not be given between 1997 and 2005 to meet the government’s conditions.
To obtain income tax waiver, all profits were deposited in the rehabilitation fund as per government condition. As a result, the board did not give any dividend.

Consumers are likely to see a further increase in both bulk and retail power prices as the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) is all set to announce the new tariff within a week.

BERC Member Selim Mahmud told bdnews24.com on Saturday evening that the new power prices were likely to come into effect from Saturday (Sep 1). "The official announcement may come on Sep 7 or 8."

The regulator called a press conference for July 26 on announcing new power tariff, but later postponed without showing any formal reason.

The government raised power tariff several occasions after it assumed the office in January 2009.

In June, the Power Development Board (PDB) sent a proposal to BERC, asking the energy watchdog to increase retail power prices by an average of 56 percent and bulk power prices by 50 percent per unit (each kilowatt hour).

BERC held a public hearing on the proposal on July 16.

Finance Minister A M A Muhith has already hinted at increasing power tariff to cut subsidies in the power and energy sectors.

Bulk and retail power prices were hiked for the last time by Tk 0.28 and 0.30 per unit respectively with effective from Mar 1.

Households now pay Tk 3.05 for per kilowatt of power consumption if their total monthly usage is below 100 units.

However, they have to pay Tk 4.29 per unit for electricity usage above 100 units and below 400 units a month. Households consuming more than 400 units have to pay a hefty Tk 7.89 per unit.

BERC official Mahmud also said that a decision was taken to put in place seven slabs for electric billing for household consumers. He said that the new structure of household electric billing would be more rational for consumers and avoid consumers being charged higher even in the case of exceeding the slabs by a small margin.

The provision will be effective with the billing for September, he said.

The new slabs are 0–75KW-hour (unit), 76–200 units, 201–300 units, 301–400 units, 401–500 units, 501–600 units and 701 units and above.

Palli Bidyut Samiti's household consumption are now divided into four slabs: 0–100 units, 101–300 units, 301–500 units and 501 units and above.

Household consumers under the Dhaka Power Distribution Company, the Dhaka Electric Supply Company, the Power Distribution Board and the West Zone Power Distribution Company now pay bills in the three-slab system : 0–100 units, 101–400 units and 401 units and above.

PDB purchases power from rental and IPP power plants, Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB) Ltd and Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd (APSCL).

It sells the electricity to its bulk consumers – Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO), Rural Electrification Board (REB) and to its retail consumers – in its own distribution regions at the price fixed by the BERC.

As many as 39 people were sued on Saturday in a case filed in connection with the murder of Shariatpur district unit Awami League leader Abdul Mannan Sarder.

Police have so far arrested four for their alleged involvement in the killing.

Mannan, Organising Secretary of Shariatpur municipal unit of the AL, was killed in an attack by assailants at his residence in the district town on Thursday night. The attack also left at least 15 others including his wife Farida Begum and son injured as they tried to resist the assault.

Begum lodged the murder case with the Palong Police Station accusing 39 people including Shariatpur Bus Workers Union President Faruk Chawkider and General Secretary Elim Pahar.

Officer-in-Charge of the police station Rabiul Alam told reporters that they arrested four accused for their alleged involvement in the murder.

They are Dulal Pahar, Noor Mohammad Pahar, Noor Islam Pahar and Sujon Pahar.

The slain leader's wife told reporters that some local extortionists might have commited the murder since they had been demanding money from her husband but he had refused to pay.

Tension was running high in the area on Saturday, a day after the killing. Additional policemen have been deployed in the area to prevent any unpleasant incident.

The body of a Bangladeshi man, who was killed by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along the border in the district, was handed over to the local battalion of the Border Guard Bangladesh on Saturday evening.

The killing took place early Saturday at Nagorvita border adjoining Baliadangi upazila in Thakurgaon district. The man has been identified as Mohammad Ajirul, son of Potla Mohammad of Dakkhin Doari village in the upazila.

Officer-in-Charge of the Baliadanga Police Station Shahabuddin told bdnews24.com that BSF handed over the body to BGB at 6pm after a flag meeting between Thakurgaon BGB-30 and BSF-14 battalions held at Nagorvita border.

Later the BGB handed over the body to the police.

BGB-30 (Thakurgaon) battalion Operational Commander Lt Col Towhidul Islam told bdnews24.com that a patrol of BSF-14 battalion opened fire when Ajirul allegedly tried to make his way across the border near pillar 376/4 of the border around 3:30am.
He was hit in the head and died on the spot, he said.

Railway Minister Obaidul Quader slapped a Mahananda Express staffer on Saturday when a passenger complained that he demanded extra money from him at Ishwardi Railway Junction.

The minister was visiting the junction around 10:30am when he heard the complaint about the staffer, Balram Das, in presence of a gathering.

Earlier in the day, he visited the railways' divisional office at Pakshi in Pabna and Chaatmohar Railway Station.

He ordered to transfer and issue show-cause notices to Pakshi Rail Land (Estate) office's Kanungo Amirul Islam and Chaatmohar Station Master Gazi Golam Ferdous for alleged corruption and irregularities.

Later, he told a short press briefing at Ishwardi Junction: "The rail sector has been filled with corruption. A quarter of corrupt officials are suffocating the railways."

"They are looting money by stealing tickets and sleepers, and selling them in black market," he observed.

The Anti-Corruption Commission would be used to stop corruption in the railways, Quader said.

According to him, only 113 of 1,850 acres of Pakshi Railway was being controlled by the authorities. "The grabbed lands will be recovered within a month."

Quader also ordered an investigation into alleged irregularity in the Lalon Shah Bridge toll plaza while going to Pabna.

Having already become a 'talk of the town' for his productions like Khoj-The Search and Most Welcome, actor M A Jalil Ananta has now become the 'voice' of student movement.

Demonstrating BUET students seeking ouster of their vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor, laid siege to the VC residence with their placards with Jalil's taunting words.

The businessman turned actor, whose movies have become an unequivocal source of entertainment for cinemagoers, himself became a source of bemused discussion.

Reopening after a 44-day closure, the stalemate at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology persisted as teachers and students resumed their protests from Saturday refraining from classes.

Jalil Ananta had appeared on a talk show of Somoy Television where he recounted an anecdote with much gusto about how he had strived to dispel the common misconception about Bengali movie stars.

Conspicuous with his face-painted sideburns, Ananta said on the show – broadcast over the long Eid vacation – that he had been to a restaurant where a bunch of 'unsavoury' youths called out to their fellows that there was a Bengali movie star in the restaurant.

Jalil had taken serious exception and recounted how he had put them in their place.

The Dhallywood action movie star told the audience that he had instead, asked them, "(Are) you pom (from) Gana (Ghana)?", "You think Bangla chhobi (films) hero means they are uneducated?". He continued, "You are living in Bangladesh, ok, man, you have to respecting Bangladesh because you are eating food from Bangladesh."

On Saturday, the BUET students taunted their VC and Pro VC with the same questions. They laid the siege around 1pm and left the place two hours later with more demonstrations in the offing.

The video of that programme with Ananta's questions became an instant hit when it found its way to Youtube and Facebook.

Health Minister A F M Ruhal Haque will sit with aspiring medical students on Sunday 9:30am at his office to discuss the medical admission test issue.

Responding to a demand of the agitating students, the minister told bdnews24.com that he would discuss the matter with students at his office in the Secretariat.

Aspiring medical students began protesting the government decision to scrap medical and dental school admission test.

They have been demanding that the minister agree to sit with them and discuss the matter while the minister has been blaming the examinees' movement on coaching centres that risk losing substantial business.

Meeting with reporters at Dhaka Reporters' Unity, the health minister on Saturday said he was ready to talk, but had little to do as the issue went to the court. He urged them to withdraw the writ petitions and discuss the row with him.

Following his request, the protesting students said they would sit within 24 hours 'if time is given'.

The health minister told bdnews24.com in the evening that he would sit with them to discuss the issue. "I'll brief journalists after the meeting," he said.

Experts had earlier told bdnews24.com that such a rushed decision should be revised.

Opposition BNP also sided with the protesting students as they believed that only GPAs could not be the deciding factor for getting into university.

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

The number is 2,811 in the 22 government medical colleges and 4,245 in the 53 private ones.

The nine public dental colleges and medical colleges' dental units have 567 seats while 14 private dental institutes have 870 seats.

Police have reopened traffic at Dhaka's key Shahbagh intersection after a nearly 6-hour halt following protests and vandalism by the Dhaka University students after the death of a fellow student in a road accident on Tuesday evening.

Traffic resumed around 1pm on Wednesday.

Touhid Uz Zaman, a second-year undergraduate student of the International Relations Department and a resident of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, came under the wheels of a Rajdhani Express bus around 4:30pm on Tuesday as he was crossing the street near BIRDEM Hospital.

He succumbed to his injuries around 7:30pm. His remains were later sent to his ancestral home in Kishoreganj.

Infuriated by his death, fellow DU students had descended on the streets and smashed around 40 vehicles and also set on fire several of them in Shahbagh and New Market areas.

Their demonstrations led the traffic to a complete halt in these areas from 8pm until 11:45pm.

The demonstrations continued on Wednesday morning, too. The students were seen taking out a procession with a coffin.

Police had closed the roads linking the Shahbagh intersection in the morning even though traffic had resumed past-midnight on Tuesday. All vehicles were seen taking the road in front of the Rupasi Bangla Hotel.

The traffic halt caused long tailbacks at key points of the city, including Banglamotor, Karwan Bazar, Kakrail and Paltan.

Around 11:15am, nearly 200 students brought out a procession at the Shahbagh intersection from Modhur Canteen and organised a rally there.

They also spelt out several demands to ensure safety of teachers and students, including building an underpass at the Shahbagh intersection, punishing the bus driver responsible for the accident and the on-duty traffic police, compensating the deceased's family and the students who got injured during the Tuesday night's clash with the police, tightening of security at all the university entry points and barring outside vehicles from the campus.

Shammi Akter Happy, another student of the university's Psychology department, was also run over and killed by a bus at the same intersection on May 28, 2005. The university authorities facing tough protest had assured the students of building an underpass then, but the assurance never become a reality.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Nurul Islam had earlier told bdnews24.com that the traffic through the intersection was closed to avoid any more demonstrations and vandalism.

"The decision has been taken to ensure safety of the general people," he said.

Extra police personnel have also been deployed at all the different university entry points. Vehicles only with the university authorisation were allowed to enter the campus.

Police were also controlling the traffic at the other streets adjacent to the university in Kataban, Nilkhet, Polashi, Chankharpool and the High Court areas.

Meanwhile, ruling Awami League's student front Chhatra League's DU unit brought out a mourning procession around 11:30am over the death of Touhid Uz Zaman. DU Proctor Amzad Ali was seen in the procession.

The students of the International Relations Department also observed a human-chain programme around 12pm in front of the Arts Building protesting the death of their fellow student. Teachers of the department also joined hands with their students.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday allowed police to remand in their custody for three days for questioning the driver of the bus that allegedly killed a Dhaka University student in an accident on Tuesday.

Judge Rezaul Karim of the Metropolitan Magistrate's Court passed the order after a hearing after Officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station Rupesh Chandra Baidya, who is Investigating the homicide case, produced bus driver Anwar Hossain, 40, before the court with a seven-day remand petition, General Recording Officer of the court Sub-Inspector Arshad Ali told bdnews24.com.

The court also rejected the bail petition of Anwar Hossain.

Towhid Uz Zaman, 23, a second-year undergraduate student of international relations, was critically injured when the speeding bus of Rajdhani Express hit him at Shahbagh intersection on Tuesday afternoon.

Towhid, a resident student of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Later, he was shifted to Green Life Hospital at Green Road where he succumbed to his injuries in the evening.

As the news of his death spread, the university students rushed to the scene and blocked the intersection in protest at the incident.

The rowdy students also vandalised and torched over 50 vehicles in Shahbagh, Kataban and New Market areas during the violent demonstrations. They also set fire to a police box at Shahbagh crossing.

Towhid was laid to rest at his village home in Kishoreganj district on Wednesday noon.

Two hours into trading on the week's last working day, the Dhaka Stock Exchange has maintained its initial high in the benchmark index.

The DGEN stood at 4503.98 points around 1:40pm on Thursday, a 50.55-point or 1.14 percent hike from the opening.

It reached the peak around 11:25am, only about an hour into the trade, to stand at 4578.41 points.

Shares and mutual funds worth around Tk 6.22 billion had changed hands in the two-hour trade, with prices of 146 issues gaining, 115 declining and 10 sticking to their opening prices.

On Wednesday, the DSE turnover had hit a four-month high standing at Tk 7.04 billion. The benchmark index had posted a 161.56-point or 3.76-percent rise to close at 4453.43 points.

On Tuesday, the DSE had ended its trade with the DGEN down 49.39 points. Monday had also seen a high turnover, Tk 6.3 billion, but the DGEN had fallen by 0.96 percent.

Both the General Index and the turnover had seen a rise on Sunday, the first working day after an 11-day closure on account of the Eid-ul-Fitr and other national holidays.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday in Tehran of signing the Teesta water-sharing deal and settling other thorny issues as soon as possible.

The heads of the two governments met at the Grand Azadi Hotel before the 16th NAM summit starting on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes told bdnews24.com.

The Foreign Secretary termed the meeting positive and said, "The meeting went very well. The Indian Prime Minister assured Sheikh Hasina of signing the deal to share the waters of common river Teesta.

"The Indian Prime Minister told our Prime Minister that he will fulfil the commitments he made in the past few years."

"Manmohan Singh emphasised signing the deal with everyone's participation," he added.

Quoting the Indian Prime Minister, Secretary Quayes also said, "India wants to be a good development partner of Bangladesh."

He told Hasina that Bangladesh will not be subjected to any harm by the proposed Tipaimukh dam, Quayes said and added Hasina emphasised joint survey on the dam.

They also discussed import of power from India.

Hasina thanked the Indian government for reducing the interest of the $1 billion line of credit and turning $200 million of the loan into grant. She thanked India for granting the duty-free access of Bangladeshi products into its market.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Ambassador-at-Large M Ziauddin and Bangladesh's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr A K Abdul Momen, among others, were present.

At least one person was killed and 11 others injured when two trucks collided head-on in the capital's Uttara area on Thursday.

Officer-in-charge of Turag Police Station, Ziaul Karim, told bdnews24.com a Mymensingh-bound truck ran straight into a sand-laden truck at Kamarpara area around 5am, killing its driver on the spot.

Police identified the deceased as Mohammad Salauddin, 35, who was on his way to Mymensingh to buy fishes.

The injured have been identified as – Milon, 16, Islam, 15, Ohab, 30, Nazmul, 18, Swapan, 35, Mangal, 25, Tariful, 13, Chunnu, 14, Samad, 20, Nuru, 20 and Shahidul, 16.

The deceased and all the injured were on board the first truck, police said.

The injured have been sent to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital for treatment, Karim said.

The OC said they had confiscated the sand-laden truck but its driver fled the scene immediately after the accident.

Karim said the dead body had been sent to DMCH for autopsy.

Director General of South Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Juan Miranda has reasserted the bank's stance as a co-financer in the Padma bridge project and assured of continued support.

"Let me repeat that words that I want in your headline – this bridge will be built," he told journalists following a meeting with Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith at the Secretariat on Thursday.

When asked whether the Manila-based bank would remain on-board for the project, Miranda reassured: "ADB is as of today and as of tomorrow, ADB is a co-financier in this project."

To another query whether the ADB would extend the loan effectuation date, he again said, "This bridge will be built."

The Director General came to Dhaka on Tuesday night on a two-day official trip.

The genesis and further

The Padma bridge project has been in the throes of uncertainty ever since the lead financier, World Bank, cancelled its loan agreement of $1.2 billion for the mega project on June 29 saying it had "credible evidence" of a high-level corruption conspiracy among Bangladeshi government officials.

On July 31, the ADB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), who were to provide major chunks of the remaining funds needed for the $2.9 billion project, extended their loan effectuation deadline to Aug 31.

The Asian lender has pledged to provide $610 million, while the JICA would contribute $400 million to the project, and the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank is committed to another $140 million.

Ever since the World bank pulled itself out of the project, the government has been stating that the bridge would be built with own fund, if need be, but the Finance Minister has been trying to persuade the World Bank to return.

On Aug 28, Muhith reiterated his hopes about the global lender getting on board again to finance the ambitious project. "Still, I have time until Aug 31. Don't get frustrated. So far nothing has happened to get frustrated."

Muhith made the observation as newspapers in the last two days had reported that the lending agency would not release the promised fund since all the conditions it had laid down were not fulfilled. It was rumoured that Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Advisor Mashiur Rahman is going to resign as per the bank's demand, but no such evidence is available to date.

After the Washington-based agency raised allegations of corruption last year, it gave the government some conditions for checking corruption in the project. As those remained unmet, it pulled out of Bangladesh's largest infrastructure project.

In the wake of controversy over the allegation of corruption, former Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain resigned in July last year and former Bridges Division Secretary Mosharraf Hossain was sent on leave.

Loan deadline extension to be urged

When journalists approached to the finance minister on Thursday and asked for his comment, he said, "You got the message."

The minister said he would not talk with the press on holidays. Friday and Saturday are holiday in Bangladesh.

"I am busy preparing my tax return. I will not talk during the holidays," he said.

However, on Wednesday, the minister, responding to queries by journalists about whether the government would appeal the project's co-financers to extend their Aug 31 deadline, said that they 'might'.

Officials of the ministry's Economic Relations Department said that the government was indeed drafting a letter for the ADB urging an extension.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith is refusing to throw in the towel even though rumours have it that the World Bank is not coming back into the Padma bridge project.

He is still sanguine about the global lender getting on board again to finance the ambitious project.

"Still, I have time until Aug 31. Don't get frustrated. So far nothing has happened to get frustrated," said Muhith at his Secretariat office on Tuesday.

Muhith made the observation as newspapers in the last two days reported that the lending agency would not release the promised fund since all the conditions it had given were not fulfilled.

It was rumoured that the Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Advisor Mashiur Rahman is going to resign as per the bank's demand but no information was available.

The World Bank cancelled a $ 1.2 billion loan for $ 2.9 billion bridge in June last year. The two other lenders, Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency extended the deadline of finalising the loan deal for the bridge until Aug 31.

The project will expire if the World Bank does not return by Aug 31.

Ever since the bank pulled itself out of the project, the government has been stating that the bridge will be built with own fund, if need be, but the Finance Minister has been trying to persuade the World Bank to return.

A few days back, Muhith had said, "If the World Bank finances (the project), image and dignity lost over the issue would be regained." He said he had prepared a letter which will be sent once a positive response was received in the ongoing negotiations.

After the Washington-based agency raised allegations of corruption last year, it gave the government some conditions for checking corruption in the project. As those remain unmet, it pulled out of Bangladesh's largest infrastructure project to date.

In the wake of controversy over the allegation of corruption, former Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain resigned in July last year and former Bridges Division Secretary Mosharraf Hossain was sent on leave.

Rail links of Dhaka and Sylhet with Chittagong have been restored after nearly six hours of halt due to derailment of a passenger train in Comilla.

Comilla Railway Station Master Mohammad Hossain Majumder said train communication resumed around 10:30am on Wednesday when the troubled train was removed.

Assistant Engineer of Comilla Railway, Hamidul Haque, had earlier told bdnews24.com that a Chittagong-bound passenger train derailed around 5am at Comilla sadar snapping Chittagong's rail link with the capital and Sylhet.

Haque said six wheels of the train's engine got derailed. The compartments of the train had been brought to Shashidal Station following the accident.

The government has made some changes in the administration as it shuffled Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADC) and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO).

The Ministry of Public Administration issued three circulars to this effect on Tuesday.

The Ministry's Senior Assistant Secretary (OSD) Dr Rezaul Bashar Shiddique has been made Deputy Secretary with effect from Feb 8 last.

Among the ADCs, Nazim Uddin has been transferred from Manikganj to Kurigram and Dr Golam Mostafa from Brahmanbaria to the Ministry of Public Administration.

Dinajpur Chirirbandar UNO Rashidul Kabir has been made an OSD at the Ministry.

A group of medical and dental college admission seekers continued to demonstrate on Tuesday to demand that the government scrap its decision to follow grading system in place of admission test.

A platform of the protesting students held a human chain programme and solidarity assembly in front of the National Press Club from 10am on Tuesday.

Around 12:45pm, the student protestors announced agitation programme for Wednesday.

They called for a sit-in programme wearing black masks in front of the Dhaka University Teachers-Student s Centre.

The students also protested police action against demonstration programme in Chittagong and detention of seven students there.

Four local organisations representing Bengali settlers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are enforcing a 36-hour general strike from Wednesday morning in Rangamati, Khagrachharhi and Bandarban hill districts.

The shutdown has been organised to protest against amendment to the land act while the organisers demand that the government scrap its move to put local police administration under the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council.

In line with the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, sub-section 1 of section 62 of the Parbatya Zilla Parishad law says that a Zilla Parishad can appoint, transfer and punish police officials ranking from Sub-Inspector and below. Members of the tribes from the hill tracts will get priorities in case of appointment to the local police administration.

The Bengali-speaking settlers, who had been rehabilitated from outside the region, have long been protesting against the provision.

Parbatya Chatragram Somo-Adhikar Andolon (Chittagong Hill Tracts Equal Rights Movement), Parbatya Ganaparishad (the Hill Tracts People's Council), Parbatya Bangali Chatra Parishad (Hill Bengali Students' Council) and Parbatya Bangali Chhatra Oikya Parishad (Hill Tracts Bengali Students' Unity Council) jointly announced the lockdown at a press conference in Rangamati district headquarters on Monday.

On Wednesday, most businesses in Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban towns remained closed. Long-route and inter-district bus operations remained suspended.

Most educational institutions also remained closed. No passenger ferries were seen operating in Rangamati during the beginning hours of Wednesday.

Meanwhile, police detained Convenor of Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad's Khagrachhari unit, Abdul Majid, on Tuesday night.

Officer-in-Charge of Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station Mostafijur Rahman has confirmed Majid's detention.

Police on Wednesday halted traffic at Dhaka's key Shahbagh intersection following protests and vandalism by Dhaka University students after a fellow student who was injured in a raod accident died on Tuesday night.

The security officials were diverting traffic to avert any further vandalism.

Touhid Uz Zaman, a second-year undergraduate student of international relations and a resident of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, fell under the wheels of a Rajdhani Express bus around 4:30pm on Tuesday as he was getting across the street near BIRDEM Hospital.

He succumbed to his injuries around 7pm.

Infuriated by his death, fellow DU students took to the streets and smashed around 40 vehicles and also set fire to several of them in Shahbagh and New Market areas.

Police had shut down traffic at the key intersection after students descended on the street around 8pm to midnight.

Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna Zone, Nurul Islam told bdnews24.com on Wednesday that vehicular movements at Shahbagh had been shut down to avert further agitation and vandalism.

"The decision has been taken to secure people's lives and properties," he said.

The police official said traffic would resume through the intersection after the students' anger had been calmed.

Meanwhile, police have been positioned at various entrances to the university. No vehicles, except those bearing university's sticker, are being allowed into the campus.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decided to move the High Court to seek judicial probe into what happened to Limon Hossain, the college student who had his leg amputated after being shot allegedly by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

NHRC Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman made the announcement at a press conference on Monday.

"An appeal petition will be filed in the High Court seeking a judicial probe to ensure the rights of Limon," Rahman said.

A member of the NHRC, Fouzia Karim Firoz will file a petition next Sunday.

"If the High Court runs a judicial probe the allegations against Limon will be proved false. We believe Limon will get justice and get back to his normal life," the chairman added.

"We believe the High Court will consider our appeal and take necessary actions."

Replying to a question on why the NHRC did not file any case against RAB, Rahman said that he believed Limon would get justice even without the commission taking such measures.

"We can make recommendations on different matters. We don't have executive power," said Rahman answering whether the commission would file a case over the attack on Limon's family and then accusing them of murder.

But he said the commission would go to court if Limon was indicted in any of the cases.

Rahman defended the NHRC by referring to the steps they had taken to ensure justice to Limon. He said the commission wrote to the Home Ministry on July 11 regarding Limon.

"We haven't noticed any positive movement even after writing to the Home Minister. On the other hand, the situation is being vitiated filing cases against Limon, attacking him and filing a murder case against him," Rahman said.

Limon, a college student from Jhalkathi, had his leg amputated allegedly after being shot by RAB on March 23 last year.

RAB filed two cases against Limon accusing him of preventing law enforcers from carrying out their duties and for possessing illegal fire arms.

Limon's mother also filed a case against the RAB officials for shooting her son. On Aug 14, Rajapur police submitted the final report relieving the RAB of the allegations.

On Aug 20, the Eid day, Limon and his family members were attacked by a group of people allegedly led by one Ibrahim Howlader. Howladar was identified as a RAB source byLimon's family.

On Aug 23, Howlader accused Limon's father, mother, elder brother and uncle of murdering his brother-in-law.

Ever since he was shot, Limon and his family were not staying in their village home at Saturia in Jhalkathi and has rented a house at Kaukhali in Pirojpur.

Amid whispers ruling out a return for the World Bank in Padma bridge project, Malaysia on Monday submitted to Bangladesh its final proposal on construction of the bridge.

Now bridging the mighty river with assistance from Malaysia requires only the government's consent.

S Samy Vellu, special envoy of the Malaysian government for South Asia, formally handed over a copy of the final proposal to Communication Minister Obaidul Quader at the Setu Bhaban in Dhaka.

The minister said: "A technical committee will scrutinise the proposal and put forward its recommendations to the highest decision-making body."

He said construction would begin within this fiscal year.

Quader declined to disclose the content of the agreement or when the government would take decision on the Malaysian proposal.

"It is a draft agreement and Bangladesh will negotiate on the terms and conditions included in the proposal," the minister said.

Quader said if there was any agreement, the bridge would be built under a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis and Malaysian Exim Bank will be the lead arranger.

Bangladesh is desperately looking for alternatives to bridge the river Padma after the World Bank refused to lend $1.2 billion in June.

The minister said: "Economic and public interests will be given priority while considering the proposal and agreement will be signed if it doesn't go against national interest."

On the scope of a settlement with the World Bank, Quader said; "You better ask this to the Finance Minister or ERD Secretary."

"The door is still open to any party as we can't say that dispute with World Bank is over."

The global lender in October last year suspended its pledged $1.2 billion fund for the $2.9 billion project to build the first bridge raising corruption allegation. The funds pledged by the other donors also remain suspended.

After the suspension of the World Bank funds, the Malaysian government expressed its interest in the construction of the bridge.

The governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia on Apr 10 signed a memorandum of understanding in Kuala Lumpur on cooperation in the construction of the Padma Bridge and associated facilities.

The Detective Branch of police has efused to take custody of 'Kamal, 29, detained by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), saying he was not connected with the murder of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) leader Dr Narayan Chandra Datta Nitai.

Deputy Commissioner of DB, Molla Nazrul Islam, told bdnews24.com on Monday that RAB had detained one 'Kamal' on Saturday and handed him over to them on Sunday. "In the course of our investigation, we found out that the detained Kamal was not the one whose name came up in connection with the murder," he said.

He was handed over to RAB the same night, the DB police official added.

After nabbing Kamal, RAB had claimed that they found his association with the 48-year-old doctor's murder.

Dr Nitai was knifed to death in the early hours of Thursday at his home in Mahakhali's National Institute of Disease of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH) residential area.

On Sunday, a Dhaka court granted the police five days to interrogate the four suspects detained in connection with the murder.

The police official said in the course of quizzing, they found proof of the detainees' involvement in the murder.

Officer-in-Charge of Banani Police Station Mahbub Hasan told bdnews24.com on Monday that RAB had handed over one 'Kamal' to them in the wee hours of Monday. "He was later shown arrested for wandering around in a suspicious manner and produced before court on Monday," he added.

RAB Media Wing Director M Sohail told bdnews24.com that they had merely assisted the DB with its probe. He said Kamal was detained for his suspected connection with Nitai murder case.

The RAB spokesperson said in primary questioning they had found Kamal's involvement with the murder and handed him over to the DB, the main investigator of the case.

Sohail said DB's investigation might not find Kamal's association with the murder.

Police had nabbed four suspected robbers over two days after the murder and produced them before the media on Saturday. The law enforcers said they had recovered looted gold ornaments and the knife used for killing the doctor.

Those detained are Masud alias Peda, 28, Saidul, 38, Pichchi Kamal, 35 and Faisal, 32.

'Faisal' had told journalists that they had one 'Kamal' and 'Mintoo' with them.

The law enforcers had been insisting that Nitai's murder took place during a burglary despite his family's belief that it was a premeditated murder over recruitment in a hospital.

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

Nitai's brother-in-law Surash Chowdhury claimed that it was premeditated murder.

He alleged Nitai was being threatened over recruitment of class three and four employees at the NIDCH but failed to name anyone.

The High Court on Monday declared 'ineffective' and 'without legal basis' Speaker Abdul Hamid's previous ruling that Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury violated the Constitution by making derogatory comment on the Parliament.

The two-strong panel of justices Hasan Foez Siddique and ABM Altaf Hossain made the observation after a petition sought the court's intervention over the Speaker's June 18 ruling that Justice Choudhury violated Article 78 (1) of the Constitution.

On July 24, the High Court settled the writ petition but signed the written copy of its observations on Monday.

After the verdict, Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Roy, who represented the state, had told bdnews24.com that the court had given the verdict after hearing both sides. "The petition was settled with several observations."

Roy had said the observations would be elaborated in the written copy of the verdict.

On July 18, the bench of justices Naima Haider and Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar had felt embarrassed to hear the petition that sought an order to declare illegal the Speaker's ruling.

The petitioners also sought an order to ban issuance of any such ruling by the Speaker.

Speaker Hamid had given the ruling rather reluctantly in Parliament as MPs demanded steps after Justice Choudhury criticised the chief of the legislature and threatened to invoke the constitutional provision to impeach sitting judges.

The Speaker had hoped the Chief Justice would himself initiate measures in this regard and Parliament would support his decision.

The row began after the Speaker on May 29 made the statement that people might stand up against the judiciary if they are aggrieved by any verdict of the court. It involved an order of the High Court that had asked the Roads and Highways Department to return some land to the Supreme Court.

Justice Choudhury in response to the statement said on June 5 that the Speaker's such a comment was tantamount to sedition.

His comment triggered commotion in Parliament and MPs demanded ruling from the Speaker.

In his ruling, the Speaker said Justice Choudhury's comment was derogatory and a violation of the constitution.

Article 78 of the Constitution provides immunity to the speeches, actions and votes of MPs made within Parliament sessions, and holds them not answerable for any such actions of the court.

The BUET VC has convened an emergency meeting of the Syndicate, the highest policy-making body of the premier university, on Monday as the BUET stalemate was yet to be resolved.

The meeting scheduled to be held at 5pm will discuss the overall situation, Prof Nazrul Islam told bdnews24.com on Sunday evening.

The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) reopened on Saturday after a 44-day shutdown stemming from protests by its teachers and students seeking ouster of the Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor.

No classes were held at the university on Saturday, the first day of resumption of academic activities at the university.

No classes took place on Sunday too.

Some of the demonstrating teachers said they pressed on with their protests at personal level by skipping classes but without any formal declaration of any protest plan to avoid facing contempt of court charges.

The High Court on Aug 14 in a rule ordered authorities to start the admission process of the first-year students amid the teachers' protests.

"The emergency syndicate meeting has been called under such an unusual situation. The meeting will discuss various issues including that of teachers not joining classes defying court's orders," he added.

Admission test to BUET for the 2012-2013 academic sessions has also become uncertain as the protesting teachers have been boycotting classes and other academic activities for more than a month.

In the wake of movement demanding resignation of the VC and Pro-Vice Chancellor, the BUET authorities had advanced the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation to close it on July 10. The decision, however, failed to deter the protesters from going ahead with the movement.

One of the teachers, seeking anonymity, said the teachers were not attending classes claiming personal reasons to stay away from court contempt.

Asked whether the Syndicate would pressurise the teachers to join classes, he said, "The members of the body will take decisions after discussing several issues."

Meanwhile, the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid is leaving Dhaka on Sunday night on a seven-day visit to attend the 'Commonwealth Education Ministers Conference' in Mauritius. He is scheduled to return on Sep 2.

On July 11, 24 teachers holding administrative posts resigned and the Teachers Association announced that the teachers would resign en masse on July 22 if their demand was not met.

They, however, postponed the 'resignation decision' until July 30 after Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid had said a solution would be worked out after discussions with the Prime Minister and the President, days before the court slapped the ban on any protests on the BUET campus.

The BUET authorities shut the university on July 10, a month in advance for Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr, until Aug 24 and the teachers and students erupted in protest.

A platform of medical and dental college admission-seekers on Sunday announced that they were resuming their protests against the new enrolment system from Monday.

The students said at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity that they would assemble at the Central Shaheed Minar at 9am for 'peaceful' demonstration.

Farzana Afrin, representative of the platform, claimed students of various medical colleges, universities, schools and colleges across Bangladesh have thrown their weight behind them.

She said a 'civil assembly' would take place at 11am and a memorandum will be submitted to the Prime Minister's Office at noon.

"We'll be compelled to wage tougher agitations from Aug 28 if no announcement comes [from the government] within Monday," Afrin warned.

On Aug 12, Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque said the government had decided to enrol students at the medical and dental colleges based on their SSC and HSC GPAs from this year in lieu of admission tests.

The Minister's announcement triggered off protests by admission seekers and guardians.

The admission-seekers had staged daylong demonstrations on Aug 13 and 14 Dhaka's Central Shaheed Minar, the National Press Club and the Shahbagh intersection resulting in huge tailbacks across the capital.

The students put off their protest on Aug 14 and on the same day the government decision was challenged in the High Court. The court ordered authorities to explain why the new system would not be declared illegal.

Amid the ongoing protests, the Health Minister had said the medical and dental admission 'coaching centres were instigating' the demonstrations.

At Sunday's press conference, the student demonstrators demanded closure of all coaching centres claiming no one was instigating their demonstration or was associated with it. They also argued against the new enrolment system.

On Aug 23, another petition was filed in the High Court in a bid to secure an order to start admission process like previous years.

Unknown miscreants have shot a Bangladeshi citizen to death at a food mart in Connecticut's East Hartford in the United States.

The deceased, Belal Tarafder, 47, was gunned down during an attempted robbery around 11pm local time on Saturday, NBC Connecticut reported on Sunday quoting police.

He had been working as a clerk at the Circle H Food Mart situated at 1084 Burnside Avenue for the last five years.

Belal hailed from Moulvibazar. Saturday night was supposed to be the last night on the job.

NBC said in its report that East Hartford police responded to the mart around 11pm on a suspicious activity call. Upon arrival, the officers found the store clerk suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

There are two other businesses located in the plaza where the Circle H Food Mart is. Village Pizza was open and crowded. Police have already interviewed several witnesses.

Witnesses described the suspect as a black male in his late teens to early 30s. He was wearing a dark coloured shirt, light coloured shorts and a dark coloured baseball hat. He was carrying a handgun.

NBC said police were investigating the murder. The East Hartford Police Crime Investigation Division is working with the State Attorney's office on the investigation.

At least nine people were killed as a micro-bus skidded off the road and plunged into a ditch in Ramganj upazila of Laxmipur Sunday afternoon.

Police and locals said the accident occurred around 3.30pm at the Ramganj-Hazjiganj highway.

The deceased were identified as one 'Joynal', 40, from Ramganj's Noahgaon area, his wife Nasima, 35, daughter, 10, niece Rabia, 20, Amina Begum, 40 and Monowara Begum 50, Harun-or Rashid,65, Zakia Sultana, 12 and 'Tamanna' 13.

Ramganj Upazila Chairman Munir Chowdhury told bdnews24.com that police have recovered nine bodies so far from the micro-bus.

He added they met the accident on their way to join a family marriage programme in Chandpur's Faridganj Upazila

When approached, the officer-in-charge of Ramganj Police Station could not give the exact number of causalities adding that the micro-bus had been recovered from the ditch.

The Department of Environment (DoE) has fined the Ibn Sina Pharmaceutical Industries Limited for operating a manufacturing facility without its clearance for the last 18 years.

The department's Director (Enforcement) Mohammad Muneer Chowdhury slapped the penalty after a hearing on Sunday, a DoE statement said.

The fine was collected from Managing Director of the facility Abu Naser Mohammad Abduz Jahed, it further said.

"The operation of such a large manufacturing facility illegally for 18 years is an unprecedented violation of the environmental laws," Muneer Chowdhury said adding that they have taken the 'exemplary step' to ensure that the law is abided to everywhere.

The step came after the DoE discovered the illegal operation in a recent raid on the facility located in Kaliakoir in Gazipur. The factory officials allegedly did not cooperate with the DoE on the matter on that day and the MD on Sunday apologised to the DoE Director in writing for that.

"The factory authorities have been told to submit without delay all records of their production plan and waste management," the DoE official added.

The company's General Manager and Secretary Mohammad Shaheed Farouqee, Plant Manager Rafiqul Haque, Quality Control Manager Abdul Khaleque and Manager (Engineering) Momtajul Karim represented the company at the hearing.

They apologised for building and operating the plant without clearance for so long, the statement added.

The facility built over 13 acres of land had been producing drugs including antibiotics, anti-histamines, anti-ulcerants and anti-paretics.

"The DoE does not want destruction of any organisation but it wants environment-friendly management alongside investment and employment," the DoE Director said.

He added there was no more scope to neglect the environment during investment and that it should get the highest priority.

Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Advisor Dr Mashiur Rahman on Sunday said he would have no problems stepping down if the Prime Minister wanted and it removed complications regarding the World Bank financing of the Padma bridge project.

He made the comment amid whispers that he had resigned to meet one of the global lender's conditions for getting back on board for the ambitious scheme.

"If my resignation resolves the complexity over the $ 2.9 billion loan, then why once, I will resign ten times if needed," Mashiur, also the project's integrity advisor, told journalists in front of his official Hare Road residence.

"But if there are any accusations, then the proofs behind them have to be presented and I will have to be given the scope to defend myself."

He skirted a direct reply when asked if he had resigned already. Mashiur said the government should come up with a statement on the matter first and then he might give his reactions. The Finance Minister will speak for the government, he insisted.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith did not appear for journalists to take questions on the issue, neither did he go to his office. Around 3:15pm, his Assistant Personal Secretary A S M Rashed told journalists that the Minister will not be talking with them on the issue just yet.

However, a well-placed source has confirmed bdnews24.com he met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina around noon.

bdnews24.com's Senior Correspondent Reazul Bashar said that the car carrying the advisor when he left his residence around 5:15pm had the flag of Bangladesh on it, a clear sign that he was still in office.

The Washington-based lender had given a number of conditions for the government to fulfil after raising graft allegations and suspended the fund for the project in September last year after Canadian authorities launched investigation against SNC-Lavalin, a firm shortlisted as consultant of the project.

On June 30, it cancelled its promised loan of $1.2 billion for the country's biggest-ever infrastructure project claiming that the government did not implement their requisites.

After the deal was scrapped, Information Communications and Technology Minister Syed Abul Hossain, who was the Communication Minister when the allegations were raised, resigned and former Bridges Secretary Mosharraf Hossain was sent on leave.

After Eid, rumours swirled that the advisor would also be following similar steps and a number of dailies ran stories on the issue on Saturday.

Muhith on Saturday told bdnews24.com at his Minto Road residence that the barriers to an understanding with the World Bank are being removed one by one. He also expressed hopes of reaching a resolution within a week.

The advisor time and again ducked questions from the media crew on Sunday about the gossips that he had stood down.

Mashiur went on to compare his predicament with a character of Franz Kafka's well-known novel 'The Trial': "The author showed a person on trial, but without saying what crime he had committed."

He also referred to James Frazer's comparative study of mythology and religion, The Golden Bough, and pointed out, "When people in ancient Greece started working on any establishment, they would put human blood in its foundation. When they were not getting any human blood, they started using chicken blood."

"When even that became scarce, they started building on the shadow of chickens. A business revolving around the shadow started afterwards."

At this stage, journalists asked whether the government was not giving him the scope to explain himself. Mashiur said, "If you want to blame anyone, he should be given the chance to defend himself."

The World Bank was to fund $ 1.2billion for the six-kilometre bridge that was estimated to cost $ 2.9billion. Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) were supposed to fund most of the remaining budget.

Even though, the World Bank cancelled their funding, ADB and JICA extended the deadline for their deals to Aug 31. So the government will have to reach a resolution with WB before that.