BANGLADESH

A schoolteacher of Debhata upazila in Satkhira district was sued on Saturday for beating up a second grade student and his mother with a wooden stick.

The student's mother Sonia Khatun filed the case with Debhata Police Station against Abdul Hannan Babul, 40, an assistant teacher of Chandpur Government Primary School.

The case details say the teacher beat up Sharaban Pervez Siam, 8, son of Sheikh Syed of Chandpur village, over a trivial matter on Thursday morning.

As the boy informed his mother Sonia Khatun, she went to the school and asked the teacher the reason for punishment. Angered at this, the teacher also beat up the student's mother.

Confirming the incident, officer in-charge of the Debhata Police Station Shahjahan Ali Khan told bdnews24.com that there are allegations that the teacher had also beaten up several other students in the past.

The High Court on Jan 13 last year declared physical punishment illegal in the educational institutions of the country.

Defining caning, beating or subjecting students to any cruel and inhuman punishment as 'misconduct' under the Government Servants Discipline and Appeal Rules 1985, it had directed the education ministry to ensure dissemination of the directives and regular inspection to prevent occurrences of corporal punishment.

It also directed the ministry to take actions against those in breach of the law.

TV actor-director couple Toukir Ahmed and Bipasha Hayat have been sued in the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for allegedly embezzling Tk 1.5 million.

Toukir's sister Tanjin Haider filed the case on Monday.

Metropolitan magistrate Mohammad Shahadat Hossain has taken the plaintiff's testimony and said an order will be passed on the matter later.

Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker argued the case on behalf of the plaintiff at the hearing. Advocate Zakaria Haider took part in the hearing on behalf of the defendants.

Tanjin said she and her husband formed a company in joint venture with Toukir and Bipasha to build and run the 'Nakkhtrabari Resort and Convention Centre' on 25 bigha land at Rajendrapur, Gazipur. Her husband Syed Ali Haider became the chairman of the company with Toukir its managing director.

Tanjin claimed she and her husband gave Toukir a total Tk 1.5 million in cash and USD 177,422 through bank. She added that she even had to sell her paternal property at Tangail to find the money.

The case accuses Toukir and Bipasha of 'deceitfully' buying land and building the resort under their names. Tanjin alleged that she and her husband were not being allowed to go to the resort and instead were being threatened.

According to case details, Tanjin served a legal notice on Toukir and Bipasha in January this year but the couple did not resolve the issue then.

Seven people have been made witnesses in the case.

Toukir was awarded the National Film Awards in 2004 for his liberation war-based movie 'Jayjatra' in 2004. His wife, Bipasha, is the daughter of another popular Bangladeshi actor Abul Hayat. She won the National Film Award as best actress in the film Aaguner Parashmoni.

Toukir also Daruchini Dwip that won the National Film Awards in seven categories in 2007.

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

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

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

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has greeted Sachin Tendulkar over his 100th international century.

Abul Kalam Azad, press secretary to Hasina, told bdnews24.com she sent the 'Little Master' with sweets and flowers on Saturday.

Watching Sachin Tendulkar ending his quest for the 100th hundred on Friday came as a bonus for the packed holiday crowd at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, with the home side scrambling over the line with four balls to spare and five wickets in hand.

Relatives of three missing people have claimed that Rapid Action Battalion men took away the trio five days ago following an altercation with some RAB personnel in Gaibandha, but the elite force denies the charge.

The three traceless people – Bajlar Prodhan, his friend Hasanul Islam and cousin Mintu Prodhan – of Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha, also alleged at a press conference at Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) on Saturday that police did not file a case in this regard.

The trio was allegedly held by RAB men from Gabtoli of Bogra, where they were hiding after RAB filed a case following the altercation on Feb 23.

RAB media wing director M Suhayel termed the allegation against the force 'baseless'.

"They have been on the run since the case was filed. This is a drama to alter the course of the case," he told bdnews24.com.

Hasanul's wife Rokeya Begum, brother Hossain Ahmed, Bajlar's wife Lima Akter and Mintu's wife Suraiya Begum were present at the press briefing.

'ALTERCATION, CASE, ALLEGATION AGAINST POLICE'

The family members of the missing three said Hasanul had an altercation with the passengers of a car over breaking of its looking glass at Fasitala intersection of Sapmara union on Feb 23.

"At one stage of the row, the passengers beat up my husband severely. As the locals reacted to the beating of Hasanul, the car passengers introduced themselves as RAB members," Rokeya said.

The issue was settled on assurance of giving Tk 2,000 as compensation but RAB filed a case against her husband, his friend and cousin the following day, she said.

She further said as they went to the local RAB camp after the case was filed at the Gobindaganj Police Station over a missing pistol and a mobile phone of RAB members, "they said we know nothing about the case".

When the relatives of the trio went to the police station on March 12 to file a case in connection with the 'missing' three, the officer in-charge said no case or general diary can be filed as they already have a case lodged against them, Rokeya said.

RAB spokesman Suhayel said, "They (the trio) said they will compensate but instead called some goons from their locality and beat up RAB personnel, looted arms and vandalised the RAB car."

"Additional police force had to be called in to calm the situation," he added.

A minor earthquake jolted parts of Bangladesh on Sunday morning.

The 3.2-magnitude tremor was felt at 8.55am, said professor Syed Humayun Akhter of the Dhaka University Earth Observatory.

No casualties were reported immediately.

In the capital, Dhaka, many ran for safety.

According to initial reports, the tremor was felt in Uttara, Mohakhali, Rampura and Mirpur.

After waiting more than a year, India's Sachin Tendulkar finally became the first cricketer to score 100 international centuries during an Asia Cup one-day match against Bangladesh on Friday.

The 38-year-old further cemented his place as one of the greatest of cricketing greats when he stroked a single off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan to reach the landmark. He has scored 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals.

Tendulkar hit 10 boundaries and one six on the way to his hundred, which he reached off 138 deliveries on an easy-paced pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

The celebrations for his much-awaited target were muted and Tendulkar looked more relieved than elated after completing the 100th run.

He stood at the non-striker's end looking at his bat for a moment before thanking the heavens. He then raised his helmet towards the crowd, planted a kiss on the Indian cricket logo and was hugged by team mate Suresh Raina.

Tendulkar said the achievement had yet to sink in.

"It was a tough phase for me. Especially tough when you know that I started off this season batting reasonably well," a tired-looking Tendulkar told the NEO Cricket channel.

"I batted well in Australia. I felt at times I was luckless. Doesn't matter how many hundreds you score, you still have to put your head down, grind it out and do the job for the team.

"It hasn't sunk in but I have definitely lost about 50 kilos."

"DIFFICULT MENTALLY"

It took the greatest accumulator of runs in international cricket more than a year to score his coveted hundred after he reached 99 centuries with his 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in Nagpur on March 12 last year.

"Precisely a year ago when I got my 99th hundred no one spoke about it during the World Cup. And then it was I guess the media who started all these," Tendulkar added.

"Wherever I went, to restaurants, the house keeping, the room service, whoever I met just spoke about the 100th hundred.

"It became a little difficult mentally, because I am not playing only for my 100th hundred.

"The 99 hundreds that I scored, nobody spoke about them. Everyone had their opinion but eventually I have got to do what is important for the team."

India prime minister Manmohan Singh said Tendulkar was an inspiration for the country.

"I join the nation in congratulating Sachin Tendulkar on his making history - a hundred centuries," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

"He has made India proud. Tendulkar's long career has been a triumph of class, character and courage. Wish him many more innings and feats to continue inspiring the youth."

Tendulkar was finally out for 114 off 147 balls, hitting 12 boundaries and a six.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

India batsman SR Tendulkar ,atlast make her 100/100.last match in asia cup SR Tendulkar take 114 runs and his dream successful.all countrys people who likes SR Tendulkar want that SR Tendulkar 100.today's 114 makes his 100 100 means today his ODI and test match 100 100.today they play vs bangladesh.

CONGRATULATION