BANGLADESH

Emboldened by a clean chit in the cash scam, former railway minister Suranjit Sengupta said on Wednesday he is 'returning to politics'.

Days after the scandal involving his personal aide surfaced, he stepped aside saying it was taking 'a break of journey'.

Speaking at a press conference at his Jigatola residence, Suranjit, now a minister without portfolio, said: "I am innocent. It is now clear through an independent and proper investigation.

"I will return to politics, will take the responsibility of serving the people."

When asked whether he was going to take back the post of the minister he lost because of the cash scam, he said the prime minister will decide that.

"This is an issue of the government," he said.

It was his third news conference after his Assistant Personal Secretary (APS) Omar Faruq Talukder was detained by the border guards on Apr 10 with Tk 7 million in cash in the car carrying Faruq and two top railway officials.

He announced his resignation at a media call at the Rail Bhaban on Apr 16, taking 'full responsibility' for the cash scandal. He said he would return once he was cleared by investigation.

A day later, a government press note said Suranjit was made a minister without portfolio.

The Railway Ministry in a report to the Secretary on May 13 said no evidence that suggested Suranjit was involved in the cash scandal was found.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered into jail BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 32 other opposition leaders in an arson attack case.

The leaders appealed for bail after surrendering at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in the morning after failing to get bail in the High Court.

Metropolitan speedy trial magistrate Mohammad Erfan Ullah heard the petitions at noon, but refused them bail.

The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance enforced countrywide general strike on Apr 29 and 30 protesting against the disappearance of M Ilias Ali, one of BNP's organising secretaries.

On Apr 29, a vehicle was torched near the PMO and crude bombs were hurled at the Secretariat. Police filed two cases at Shahbagh and Tejgaon accusing the leaders of their alleged involvement in the two incidents.

Fakhrul, Dr Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, M K Anwar, Mirza Abbas, ASM Hannan Shah, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Liberal Democratic Party president Oli Ahmed and other senior leaders of the coalition were charged in the two cases.

A third High Court bench last Sunday ordered them to surrender in the trial court by Wednesday after the bench of justices Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Nazrul Islam Talukder returned a split decision on their petition for anticipatory bail.

BNP leader Moudud Ahmed, also a defence counsel, told that they filed the bail plea in the trial court in line with the High Court order.

A devastating fire raced through a crammed slum and destroyed about 150 makeshift houses in the Dhaka City's Shyamoli area.

Fire Department's Deputy Director Masud Ahmed told bdnews24.com that the fire broke out around 9am.

Ten fire-fighting units took about one hour to douse the flames, he said.

Ahmed said about 150 makeshift homes of the slum have been burnt to ashes.

He, however, said the reason behind the fire could not be immediately determined.

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station OC Jakir Hossain Molla said there were no injuries so far.

Bangladesh's exports in April fell 7.13 percent from a year earlier to $1.89 billion, the Export Promotion Bureau said, more evidence that the euro zone debt crisis is affecting the country's economy.

April was the second straight month of declining exports. In March, exports fell 7.23 percent to $1.98 billion.

Due to reduced orders from Europe, business leaders said Bangladesh is unlikely to achieve its target for exports of $26.5 billion in the fiscal that ends June 30. That target is 15 percent higher than the record $23 billion in exports in the last fiscal year.

Total exports for July-April, the first 10 months of the financial year, were up 8.4 percent from a year earlier, to nearly $19.8 billion.

In July-April, earnings from key readymade garments rose 9.6 percent from a year earlier to $15.5 billion.

In recent years, Bangladesh's economy and exports have been boosted by a dramatic shift in garment orders from China to lower-cost Bangladesh.

Garment export is one of country's key drivers, along with remittances from Bangladeshis working overseas.

Europe and the United States are Bangladesh's main export destinations, accounting for losses to 70 percent of its overseas sales of garments.

Police detectives claimed to have recovered on Tuesday raw materials used to make bomb from the Chittagong office of the Liberal Democratic Party, an ally of the main opposition BNP.

The unassembled bomb components, including two kilograms of powdered iron, 12 rolls of black tape, half kg gunpowder and 30 empty cans of chewing tobacco, were found at LDP's Nandankanan office on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch A K M Tanvir Arafat told .

The detectives broke locks to enter the offices of Chittagong district's north and south units of LDP around 11:15pm, he said.

"There was a plan to create anarchy," he said.

An LDP activist Idris Ali was detained from the area after the drive that followed a tip-off, Arafat said. "He used to man the office."

Earlier in the day, LDP President Oli Ahmed said at a discussion in Dhaka that the BNP-led 18-party alliance would 'finish a game started by the government'.

"The prime minister thinks that the game is over as cases have been filed. But the game is not over yet; it has just begun. We'll end the game," he said.

He said the cases against top opposition leaders over violence during a shutdown were baseless.

The LDP chief instead blamed the government for blasts during hartal hours.

"They (ruling Awami League) themselves exploded cocktail bombs and lodged cases against opposition leaders," he said.

A vehicle had been torched in front of the PMO and crude bombs were hurled at the Secretariat during the countrywide shutdown on Apr 29 protesting the 'disappearance' of one of the party's organising secretaries, M Ilias Ali.

Police had filed two cases at Tejgaon and Shahbagh accusing a number of top opposition leaders. The accused leaders are on bail now.

Police detectives claimed to have recovered on Tuesday raw materials used to make bomb from the Chittagong office of the Liberal Democratic Party, an ally of the main opposition BNP.

The unassembled bomb components, including two kilograms of powdered iron, 12 rolls of black tape, half kg gunpowder and 30 empty cans of chewing tobacco, were found at LDP's Nandankanan office on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch A K M Tanvir Arafat told .

The detectives broke locks to enter the offices of Chittagong district's north and south units of LDP around 11:15pm, he said.

"There was a plan to create anarchy," he said.

An LDP activist Idris Ali was detained from the area after the drive that followed a tip-off, Arafat said. "He used to man the office."

Earlier in the day, LDP President Oli Ahmed said at a discussion in Dhaka that the BNP-led 18-party alliance would 'finish a game started by the government'.

"The prime minister thinks that the game is over as cases have been filed. But the game is not over yet; it has just begun. We'll end the game," he said.

He said the cases against top opposition leaders over violence during a shutdown were baseless.

The LDP chief instead blamed the government for blasts during hartal hours.

"They (ruling Awami League) themselves exploded cocktail bombs and lodged cases against opposition leaders," he said.

A vehicle had been torched in front of the PMO and crude bombs were hurled at the Secretariat during the countrywide shutdown on Apr 29 protesting the 'disappearance' of one of the party's organising secretaries, M Ilias Ali.

Police had filed two cases at Tejgaon and Shahbagh accusing a number of top opposition leaders. The accused leaders are on bail now.

The High Court on Monday asked four government officials to explain why no measures have been taken against 'private' CNG-run auto-rickshaws that operate commercially illegally.

The Communications Secretary, BRTA Chairman, DMP Commissioner and Dhaka's Deputy Commissioner were asked to answer to the court within two weeks.

The bench of Justices Mohammad Bazlur Rahman and Mohammad Habibul Gani on their own volition issued the rule after reading media reports.

The court also asked them to find reasons behind not cancelling registration of such vehicles and why it would not order the police commissioner to run mobile courts to bring those responsible to justice.

The court also asked the BRTA Chairman to submit within June 5 a report on the number of auto-rickshaws that were registered in Dhaka and surrounding areas after 2004 and the main record listing vehicles registered under the 'Da' series.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has served legal notices on the former railway minister's sacked Assistant Personal Secretary (APS) Omar Faruq Talukder and four others asking them to submit the details of their properties within seven working days.

Those facing action for their alleged involvement in the cash recovery scandal are Railway General Manager (East) Yusuf Ali Mridha and his wife, and suspended Dhaka zone railway police's Commandant Enamul Huq and his wife.

"According to our primary investigation, they've properties beyond their known sources of income. So, they were served notices on Monday asking them to submit details of their properties," ACC Commissioner Mohammad Sahabuddin Chuppu told .

Border Guard Bangladesh personnel detained Faruk, Mridha and Enamul when a car carrying them entered the BGB headquarters in Peelkhana in the wee hours of Apr 10. BGB men recovered Tk 7 million from the car. However, they were later released, along with the money and the vehicle.

Several newspaper reports said the money was taken as bribe for making appointments in the railways.

Faruq, Mridha and Enamul were suspended following the incident.

Taking responsibility for the incident, Suranjit stepped down as the railway minister on April 16, but the government retained him as a minister without portfolio.

The Railway Department formed an investigation committee over the cash scandal that submitted its findings on Sunday. The probe report claimed that former Railway Minister Suranjit Sengupta was not involved in the scandal.

It said that there was Tk 7 million in Faruk's car which he deposited in his bank account. Mridha and Enamul were also not involved in the incident, the report said.

The ACC had also formed a two-member committee led by its Deputy Director Abu Syed to investigate into the scandal and the related aspects.

On Apr 18, Mridha, Faruk and Enamul appeared before the ACC investigators and gave their statements.

Light engineering industry of the country expects subsidised metal testing services for the sector's development.

"Subsidised metal testing services will add to the sector's growth," said Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners' Association (BEIOA) President Abdur Razzaque.

The thrust sector, as determined in the Export Policy-2010, is facing several hurdles, including obsolete technology and lack of production management skills and dice-making technology, according to the associations.

It also lacks a research and development (R&D) institution, quality assurance and accredited inspection, and marketing ability for export promotion.

Razzaque said: "Light engineering acts as a support industry to all other industries."

This industry comprising around 40,000 firms produces motor launches and marine transport spares, and machinery and spares for agro-processing, textile, jute, construction, bread, biscuit and food processing sectors.

Razzaque, also owner of Sunrise Engineering, says: "If the government provides subsidies to the sector, the country will get greater return."

Justifying the subsidy demand, he said: "If the machineries are not produced locally, they have to be imported at five times higher prices."

In 2009-10 financial year, export from the light engineering sector was $311 million, which constituted nearly 1.89 percent of the country's total exports worth $16.5 billion.

Mentioning that developed countries offer metal testing services to the engineering industry at minimal costs, Razzaque said: "Without low-cost metal testing services it will very difficult for the industry to grow."

According to him, the five metal testing facilities in the country -- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR); MAWTS Institute of Technology, Engineering and Technological Services; Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC); Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (BITAC); and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) -- charge exorbitant fees.

BUET's Material and Metallurgical Engineering (MME) Department professor A S W Kurny stressed the need for setting up a metal testing institute.

He said: "This (light engineering) is a support industry for all other industries. They (the sector) are now making complicated equipment. But without a metal testing institute, their long-term costs will escalate, as the equipment made without proper metal may not perform well."

Kurny, however, said the industry owners needed to realise that the tests could not be conducted for free.

Director of BUET's Institute of Appropriate Technology (IAT) Prof M Kamaluddin echoed the view of Kurny.

He said: "Metal testing needs very sophisticated equipment like spectrometer which is very costly. Many light engineering firms are even going to India for some tests."

Kamal also suggested setting up a metal testing institute under the public-private partnership initiative to solve the problem.

He said a lower mid-level institute would cost Tk 300 million and solve at least short-term problems of the industry.

Finance Minister A M A Muhith has admitted that the government made a mistake in assessing the demand for power.

"We made the mistake in calculating the actual electricity demand," he told a pre-budget discussion at a city hotel on Tuesday. "When we estimated the demand to be 5,000MW, it stood 3,000MW ahead of that," he said.

"We had set a target to generate 7,000MW power within 2015. But now we will need to produce 9,000MW," the finance minister said.

Private TV channel Maasranga and the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries had jointly organised the discussion.

The government has been facing widespread criticism over the power crisis. Although 3,000MW has been added to the national power grid over the past three years of the Awami League-led government, load-shedding remains a recurring phenomenon on account of the demand exceeding the supply.

According to the Power Development Board, the country produced 5,100MW on Monday, while the demand on the day was 6,100MW.

'Agri subsidy to continue'

The finance minister said the amount of subsidy for the agriculture sector in the budget for 2012-2013 fiscal would remain the same as in the current budget.

"We'll have to give the agriculture sector Tk 60 billion by way of subsidy. It will remain unchanged in the next budget," he said.

Former Agriculture Advisor to the Caretaker Government C S Karim said, "Production will get affected if farmers do not get fair price for their produce. Its effect will be much more dangerous than that of power or fuel crisis."

He suggested the government not to export rice for now.

Inflation

Muhith also admitted that 'excessive' bank loans taken by the government had impacted inflation.

"It is right that we have taken lots of loan from banks. It impacts inflation," he said.

"But," he added, "inflation is basically caused due to hike in prices of fuel oil and other commodities in the international market."

He also talked of devaluation of taka against US dollar as one of the reasons pushing inflation.

A woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband in the capital’s Adabar area Monday night.

The victim is identified as Chandana Begum, 22, of Pirganj upazila in Rangpur while her suspected killer husband is Saju Hossain, of Bogra.

Saju, a garment worker, rented a room at Road No. 3 of Shekhertek this month, said Anwar Hossain, a sub-inspector (SI) of Adabar Police Station.

Saju stabbed Chandana indiscriminately around 11:00pm Monday at their rented house, the SI said.

The SI suspected that family feud might be the reason behind the killing.

Saju, however, managed to escape the scene immediately after the killing, the SI added.

Being informed by the other tenants of the house, police recovered the body around 1:00am Tuesday and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday took into cognisance the money-laundering charges against businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun.

After scrutinising the case dockets and other relevant documents, Judge Md Jahurul Haque of the Senior Special Judge’s Court passed the order in the morning.

During the hearing, Mamun, now in custody, was present in the dock.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on April 29 pressed the charges against Mamun bringing allegation that he siphoned off 4,18,853 British pounds to the United Kingdom.

On September 22 last year, the ACC filed the case with Cantonment Police Station against Mamun, a business partner of BNP chief Khaleda Zia's elder son Tarique Rahman.

According to First Information Report (FIR), Mamun opened two accounts with a London branch of NatWest Bank and laundered the money.

Of the total amount, 2,14,356 pounds was found in one of the accounts. The money was deposited between July 2003 and January 2005.

M Shahzad Ali, owner of Bangladesh Telecom, had deposited 17,286 pounds in November 2004 and his wife M Tahmina Ali deposited 27,323, pounds to the account.

A sum of 2,04,497 pounds was found in the other account of Mamun. The money was deposited there between March 2003, and October 2006.

Mamun did not disclose the sources of this account though he was asked to explain in two letters sent to him at Kashimpur Central Jail, the FIR added.

Trial of another money laundering case filed against Mamun and Tarique is going on with the Special Judge Court-3 of Dhaka.

Mamun, who stands accused in 13 other cases, has already been convicted and sentenced to 20 years in jail in three cases, two of which were for corruption.

The International Crimes Tribuanal-1 on Tuesday issued a contempt rule against a counsel for war crimes accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for violating a tribunal order.

Contemner Barrister Fakhrul Islam will have to explain by May 27 why punitive action would not be taken against him for violating its order.

The three-judge panel headed by Justice Md Nizamul Huq issued the rule following a petition moved by the prosecution.

On Monday, Justice Nizamul Huq cautioned Fakhrul as he called first prosecution witness Prof Anisuzzaman a liar during his cross-examination.

The tribunal also cautioned Salauddin on the same day about his behaviour in the courtroom.

A nephew of the junior home minister has allegedly beaten up a journalist for reporting 'nepotism' in awarding Food for Work Programme tender.

Abdullah Al Mamun, the local correspondent of Bengali daily Kaler Kantho, was admitted to the Pabna Medical College Hospital after the alleged beating on Monday morning.

State Minister for Home Shamsul Hoque Tuku, however, said that the incident involving his nephew Aminul Islam was result of a personal dispute.

Mamun's elder brother Al Mahmud Sarker is the Science and Technology Secretary of ruling Awami League's Pabna district unit.

"Police have been ordered to arrest the attackers," Tuku said.

Bera Police Station Officer in Charge Abdul Hye said a case was filed against six people, including Aminul. "We are trying to arrest the accused."

Mamun's brother told that Aminul, son of Badiul Alam, and his followers had been threatening his brother since the Bengali daily published a report titled 'Relatives of MP Tuku get T-R, Food for Work tenders' on Friday.

He said Aminul led 12-13 'miscreants', including Nazrul, Firoz, Halim, Zakir and Sagar, to beat his brother Mamun.

Witnesses said Aminul and his associates brought Mamun to a place in front of a temple when he was about to leave a restaurant at Bera upazila around 9:30am.

"Miscreants led by Aminul beat me up with rod. They hit my back, hand and shoulder," Mamun told

Hospital's orthopedic surgery unit chief Dr Reazul Haque said no bone of Mamun had broken but he would need rest.

Local journalists held a rally at Pabna Press Club to protest the alleged attack.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared a raise in the status of assistant teachers of government secondary schools from the third grade to the second grade.

The declaration came from a meeting of the Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers Association at Dhaka Residential Model College on Tuesday.

She pointed out that her government had raised the status of headmasters and assistant headmasters of government secondary schools from the second grade to the first grade.

"I declare now from here that from this moment onward, assistant teachers are alleviated from the third grade to the second grade."

The association's general secretary Mohammad Imon Ali placed the long-standing demand of secondary assistant teachers before the Prime Minister in his welcome address.

"If we do not show proper respect to the teachers, we will not produce students with self-respect and the country will not progress far," Hasina said, adding that no one can now neglect the teachers.

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


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

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

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

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

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

An elderly woman was burnt to death as a fire broke out at her house in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat early Monday.

The dead victim is Joyfun Nesa, 76, wife of Hossain Ali of Chandonpat village in the upazila, reports our Lalmonirhat correspondent.

Locals and family sources said the fire was originated from an electric short circuit in the room of Joyfun Nesa’s younger son Jafor Ali and soon spread to four other adjacent rooms including Joyfun Nesa’s one.

All the family members except Joyfun Nesa managed to go out of the house safely.

Local people extinguished the fire after two hours of frantic efforts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 25 leaders and activists of 18-party alliance including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accused of exploding 'bombs' at secretariat secured an anticipatory bail from the High Court on Monday.

Justice Mohammad Anwarul Haque, judge of a third bench of the HC, granted them bail till submission of the charge sheet in the case.

The case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station against 28 leaders and activists of 18-party alliance in connection with exploding 'bombs' at the Bangladesh Secretariat during the April 29 shutdown.

Among the accused, 25 secured the bail as they appeared before the HC bench around 10:30am for bail.

On May 7, two HC judges delivered dissenting orders on their bail petitions compelling the chief justice to sent the petition to a third bench.

Earlier on Sunday, the HC bench of Justice Md Anwarul Haque ordered the alliance leaders to surrender before the lower court by May 16 in connection with a case filed for torching a vehicle near the Prime Minister’s Office during the April 29 hartal.

The HC also ordered the law enforcers not to arrest or harass the accused until they appear before the lower court on May 16.

DISSENTING ORDER

On May 10, Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain sent the bail petition to the third bench of the HC since two judges of a division bench earlier passed dissenting order on the petition.

Earlier on May 7, a two-member HC bench delivered dissenting orders on seven separate bail petitions submitted by around 30 accused leaders, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in the cases filed for blasts and arson during the April 29 shutdown.

Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, the senior judge of the bench, granted anticipatory bail to the accused till submission of police reports in the cases, which were filed with Tejgaon and Shahbagh police stations.

He also issued seven separate rules upon the government to explain in three weeks why the petitioners should not be granted regular bail.

Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder, the other judge, however, directed the accused politicians to surrender before the magistrate's court concerned within seven days and ordered law enforcers not to harass or arrest them during that period.

The two judges had recently sent the bail petitions along with their orders to the chief justice.

TORCHING CASE

In another development on May 13, a Dhaka court fixed May 21 to decide whether it will indict Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 44 other leaders and activists of the 18-party alliance in the vehicle torching case.

Earlier on May 10, inspector of the Detective Branch of Police Nurul Amin, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against 45 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance, including Fakhrul, in the case.

Strictly scrutinized 100 armed cadres of the ruling Awami League in Bangladesh, who received 6-month long extensive commando training at Dehradun in India under the direct supervision of Indian espionage agency the Research and Analysis Wing are continuing various types of activities, including secret killing, abduction etcetera since June of 2010 with the mission of “clearing” a large number of politicians, media personnel and members of the civil society in Bangladesh. The team codenamed “Crusader-100” went to India during end September 2009 and stayed there till mid June 2010, where brilliant commando trainers of Indian Army gave extensive training to these people under the disguise of “training few young commandos of Bangladesh Army”. The entire project of “Crusader-100” was originally conceived by Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the project was coordinated directly by the Bangladeshi Prime Minister and her defense advisor Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui.
Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui maintains special connection with Indian RAW and British MI6 for decades, since he was in army service. Such relations of RAW and MI6 with him was because of his family relations with Sheikh Hasina. When Bangladesh Awami League formed government in January 2009, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui became extremely important in the government due to his official position as the defense advisor to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister as well as his personal identity of being the brother-in-law of Prime Minister’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana. The selection of the entire batch of ruling party cadres, who were sent to India for commando training were directly done by Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui and a few of his loyal colleagues and retired army officers, while on return of the members of the “Crusader-100” team from India, they were provided a hit list comprising names of opposition politicians, members of Bangladeshi media and some members of the civil society. According to information, the list contains names of more than 83 people, who are planned to be “cleared” by the members of the “Crusader-100” gang. The members of these specially trained hitters are housed inside several buildings at Dhaka’s Gulshan and Baridhara areas. The Baridhara “bases” of the hitters is maintained directly by Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui and each of such places are equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipments as well as entry of civilians are restricted within these premises. Leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, M Ilias Ali, who became victim of enforced disappearance recently, was also named in the list of Crusader-100 force. My New Delhi contacts disclosed few of the names of the hit list, which include, political leaders Amanullah Aman, Mirza Abbas, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, M Ilias Ali, Habibun Nabi Sohel, Abdullah Al Noman, Barrister Abdur Razzaque, Shafiul Alam Pradhan, ASM Abdur Rob, Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini and Moulana Fazlul Karim. Awami League and RAW have decided “clearing” the listed names latest by December 2013, which they consider to be “vital” for the ruling party in Bangladesh in returning into power.
The gang of Crusader-100 is equipped with sophisticated small and medium range weapons, mostly with silencers as well as bullet-proof jackets, gas bombs and vehicles for their operations. Some of the members of this gang use satellite phones to skip interception of any of the Bangladeshi intelligence agencies. Each of the members of this gang received healthy financial package alongside various types of extra benefits, including apartments in Dhaka city for the members of their families and small businesses. They are not allowed to show faces during the day-time and mostly required to stay inside their bases in Dhaka city. In case of emergency, when the members of the team are required to go on street during the day time, they are compulsorily required to wear black-tinted helmets, to hide their faces from the public. By rotation, members of the team are secretly taken to India for a break of 7-10 days for “amusement” purposes. In such cases, they are allowed to cross Bangladesh-India borders without any travel documents.

Founder-mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation Dr Selina Hayat Ivy was sworn in on Sunday morning at a high-profile ceremony at the PM office, completing her investiture following a memorable election win.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina administered the oath at her office to the mayor of the port city who clinched a landslide victory in a much-orchestrated election.

A Gallup Poll survey of 21 Asian heads of state ranks Sheikh Hasina seventh with 77 percent approval.

The Bangladesh prime minister received higher approval rating than her counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, Japan or India, according to the survey conducted in 2011.

The Washington-based Gallup Poll, specialising in public opinion surveys, found that just about a fifth of the people (19 percent) disapproved of Hasina and 4 percent would not answer.

The results of the survey conducted in the third year of her rule were published on Friday.

However, the survey showed majorities in more than half of the surveyed countries and regions approved of their chief executives, with leaders in Southeast and South Asia earning some of the highest marks in the region.

Results are based on face-to-face and telephone interviews with approximately 1,000 adults, aged 15 and more, conducted between April 5 and Dec 4, 2011.

It showed New Zealand prime minister John Key ranked 9th with an approval rating of 72 percent while the Indian chief executive Manmohan Singh ranked 11th with 59 percent approval. Australian prime minister Julia Gillard came 14th with 45 percent and Japan's Yoshihiko Noda ranked 15th with 44 percent.

The survey found more leaders in Asia lost support than gained it between 2011 and 2010, despite more residents expressing approval for their leadership than disapproval in most of the countries surveyed.

According to the report, the 20 percent approval rating that Pakistanis gave their president was the lowest in the region, while Laos topped with 97 percent followed by Cambodia and Sri Lanka in second and third.

The report said, Laotians, Cambodians, and Sri Lankans were most likely to express support for their leaders, with more than nine in 10 saying they approve of their job performance.

"Economic stability and peace dividends may help explain some of the relatively high approval that leaders of Laos, Cambodia and Sri Lanka get from their constituents."

"Laos' 7 percent or better economic growth since 2008, for example, likely contributes to residents' approval of President Choummali Saignason," the report said.

According to the report, Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka may still be benefiting from residents' residual euphoria following the 2009 end of the country's 26-year civil war.

In contrast, political discord, internal strife, and geo-political complexities likely affected approval ratings for leaders in Hong Kong, Nepal and Pakistan.

"Pakistanis have never placed much confidence in President Asif Ali Zardari's leadership; throughout his tenure, the country has grappled with terrorism, challenging relations with the US and a struggling economy," the report said.

The report, however, did not elaborate on the Bangladeshi situation and why it finds itself among the top 10 in Asia despite its volatile politics, soaring food and fuel prices, and chronic utility crises including severe electricity and gas shortage.

It explained, recent government corruption scandals and economic troubles have likely tarnished the image of the Indian PM, who has seen a slight dip in his approvals.

Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong has maintained relatively high approval ratings compared with ratings that other leaders around the world received in 2011.

"Gradually declining approval ratings for Lee's People's Action Party may be contributing to the decline in his own rating," according to the Gallup report.

The leaders of Malaysia, Cambodia, and Taiwan saw marginal improvement in their already positive ratings.

The Gallup analysis says, compared with other global regions, there will be few elections in Asia and leadership will remain stable for the duration of 2012.

The findings suggest that those leaders without a majority of their constituents' support need to address the economic, social, and political concerns of their populations.

"Given the lack of support among residents in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and South Korea, these leaders in particular will continue to struggle in governing their respective countries."

South Korea's Lee Myung-bak will continue to grapple with engaging constituents concerned with corruption allegations and provocations involving North Korea, it said.

The survey has an error margin 2-4 percentage points, plus or minus.

The first war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh is scheduled to rule on Jamaat guru Ghulam Azam's indictment on Sunday, already having deferred the date twice.

The International Crimes Tribunal–1, set up on Mar 25 of 2010, on the 39th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence, is trying crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

The prosecution's numerous charges against the former Jamaat-e-Islami chief mainly consist of incitement, conspiracy, complicity and command responsibility for crimes against humanity.

Ghulam Azam, a former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, arguably the largest Islamist organisation in the subcontinent, is allegedly among the key people who pioneered anti-liberation efforts in 1971 colluding with the Pakistani military junta of that time.

Azam is widely perceived to have been among core group of right-wing supporters of the Pakistani Army, who came out strongly in support of a united Pakistan.

Ghulam Azam, then chief of Jamaat, was instrumental in setting up the infamous Peace Committee at the national level. The Razakars, an auxiliary force set up mainly to actively thwart the liberation forces, are said to have been mobilised through the Peace Committees across Bangladesh.

Among the most notorious vigilante militia are the Al Badr, whose membership is said to have been mainly dominated by the Jamaat's student wing, called the Islami Chhatra Sangha at that time.

The Al Badr is alleged to have spearheaded execution of the intellectual elites of Bangladesh just days before Bangladesh's victory on Dec 16, 1971.

On Dec 12, 2011, the prosecution brought a 52-point charter of charges against Azam and appealed for his arrest. Later, following the tribunal order, charges were re-arranged and presented to the tribunal on Jan 5.

He was produced before the tribunal on Jan 11 and sent to jail the same day. Since that evening, Ghulam Azam has been kept at the prison cell of the Bangabandhu 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 BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's rule. Having led Jamaat for long, Azam retired from active politics in 1999.

His party remains a key ally of the main opposition BNP. Two Jamaat leaders, also behind bars for war crimes charges, have even served as ministers during the BNP's last tenure in government between 2001 and 2006, when Azam's party was part of the ruling coalition.

Garment workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway protesting against the detention of a fellow worker for a second day on Sunday, a day after violence between police and workers had left at least 100 people injured.

One female worker died after being run over by a speeding bus during the violence on Saturday.

Ashulia Police Station officer-in-charge (investigation) Mustafa Kamal said on Sunday that the workers brought in tree trunks to block the highway near Narshinghapur and set them on fire around 9am. They also vandalised around 25 vehicles.

He said chases and counter-chases also took place between the workers and the police on Sunday and at the height of the clash around 10am had fired rubber bullets and tear shells.

Operations in about 100 factories remained suspended on Sunday amid fear of further violence.

On Saturday, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to bring the situation under control after the protesting workers blocked the road, smashed vehicles and attacked police. Some 100 people including 10 police officials were injured in the violence on Saturday.

The workers took to the street to protest against detention of a worker of Hameem Group's Artistic Design Limited who was detained on Thursday after he allegedly attacked an official of the group.

Thursday's detention of the worker followed an altercation with an official over talking on mobile phone during work. The authorities of Artistic Design handed over the worker to the police as he had allegedly beat up the official.

Opex Sweater worker 'Nahara', 30, died when she was run over by a bus while trying to flee police action.

The newly-formed Election Commission will hold talks with political parties if needed regarding the use of electronic voting machines in the national polls, the chief election commissioner has said.The EC will again take the initiative to hold dialogue with political parties to make use of EVMs in the national polls acceptable to everyone. The new commission has not yet taken a decision on the matter, Kazi Rakib Uddin Ahmed told journalists at the EC secretariat on Tuesday.This is first time the new CEC has talked about EVMs after taking office on Feb 9.When the previous EC talked to political parties on the issue, they suggested using EVMs in other polls prior to their use in the national polls. BNP strongly opposed their use, while Awami League extended full support.At the end of the previous commissions tenure, former CEC A T M Shamsul Huda said that they are completing all preparations needed for the use of EVMs in the national polls.The former EC also instructed BUETs IICT to develop prototype of the present EVM to be used in the national polls.New CEC Kazi Rakib said, Technology has seen massive development. So we will not lag behind the technology.Talks are going on with BUET to make the current EVMs more precise and reliable, so that normal voters do not face any problems and can cast their votes properly.

Awami League (AL) lawmaker and former state minister for home Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj resigned as parliament member on Monday.A confidential parliament source confirmed about the matter on Monday.
According to source, Sohel’s additional personal assistant Abu Kawsar sent the resignation letter to the speaker’s office at about 1030am.However, acting parliament secretary Mahfujur Rahman said that he knew nothing in this regard.
Earlier, Sohel Taj, son of country`s first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, sent a letter to cabinet secretariat asking why a huge amount of money was sent to his account after two and a half years and why no gazette notification on his resignation was issued.
Meanwhile, he demanded that the government take back around Tk 40 lakh deposited in his account in remuneration and allowances for the post.
Earlier on June 1, 2009, he stepped down as state minister for home affairs about five months into his appointment.
Sohel Taj, son of country`s first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Office on the same day.
Later, he was made a minister without portfolio.
Sources said Sohel Taj did not specify any reason except `personal ground` for his resignation.

A Dhaka Court has indicted journalist Shafiq Rehman, daily Naya Diganta editor Alamgir Mohiuddin and its publisher Shamsul Huda for libel. The Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrates court of Hakim Shahriar Mahmud Adnan framed charge against the three on Thursday.
Bangladesh Quoran Shiksha Mission president Maolana Abu Bakar Siddique, who is also Awami Olama League vice-president, filed a case accusing the three for hurting religious sentiment and defaming Islam on Mar 6 in 2011.
According to the case statement, Naya Diganta ran a column on Feb 25 in 2011 written by Shafiq Rehman titled Not a chance editor, a chance adviser quoting former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque. In another column in the same newspaper, Shafique Rehman identified Khairul Haque as Chance Muhammad, it was alleged in the case.
It was alleged in the case that Shafiq Rehman criticised prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) by writing the column and hurt emotions of the Muslims and the religion Islam was defamed.
But the judge took into cognisance only the charge of the defamation.
All the three accused pleaded their innocence after the charge was read out before them.
A T M Golam Daud argued for the plaintiff while Abdullah Mahmud Hasan stood for the accused.

Missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali's wife met his party chief again on Wednesday.

Tahsina Rushdir Luna had also met Khaleda Zia on May 3.

Khaleda's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told that she went to the opposition chief's office at Gulshan around 9pm and was there for more than one hour.

Khaleda's aide added that Luna went to the party chairperson's Gulshan office alone.

Luna had previously called on Khaleda on Apr 21 following the disappearance of her husband.

Ilias, one of the organising secretaries of BNP and a former MP from Sylhet, and his driver went missing in the early hours of Apr 18. His car was found abandoned in the capital's Mohakhali area.

BNP has been alleging that 'government agencies picked him up', but the government has been refuting the allegation, saying it was a 'drama staged by the BNP'.

The Rapid Action Battalion and police have raided several places at Pubail in Gazipur and Dhaka in search of Ilias, but to no avail.