The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Election Commission at its dialogue with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu) yesterday agreed in principle to ban religion-based politics in the country constitutinally.

The EC also agreed in principle to make war criminals as well as anti-liberation forces (individuals or institutions) ineligible to contest elections.

"Today, we reached a consensus in principle to ban religion-based politics… Now we'll have to see how it can be made effective," Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda told the JSD delegation at the dialogue.

A 12-member JSD (Inu) delegation, led by its president Hasanul Huque Inu, yesterday morning sat with the EC to discuss draft reform proposals on electoral laws.

The demand for banning religion-based politics and preventing war criminals as well as anti-liberation individuals or institutions from contesting elections is growing since the EC has started its dialogue with selected 15 political parties on September 12.

Earlier, the EC sat with seven political parties -- Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL), Ganotantri Party, Jatiya Party (Manju), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab), Jamaat-e-Islami

Bangladesh and National Awami Party (NAP-Muzaffar). They all, excepting the IOJ and Jamaat, suggested a ban on any religion-based political party and anti-liberation forces, mentioning the name of only Jamaat.

"The Election Commission will look into the issue with importance," Huda told the JSD delegation when it placed their proposal for debarring war criminals and anti-liberation elements from contesting elections. Quoting the Constitution, the JSD delegation said doing politics in the name of religion is illegal and religion cannot be used for gaining political purposes.

The JSD leaders said it is the duty of the EC to uphold the Constitution and it would be violation of their (Commissioners) constitutional oath if they allow religion-based political parties to get registered.

"The Constitution (Article 66) has to be amended for making war criminals and anti-liberation forces ineligible… The matter can be treated as academic one, but won't be effective," Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain told the delegation.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain was also present at the dialogue.

"We dislike the war criminals and anti-liberation forces, they are hated persons… But it's difficult to take legal action against them… We need evidence, court orders, specific evidence to disqualify any contestant," CEC Huda told the JSD leaders.

Banning the war criminals and anti-liberation elements is largely a political matter to which the EC got involved somehow, he said, adding that somehow it couldn't do it in 36 years (of independence).

"Meanwhile, the Law Adviser said the matter has got complicated in the course of time. It's true… Resolving the issue is more of a major duty of the government than the Election Commission. We'll do whatever falls under our jurisdiction."

CEC Huda said the EC would prepare some specific matters in consultation with all the political parties and compile their suggestions. "And the reform proposals will be finalized after sitting with the political parties all together once again."

Emerging from the dialogue, JSD president Inu told the newsmen that the EC should have power to ban religion-based political parties.

"The next elections should be free from war criminals and anti-liberation elements… They're beyond mercy."

"The Election Commission will send its recommendations to the President in this regard and the government will implement those," he added.

Mentioning the name of Jamaat, Inu said the party is an identified party that committed war crimes directly opposing the country's liberation war and "raping women, committing massacres, looting and arson attacks in the name of religion in 1971".

However, the JSD delegation placed some new proposals on electoral reforms at the dialogue, though they agreed on most of the EC's proposals like banning student and other professional front organizations as well as foreign units of political parties.

But they were against the proposals of using traditional ballot boxes, disclosing the sources of electoral donations from any individual or institution, and direct as well as secrete balloting within parties for picking up leaders for elections.

JSD suggested introduction of representative government system based on the proportion of obtained votes instead of constituency-based elections, not having the provision to contest by one candidate from more than one constituencies, holding elections in more thanone days and electing president based on the cast votes of all the representatives, including the local body.

Suggestions were also made to keep aside 100 constituencies for women for direct contest, delimitating constituencies, making the EC fully independent and formulating voter list for the Chittagong Hill Tracts as per the CHT peace treaty.

The EC will sit with Jatiya Party (Ershad) on November 1, Bangladesh Awami League on Nov 4, Workers Party on Nov 11, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Naziur) on Nov 15, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on November 22, CPB on Nov 25 and Samyabadi Dal on Nov 29.

Staff Reporter

In a dramatic development in national politics, the BNP National Standing Committee at a meeting on Tuesday night appointed party leaders M Saifur Rahman Acting Chairman and Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed as Secretary General.

The meeting withdrew the expulsion orders against former party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Joint Secretary General Ashraf Hossain and Office Secretary Mofiqul Hasan Triptee. Mannan Bhuiyan was reinstated in Standing Committee and Ashraf and Triptee in their previous post. The meeting also removed Khandaker Delwar Hossain from the post of the party Secretary General.

Seven members of the BNP National Standing Committee attended the meeting with M Saifur Rahman, the senior-most leader of the party after its Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, in the chair at his Gulshan residence in the capital.

Those present at the meeting are Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, M Shamsul Islam, RA Ghani and Advocate Mahbubuddin Ahmed. Standing Committee members Khandaker Delwar Hossain and Abdul Matin Chowdhury did not attend the meeting due to indisposition.

Three of the 12-member Standing Committee-Begum Khaleda Zia, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Barrister Maudud Ahmed are in prison on corruption charges.

Earlier, at a meeting with Mannan Bhuiyan at his residence, BNP leaders arrived at an understanding that he would not be reappointed the party Secretary General.

Party sources said Khandaker Delwar Hossain immediately was hospitalised on Tuesday to avoid the Standing Committee meeting, as M Saifur Rahman invited him. He fled the BIRDEM hospital Tuesday night, when some of the Standing Committee members decided to visit him at the hospital to accompany him to the meeting.

It may be mentioned here that Begum Zia expelled Mannan Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain and appointed Khandaker Delwar Hossain Secretary General immediately before her arrest on September 3.

Khandaker Delwar expelled Mofiqul Hasan Triptee a few days later, as the latter sided with Mannan Bhuiyan, who is leading the reformist group of the party.

Disclosing the decisions after the meeting, M Saifur Rahman told journalists that the Standing Committee resolved to accept the action of Begum Zia on its judgment about the four party leaders-Mannan Bhuiyan, Khandaker Delwar, Ashraf Hossain and Mofiqul Hasan Triptee-when she comes out of the prison.

Disapproving Begum Zia's expulsion orders against Mannan Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain, the meeting resolved that the Chairperson took the wrong decision abruptly, as she misguided her prolonged isolation from the party ranks.

When asked, Khandaker Delwar yesterday denied accepting the Standing Committee decision, saying, "The meeting was illegal as its not called by the Chairperson as per the party constituion." He said he would not relinquish his office as the party Secretary General bowing to the Standing Committee decision.

Justifying the decision at a press conference, Acting BNP Chairman M Saifur Rahman yesterday dismissed the views expressed by Khandkar Delwar terming those as the latter's 'personal opinion.

"Everything cannot go by the (party) constitution. We cannot lag behind by sticking to the constitution in this age of globalisation," Saifur said when his attention was drawn to the remarks of Khandkar Delwar Hossain. The BNP constitution was made in 1978 and it needs to be updated now, he added.

"It is not a question of legal or illegal," Saifur said, adding, "Besides, no individual is greater than the party and the nation. We should not stick to any individual in view of the upcoming election."

He said, " We will look at the interest of the country and its development."

Pointing to BNP's political rival Saifur said Awami League was not suffering from any division and had advanced a lot keeping in view the upcoming election.

"We must unite the party. The nationalist force should remain united and work together to face up the situation," he added.

Saifur said, "We must not allow conflict and division in the party. The rank and file should advance with the political ideology of the founder of the party the late President Ziaur Rahman."

Newly appointed acting Secretary General Maj (rtd) Hafizuddin Ahmed said, "Those, who defy the decision of the party Standing Committee are nobody of BNP. Some are trying to muddle the situation by issuing conflicting statements."

He said the BNP Standing Committee has brought about certain changes in the party in accordance with the constitution. Saifur Rahman has taken the responsibility at the request of the Committee members despite his ill health.

"We shall start working from tomorrow. Our activities will prove as to whether the party is united or divided," Hafiz asserted.

He said they would not allow division in BNP. He warned that in case of division and conflict the political adversaries would take the advantage.

Senior BNP leaders Dr Osman Farooq, Prof Rezaul Karim, Mofazzal Karim, Z A Khan, S A Sultan, Nazir Hossain, Masud Arun, Dr Ziaul Haq Mollah and Ebadur Rahman were among those present at the residence of Saifur Rahman.

Later they went to the mazar of Ziaur Rahman and offered special prayer.

Kailash Sarkar

The Rapid Action Battalion yesterday seized an enormous amount of diamond, gold, white-gold, foreign liquor, share certificates and bonds of different companies, huge foreign currencies, credit cards of different banks, firearms and various other valuable materials from a city house.

These items were seized from the Dhanmondi residence of Mahbubur Rahman alias Joinal, Managing Director (MD) of Hotel Purbani International in the city's Motijheel area.

The recovery was made hot on the heels of the seizure of the country's biggest ever haul of Yaaba tablets worth Tk 15 crore on October 24, RAB said.

According to RAB sources, the seizure list included at least three trunks full of ornaments of diamond, gold and white gold, share certificates worth Tk 28 crore, bonds worth Tk 20 lakh, Tk 52 lakh in cash, foreign currencies worth Tk 60 lakh, 50 credit cards, 165 bottles of foreign liquor, four firearms with huge number of bullets and cartridges, six sharp weapons, four passports, four packets of viagra, sex stimulating tablets, and various other materials.

Eyewitnesses said after the recovery of the ornaments and currencies, RAB had hired three machines from different banks for counting the money.

They also hired specialists to identify the diamond and gold and estimate its market prices. They conducted the raid for around 20 hours.

RAB-3 Wing Commander Colonel Sultan Ahmed Nurani said, "It will take more time to count all the money, estimate the worth of currencies, and ornaments."

Sources said before the raid at Dhanmondi, RAB conducted another raid at Karnafuli Garden City in Shantinagar and detained six model girls, including BD Foods model Shahin Shila.

Colonel Nurani told The New Nation that the drive was followed by the confession of Aziz Mohammad Bhai's nephew Amin Huda, who was arrested with Yaaba tablets worth Tk 15 crore.

"Most of the items recovered from the house were extremely expensive", Wing Commander Nurani said, "I have visited several countries, but never saw such priceless ornaments or expensive liquors ever in my life."

He said, "On Monday night we conducted a raid at Karnafuli Garden City to nab ramp model Jannatul Ferdous Nikita alias Eni, allegedly the mistress of Joinal and friend of Amin Huda, and recovered more Yaaba. Although, we could not arrest her, we found her father Abdul Noor. Following his statement, we conducted the raid at Joinal's residence in Dhanmondi where we found these materials."

Replying to a question, he, however, said that they had detained one of the friends of Nikita. But, Joinal and his accomplices had fled sensing the RAB drive, he said.

According to sources, Nikita and Joinal had been peddling Yaaba in cooperation with Amin Huda and his accomplices for a long time.

Sources said during the raid at Karnafuli Garden City at 10:00pm Monday, they detained Nikita's father who said that Nikita had been living at the residence of Joinal. Then the RAB members rushed to Joinal's residence at House-275 of Road-27 in Dhanmondi at about 12:30am.

After the RAB-3 started the raid, RAB additional director general Gulzaruddin Ahmed and intelligence unit chief Lt Col Asif Ansari along with other high officials from the RAB Headquarters went to the spot and stayed there until the end of the raid.

According to witnesses, RAB raided the three-storey building where Mahbubur Rahman alias Joinal and his elder brother Azizur Rahman Afzal, Chairman of Hotel Purbani International, had been living.

Sources said Joinal had an American wife. After the death of his wife, he had been living together with Nikita.

Azizur Rahman Afzal while talking to reporters said that he was not in good terms with his younger brother, Joinal, and had not been speaking to him for the last ten months or so as Joinal was involved in various unsocial activities.

Meanwhile, Mirpur police arrested an alleged phesidyl peddler and recovered at least 211 bottles of the contraband drug and about Tk 6 lakh from her possession.

Staff Reporter

Nuclear physicist Dr Wazed Mia met his detained wife and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina after 104 days of her detention at sub-jail on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex yesterday.

Hasina was detained at the sub-jail on July 16.

Wearing white-coloured Pyjamas and Punjabi, Dr Wazed, along with Sheikh Hasina's five other close relatives--aunt Razia Sultana Naser, Sheikh Selim's wife Fatema Selim, Sheikh Rehana's sister-in-law Shamima Siddique and Dr Wazed and Hasina's grandson Shamsur Rahman Tutul--entered the sub-jail at about 10:00am to see Hasina with fruits and dry foods.

They spent nearly 90 minutes in the jail, the AL president special assistant Hasan Mahmud told reporters.

During the meeting, both Hasina and Wazed got emotional and inquired about each other's health condition. Hasina also inquired about her son Joy, daughter in law Christina Joy and daughter Putul, and their children

Dr Mahmud complained that Hasina was not allowed to see Wazed when he was in hospital with serious ailments.

Dr Wazed thanked the government and the jail authorities for allowing him to see his wife, Mahmud said.

Hasina asked his relatives to convey to the government that she wanted to talk to her sister Sheikh Rehana, Hasan Mahmud said.

Sheikh Hasian also urged the jail authorities to restore satellite TV connection in her room, which was disconnected before Eid. As a result, the Awami League president cannot watch satellite television programmes.

Staff Reporter

Former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar was sentenced to 17 years of rigorous imprisonment by a special tribunal yesterday for possessing illegal arms and ammunition.

The court awarded him 10 years' jail for keeping illegal arms under Section 19 (a), while 7 years for keeping bullets under Section 19 (f) of the Arms Act. Since the punishment will run concurrently, Babar will have to suffer a total of 10 years' imprisonment.

Judge Syed Zahed Mansur of the Metropolitan Special Session Court handed down the verdict at about 12:45pm after examining records and hearing 14, out of 16 witnesses.

In his verdict, judge Syed Zahed Mansur said the highest punishment in the arms case is imprisonment for life. "Since Babar has been admitted to hospital for his sickness, he has been given comparatively less punishment on special consideration," he said.Earlier, Babar was taken to the court from Dhaka Central Jail through an ambulance.

Babar's lawyers said they would appeal to the higher court against the verdict.

The army-led joint forces in a raid into Babar's Gulshan residence on May 28 last seized four firearms, including a shotgun, two pistols and a revolver, two magazines and 297 rounds of bullets from his bedroom. As Babar failed to show any valid document for a revolver and 25 rounds of bullets, the joint forces arrested him.

On June 3, an arms case was filed with Gulshan Police Station against Babar for possessing illegal arms and ammunition by sub inspector Helaluddin.

The investigation officer of the case sub inspector Khabiruddin submitted the charge sheet to the court on June 23 last showing 16 prosecution witnesses. Charge was framed against him on July 25. Later, depositions of 14, out of 16 witnesses were recorded by the court.

This is the first case in which the former state minister for Home Affairs convicted. He faces more than half a dozen criminal and corruption cases.

Known as Young Turk in BNP, Babar was closely linked with Hawa Bhaban and its supremo Tarique Rahman, eldest son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia. Babar had held the portfolio of Home Ministry till the end of tenure of BNP-Jamaat alliance government in October last year.

Staff Reporter

The Government is steadily moving ahead for separation of the judiciary from the executive and has already started to withdraw executive officials from magisterial jobs.

The pullout of executive officials from magistracy started yesterday with an establishment Ministry circular for withdrawal of ten senior magistrates, who preferred executive jobs. The chief metropolitan magistrates for Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi and Chittagong are also included in the posting list.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhrudin Ahmed will inaugurate the historic event of separation of the judiciary from the executive tomorrow at a function at China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference centre here.

Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin will attend the function as special guest. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein will preside over the function.

Out of the 10 magistrates, three have been posted to administrative positions and seven others have been placed with the establishment ministry for posting.

Chief metropolitan magistrate for Dhaka Tariqul Islam has been made joint secretary of the cabinet division.

CMM for Khulna Jamaluddin Ahmed has been made deputy secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division and CMM for Chittagong AKM Shahidur Rahman has been posted to the Power Division as deputy secretary.

CMM for Rajshahi Afzal Hossain, Dhaka metropolitan magistrates Abul Bashar Mohammad Abdul Fattah and Golam Rahman Miah, additional CMMs for Dhaka Helal Uddin, Abdus Salam Miah and Matiur Rahman and additional CMM for Chittagong Mafizul Islam have been placed with the establishment ministry following their withdrawal.

Two deputy secretaries have also been transferred. Deputy secretary of the agriculture ministry Jagdish Chandra Biswas has been made the deputy controller of insurance and the deputy secretary of the land ministry Sajjad Kabir has been transferred to the information ministry.

Earlier, Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Rokanuddowla was made OSD and Khulna metropolitan magistrate Shefina Begum was placed with the establishment ministry.

The Chief Adviser will inaugurate the Dhaka District Judicial Magistracy and Dhaka District Metropolitan Magistracy at 10-30 am at the function.

Staff Reporter

Sectors Commanders' Forum has announced to form a legal committee to file cases against the war criminals.

The forum will organise a convention of the freedom fighters to unify them before December 16 this year, it also demanded ban on the politics of Jamaat and war criminals.

Deputy Commander-in-chief of the Liberation War and president of the forum Air Vice Marshal (Retd) AK Khandoker said this yesterday at a press conference at the Muktijuddha Jadughar.

Sector Commanders of the Liberation War urged the people of every walks of life to identify and boycott the war criminals and send the details of their crimes to the head office of the forum at House No 415, Road No 30, DOHS Mohakhali, Dhaka-1206.

At the press conference the sector commanders reiterated their demand for the trial of war criminals and condemned Jamaat Secretary General Mujahid's comment about war criminals on October 25 saying the statement was a conspiracy against the sovereignty of the country.

They also condemned the comment of Shah Abdul Hannan, known as Jamaat's consultant, that the great Liberation War was only a civil war.

Convener of SCF Lt Gen (Retd) Harun-ur-Rashid moderated the programme while, sector commanders Maj Gen (Retd) KM Shafiullah, Lt Gen (Retd) Mir Shawkat Ali, Maj Gen (Retd) CR Dutta, Col (Retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury and Sub Sector Commander Gen (Retd) Mustafizur Rahman, among others, were present at the press conference.

"Pakistani war criminals and their local collaborators had committed 53 types of crimes during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971," Air Vice Marshal (Retd) AK Khandoker said.

He said as per the UN resolution of 1948 the crimes of the local collaborators of the Pak Army, Jamaat-e-Islami, Muslim League and Nizam-e-Islami, were surely war crimes they could be punished as per the constitution or under the international law. Members of the forum urged the government to start the trials of the war criminals or they would announce further programmes otherwise.

Lt Gen (Retd) Mir Shwkat Ali referring to page 78, 122 and 238 of the book of General Niazi, the commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army during the Liberation War said Al-Badar and Al-Shams were formed by the Pakistani Army to assist them in the war.

The Niazi book also refers to two paramilitary forces of the Pakistani Army which conducted operations in the remote areas and helped the 'Hanader Bahini' (Pak Army) to identify the freedom fighters and kill them.

Talking about the political ideology of the freedom fighters, Mir Shawkat said as long as razakars were with the BNP there was no question of returning to the BNP, he quit the party after it allied with the Jamaat.

He said they already received threats for demanding trial of war criminals but sector commanders were not afraid of risking their lives. They were dead in '71 and were living a life on bonus.

Barrister Tania Ameer said the Election Commission should ban Jamaat from the country's politics as the constitution of it differs from the country's constitution, as per the criteria given by the EC.

It may be mentioned that in the Liberation War the Pakistani Army with the help of the local collaborators killed thousands of Bangladeshis in about 5,000 killing fields but only 920 of them were identified by the War Crimes Facts Finding Committee. The committee identified about 88 rivers and 65 culverts where thousands of innocent Bangalis were killed.