The New Nation - Internet Edition

Blast in Udichi office at Netrakona: 3 JMB leaders to die

Three JMB cadres including Salahuddin alias Salehin
and Azaduzzaman Chowdhury Panir were awarded death sentence
yesterday for bomb attack on Udichi Office in Netrokona.
Fahima Farjana, wife of Bangla Vai, was acquitted, Banglar
Chokh

Court Correspondent

A court of Dhaka yesterday sentenced three JMB activists to death in the sensational Udichi murder case.

The convicts are: Salauddin alias Salehin, Asaduzzaman Panir and fugitive Yunus Ali. Death sentence of other accused top Jamat-ul-Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) leaders: Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai and Ataur Rahman Sunny was earlier executed in other case. Besides, Fahima alias Farjana alias Rokeya, wife of Banga Bhai was acquitted, as charge against her was not proved.

AHM Mustaque Ahmed, Judge of speedy Trial Tribunal 2 of Dhaka pronounced the verdict Sunday in his crowded court room.

Hearing the verdict convict Salauddin, who was standing in the court dock, said, he would demand trial to Almighty Allah on the day of final judgement.

Brief prosecution story says, on December 8, 2005 at 10:30 AM the accused conducted bomb attack on the offices of Udichi and Shatadal in Netrokona Eight persons were killed and four were injured seriously in the attack.Before that, on December 6, the accused made the conspiracy at the residence of Khorshed Master of Aqua area in Mymensingh to make the bomb attack.

The case was filed and inquriy was completed, charge sheet was submitted against six accused including Bangla

Bhai and Ataur Rahman Sunny. As the incident was sensational government sent the case to Speedy Trial Tribunal for trial.

During the trial process, Judge recorded the depositions of 9 witnesses to give his verdict.

Special Public Prosecutor Abdul Latif Talukder conducted the case on behalf of the prosecution while Advocates Sanowar Hossain and Mizanur Rahman moved the case on behalf of be defence.

Film star Manna dead

Manna

Staff Reporter

Popular film star Manna died of cardiac arrest at the city's United Hospital Gulshan yesterday afternoon. He was 48.

Manna, admitted to the hospital after he fell sick in the morning, was kept on life support for several hours.

Hospital sources said, the doctors earlier found three blocks in his heart and had advised him angiogram. He reached the dizzying height of his popularity after starring in films such as Ammajan. He also won the best actor in 2006. He starred in over 200 films as well as becoming a producer.

The veteran actor was secretary general of the Bangladesh Film Actors Association, and in that capacity he played a significant role in the campaign against "vulgarity, obscenity and piracy" in Bangladeshi films.

A Dhaka film industry analyst said, films starring Manna, and his perennial interest Champa, were often hugely popular and profitable. He was the craze of that time.

He was started his career as actor in 1992. one of his first films that brought Manna to attention was, Danga. Other Manna blockbusters were Trash, Chadabaz and Abbazan.

Many of dhailiwood super stars and his fans gathered to the Hospital after they got the news Manna died.

The veteran actor is survived by his wife and son.

Manna will be buried after his wife Sheli Quader, a Biman employee, returns from Dubai.

Ekushey Boi Mela 1,445 new books in fair

A woman visitor at the Bangla Academy Boi Mela has
to undergo security search conducted by a RAB personnel
obviously belonging to her own sex. NN photo

DU Correspondent

Amar Ekushey Book Fair, organised by Bangla Academy, broke all the record of past in this year as it is experiencing a spree of buying and publishing new books.

A total of 1,445 books of different titles so far hit the fair that is the highest number of the history of fair. The stall of the Bangla Academy is selling highest books especially 'English to Bangla' and 'Bangla to English' dictionary worth Tk 40 lakh and 'Anna Prokash' is staying in second position from selling. The price of the dictionary was fixed Tk 240 that was Tk 110 in last year.

The publishers are very happy in this year as they are being able to fulfill their expectation despite having price hike of paper.

Thousands of book lovers are thronging in the fair everyday for the sake of visiting and buying books due to prevailing normal situation in the country, a publisher said and adding that it has been possible for the welfare of the media.

A good number of new writers side-by-side eminent writers book hit the fair this year.

Some 98 new books arrived in the fair yesterday. Of them, 28 collection of poems, 17 novels, 14 juvenile literature, 9 stories, 9 essays and only one book hit at the fair of research book.

Besides, 12 books of different writers were unveiled at the writer's corner yesterday.

Earlier. A publishing ceremony of Prof Anwar Hossain`s book was held at the TSC cafeteria.

Prof Anwar Hossain, General Secretary of Dhaka University Teachers` Association, who wrote two books- 'Diaries of Dhaka University on the dock, remand and jail' and 'Statement in the CMM Court' during his jail life.

Prof AAMS Arefin Siddiqui, Prof MM Akash, Prof Abdus Samad spoke the programme presided by Prof Dr Noor Islam while Awami League leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna and Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders and activists were present.

Hasina willing to go abroad for treatment: Charge-hearing on Mig scam Feb 27

Staff Reporter

Imprisoned former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expressed her willingness to go abroad for treatment, her personal physician Prof Dr ABM Abdullah disclosed this after examining her health condition for the third consecutive day.

After conducting a three-hour medical checkup of Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the Awami League (AL), the physician said he has advised the jail authorities to send her to the USA since the treatment of her ear complication could not be done in any other country of the world.

A medical expert, Dr ABM Abdullah, who is a Professor of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), yesterday conducted the medical checkup at her makeshift Special Jail, situated on the premises of Parliament-building complex, where Sheikh Hasina is detained.

In reply to a question about Sheikh Hasina's intention to go abroad for treatment, Prof Abdullah said she has indicated that she would agree on treatment abroad if her physicians advised.

"I will do whatever you will advise," he quoted the former Prime Minister as telling him when he sought her consent on her treatment abroad.

DIG (Prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui reiterated his position while talking to journalists yesterday that the jail authorities are very much sincere about her treatment, but the law does not allow to send her abroad.

"We have requested her to receive treatment at any hospital of her choice under her selected doctors inside the country," the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) said, adding, "We would have been pleased to do that (send her abroad,) but jail code does not permit us."

Earlier, on Saturday the AL Presidium, the highest policymaking body of the party, after a meeting said the AL would bear all expenses of Sheikh Hasina's treatment in the USA, saying her ear treatment is possible only in the USA.

Meanwhile, the charge hearing in the Mig-29 purchase-scam case against Sheikh Hasina will be held on February 27 in presence of her as per a Court order passed yesterday.

Divisional Special Judge Golam Mortuza fixed the date and issued a "production warrant" against Sheikh Hasina. The High Court on September 6, 2007 vacated an order of stay on hearing in the case, clearing the way for the trial court to proceed.

On February 14, the court received case records.

Sheikh Hasina's counsel yesterday filed a time petition, which was rejected by the Court.

Other accused in the Mig-29 case are former Air Commodore Mirza Asgar Akhter, ex-Air Vice-Marshal Jamal Uddin Ahmed, Mohammad Hossain Sherniabat, businessman Noor Ali, Syed Yousuf Hossain and former army chief General Mostafizur Rahman.

All of the accused but Sheikh Hasina are on bail.

Private banks have few branches in city: Customers to stand in long queue to get service

Syful Islam

Customers of the most of the privately owned banks are facing immense problem on depositing or withdrawing money as those are running their business with very few branches in the capital city.

During the rush business hours customers have to stand in long queue ranging from 20 minutes to one hour to deposit or withdraw money especially in the city's Motijheel and Gulshan area. Most of the banks have only one or highly two branches for a wide location.

Bank branches run with one or two counters for both deposit and withdrawal of money. Moreover, bank officials often misbehave with the customers if they ask for quick service.

On Sunday, manager (operations) of Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd Motijheel (Foreign Exchange) branch Monem misbehaved with customers once the impatient customers asked cashiers to work fast as they were standing for a long.

Monem told a long queue of customers that they have to tolerate the hassle of long time standing if they want banking service. You have to abide by our rules, said the manager. "Is it our offense that we are doing banking with you… is opening of an account in your bank is our sin?" said an angry customer protesting Monem's remarks.

This is an example, out of many incidences taking part in the Motijheel (Foreign Exchange) branch of Dutch-Bangla bank occurring due to manpower shortage. The bank has only 24 branches in this capital city of one crore people.

Dutch-Bangla bank's ATM booths frequently go out of order as the booths entertain cards of as many as 12 other banks. Most of the times customers have to go back empty pocket despite having a card in pocket and money in the account.

Customers of the Motijheel branch of Brac Bank Ltd also face the same problem during banking. The bank has only 13 branches in Dahka city out of its total 36 branches across the country.

In the Motijheel branch of the bank customers stand in long queue to get banking services. The bank has only 2 branches in busy Motijheel commercial area, which is insufficient for a big customer base.

Despite the bank claim providing online service, customers face immense problem where they go to the ATM booths to withdraw money, as the booths go out of order frequently. The bank has only 32 ATM booths in the city.

Jandal, Nazrul sent to jail

UNB, Satkhira

Militant Harkatul Jihad leader Mufti Moyenuddin alias Abu Jandal and activist Nazrul Islam Gharami arrested in connection August 21, 2005 grenade attack on AL rally in Dhaka city were sent to prison when produced before the court yesterday.

They were brought from Dhaka Saturday midnight and handed over to Debhata thana with a case filed by RAB sub-inspector KM Tariqul Islam under the Explosives Act.

Produced before the court at noon, Satkhira Chief Judicial Magistrate Ranu Bilkis Banu ordered Jandal and Nazrul to prison.

Lokman Hekim, OC of Debhata thana who is investigating into the case said Jandal and Nazrul were arrested for their involvement in the August 21, 2005 grenade attack on Awami League rally in front of its office. Twenty-two people died in the attack.

The grenade attack case bears more significance than the case under Explosive Act filed with Debhata thana. Hence, they will be taken into remand first in the grenade attack case, said Lokman Hekim.

Satkhira police super Mirza Abdullah Hil Baqi told newsmen that preliminary investigation showed Nazrul Islam Gharami has no political identity. But he has aquitance with some Harkatul Jihadis.

RAB arrested Harkatul Jihad leader Abu Jindal from Joydevpur on Feb 14. Following his confessional statement, 41 grenades were recovered from under earth close to the home of Nazrul Gharami in Shimulia village of Debhata upazila. Known as Tablig Jamati, Nazrul who owns two shoe stores run by his two sons, was taken into custody.

In Dhaka, Fazlul Kabir of CID investigating into the case of grenade attack on Awami League rally moved the CMM court yesterday seeking ten-day remand of Jandal and Nazrul for further interrogation. Metropolitan magistrate Ehsanul Haq set February 19 for hearing of the remand petition.

Pakistan goes to vote today as rigging fears mount

AFP, Islanabad

Pakistani security forces were on high alert Sunday, as violence surged and claims of rigging mounted on the eve of elections that could threaten President Pervez Musharraf's grip on power.

Monday's vote has been overshadowed by the slaying of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December and by a subsequent wave of bloodshed, including a suicide attack on her supporters on Saturday that left 47 dead.

Opposition allegations that the parliamentary polls will be rigged have also raised tensions in the nuclear-armed nation and increased concerns among its foreign backers.

Musharraf said in an interview with former cricketer Imran Khan's ex-wife published Sunday that the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) party, which supports him, would "certainly have the majority" after Monday's vote.

But he questioned whether it would be able to form a government.

The former general, who sacked several key judges last year to pave the way for a second presidential term, faces impeachment if the opposition wins more than two-thirds of parliament.

Opinion polls have suggested that, if the polls are free and fair, Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party stands to win a majority and the party of former premier Nawaz Sharif will come second, while the PML-Q trails behind.

The man widely seen as Musharraf's choice for prime

minister -- Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of the PML-Q -- told AFP the charges of rigging were "frivoloust we are going to win the election tomorrow".

Police in southern Pakistan said they had arrested a man carrying some 500 ballot papers on Sunday. The man was believed to be a PML-Q supporter but officials were seeking confirmation, police officer Mohammad Ali Gadehi said.

Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, warned in an interview with Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that he would have "no choice" but to call for protests if the polls were fraudulent.

"If the elections are rigged the situation will go out of my hands. We'll have no choice but to take to the streets," he said.

Separately Sharif said an alleged recording of the attorney general saying the polls would be fixed showed that free elections were impossible. The attorney general has denied making the comments.

"I think it is more than clear that a massive rigging plan is in place. It has been implemented," Sharif told reporters in Lahore.

Pakistan's chief election commissioner, Qazi Farooq, pledged in a televised address that the process would be "free and fair and transparent", while authorities warned of a crackdown on any protests.

"We have security arrangements to deal with them (protesters) sternly," Information Minister Nisar Memon said.

The government has deployed 500,000 security personnel for the vote, including 81,000 troops, interior ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema told AFP.

"Security forces are on highest alert for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the polls," he said.

Authorities earlier clamped a curfew on the northwestern tribal town of Parachinar, bordering Afghanistan, as gunfire continued after Saturday's deadly suicide car bombing on Bhutto supporters.

"Since there is a curfew voting will not be possible. It is likely that the election in the Parachinar constituency may be postponed," senior local administration official Fida Mohammad Khan said.

He added that the death toll had risen to 47 with 110 wounded, making the attack the deadliest in Pakistan since Bhutto's assassination at a political rally in December.

Officials also ordered an overnight curfew in the nearby tribal region of Bajaur.

In fresh violence on Sunday, four paramilitary soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, officials said.

Separately a high school was badly damaged by a bomb blast in the tribal district of North Waziristan on Sunday, an administration official said. There were no casualties.

Niko scam: Khaleda to be interrogated at jail gate

Staff Reporter

A Court in Dhaka yesterday passed a order for interrogating detained former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia at her Special Jail on the premises of Parliament building complex in Niko scam case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani passed the order when Investigation Officer (IO) of the case and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Tejgaon police station Shahidur Rahman pleaded the Court to permit him for quizzing the BNP Chairperson.

Two separate cases were lodged against two detained former Prime Ministers-Begum Zia and Sheikh Hasina-along with some top officials of their respective governments regarding the Niko corruption involving a gas-exploration deal with the Canadian oil and gas firm, which had allegedly caused a loss to the tune of Tk 10,000 crore to the nation.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case with Tejgaon police station on December 9 last year against Begum Zia, former Law Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed, former State Minister for Energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former Acting Energy Secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Vice-President (South Asia) of Niko Resources Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif.

They were accused of signing the "illegal" deal with Niko, through corrupt means, inflicting a loss of Tk 10,000 crore upon the state during the BNP rule from the late October in 2001. Begum Zia was the Prime Minister of the country till October 28 in 2006

Barrister Moudud was questioned on January 30 at the gate of Dhaka Central Jail while Mosharraf interrogated the following day (January 31) at the gate of Kashimpur Prison under Gazipur district.

Legal action to follow: War crimes charge false, motivated:Barrister Razzak

Abdur Razzak, Barrister-at-Law, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in a statement to the press rejected an allegation made against him of commission of war crimes and termed it false and motivated.

Barrister Razzak said, 'I note with regret that the Chairman of a faction of the Bangladesh Islami Oikko Jote namely, Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury, has made an allegation against me of commission of war crimes during the War of

Liberation in 1971. The statement is a totally false and motivated one. I was never a member of Al-Badr. At the relevant time I was not in Sylhet and therefore, the question of being the Commander of the Sylhet Town Al-Badr does not arise. This is a falsehood, deliberately imputed on me for the purpose of character assassination. This is very unfortunate. Imputation of complicity in war crimes is a most serious matter and I would like to make it clear that the makers of such a false, baseless and vexatious statement will face serious legal consequences.'

US-trained SWAT more powerful than RAB underway

Staff Reporter

A 23-member police team with combat training is poised to start operation against hard-core terrorists from the next month. The team will be more powerful than the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

Addressing a press briefing at Rajarbagh Telecom Auditorium in the city yesterday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nayeem Ahmed said the special Detective Branch of police would be known as 'Special Weapon and Tactic Team' (SWAT).'

SWAT is being trained by nine American experts drawn from US police, military and FBI from the second week of January as part of capacity building to combat terrors, he said.

"This new force has been created especially to recover illegal arms and arrest the hardcore terrorists," he added.

The DMP Commissioner said the new force would remain as a part of the police force.

Sources at the police administration said this high-skill training for police, the first ever in Bangladesh, will complete on February 28.

The SWAT will go for action whenever existing law enforcing agencies even the elite force

RAB would fail to deal with terrorist groups or any criminal.

The SWAT members equipped with sophisticated weapons will act as 'quick response' and conduct 'risky' operations in Dhaka city and even outside if requires.

The SWAT, a special wing of the Detective Branch, will work under direct control of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

The DMP Commissioner also said the overall crime situation in the capital has improved in January, compared to the last two months.

However, he admitted that the incidents of car lifting has gone up in the city.

A total of 71 vehiocles were stolen in January this year, compared to 47 in December and 43 in November last year.

Nayeem Ahmed said the police have taken a crash programme to reduce the incidents of car lifting in the city.

The police commissioner also said the traffic congestion in the capital would go down significantly within the nex two months as the traffic police and the BRTA have been working together.

He also said more than 50 per cent of the old vehicles now plying on the city roads would be phased out from the capital.

Senior police officials, among others, were present at the press briefing.

SoftExpo to bring local and foreign IT experts' closer

Staff Reporter

The ongoing BASIS SoftExpo-2008 and its events is expected to build a strong bridge among the local companies and foreign clients and collaborators to pave a broader highway to IT success, said Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed.

The secretary hoped for stronger initiatives of BASIS members to propel the pace of accomplishment in IT industry.

He was delivering speech as the chief guest in a seminar on IT Outsourcing Success: Case Studies on Joint Ventures and ODC at BASIS SoftExpo 2008 yesterday in the capital.

According to him, the Government is providing all kind of support to the ICT sector. Mentioning the government declaration of ICT as "Thrust Sector" he said that the Government is initiating a long-term visionary project to support this sectors growth.

"Local IT experts have huge potential. The Government would take more initiative to train them to transfer them into skilled manpower," he added.

During the seminar, the respective top executive envoys presented case studies on four outsourcing companies and Offshore Development Centres (ODC). They discussed their onset, business journey through an escalating trail towards the extension and development of outsourcing opportunities.

According to their presentation, all the four joint venture companies have enjoyed more then 100 per cent growth in last three to four years. The CEO's of respective companies presented their "Road to Success" stories.

Hartmut Mellerowitz,

IT consultant from Denmark also spoke on the occasion. Among others Rafiqul Islam Rowly, President BASIS and A.K.M Fahim Mashroor delivered their speech on the occasion.

They requested the government to cut the price of Internet and to increase the period of Tax Holiday for this sector.

Workshop on new IPO setting method in DSE

Staff Reporter

Entrepreneurs under present system are not getting fair price from the capital business as major benefits go to the investors, said Chairman Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Faruq Ahmad Siddiqi.

"Book Building Method in IPO will surely benefit big companies as well as would encourage them more to go public," he said while addressing a workshop on proposed new IPO pricing method " Book Building Process" held at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) yesterday.

According to him, investors in this new system would be encouraged to participate in the secondary market, which would help them to reduce the borrowing cost by the industrialists. But of course the regulatory body will try to create balance among the big, medium and small companies, he said.

He also added that it is the primary stage and comments, views and observations will be taken from different groups.

SEC Executive Director Abdul Hannan Joarder vowed to encourage big companies to go public, fulfilling some requirements.

According to him, companies with paid-up capital of Tk 30 crore and are maintaining steady growth over the last three years as well as have been in operation for the last minimum five years are eligible to go public by following Book Building Method.

There will be an indicative price so that whimsical and irrational price movement due to high demand for the first or second day and then drastic fall cannot happen; and company cannot flee market pushing investors into darkness, he informed.

"A proposition that there will be quota for institutional investors and NRBs," the SEC Executive Director announced.

According to him, institutions shall place their bid with 20 per cent of the amount of bid in advance and the rest 80 per cent shall be paid within two working days prior to general public subscription opens.

Institutions may bid below the floor price but not below the face value of the securities. General investors and NRBs shall buy at Cut-off price, he added.

DSE Senior Vice President Ahmad Rashid Lali, CEO Prof Salahuddin Ahmed Khan, former Chairman of DSE Imtiaz Husain, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) President Latifur Rahman and other economistas and experts also addressed on the workshop.

Former US envoy Howard Schaffer now in Dhaka

Howard B Schaffer

Staff Reporter

Former US Ambassador to Bangladesh Howard B Schaffer arrived Dhaka yesterday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh.

Ambassador Schaffer arrived at the invitation of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) to attend a talk on "Looking to 2009: Crucial Choices for the New American Administration" which will be organised by BEI at the BEI conference room at Gulshan in the city this afternoon.

Schaffer, now Deputy Director and Director of Studies at Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington DC, will be the keynote speaker at the talk.

Howard Schaffer was the US Ambassador to Bangladesh from 1984 to 1987.

Meanwhile, former US Ambassador to Bangladesh Howard Schaffer yesterday called on Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at the latter's office at Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Later, Dr Iftekhar said Ambassador Schaffer is a close friend of Bangladesh and was very much interested about the South Asia region.