The New Nation - Internet Edition

Businessman abducted

Desk Report

South Keraniganj police allegedly did not take any effective initiatives to find out an abducted businessman despite repeated appeals of the victim's helpless wife.

Ruma Akter Tipthi, wife of the abducted trader Aminul Basher alias Ramjan, said, her husband was kidnapped by some identified miscreants from near Babu Bazar Bridge when the couple was returning to their residence on March 7 from Dhaka city.

''One Masud and Foyez stopped our rickshaw and took my husband with them saying, they have a very important discussion. Waiting for some times, I returned to our rented house at Maddhapara of Abdullahpur and told the whole matter to our relatives and landlord Farid.

Being advised by them, Ruma went to the South Keraniganj Thana several times and requested police to find out her husband. The duty officers told her to contact with Syed Salim Sazzad, Officer in Charge of the police station. But OC did not pay any heed to her and did not record any case or file general diary, sources said.

Sources alleged, the OC made indecent remarks when she sought his cooperation and at one stage, he forcibly expelled her from the Thana.

Relatives of the victim told the journalists, Ramjan developed disagreement with some others over cable business in the area. He filed a general diary(1529) naming Sadat, Kalam of Baghapur village and another GD(367) against Nabi Hossain of Godabagh and Momen of Rajbari village of the Upazila.

Local sources alleged, police is trying to divert the kidnapping case toward a wrong direction for mysterious reasons.

While talking to journalist, OC Syed Salim Sazzad denied the allegation of misbehaving with Ruma adding that they were investigating the matter.

However he could not answer properly why he did yet record any case or GD in this connection even after one week of the kidnapping.

Ruma sough immediate intervention of the high ups of the law enforcing agencies including Inspector General of Police and Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion to save the life of her husband.

3rd RUET convocation today

UNB, Rajshahi

The 3rd convocation of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) holds today.

President and Chancellor of the university Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed will attend the function and confer degrees among the graduates of 1996-97 to 2002-03 sessions.

Besides, meritorious students who have secured first position from different departments will be awarded gold medal.

So far, about 1,100 graduates have already registered their names to attend the programme.

Former vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dr Mosharraf Hossain Khan will deliver the welcome speech.

RUET vice-chancellor professor Dr AFM Anwarul Huq said all preparations have been completed to make the programme a success.

Imon, Ishaque taken on remand for second time

Staff Reporter

The CMM Court of Dhaka yesterday sent two notorious criminals Sanjidul Islam Imon and Ishaque Ali on remand for the second time.

The Investigation Officer sought remand for another 10 days but the court granted only five. They have already been quizzed for eight days but the police needs to interrogate them further, the IO prayed to the court.

Police demanded fresh remand for Imon to question him in connection with an arms case, while Ishaque regarding a gold smuggling case.

During his earlier remand Imon confessed to his interrogators that his group killed National University Professor Aftab Ahmed. He also confessed to two other murders. He also told the police of his close connection with weapon traders in Chittagong and his collection of AK-47 and M16 firearms for his group. However, he used small arms on murder missions, he told his interrogators.

The CID police demanded further remand for Imon to extract information necessary to recover explosive weapons from his notorious group.

Police prayed for remand to Ishaque Ali to unearth an international gold smugglers ring. He was accused of smuggling gold worth Tk 3 crore from Zia International Airport.

Both Imon and Ishaque fled to India following a police crackdown on identified terrorists in 2006. They were arrested in Kolkata and sent back home early this month.

They have reportedly revealed involvement in sensational crimes implicating BNP leaders, including former state minister for home affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar.

Decision to lift duty on rice, red lentil, wheat : Bid to bring down soaring prices

Staff Reporter

The government is going to take some new measures to bring down the soaring prices of essential commodities, said National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman Mohammad Abdul Mazid yesterday.

After lifting the import duty on soyabean oil, the NBR chairman said decisions have been taken to withdraw the import duties on some other essential items, including rice, red lentil and flour.

It is learnt that the government will issue statutory regulatory orders (SRO) in this regard very soon.

Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman also echoed the NBR chairman, saying that the government hoped that the prices of essentials would come down with the new measures by the government.

He also said limited income group of people would be benefited because of the government's initiatives.

In spite of various steps taken by the government to control the price hike of essentials, no result has so far been achieved. The government has taken various steps, including fixing the prices of essentials, monitoring the market, introducing open market sale of rice and opening the Bangladesh Rifles controlled outlets across the country. But, the prices of essentials continue to rise unabated and already have gone beyond the purchasing power of common people. Finding no other alternatives, the government has recently decided to withdraw import duty on soyabean oil. Finally, the government has decided to withdraw import duty on some other important essential items.

Prices of food items have already broken all the records of the past seriously affecting the middle- and low-income groups of people in the country. The sky-rocketing prices of essentials are forcing the people to survive on virtually one meal a day in many parts of the country. Although the Taka has been devalued against US dollar several times by the Bangladesh Bank under the pressure of exporters and to boost the country's foreign exchange reserves, incomes of the common people have not been raised at all. Economists think that boastful remarks over the issue of huge foreign exchange reserves have not brought any benefit to the common people. Rather, their sufferings have mounted due to frequent devaluation of Taka against US dollar and taking no steps by the government to increase their incomes.