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Mystery shrouds Swedish official's meeting with prisoner in Jail

Our Correspondent

Mystery shrouds the visit of two officials of Swedish Embassy in Dhaka and two journalists from Sweden to Gopalganj jail last week and their half an hour meeting with an inmate of the jail who is a prisoner in a murder case.

They met Joy Rahman, Chairman,Welfare Foundation, a local NGO, in jail.

Local sources said Joy was arrested by the police for his movement in the murder of Ashit Biswas, an accountant of the organisation, about three years ago.

Some people kidnapped Ashit Biswas from his office on April 2,2005 and then took him to a gardening project of the Foundation beside the river Modhumoti under Gopalganj sadar upazila.Later kidnappers killed Ashit and dumped his body into a seven-feet deep hole which was especially dug for this purpose,according to sources.The sources further said skeleton of the victim became exposed to public view on March 21 when the erosion of the river stretched upto the hole where Ashit's body was dumped.

The relatives identified the body as that of Ashit on the basis of his shirt.shoes,wallet and an identity card which were found scattered around the skeleton in the hole.

Close relatives of Ashit said Joy Rahman fled to Sweden immeidately after the gruesome murder and managed to obtain the ctizenship of that country.

Joy Rahman was nabbed by the police when he returned to Bangladesh in January 2007. Joy was arrested following confessional statement of three of his accomplices who were earlier taken into police custody in connection with Ashit's murder.

Meanwhile, the visit of the two officials of the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka and two Swedish journalists to Gopalganj jail and their half an hour meeting with Joy in Jail has generated much interest and curiosity of the local people. They are unable to comprehend the reason behind such meeting with a person charged with commuting a murder.

The relatives of Ashit alleged that the visit was aimed at securing the release of Joy. Ashit fell from the grace of Joy because of his growing popularity with the workers and employees of the Foundation, some employees of the organisation felt.

Programme for release of Khaleda soon: Hannan

UNB, Gazipur

BNP chairperson's tough-talking adviser Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah warned that a programme for movement would be announced soon for pressing home their demand for release of Khaleda Zia and immediate holding of fair election.

"BNP is ready for movement to press home the demands for release of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and holding immediate elections," he told newsmen at the district court yesterday during his appearance in a case.

To a query, he said the programme would be thrown in consultation with the senior BNP leaders as the party is ready for united movement.

About holding any discussion with the Awami League for joint movement, Hannan Shah said it is a "secrete" matter, "but we (BNP) are ready for a simultaneous movement".

He also demanded release of both the detained former Prime Ministers-Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina-and their proper treatment.

BJP Chairman Manzur buried in Bhola

UNB, Bhola

Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman Naziur Rahman Manzur was buried at his own Dighaldi Balia village in Sadar upazila with state honour yesterday.

The 3rd namaj-e-janaza of the BJP leader was held at Bhola Government High School ground at 11am yesterday (Tuesday) while the last and 4th janaza held at his village home at about 2:30pm.

Several thousand people, including former State Minister Mosharraf Hossain Shajahan and Deputy Commissioner M Belayet Hossain, attended the 3rd janaza at Government High School ground.

Meanwhile, businessmen of the district town shut down their business establishments from morning till 12pm today (Tuesday) and hoisted black flags atop of their establishments to mourn his death.

The Qulkhwani of Manzur will be held at his village home after Zohr prayer tomorrow (Wednesday).

Manzur, a freedom fighter and former Minister and Dhaka City Corporation Mayor, died of cardiac arrest at BIRDEM hospital in the city at 5am Sunday at the age of 59.

Children being dumped in jails in violation of HC order

UNB, Dhaka

Some 1,712 children were arrested and sent to jail in 2007 though the High Court ruled five years back that no children should be kept in jail.

Currently, some 380 children are languishing in 57 prisons across the country despite a High Court order to the government to transfer all accused juveniles to safe custody or Kishore Unnayan Kendra (KUK - juvenile development centre).

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Amirul Kabir Chowdhury and Justice Nijamul Haque Nasim issued a seven-point directive for the government on April 9, 2003 while disposing a suo moto notice it had issued upon the government on January 4 the same year.

"Juvenile accused are to be transferred to correction homes and other approved homes with utmost expedition," the court had said.

"Juvenile accused in jail must be kept apart from other prisoners," it added.

Both the directives are yet to be implemented in their entirety, according to a source at the National Task Force formed for implementing the HC order.

"The government is yet to establish juvenile courts to try the accused or victim children. The Chief Adviser's office approved the summary to establish juvenile courts in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna," said Dr Shahdeen Malik, a Supreme Court lawyer.

The government, he added, could establish juvenile courts in each district by issuing a mere gazette notification.

Task Force sources said some 319 children, including 47 girls, were in 57 jails in February 2008, while the total number rose to 380, including 49 girls, as of 31 March 2008.

The number increased to 147 from 121 in the jails of Dhaka division, to 123 from 108 in Chittagong division and to 52 from 33 in Rajshahi division.

Meanwhile, some 250 juvenile accused, including 36 girls, were in three KUKs in February 2008, but the number rose to 270 as of 31 March 2008.

The number of children in prison was 992 in March 2004, 913 in March 2005, 508 in March 2006, and 511 in March 2007.

Hundreds of children are sent to jail every year and kept with convicted criminals in violation of the High Court order, although the Children Act 1974 clearly says that children under 16 cannot be sent to jail, the sources said.

Officials at the Task Force said 2,262 children landed in jails across the country in 2005 alone.

The HC ruling has, however, led to some progress, as the number of children who landed in jails was lower in 2007 than in 2004 when nearly 4,000 children were sent to jail.

The sources also said the number of children released from different prisons was higher than the number of children sent to jail in 2007. Some 1,813 children were released in 2007.

The taskforces were formed at national, district and upazilla levels are following the HC directive, but initiatives became irregular at all levels, they said.

The 9th meeting of the National Taskforce for implementing the High Court order on children was held on March 17 after one and half years. There were only 34 taskforce meetings at the district level out of the 57 districts in February 2008, said the sources.

Phulbari coal mine project Asia Energy to wait for govt approval

UNB, Dhaka

GCM Resources, parent company of Asia Energy that developed the Phulbari Coal Mine Project, said they would continue to wait for approval of the project by the government.

It said financing arrangements (equity and debt) for the project will be made once the project is approved.

The statement of GCM Resources came in response to ADB that viewed it is too early for talk with Asia Energy about financing of the project.

Regarding its participation in the project ADB has recently said it would wait for government decision how to proceed in harnessing the energy resources including extraction of coal from Phulbari mine.

They will monitor the situation on the ground with full sensitivity to local conditions, said ADB adding, "We think it is premature to continue dialogue with the private sector under the current circumstances."

GCM Resources said the Phulbari Coal Project is currently being reviewed by the government and they would wait for its decision.

It felt that ADB has been undertaking due diligence for its possible participation in the project.

Adviser terms meeting with AL successful

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Communications adviser, Ghulam Quader, yesterday said that the government's informal meeting with the Awami League Monday was successful.

Speaking to reporters at the communications ministry, the adviser said that the government would also have such talks with other political parties.

"The informal meeting with the Awami League was fruitful. We are hopeful about the success of the dialogue," the adviser said.

Government is having informal talks with parties as part of its preparation for a dialogue, Ghulam Quader said.

He did not say anything about when the dialogue would begin.

Five advisers including Ghulam Quader had a meeting with senior Awami League leaders at Rail Bhaban Monday evening.

Awami League presidium members Tofail Ahmed and Motia Chowdhury, organising secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury and forest and environment affairs secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud were present at the meeting.

Law adviser Hasann Ariff, foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, LGRD adviser, Anwarul Iqbal and education adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman represented the government at the meeting.

NSI gets new chief

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Major General Sheikh Mohammad Monirul Islam has been appointed to the National Security Intelligence as director general, the establishment ministry said in a circular yesterday.

Islam has been deputed to the NSI from the Bangladesh Army, it said.

The new appointment came after the former NSI chief, Major General Tajul Islam, went on leave preparatory to retirement.

Jordan pardons 4,800 Bangladeshi workers

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Jordan has exempted 4,800 Bangladeshis from punishment for overstaying in the Middle Eastern country, the foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

"They will be released soon after completion of the necessary formalities," it said.

"Jordan has pardoned 6,040 foreign workers and 80 percent of them are Bangladeshis," said the statement.

Bangladesh had lobbied for clemency for the workers over the last several months.