The New Nation - Internet Edition

Savar gunfight: Three terrorists killed, RAB personnel hurt

Staff Reporter

Alam, the main accused of RAB personnel murder at Savar and two terrorists of the `Gangchil Bahini' were killed in an encounter with Rapid Action Battalion on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at Boliarpur in the upazila early yesterday.

On a tip-off, a team of RAB-4 rushed to Amin Bazar in Mirpur at about 4.00am when members of` the `Gangchil Bahini' came to the area for collecting money from the businessmen of the bazar.

RAB personnel also got information that some terrorists of the infamous group were holding a clandestine meeting at a brick-kiln there.

As soon as the RAB personnels reached the under construction filling station near Boliarpur by a taxicab, the miscreants opened fire on them forcing the RAB to retaliate.

Three of the terrorists Alam, Bashar, and Anis, fell in the line of fire and were critically wounded but the others fled the spot.

Attending doctors at the Savar Upazila Health Complex declared the three critically wounded miscreants dead when they were rushed to the hospital.

RAB source said Alam was also the second-in-command of the notorious 'Gangchil Bahini.'

A RAB Assistant Sub-Inspector Siddiqur Rahman was also injured during the gunfight and was given first aid.

The Taxicab carrying the RAB personnel was badly damaged by gunfire of the terrorists.

The RAB later recovered two 7.65mm foreign-made pistols, a shutter-gun, three bullets and two mobile phone sets from the scene.

A case was filed with the Savar police station.

EC to sit once with BNP : Hafiz invited, Delwar's chance sealed

UNB, Dhaka

Amid an intense tug-of-war over BNP leadership, the Election Commission yesterday again decided to invite acting secretary general of the party Maj (rtd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed for dialogue on reform of election laws on April 27.

Announcing the Commission's crucial decision, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters that the invitation letter would be dispatched to Hafiz tonight (Tuesday night).

In an instant reaction from the other side, BNP chairperson's Advisor Brig Gen (rtd) ASM Hannan Shah said there was nothing to wonder about the Election Commission's decision as it was a foregone conclusion to them.

"The Election Commission had given them invitation earlier and we knew that this time, too, it would again give them the invitation," he told UNB.

On April 20, five standing-committee members of the party met the CEC and requested the Commission to send dialogue letter to Khandaker Delwar Hossain as legitimate secretary general of the BNP.

Earlier on November 5, the Commission sent invitation to Hafiz for the dialogue on November 22, but the meet was suspended on November 20 as the High Court stayed the Commission's action following a writ petition by detained BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. On April 10, the High Court rejected Khaleda's writ.

"We withdrew our decision on suspension of dialogue with BNP following the High Court judgment of April 10," CEC Huda said, adding, "We are sending our invitation letter to Hafiz Uddin Ahmed to join the dialogue with his delegation on April 27 at 10am."

The CEC refused to entertain any question from the reporters, only saying that the Commission would sit "once" with BNP. And this once-only meet apparently seals the fate of the Khaleda-loyal faction' s bid for securing EC invitation for dialogue with them.

The Commission selected 17 political parties on its own criteria for dialogue on electoral reforms in the interim period. The dialogue with parties was held in November-December last year, excepting BNP, the immediate-past ruling party that suffers disunity due to its internal conflict over the leadership.

The BNP leadership controversy surfaced when on November 5 last year the EC, ignoring Khaleda-appointed BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain, sent a letter to the reformist faction of Maj (Retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed to participate in the dialogue.

As the immediate-past ruling party fell in trouble in the interim period following the EC decision, detained BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia filed a writ petition before the High Court challenging validity of the Commission's letter inviting the reformist faction for the dialogue.

On November 18 last year, four days before the proposed dialogue, the High Court, responding to Khaleda's writ, had stayed operation of the EC letter to Major Hafiz, throwing the EC-sponsored pre-poll dialogue into dilemmas. The High Court had also issued a rule upon the EC in this regard.

Pending the High Court ruling, the EC could not complete its dialogue programme with the political parties on electoral reforms.

The HC on April 10 discharged the writ petition ruling that the case is not maintainable as the issue raised disputed question of fact which does not come under writ jurisdiction.

The court also found no illegality in EC invitation for dialogue, which ultimately sent the matter of inviting BNP for dialogue into the EC's court.

Following the HC verdict, the EC on April 16 dispatched invitation letters to both the factions of BNP to sit separately with the EC on April 17 to discuss the issue of unity between the groups.

After the two separate rounds of talks, CEC Huda categorically said the EC would have to take its own decision should the factions not stand united within what looks like a short-span deadline of two to three days, which ended on April 20 without avail.

The Election Commission's pre-dialogue parleys with the two BNP factions apparently produced puzzles as Delwar group insisted on formal invitation to them for dialogue while the EC asked them to come united with their dissident colleagues soon.

Apparently skipping the EC's ultimatum for unity, the Khaleda-loyalists on April 20 submitted a letter of five members of the National Standing Committee of BNP apprising the EC that Khandaker Delwar Hossain is the legitimate secretary general of the party according to its constitution.

However, four of the five members were present at the NSC meeting of the party held on October 29 last year under the initiative of the dissidents. The four later made a volte-face through affidavit in court claiming that it was not an NSC meet at all.

Later on April 21, a 12-mmeber delegation of the reformist faction of BNP submitted a letter signed by 54 former Members of Parliament to the EC with a strong plea that the Commission should send letter to interim secretary general Maj (retd) Hafizuddin to sit for the stalled dialogue.

Following the submission by the reformist faction of BNP CEC Huda observed to the reporters that unity between the two feuding factions still remained a far cry.

The EC was waiting to get the HC verdict in hand, he said, adding that they expected to get it by Monday (April 21) and that the decision of sending invitation for the dialogue would be taken thereafter. And sources said the Commission got it unofficially in the meantime.

Hot spell makes life miserable Temperature may go up 42-degree Celsius in May

The effect of the heat wave writ large on the faces
of the students taking cover of an umbrella in the city
yesterday. Banglar Chokh

Staff Reporter

Life has become miserable in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country due to the current heat wave, combined with frequent load shedding of power.

The high temperature that soars up to 40 degree Celsius over the last few days is aggravating the plight of the commoners who are suffering from frequent load shedding.

The Met Office terms the current heat wave mild to moderate. They said that there was no possibility of the heat wave, now sweeping across Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Barisal divisions, and Rangamati and Maizdi Court, going down soon.

Rather, they said that temperature would rise further in the next month.

The meteorologists said the current heat wave first began on April 10 and continued till April 12. But the second wave of hot spell began on April 18 and has gradually been prolonging since then. The current heat wave may come to end through rains by April 26 or 27.

"A cyclone now persists in the China Sea is mainly responsible for this prolonged heat wave in Bangladesh. It has been joined by low pressure prevailing in the West Bengal," said a meteorologist.

The meteorologist said that clouds in the skies of this Indian sub-continent are rushing towards the China Sea. As a result, no clouds cannot persist in the sky of Bangladesh.

"This is not an abnormal rise of temperature as such temperature persists in April and May every year," meteorological expert Farah Diba said.

She cautioned such hot spell may continue for a couple of days more.

According to Farah Diba, the temperature may exceed 42 degree Celsius in May. "Further rise in temperature in May is likely if clouds and monsoon rains make delay to come," she said.

Tornadoes may take place following the current heat wave, she added.

In Dhaka, life has become totally intolerable due to sweltering weather and scorching heat. It has become absolutely difficult to stay at homes, offices and streets. Miseries have been compounded by frequent load shedding of power. Poor people have become the worst sufferers of the current heat wave. Sufferings of day-labourers, rickshawpullers and toiling masses have been mounting day by day.

'The temperature has become unbearable. We use fans at our house. But six-seven hours of load shedding every day makes me difficult to do anything at home,' Momena Khatun, a resident of Mirpur area said.

Officials at the Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA) told The New Nation yesterday the shortfall of power generation in the country has reached 1,500 megawatt against a demand of around 5,000 megawatt.

An official of DESA, who asked not to be named, said the situation may worsen in the coming days of this summer with increasing demand for electricity.

Schools, offices, hospitals and businesses are badly affected by the frequent load shedding. Big business houses are using generators but small shops, markets and factories are struggling to cope with the situation.

Many schools in the capital stopped students from assembling in the school compounds and changes their class routines to avoid the summer heat.

The bitumen on several roads in Dhaka melts down in mid day by the heat and making the driving dangerous.

The situation in the country's northern region looks worsened with electricity supply for only 3-4 hours a day in the scorching heat-wave.

The hot spell also leads to outbreak of diarrhea, fever and other heat related ailments and respiratory problems. Doctors advise people to drink more water and fluid substance to face the situation.

UN Task Force to tackle food crisis Ban Ki-Moon accepts Dhaka's proposal

BSS, Dhaka

Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has accepted the Bangladesh proposal for setting up a task force on food crisis.

Foreign Adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury during the current UNCTAD XII in the Ghanaian capital proposed that the UN Secretary General may set up a task force to address the current global food crisis, which was enthusiastically received by the attending delegations.

The foreign adviser's proposal, made from the chair of the LDC Ministers' Conference on the sidelines of UNCTAD, was incorporated in the Declaration issued by the LDCs in Accra on April 20 last.

In his inaugural remarks at UNCTAD XII, Ban Ki- moon declared that he would immediately establish a high powered task force, comprising eminent experts and leading policy authorities, to address this issue, according to a message received here on Tuesday.

"We hear the call of the least developed countries (LDCs) to deal with market failures and stabilise world food prices," he said adding that the task force might also deal with the longer term security issues of agricultural productivity, land utilisation, financing mechanisms and all other elements of the current crisis.

The UN Secretary General urged the leaders of the international community to sit down together and give this matter their fullest attention as soon as possible.

Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury welcomed the Secretary General's remarks saying "Mr. Ban Ki-moon was quick to respond to our call, which reflected an overwhelming sentiment and that is the mark of true leadership".

He said that the task force should not only look at stabilising the food price, but also lowering it to make food more available to the teeming masses of Africa and Asia.

"Bangladesh will work closely with the Secretary General in this regard", he added. The foreign adviser had also identified 'climate change and spiraling food prices' as the twin challenges facing developing countries at present times.

Body to probe: MS rod price hike

Staff Reporter

In the wake of unusual price hike of MS rod the Government yesterday formed a 7-member probe committee with Housing and Public Workers Secretary as convenor to detect the reason and work out remedies.

The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Commerce Ministry within April 30, 2008.

The other members of the committee includes Joint Secretary from Industry Ministry, one member from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Sector-B commander from Chittagong Joint Forces Brigadier General Mohammad Hasan Nasir, commodore of Chittagong Dockyard Newmooring M Jasim Uddin Bhuiyan, one representative from FBCCI and Joint Secretary of Commerce Ministry AKM Fazlur Rahman.

The Committee will collect information on the matter after visiting concern organisations/factories, markets and all necessary places.

Timber worth Tk 17 crore recovered since 1/11 6,235 vehicles used for log smuggling seized

Rafiqul Islam Azad

Officials of the Forest Department of Chittagong have recovered huge quantities of illegal timber worth about Tk 17 crore during their extensive one year and three months drive after 1/11 changeover.

According to sources some 6,235 vehicles used for log smuggling were also seized from both the North and South divisions during the same period.

The recovered timber has been kept at Kalurghat Forest Depot, Firingibazar Forest Depot and Foujderhat Check-Point to sell those through floating tender.

The authorities, however, admitted that they could not arrest any godfather involved in the smuggling of logs, which has become a regular phenomenon in this region. They also regretted their lack of manpower and other facilities to deal with the ever-increasing number of smugglers.

A senior forest official said timber is being smuggled particularly from the hilly forest areas by resorting to various tactics.

The smugglers transport illegal wood on trucks to different destinations in the country. The timber loaded trucks normally carry sacks of sands, poultry feed, watermelons, salt, rice on top and are covered with tarpaulin, he said.

The official said the godfathers became desperate to smuggle timber from the hilly areas since it was a very lucrative business.

He said inadequate manpower, transport crisis, fuel ration and almost non-existent perks for informers are the main reasons for the inability to carry out massive drive against the smugglers of timber.

Sources said the drives were carried out by Assistant Forest Conservator ARS Monirul Islam, Town Ranger Meer Abdul Majid, Deputy Ranger of Foujderhat CheckPoint Md Zahirul Haque under the directive of Badrul Anam Bhuiyan, Divisional Forest Officer.

Earlier, the Ministry of Forest and Environment directed the Forest Department to carry out massive anti smuggling drive across the country.

AC bus catches fire: 10 injured in N'ganj

BSS, Narayanganj

Ten persons were injured when a AC bus plying on the Dhaka-Narayanganj road caught fire at Chashara in the district on Tuesday afternoon.

According to passenger and traffic police sources, the Narayanganj-bound bus from Dhaka stopped when its passengers started a hue and cry to get down as flames were coming out of the CNG driven engine.

The panic-stricken passengers sustained injuries as they jumped out through the windowpanes on the road to save their lives.

Traffic police and passers-by had extinguished the fire immediately before the fire service reached the place.

The excessive heat of the CNG gas cylinder was the cause of the fire, traffic police said. The bus was partially damaged in the rear side. The injured passengers were locally treated.

Tanvir held, freed later

UNB, Dhaka

BNP standing-committee member Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui was learnt to have been picked up by men of an intelligence agency but set free later yesterday , party sources said.

Chowdhury Tanvir, loyal to detained BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, could not be reached over telephone.

When contacted, BNP chairperson's Advisor Brig Gen (rtd) Hannan Shah told UNB he heard that Tanvir was arrested in the afternoon and freed at about 8:30pm. Shah said he also could not contact him by phone.

BNP joint secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan said he also heard about his arrest, but he could not contact him.

Meanwhile, BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday asked the BNP followers to give a day's meal to the hungry and distressed across the country on April 28-30.

He made the appeal to leaders and workers of BNP and its front organizations through journalists at his NAM apartment in the morning.

"At this hour of distress, BNP has decided to stand beside the distressed people. As part of our initiative, we've decided to give our one-day's meal to the needy," Delwar said.

On his party's participation in political dialogue, he said they would join the dialogue if the caretaker government and the Election Commission have sincerity for holding a credible election.

Asked about Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr Shamsul Huda's latest remark about BNP's unity by the deadline, Delwar said: "Who is he to set the deadline for unity. BNP will run according to its constitution."

Asked if the Election Commission sends letter to Saifur-Hafiz faction for dialogue on electoral reforms, he said: "If anything is done forcibly, it will not succeed. The EC's letter must be addressed to us."

The BNP secretary general said that already five members of the standing committee, the policy-making body of BNP, sent a letter to the EC to prove the transparency of the mainstream BNP. "So, the EC cannot give letter to Saifur-Hafiz on any count."

He alleged that different agencies of the government are putting pressure on the BNP leaders to work for Saifur-Hafiz faction.

Besides, the Union Parishad chairmen from different districts are being summoned to Dhaka and briefed to ask for local body elections prior to the parliamentary elections. "These are facts and not expected. This must stop. One cannot interfere into one's independent thinking and work," Delwar said.

He said police raided the NAM apartments and village homes of BNP organizing secretary Mohammad Shajahan and former MP Principal Sohrab Hossain on Monday night, as they have sided with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.

He further alleged that a few days back, former MPs of BNP were forced to attend a meeting of the Saifur-Hafiz faction.

BCL rivalry over attack on women leader sharpens

General Secretary of Chhatra League, Rokeya Hall
unit, Seema Islam burst into tears yesterday at a press
conference demanding exemplary punishment to her attackers
on the campus. Banglar Chokh

DU Correspondent

Leaders of the rival factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of Awami League, yesterday demanded resignation of BCL central president Mahmud Hasan Ripon and its DU unit president Sohel Rana Tipu saying that they ordered BCL activists to swoop on Shima Islam brutally.

They also claimed that they began the movement of releasing Awami League president Sheikh Hasina at first from Rokeya Hall and later the mainstream group of BCL followed them in this demand.

At a press conference held at Madhu's Canteen of Dhaka University, Shima Islam who was victim of the BCL activists' attack on Sunday said when she returned to her hall passing by the Central Library, BCL activists swooped on her according to the direction of BCL President Ripon.

She said, the culprits who attacked her are Ashraful Rahman, Siddique Nazmul Alam, Tanvir Ahmed Razib, Uttam, Rifat Hossain Jiku, Salman.

'Neither did I behave indecently with any student nor am I an activist or leader of an opponent organisation, then why I had to face such brutality', asked Shima Islam, also the secretary general of BCL Rokeya Hall unit.

She urged the university authorities, women organisations, human rights groups as well as the policy makers of Awami League to bring the offenders to justice.

Cherie Blair in city on a private tour

UNB, Dhaka

British former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie Blair arrived here yesterday evening on a private visit.

Competent sources told UNB that Cherie who is a senior attorney in UK would meet senior Bangladeshi lawyers, discuss some important legal matters and exchange views with politicians, representatives of civil society and rights bodies on prevailing political and human rights situation.

She will also meet Foreign Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at state guesthouse Padma this afternoon.

The British High Commission nor the Foreign Ministry could give details of her schedules in Dhaka since she is on a private tour.

Biman, Boeing deal to buy 8 aircraft

Staff Reporter

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited signed a $1265.145 million deal yesterday with Boeing on the purchase of eight aircraft as part of its massive expansion.

Biman MD and CEO MA Momen and Boeing regional director Glen A Green signed the agreement and memorandum of understanding (MoU) for their respective sides.

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Mahbub Jamil and newly appointed US Ambassador James F Moriarty were present among others at the signing ceremony at Bangladesh Airlines Training Centre (BATC) Auditorium in the city. A memorandum of understanding was signed with the company for a long-term lease of two Boeing 787s, as it will take time for the eight aircraft to join the Biman fleet, Mahbub Jamil, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser in Charge of Civil Aviation, said.

"The Boeing has also provided engineering facilities, training facilities, airline marketing development to Biman under the MoU," Jamil said, adding, "We have benefited $70 million in this regard."

He hoped that Biman would be able to rise to the breakeven point within this fiscal if it could manage to get lease of two 737s.

"We need to make Biman, a competitive airlines in the world. The deal is part of this to take the country forward," he further said.

Besides, the Biman also signed a separate memorandum with the Boeing to buy two 737-800 aircraft yesterday. MA Momen, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited and regional chief of Boeing Glen A Green signed the MoU on behalf of their organisations.

James Moriarty said, "I am proud to witness the expansion of business of Boeing in Bangladesh."

"By addressing the need, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited and the Boeing would work together in future," he hoped.

Biman will finance 85 per cent of the total cost of the aircraft with loans from the US-based EXIM Bank to be repaid over 12 years period. The rest 15 per cent will be obtained from a consortium of local banks.

Mahbub Jamil said that we have also sought assistance from other international financial agencies to reduce the dependency on only US EXIM bank in this regard.

Four Boeing-777-300 ER airliners will be added to the Biman Bangladesh fleet in July, August, October and December of 2013 at the cost of $731.890 million with the passengers handling capacity of 463 each.

The remaining four of 787-8 planes at the cost of $533.255 million will be added in July, August, October and November of 2019-20. The 787-8 passengers handling capacity will 292 each.

Besides, the Biman has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing authority to procure two737-800 aircraft yesterday, which would be added to Biman fleet in 2015.

The present Biman fleet has four DC-10s, three Airbus aircraft, a Boeing-747 and three F-28s for operating its domestic and international flights. Of them, two F-28 aircraft are grounded.

Murder at Dhanmondi: 'Writer Momena was killed for Tk 300 only’

Staff Reporter

Momena was killed for only Tk 300, the main accused detained Faruq confessed to the police that he had killed Momena, angered by her refusal to give him the amount as demanded.

She was a prominent writer, publisher and Liberian of Udayan School and the widow of a late chairman of Dhaka University's Applied Physics Department, Sultan Ahmed. She was stabbed to death at her Dhanmondi flat on Monday afternoon.

Later in the day, Momena's son Mainul Ahmed filed a murder case against Faruq, an English honours student of Dhaka College.

The office-in charge of Dhanmondi police station Monwar Hossain said, Faruq threatened Momena with a kitchen knife for money, referring to early confession from the detainee.

In a bid to avoid a knife attack, Momena had allegedly shoved Faruq onto the floor, the OC said.

Apparently incensed by physical hurt, Faruq attacked and killed Momena with the knife, he added.

The Dhanmondi police chief had earlier said that the police would investigate the alleged links of the publisher to the killing.

Momena wrote a number of books including 'Hashi-Khushi,' 'School Library Parjalochona: Prekkhit Bangladesh' and 'Bhuture Gappo' under the name of Momena Deyasini.

Mamota, a seven-year-old domestic help, said Faruq, who had a good relationship with the family, came to the house at noon and took lunch.

After lunch, Faruq was watching TV, and Momena was ready to go out, Mamota said.

"Then I went to the kitchen and heard 'Boroma' crying for help. I rushed into her room and found Faruq pinning her down by the hair to kill her," Mamota alleged.

"Faruq told me 'I'll kill you too, if you come near me'."

Mamota then ran out of the apartment and broke the news to the neighbours.

Lift operator Abdul Alim told The New Nation that Mamota and another domestic help of another flat went downstairs and raised the alarm.

Meantime, an unnamed person from a flat in the same building told Alim by intercom that a man had killed Momena and was trying to flee.

Faruq, in his attempt to leave the building, hurried to the ground floor by elevator but Alim and other security guards stopped him as the gate opened.

"I found him covered in blood," Alim said.

Momena's relatives said Faruq used to go to the apartment once in a while. Momena had helped him financially, they said.

Major Ehsan Ahmed of RAB-2 who rushed to the scene told reporters that Momena had lived with her son Mainul Ahmed and Mamota in the apartment.

Her other son Saiful Ahmed lives in Russia.

Murder at NAM flat: Faisal, Mili, still on remand

Staff Reporter

The police now suspect Rabeya, the mother of detained Faisal, as the main planner of the Banani NAM Flat double murder.

A gang of killers murdered an American expatriate Faruk and his maid Shumi on April 12 in the city.

Rabeya and Sheraz, a friend of Faisal, fled after the murder.

A member of Faruk's family said Rabeya influenced her son, Faisal, to develop illicit relationship with Minara, wife of Faruk, for securing a passage to America.

She was cheating many people in many ways she wanted to send her son to America to pay off her debts, the source claimed. Minara Aktar mili had developed extra marital relationship with Faisal during Faruk's absence from the country.

"When Faruk was in America, he sent huge amount of money to his beloved wife but she squandered all the money," the source added.

The main accused Faisal, Minara and two-security guards, Monir Gazi and Monju Mia have been taken on five day remand for questioning.

The DB source said they got some startling information during the interrogation of the persons detained.

Faruk being an American citizen the authority was under pressure to conduct proper investigation of the murder.

Graft case: Shahjahan Siraj gets 13, wife 3 years jail term

UNB, Dhaka

A special court that deals with high-profile corruption cases yesterday jailed former BNP Minister Shajahan Siraj for 13 years in a graft case.

The court also sentenced his wife Rabeya Siraj to three years imprisonment as co-accused.

Both were tried in absentia, as the entire Siraj family has been hiding since the current purge against corruption in high places was launched in the interim period following the 1/11 changeover.

Delivering the judgement, the special court in the high-security parliament complex also ordered the government to confiscate Siraj's property worth Tk 3.78 crore.

The court found Siraj, one of the stalwart student leaders of the 60s, guilty on two counts. He was sentenced to ten years for amassing wealth illegally while three years for hiding wealth information in his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

His wife was found guilty of aiding and abetting her husband in protecting the ill-gotten money.