The New Nation - Internet Edition

JCD, BCL demand Khaleda, Hasina's release

DU Correspondent

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) (AL) yesterday brought out a procession and held a rally on the campus simultaneously to press home for releasing their party chiefs as well as other political detainees.

JCD men demanded release of Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, JCD president Azizul Bari Helal and other political leaders of BNP saying JCD would go for tougher programme if their demands are not met immediately.

They also demanded removal of Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda terming him a conspirator against BNP.

"The government has been engaged to damage BNP so that the party would not take part in the next parliamentary election." said Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Acting President of JCD.

JCD central unit General Secretary Safiul Bari Babu, DU unit President Hasan Mamun, and other senior leaders also spoke at the rally.

Addressing a rally, BCL president Mahmud Hasan Ripon demanded for the immediate release of detained AL President Sheikh Hasina by withdrawing the fake case filed against her and for providing proper treatment of her illness.

The BCL leaders reiterated the same as they will not accept any sort of election without Sheikh Hasina.

"People of the country are no more blind about the conspiracy. So, along with student community and people of the country, we will face any sort of conspiracy against Sheikh Hasina and bring her out of jail amid tough action programme", Ripon added.

Among others, acting General Secretary Syed Abul Kalam, DU unit President Sohel Rana Tipu and General secretary Sazzad Sakib Badsha spoke at the rally.

Producers demand Annisul Huq's resignation

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Agro-based Product Producers and Merchants Association demanded resignation of FBCCI president Annisul Huq for discussing the price of essentials with the BDR director general before resolving the growers' problem.

Secretary General of the association and member of FBCCI general body Mollah Saidur Rahman said Annisul Huq has violated the growers' rights. In a statement he urged the government to discuss the price issue with the growers and retail agro product sellers instead of middleman and stockists.

"The government could not control the price hike of essentials due to dealing the matter with the people's from outside instead of proper person," he said.

SI suspended for misbehavior with DU student

DU Correspondent

Sub-Inspector of Shahbagh Police Station has been suspended following misbehaviour with a Dhaka University student at the Topkhana Road yesterday. The suspended officer was identified as Golam Rabbani.

Witness said the police officer misbehaved with a DU student Mir Rakibunnabi, also a journalist of daily 'Destiny', instead of helping, while he was locked in a clash with a rickshawpuller.

The senior police officers including ADC Mahbubur Rahman rushed to the campus and held an informal meeting with the leaders of Dhaka University Journalists Association (DUJA) to mitigate the problem.

The police officers assured them, that they will instantly suspend the accused police officer and requested the DUJA leaders to calm down the students.

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society delegation calls on President

UNB, Dhaka

A 17-member delegation of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BRCS) called on President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban yesterday.

The delegation, led by its Chairman Prof. Dr Mohammad Abdur Rob, informed him about BRCS's various humanitarian activities.

They apprised the President that the BRCS distributed huge relief materials and provided health services for victims of two floods and cyclone Sidr last year.

Two lakh volunteers are working under 68 units of BRCS in 64 districts of the country and BRCS distributed relief materials worth about Tk 150 crore among cyclone Sidr-victims so far, they said.

Three volunteers of BRCS died while they were performing their duties in last year in the cyclone-hit areas.

The delegation, which met President on the occasion of World Red Cross Red Crescent Day, demanded for block allocation to meet BRCS's own administrative expenditure.

President Dr Iajuddin, who is also President of BRCS, gave a patient hearing and expressed his satisfaction at BRCS's activities and assured them of giving his all out cooperation.

He asked BRCS to extend their all out cooperation to the victims of cyclone, Nargis, in Myanmar.

Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohammad Aminul Karim, Secretary to the President's Office Sirajul Islam and President's Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader were present.

Get another jail term for Aman

UNB, Dhaka

Former BNP state minister Amanullah Aman was awarded seven years' rigorous imprisonment by a court here yesterday in an extortion case.

The 6th Additional District and Sessions Judge court also fined him Tk 1 lakh, in default, to suffer another six months RI, and sentenced 11 other co-accused in the case to various jail terms.

Aman's co-accused Mojibur Rahman Dipu, Mastan, Saikat Hossain, Sona Miah, Mojibar, M Hossain, Jinnah, Kalam Member, Raja, SM Firoz and Abdul Hamid Khan were sentenced to six months in jail.

Another accused, Latif Bepari, was sentenced to five years' RI and fined Tk 10,000, in default, to suffer three months more imprisonment.

On June 21 last year, a special court dealing with corruption cases, sentenced Aman, former DUCSU VP, to 13 years' imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information about his wealth to the ACC.

According to the prosecution of the extortion case, the convicts broke down the boundary wall of a market of complainant Haji Rafiul Alam at Aganagar Khawja Market in Keraniganj on June 26, 2004, and captured it.

When the matter was brought to the notice of Amanullah Aman, he demanded Tk 25 lakh through accused Latif.

Amanullah settled the matter at Tk 15 lakh after a bargaining and Rafiqul Alam paid the amount to Aman's wife.

A case was filed with Keraniganj police on March 6, 2007.

During the trial, Judge Altaf Hossain examined 11 witnesses out of 21 and delivered the verdict.

Barapukuria coal-mine area feared to experience soil subsidence: Big bang with jolt scares local people

UNB, Dhaka

The Barapukuria coal-mine area is feared to experience a major soil subsidence in its southern part as a big bang accompanied by a huge jolt scared local people Wednesday.

According to a report received here from the mine area, the villagers heard a loud bang with a huge jolt for a few seconds at about 9pm Wednesday at the Kalupara Bara Raipur Mouza of the coal-mine area. Even part of the area subsided slightly to about 1-1.5 feet.

Coal-mine experts say that the subsidence is an obvious incidence in any underground mining during coal extraction or after extraction.

They said when an area of a mine experiences subsidence, it becomes unsafe for living and normally that area turns into a pond.

The local residents got frightened with the unexpected huge bang and jerking, and many of them passed sleepless night.

Following the incident, top officials of the Barapuria coal mine visited the area this (Thursday) morning and briefed the local residents about the incident.

The Barapukuria coal mine is the country's only mine that was developed through underground mining method.

A Chinese company developed the mine with a depth of 350 metre and is now extracting about 2,500 tons coal a day.

A 250-MW power plant was set up adjacent to the mine to run it with the extracted coal.

A senior official of the Barapukuria coal mine told UNB that they feared that a major subsidence might occur anytime at the coal mine area, particularly on its southern part.

He mentioned that the mine was advanced about 500 metres towards the southern part under ground that is likely to have caused this subsidence.

He also said a similar incident was recorded last year on an area beside the Bara Rampur Mouza.

ACC to investigate corruption, irregularities in DCC offices

UNB, Dhaka

As part of its campaign against institutional corruption in service-providing organisations, the Anti-Corruption Commission is going to investigate corruption and irregularities in the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and its other offices.

ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told the Commission's regular briefing yesterday afternoon that the anti-graft watchdog has formed a five-member special team to carry out the investigations.

The team will investigate issues like misuse of government money, irregularities in tender process, corruption in construction of dams, multistoried buildings and markets, allocation of shops, purchase of vehicles, selling of vehicles through auctions, purchase of mosquito-killing equipment and chemicals, leasing out of bus stands and bazaars, corruption in Jatrabari flyover, misappropriation of money in the name of constructing roads and irregularities in usage of fuels for vehicles.

Hanif said the Commission has already written to the DCC chief executive officer to provide all types of assistance, logistic support, and documents.

He said the DCC CEO has also been asked to appoint a DCC official as a liaison officer.

Hanif said the team would conduct investigations by making direct visits to different offices of the DCC the Mayor of which has already been sued for amassing illegal wealth and concealing information about that.

The special team, headed by deputy director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury, comprises assistant directors Mozaher Ali Sarder, Mahbubul Alam and Taufiqul Islam, and deputy assistant director Chowdhury MN Alam.

Justice Fazlul Haque, wife, brothers grilled

UNB, Dhaka

Former Adviser to caretaker government Justice Fazlul Haque, his wife and two brothers were yesterday questioned by the Anti-Corruption Commission as part of investigation into a graft case filed against him.

On April 13, the anti-graft watchdog filed the case against the former Appellate Division Justice for amassing Tk 97 lakh beyond his known sources of income.

ACC sources said a team of investigators, including investigation officer assistant director Mohammad Ibrahim, questioned Justice Fazlul, his wife Sultana Haque and brothers Aynul Haque and Ekramul Haque at the ACC headquarters. The questioning took place for hours.

According to the sources, the questioning would continue for the next week. Earlier, the investigation officer summoned them to the ACC headquarters in Segunbagicha.

Meanwhile, the ACC today a filed a case against Justice Fazlul's son-in-law Tariqur Rahman Prince for failing to submit his wealth statement to the Commission in due time.

Assistant director Ibrahim filed the non-submission case with Cantonment police station under section 26(2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004.

Prince was issued with notice by the Commission on April 15 directing him to submit his wealth statement within seven working days.

ACC director general Col Hanif Iqbal informed in the Commission's regular briefing that the ACC has approved the issuance of notices to former State Minister for Education Ehsanul Haque Milon, Javed Iqbal, project director, Dhaka Agriculture Extension Department, and Syed Mozaffar Hossain, an executive engineer of the Dhaka City Corporation seeking their wealth statements.

Jamaat never think of doing politics with Ershad: Mujahid

UNB, Dhaka

Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid blasted Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad for his remarks that he might go for alliance with any party excepting Jamaat. Sharply reacting to Ershad's comments, Mujahid told UNB that Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh believes in the politics of principle and ideology. "We don't do politics for politics' sake. Insha-Allah, we'll continue to do our politics in future by reposing unflinching faith on our principle and ideology", he said.

Jamaat leader said: "Ershed saheb was convicted for corruption by the highest court of the country. He usurped power by overthrowing an elected government and massacred the election system by destroying democratic values."

Mujahid said the way the personal character of Ershad is exposed to the people in a vile way it is not possible for a genuine Islamic party to do politics or entering into any alliance with him. "For this reason, Jamaat never think of doing politics with him," he said.

Ex-MP Shamsul Huq dead

UNB, Kurigram

Former MP and Awami League leader Alhaj Shamsul Huq Chowdhury died of old age complications at his residence at Kamar Tangaria village in Bhurungamari upazila here on Wednesday night. He was 75.

He left behind his wife, two sons and four daughters and a host of friends and relations to mourn his death.

Shamsul Huq Chowdhury was elected MP three times from Kurigram-1 in 1970, 1973 and 1979.

He will be buried at his family graveyard after namaz-e-janaza at about 3pm on Thursday.

Pakistan keen on close friendship with Bangladesh

UNB, Dhaka

Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has said his government is keen on developing close friendship and cooperation with Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Gillani said this when Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury called him at the Prime Minister's Secretariat in Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon.

The Prime Minister also stated that the two nations have much in common, and this linkage should be translated into greater cooperation in the fields of trade, education, culture and people-to-people contacts, according to a release received here from Bangladesh Mission in Islamabad on Thursday.

Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury handed over a letter to the Prime Minister conveying the greetings and good wishes of Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed as well as a warm invitation to visit Bangladesh, which Prime Minister Gillani accepted with thanks. Earlier, the Foreign Adviser held a meeting with Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

The two Ministers discussed ways and means to widen and deepen the traditional relations between the two countries, which they saw as both "special and strategic."

They agreed to create more congenial atmosphere for the growth of bilateral trade.

The Foreign Adviser requested for duty-free access of some Bangladeshi products into Pakistani market, such as jute, jute goods and pharmaceuticals.

They discussed the principle of according zero-tariff to each other's export items and agreed that the Joint Economic Commission should meet soon.

It was also agreed that structured Foreign Office consultation should take place at an early date to address all issues of mutual interest and concern.

Foreign Minister Mahmood Shah Qureshi also hosted a luncheon in honour of Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury.

The Foreign Adviser is due to meet President Pervez Musharraf and the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari during his two-day visit to the Pakistani capital.