The New Nation - Internet Edition

Contributions of Sir Salimullah recalled

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a discussion meeting in the city yesterday recalled lasting contributions made by Nawab Sir Salimullah who not only did found the All India Muslim League in the historic city of Dhaka but also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the University of Dhaka.

The discussion meeting was organized by the Nawab Salimullah Academy in observance of his 137th birth anniversary at the national press club. The speakers called for making the new generation of Bangladeshis aware of the life and works of Nawab Salimullah to form a clear idea of the country's past for a better understanding of its present.

Eminent industrialist Barrister Tamizul Haque presided over the discussion meeting which was addressed by eminent educationist Tozammul Hussain, Abdul Jabbar and Al-haj Akbar Hossain Pathan of the Muslim League, senior journalist Sheikh Raqubiddin, Mustafa Anwar Khan and editor of The New Nation, Mostafa Kamal Majumder among others.

Tozammul Hussain said that Nawab Sir Salimullah did realise more than a century ago the necessity of a political party to protect the distinct entity of the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent and formed the Muslim League in Dhaka when the then partition of Bengal was facing resistance from Kolkata.

Barrister Tamizul Haque said that Nawab Sir Salimullah performed a duty of uniting Muslims under an organisation - the All India Muslim League. Muhammad Ali Jinnah upheld the concept of Muslim unity and relied upon the Muslim League to pursue his goal of establishing separate homeland for Muslims. He said, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Muslim League worker during the pre-partition period.

Alleged torture of Tarique: Muktijoddha Dal demand judicial inquiry

UNB, Dhaka

Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal on Sunday demanded judicial inquiry commission on alleged torture of BNP senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman.

Addressing a press conference at BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain's NAM apartment, Muktijoddha Dal president and ex-MP Principal Sohrab Uddin said Tarique was arrested in good health, but later he was tortured in remand breaking two bones of his spinal cord.

Similarly, Arafat Rahman Koko was also tortured, he alleged.

"People of this country and freedom fighters will not remain as onlookers when a conspiratorial quarter will eliminate family members of proclaimer of independence Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman," Sohrab said.

He demanded that torturers must be identified and punished through judicial inquiry commission.

The Muktijoddha Dal leader urged the government to meet their demands within 48 hours. Otherwise, he said, they would be forced to announce action programs.

Sohrab also demanded immediate release of detained BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and overseas treatment of Tarique and Koko.

Muktijoddha Dal vice-president Abdus Salam and general secretary SM Shafiuzzaman Khokon were present.

Niko scam case: Hearing against Hasina deferred to June 25

UNB, Dhaka

A special court on Sunday kept in abeyance the arraignment hearing till June 25 in the Niko scam case against ex-PM Sheikh Hasina and others as the High Court had called for trial court records for its judicial scrutiny.

The High Court on June 19 during hearing on a petition filed by Hasina seeking quashment of Niko case called for trial court records to examine whether the case had been filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with due process of law.

As the court resume today at 10:15 am defence counsel Adv Shahara Khatun proposed for an adjournment of arraignment hearing citing the High Court order.

Judge A K Roy said that the court did not receive any High Court order in this regard. The court, however, adjourned the hearing till June 25.

Earlier, two accused in custody-former state minister for power and energy Prof Rafiqul Islam and ex-energy and power secretary Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhuey appeared in the court amid tight security while principal accused Hasina who was dispensed with personal attendance in trial court proceedings was represented by Adv Shahara Khatun.

On May 7 the ACC submitted the charge sheet to the court against Hasina and 8 others. According to charge sheet the accused in collaboration with each other awarded gas extraction work at Chhatak, Kamta and Feni gas fields to Niko Resources Ltd, a Canadian company, by cheating to get personal financial benefit which caused a loss of Tk 13,630.50 crore.

On December 9 last year the ACC filed the case with Tejgaon police station.

Govt not discriminating against Khaleda, says Adviser Quader

UNB, Dhaka

Communications Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader on Sunday said the government is not treating unfavourably against ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for her treatment.

"No discrimination at all. Begum Khaleda Zia being former Prime Minister and leader of a big party has been offered for treatment at home and abroad. You can say the process started late or there may be a legal complication," he told reporters at the Communications Ministry.

The Adviser said she (Khaleda) has been advised to get treatment at home and abroad and the government will do everything for her treatment.

Asked about overseas treatment of Tarique and Koko, he said it is difficult to say because Begum Khaleda Zia's case is different from them. Nevertheless, humanitarian aspects about Tarique and Koko are being considered.

About broken spinal cord of Tarique, Quader said he can not comment as he is not a doctor and he did not see the medical report either.

Asked about big parties' resistance to local body elections, he said he does not think they would resist it, as the local body elections are non-political.

Since the government has no party, there is no question of competition and the call for resistance is illogical, he said, adding "perhaps we might have made mistake, we will convince them and certainly they will understand."

The Adviser said the local body elections are on the election roadmap and the elections are being held accordingly to decentralize the power. It is nothing new.

About holding of the Upazila elections, he said the government would have to hold the elections in time following the High Court directives.

EC workshop on polls held in Khulna

Khulna Correspondent

Bangladesh Election Commission yesterday oragnised a workshop for the candidates in the Khulna city corporation election to make them aware about the different aspects of the election that includes election law and regulations.

Rafiqul Islam, Joint Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat, said, "The government is determined to bring honest and skilled leadership for overall development of the country. Keeping this in mind the Government is organising such workshops with a view to creating opportunities for the qualified candidates."

Khulna Divisional Commissioner Md Yunusur Rahman presided over while Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Helel Uddin attended the workshop.

Ten prospective candidates for the Mayoral post and 180 candidates for the councillor post participated in the workshop.

Tofail demands cancellation of local govt polls

Narshingdi Correspondent

Awami League Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed yesterday demanded the withdrawal of the schedule of the local government election saying, "We will resist any poll if it is held before the national election."

He reiterated the demand while addressing the local leaders and activists at the extended meeting of Narsingdi district with Advocate Asaduzzaman, President of Narshingdi district Awami League in the chair.

He also demanded the announcement of schedule of national election and withdrawal of state of emergence, as no crediable poll is possible under emergency.

"The controversial move of the Government is pushing the national election to uncertain. This will make the country's political situation more complex", he pointed out.

Narshingdi district AL general Secretary Abdul Matin Bhuyian moderated the meeting while AL central Joint Secretary Mukul Bosh, Former MP Advocate Rahmatullah, Narshingdi Municipality Chairman Lokman Bhuyian, among others, spoke.

2 car-lifters, 4 muggers held, stolen car recovered in city

Staff Reporter

Police arrested two car-lifters and four muggers from different parts of the city yesterday.

A team of DB Police led by ADC Masudur Rahman in a drive at the DIT Road at Motijheel arrested car-lifters Shikil Ahmad and Mahabubul Haq Ripon.

The police also recovered a robbed private car from the spot.

In another drive police arrested four muggers Saturday night after they snatched a mobile phone set and a laptop from a man travelling in a CNG-run three-wheeler in the city's Eskaton area.

The muggers were fleeing the scene through the Minto Road after they

mugged one Rashed Ibne Hasan and robbed him of his belongings at 9:30pm in front of Janakantha Bhaban.

The victim immediately alerted a police patrol and the team then chased the fleeing muggers and arrested Mehedi Hasan, 28, Mamun Khan, 26, Mamun Sheikh, 25, and Shahidul Islam, 22, along with the mugged goods.

Police said the gang regularly uses balm mixed with irritating chemicals in the eyes of the victims to flee the scene safely after mugging. They are popularly known as members of "malam party."

Delwar seeks un chief's intervention to probe HR violations

Staff Reporter

BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain yesterday sought intervention of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to inquire into how the spinal cord of former Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister, was broken and human rights violations in other cases in Bangladesh.

He made the appeal while addressing a meeting of the Nabo Chetana Juba Forum at a hotel in the city Hotel Grand Azad in the city yesterday afternoon.

The BNP Secretary General asked the Government to make statement on how Tarique's spinal cord was broken.

Presided over by Maulana Mohiuddin Ahmad, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.

Terming the local government elections a test case for the Government before holding the general elections, he said the Government wants to elect people of its choice through 'stage-managed' elections.

Khondoker Delwar said the Government wanted to form an electoral college with more than 600 chairmen and members of the local-government institutions to elect the country's President.

He alleged the Government wanted to run the country with the help of foreign lackeys in the disguise of friends.

The BNP leader emphasised the need for building unity of the people to foil any conspiracy against the country.

He said the country is passing thorough a crisis alleging that a non-elected government has relished the taste of power and wants to hang on to it.

No constitutional bar to local hold polls: Dr Kamal

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Gano Forum president Dr Kamal Hossain has said the constitution does not bar the Election commission from holding the local government elections.

"I think this government has no constitutional bar in holding local government elections. People want local election. We want what they want," he said at a press conference at his home at Bailey Road in the city Sunday.

On Gano Forum's participation in the local government elections, Dr Kamal said, "Our executive committee meeting will decide the matter."

Quoting Dr Kamal, the party's acting general secretary Subrata Chowdhury said, "As per the power vested on the Election Commission by article 119 and its sub clause 1, 2 the Commission has no bar at all in holding the local elections."

Dr Kamal alleged that those who plundered the country for long again wanted to capture the country and were creating division among the people.

"People want to know under which law the police have returned the goods seized from the arrested persons."

"The seized property would have to be placed in a welfare fund and used for people's welfare. This is people's property."

Dr Kamal did not took former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's name.

Dhanmondi police Saturday returned the documents and key to chest of drawers seized from Hasina's house.

The gano Forum chief said he would his sacrifice life if he had to to stop criminalization of politics.

JP to participate in all elections: Ershad

BSS, Rangpur

Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman Alhaj Hossain Muhammad Ershad yesterday announced that his party will take part in all elections including city corporation, municipality and parliamentary elections aiming at building a corruption-free developed Bangladesh.

There is no barrier before the JP to go to power, as the country's history has proved that his government was the most successful and a corruption-free one and JP leaders were not involved in corruptions, embezzling public properties and showing muscle power, he said.

The former President was addressing the first divisional level conference of his party at Rangpur Town Hall yesterday from where he launched JP's election campaign for the upcoming elections.

JP chairman Hossein Muhammad Ershad chaired the divisional conference that was attended by all district and upazila presidents and secretaries of JP from all 16 northern districts in Rajshahi division.

Party's presidium members including former first lady Begum Rowshan Ershad, acting JP chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, secretary general ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Ziauddin Bablu, Alhaj Karim Uddin Bharsha, Fakir Ashraf, Golam Habib Dulal, spoke on the occasion.

Ershad congratulated the Election Commission for announcing the schedule for holding elections in four city corporations and several municipalities and said that his party will take part in these and all subsequent elections to establish pro-people and corruption-free leadership at all levels.

He said there was no alternative to the one-eleven, which came into being as per people's aspirations following failures of all three governments in fifteen years and the patriotic Armed Forces saved the nation from destruction and a possible civil war.

Appreciating the role of army, Ershad said that with cooperation of the patriotic Army, the present Caretaker Government had successfully tackled the aftermath of the devastating floods and cyclone Sidr, established law and order and conducted anti-corruption drives, separated judiciary and prepared the voter list.