The New Nation - Internet Edition

Over 100 politicians likely to be barred from polls

Rafiqul Islam Azad

Over one hundred politicians, including former ministers and MPs, of different political parties will be ineligible to contest the forthcoming general elections for various reasons, highly placed sources said.

According to sources about 50 of those political leaders have already been disqualified upon their conviction in different corruption and criminal cases.

The rest would be disqualified from getting party nominations, as they were responsible for tarnishing their party image in the past.

Tarique Rahman, Senior BNP Secretary General and elder son of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, has already gone abroad for treatment undertaking not to be active in politics. According to party sources, there is little possibility for him to return to politics in near future.

The political leaders, who have been reportedly disqualified, include Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Barrister Nazmul Huda, Haris Chowdhury, Mirza Abbas, Shajahan Siraj, Lutfozzaman Babar and Mosaddeque Ali Falu of BNP, Mohammad Nasim, Abul Hasanat Abdullah, Joynal Hazari, Shamim Osman, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Haji Selim and Haji Moqbul of Awami League and Shajahan Chowdhury and Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Sources said a quarter within the government is preparing the list of corrupt and harmful elements in the political parties for not providing them party tickets in the scheduled parliamentary polls to be held in the third week of December.

The quarter is learnt to be pursuing a move for taking assurance from the political parties concerned so that they drop the listed leaders from the polls fray.

According to sources, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, during her dialogue with four advisers of the Caretaker government on September 12, has agreed, in principle, to such a proposal.

The Government is also planning to give such proposal during its dialogue with Awami League President Sheikh Hasina after her return from abroad.

Besides, the government had already proposed for a dialogue between Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina and was planning to hold a political summit in November to discussion the ways and means to bring qualitative changes in country’s politics.

As per Article 66(2) Gha of the Constitution, if any body served two years in prison on charges of criminal offences he/she would not contest parliament elections for the next five years.

And the Emergency Powers Rule Section 11(5) said that anyone convicted for any crime and despite pending appeal in the higher court will also be unable to contest in the election.

Barrister Nazmul Huda, Mirza Abbas, Barrister Aminul Huq, M Morshed Khan, Shahjahan Siraj, Mizanur Rahman Minu, Toyabur Rahman, Mir Nasir Uddin, Barrister Shahjahan Omar (Bir Uttam), Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Amanullah Aman, Salahuddin Ahmed, Ziaul Huq Zia, Lutfozzaman Babar, Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Mosaddek Ali Falu, Ali Asgar Lobi, Engineer Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, Rashiduzzaman Millat, Hafiz Ibrahim, Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan, M Naser Rahman, Engineer Shahrin Islam Tuhin, Haris Chowdhury, Advocate Toimur Alam Khandaker, Giasuddin Al Mamun, BM Bakir Hossain of BNP and former home minister Mohammad Nasim, Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Dr HBM Iqbal, Jainal Hazari, Pankaj Devnath of Awami League and Anwar Hossain Manju, Chirman Jatiya Party (Manju) and his wife Tasmima Hossain, Shahjahan Chowdhury, former Member of Parliament of Jammat-e-Islami, and Shahidul Islam of Islami Oikkya Jote, among others, were awarded conviction for different terms.

Beside Tarique Rahman, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Mojibur Rahman Sarwar, Jainal Abein Farooq, Ilias Ali, Nasiruddin Ahmd Pintu, Salahuddin Ahmed, Prof Shahidul Islam of BNP and Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Altaf Hossain Golandaj, Shahjahan Khan of Awami League and Dr Abdullah Mohamamd Taher of Jamaat-e-Islami and Golam Farooq Ovi of Jatiya Party, among others, who have negative images in the political arena would also be unfit for contesting in the next parliament elections.

Meanwhile, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has take steps to revive hearings of all corruption cases stayed by court.

ACC has consulted the panel lawyer in this regard.

EC talks with BNP, Jamaat, IOJ today: BJP hot invited

Staff Reporter

The much-talked-about dialogue between the Election Commission (EC) and the BNP-led four-party alliance on electoral laws will be held today (Saturday).

According to the EC schedule, the Commission would hold talks with Jamaat-e-Islami at 10:30am while at 11:30am with the BNP and at 2:00pm with the Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ).

This is for the first time, the BNP of immediate-past prime minister begum Khaleda Zia is going to sit with the EC to talk election issues.

During the first dialogue, pro-Khaleda BNP faction was not invited while it rejected the invitation for the second round of dialogue as the EC did not address Khondoker Delwar Hossain as party Secretary General.

Finally, the BNP decided to take part in the third round of dialogues after the release of party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on September 11, on bail.

Though the Jamaat and the IOJ had attended the first and second round of dialogues with the Commission. They boycotted the third round of talks by taking the similar stand of the BNP. On Tuesday, the four-party alliance at a meeting chaired by Begum Zia decided to join the dialogue.

The EC on Thursday formally invited BNP and its political allies-Jamaat-e-Islami and IJO to take part in the dialogue on election preparations.

The EC, however, did not invite the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), another partner pf the four-party alliance.

BJP Chairman Barrister Andalib Rahman yesterday at a press conference protested and condemned the EC's decision not to invite his party for the talks.

He said people's confidence on the EC has been questioned with the decision what he termed a symptom of idiotic behaviour of the Commission.

Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda is due to announce the dates for all elections, including the stalled parliamentary polls, after completion of the dialogue process ending today.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain earlier told reporters that during the dialogue they would ask the EC not to hold any election before the national one. He also hinted that preparation of the electoral roll and the Representation of the People Order will also come up in the dialogue.

Asked about the agenda of the talks, EC Secretary Humayun Kabir on Thursday told reporters that the dialogue was an open discussion with the political parties.

"Any election-related issue can be discussed during the dialogue," he hoped.

EC tightens guidelines for poll observation

UNB, Dhaka

The Election Commission is working on a draft guideline for local polls observation groups to further streamline them for greater transparency.

In the draft guideline, the EC has tightened some rules and made registration of the interested groups mandatory with the commission.

The EC has already sent the draft guideline to all political parties and observation groups and asked them to place their feedback in writing by Sept 25.

The commission is interested to finalise the guideline by October.

The Commission held a meeting with development partners and election monitoring groups on Sept 11 about the rough outline of the guideline.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, decided that there shall be different guidelines for domestic and foreign election observers, and the observation groups must be registered with the commission for accreditation.

The accreditation will remain valid for one year, the meeting decided.

About the procedures for accreditation, the draft guideline reads that the polls observation groups shall assemble and submit their application attaching all required information along with profiles of all observers to the commission within the time specified in the public notice issued on its behalf.

"The commission shall scrutinize all applications with reference to the criteria set in the guidelines and notify its decision to grant or deny accreditation submitted by an observer organisation if its chief executive or a member of its board of directors or a member of its management committees is a candidate or an activist for any candidate or political party that is seeking public office in an election during the period for which accreditation is being sought," it reads.

According to the draft copy, the commission shall issue a certificate of accreditation to the accredited observer organisations no later than seven days following the decision to grant approval.

It mentioned that each organisation's accreditation shall be valid for one year from its date of issuance unless revoked earlier.

"During the validity of accreditation, the observer organisation may propose replacement of individual observers by furnishing their profiles in the prescribed forms," it further reads.

The guideline says the commission may revoke an accreditation granted to an observer organisation upon credible evidence that the observer organisation has violated any provision of the code of conduct.

"Prior to revoking accreditation, the commission shall provide the observer organisation with advance written notice of the alleged violation including its factual basis," it says.

An accredited observer organisation shall be responsible for the selection, training and development of individual observers, monitoring their performance and preparing report on observation findings for submission to the commission, the draft says.

About the qualification of the individual observers, the guideline notes that an individual must be a citizen of Bangladesh with at least 25 years of age. "He/She must have SSC or equivalent level of education and must be nominated by an accredited observer organisation," it says.

About the deployment of election observers, the draft guideline mentions that not more than two observer organisations shall be permitted access in an upazila/ metropolitan thana or a constituency to field stationary observers unless otherwise authorised by the commission.

"Each authorised organisation shall be allowed to field a minimum of one observer per polling station and maximum of one observer per polling booth," it says, adding that one from amongst them would be allowed access to the ballot counting room and one observer at the office of the returning officer during the consolidation of results.

In addition, each authorised organisation will be allowed to operate two mobile teams during the polling hours consisting of five members each, the guideline says.

The observer organisation shall maintain a list of all of its authorised observers by upazila/metropolitan thana or constituency.

"It shall inform the presiding officers of the polling stations and returning officers well ahead of time as to who are its designated observers respectively for counting and consolidation of result," it says.

The guideline says that the returning officer shall make the list available for inspection by the contesting candidates.

"If any objection is raised by any such candidate about the neutrality of any observer, the returning officer shall inform the observation organisation about such objection with a request for suitable replacement," it says.

The commission is the sole authority to issue observer identification cards. Observers shall at all times during observation of the electoral process prominently display their observer identification cards.

While conducting an observation, observers shall at all times respect the rights of voters and the need for commission officials to efficiently and effectively administer the election.

"Observers shall not interfere with the electoral process and may be assigned seating within the polling station provided their observation of electoral process is not thereby impeded."

The guideline reads that the observer organisations shall prepare report on the basis of their own guidelines and criteria. The commission does not want to interfere in this process for the sake of maintaining the objectivity and neutrality of election observation.

However, to assist the commission in pursuit of capacity building and institutionalisation for better election management, each observer organisation is required to file the following reports to the commission.

E-policing to bring radical change in crime control

Mamunur Rashid

E-policing (online policing) to prevent murder, mugging, traffic jam, arson, cyber crime, anti-social activities has not been successfully implemented so far.

Police source said as a first step of E-policing Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) tried to set up close-circuit cameras in the city streets.

Under the project, around 59 close circuit television (CCTV) cameras were supposed to be placed at 11 entrance and exit points to the city and other important spots like Sonargaon Crossing, Farmgate, Shapla Chattar, Bangladesh Bank, Zero Point, Baitul Mukarram, Paltan Maidan, Maghbazar and Mohakhali.

The DMP Commissioner Naim Ahmed however said in coming December DMP would install CCTV in the vantage points in the city. But till now only 50 per cent of the work has been completed, the source added.

According to the work order issued in November 2006, the 'Command Control and Communication System' project was scheduled to be finished by June 2007. The UNDP was financing the project under the Police reforms programme.

Even after more than a year of the deadline, police could not give details of the extent of the work undertaken or say exactly when the project would be completed.

"We are currently facing some technical difficulties," said a senior official at DMP requesting anonymity. "This is the kind of project that requires a lot of technological and specialised planning and considerations. We have to make sure that there are no loose ends."

"If everything goes well, we are hopeful that it will be completed by somewhere around November," he said.

According to the source, necessary equipments have been brought to the police command control centre at the Police Headquarters on Abdul Ghani Road.

However, installation of the CCTV cameras along with the modernisation of the control room saw little progress because of 'hesitation' over setting up of a tower for the network to function, a DMP source said.

CCTV involves a kind of telecast that can only be seen on specified receivers connected to the television camera by circuits having microwave relays and coaxial cables.

E-Policing recalled an informer giving him precise information about a gang of drug pushers during one of the video conferencing sessions. Police source said all cases filed online are reviewed and further investigation can be carried out by police with the use of hi-tech.

The E-Policing can help monitor price hike, extortion, traffic volume, drug peddling and any other illegal activities in any area.

Officers on monitoring duties will also keep a close eye on street crimes. In case of street snatchings and muggings, escape route of the culprit(s) can be easily traced through these cameras, sources added.

The police department on the other hand can decentralise to get crime information of a local area by getting these from the local people instantly andrapidly. The Police informer can immediately pass any information through the internet.

Despite various barriers to installing a sound E-Policing service in Bangladesh, its eventual establishment would have far reaching effects on checking crimes, safeguarding VIPs, maintaining discipline and controlling vehicular movement by upgrading the overall standard of police service, a DMP official told the New Nation.

CA leaves for New York tonight to attend 63rd UNGA

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed leaves here for New York Saturday night to attend the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Chief Adviser will be accompanied by his wife Neena Ahmed. The other members of the delegation during the Chief Adviser's visit include Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Secretary of the CA's Office Kazi M Aminul Islam and CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim.

Dr Fakhruddin will deliver the country statement at the UNGA session on September 26. This will be his second participation in the UN General Assembly as head of the caretaker government after assuming office on January 12 last year.

The Chief Adviser will have bilateral meetings with some heads of government and state as well as high dignitaries on the sidelines of the UNGA apart from meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

During a eight-day stay in New York, he will take part in a roundtable on Poverty and Hunger, attend opening segment of a high level event on the MDGs convened by the UN Secretary General and join a high level Plenary Meeting on Africa's Development Need; State of Implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward.

Dr Fakhruddin will attend a reception to be hosted by US President George Bush, welcome reception hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-mon and Mrs Ban Ki-moon in honour of Heads of State and Heads of Government and join dinner hosted by the UN Secretary General.

He will attend Special Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting, have meetings with Bangladeshi community and Network of Young Bangladeshi American Professionals (NYSAP) and attend a MDG Reception.

Other programmes of the CA include a reception to be hosted by President of South Africa on the occasion of launching of African Legacy Programme of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa and a high level discussion on the Food and Climate Change Crisis convened by the UN Secretary General.

The Chief Adviser will have an interview with TIME Magazine and BBC as well as interaction with local media.

Dr Fakhruddin is scheduled to return home on September 30.

Tk 46 lakh snatching 4 suspects held in city

Staff Reporter

Detective Branch (DB) of Police last night arrested four suspects from different parts of the city for their alleged involvement in snatching Tk 46 lakh from an assistant manager of ACI on September 14.

The arrested people were identified as Piyar Ali Khan, Khokan Miah, Hazrat Ali and Mohammad Sekul alias Elias.

DB sources said acting on a tip-off they arrested Piyar Ali Khan from Rampura area in the city.

According to his confessional statement, the plainclothes police later arrested three of his accomplices from the city's Tejgaon and Mohammadpur areas.

The arrested people told reporters that Ali, driver of ACI company, had earlier informed Khokan that the company officials would go to the bank to deposit a huge amount of money.

Later Khokan conveyed the message to others and finally they made their plan.

According to their plan, some 10 to 11 snatchers of the group took positions on Tejgaon-Gulshan link road en route to Standard Chartered Bank of Gulshan Branch where the officials were supposed to go for depositing some Tk 52 lakh.

When the microbus reached near Aarong on Tejgaon-Gulshan Link Road, five of the muggers riding on two motorcycles intercepted the microbus.

As the assistant manager alighted from the microbus without understanding anything, the muggers smashed the windowpanes of the vehicle and shot him. The gang snatched two cartons containing the money and fled the scene immediately.

Several bundles of about Tk 6 lakh fell from one of the cartons as they sped up after an on-duty police constable tried to resist the muggers hitting them with a stick.

DB sources said they managed to detect other associates who were involved in the mugging.

"The drive to arrest them is going on and we hope they will be arrested soon," a DB official said.

10 lakh people affected due to flood

Staff Reporter

Around 10 lakh people were directly affected due to flood in 22 districts, according to Ministry of Food and Disaster Management sources.

"A total of 9,75,096 people of 88 upazilas in 22 districts here affected due to inundation in the country," a senior official of the ministry said.

"Crops of 22,984.6 acres of land were damaged fully and 3,27,749 acres partially due to inundation," the official told the New Nation.

He further said that 11,488 houses of the districts destroyed fully and 75,565 houses partially for the same reason.

Besides, 1,912 Kilometres of road communication have been damage partially and 58 kilometres fully.

On the other hand a total of 454 educational and religious institutions, 107 kilometre dams, 97 culvert and bridges were fully and partially damage, he also said.

The source informed that 10 people were killed in the affected districts.

Khalilur Rahman Siddique, Director General (Relief) told the New Nation that the Government has allocated 3,450 tonnes of rice to rehabilitate the affected people.

"We have already started distribution of rice and cash of Tk 56 lakh among the affected people," he said.

He added that the government would also distribute Tk 28.8 lakh for rebuilding their houses.

'Killer Pandit’ killed in crossfire in city

Staff Reporter

A listed terrorist was killed in an encounter between his accomplices and members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Purbo Shyampur in the city yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Shayel Khan alias 'Killer Pandit,' 20. Son of Abul Kalam Khan in Barisal district, Killer Pandit was a close associate of Bara Miah and main killer of Shaheen group, RAB sources said.

"Killer Pandit was wanted in a number of criminal cases, including murders," a RAB official said.

Being informed about the gathering of some illegal arms carrying miscreants at Purbo Shyampur, a team of RAB-10 raided the area at about 2:30am, RAB sources said.

Sensing the presence of RAB men, the criminals started firing on the elite force, forcing them to fire back that triggered a gun-battle.

"At one stage of the gunfight, Killer Pandit was caught in crossfire and died instantly," said an eyewitness account of RAB.

Two RAB members were also injured in the encounter, said a RAB official unwilling to disclose their names. However, the elite force recovered a loaded pistol from the spot.