The New Nation - Internet Edition

BKP to form new political alliance

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Kallyan Party (BKP) Chairman Major General (Retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim yesterday said a new political alliance would be formed by pro- liberation forces and anti militant Islamic minded people and political parties.

He said the proposed new alliance would come into light in the first week of November.

He said that his party has already started taking with some political parties and would include some old and new parties more.

He said this while exchanging views with divisional and div level leaders of his party at the party's chairman office at new DOHS at Mohakhali in the city.

It was also addressed, among others, by Abul Kalam Azad, Secretary General, Abdul Malek Chowdhury, Dhaka district convener, Aziz Ahmed, member secretary of Chittagong district, Sadruzzaman Pintu, Convener of Khulna, Advocate Ratan Das, convener of Pirojpur, Md Kahir Mahmud Munna, convener of Sylhet and Quraisha Begum Sabiha of Bagura.

"It is necessary to form a rock solid national unity for freeing the country form corruption, poverty alleviation and establishing accountability and democracy," he added.

25 injured as buses collide in city

Staff Reporter

At least 25 people were injured when two passenger buses collided head-on at Staff Road in the city's Banani area Friday morning.

Police said the accident took place at about 8:00am when a Dhaka-bound bus collided with a Gazipur-bound bus, leaving at least 25 passengers of both the vehicles injured.

Eight of the injured were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition while five others to the Orthopedic (Pangu) Hospital.

Police also seized both the buses.

Bikalpa Dhara for electing honest people

Our Kishorgonj Correspondent

Bikalpadhara Bangladesh (BB) President Prof AQM Badrudozza Chowdhury appealed to the people to elect honest and capable people in the upcoming general election in the interest of the development of the country.

He was addressing a gathering as a chief guest at Kishoregonj Open Monch yesterday.

The former President said that the previous government had looted the country's resources by taking power in the country.

"My party is ready to form an alliance with the honest and capable political parties if it would be needed. For this, the alliance members should pledge that they would have suspended their leaders or workers from the parties if he or she was convicted for corruption and terrorism," Dr Badrudozza said.

He said that his alliance would work for ousting terrorism, corruption and poverty from the country.

Prof Anwara Begum, Convenor of BD Kishorgonj presided over the meeting while the party presidium member Prof Nurul Amin Bapari, former ambassador of Bangladesh Abdur Rahim, Eng Md Yusuf, Azizur Rahman Akand and Asaduzzaman Bachchu addressed the gathering.

BDR seize 1,355 bottles phensidyl in Benapole

UNB, Benapole

Bangladesh Rifles seized a truck load of phenisidyl syrup from Dakshin Baropota village here yesterday morning.

Acting on a tip-off, a BDR team raided the village and recovered 1,355 bottles of the contraband cough syrup from a truck.

Sensing the presence of BDR jawans, the truck driver fled the scene leaving behind the consignment of the smuggled goods.

2 women crushed under wheels of train in Narsingdi

UNB, Narsingdi

Two unidentified women were crushed under the wheels of a train at Outer Signal of Ghorashal Station in Polash upazila yesterday.

Police said Intercity Eleven Sindhur train crushed the two women to death while they were crossing the rail track at about 9am.

GRP recovered the bodies and sent those to Sadar Hospital Morgue for autopsy.

An UD case was filed in this connection.

Dhaka to propose Kolkata train times change

Bbdnews24.com, Dhaka

Bangladesh will propose changing the schedule of the Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express to make it more attractive and convenient for passengers, say senior railway officials.

Bangladesh wants the train to reach Dhaka on Tuesday and go back to Kolkata on Wednesday, Bangladesh Railway's director general Md Belayet Hossain told bdnews24.com.

He said they have no problem with the schedule of the train operated from Dhaka.

Currently, one Bangladesh train starts from Dhaka to Kolkata on Saturday and returns from Kolkata on Sunday.

Similarly, one Indian train starts from Kolkata for Dhaka on Saturday and returns next day.

"According to the current schedule, if passengers go to Kolkata by train, they have to spend seven days in Kolkata for the next return train.

"Because of the inconvenience, passengers travel by bus, instead," Hossain reasoned.

Two thieves held

UNB, Dhaka

RAB men arrested two thieves along with a tape recorder from the city's Eskaton and Purana Paltan areas Thursday night.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB-10 arrested Sayem Miah, 30, along with a tape recorder, which was stolen from the office of Diganto television channel from New Eskaton area.

One his confessional statement, the elite forces later arrested his associate Omar Faruk, 27, from Al Razi Complex at Purana Paltan in the city.

Innocent juvenile languishing in Ctg Jail

BSS, Chittagong

A human rights watchdog here on Friday alleged that a 15-year old boy has been languishing in Chittagong Central Jail for last two weeks though no substantial allegation was found against him.

An investigation conducted by the human rights activists of local chapter of Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR) revealed that Satkania police in the district arrested Jamal Hossain, son of poor farmer Abdus Salam of Charati village on September 28 from his house though there was no case or arrest warrant was pending against him.

The detained innocent adolescent did not get the opportunity to celebrate Eid- ul-Fitr with his near and dear ones as he has been in the jail since then.

Satkania Police told the BSEHR team that they arrested Jamal Hossain on the basis of a pending warrant in connection with a robbery case with Bandarban Sadar thana filed on April 8 in 2000.

On the other hand, Bandarban Court Inspector Ohidul Alam told the fact finding team that the robbery case was settled much earlier and all the accused in the case were acquitted by the court in 2003.

The age of Jamal during the robbery was only 7 and his village Charati in Satkania upazila is about 60 kilometre off from the place of dacoity in Bandarban sadar thana, the inquiry report of the BSEHR said.

Jamal was now a student of class ten of Lohagara Islamia Dakhil Madrasa and previously he was not accused in any criminal case.

Delwar Hossain, elder brother of Jamal alleged that some of their neighbour instigated the Satkania police to arrest his innocent brother out of previous enmity on the basis of false warrant.

Chittagong Metropolitan chapter of the BSEHR conducted the investigation into the allegation submitted by the family of Jamal following a directive from the central executive director of the organisation Advocate Elina Khan.

The organisation has put forwarded a bail petition to a local court.

President of the local chapter of BSEHR Advocate Zia Habib Ahsan and general secretary Advocate Mohammad Sharifuddin demanded immediate release of Jamal and proper punishment of those responsible for the cruelty inflicted on the innocent boy.

Tributes paid to SM Sulta

Bdnews24.com, Narail

The people of Narail paid glowing tributes to celebrated acclaimed painter SM Sultan on his 14th death anniversary yesterday.

On of the frontline painters and humanist, Sultan died at Jessore Combined Military Hospital on this day in 1994.

Local administration and socio-cultural organisations offered floral wreaths at the grave at 9am. Later a milad mahfil was held at the grave premises. A children's painting competition and discussion were held at Shishu Swarga (children's paradise), established by Sultan.

Educationist Sharif Atiar Rahman, additional deputy commissioner (general) Jahangir Alam, district superintendent of police Kamrul Ahsan, member of Sultan Foundation Prof Munshi Hafizur Rahman were, among others, present.

SM Sultan Children's Fine Arts and Crafts Foundation arranged a river cruise for children at Chitra River in the afternoon.

Sultan, fondly called by his village people as Lal Miah, lies buried in his Machhimdia village by the river Chitra. He was born at Machhimdia village to Mechher Ali and Maju Bibi on August 10, 1923.

A bachelor and used to Bohemian lifestyle, Sultan portrayed the people, nature and their life in his paintings.

Though Sultan did not have institutional qualification, he was admitted to Calcutta Art College. But he set out on a world tour without completing studies there.

He first went to different states of India and later to the then West Pakistan. He also visited Europe and the USA. In the West he held exhibitions of his paintings along with those of world renowned painters like Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

He returned to the country in 1953. After staying in Dhaka Art College Hostel for some time he went to Narail. He was introduced to cultural connoisseurs of the country through a solo art exhibition at Shilpakala Academy in 1976.

In his colourful life Sultana received many national and international awards. Cambridge University honoured him with Man of Achievement citation. He got Ekushey Award in 1982 and Independence Award in 1993.

BTCL to apply for WiMAX operations

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited is set to apply to the BTRC for licence to operate WiMAX /Broadband Wireless Access, a senior government official said yesterday.

Telecommunications secretary Iqbal Mahmood told bdnews24.com that BTCL would have to pay Tk 215 crore to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission for the licence.

Bangla Lion Communications, BRAC BDMail Network and Aguri Wireless won WiMAX licence through a bidding. Each of them has to pay the telecoms regulator Tk 215 crore.

The three private firms will be allowed to operate WiMAX or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access service with 2.3 and 2.5 gigahertz spectrum.

According to the terms and conditions for the licence, each firm will have to set up 90 base stations across the country.

The launching of WiMAX service is aimed at brining the entire country under the service.