The New Nation - Internet Edition

NDP demands RPO cancellation

Staff Reporter

NDP Chairman Khondker Golam Mortaza yesterday said that cancellation of Representation of People Order (RPO) `08, withdrawal of state of emergency and declaration of date of upazila election in logical time after the national election is now demands of time.

Criticising the remarks of chief election commissioner he said the RPO is against peoples citizen right and their right to launching political party.

Khondker Golam Mortaza was addressing a token hunger strike at party office where NDP Secretary General Alamgir Majumder, presidium member Mokbul Hosain Sarker, Vice Chairman Habibur Rahman Chowdhury, joint Secretary General Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan took part in the strike.

Senior Vice Chairman of Islami Oikkya Jote Moulana Muhiuddin Khan, Secretery General Moulana Abdul Latif Nezami, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Abdul Kader Molla, BNP Office Secretary of Ruhul Kabir Rizvee, JAGPA president Shafiul Alam prodhan, NPP Chairman Sheikh Showkat Hosen Nilu, Executive President of Bangladesh Muslim League AHM Kamruzzaman also spoke, among others, on the occasion.

ACC not to retreat from anti-corruption fight: Mashhud

UNB, Barisal

Apprehending that the ongoing anti-corruption drive may face obstacles in the future, Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Let Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury Wednesday reaffirmed that his commission would not retreat from the battlefield.

The ACC chairman was addressing a prize-distribution ceremony of speech competition titled 'The Role of Students in Anti-Corruption Drive' at the auditorium of Barisal Braja Mohon College as chief guest.

Gen Mashhud urged the country's young generation to play a strong role in removing corruption from society through united efforts.

He said all sectors, including educational institutions, public offices and service centers, must be kept corruption-free for rapid socioeconomic development of the country.

Mashhud planted a sapling at the Anti-Corruption Square of the college and enjoyed an anti-corruption stage drama performed by Braja Mohon Theatre.

Principal of the college Prof. Dr. Sirajul Huq presided over the function.

The first prize of the speech competition went to Zahirul Islam Jewel of English department. The other winners are Sohana Islam of Economics and Abdullah Al Jaber of Social Welfare departments.

The ACC chairman arrived in the district on Sunday as part of his campaign against corruption.

Later, the ACC Chairman visited Madaripur and addressed a views-exchange meeting at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner.

Coalmine case: HC to hear Mujaheed's fresh bail petition

UNB, Dhaka

A division bench, comprising Justice AKM Fazlur Rahman and Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, yesterday admitted to hear a fresh bail petition filed by wanted Jamaat secretary general and ex-minister Ali Ahsan M Mujaheed in Barapukuria Coalmine graft case.

The petition may come up on the October 19 cause list for hearing.

Earlier in the day, another division bench, comprising Justice M Anwarul Haque and Justice Farah Mahbub, decline to entertain his bail petition on the grounds of preoccupation, court sources said.

On October 8, the vacation Chamber Judge of the Supreme Court after a brief hearing termed his petition for anticipatory bail as delayed one and dismissed it as not being pressed by his counsel. It had also advised the counsel for Mujaheed to approach the High Court or the trial court seeking redress.

On June 3, the High Court turned down Mujaheed's petition seeking anticipatory bail in the Barapukuria Coalmine graft case in which ex-premier Khaleda Zia is the principal accused.

Local co to invest 23.74 m at Ishwardi EPZ

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladeshi Company would set up a Home Textile (weaving, dyeing) and related products manufacturing industry in Ishwardi Export Processing Zone with an investiment of US dollar 23.74 million.

M/s. Sunman Industrial Corporation Limited, a cent percent Bangladeshi company, would also create employment opportunity for 5412 Bangladeshi, including 12 foreign nationals, said a press release.

To this effect, an agreement was signed between Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZ) and the company in BEPZA Complex here Tuesday.

Prasanta Bhushan Barua, Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Major (Retd) Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of M/s. Sunman Industrial Corporation Ltd signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organization.

Brig General Jamil Ahmed Khan, ndc, psc, Executive Chairman of BEPZA and other officials from respective organizations were present on the occasion.

BNP team meets UK minister

Bdnews24.com

A four-member BNP delegation met the visiting British minister Lord Mark Malloch Brown at the British high commission yesterday afternoon.

The delegation, led by its secretary general Khandakar Dewlar Hossain, discussed polls-related issues with the visiting minister.

"We have discussed the political issues especially holding of the next general elections," BNP joint secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan, who was a member of the delegation, told bdnews24.com.

Former foreign secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and the party's office secretary Rizvi Ahmed were the other two in the team.

The British high commissioner, Stephen Evans, was also present at the meeting.

The BNP and the UK foreign office minister for Asia, Africa and the United Nations, have had contrasting views on holding of the next parliamentary polls under the state of emergency.

The BNP has already demanded complete withdrawal of the state of emergency as a pre-condition for BNP's participation in the upcoming general elections.

Lord Brown, after his meeting with the foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Wednesday, told journalists that the election could be held under a "relaxed state of emergency".

The minister, who came to Dhaka yesteray on a two-day visit, is scheduled to have a similar meeting with the Awami League leaders today.

5 alleged drug peddlers held in city

UNB, Dhaka

Detective Branch (DB) of police, in separate drives, arrested five alleged drug peddlers, including a student of a private university, from different parts of the city on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Being tipped-off, the plainclothes police intercepted a private car at Tejgaon Industrial area at about 1:45pm yesterday. They arrested car passenger Jaminur Rahman, 25, a BBA 1st year student of South East University of Banani campus, and his associate Shipon Miah, 24.

They also recovered 230 cans of beer from their possession.

The DB police also arrested three youths-ABM Musa, Jashimuddin, and Arif alias Swapon-from the city's Tejgaon and Badda areas on Tuesday on charge of drug peddling.

It seems no govt in country after meeting between CA and wanted political leader: SCBA president

UNB, Dhaka

Supreme Court Bar Association president Barrister Shafique Ahmed has said it appears that there is no government in the country after a dialogue between a Jamaat delegation, including its wanted secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed, with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in his office Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference at the SCBA auditorium yesterday afternoon, he said, "We're concerned at the meeting of the Chief Adviser with a person running with an arrest warrant. This proves there is no rule of law in the country."

Barrister Shafique said such appeasing policy of the government will only encourage criminals.

The press conference was arranged on the eve of a 2-day national conference of Ganotantrik Ainjibi Samity that begins today.

Shafique, also president of the Samity, said they will press for restoration of the country's original constitution that had envisaged secularism as one of the four state principles.

Referring to the forthcoming parliamentary elections, the SCBA president said it is not possible to hold free, fair and credible polls keeping the state of emergency in place and called for lifting it immediately.

Advocates Subrata Chowdhury, Zahidul Bari, Mizanur Rahman, Jiad Al-Mamun, Sheikh Akhtarul Islam were, among others, present at the press conference.

Thieves steal valuables worth Tk 3 lakh from a city house

UNB, Dhaka

Thieves stole some 15 tolas of gold ornaments and Tk 15,000 from a house in the city's Dhanmondi area yesterday.

Police said a gang of organized thieves broke into the house of businessman Altaf Hamid at house-161, road-15/A at noon when his family members were out of home.

A case was filed.