The New Nation - Internet Edition

4 DU students, 3 cops injured in clash: Police van set on fire

Angry students of Dhaka University set ablaze a
police van in front of Shahidullah Hall folowing a clash on
Monday. FocusBangla

DU Correspondent

Four Dhaka University students and three policemen were injured in a clash near the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital over a minor issue at noon yesterday.

Eyewitnesses said four students were arrested for accusation of attacking the three policemen they were admitted to the DMCH with severe injuries.

Later, the students were set free from police custody as their arrest and injury triggered angry student protests.

"The angry students set fire to a police van in front of Shahidullah Hall of the university and burnt chairs and benches of teashops in the area," reported source who witnessed the latest campus unrest yesterday.

People passing through the areas panicked during the one-and-a-half-hour-long chase and counter- chase.

Due to violence the healthcare services at DMCH were disrupted. The visitors to the hospital were seen moving desperately to find safe and secure shelter.

According to a Source the incident started when a DU student of Shahidullah Hall got into a dispute with a tea seller as he was refused change for Tk 100 to pay a bill of Tk 9 at about 4:15pm.

The annoyed student called some of his friends over mobile phone, who rushed to the spot and started thumping the tea vendor, police and witnesses said.

Seeing the beatings, three policemen of DMCH camp, including its in-charge, in civil dress rushed to the spot to rescue the tea-seller. At one stage of altercation, students hit the policemen too.

The injured policemen started running towards their DMCH camp, all the way pursued by the four students.

Later, policemen locked the collapsible gate of the hospital and picked up the four DU students---Hamidur Rahman, Ijaj, Mamun and Saki. The students were taken under police custody at DMCH after giving heavy beatings.

Later, students demanded immediate release of the locked up students, and hacked the camp in which police were injured.

The injured policemen were admitted to the DMCH.

AL, BNP’s vague statements give wrong signal

Rafiqul Islam Azad

The vague statements being issued by the leaders of the two major political parties were sending confusing signals to the people though both the parties had earlier accepted the new polls schedule announced by the Election Commission (EC).

While not altogether rejecting the new schedule the AL President Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly termed the shifting of the dates of parliamentary and upazila polls a conspiracy.

Sheikh Hasina also apprehended that the frequent change in the polls schedule was part of a conspiracy to manipulate election results.

However, AL spokes-man Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters that the AL had accepted the new polls date of December 29 but wanted the upazila election schedule cancelled.

The new demand to cancel the upazila election schedule added to the confusion already created in the minds of the voters, eagerly waiting to exercise their right to franchise.

He further said the state of emergency must be withdrawn ahead of the parliamentary polls.

The BNP leaders, on the other hand, have said that their participation in the national election hinged on the withdrawal of the state of emergency by the government.

Reiterating the demands of the four-party alliance, BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain yesterday in a stormy press briefing told reporters that the alliance was intently observing the government moves.

Earlier on Sunday, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia welcomed the rescheduling of the elections, but demanded steps for immediate withdrawal of emergency and suspending Section 91(e) of the RPO to create a congenial atmosphere for the polls.

68 abducted fishermen rescued from Sundarbans

Staff Reporter

Sixty-eight fishermen abducted by pirates at different times from Kalirchar area of Satkhira range of the Sundarbans mangrove forests were rescued by BDR jawans in an overnight drive on Sunday.

BDR sources yesterday said a team led by acting BDR commander of Nildumur 7 Battalion Maj Alamgir Hossain Dewan was continuing the drive to rescue the rest of the abducted fishermen. When contacted, Maj Alamgir said pirates kidnapped a number of fishermen from Kalirchar, Puspakati, Mandarbaria and Haldebunia in the Sundarbans in the last few days.

Being informed, BDR launched the drive in the area Friday night. Sensing their presence, the pirates opened fire on the BDR team on Saturday forcing the border guards to fire back that triggered a gun-battle.

Later, BDR deployed three additional patrol teams in the Satkhira range.

BDR rescued the fishermen after the pirates fled the scene on Sunday at about 8:30pm. The rescued fishermen returned home, BDR sources said.

"The pirates apparently fled the area releasing the fishermen two days after an intense gunfight between the BDR and pirates in the forest," a Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) official told reporters.

The BDR and the fishermen said a gang of pirates demanded Tk five lakh ransom for the release of the hostages. Thousands of people enter the Sundarbans in groups for days every year to fish in the rivers, canals and creeks, while a number of criminal groups, some of them international ones, operate in the area abducting people for ransom.

At least seven pirates were killed in gun-battles with BDR in the last one year, while police and BDR sources earlier said the incidents of piracy reduced largely in the past several months in view of intensified security vigil.

Khaleda may be enrolled as voter today

Staff Reporter

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia will be enrolled as voter today or tomorrow, said a close aide of the party high up yesterday.

Earlier officials from the Election Commission (EC) went to Begum Zia in the prison and she had refused to be a voter.

The EC said the last date for enlisting as voter has long expired.

But aspiring candidates in the upcoming parliamentary election can be enrolled before the date of filing nomination papers under a special arrangement.

New generation urged: Unite to try war criminals

Staff Reporter

Demanding punishment to the war criminals speakers at a discussion called upon the new generation to unite under an umbrella inspired by the spirit of the Liberation War.

Gauraber Muktijuddha Sangathan organised the discussion programme on "The Punishment to the War Criminal" at the Liberation War Museum in the city yesterday.

ABM Musa, Journalist and Columnist, said the main responsibility of the new generation is to eliminate the forces active against the liberation of the country.

Robaet Ferdous, teacher of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department of Dhaka University said the war criminals had been trying to strike at our secular cultures and traditions.

Rasha, a well-known sculptor, said a freedom fighter could not dream of a happy nation with war criminals around. He also blamed the major political parties of the country for rehabilitating this evil power in the country.

Musa launched the T-Shirts designed with the list of names of war criminals published by the Sector Commanders Forum. The T-Shirts were made by Solo, a fashion house.

Rasha presided over the meeting and Abdullah Al Amin, one of the owners of Solo, delivered the welcome speech.

Decentralise admn to reduce disparity: CPD seminar urges Govt

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a dialogue yesterday called upon the government to decentralise the administration for reducing regional disparity in the country.

They made their call at a dialogue styled "Regional Disparity in Bangladesh: An Emerging Concern" at BRAC Centre Inn Auditorium. The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised the dialogue. Finance Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam was present in the dialogue as chief guest while Regulatory Reforms Commission Chairman Dr Akbar Ali Khan was special guest. The CPD Chairperson Rehman Sobhan moderated the dialogue. Ambar Narayan and Hassan Zaman of World Bank presented the keynote paper.

AB Mirza Azizul Islam said that the next political government would take steps to solve the controversy over coal issues for accelerating the industrialisation in the country's northern districts.

He explained his government activities to reduce the regional disparity and said that the Caretaker Government has taken steps to bring 40 per cent of the total food import through the Mongla port.

"The Government has already allocated Tk 40 crore for 29 poorest districts in 2008-09. It was Tk 21 crore in last fiscal. Besides the Government also conducted 100 days programme for the areas," he pointed out.

The Finance Adviser observed that the shortage of gas and electricity have hampered industrial growth in northern region of the country.

Former Adviser Akbar Ali Khan said that the central government should empower local government through decentralised administration. He also called for strengthening the local government to reduce regional disparity.

"For accelerating the economic growth, the regional disparity should be reduced," he said adding, "The facilities of electricity, gas and transport system in the northern districts is poor."

He added that the investors do not show their interest to invest without gas, electricity and transport facilities despite tax holidays.

Former Finance Minister M Saiduzzaman said that the poverty level has increased during the last three years in the country.

BRAC Executive Director Dr Mahbubur Rahman called upon the government to adopt modern technology in the agriculture sector to increase food production.

Dr Uttam Dev of CPD called for disseminating the available technology in agriculture sector to reduce poverty.

Ambar Narayan and Hassan Zaman in their papers said that Dhaka and Chittagong contributed 79 per cent of national poverty reduction with just over half the population whereas Khulna and Barisal with 20 per cent population had no contribution at all.

Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Dr Sazzad Zahir, Jafar Ullah, Siddiqur Rahman Chowdhury, Manjur Ahmed, among other, participated in the dialogue.

To face challenges of 21st century: Innovative teaching at varsity level stressed

DU Correspondent

Speakers at a seminar in the city yesterday underlined the need for applying modern innovative teaching methods at the universities for creating future leaders to face the challenges of 21st centuries.

"New kinds of teaching methods as well as curriculum must be designed for creating leadership skills among the country's professionals as they could compete in the new era of globalisation," they said.

The seminar styled 'How Education Creates Business Leadership' was jointly organised by the Voice of Business (VOB), a forum of business faculty students of Dhaka University (DU) and London Metropolitan University of UK at DU Business Faculty auditorium.

Dean of the Business faculty Prof M Abbas Ali Khan spoke as chief guest while Head of International Development of London Metropolitan University

Mark Bickerton presented keynote paper.

President of VOB Ashraful Hasan gave the welcome speech.

Prof Abbas said leadership quality among the entrepreneurs is a must to help the country achieve its desired development goal.

In his keynote paper, Bickerton said, the university curriculum needs to design in such a way that could make the students more confident about themselves.

"The system of taking examination needs to move away as much as possible and instead more project works should be used for making the students more competitive and skilled for their professional life," he said.

Nearly 200 business students attended the seminar.

25 retired army officers join BNP to contest polls

UNB, Dhaka

Some 25 retired army officers Sunday joined BNP with the prospect of contesting the upcoming election on the party ticket.

Led by Lt Col (rtd) Mohammad Abdul Khaleque they met with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office Sunday night and expressed their loyalty to her leadership in advancing the nation towards progress and prosperity.

Welcoming the newcomers Khaleda asked them to work unitedly for achieving victory in the election.

The former army officers coming from different parts of the country joined BNP are:

Brig Gen Nasiruddin Sarwar, Birg Gen Nasiruddin Ahmed, Lt Col AHM Ruhul Islam

Lt Col M Badiur Rahman, Col Mohammad Shahjahan Mia, Col Abdul Latif, Lt Col M Shahidullah, Major Hanifuddin Sheikh, Major Syed Abu Bakar Siddique, Major M Ashrafuzzaman, Major M Farooq Ahmed, Major Niad Ahmed Jaber, Col M Nurul Islam

Group Captain M Shamsuzzoha, Lt Col Shamsul Islam, Captain Dr Qamrul Ahsan

Lt Col Qamrul Ahmed, Lt Col Abul Bashar, Major Dr M Rezaul Haq, Lt Col MA Maleq Bhuiyan, Commodore Shafiqur Rahman, Lt Col Noor Mohammad, Lt Col M Zillur Rahman, Major Wadud Deedar

Two others joined BNP are Advocate Mahboob Hossain and Sarfuddin Ahmed Sentu. Sentu who was defeated with a narrow margin in the mayoral election in Barisal City recently has deserted PDP.

BNP senior leaders including Lt Gen (rtd) Mahbubur Rahman, Air Vice Marshal (rtd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Brig Gen (rtd) ASM Hannan Shah, Wing Commander (rtd) Hamidullah and Major (rtd) Sharif were present at the joining function.

Fake medical report: SC affirms stay on Falu’s bail

UNB, Dhaka

The Supreme Court yesterday affirmed its earlier stay on convicted former BNP MP Mosaddek Ali Falu's bail granted by the High Court on "fake" medical-board report. A 5-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin passed the order by dismissing a stay-vacating plea placed on behalf of Falu, who has been jailed for five years for embezzlement of CI sheet allocated for relief.

On November 3, upon an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) petition, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court found "fake" the medical report on his health and halted his HC-granted bail.

The SC also exonerated M Wahidullah, Advocate-on-Record (AoR), as he sought unconditional apology for misleading the court by submitting Falu's forged medical-board report and warned the AoR to be "careful" in future.

While passing its orders, the apex court said it would deliver its judgment relating to inquiry into the faking of medical report after examining the reports submitted by the SC registrar and the Attorney General, the chief government law officer.

Army-led joint forces arrested Falu, also political secretary to ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, at his city residence on corruption charges on February 5 last year amid a crackdown on the political arena following the 1/11 changeover.

Irregularities involving Tk 26 crore in BTCL unearthed

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission has unearthed huge corruption and irregularities involving crores of Taka in the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL), previously known as Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB).

A special team constituted to look into graft in the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications appeared to have detected corruption and irregularities involving about Tk 26 crore in the last eight years, ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal said at the Commission's regular briefing yesterday. The alleged corruption and irregularities took place in Wire Storehouse and Factory Directorate of the BTCL.

According to the team's findings, an amount of Tk 47.43 crore was shown spent on procurement of materials for four organizations under the Wire Storehouse and Factory Directorate from 2000-2001 to 2007-2008 fiscal years against the actual spending of Tk 8.89 crore. The spending did not go down despite significant reduction in works and demand for materials produced in the factory.

During the period, it was shown that an amount of Tk 16.8 crore was spent on conveyance of the employees and officials, while Tk 8.93 crore on repair and maintenance.

According to the ACC special team, this amount (Tk 25.74 crore) was actually misused through financial irregularities, which is tantamount to misappropriation.

It also detected huge corruption in the cases of fuel used in trucks to transport materials and purchasing materials for the storehouse.

Earlier, the special team uncovered such more irregularities in different departments of the BTCL.

HC declines to stay Emergency operation

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court yesterday declined to issue a stay order on the operation of two orders under the Emergency Proclamation 2007 relating to the powers vested in the President.

But the HC, upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition, issued twin rules asking the government to explain why suspension of fundamental rights guaranteed during the emergency should not be declared ultra vires of the Constitution.

It also asked the government to show cause as to why the impugned gazette notification that had proclaimed state of emergency invoking the power vested in the President under article 141C should not be declared inconsistent with the basic features and fundamental structure of the Constitution.

The rules have been made returnable in four weeks.

After a brief hearing, a division bench comprising Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui issued the twin rules upon a PIL writ petition filed by Asafuddowllah, a retired top bureaucrat, Nurul Kabir, editor of the New Age, Amir Kahsru, a senior journalist, and Rehnuma Ahmed, an anthropologist. .

Secretaries to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and Office of the President have been made respondents to the writ petition.

The PIL petitioners also sought a court declaration under Article 7(2) (supremacy of the Constitution) read with Article 26(2) (laws inconsistent with fundamental rights to be void).

Article 7(2) says, the Constitution is, as the solemn expression of the will of the people, the supreme law of the Republic, and if any other law is inconsistent with the Constitution that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

And according to the Article 26(2), the State shall not make any law inconsistent with any provision relating to fundamental rights and any law so made shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be void.

Emerging from the court, Barrister Moyeen Firozee, who appeared for the PIL petitioners, quoted the HC bench as saying that the case would be heard in a larger bench as it involves significant interpretation of the Constitution.

Barisal veterinary students form human chain

Barisal Correspondent

The students of Barisal Govt. Veterinary College (BVC) yesterday formed a human chain in front of the Barisal Aswani Kumar Hall as a part of their fortnight long programme demanding solution to various academic problems and upgrading the status of BVC.

The leaders of the agitating students said that BVC ,established under Babuganj upazila in Barisal at a cost of Tk 20 crore, was to be transferred to the revenue sector from the development sector. Besides, as per decision of the inter-ministerial meeting held on November 27 last year BVC was to be transformed into a veterinary faculty of the Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU). Accordingly, a team of the University Grants Commission completed selection of manpower and formalities for the absorption of BVC with PSTU. But the decision of the inter-ministerial meeting is yet to be implemented, the student leaders alleged.

As the future of BVC has been hanging in balance, salaries and other facilities of teachers and the staff members have become irregular and uncertain. Consequently, they have been passing their in great hardship.

Over 200 students now enrolled with BVC have also been facing problems of accommodation, laboratory facilities, power and water crisis and other infra -structural difficulties, they mentioned.

The fortnight agitation programmes to ;press home the demands of the students include wearing of black badges, holding of rally and bringing out procession.

When contacted, PSTU sources said that delay in granting necessary fund and administrative crisis was standing in the way of absorption of BVC as an outer campus of the university.