The New Nation - Internet Edition

Curtain drawn on nomination Defiance rules major parties

Pulack Ghatack

With the deadline for submission of nomination papers expiring yesterday, the contestants countrywide have converged on the starting line in the polls race on December 29.

Creating massive disarray in party-discipline, a large number of BNP and Awami League candidates have filed nomination papers as independents in the same constituencies at different places across the country. The anti-graft drive and the subsequent intra party reform feuds seem to have tainted the integrity of the dominant political parties.

Double candidature or frequent changes in nominations, sacrificing own party candidates for the shake of the alliances have made the aspiring mid-level leaders of both BNP and AL unmanageable, insiders said.

Defying party decisions, many have filed nomination papers in their chosen seats. As part of party strategy, the BNP and AL have also nominated more than one candidate in some of the constituencies.

BNP, Jamaat and their allies, Jatiya Party leaders and the defiant AL leaders mostly submitted nomination papers on the last day, yesterday.

BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia filed nomination papers for three constituencies in Feni and Bogra yesterday.

The electoral seats are Feni-1 (Phulgazi-Parshuram-Chagalnaiya), Bogra-6 (Sadar) and Bogra-7 (Gabtoli).

Top seven BNP "reformists", including the party's former secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, have applied to run as

independent candidates.

Bhuiyan (Narsingdi-3), the BNP chairperson's adviser ZA Khan (Dhaka-18), former state minister Mosharef Hossain Shahjahan (Bhola-1), former state minister Shah Md Abul Hossain (Barisal-4) and former lawmakers Abdul Alim (Joypurhat-1), Mofiqul Hasan Tripty (Jessore-1) and Mosharraf Hossain Mangur (Barisal-3) submitted nomination papers yesterday.

In Khulna, 48 candidates have submitted their nominations including a number of defiant AL leaders.

District AL president Sheikh Harunur Rashid submitted nominations in Khulna-1 and 2 constituencies while other two other AL leaders Sheikh Nurul Haque (Khulna- 6) and Panchanan Biswas (Khulna-1) also submitted nomination papers. All the three are former MPs.

The party, however, has nominated Nonigopal Mondol for Khulna 1 and Shohrab Al Sana for Khulna-6.

On the other hand, former AL MP Quazi Sekender Ali has bagged BNP ticket.

Kazi Faruque Ahmed, president of Oikkyoboddho Nagorik Andolon, who is still bargaining for grand alliance tickets, has also filed nominations in Khulna 2 and 5 constituencies. Begum Munnu Jan Sufian in Khulna-2 securing AL ticket.

Jamaat Ameer Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami submitted his nomination for Pabna-1 constituency (Bera-Sathia).

The party filed 36 nominations countrywide, as their bargaining with BNP over seat sharing is yet to be resolved.

District AL secretary Adv Shamsul Huq Tuku, District Jatiya Party president Adv Abdul Matin, IOJ leader Qari Sharif Ahmed and Yasin Ali also submitted nominations for Pabna constituencies.

The nomination for BNP leader Adv Sheikh Wahiduzzaman Dipu was submitted for Bagerhat-1 constituency from where Awami League President Sheikh Hasina is going to contest.

Sheikh Hasina's nomination papers for the constituency have already been submitted.

As many as 202 candidates have submitted nomination papers for Dhaka city constituencies, district Election Officer Faisal Quader said.

The total number of nominations submitted against the 300 parliamentary seats was not available till filing of this report at 11:00pm yesterday.

In the stalled January 22, 2007 polls, about 2,000 candidates-both independent and nominees of 76 political parties-had submitted nominations.

DU celebrates 400 years of Dhaka

Dhaka University students brought out a colourful
procession on the campus yesterday celebrating the 400 years
of capital Dhaka. Banglar Chokh

DU Correspondent

The Dhaka University (DU) yesterday observed the "Celebrations of 400 years of Dhaka" as capital amid fanfare and festivity. Vice Chancellor Prof Dr SMA Faiz inaugurated the ceremony at the Mall Chattar on the campus.

The DU campus was decorated to celebrate 400 years of Dhaka. Students carrying various placards, masks, banners and festoons brought out colourful processions from different dormitories that rolled out on the campus and gathered at the Mall Chattar.

Prof SMA Faiz released four pigeons to mark the inauguration of the ceremony and four hundred balloons were also released into the air.

Pro-VC AFM Yusuf Haider, Treasurer Prof Syed Abul Kalam Azad, secretary general of DU Alumni Association Rakibuddin Ahmed, Deans of faculties, chairmen and directors of departments and institutions and provosts were also present at the inaugural session.

A series of events including regional debate competition, kite festivals, painting competition were held yesterday followed by a cultural programme where artistes sang kawalis, danced and recited poems.

Several hundred resident and non-resident students in traditional dresses participated in the procession as the sound of drums filled the air.

Stalls have been set up on the campus showcasing Dhaka's heritage and paintings.

Festivity was in the air throughout the day as teachers, students and others marked the day with elaborate programmes.

Speaking at the inaugural session DU VC said the 400 years history of the capital Dhaka is an inseparable part of country's heritage, tradition and culture.

We have to nurture our rich national entity and should make it more enriched, he added.

On the occasion, a discussion meeting titled 'History and Culture of

Dhaka City's 400 years and Dhaka's Language' was held on the campus. DU History Department organised the discussion.

It was a holiday for the university, no classes were held, but the university buses operated as usual.

A cultural programme and concert were also held at Mall Chattar in the evening.

Nine held for damaging sculptures at Motijheel

The sculpture of White Storks at Motitjheel was
partially damaged by a group of Islamic activists on
Saturday night. NN photo

Students of the Institute of Fine Arts brought out a
procession on Dhaka University campus yesterday in protest
against the vandalism of the sculpture of White Storks at
Motijheel. FocusBangla

Staff Reporter

Police arrested ten Islamic activities after they vandalised a sculpture depicting a group of white storks, in a continuing campaign against statues and artworks in the city.

"We detained eight fanatics for damaging the sculptures at Motijheel around midnight on Saturday," police officer Fazlul Haq told reporters.

Witnesses said around 350 Ulema-e-Anjuman-e-Al-Baiyanat activists gathered around the sculptures with shovels and hammers, chanting slogans calling for the demolition of all stone works, consider to be idols, they say are forbidden by Islam. They tried to pull down the 41-foot high sculptures by putting ropes around the necks of the storks.

Unable to do this, the group attacked the base with hammers and other tools, the witnesses told reporters, before clashing with police trying to disperse them.

Wrapped in white cloth, the activists clashed with police when they tried to destroy another sculpture nearby in front of Mutual Trust Bank, recently inaugurated by the City Corporation.

Police joined by elite force RAB resorted to heavy baton charge on the activists leaving more about a dozen wounded.

Various militant groups, including the Al-Baiyanat, have been vandalising sculptures in Bangladesh in recent months.

They destroyed a huge statue of mystic poet Lalon Shah outside the Dhaka international airport in October, triggering a national protest.

SI of the Motijheel Police Station Nasiurzzaman filed two cases against the Al-Baiyanat activates.

DU Correspondent adds: A group of left leaning students of Dhaka University (DU) yesterday demonstrated on the DU campus to protest against the damage of a sculpture Balaka located at the Motijheel commercial area.

They blocked the campus road near Raju sculpture for one and half hour and took out a procession that paraded several streets on the campus.

A group of reportedly Islamist bigots early yesterday night damaged Balaka, police and witnesses said. The group also vandalised a baul monument in the airport crossing in the city on October 15.

Indian Home Minister resigns over Mumbai attack

Shivraj Patil

Agency, Mumbai

With corpses still being pulled from a once-besieged hotel, India's top security official resigned Sunday as the government struggled under growing accusations of security failures following terror attacks that killed 174 people.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who has become highly unpopular during a long series of terror attacks across India, submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who accepted it, according to the President's Office.

The Cabinet reshuffle comes as a chorus of criticism about the government's handling of the Mumbai attacks grows louder.

"Our Politicians Fiddle as Innocents Die," read a headline Sunday in the Times of India newspaper.

Calls for the resignation of the country's top security minister mounted earlier this year when Indian newspapers photographed him in three different outfits within the space of a few hours after a bomb attack killed 23 people in the capital.

Other newspaper reports said the 73-year-old carried five combs with him on a business trip. He stayed in office then, but the attacks in Mumbai, in which nearly 200 people were killed in a three-day rampage by Islamist gunmen, led to widespread public anger.

"Shivraj Patil has tendered his resignation," Veerappa Moily, a senior leader of the ruling Congress party, told Reuters.

"He has taken moral responsibility for the attack, which is a sign that Congress party men are never scared to own up."

Patil, who studied law as a student, has served as defence and commerce minister during a political career that started in the late 1960s. His resignation comes barely months before general elections and reflects fears within Congress that poor functioning of the home ministry could cost them dearly.

"There has been talk of his resignation for awhile, but now the people are angry which we cannot ignore any more," said a senior Congress leader present at a party meeting to decide Patil's fate.

Even before the Mumbai attacks, over 200 people had been killed in militant attacks this year, mainly from bomb blasts.

But public anger has mounted with the latest violence.

"He should have resigned a long time ago, this is the least the Congress party can do now," Kuldip Nayar, a political analyst, told Reuters.

Prime Minister Singh called a rare meeting of leaders from the country's main political parties to discuss the situation Sunday.

As officials pointed the finger at "elements in Pakistan," public ire over the government's actions widened.

"People are worried, but the key difference is anger," said Rajesh Jain, chief executive officer at a brokerage firm, Pranav Securities. "Does the government have the will, the ability to tackle the dangers we face?"

But J.K. Dutt, director general of India's elite commandos, brushed off criticism that his unit, which had to fly from New Delhi to Mumbai, was slow to respond to the attacks.

"There was no delay," he told reporters Sunday.

But Patil, the former home minister, succumbed to the mounting criticism of the government's inability to prevent repeated terrorist attacks. To replace him, Singh tapped Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, a Harvard-educated lawyer who has been one of the most prominent faces in the administration.

Chidambaram, 63, served as Minister of Internal Security in the 1980s under slain Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Authorities say the gunmen may have arrived in Mumbai on a trawler that was found abandoned and drifting off the coast with a bound corpse aboard a day after the attacks started.

The government suspects they then transferred to a dinghy and docked at a fishermen's colony near the two hotels and Jewish centre targeted in the assaults.

Local fishermen were suspicious of the group of young men, police inspector Dattatray Rajbhog said.

"The fishermen shouted at them and asked who they were and where they had come from. But they abused them and fled," he said.

Suspicions in Indian media quickly settled on the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, long seen as a creation of the Pakistani intelligence service to help wage its clandestine war against India in disputed Kashmir.

A U.S. counterterrorism official said some "signatures of the attack" were consistent with Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed, another group that has operated in Kashmir. Both are reported to be linked to al-Qaida.

President George W. Bush pledged full U.S. support for the investigation, saying the killers "will not have the final word." FBI agents were sent to India to help with the probe.

It was the country's deadliest terrorist act since 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai killed 257 people.

HC bars EPR convicts from contesting polls

Staff Reporter

The High Court yesterday said those convicted for more than two years in cases filed under emergency powers rules (EPR) would not be able to contest the forthcoming parliamentary elections, but those sentenced to less than two years may contest in line with the Constitution.

The High Court Bench comprising Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Md Rezaul Haque issued the rule on a writ petition filed by former communication minister and BNP leader Barrister Nazmul Huda.

The High Court rule kept the section 11(5) of the Emergency Power Rules operative subject to constitutional provision embodied in Article 66 (2)(Gha) which barred the BNP stalwart Barrister Nazmul Huda, twice convicted of corruption under the EPR, to contest in the December 29 parliamentary polls.

With issuance of the ruling participation of the convicted politicians under the EPR has been uncertain.

Huda's lawyer Ahsanur Rahman, however, hoped that his client would be able to run for elections as he had appealed against the verdict.

He claimed that the Rule 11(5) of the EPR was invalidated following the ruling.

The lawyer said there is precedent that one could run for elections under appeal against a conviction. The issue must be considered as per the Constitution, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General JBM Hassan told reporters that with the ruling those sentenced to more than two years would not be eligible but those convicted for less than two years would be able to contest elections.

Asked if those convicted would be able to contest the polls, he replied in the negative.

He said Nazmul Huda would not be able to contest the polls as he has been convicted for more than two years.

Barrister Shafik Ahmed told reporters that the ruling was valid as the Constitution keeps the provision that those convicted of corruption will not be able to run for elections.

Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah told The New Nation that the participation of the convicted under the emergency rule would depend on the decision of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, if it accepts the appeal in this regard.

Rule 11(5) of the EPR states that any person convicted for any length of sentence under the Rules, even under appeal against the verdict, will not be able to run for any elections, local or national.

Article 66(2)(Gha) of the Constitution states that no person is eligible to be elected as a lawmaker or remain as such if he is convicted to two years or more in a criminal case, and remains ineligible up to five years after his release from prison.

The former communication minister filed the writ petition on October 28 with the High Court protesting that Rule 11(5) of the EPR went against Article 66(2)(Gha) of the Constitution.

Reformists still threat to BNP

Talha Bin Habib

The BNP reformist candidates yesterday submitted nomination papers as ' individual' candidates for contesting the forthcoming parliamentary elections on December 29.

Some reformist leaders and former MP's of the party who have track records of successive victories in the previous parliamentary polls have submitted their candidature from different constituencies in the country.

The submission of nomination papers by these deprived leaders would certainly pose a potential threat to the BNP candidates in the polls, political analysts said.

Most of these leaders were not evaluated properly despite their positive field level reports.

Former BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan has submitted nomination papers to the returning office of Shivpur in Narsinghdi for contesting the upcoming polls as an independent candidate.

The other reformists of BNP who have applied to run as independent candidates as independent candidates in the upcoming parliamentary polls.

ZA Khan, former BNP Chairperson's adviser Dhaka-18, Mosharef Hossain Shahjahan, former state minister for Bhola-1, Shah Md Abul Hossain for Barisal-4, Abdul Alim for Joypurhat-1, Mofiqul Hasan Tripty for Jessore-1, Mosharraf Hossain Mangur for Barisal-3, Ataur Rahman Khan Angur for Narayanganj-2, Dr Rustum Ali Farazi for Pirojpur-3, Alhaj Syed Mokbul Hossain Lechu Mia for Sylhet- 6 and former whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Syed Shahidul Huq Jamal for Barisal-2 and Pirojpur- 2 constituencies, among those, submitted nominations papers yesterday.

Earlier the BNP parliamentary board on Saturday had given nominations to some leaders being considered reformist.

Among those who managed nominations are former Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman, Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, former minister and Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, former parliamentary defence committee chairman.

Petrobangla move for gas price hike unjust: BERC

Staff Reporter

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Gholam Rahman yesterday termed the Petrobangla proposal for raising gas price 'unjust and unreasonable' and said that the commission is not permitting the gas price hike this fiscal.

"We (the commission) will allow 10 to 15 per cent increase in price on July 1 for creating a 'Gas Exploration Fund'," the BERC Chairman said while announcing the commission decision on enhancement of natural gas prices at its office.

The gas exploration fund can ensure future demand as well as protect the right of consumers in the long term.

"The Petrobangla has spent Tk 109 to extract 1000 cubic feet of gas. It sold the same gas at Tk 111. So, the Petrobangla cannot prove its proposal as just and reasonable," the BERC Chairman said adding, "It is necessary to re-fix gas price for long term gas exploration and supply by the state-owned companies."

The foreign oil-gas companies have supplied 49 per cent gas in 2008 which was only 21 per cent in 2003, the commission informed. The BERC has directed the Petrobangla to improve service quality and preparing a five-year long strategic plan to ensure demand forecast.

The BERC also asked the Petrobangla to recover its arrear of Tk 24,661.51 million from different types of customers.

BERC member Md Mokhlesur Rahman Khandker, Salahud Din Ahmed, Md Khalelur Rahman, Prof Dr M Nurul Islam of BUET were present during the public hearing.

Earlier, the BERC held on September 24, 2008 a public hearing on the issue of gas price where Petrobangla pleaded for an average 65.92 per cent hike while representatives from other stakeholders opposed the demand.

Most of the export-oriented sectors are opposed to the price-hike idea. They argue that it might push them into perils particularly because of the worldwide economic recession.

Mannan Bhuiyan submits nomination as independent candidate

Narsingdhi Correspondent

Former Secretary General of BNP Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday submitted nomination paper for contesting the forthcoming parliamentary polls on December from Shivpur constituency in Narsingdi.

After submitting nomination paper Mannan Bhuiyan said, "I decided to run for the polls independently because I want to be with the people of my own locality," he said adding that he has always been with the people of his constituency.

On running for the first time without the sheaf of paddy symbol he said, "I have always worked for the welfare of my own people ". He said that he trusts the people of his locality wholeheartedly.

"The people here have always voted me to parliament to voice their rights," he mentioned adding that the people of Shivpur will give their right answer in the elections.

Reluctant to comment on not receiving a BNP ticket this time, the 'pro-reform' Bhuiyan said, "The people of Shivpur will answer that question".

The nation wants polls and stability will be achieved if the elections are held, he commented.

"Creating any more confusion over the polls would not be wise. We have to take the nation forward through elections,"said Bhuiyan, expressing the hope that they would be held as scheduled on December 29.

Ramna blast 14 Huji men chargesheeted

Staff Reporter

The CID police finally submitted the charge sheet against 14 members of the disbanded militant outfit Harkatul Jihad in Ramna bomb attack case to the CMM court after more than seven and a half years since the attack was launched on April 14, 2001, the Pahela Boishakh.

CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, who is the 7th Investigation Officer (IO) in the case, submitted the charge sheet to the CMM court at about 9:30am against 14 members of banned Islamic group Harkatul Jihad Al Islami (HUJI).

At a press briefing yesterday at CID Headquarters, Additional Inspector General Mohammad Javed Patwari said some 22 HUJI members were directly involved in the bomb blast but they charge sheeted 14 of them as full addresses of eight HUJI members were not found.

The charge sheeted accused in the case are Mufti Abdul Hannan Munshi alias Abul Kalam, Arif Hasan Suman alias Abdur Razzak, Moulana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin, Shahadath Ullah alias Jewel, Moulana Abu Taher, Moulana Abdur Rauf, Moulana Mohammad Tajuddin, Moulana Abdul Hannan Sabbir, Moulana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar, Moulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Hawlader, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Moulana Yahiya and Mufti Abdul Hye.

Among the accused persons in the case, Mufti Abdul Hannan Munshi, Arif Hasan Suman, Moulana Akbar Hossain, Jewel, Moulana Abu Taher and Abdur Rauf were arrested. But eight others are still absconding.

Patwari said after getting their full addresses the CID police would submit a supplementary charge sheet against them.

Describing the bomb blast, the CID chief said the HUJI members had planned the attack from their head office and Saatgambuz Mosque, both located at Mohammadpur in the city.

Patwari said Suman, Jewel, Johny and Sujan carried the bombs in a yellow taxicab and entered the park through the gate adjacent to the National Tennis Complex, identifying themselves as decorators at about 4:00am on the day. Suman, Jewel and Johny planted the bombs at the spot.

"When the celebration of Bengali New Year started, Johny exploded the bombs by pressing the remote control that killed some 10 people," he said.

Responding to a query, Patwari said the cost in making those powerful bombs was borne by HUJI as they considered the New Year celebration as anti-Islamic.

Patwari said the bombs were supplied by Moulana Tajuddin, who also supplied the grenades for August 21, 2004, attack on a Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue. Tajuddin is the younger brother of former BNP Deputy Minister Abdus Salam Pintu.

The CID officials said, though the names of 22 accused persons had been found in course of the long-drawn probe, eight got dropped as their full particulars were missing in the case documents.

In case any of the eight absconding persons whose names have been dropped from the charge sheet gets arrested, their names may be added to the list of the accused, he said.

The eight dropped are Shujan, Maulana Nooruddin alias Noorullah, Abdul Jabbar, Omar Faruque, Johnnie, Zakaria, Abdullah and Abdul Halim.

Following the arrest of Arif Hasan Suman by the CID's Assistant Superintendent of Police Fazlul Kabir on charges of his involvement in the August 21 grenade attack case, a number of clues to the Ramna bomb attack case were found.

Two to die in Rusho killing case

Court Correspondent

The Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 of Dhaka yesterday sentenced two persons to death and seven others to life-term imprisonment for killing Rusho, a young BBA graduate of North South University at city's Dhanmondi area in 2007.

Judge Muhammad Nurul Huda also fined the convicts Taka 50,000 each. The death sentenced convicts are Kazi Abdullah-Al-Mamun alias Babu and fugitive Md. Siddiqur Rahman Siddique while the life-termers are Raju alias Dukhu, Zamal Khan, Saiful Islam Khokon alias Shahid, Mohammad Ali, Liton and absconding Abul Hossain Dipu and Md. Zakir Sarkder.

On May 24, 2007 the accused snatched Taka 4 lakh 45 thousand from Arefin Alam Rusho, son of Lt. Col. AHM Shafiqul Alam and Lt Col Dr. Ambory Begum and shot dead Rusho.

The case was filed immediately and police submitted the charge sheet on February 12 this year. During the trial the Judge recorded the depositions of 40 witnesses.

Brief prosecution story says : Victim Rusho encahsed a cheque of Taka 4.45 lakh from city's Dhanmondi branch of NCC Bank and as soon as he came out of the bank the muggers shot him and fled away with the bag of money on the day at about 11 AM. Rusho with severe injury was rushed to Bangladesh Medical College Hospital, where he died.

As the case is a sensational one, the Government sent it to the Speedy Trial Tribunal for quick trial.

JUTA office-bearers elected unopposed

JU Correspondent

Prof. M A Matin of Statistics Department and Prof. M Shamsul Alam Selim of Government and Politics Department of Jahangirnagar University were elected president and Secretary respectively of Jahangirnagar University Teachers Association (JUTA) unopposed.

Election Commissioner of JUTA Prof. Mirza Mofiz Uddin declared the result Saturday.

Other office bearers are: Syed Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan of Archeology Department- Vice president, Sattyajit Kumar Saha of the Mathematics Department-Treasurer, Aniruddh Kahali of Bangla Department -Joint Secretary.

Members of the executive committee are: Kaoshik Saha, M Harun-or-Rasid Khan, M Ayub Khan, Mohammad Mafruhi Sattar, Mahbub Kabir, Laizu Nasrin, Samsad Mortuza, Dr Soma Momtaz and Sohel Ahmed.