The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mobile network in 3 hill dists to be expanded

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Government has decided to expand mobile network in three hill districts of Khagrachari, Bandarban and Rangamati.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Maj Gen (Retd) Manzurul Alam said that the people of hill districts were deprived of mobile phone benefit though people of other parts of the country got the opportunity.

"The expansion of mobile network will bring about change in the socio-economic condition of the region", he said.

Earlier BTRC took initiative to award three types of 'Internet Service including Cyber café Service Licence' to provide internet service to common people at cheap rate.

It has put application form for the licence in its website. Applicants can apply to the Chairman of the commission with relevant papers.

The commission divided the Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence in three types- category A for Dhaka Metropolitan, Category B for other Metropolitans and category C for the areas which are not under metropolitans. Both ISP and Cyber Café owners can apply for the licence.

Licence acquisition fee has been fixed at Tk 10,000 for category A, Tk 5,000 for B and Tk 1,000 for C. Licence will be awarded in opening licence system. The ISPs would provide standard Internet service at cheap rate.

Hearing of Aug 21 attack case deferred again

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Hearing of the grenade attack on Awami League rally in 2004 has been deferred for a third time, raising concern about the future of the case, said lawyers. Jan. 6 has been re-fixed as the next date for the hearing.

The trial has to be finished within 135 working days in the speedy trial tribunal. As the judge was on holiday yesterday, hearing could not be take place and Mufti Hannan, top leader of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad, and others were not brought to court.

After shifting 13 dates, the court framed charges on Oct. 29 under the explosives and assassination acts.

In both cases, there are 412 witnesses for the state and lawyers say if there is suspension on hearing, it will be impossible to call the witnesses within the specified time limit.

On Nov. 17, the statement of the defendant was taken.

Among the 22 accused in the August 21, 2004, grenade attack at the rally of AL president Sheikh Hasina are former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu and Hannan.

In the attack, 23 persons including senior AL leader Ivy Rahman were killed.

Sharif Faruk, assistant sub-inspector of Motijheel Police Station, lodged a case.

After the change of the investigating officer and delays, assistant police superintendent of Criminal Investigation Department of police, Fazlul Kabir, submitted two charge sheets under the assassination and explosives acts.

Of the 22 accused, Pintu, Mufti Hanna and 11 others are in prison; Pintu's brother Tajuddin and others are absconding.

Newly elected MPs to take oath within 3 days LGED Adviser

UNB, Khulna

LGRD and cooperatives Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal said yesterday the newly elected Parliament members would take oath within three days after publication of the gazette notification.

"And the gazette notification of the elected MPs will be published by one or two days," said the adviser while talking to the journalists after laying the foundation stone of Gallamari Liberation Mausoleum in the city.

The adviser also expressed his hope that the new government would take office soon.

In reply to a query, he said the upazila parishad election would be held in due time.

Ex-MP Manjurul jailed for 7 yrs for violating code of conduct

UNB, Comilla

A magistrate court her yesterday sentenced former BNP lawmaker Engineer Manjurul Ahsan Munshi to seven-and-a-half- year imprisonment in a severe punishment for violating election code of conduct.

The court of Judicial Magistrate M Jahir Uddin also fined Munshi Tk 35,000, in default, to serve three months more in jail.

The allegation brought against the former MP is that he, in favour of his wife and four-party alliance candidate from Comilla-4 constituency Majeda Ahsan, intercepted the voters in different centres from casting their votes.

"He also threatened the minority community, obstructed the members of the law-enforcing agencies from discharging duties, established supremacy over the area illegally and leaked information about the polling centres," it was stated in the case of election offence.

Following the allegation brought against him by Devidwar thana OC Zahedul Islam, the electoral court pronounced the verdict after recording depositions by nine witnesses.

Munshi was arrested from Mohammadpur centre in the afternoon on the election-day for trespassing into different polling centres, "beating and threatening" rival-party supporters and some other charges.

After the arrest, the ex-BNP lawmaker was sent to BIRDEM Hospital as he fell sick and unconscious on way to Comilla. So, the trial was completed in absentia as per strict electoral rules framed by the interim regime.

B Chy, Mannan resign after poll debacle

BSS, Dhaka

Former President and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh (BDB) chief Professor AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury and Secretary General Major (retd) Abdul Mannan yesterday resigned as the party witnessed a major poll debacle conceding defeat in all the 49 seats it contested from.

BDP spokesman Mahi B Chowdhury told BSS that both the leaders resigned from their respective positions in signed letters to the party's nine-member presidium, which in an urgent meeting accepted the resignations.

The meeting appointed BDP presidium member Professor Nurul Amin Bepari as the party's acting president and Mahi B Chowdhury as the acting general secretary but urged B. Chowdhury and Mannan to act as the chief adviser and the adviser respectively of the party.

The BDB presidium, however, welcomed the poll results congratulating Awami League President and the Grand Alliance leader Sheikh Hasina on her landslide victory, the spokesman said.

In his resignation letter, B Chowdhury wrote, "in view of the results of the 2008 general elections, I have decided to resign from the post of party president under clause 4.25 of the Bikalpadhara Bangladesh's constitution." He, however, promised to offer his service for implementing the party ideals and objectives.

Mannan in his resignation letter pointed out identical reasons and said "I accept the result and am resigning from the position of secretary general realising my own feeling and the mental state of party leaders and workers".

The BDB spokesman said their party contested from 49 constituencies and bagged some 700,000 votes while their candidates secured third positions in 23 seats.

CA greets countrymen

BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday greeted the people on the eve of English New Year 2009.

In a message on the occasion, he conveyed his best wishes to the people and hoped that the New Year will bring peace, happiness and success to the life of all leaving behind old, worn-out and failures.

Dr Fakhruddin expressed his optimism that the New Year will create environment to bring all people together irrespective of their opinions and political affiliations to open the door for exploiting Bangladesh's unlimited potentials for development to build a golden future.

He wished flourishment of democracy, people's welfare, protection of national interests and fulfillment of their hopes and expectations.

Zillur likely

next President

Staff Reporter

Awami League presidium member Zillur Rahman is most likely to be the next president of the country, sources in the party said.

Most of the party leaders are tight-lifted on the issue. However, many of them admitted that name of Zillur Rahman was coming forward for the top post.

"The responsible persons like us cannot make this kind of statements in advance," AL presidium member Tofail Ahmad told the New Nation.

Former President H M Ershad's demand for the post is unlikely to be considered, sources said.