Himu's Window

  An adivasi Garo rape victim of Rajshahi yesterday expressed concern that her case is not being investigated properly and she is under constant threat for withdrawing the case. Different adivasi organisations alleged that the medical report of the rape victim has been influenced by the rapist who is blessed with the local police. The victim, a 20-year-old girl from Panchanandapur village at Dhobaura upazila in Mymensingh, is the third year student of Rajshahi Medical Nursing Institute. She developed a friendship with Habibul Islam Kalam, a teacher of Fulbaria High School at Puthia upazila in Rajshahi. The victim said on July 19, Kalam, a married man, invited her for visiting his family at his rented house at Puthia sending his wife to her father's house with his children. Kalam then locked the door and raped her forcibly in the afternoon. He also tried to take photos and video of the rape scene. Locals rushed to the house hearing her screams and rescued her breakin...

    Security has been beefed up at all vulnerable points and important installations in five northern districts, including Rajshahi, in the wake of the killing of Dr Tutul, chief of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (red flag), in 'crossfire' between the police and his accomplices in Naogaon on Sunday. All police stations, outposts and camps in the division have been put on high alert, sources in Rajshahi divisional police said yesterday. The sources said that the operatives of outlawed parties see Tutul's death as a blow to their two decade-old underground 'armed struggle for socialism'. The law-enforcement agencies, including the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), have also intensified their combing operations to track down the listed outlawed party operatives. Tutul, a physician-turned-outlaw, was also known by the names 'Rafiqul', 'Masum', 'Masud', 'Milon' and 'Dadabhai'. He was killed in 'crossfire...

Chief of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP Marxist-Leninist) Lal Pataka faction Dr Tutul was killed in "crossfire" between police and his accomplices before dawn yesterday in Naogaon. In a separate incident in Natore the same day, an outlawed party member and a suspect in the Bamihal police killing and arms looting case was killed in a similar fashion. A physician-turned outlaw, Tutul is believed to have masterminded the killings of political figures in Rajshahi, Natore and Naogaon as well as the police killings and arms lootings at Bamihal in Shingra, Taherpur in Rajshahi, Randhunibari in Sirajganj and Chowbaria in Naogaon, said police. He was wanted in over 200 cases filed with different police stations in greater Rajshahi, Pabna, Sirajganj and a number of other northern districts. The 42-year-old extremist group leader, son of Daud Hossain Biswas from Kotchandpur in Jhenidah, was known under several aliases including Dr Mizanur Rahman, Rafikul Islam, Masud, M...

    The two-day BBC dialogue on Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) election at Rajshahi Medical College auditorium has created enthusiasm among the electorates. All the 15 mayoral candidates answered to the questions from around 500 electorates in two shifts on Monday and Tuesday nights providing scopes for voters to choose the right person in election. BBC Bangla organised the dialogue in association with the Election Commission. Both the sessions of the dialogue were aired live on Bangladesh Television (BTV), BTV World and Bangladesh Betar. Kamal Ahmed, senior producer of BBC Bangla Service, moderated the dialogues while Waliur Rahman Miraz, producer of BBC Sanglap series, produced the event. While answering to a query on water crisis, acting Rajshahi mayor Rejaunnabi Dudu, also a mayor aspirant, said subscribers are not available even after creating water pipelines in many areas. Asked why water lines were taken to areas where there is no demand and when 40 per...

Anwar Ali, Rajshahi Canvassing for mayor and councilor candidates has become a source of income for hundreds of unemployed and poor youths, especially women, in Rajshahi city as they are being offered attractive figures for electioneering for the candidates. The opportunity has come as a relief among the poor against the backdrop of skyrocketing prices of essentials, although purchasing votes or influencing election through spending money is a violation of the election code of conduct. A good number of employees of Rajshahi City Corporation and some other government offices have also engaged themselves in the election campaign seeing a new source of income, even at times hampering their duties. The demand for women workers is high as women have easier access than men to households. Full-time workers are being paid Tk 100 to Tk 160 per day while part-time workers are getting Tk 30 to Tk 80, according to the workers. Children are also being hired despite the fact that engag...

  Mayoral and councillorship hopefuls in Rajshahi City Corporation elections yesterday at a meeting with local administration raised allegations of gross code of conduct violations. Campaigning under the banners of political parties, spending of black money and intimidation by hired thugs are widespread, claimed a number of contestants. The meeting, held at Rajshahi District Council auditorium, was organised by returning officer and regional deputy election commissioner of Rajshahi. Honest, educated and competent candidates are at a disadvantage due to the authorities' indifference toward the violations of the code of conduct, said the speakers. Bribing prospective voters and intimidation and attacks targeted at opponents by some of the candidates will foil the government's effort for holding an election free from violence, corruptionists and black money holders, they cautioned. Out of 15 candidates running for the mayoral post of the city, 12 were present a...

  Australian Deputy High Commissioner Kilmeny Beckering Vinckers paid a two-day visit to Rajshahi to monitor the situation here before the Rajshahi City Corporation election. During her visit, she met Acting Rajshahi Mayor Rejaunnabi Dudu, also a mayoral candidate, at his office yesterday morning. She had talks with other mayoral candidates including City Awami League President Masudul Haque Dulu and General Secretary AHM Khairuzzaman Liton over cell phone. Earlier, she met Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Hafijur Rahman Bhuiyan, Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner M Ibrahim Khalil and Deputy Election Commissioner Sayed Muhammad Musa on Sunday.   http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=46910

Violating the election code of conduct, a coloured banner is hung near RDA market in Rajshahi city seeking vote for a mayoral candidate. Photo: STAR Independent mayor candidate Siddikur Rahman gave an undertaking at Rajshahi deputy election commissioner's office yesterday that he would no more violate election rules by using loudspeakers beyond the officially fixed time limit.Election officials along with police seized a three-wheeler and loudspeakers while those were being used for campaigning for Siddikur Rahman after 8 pm Saturday night, which is prohibited.Siddikur Rahman was then summoned to the deputy election commissioner's office. He gave in writing that he would never use loudspeakers on streets violating the code of conduct and abide by other polls rules.However, sources at the election office said they received many such allegations of violation of code of conduct. In most cases, they warn the candidates through letters.Rajshahi city Awami League (AL) secretary an...

Twelve mayoral candidates of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) polls during a meeting with people of the city yesterday vowed to resist crime and corruption. They took an oath holding each other's hands that they would not use or raise musclemen for winning the elections or to confront their opponents. They promised to ensure people's participation in planning and implementing development schemes, if elected. They also promised to accept defeat in the election and help the winner in the work for development of the city. They pledged that they would try to increase the use of local resources in augmenting development, hold open budget sessions and maintain regular interaction with the people to ensure accountability. Three mayor candidates, Awami League (AL) leader Nasir Ahmed Biddyut, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh Rajshahi city President Akhtaruzzaman Bablu and independent candidate Forman Ali, did not show up at the meeting. Prof Muzaffar Ahmad, eminent economist a...

Published On: 2008-07-19 Front Page Dulu showcaused for defying party decision, faces expulsion   Rajshahi city unit of Awami League yesterday issued a notice on its president Masudul Haque Dulu, asking him to explain why he will not be expelled from the party. Dulu is facing expulsion for running in the mayoral election to Rajshahi City Corporation defying the party's decision. Local Awami League nominated its general secretary AHM Khairuzzaman Liton for the mayoral post. A press release signed by city AL acting General Secretary Shafiqur Rahman Badsha said the executive committee of the unit at its meeting in the morning unanimously decided to issue a show cause notice on Dulu for contesting the election defying party's decision.   http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=46419

Published On: 2008-07-15 Front Page Rejoinder, our reply Bangladesh Chashi Kalyan Samity (BCKS) in a rejoinder protested a report headlined "Five lakh depositors swindled by Jamaat's farmer wing" published in The Daily Star on July 7. It said BCKS considers the report "a malicious attempt to spread venom against a political party which has clean image amongst people and has no working relationship with BCKS". It claimed BCKS to be a "non-political" and "non-profit" organisation for farmers' welfare and said it is not true that BCKS acted as financial front of Jamaat through illegal banking. It claimed that central BCKS did not decided on closing down branches and the allegation of selling offices was irrelevant. The rejoinder contradicted that Tk 100 crore was swindled out of five lakh people. It said they now have Tk 4,23,81,920 unpaid savings of 32,370 people and Tk 5,06,81,689 distributed loans among 12,832 people...

Rajshahi city dwellers demand live TV programmes by polls aspirants Anwar Ali, Rajshahi Shahadat Hossain, Moniruzzaman Sharif, Rejaunnabi Al Mamun The electorate, 'cheated' in the past, are bewildered as old faces, many of them tainted, are showing up in the upcoming city corporation polls with old unfulfilled pledges. Among 16 mayor aspirants, 13 are known persons belonging to different political parties. They are now making pledges anew for a 'beautiful and developed Rajshahi city' free from corruption, terrorism and drugsthe same promises they made ahead of 2002 city corporation election. Among 236 councilor aspirants and 62 women candidates, some 100 are known political personalities. The 26 incumbent councilors, including six having records of facing criminal charges, are also in race in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) election scheduled for August 4. The mayoral candidates have already started reiterating almost the same old pledges in small gatherings and party m...

Shujan discussion told in Rajshahi Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi Speakers at a views exchange meeting in Rajshahi city yesterday said the Election Commission (EC) is depriving people of their right to information by not providing detailed information on mayoral and councillor candidates in local government elections. They observed that not providing information about candidates is violation of a court order and it would help dishonest and corrupt candidates win again. The speakers said this is allowing criminals, corrupt and disputed politicians to have the chance to be elected again despite government efforts for electoral reforms to have honest and competent candidates. Former adviser to a caretaker government ASM Shahjahan was the chief guest while President of Shushashoner Janney Nagarik (Shujan) Rajshahi district unit Nurul Alam presided over the meeting.Shujan organised the meeting titled "Responsibilities of concerned citizens to elect honest and efficient persons" a...

Are rules of construction being followed? A five-storied building in Rajshahi has moved sideways and leaned on to another building. There was, of course, a mild earth tremor that caused such a condition. And as earthquakes go, the possibility of disasters is always there. But what is of greater significance in the present circumstances is the question of why a mild tremor should leave a building in precarious conditions. Over the last many years, the media have consistently drawn the attention of the authorities to the poor and sloppy manner in which buildings, especially high rise ones, are being constructed in the nation's urban areas. In the capital itself, there have been instances of buildings developing cracks not long after they have been constructed, with residents moving out in panic. There are quite a few crucial points that must be addressed insofar as the construction of buildings is concerned. And these questions are there because in a very large number of cases it is ...

Bangladesh Chashi Kalyan Samity (BCKS), farmers' wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, but also registered as an NGO, remained the party's financial front through illegal banking in at least 17 districts over a decade, sources say. Following a changed scenario after 1/11, the NGO has shut down its offices and swindled a huge amount of money collected through deposits, special deposit schemes and investment on loans among members since 1997. The BCKS business was also unlawfully sold to Jamaat supporters for covertly continuing the financial activities.Dissident BCKS officials, involved Jamaat leaders and victims say the accurate amount of misappropriation cannot be found out without proper inquiry. But they add the figure would be minimum Tk 100 crore collected from about five lakh people. The sources say each of seven BCKS branches in Rajshahi earned around Tk 2.5 crore annually and the NGO staffs were engaged in misappropriation from the very beginning. A large number of officials and emp...

Haji Bhaban, right, at Masterpara leans on another building following an earthquake that hit Rajshahi on Saturday night. Photo: STAR A five-storied building leaned on another building while cracks developed on a number of houses following an earthquake that hit Rajshahi and its adjoining areas on Saturday night.The five-storied building owned by an official of Rajshahi City Corporation leaned some three feet onto another building at Masterpara in the city. Besides, many houses at Chhoto Bongram, Seroil, Masterpara and Laxmipur in the city developed cracks.However, no injuries or casualties were reported. The earthquake, measuring 5.1 in the Richter scale, jolted the northwestern region of the country for nearly six seconds from 10.56pm. The epicentre of the quake was recorded at Bishpur of Indian State of Assam, some 290km to the northeast of Dhaka. Witnesses said the tremor was felt strongly in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Natore and Naogaon districts. Panic-stricken people rushed out ...

An earthquake, measuring 5.1 in the Richter scale and with its epicenter in Indian state of Assam jolted the north-western region last night sending a wave of panic among the people in the areas.Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon were the districts where the quake was felt strongest, said witnesses. The earthquake sparked panic among people in the areas who rushed out of homes and shops on to the streets as it lasted for some 5 to 7 seconds beginning at 10.56pm. But there were no reports of casualties or damage from the tremor and its epicenter was recorded 290-km to the north-east from Dhaka at Bispur of Assam, said Metrologist Monirul Islam at Dhaka Met office. (The epicenter was found at 26 degrees 07.45 minutes north latitude and 91 degrees 39.33 minutes east longitude) Sensing the "imminent" danger many Muslim people started offering prayers and Hindus started making the Ulu Dhoni. "It was an awful experience and I didn't felt such jolt and banging in my...