Himu's Window

Thursday, April 30, 2009 A torture victim of Islamist militants filed a case against about 70 people including two former BNP ministers and a lawmaker yesterday with the Rajshahi court in Bagmara upazila in 2004. The accused include former post and telecommunication minister Aminul Haque, former deputy minister Ruhul Kuddus Talukhdar Dulu and former BNP lawmaker Nadim Mostafa. Abed Ali, an UP member of Mirjapur village, lodged the complaint against them for abetting militants who maimed him as he denied paying them extortion. They have already been accused in several cases for abetting Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) led by Bangla Bhai. Aminul has been on the run since he was sentenced 31-and-a-half years in jail. After the case was lodged, the third court of judicial magistrate in Rajshahi ordered police in Bagmara to investigate it and take legal actions, said Babul Hossain, lawyer of the complainant. Other accused include Rajshahi district BNP General Sec...

Thursday, April 30, 2009 A syndicate of contractors in collaboration with some corrupt officials of Western Zone of Bangladesh Railway reportedly managed a tender proceeding at Rajshahi Rail Bhaban yesterday for construction of a foot over bridge at Bonarpara Railway Station in Lalmonirhat. On the last day of dropping schedules yesterday, only five schedules were dropped against some 300 schedules that were sold since the authorities floated the tender in the first week of April, said BR officials. Many of the contractors who bought schedules preferring anonymity alleged that they did not dare to submit their schedules as the syndicate threatened them. They added that the syndicate negotiated with most of the contractors and gave them Tk 1500 each against the price of schedule Tk 1000. Later, the negotiators filled their papers together at a city hotel and dropped as per plan. Two senior railway officials were also seen at the hotel during negotiations and filling up o...

Sunday, April 26, 2009 The scorching heat coupled with erratic power supply has crippled the life in Rajshahi and its surrounding districts. Besides, acute water scarcity and mosquito menace have added to the suffering of the common people. The heatwave has also been hampering the harvest of Irri paddy as farmers as well as labourers are unable to stay in the paddy fields for longer time under the blazing sun. The farmers are complaining of huge load-shedding against the power authorities' claim for rationing power in urban areas for smooth power supply to irrigation sector. The northern districts are facing average 300 megawatt (MW) of load shedding against the daily demand for 750 MW now. PDB officials said with a local generation of around 266 MW, the PDB is to manage the demand with only 466 MW supply in the last few days. Acute water crisis in many areas compounded sufferings. Out of the demand for 226 lakh gallons of water, Rajshahi City Corporation s...

Saturday, April 25, 2009 The historic Khapra Ward Day was observed at Rajshahi Central Jail and in the city yesterday with a vow to continue movement to ensure trial of the war criminals of 1971. On this day in 1950, prison guards following order of a jailer opened fire on communist prisoners who were fasting in protest against torture and sub-standard food in the jail. Seven communist leaders were killed in the firing. The slain communist leaders are Sukhendu Bhattacharya of Mymensingh, Baloram Singh of Dinajpur, Sudhin Dhar of Nawabganj, Delwar Hossain and Hanif Sheikh of Kushtia, Bijon Sen and Anwar Hossain of Khulna. Taking permission from the home ministry, some 31 people belonging to Communist Party of Bangladesh, National Awami Party (Nap) and Workers Party visited Khapra ward inside Rajshahi Central Jail yesterday. They placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar built in front of the ward and held a memorial meeting there. NAP's district unit President Fazlul Haq...

Friday, April 24, 2009 Despite good demand, the Western Railway Authorities dropped the lone air-conditioned (AC) chair coach from Padma Express train that runs between Dhaka and Rajshahi from yesterday. The train starts for Dhaka from Rajshahi in the afternoon and leaves the capital for Rajshahi at midnight. The railway authorities said the AC chair coach has been added to a Dhaka-bound train from Khulna as the AC coach of Chitra Express needs repair. "The Padma Express will get back its AC coach within two weeks when the AC coach of Chitra Express will be repaired," said the chief commercial manager of Western Railway. "We have decided to drop the coach temporarily following its 30 percent demand. Moreover, the Padma Express has an AC berth-coach alongside the AC chair coach," he added. However, the passengers have complained that the dropping of AC chair coach would have a bad impact on the service of Padma Express as its demand have risen this ...

Thursday, April 23, 2009 Engineer M Enamul Haque, lawmaker from Rajshahi-4 (Bagmara) constituency, in a rejoinder to The Daily Star report headlined, "PM issues cheques, MP's men take away," published on April 18, differed on some points of the report. The rejoinder disagrees with the report's assertion that the cheques issued by the prime minister for the victims of atrocities committed by Bangla Bhai-led gangs were taken away by his men, saying, "The cheques are account payee which leave no scope for anyone else other than the account-holders concerned to convert those." It also differs on locals' allegations of listing 'fake victims' as grant recipients, saying, "I on my own responsibility prepared the list of victims irrespective of party and acceptable to all." Our Reply After receiving the rejoinder, we have further investigated the story and have found our story to be based on fact. We, therefore, stand by our stor...

Monday, April 20, 2009 Leaders of Quami Madrasa and Olama Oikya Parishad in Rajshahi yesterday vowed to remain vigilant so that none can use quami madrasas as cover for their terrorist activities. Terming militancy as a 'threat to Islam as well as to the country's peace', they said they are ready to assist the government in combating militancy. "Include alems (Islamic scholars) in the law and order committees in districts and hold them responsible if any quami madrasa is found involved with militancy," Maolana Hafez Abdus Samad said at a press conference of the organisation in the city. "Since Islamic teachings do not support terrorism, a man supporting terrorism cannot be an alem just by posing to be so," said Sheikh M Taiyebur Rahman Nizami, president of Rajshahi chapter of Quami Madrasa and Olama Oikya Parishad. "With a thousand-year-old history of good activities in this sub-continent, quami madrasas are helping people to achie...

Monday, April 20, 2009 Local Awami League (AL) lawmaker's men in Bagmara have returned all the cheques they took away from the victims of atrocities committed by Bangla Bhai-led gangs. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and Development) Satyendra Kumar Sarker told reporters yesterday that the victims had all the cheques with them. Following government directives, the Rajshahi administration yesterday launched an investigation into the allegations against Enamul's men who reportedly took away cheques worth Tk 19 lakh granted by the prime minister for the victims. Sarker, also the investigation officer, quizzed 20 people, including 18 victims whom the local lawmaker's men took to the Bagmara UNO's office. He told journalists that no 'strong evidence' had been found to prove the allegations. "We shall fax the investigation report to the authorities concerned in Dhaka by tonight," Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, divisional commissioner in...

Sunday, April 19, 2009 Local Awami League (AL) lawmaker's men in Bagmara yesterday returned only two cheques, each worth Tk 1 lakh, out of 19 they took away after prime minister's adviser HT Imam on Wednesday distributed those among the victims of Bangla Bhai-led gangs. Coming under pressure following a report published in The Daily Star yesterday, former UP chairman and upazila AL treasurer Aminul Islam Chowdhury returned the two cheques to Manik Pramanik of Jhikra and Asir Uddin, a freedom fighter of Khalispur. Both Manik and Asir refused to talk to reporters. Sources said the two were asked to give MP Enamul Haque's men half of the money after converting the cheques and also threatened not to talk to the media. Soon after they were given the cheques at around 12:00noon, upazila AL General Secretary Zakirul Islam Shantu and upazila Jubo League President Abdus Salam took them to Bhawaniganj Bazar to show local journalists that the victims have the cheques, ...

Saturday, April 18, 2009 The local Awami League (AL) lawmaker's men in Bagmara upazila have allegedly taken away cheques worth Tk 19 lakh granted by the prime minister for the victims of the cruelties committed by Bangla Bhai-led vigilante gangs. They are now pressing the recipients to hand them the rest two of the 21 Tk 1 lakh cheques distributed on Wednesday. The victims said they have been threatened not to speak to the media about the matter. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Adviser HT Imam distributed the cheques among those who had suffered at the hands of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) cadres in 2004 and 2005. During the cheque-giving ceremony at Bhwaniganj School playground, the prime minister held a teleconference with Bagmara residents. She said her government would ensure justice for those who fell prey to executed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai and his henchmen. After the meeting, some local AL lea...

Saturday, April 18, 2009 Former post and telecommunications minister Aminul Haque, through his attorney, applied to the deputy commissioner's office of Rajshahi for review of all 13 cases filed against him during the last caretaker government. Enamul Haque, a High Court practitioner, came to Rajshahi and submitted an application to the deputy commissioner's office on Thursday afternoon in this regard. The application also appealed to withdraw six other cases against Aminul three in Dhaka and three in Naogaon. In the application the attorney termed the cases against Aminul 'false and politically motivated' and those were filed to harass him and tarnish his image. "We submitted the application as a government circular said it would allow applications for review of the false political cases," said Ashrafuzzaman Mollik, a lawyer of Aminul in Rajshahi. Aminul, a minister of the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance, went into hiding the moment the caretaker government took over ...

Published On: 2008-06-08   Non-coordinated development work for poet Rabindranath Tagore's Kacharibari at Patisar in Naogaon has done some damage to this protected site, a part of national heritage. The local administration has carried out the development work hastily in and around the Kacharibari in the last five months without informing the Department of Archaeology, the custodian of the protected site. The local administration also claimed that the land around the Kacharibari (zamindari estate building) is a vested property, which belongs to the district administration. On the other hand, the archaeology department claimed that some development work violated the antiquity rules and no archeological expertise was involved in the work. Meanwhile, academicians and researchers also blamed the archaeology department for its indifferent attitude to this site of historical importance. As part of the development work, a boundary wall was erected on the east of Kachar...

Thursday, April 16, 2009   Body formed to probe corruption in Barind development works Barind Development Authority (BMDA) in a meeting yesterday formed a seven-member committee comprising five lawmakers to investigate alleged irregularities and corruption involving 'hundreds of crores' of taka public money during last several years. Omar Faruk Chowdhury, lawmaker from Rajshahi-1 constituency, is the head of the committee. Other members are Naogaon lawmakers Sadhan Chandra Majumder and Israfil Alam, Chapainwabganj lawmaker Ziaur Rahman, Pabna lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Dilu, Additional Divisional Commissioner Asit Kumar Mukutmoni and BMDA Executive Director Abdul Mannan (member secretary). The meeting formed the probe body after allegations of corruption and irregularities in the development works done under former BMDA executive director M Asaduzzaman were raised by the BMDA members. The committee will submit its report within one month. Rajshahi Divisional c...

Thursday, April 16, 2009   The three JMB suspects held with jihadi publications in Naogaon on Tuesday are members of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, police said. Abdul Karim, 28, a bakery employee, is the president of Shikarpur union Jamaat in Sadar upazila, Naogaon. On the other hand, Shahadat Ali, 32, a tailor, and Hafez Faruk Hossain, 28, a teacher of Shikarpur Hafezia Madrasa, are Jamaat activists, according to police and local Jamaat leaders. The police say the arrestees have confessed to having links with outlawed militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) under Jamaat cover. The three were plotting to carry out subversive activities on Pahela Baishakh, the police add. Acting on a tip off, the police arrested Abdul Karim of Chalk Kalidas in Alupatti, Naogaon on Tuesday. Following his statements, the police raided Shahadat's house and arrested the three. The police also seized over 50 jihadi publications including books written by militant kingpin...

Thursday, April 16, 2009 Jamaat-e-Islami has launched a countrywide campaign against the government move to try war criminals. Terming the government move 'anti-Islamic', Jamaat has started distributing booklets and leaflets across the country claiming its party men to be innocent of any war crimes. Meanwhile, Jamaat leader Mobarak Ali of Eklaspur village in Comilla, arrested in the capital's Pallabi while distributing leaflets and booklets on Tuesday night, was taken on a two-day remand yesterday. Mobarak, an employee of Public Works Department (PWD) and a resident of the PWD Staff Quarters at Rupnagar in Pallabi, was caught by locals and handed over to police. Abdul Malek, officer-in-charge (OC) of Pallabi Police Station, told The Daily Star that Mobarak admitted that he is a local Jamaat leader and distributed leaflets and booklets. "Mobarak, arrested under section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc), was produced before the court," Malek said. Our court ...

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 Silk City Express, a broad-gauge intercity train, starts plying on Rajshahi-Dhaka route today. The train will depart from Rajshahi at 7:30am with an aim to reach Kamalapur within 1:30pm while the same train will leave Kamalapur at 2:40pm with an aim to reach Rajshahi at 8:50pm. "It is an historical event that a broad-gauge train is going to enter Kamalapur station directly," said AKM Mushfiqur Rahman, general manager of Bangladesh Railway (west zone). Rahman said four more broad-gauge trains that are currently plying up to Dhaka Cantonment Station will start plying up to Kamalapur within three months once proper signaling system is installed. The four other trains are the Sundarban Express and the Chitra Express from Khulna, the Nilsagar from Sayedpur and the Padma from Rajshahi. Apart from the Silk City and the Padma, the railway authorities are planning to start a new train soon, said senior officials. The railway network in most par...

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 Former mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mizanur Rahman Minu and his wife Salma Shahadat have applied to the government for withdrawing "false political" cases filed against them. Minu, also the organising secretary of BNP, applied for withdrawing eight cases, while his wife for one case. In the applications, they claimed that the cases were filed by the immediate past caretaker government to harass them and tarnish their image. Minu along with his lawyers submitted the applications to Shefaul Karim, deputy commissioner of Rajshahi, on Sunday for forwarding those to the authorities concerned. "The former mayor and his wife submitted the applications taking opportunity of a government circular for reviewing false political cases filed during the tenure of the caretaker government", said Minu's lawyear Ankur Sen. Minu was arrested on June 6, 2007 in connection with an extortion case and sentenced to 13 years' impr...

A court here sent 24 cadres of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) to jail custody yesterday when they were produced before the court. Police implicated three PBCP leaders in murder cases and sent eight persons as JMB suspects and 13 others as underground PBCP suspects to jail under section 54 of CrPC. "Even if we caught them on suspicion, we are still investigating their roles", said Abdul Kuddus Chowdhury, additional superintendent of police in Rajshahi. PBCP commanders Amjad Hossain Baxi and Abul Hossain and another leader Sajjat Hossain were shown arrested in different murder cases. The eight militant suspects of JMB are Fazal Haque, Abdul Jalil, Raziqul Islam Rocket, Hafizur Rahman, Afsar Ali, Moazzem Hossain, Habibor Rahman and Yaad Ali. Thirteen other PBCP suspects are Rafiqul Islam, Shafiqul Islam, Abdur Razzak, Abdul Jabbar, Meser Ali, Ahad Ali, Uzzal, Shahjahan Ali, Shamsul Haque, Taiyabur Rahman, Abdur Ro...

Friday, April 10, 2009 The government on Wednesday deported Sudan national Abbas Bao, director of Bangladesh chapter of Kuwait-based NGO Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS), and asked him not return as he is an "unexpected" person in the country, sources say. The sources from the Special Branch (SB) of police say they called him in at their Uttara office on Tuesday and asked him to leave the country immediately. A senior SB official confirmed that Bao left the country soon after that meeting. "He is one of the listed people who are prohibited to stay in or enter the country," the official added. There are allegations that RIHS used to provide funds to the militants of Ahab, JMB and other organisations, investigators had said earlier. Contacted, ABM Zakir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Uttara police, said he saw Bao to go to the SB office, which is located in the same building of the police station. The NGO Affairs Bureau cancelled RIHS's ...

Friday, April 10, 2009 Police captured eight outlawed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants and 16 underground operatives of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) during a ten-hour special drive in Bagmara upazila yesterday. Led by Additional Police Superintendent Abdul Kuddus Chowdhury of Rajshahi, police in eight groups conducted the drive in Taherpur municipality, five unions of Bagmara and surrounding villages of Puthia and Durgapur upazilas. "Our drive was aimed at improving law and order in the area", Chowdhury told The Daily Star. He said the operatives of JMB and PBCP had been regrouping in Bagmara since the general elections and holding several secret meetings. "Most of the arrestees are suspected to have taken part in the meetings," he added. The police and locals of Bagmara said PBCP had been preparing for retaliation against JMB killings and tortures in 2004 while JMB to arrests and executions of JMB men in later years. The a...

Thursday, April 9, 2009 The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has pressed charges against 'fugitive' district BNP general secretary Shish Mohammad for amassing wealth worth over 89 lakh allegedly from sources beyond his legal income. Abdul Karim, deputy director of Rajshahi ACC yesterday submitted the charge sheet with the chief judicial magistrate court. In the charges pressed under Section 27 (1) of the ACC Act of 2004, Abdul Karim alleged that Shish owns wealth worth Tk 95 lakh. But his actual income from known sources since 1997 should not exceed Tk six lakh including his remuneration of Tk 1.16 lakh as mayor of Mundumala municipality from January 2003 to June 2007. Following allegations against Shish Mohammad, the ACC sent him notice to submit his statement of wealth in February 2008. A Rajshahi court later jailed him for three years as he was sued for not submitting the statement. The ACC then investigated the case and found that he amassed Tk 89,47,607 f...

Wednesday, April 8, 2009   After Islami Chhatra Shibir, now the Jamaat-e-Islami has started persuading people in Rajshahi city and elsewhere in the district to become its supporters to 'protect Islam'. Jamaat leaders and activists, divided into four groups, are visiting different areas of Boalia and Shah Makhdum police stations in the city and Puthia and Bagmara upazilas to woo people to join the party. Some people of these areas have already informed police and journalists about Jamaat's fresh move to increase the number of supporters in the name of 'protecting Islam'. According to Jamaat leaders, they are visiting the areas as part of the party's month-long countrywide mass contact programme for inviting people toward Islam. The programme began on April 1. "We are only conveying Dawat (invitation) of Islam to people, not recruiting members", Abul Kalam Azad, general secretary of Rajshahi Jamaat, told The Daily Star. He asked, "I...

A BNP supporter was killed and 20 others were injured while some houses and shops were ransacked in an attack allegedly by a group of Awami League activists over land dispute at Dahia village in Shingra upazila of Natore yesterday. The deceased was identified as Abdus Samad, 38. Ali Ahmed Hasmi, OC of Shingra police station, said there had been a longstanding dispute between two groups of people--one led by AL leader Khair and another by BNP leader and UP member Kamal--over a piece of land. At about 6:00 am, some 200 attackers equipped with machetes, sharp weapons, iron rods and sticks swooped on the houses of Kamal and some of his supporters that left 20 people injured, locals said. They also ransacked and looted the shops of Monser Ali, Osman, Tofazzal Mollah, Mahabur and Aftab at a nearby market during the attack. Abdus Samad was hit by a sharp weapon causing his death on the spot as he was looking for a shelter outside his house, said Shamsul Haque, the victim...

Twenty-four people, deported by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) through two border points in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts on Friday, were sent to jail yesterday. The judicial magistrate's courts in the districts sent them to jail after police produced them before the courts in connection with the cases filed under Bangladesh Control of Entry Act 1952. Police said these people hail from various districts across the country and suffered one month's jail term in India as they entered the country illegally to seek fortune or for treatment. "By entering India illegally, they committed crime even under the law of Bangladesh", said Sub-inspector Saidur Rahman of Godagari Police Station. Of the 24 deported people, 12 were captured by BDR personnel at Sahebnagar frontier under Godagari upazila of Rajshahi while the rest in Shibrampur area of Bangabari border under Gomostapur upazila of Chapaianwabganj. BDR members handed over the captured people t...

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, is wooing children allegedly using religious edicts and arousing 'fear of hell' in them. Police and guardians said several groups of Shibir activists are now active at places under Boalia, Rajpara, Motihar and Shah Makhdum thana areas in the city who are 'recruiting' children, mostly seven to 12-year-old ones. Shibir men approach children at school gates and playgrounds and ask them questions on religion, and eventually compel them to enrol as 'supporters', said RMP Assistant Commissioner (Detective Branch) Mahfuzur Rahman. Following allegations from guardians of several children who were made 'Shibir supporters,' Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) have employed plain-clothes policemen to watch activities of Shibir men. "A group of eight Shibir men called some kids including my ward when they were playing on a field near my house. They asked th...

Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) yesterday dismissed some 105 "excess and politically appointed" employees. The jobless staff gathered in front of the Rajshahi Nagar Bhaban in the afternoon and staged a demonstration demanding withdrawal of the dismissal order. The RCC authorities hung notices at different sections ordering dismissal of 150 staff with effect from today (April 1). The sacked employees are mostly from conservancy section, said a RCC official. A few staff from vehicle, immunisation, mosquito control, and water-supply sections and RCC administration are also sacked. "We decided to fire 420 excess staff in January. But after consulting the labour leaders, we have now dismissed 25 percent of the excess staff", said RCC Secretary Emdadul Haque. Replying to a question, he said some more staff will be sacked to save money and run civic services smoothly. RCC councilors said nearly 500 employees were appointed on daily payment basis and they u...

Published On: 2009-03-31   The Bangladesh chapter of Kuwait-based NGO Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) is still running its offices and covert activities although its registration was cancelled nearly two years ago. The NGO spends at least Tk 2 lakh a month, said a few contractors who worked for RIHS. But the source of this money remains mysterious because foreign funding of RIHS was stopped and its bank accounts closed following the cancellation of registration, they said. Senior officials of the NGO are meanwhile lobbying hard within the present government either for reconsideration of the cancellation of its registration or for getting permission to continue activities in some other name. The NGO Affairs Bureau cancelled RIHS's registration in May 2007 following a government decision made over intelligence recommendations. Ahle Hadith Andolon (Ahab) chief Asadullah Al Galib had helped RIHS get registered in November 1996. The organisation has appealed ...