Himu's Window

Friday, March 5, 2010 Jihadi books seized from female dorms Police yesterday arrested three activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, also students of Rajshahi University (RU), from Bagmara and RU campus. Police also raided five Shibir-controlled private dormitories for female students of different educational institutions in the city and seized seven jihadi books from one of them. One of the arrestees, Abdur Razzak, a final year student of Islamic studies at RU, is an accused in the case filed by Humayun Kabir, a resident student of Ziaur Rahman Hall of RU, who was assaulted by Shibir cadres during their attacks on February 9, said Mrinal Bhattacharya, assistant commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP). Abdur Razzak, a final year student of Islamic studies at RU, was arrested from his village home at Nandanpur in Bagmara in the morning, said Bagmara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Harunur Rashid. Police also picked up Atiur Rahman, a final year student of applied chemistry depart...

Friday, March 5, 2010 Police yesterday arrested a Chhatra League (BCL) cadre from Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on charge of stabbing a Chhatra Moitree leader. Arrestee Wasiur Rahman Anik was a first year student of electro medical department and suspected killer of Chhatra Moitree leader Sunny, said Jasim Uddin, OC of Boalia police station. Anik stabbed the Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute unit Moitree general secretary Sajjadur Rahman Sujon at around 12:30pm as the latter called police seeing him on the campus. Sujon handed Anik over to police, said police and witnesses. Sujon was later admitted to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital. Rezwanul Islam Chowdhury Sunny, the institute unit Moitree vice-president was killed in a BCL attack on January 7. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=128770

Friday, March 5, 2010 Jihadi books seized from female dorms Police yesterday arrested three activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, also students of Rajshahi University (RU), from Bagmara and RU campus. Police also raided five Shibir-controlled private dormitories for female students of different educational institutions in the city and seized seven jihadi books from one of them. One of the arrestees, Abdur Razzak, a final year student of Islamic studies at RU, is an accused in the case filed by Humayun Kabir, a resident student of Ziaur Rahman Hall of RU, who was assaulted by Shibir cadres during their attacks on February 9, said Mrinal Bhattacharya, assistant commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP). Abdur Razzak, a final year student of Islamic studies at RU, was arrested from his village home at Nandanpur in Bagmara in the morning, said Bagmara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Harunur Rashid. Police also picked up Atiur Rahman, a final year student of applied chemistry depart...

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 Documents from police raids showed they made around Tk 24 lakh a year out of it; RU moves to take legal action Seats of different dormitories at Rajshahi University were illegally rented out to students by Islami Chhatra Shibir cadres in connivance with a section of office staff. The Shibir leaders and activists involved in the illegal business invested the seat rent money in credit schemes for party men in addition to paying out for organisational activities. These facts were revealed from documents seized during joint raids to different dormitories by the university authorities and law enforcers since February 23. The Daily Star has obtained copies of the documents seized at Suhrawardy Hall on February 25. The university authorities are scrutinising the documents to detect those responsible and submit a report to police for taking legal action, RU Vice-Chancellor Prof M Abdus Sobhan told The Daily Star. He said the proctors and hall provosts have been assigne...

Monday, March 1, 2010 Tuku warns law enforcers State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku on Saturday warned the law enforcement agencies of tough actions for any negligence of their duties to ensure security of people. The anti-liberation forces are carrying out terrorist activities in a premeditated way across the country, he said, adding that any negligence of respective duties to control the criminals would not be tolerated. “If any negligence is found, tough action will be taken.” Tuku said this at a view exchange meeting with senior officials of the law enforcement agencies and the district administration at Rajshahi Circuit House. Criminals are being arrested one after another, he said and asked the law enforcers to take actions against the big shots of Jamaat-Shibir if any of them were found involved in criminal activities. The minister came to Rajshahi by a private helicopter to attend a religious function at Bagmara on the occasion of Eid-e-Miladunnabi. He called on Rajshahi ...

Saturday, February 27, 2010 Rab yesterday arrested former RCC ward councillor and Jamaat leader Mohammad Gias Uddin and Rajshahi University Habibur Rahman Hall Shibir unit president Reazul Islam in cases filed in connection with the violence and murder on RU campus on February 9. Gias, of Dasmari in Motihar, was arrested at Rajshahi in a case filed in connection with assault on law enforcers during the RU violence. Reazul was arrested at Narayanganj, following a tip off, in the case filed in connection with the murder of Chhatra League leader Faruk Hossain in RU. Rapid Action Battalion-5 sources said they arrested former Rajshahi City Corporation ward councillor Gias at Monigram of Bagha upazila around 4:00pm. Assistant Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Mrinal Kanti Bhattacharya and Rab sources claimed that Gias is a military trainer of Shibir cadres and he was hiding there. A team of Rab-2 arrested Reazul at a house in Siddhirganj of Narayanganj early yesterday. He was hand...

Mango growers and experts see bright prospect of a bumper production of mango this year as trees are in full bloom in Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi districts. According to the Regional Horticulture Research Station (RHRS) in Chapainawabganj, about 80 percent mango trees in the country's largest mango-producing district have so far flowered, reports our correspondent Rabiul Hasan. The weather has been favourable for flowering and if there is no prolonged draught, storm or foggy weather there would be a bumper production of mango this year, said Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, chief scientific officer of RHRS. There are 16,72,500 mango trees on 22,300 hectares of land in Chapainawabganj district and Shibganj upazila has the highest 9,18,375 mango trees on 12,245 hectares of land, said sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE). The district produced 1,05,000 tonnes of mango last year, they said, adding that the Barind region sees a gradual increase in mango cultivation as farmers ...

Thursday, February 25, 2010 Jamaat-e-Ahle Hadith Secretary General Rezaul Karim was released on bail from Rajshahi Central Jail yesterday. Jail sources said District and Sessions Judge AR Masud granted his (Rezaul's) bail prayer Tuesday afternoon, as he was not wanted in any other cases. Detective Branch of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police arrested Rezaul on November 23 last year on charge of giving death threat to Attorney General Mahbubey Alam through a letter. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=127787 Friday, February 26, 2010 RU Violence Two Jamaat leaders arrested over the recent violence at Rajshahi University were sent to jail yesterday after end of their remand. Of them, Rajshahi city Jamaat General Secretary Abul Kalam Azad had been remanded twice and Siddique Hossain, assistant secretary of the same unit and a member of the RU syndicate, thrice. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ruhul Amin put the two in jail after police produced them in the af...

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 At least 24 leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir including its secretary general Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury "quit" from the students' body last night apparently due to internal conflict over the Rajshahi University violence on February 9. The office secretary and finance secretary of Shibir and the president of its Dhaka University unit were among those who resigned, party sources said. Shibir insiders said a section of Shibir leaders brought allegations including that of the failure to handle the Rajshahi University incident properly against Shibir President Rezaul Karim and top-level Jamaat-e-Islami leaders. The Jamaat leaders had held a series of meetings with Shibir leaders at the Al-Falah auditorium in the city yesterday and the day before to resolve the dispute. Shibir general secretary Mamun in the wee hours today told The Daily Star that he had actually resigned two days ago due to personal reasons. Asked about the rest of the Shibir leader...

Friday, February 19, 2010 RU Violence Rajshahi city Jamaat-e-Islami general secretary Abul Kalam Azad and Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute Islami Chhatra Shibir president Tariq Saifulla were taken on a five-day remand yesterday. They were arrested on Wednesday in connection with Rajshahi University violence on February 9, the police said. Meanwhile, police arrested four more Shibir cadres from the city. Azad was arrested on charge of abetting Shibir cadres during the RU violence that left Chhatra League activist Faruk Hossain dead and several others injured. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=127019 Tuesday, February 23, 2010 4 more Shibir cadres held at RU Police arrested four more cadres of Islami Chhatra Shibir, an associated organisation of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, at Rajshahi University yesterday. The arrestees are Rahat, a sixth semester student of management department, Riad Ibne Ahad, Arifuzzaman and Monjurul Islam, third year students of law and justic...

Thursday, February 18, 2010 Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Sarder Nurul Amin, who was the Security-in-charge during the Rajshahi University violence, was made officer-on-special-duty and was transferred to police headquarters yesterday. Twenty eight other senior police personnel -- ranking between deputy inspectors general and additional deputy commissioner -- were also transferred to different places, said a source in police headquarters. Sources said the government will take departmental actions against DC Sarder Nurul Amin for negligence in duties during the violence that deteriorated the law and order situation on RU campus and the city. According to the source, Deputy Inspectors General Aftab Uddin Ahmed of police headquarters was made Police Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police. Assistant Inspector General (Media) Nazrul Islam was made superintendent of police of Chuadanga district. But no replacement to the post was made http://www.thedailystar.net/new...

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Violence plotted in Dhaka; attackers' cell phone records show Jamaat connection In a major turn of events in the Rajshahi University violence investigation, the Detective Branch of Police yesterday arrested a member of the university syndicate in connection with the murder of RU student Faruk Hossain. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Sarder Nurul Amin said Siddik Hossain was arrested at Rajshahi Court area around 6:00pm yesterday. Siddik is the Rajshahi city Jamaat assistant general secretary and also the principal of Islamia College. He said arrested Shibir cadres revealed his name. Meanwhile, three very high-ranking police personnel in Rajshahi told The Daily Star that Jamaat and Shibir leaders in Dhaka planned the February 9 attack on Chhatra League at Rajshahi University and the attackers were present at the public meeting of Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami in Rajshahi on February 7. Sources say that investigators going through mob...

Wednesday, February 17, 20 Jamaat-Shibir men are killing people as per their plans and creating anarchy in a bid to thwart the move for trying the war criminals and banning religion-based politics, leaders of the ruling grand alliance said at a public meeting yesterday. They said the murder of Rajshahi University's Chhatra League activist Faruk Hossain was a part of Jamaat's master plan. The leaders argued that Jamaat-Shibir men have no right to do politics following cancellation of the fifth amendment of the constitution. Speaking as the chief guest, Jute and Textile Minister Abdul Latif Siddiki stressed strengthening the unity of the alliance at grassroots level in order to fight the anti-liberation forces and the Islamist militants. The government is facing difficulty in dealing with the chaos at different parts of the country, as there are elements of Jamaat-Shibir among police and government officials. Lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon blamed Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami for...

Monday, February 15, 2010 Refuting allegations against police administration, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nawsher Ali yesterday blamed Rajshahi University authority for not playing its role to control February 9 campus violence that left one Chhatra League worker killed and about 100 people injured. Nawsher Ali said the allegation should not fall on the shoulder of entire police administration as nine policemen already have been suspended for their negligence. “Where were the proctors and halls' provosts during the attacks? If Dr Zoha (Martyr Shamsuzzoha) could brave Pakistani forces to save his students' lives, what the proctors and provosts did for their students. Even the VC himself did not come out of his home. Was it not their responsibility?” he asked. Showing phone call lists Ali said the VC phoned him at 3:06 am but the incident of killing was already over. Meanwhile, Shafiullah, an student injured in the attack, told The Daily Star that some 11 students, ...

Saturday, February 13, 2010 Rajshahi city Jamaat Ameer Ataur Rahman and 10 other Shibir men were taken on a five-day remand yesterday in connection with three cases filed for February 9 RU violence. The court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate granted the five-day remand while the police sought for 10 days. Ataur Rahman has been shown remanded in Faruk Hossain killing case. BCL activist and Rajshahi University student Faruk was hacked to death during the RU rampage. Police charged the Jamaat leader with ordering and provoking Shibir cadres to go berserk and perpetrate the murder. With the 11, the number of arrestees in Rajshahi following the RU incident has reached 46. Meanwhile, two injured BCL workers, Rahedul Islam Rahi and Ruhul Amin, earlier admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, lodged two more cases against some 90 Shibir leaders and activists with Motihar Police Station yesterday. Rahi accused 34 Shibir men, including RU Shibir president Shams...

Friday, February 12, 2010   Police yesterday arrested Rajshahi city Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Ataur Rahman in connection with the two cases filed for Tuesday's violence at Rajshahi University and the murder of Faruk Hossain. Meanwhile, police claimed to have recovered the body of an Islami Chhatra Shibir leader, accused of being involved in Tuesday's violence, at a house in Chapainawabganj. The law enforcement agencies have started combing operations at all the Jamaat-Shibir strongholds across the country. They arrested 32 Shibir men. Six were placed on remand. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police yesterday suspended another policemen in connection with negligence of duty at a Rajshahi University dormitory Tuesday. Police arrested Jamaat leader Ataur, also an assistant headmaster of Loknath High School in Rajshahi, around 10:15am yesterday as he was going to school, Boalia Police Station chief Jasimuddin told The Daily Star. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Naws...

Thursday, February 11, 2010   Police and Bangladesh Chhatra League Rajshahi University unit general secretary yesterday filed two cases accusing around 600 Islami Chhatra Shibir activists in connection with Tuesday's violence on campus and the murder of Faruk Hossain. Meanwhile, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police suspended eight policemen in connection with neglecting their duties. Police during raids at Rajshahi University and surrounding Jamaat-e-Islami-and-Shibir dominated areas picked up 63 Shibir men. Twenty-eight of them were placed on five-day remand each. Rajshahi University Chhatra League General Secretary Majedul Islam Opu filed a murder case in connection with the killing of Faruk Hossain, a Chhatra League worker and final-year student of the mathematics department, around 4:30am yesterday accusing 64 people, including 35 named Shibir leaders and workers. Motihar Police Station Sub-Inspector Ershadul Alam filed the other case with the same police station arou...

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 A final-year student and activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League was hacked to death by cadres of Islami Chhatra Shibir at Rajshahi University early yesterday. Around 100 others were wounded in overnight clashes between BCL and Shibir activists. Motihar police recovered the body of Faruk Hossain, a BCL activist and student of mathematics, from inside a manhole yesterday morning. Police say Faruk was hacked in the television room of Shah Mokhdum Hall around 2:00am and dumped into the manhole. The injured were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and RU Medical Centre. Condition of 17 of them is stated to be critical. Shibir men had cut tendons of at least four BCL activists, said leaders of Chhatra League, associated student body of the ruling Awami League. Police arrested 16 cadres of Shibir, associated student organisation of Jamaat-e-Islami, on charge of killing Faruk. The RU syndicate at an emergency meeting last night suspended a...

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Police in a raid arrested 10 Islami Chhatra Shibir activists at Rajshahi University last night after Shibir men beat up two Chhatra League activists at Bangabandhu Hall. Three students were injured in sporadic attacks by rival students bodies. Nine Shibir men arrested at Bangabandhu Hall and the other at Habibur Rahman Hall. The incident sparked around 8:00pm when Asaduzzaman, a Chhatra League activist, tried to go to his room in Bangabandhu Hall, which Shibir dominate. The Shibir men led by Shibir General Secretary Khalid of that dormitory asked him to leave. Following an altercation, the Shibir activists beat up Asaduzzaman and Chhatra League activist Muhammad Kawsar at the dormitory gate. Police rescued the two and rushed them to Rajshahi University medical centre. Hundreds of armed cadres of both Shibir and Bangladesh Chhatra League took position at different points on campus following the incident. Shibir activist Israfil was beaten up by...

Monday, February 8, 2010   Rajshahi Sangskritik Shangha accorded reception to seven noted personalities of Rajshahi recently for their contribution to different fields of culture and sports at the Padma Ranga Mancha. The honoured personalities are: noted singer Rafiqul Alam, sports commentator Khoda Baksh Mridha, actor Abdul Aziz, footballer Shamsul Islam Mollah, classical singer Manjusree Roy, playwright Moloy Kumar Bhoumik and sculptor Mrinal Haque. Speakers at the function, held Friday night, underscored the need to uphold and nurture our cultural heritage to resist fundamentalism. They observed that the country remained deviated from its founding principles while development hindered for many years as there was a rise in fundamentalism. A revival in mass cultural practices could be vital to fight that, they said. They also demanded immediate trial of war criminals. Speaking at the programme, eminent littérateur Hassan Azizul Haque said that a life without an...