Himu's Window

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/05/21/d7052101107.htm Death of Youth in Rab Action Torture marks found on victim's body, protests go on Thousands of locals brought out a procession at the Rajshahi city suburb of Chhotobongram Purbopara yesterday as the body of Quamrul Islam Majnu, who was allegedly tortured to death by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel, was handed over to his family 36 hours after his death. Meanwhile, the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate yesterday sent three people who were arrested in connection with the Majnu murder case filed on Saturday night with Boalia Police Station to jail custody. Investigation officer (IO) of the case Sub-inspector Manjurul Haque Akkhand arrested Zahrul Islam, Baser Ali and Ali Hossain of Chapainawabganj and produced them before the court. A magistrate-led probe body prepared Manju's inquest report noting that his body had innumerable marks of torture. The body of Majnu was taken to his home around 2:15pm yesterday after ...

Death of youth in Rab action sparks protests Rab says he was killed during clashes with kidnappers Plainclothes Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel allegedly beat a youth dead and injured his family members and neighbours triggering protests at Chhoto Bongram Purbopara in Rajshahi city suburbs yesterday. Police sources said the dead was identified as Quamrul Islam Majnu, 25, and there were no criminal records against him. Protesting Rab's actions, angry locals brought out processions several times during the day and a large procession in the evening. They chanted slogans against Rab and the caretaker government. They demanded actions taken against those responsible. A large number of police were deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incidents. Majnu's body was not handed over to his family members as of filing of this story, as doctors of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) declined to perform autopsy on his body after police mentioned in the inque...

Editorial Deaths at RMCH Somebody must be held responsible The circumstances that led to the death of nine patients at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, four on Thursday and five on Friday, following the work abstention of the intern doctors are horrifying and utterly unacceptable. These unfortunate patients, including some children and old persons, came to the hospital seeking treatment for their ailments but they were denied the needed medical assistance, which the intern doctors were oath-bound to give. And when children die under such adverse circumstances people are bound to ask the obvious question: Who will be held responsible for these deaths? By all means, the incident at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital was blown out of proportion when an unpleasant altercation took place between the intern doctors and some attendants of patients on Thursday, which snowballed into a major disorder. From exchange of verbal abuses it went as far as resorting to physical violence...

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/05/20/d70520060562.htm   RMCH Incident Committee starts probe A high-powered ministerial committee yesterday started investigating the Thursday's incident at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) that led to the death of four patients in absence of treatment. But the committee drew flak from the victims' families as one of its members is the representative of the hospital director who the family members said was responsible for the incident. The family members said inclusion of the representative of the director in the probe committee might influence its findings. Two committee members -- Deputy Secretary of the health ministry Muhammad Abdullah and Deputy Director of the health directorate Dr Atiqul Haque -- came to Rajshahi from Dhaka on Friday night at the instruction of the chief adviser to caretaker government, the team members said. Additional Deputy Commissioner (education) of Rajshahi Satyendra Kumar Sarkar was induc...

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/05/19/d7051901033.htm   Few Interns Return to Work 5 more patients die at RMCH Five more patients died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) yesterday amid virtual work abstention of the intern doctors. Earlier, in absence of treatment facilities due to the strike that intern doctors called following a clash with patients' attendants on Wednesday afternoon, four patients died and many others left the hospital without treatment. The five patients who died yesterday include two children and an elderly person from Bogra, a RMCH official told reporters last night. Only a very few interns joined the work at some emergency wards following the RMCH director's notice, witnesses and RMCH sources said. At a press conference yesterday evening, where some 60 interns of a total of 150 working at the hospital attended, the interns said they temporarily withdrew the strike till Saturday. That day they will sit with the RMCH director ...

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/05/18/d7051801044.htm     Four die at RMCH without treatment Four die at RMCH without treatment Interns enforce indefinite strike after clash with attendants of patients Four patients died without treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) yesterday as interns refused to attend patients after they clashed with attendants of patients and beat one up severely over accusations of neglect. The row between the interns and the attendants of patients started Wednesday afternoon at around 5:00pm when an attendant and husband of a patient allegedly misbehaved with a female intern--Dr Matuara Sharmin, said sources. The patient, Sima, 22, was admitted in Ward 16 earlier in the morning on Wednesday with encephalitis and pneumonia complications and the doctors on duty had been neglectful in treating her, claimed her relatives and witnesses. Sima's husband Shahabul Islam, a prison guard at Chapainawabganj district jail, along...

  http://www.newagebd.com/front.html#8 New Age: Tasneem Khalil, an editorial assistant at The Daily Star, picked up by plainclothesmen claiming to be members of the army-led joint forces from his Central Road residence early Friday, was released at about 11:00pm, his family said.    The reasons for his brief detention were not explained by the authorities.    Tasneem is also a consultant for New York-based Human Rights Watch and a stringer for several international news organisations, including the Cable News Network. He also maintains a blog on which he posts news and views.    Tasneem's wife, Sharmin Afsana Suchi, earlier told New Age, 'Four men in plain clothes identifying themselves as members of the joint forces stormed into our apartment after midnight'.    'They used abusive language and searched the entire apartment. The men seized Tasneem's passport, mobile phones, two computers and all documents,...