Himu's Window

Authorities say they were appointed on political consideration   The Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) authorities yesterday decided to dismiss some 470 "unnecessary and politically-appointed" employees to cut expenditure. RCC councillors said the decision was made at a meeting in the afternoon and it will be executed a month later following negotiations with the employees' union. Meantime, the employees formed a committee to protest the move and staged demonstration on the Rajshahi Nagar Bhaban premises in the afternoon. The RCC has to spend around Tk 1.5 crore annually on the 470 staffs appointed on daily wage-basis, said RCC Secretary Emdadul Haque. The listed staffs include 243 from conservancy, 37 from mosquito control, 28 from development, 20 from administration, 26 from transport and 19 from water supply sections. Five among them, appointed as immunisation workers and also to mosquito control section, were however, discharged from the mosquito control...

At least ten persons including two women from six indigenous communities are contesting for vice chairman posts in the upazila election in Rajshahi division. Five of them are from Santal tribe and one each from Razoar, Urao, Munda, Ganju and Rajbansi tribes. Two of them are housewives, one village doctor while the other candidates mentioned agriculture as their profession in the affidavits. In the affidavit, one indigenous candidate mentioned that he graduated in Social Science, two candidates passed HSC, one passed SSC, five read at high school while one mentioned that he is literate. Indigenous leaders are participating in local government election for the first time this year, said Rabindranath Saren, general secretary of Jatiya Adibasi Parishad (JAP). "Such participation will help empowering indigenous people in local government as well as upholding our history of depravity and losses of lives and properties". JAP sources said 38 different indigenous ...

About eight persons who are facing criminal charges are contesting the upcoming upazila elections for chairmanship in Rajshahi district. One of the candidates was convicted in a criminal case while two others are accused of torturing their wives and demanding dowry from in laws. These were revealed from the candidates' affidavits submitted to the Election Commission. Bagha upazila chairman candidate Abdul Gani Mandol mentioned that he was convicted in a misappropriation case. He was sentenced to suffer six months 15 days imprisonment with fine of Tk 5,000. Golam Rabbani, Tanore Awami League (AL) president resigned from chairmanship of Pachondor Union Parishad for taking part in the election race for chairmanship in Tanore upazila. He mentioned in his affidavit that he is an accused in two cases, one filed under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act for torturing his wife and another under Muslim Family Law for marrying without permission from first wife and divorcing the lat...

Several hundred prison guards yesterday staged angry protests in and outside Rajshahi Central Jail for over three hours after a senior prison official allegedly assaulted a jail guard. They demanded immediate removal of senior jail superintendent Harun-ur Rashid for assaulting prison guard Mustafizur Rahman. The protesters called off demonstrations at around 10:00pm after Maj Hafizur Rahman Mollah, deputy inspector general of prisons in Rajshahi division, over speakerphone from Naogaon assured them of taking necessary steps.  The prison guards alleged that Harun first slapped Mustafiz for failing to control the prisoners during an event inside the jail at about 4:00pm. He then beat him with a stick until he fell to the ground and his clothes were torn, alleged Mustafiz's colleagues, who rescued him.  About 500 prison guards staged protests at the jail demanding immediate removal and punishment for the jail super around 6:30pm after all prisoners were taken to their cells from the e...

Awami League lawmaker Abdul Quddus, left, receiving a gold replica of his party's electoral symbol, boat, from Shamsul Haque Sheikh, a candidate of upazila parishad polls in Gurudaspur, Natore. Photo: STAR The Election Commission (EC) yesterday decided to warn an Awami League (AL) lawmaker for violating the electoral code of conduct of the upazila parishad elections in its efforts to refrain MPs from influencing the crucial polls to local government bodies. The EC will soon issue a letter to AL lawmaker Abdul Quddus of Natore warning him of his reported bid to influence the upazila elections. Quddus received around 80 miniature gold-made boats, AL electoral symbol, and campaigned for an upazila polls contestant.  Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain labelled the activity of Quddus unethical and said it was a clear attempt to influence the upazila elections.  Meanwhile, the EC yesterday warned Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor Khairuzzaman Liton for violating electoral c...

Unidentified criminals killed Tanore upazila Jubo Dal convener Matiur Rahman Babu on Wednesday night at Bagdhani of Paba upazila of the district. Police recovered the body yesterday morning from Bagdhani Sashanghat near Barnoi river.  There were injury marks on various parts of the body, said police. Babu (38), also a mathematics teacher at Tanore Women's Degree College, left for home at Sadhur Mor in Rajshahi city on a bike at around 10:30pm after participating in a upazila poll campaign for local BNP leaders, said his fellow party activists. Police suspected that the criminals intercepted him at Kalitala and beat him to death there. Later, they dragged the body to Sashanghat, some 500 yards from the spot. The criminals also took away Babu's motorbike and two mobile phones.  "It was a planned murder and part of the on-going tortures on BNP activists across the country," said Babu's father Mahtab Uddin, president of Kolma union BNP. Babu's brother Hazrat Ali f...

Rajshahi Mayor Khairuzzaman Liton and Bagha upazila chairman candidate Mizanur Rahman Minu jointly hold an umbrella at Bagha High School ground on Tuesday as Liton calls upon the audience to vote for Mizan, an Awami League leader.Photo: STAR Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton has continued campaigns in favour of Awami League leaders who are contesting in the upazila elections. Such act by the mayor, who bears the status of a state minister, flouts directives from the Election Commission that served a notice on Sunday asking ministers, state ministers and persons holding similar statuses to refrain from taking part in upazila election campaign. The mayor is found visiting the upazilas everyday after his office hours to introduce local AL leaders contesting as candidates for the upazila election and seek votes for them, although the upazila elections are held non-party basis. Mayor Liton in a large public meeting at Hatgangopara High School in Bagmara upazila yesterda...