Himu's Window

Police arrested three listed members of outlawed Sarbohara group from Bagmara upazila in Rajshahi yesterday. The detainees – Shahadat Hossain, 35 of Nakhopara, Nazmul Hossain, 20, and Anwar, also known as Babul and Altaf, 25 of Polashi were sent to jail custody after police produced them before a Rajshahi court showing arrested under emergency ordinance. Tipped off, a police team led by officer-in-charge of Bagmara police station Mirza Golam Sarwar held them raiding their houses. Police said, the arrestees were accused in several cases of murder and terrorist activities.

Army Chief Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed yesterday said Bangladesh will have to construct its own brand of democracy recognising its social, historical and cultural conditions with religion being one of the several components of its national identity. He defined 'own brand of democracy' as a 'balanced government' where power is not tilted towards any family or dynasty. "We have tried both the presidential and parliamentary forms of government and now the people will judge which is better," he said. There should be a balance among powers of the government, the president and the prime minister ensuring transparency, accountability and sense of responsibility, he said adding that the previous political systems made way for massive corruption in the society. Terming the armed forces as the 'silent partner' of the people he also said power should not be concentrated in the hands of a dynasty or a party. He was presenting a keynote paper at a regional conference of I

Police arrested nine more militants and Bangla Bhai aides early morning yesterday in Rajshahi and Natore. Following two cases filed on Sunday by torture victims accusing the arrestees, several police teams led by Mirza Golam Sarwar, officer-in-charge of Bagmara Police Station (PS), arrested seven militants from their houses at Palashi village. They are Abdul Jalil Amin, 56, father of notorious militant leader "Killer Mostak", Abdur Rahim, 26, Abdul Hamid Mondol, 30, Abul Mondol, 28 Abul Kalam, 28, Nazrul Dorji, 40, and Moksed Ali, 52. Two other militants -- Abdul Kuddus and Hafizul Islam -- were held from former deputy minister Ruhul Kuddus Talukhdar Dulu's village home Ramsa Kazipur. With this, a total of 24 militants were arrested in three cases filed since Friday. On Sunday, torture victim Ayub Ali Pramanik filed a case accusing 27 militants and their patrons including former post and telecommunications minister barrister Aminul Haque, deputy minister of land Ruhul Kud

Two more former BNP lawmakers were sued on Sunday for patronising militants of banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Natore and Rajshahi. Victims of JMB atrocities--Muhidul Islam Khan of Puthia and Ayub Ali Pramanik of Bagmara upazila--filed two cases Sunday against ex-deputy minister for land Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu and former lawmaker Nadim Mostafa, among others. Former post and telecommunications minister Aminul Huq stands accused in one of the cases. He already faces charges of helping the militants commit brutalities in the northern districts. Fazlur Rahman, who was kidnapped and left maimed by Bangla Bhai and his men three years ago, filed the case against him and 27 others Friday. It was the first case against any of those ex-BNP ministers and lawmakers alleged to have been the masterminds behind the rise of Islamic militancy in the northern districts. In their cases, Muhidul and Ayub alleged that the militants had tortured and extorted money from them in collus