Himu's Window

A Rajshahi court on Thursday ordered an organisation named Tawhid Trust to hand over its 5-storied building at Kajla in the city to its ousted member, an detained militant kingpin and Ahle Hadith Andolon, Bangladesh (Ahab) chief Asadullah Al Galib within 15 days.   Galib, also a Rajshahi University Arabic teacher was arrested in February 2005 after captured JMB militants named him as their spiritual head.     Zahangir Alam Mollah, judge of public safety tribunal and second special sessions court in his ruling turned down a lower court order that in 2004 adjudged Tawhid Trust and its contemporary officio as tenant of the building.   Tawhid Trust chairman Abdus Salam, secretary general (SG) SM Mahmud Alam, assistant SG Rezaul Karim and their lawyers condemned the judgment to be 'unilateral and biased' and said they would challenge it to the high court.   Abu Bakar, a trust lawyer said, Galib founded the trust and established the building, but he was expelled

The charge sheet against Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor and former BNP lawmaker Mizanur Rahman Minu in an extortion case was placed before Rajshahi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court yesterday for accepting.   The CMM court, however, fixed June 6 for hearing on the charge sheet acceptance.   Sub-Inspector Abdur Rahman Sarkar of Rajpara Police Station pressed the charges against total 11 persons including Minu on May 16.   But, the case documents were shifted to a judge court following two miss cases regarding ad interim bail prayer of two accused persons in the case.   Minu, however, was freed on an anticipatory bail from the high court in connection with the case.   Other accused persons in the case include -- district BNP vice president Nazrul Huda, former city BNP general secretary Shafikul Haque Milon, BNP adherents Tahajuddin, Mainul Islam, Ranju, Ashraf, Shamsul, Sentu and Abdullah Al Mamun.   The plaintiff Shamsul Alam Khan, a governing body member

3 bombs recovered at RUET A powerful bomb was recovered from in front of the main gate of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) Tuesday night, reports our RU correspondent. Campus sources said, the bomb wrapped in red tape and plastic paper, were found on the ground of the university Central Shaheed Miner. A tea shop worker saw a red polythene bag, wrapped with red tape and informed university security guards. They informed Motiher police station. Bomb experts from the police station recovered the bomb. Motiher thana bomb expert SI Alamgir said it was a locally made powerful bomb. Earlier, police recovered a powerful bomb and a rifle from Islami Chhatra Shibir dominated Shaheed Selim Hall of REUT.     Two more locally made powerful bombs were recovered from near the main gate of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) once again yesterday.   One of the bombs was wrapped in a 4 X 10 square inches aluminum sheet that was etch

Revolution The Islamist challenge to secular Bangladesh Nicholas Schmidle The headquarters of Al-Markazul Islami, an Islamic organization in Bangladesh, is a single tower whose frosted green windows rise several stories above the coconut trees and rooftops of Muhammadpur, a neighborhood in central Dhaka. Below, in the streets of this capital city of seven million, bicycle rickshaws with handlebar tassels, tin wheel covers, and carriages painted with faces of Bengali film stars ding-ding-ding along. Car, dump-truck, and bus horns blast four- and five-note jingles, and ambulance sirens wail. But none of the commotion reaches Mufti Shahidul Islam, the founder and director of Al-Markazul Islami, through the thick windows of his fifth-story office. Al-Markazul Islami provides free healthcare and ambulance services. Many Bangladeshi journalists, analysts, and politicians think it is just a cover, and that Shahidul's real business is jihad. "Mufti Shahidul is a