Himu's Window

  Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh remained unnoticed for several years before the grenade attack on the British high commissioner at Hazrat Shahjalal shrine in Sylhet over four years ago. Though it has been banned in Asian and European countries and even in the Middle East, its chapter here has been operating overtly and unhindered for the last few years. Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh had posted anti-British and -US posters around the Shahjalal shrine two days before the attack on the then UK High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury on May 21, 2004. This made the investigators suspect that the shrine attack was carried out by Hizb ut-Tahrir. Since then, the outfit has been alleged to have militant links at home and abroad, said a law enforcement official who was involved in the probe. Rajshahi police yesterday rounded up some of their leaders and activists as they were preparing to hold a press conference in the divisional city. According to information from different websites, Hizb ut-

Anwar Ali, Rajshahi Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) yesterday arrested the coordinator of Bangladesh chapter of Hizb ut-Tahrir and nine of his cohorts at Rajshahi City Press Club on suspicion of promoting militancy in the country. The police said the Hizb ut-Tahrir men were distributing leaflets calling for establishing its self-styled Khilafat rule dethroning the present government in this holy month of Ramadan. "We arrested them on suspicion of encouraging militancy in the country...We are investigating their activities," said RMP Commissioner Mahbub Mohsin yesterday. Quoting the Quran in its leaflets, the Islamist group called upon Muslims asking them to "take oath for establishing the rule of Khilafat by dethroning the present ruler in this holy month of Ramadan" to unite Muslims and revive their lost glory. It criticises sending of forces in United Nations Peace Keeping missions for protecting "enemies" instead of "turning them the flag beare

  Rajshahi mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton yesterday called on the residents of the metropolitan city to be ready for spending additional money to pay taxes and water bills for additional use to ensure civic amenities to all. He also asked all staffs of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) to submit their wealth statements for transparency and support his attempts to free the institute from corruption. "The rates of taxes and water bills will not be increases as I promised earlier, but those who, for example, have expanded their houses from one room to more rooms and single-storey building to multi-storey one will have to pay additional taxes," he added. He further said, "The use of water by five people against that of 50 people is not the same and so additional water users will have to pay additional taxes, but the rates would be the same." Liton said this at a reception accorded to him at the Rajshahi Zila Parishad auditorium by Rajshahi Citizens' C

A court in Naogaon yesterday ordered re-investigation into the murder of Idris Ali Khejur by the militants of Jagrata Muslim Janata, Bangladesh (JMJB) in 2004 accepting the no-confidence petition filed by the sister of the victim on the final report of the case. Nilima Akhtar, Khejur's sister, filed the no-confidence petition with the court on May 11 as police submitted the final report in the case during the rule of previous political government and relieved a number of militant kingpins from the charge of murder. Accepting the petition, the court asked the officer-in-charge (OC) of Raninagar police station in Naogaon to re-investigate into the case. In her petition, Nilima, the plaintiff of the case, accused 102 persons for the murder and said a number of accused, including militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib and former BNP state minister Alamgir Kabir, were relieved from the murder charge. Other accused include Tota Khandoker, Salehin, Hafez Mahmud, ASM Azizullah,

Published On: 2008-09-16 Front Page   A case was recorded yesterday at the Mohonpur Police Station against 19 people on charges of killing 15 villagers during the liberation war. The case was recorded following higher authority's approval on September 13 after primary investigations, said the police. A Rajshahi court one and a half months ago directed Mohonpur police to investigate and take necessary actions after day labourer Nezarul Islam of Birsoil filed the case with the court against 19 people. The accused include Shafiullah, Moyen Uddin, Boyen Uddin of Modonhati, Daud Ali, Nur-e-Alam, Shamsuddin, Sirajul Islam, Matiur Rahman and Awal of Berabari Bamonbari, Alam, Abdul Hai, Abdul Mannan of Mohisbathan, Abu Sayeed of Durgapur, Jan Bux, Abdul, Merajul and Kalim of Paba upazila. The plaintiff alleged that the accused helped the Pakistani forces to abduct 15 villagers, who assisted freedom fighters, in Mohonpur on November 30, 1971. All the abducted people were

Published On: 2008-09-16 Front Page A wanted criminal and member of the underground Sarbahara Party was killed in a crossfire between police and his accomplices at Birkutsa Sahapur areas in Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi early yesterday. The dead man was identified as Abul Hasen alias Kana Abul, 43 of Aloknagar village in Hamirkutsa union of the upazila. Sahabuddin Khalipha, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bagmara police station said, police arrested Abul from his home on Sunday noon. Police then took him along to retrieve arms from an area, based on information revealed in his statement. When they reached the spot, Abul's gang members opened fire on police. The police shot back and at a stage Abul received bullet wounds while trying to flee. Abul was a listed terrorist and a member of Sarbohara Party, the OC said. He was absconding since a murder case was filed against him. He was sentenced to life-term imprisonment in the case.   http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?

Anwar Ali, Rajshahi   Banned Islamist militant outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji), comprised of Afghan war veterans, has started activities across the country to take part in the next parliamentary polls under a new name. Huji leaders under the banner of Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) gathered for an iftar party in a Rajshahi community centre in Shalbagan on September 8 claiming to be in negotiations with the government for holding political programmes openly. Even though they claimed that they are not involved in any criminal or anti-state activities, they admitted that their organisation began from Huji. They said they are still in Jihad as before in Afghanistan but the Jihad is for "rebuilding the country by promoting true democracy". They said two top Huji founders--Mufti Abdus Salam and Rahmatullah alias Shaikh Farid--are president and secretary of the party. They collected the application form for getting IDP registered with the Election Commission