Himu's Window

Monday, April 20, 2009 Local Awami League (AL) lawmaker's men in Bagmara have returned all the cheques they took away from the victims of atrocities committed by Bangla Bhai-led gangs. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and Development) Satyendra Kumar Sarker told reporters yesterday that the victims had all the cheques with them. Following government directives, the Rajshahi administration yesterday launched an investigation into the allegations against Enamul's men who reportedly took away cheques worth Tk 19 lakh granted by the prime minister for the victims. Sarker, also the investigation officer, quizzed 20 people, including 18 victims whom the local lawmaker's men took to the Bagmara UNO's office. He told journalists that no 'strong evidence' had been found to prove the allegations. "We shall fax the investigation report to the authorities concerned in Dhaka by tonight," Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, divisional commissioner in

Sunday, April 19, 2009 Local Awami League (AL) lawmaker's men in Bagmara yesterday returned only two cheques, each worth Tk 1 lakh, out of 19 they took away after prime minister's adviser HT Imam on Wednesday distributed those among the victims of Bangla Bhai-led gangs. Coming under pressure following a report published in The Daily Star yesterday, former UP chairman and upazila AL treasurer Aminul Islam Chowdhury returned the two cheques to Manik Pramanik of Jhikra and Asir Uddin, a freedom fighter of Khalispur. Both Manik and Asir refused to talk to reporters. Sources said the two were asked to give MP Enamul Haque's men half of the money after converting the cheques and also threatened not to talk to the media. Soon after they were given the cheques at around 12:00noon, upazila AL General Secretary Zakirul Islam Shantu and upazila Jubo League President Abdus Salam took them to Bhawaniganj Bazar to show local journalists that the victims have the cheques,

Saturday, April 18, 2009 The local Awami League (AL) lawmaker's men in Bagmara upazila have allegedly taken away cheques worth Tk 19 lakh granted by the prime minister for the victims of the cruelties committed by Bangla Bhai-led vigilante gangs. They are now pressing the recipients to hand them the rest two of the 21 Tk 1 lakh cheques distributed on Wednesday. The victims said they have been threatened not to speak to the media about the matter. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Adviser HT Imam distributed the cheques among those who had suffered at the hands of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) cadres in 2004 and 2005. During the cheque-giving ceremony at Bhwaniganj School playground, the prime minister held a teleconference with Bagmara residents. She said her government would ensure justice for those who fell prey to executed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai and his henchmen. After the meeting, some local AL lea

Saturday, April 18, 2009 Former post and telecommunications minister Aminul Haque, through his attorney, applied to the deputy commissioner's office of Rajshahi for review of all 13 cases filed against him during the last caretaker government. Enamul Haque, a High Court practitioner, came to Rajshahi and submitted an application to the deputy commissioner's office on Thursday afternoon in this regard. The application also appealed to withdraw six other cases against Aminul three in Dhaka and three in Naogaon. In the application the attorney termed the cases against Aminul 'false and politically motivated' and those were filed to harass him and tarnish his image. "We submitted the application as a government circular said it would allow applications for review of the false political cases," said Ashrafuzzaman Mollik, a lawyer of Aminul in Rajshahi. Aminul, a minister of the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance, went into hiding the moment the caretaker government took over

Published On: 2008-06-08   Non-coordinated development work for poet Rabindranath Tagore's Kacharibari at Patisar in Naogaon has done some damage to this protected site, a part of national heritage. The local administration has carried out the development work hastily in and around the Kacharibari in the last five months without informing the Department of Archaeology, the custodian of the protected site. The local administration also claimed that the land around the Kacharibari (zamindari estate building) is a vested property, which belongs to the district administration. On the other hand, the archaeology department claimed that some development work violated the antiquity rules and no archeological expertise was involved in the work. Meanwhile, academicians and researchers also blamed the archaeology department for its indifferent attitude to this site of historical importance. As part of the development work, a boundary wall was erected on the east of Kachar

Thursday, April 16, 2009   Body formed to probe corruption in Barind development works Barind Development Authority (BMDA) in a meeting yesterday formed a seven-member committee comprising five lawmakers to investigate alleged irregularities and corruption involving 'hundreds of crores' of taka public money during last several years. Omar Faruk Chowdhury, lawmaker from Rajshahi-1 constituency, is the head of the committee. Other members are Naogaon lawmakers Sadhan Chandra Majumder and Israfil Alam, Chapainwabganj lawmaker Ziaur Rahman, Pabna lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Dilu, Additional Divisional Commissioner Asit Kumar Mukutmoni and BMDA Executive Director Abdul Mannan (member secretary). The meeting formed the probe body after allegations of corruption and irregularities in the development works done under former BMDA executive director M Asaduzzaman were raised by the BMDA members. The committee will submit its report within one month. Rajshahi Divisional c

Thursday, April 16, 2009   The three JMB suspects held with jihadi publications in Naogaon on Tuesday are members of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, police said. Abdul Karim, 28, a bakery employee, is the president of Shikarpur union Jamaat in Sadar upazila, Naogaon. On the other hand, Shahadat Ali, 32, a tailor, and Hafez Faruk Hossain, 28, a teacher of Shikarpur Hafezia Madrasa, are Jamaat activists, according to police and local Jamaat leaders. The police say the arrestees have confessed to having links with outlawed militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) under Jamaat cover. The three were plotting to carry out subversive activities on Pahela Baishakh, the police add. Acting on a tip off, the police arrested Abdul Karim of Chalk Kalidas in Alupatti, Naogaon on Tuesday. Following his statements, the police raided Shahadat's house and arrested the three. The police also seized over 50 jihadi publications including books written by militant kingpin