Himu's Window

Friday, April 24, 2009 Despite good demand, the Western Railway Authorities dropped the lone air-conditioned (AC) chair coach from Padma Express train that runs between Dhaka and Rajshahi from yesterday. The train starts for Dhaka from Rajshahi in the afternoon and leaves the capital for Rajshahi at midnight. The railway authorities said the AC chair coach has been added to a Dhaka-bound train from Khulna as the AC coach of Chitra Express needs repair. "The Padma Express will get back its AC coach within two weeks when the AC coach of Chitra Express will be repaired," said the chief commercial manager of Western Railway. "We have decided to drop the coach temporarily following its 30 percent demand. Moreover, the Padma Express has an AC berth-coach alongside the AC chair coach," he added. However, the passengers have complained that the dropping of AC chair coach would have a bad impact on the service of Padma Express as its demand have risen this

Thursday, April 23, 2009 Engineer M Enamul Haque, lawmaker from Rajshahi-4 (Bagmara) constituency, in a rejoinder to The Daily Star report headlined, "PM issues cheques, MP's men take away," published on April 18, differed on some points of the report. The rejoinder disagrees with the report's assertion that the cheques issued by the prime minister for the victims of atrocities committed by Bangla Bhai-led gangs were taken away by his men, saying, "The cheques are account payee which leave no scope for anyone else other than the account-holders concerned to convert those." It also differs on locals' allegations of listing 'fake victims' as grant recipients, saying, "I on my own responsibility prepared the list of victims irrespective of party and acceptable to all." Our Reply After receiving the rejoinder, we have further investigated the story and have found our story to be based on fact. We, therefore, stand by our stor

Monday, April 20, 2009 Leaders of Quami Madrasa and Olama Oikya Parishad in Rajshahi yesterday vowed to remain vigilant so that none can use quami madrasas as cover for their terrorist activities. Terming militancy as a 'threat to Islam as well as to the country's peace', they said they are ready to assist the government in combating militancy. "Include alems (Islamic scholars) in the law and order committees in districts and hold them responsible if any quami madrasa is found involved with militancy," Maolana Hafez Abdus Samad said at a press conference of the organisation in the city. "Since Islamic teachings do not support terrorism, a man supporting terrorism cannot be an alem just by posing to be so," said Sheikh M Taiyebur Rahman Nizami, president of Rajshahi chapter of Quami Madrasa and Olama Oikya Parishad. "With a thousand-year-old history of good activities in this sub-continent, quami madrasas are helping people to achie

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