Himu's Window

These Photots are taken from Panchagarh town Thursday, July 23, 2009 Decades after landing on the moon by man, solar eclipse still remains a 'mystery' shrouded in superstitions and fear for multitudes of villagers in the northern areas. While thousands of curious people including science enthusiasts and nature lovers busied themselves availing the rare occasion of full eclipse at Panchagarh town and other places of the northern district, many others remained inside their houses, maintaining strict rituals for 'protection from evils'. Women have to remain indoors, refrain from doing any household jobs and eating or drinking during the entirety of the eclipse, said several villagers in Shalbahan, 30 kilometres from Panchagarh. "During the eclipse a pregnant woman is virtually shielded by their relatives to protect her and the unborn baby from possible harm by some unknown power. This has been practised by my grandmother and other members of the family," said Jha

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 A Rajshahi court yesterday rejected bail prayer of former BNP minister Aminul Haque in connection with a case for abetting and patronising outlawed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). M Mohsin Ali, father of JMB atrocity victim Monwar Hossain Babu of Chalk Sarkutia, filed the case after his son was killed during the operation by JMB's executed leader Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai in Bagmara in 2004. Judge ABM Mahmudul Haque of the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Rajshahi, however, granted Aminul bail in the case for misappropriation of corrugated iron sheets from the government relief funds. Aminul, a key patron of Islamist militant outfit JMB in Rajshahi region in 2004-2005, was hauled before the court during hearing of his bail prayers. He surrendered on July 7 after staying two and a half years as a fugitive abroad and applying to the government for withdrawing all the 13 cases against him. In the case filed by Mohsin, so

Sunday, July 19, 2009   The four top leaders of the new JMB splinter Islam O Muslim claim they along with the mainline outfit have "supporters and well-wishers" in the administration in three districts in Rajshahi Division. Senior police officials who interrogated the four till Friday say the militants have patrons in the administration from top to bottom levels. The militants used to get different types of support, especially in legal matters, in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon where they already have a stronghold, the officials add. "We are looking into the matter since the militants revealed the information," said Nazrul Islam, superintendent of police of Chapainawabganj. The police are now looking for evidence which would substantiate the claims of the militants, the district police boss added. The law enforcers handed over Selim alias Saifullah, military commander of the JMB offshoot, to the court on Friday on completion of five-day a

Saturday, July 18, 2009   Street urchins are now being used to abduct children in Rajshahi city, revealed the police yesterday. The fact came to light after locals rescued on Thursday night two children at Rajshahi Railway Station and caught a street urchin assigned by a gang of child traffickers to abduct kids. They handed over street urchin Rabbi, 12, who sells children to human traffickers in Dhaka for Tk 200 each, to the police. Rescued Shamsher, 8, and Quamrul Hasan, 10, told the police that Rabbi was taking them to the capital to sell them to a woman for Tk 200 each. The two kids are now kept under safe custody of Association for Community Development, a Rajshahi-based non-governmental organisation. Police said Rabbi admitted that he sold another boy Mohibul, 8, missing for two and a half months, to a woman in the capital for Tk 200. A police team took Rabbi to Dhaka yesterday to rescue Muhibul and arrest the gang members. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesi