News from Bangladesh-Updates and Discussion

[BanglaBhoot]

Gunfire at DU, police raid hall

Dhaka, Feb 22 (bdnews24.com)—Hundreds of police began raiding a Dhaka University hall early Sunday after reports of gunfire between student activists.

Residents of Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall (formerly Iqbal Hall) said "rival Chhatra League groups" had exchanged four to five rounds of gunfire at the hall gates on Saturday evening.

Hall provost Zahidul Islam said no injuries were reported.

"I was told by the security guards of the hall that at least two rounds of bullets were fired in the evening," said Islam.

"I informed the vice chancellor and proctor as soon as I heard of the incident," he said.

Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling party, has come under a cloud of bad publicity, being accused of bullying and terror tactics on university campuses countrywide, since the new government came to power in January.

The student organisation was forced to dissolve its Jahangirnagar University unit less than a week ago, after rival factions fought a bloody gun battle there over control of residential halls.

BCL's Dhaka University unit general secretary, Sajjad Saqib Bachcha, said Saturday: "If the allegation against our Chhatra League members is found true, the organisation will take strict measures against them."

The small hours of Sunday, meanwhile, saw some eight to ten platoons, of 30 policemen each, raiding Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall from about 1.30am while dozens of BCL activists staged a noisy protest.

Security guards at the hall said they had filed a general diary complaint with Shahbagh police over the gunfire earlier Saturday evening.

Gunfire at DU, police raid hall :: Education :: bdnews24.com ::

 

[leonblack08]

Prevent harming democracy from back door: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Sunday) called upon the people to remain alert so that none can harm the democracy of the country coming from the back door.

She said the democracy of the country have been hindered time to time in the name of Marshal law or promulgation of the state of emergency.

"We did not get democracy for a long time at a stretch," she said at the inauguration of a four-day orientation programme organised for members of the ninth parliament at Hotel Sonargaon in the city.

During the last two years, a move was on to float a king's party on government expenditure, but that could not be successful because of a bold role of the countrymen and support from the international community to the democracy.

Terming this parliament significant, she hoped that the lawmakers from all political parties would play their roles to make the House effective rising above the political differences.

Referring to seating arrangement in parliament, Hasina said the Speaker has taken a move to resolve the problem and she hoped that the opposition would come to the House.

Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of the Lok Sobha of India, said lawmakers should gather sufficient knowledge so that they could play significant roles in parliament in making laws.

The lawmakers should be friendly to each other and they should have mentality to work together and they would be respectful to each other.

Terming the opposition as one of the important pillars in parliamentary democracy, Somnath said, "The opposition should not oppose everything as they are in the opposition, they should give their important opinions and the government can accept it in the interest of the people."

The Daily Star - Details News

 

[leonblack08]

More JMB grenades, explosives seized

Police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in separate drives arrested seven more operatives of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Gazipur, Jamalpur, and Nilphamari districts yesterday morning and Friday night.

They also recovered three grenades and a large amount of other explosives from the possession of the arrestees.

Gazipur police arrested four of the activists of the banned militant Islamist outfit, including a woman, with grenades and other explosives in their possession during a raid on a one-storey house in East Kalomeshwar of Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The arrests and weapons recovery in Gazipur were made after seven other JMB operatives including three women had been arrested the day before with seven grenades, a huge quantity of other explosives, and jihadi books and CDs in their possession.

They new arrestees are identified as Nasrin Aktar, 22, Atikur Rahman, 20, Zahid Hasan, 21, and Masud Rana, 22.

Nasrin is from Chinir Bandar in Dinajpur, Zahid from Sherpur, and Rana and Atikur are from Gaibandha. They were living in that house for the last two months, locals said.

The new arrests were made upon information given by Mamunur Rashid, a JMB operative who had exploded a grenade Friday afternoon injuring at least 13 people including nine police and three journalists while in handcuffs during a news briefing in the office of Gazipur police superintendent.

Nazmul Islam Khan, acting officer-in-charge of Joydevpur police station, told The Daily Star that the new arrestees said Nasrin's husband Mir Hossain is their leader. All of them confessed to being activists of the outlawed Islamist outfit, police added.

The bomb disposal unit of Rab diffused the grenades this time.

In another drive, police arrested two JMB men from Sarishabari and Sadar upazilas of Jamalpur district Friday night. They are identified as Mukhlesur Rahman Mishu and Abdullahel Kafi.

Our Nilphamari correspondent reported that Rab arrested another JMB activist from a char (shoal) in the River Tista around 5:00am yesterday.

The arrestee is identified as Monowar Moulana, 45, son of Golam Farid of Solmari Alsiapara village in Jaldhaka upazila of the district.

Rab-5 arrested him on information given by the JMB operatives arrested earlier.

Officer-in-charge of Jaldhaka Police Station Narendra Nath Sarker confirmed the arrest, but said Rab had yet to hand him over to police.

Talking to The Daily Star, Rab Director General Hasan Mahmood Khandaker said, "We can't say that JMB is not active, but now they are not that organised. They, however, are trying to reorganise themselves."

He declined to disclose the sources of JMB's explosives and funding, 'for the sake of investigation'.

Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad said, "JMB is still active, but not to the extent that we can't handle."

The IGP admitted that they suspect the JMB operatives collected the explosives and made the grenades and bombs to carry out attacks.

“The organisation didn't spring overnight, so it will take some time to defeat it," the IGP added.

The Daily Star - Details News

 

[leonblack08]

A very good news,hope they execute it.

Defence to get extensive facelift

The government today (Sunday) unveiled an extensive plan to strengthen the country’s defence system by equipping the armed forces with more sophisticated weapons including tank-destroying missiles, frigates, choppers and patrol aircraft.

Planning Minister AK Khandker told the parliament that the government would purchase the weapons and necessary equipment for the armed forces in the current and next financial year.

The planning minister did not specify the approximate cost of the purchases. He said the government took measures to make the armed forces well equipped, well trained and well organised, considering the financial solvency of the country.

In reply to a query of ruling alliance lawmaker Zafar Iqbal Siddiqui, the minister in a scripted answer said the process for signing an agreement was completed to procure anti-ship missile at a cost of Tk 120 crore for Navy’s Frigate this year.

“It’s now awaiting the final approval of the government. Besides, work on setting up anti-aircraft missile at the Frigate is on,” the minister said.

Khandker said the process was underway to replace another three frigates of the Navy, which are aged over 50 years, by new ones.

“Communications with different countries are going on to this effect,” the minister said, describing the measures, which are among the long term plans to make the Navy as a three-dimensional force to meet the challenge of 21st century.

“International tender has already been floated to purchase choppers and maritime patrol air crafts to strengthen the maritime patrol and as a part of making the Navy as three-dimensional force,” said Khandker, also the former chief of the air force.

On the plans to make the army well equipped, the planning minister said the government planned to purchase helicopters, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, anti-tank and aircraft missiles, sniper rifles, explosive, night vision, different types of modern radio equipments, vehicles, different types of arms and others related equipments in the current fiscal year of 2008-09.

“Initiatives are being taken to provide computerised modern and modern training to the army by setting up simulators at 27 training establishments and our standard of training of our army has been lauded all over the world,” the planning minister said.

The Daily Star - Details News

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Excellent!
Keep up the good work.

 

[TopCat]

Its all good but where is my submarines and Sukui???

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Blitz office attacked by pro government goons

At 10am Sunday, local time, internationally-acclaimed journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, was attacked as he was working in the office of his newspaper, Weekly Blitz, by “a gang of thugs” claiming to be from Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League. I spoke by telephone with Choudhury as he awaited medical treatment for eye, neck, and other injuries suffered in the attack. The renewed violence marks the first against him since he was abducted by Bangladesh ’s dreaded Rapid Action Battalion a year ago.

A large group led by one Shamim introducing himself to be an official of DGFI stormed Blitz premises and attacked newspaper staff until they found Choudhury. At that point, he said, “they dragged me [and two staff] into the street” where they beat them “in broad daylight…They looted my office and stole my laptop” with “all my sensitive information. As of this writing, the attackers continue to occupy the Blitz office.

Police were impassive and seemed intimidated when the attackers emphasized their party membership and accused him of being an agent of the Israeli Mossad. They later threatened to attack his home should Choudhury go to the police again.

Choudhury was arrested in 2003 by government agents, in cooperation with Islamist forces, because of his advocacy of relations with Israel and religious equality, and his articles exposing the rise of radical Islam in Bangladesh . He was tortured and held for seventeen months and only released after strong pressure by human rights activist Dr. Richard Benkin and US Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL). In 2007, the US Congress passed a Kirk-introduced resolution 409-1 calling on Bangladesh to stop harassing Choudhury and drop capital charges against him after extensive evidence confirmed them to be false, contrary to Bangladeshi law, and as admitted by successive Bangladeshi officials, maintained only to appease Islamists. The Bangladeshi government continues to remain in defiance of that resolution and its provisions.

A case has been lodged with Paltan Model Police Station. Case No. 65, under section 143, 448, 323, 342, 384, 380, 227 and 506. Police has already started searching for the culprits who were involved in this broad day crime.

Weekly Blitz l Most Influential Newspaper in Bangladesh

 

[leonblack08]

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What could be the reason for this?Just looting or more serious?This man really going through bad times.
Being Pro-Israeli is not advisable in Bangladesh.

 

[Al-zakir]

BNP MPs demand trial of Moeen, Iajuddin, Fakhruddin

Mon, Feb 23rd, 2009 7:33 pm BdST


Dhaka, Feb 23 (bdnews24.com) – Opposition BNP MPs have demanded trial of army chief Moeen U Ahmed, former president Iajuddin Ahmed and caretaker government chief Fakhruddin Ahmed for "torturing people" in the two years of emergency government.

Speaking on disapproval of the supplementary budget for 2006-7 fiscal year, made by the caretaker government, the BNP MPs asked the government to also try former President Iajuddin Ahmed and former caretaker government head Fakhruddin Ahmed for same reason.

"We are the victims of tortures of the 'IMF': I stands for Iajuddin, M for Moeen Uddin and F for Fakhruddin.

"First try them, then the budget can be approved," BNP MP Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny told parliament Monday while delivering his speech on disapproval of the budgets during the last two years.

Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhit placed one supplementary and two original budgets for 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 fiscal years for parliament to pass.

"This parliament can at least take a censure proposal against the IMF," said A B M Ashraf Uddin Nizam, another BNP MP.

"Mr speaker, please look where the tax money went. Please check who suggested us to eat potato.

"More than 100 Mercedes were bought and where did those go?" chief whip of the opposition Zainul Abdin Farroque said.

"Please, look into it how he writes book being in service. Which rules permit this," he said, referring to the army chief.

He said the caretaker government tried to implement the so-called "Minus Two Theory".

Gen Moeen had urged people to eat potato instead of rice as rice price soared during the tenure of the military-installed interim administration.

Recently, the general also wrote a book on politics of Bangladesh.

Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury in his speech said the constitution didnot allow anyone to impose tax on people without parliament's approval.

He said the caretaker government violated the constitution in making the budget for 2007-08 fiscal year.

"Please, place the budget after taking actions against those who violated the constitution. Then the House will consider the passage of the budgets," Chowdhury said.

He said all politicians were the victims of the two years of unconstitutional rule.

BNP MPs demand trial of Moeen, Iajuddin, Fakhruddin :: Politics :: bdnews24.com ::

 

[Al-zakir]

Moeen, Iajuddin, Fakhruddin

I would to see some devastation happen to these three Gaddar.......

 

[BanglaBhoot]

BNP MPs demand trial of Moeen, Iajuddin, Fakhruddin

What concerns me most about BNP policy is that it seems so self-centered. While we know that IMF did wrong things but in the particular case of the BNP they were thoroughly corrupt and rotten and deserved what they got. The people of BD also became disgusted with the BNP. How could this party make people like Falu, Harris Chowdhury, Luforzzaman Babur and others ministers or advisors? Why did the BNP choose the wives of these people to stand for elections and even Pintu was allowed to become a candidate? BNP should get over this and accuse IMF on other grounds like selling out the country to India.

 

[TopCat]

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Very good say....

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Ganges Barrage scheme put on ice for decades

Although the foundation stone of the Ganges Barrage Project was laid nearly three decades ago, successive governments could not even finalise a site for the barrage yet, leading to continuing deterioration of the ecology and agriculture of southern Bangladesh.

With no tangible action towards realising the project yet in sight, the people of the region and environmentalists are saying the entire region will continue to pay a heavy price as more rivers will dry up hampering navigability, irrigation, and fishing.

They say the deteriorating situation of the rivers will also increase salinity and siltation, affecting the livelihoods in the people in the entire region, while threatening the existence of the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans.

The new Awami League (AL) government, however, selected the project as one of its priorities. Water Resources Minister Romesh Chandra Sen already talked to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about the project, said ministry officials.

"We are seriously thinking of constructing the barrage as it is becoming increasingly vital for the region's irrigation, fisheries and the environment," Romesh Chandra Sen told The Daily Star last week.

He said an expert body will visit the region to finalise a site for the proposed barrage. "We are considering the Pangsha-Sujanagar point of Rajbari and Pabna districts for the barrage, instead of the previous one near the Hardinge Bridge," he said.

Former electricity, water resources, and flood control minister Kazi Anwarul Haq laid a foundation stone for the proposed barrage at Moslempur point in Bheramara upazila of Kushtia on December 27, 1980.

An observer's bungalow was also built there to initiate construction of the barrage. The government then spent about Tk 15 crore to carry out a model study for the barrage. But since then the project hardly had any headway till date.

The history of the Ganges Barrage Project dates back to 1957, when the erstwhile Pakistani regime took an initiative to build a barrage on the Padma, three kilometres downstream from the Hardinge Bridge, after India had started constructing the Farakka Barrage across the Ganges River, about 11 miles up stream from the common border, according to Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in Kushtia.

"Had the barrage been constructed, the problems would not have deepened to the present extent," said Mir Sazzad Hossain, a member of Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission (JRC). "We would be able to resolve the crises by effectively using harnessed water if the barrage had been built," he added.

Sazzad said a site for the project will be finalised after carrying out yet another model study.

The people of the southern region have been demanding the barrage for a long time, especially farmers and fishermen who are directly affected by less water in the rivers in dry seasons.

Manjer Ali, a farmer of Charkol village in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia, who cultivated rice on four bighas of land, said they are frightened in dry seasons thinking of where they would get water.

Another farmer, Ansar Talukdar said they are forced to spend additional money for irrigation increasing the production cost. "It also hampers production," he added.

They demanded that the government takes an effective measure for immediately building their long desired barrage to save the region, covering the country's 37 percent area.

They also said the region has been facing manifold crises due to India's unilateral holding of water with the Farakka Barrage, which has been posing a great environmental threat to the coastal area around the Sundarbans, a world heritage site for conservation.

The flow of once mighty Padma River has also ebbed alarmingly, leading to drying up of at least 15 other big and small rivers in the region.

The Ganges Barrage Project was designed to harness water of the River Padma and to divert it to those 15 rivers during dry seasons.

A 1991 government data show, since Farrakka Barrage became operational in 1975, the region has been incurring a loss of more than Tk 300 crore each year through additional spending for dredging and irrigation.

"The River Gorai used to channel water to other rivers of the region. But that hasn't been possible for years due to scarcity of water in the Gorai," said Sazzad Hossain, terming the proposed barrage as the ultimate solution for all the problems.

As about 15 rivers in the region are facing severe ebb, saline water is also entering into the rivers easily, increasing salinity in the upper streams too, posing threat to the ecology of the Sundarbans, said environmentalists.

Due to a lack of water in the Padma, the Ganges-Kabadak Irrigation Project, which was initiated in 1959 bringing 1.16 lakh hectares of land under irrigation, is also not running well.

If the Ganges Barrage was built, the experts said, it would increase navigability of the rivers in the region decreasing salinity in the rivers, ultimately saving the Sundarbans, and the population of the region.

The Daily Star - Details News

 

[Al-zakir]

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What could be the reason for this?Just looting or more serious?This man really going through bad times.
Being Pro-Israeli is not advisable in Bangladesh.

Even Awami hate this ******......Did they broke his arms and legs and black eyes. ...

 

[Al-zakir]

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tifa, Transit, S Asian Taskforce

BNP threatens tough programmes

Unb, Dhaka

The opposition BNP yesterday threatened to launch tough programmes if any anti-state agreement is signed by the government with any country.

“No one has the right to strike any deal with any country that goes against the spirit of our independence and sovereignty,” said BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain.

He was addressing a roundtable titled 'Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA)- Transit - South Asian Regional Taskforce vs Independence and Sovereignty' organised by 'Student Leaders of the 80s', a platform of former students leaders, at the Jatiya Press Club in the afternoon.

Delwar said people have been protecting the country's independence and sovereignty with great patriotism, not to make it subservient to any country.

He said BNP is always vocal when it comes to protection of the independence and sovereignty. “We did that in the past and we'll do that in the future too, as BNP is the party of this soil and the people of this country.”

He said BNP wants to cooperate with the government in doing things that ensure welfare of the people and protect the interests of the country.

Presided over by SM Kamaluddin Chowdhury, one of the 80s student leaders, the roundtable was also addressed by former minister and BNP leader Shah Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, JAGPA leader Shafiul Alam Prodhan and Jatiya Press Club President Shawkat Mahmu


Now way Indian getting any of these. Everyone should unite when comes to national security. If Bd exist with sovereignty than we will be around to live with pride.



The Daily Star - Details News

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Parliament to probe Sircar

Dhaka, Mar 16 (bdnews24.com)—Speaker Abdul Hamid, in the face of demands by MPs, has announced that a parliamentary committee will be constituted to investigate corruption charges against his predecessor Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar.

He said Monday he would instruct the Comptroller and Auditor General's office to audit accounts of all speakers in a first such instance in Bangladesh.

"As demanded by some of the MPs, I will form the probe committee within two to three days and place the proposal in the House," Hamid told parliament in an unscheduled debate on Sircar, now a BNP candidate for the Bogra-6 constituency in the upcoming by-polls.

"As most of the MPs have talked about the corruption of Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar by name, the committee will only investigate the alleged corruption of [Sircar]".

All the MPs thanked the speaker by thumbing desks.

BNP MP Abul Khayer Bhuiyan demanded that the activities of all speakers since 1972 be investigated.

Hamid made the announcement as Awami League MP Suranjit Sengupta, Fazle Rabbi Mia, Shajahan Khan and Workers' Party MP Rashed Khan Menon demanded formation of the probe committee on Sircar.

They said he had committed corruption in his seven years in office.

Menon initiated the debate after the scheduled question-answer session. He took floor on a point of order and said the parliament secretariat was in disorder.

"This mess is a legacy of the irregularities going on for the last seven years. What should I say about [Sircar] who I respect much?

"I urge you to form an enquiry committee to investigate the irregularities," he said.

Shajahan Khan said Sircar made compromises with the emergency government and agreed to hand over the NAM flats to cover up his corruption.

He accused the former speaker of corruption in appointing employees, planting grass in fields and beautifying parliament.

Sircar, Hamid said, misused powers of the speaker and misappropriated money from the speaker's medical fund.

"People should know about it," Khan said.

"I demand that you form an all-party probe body to investigate his corruption".

Fazle Rabbi Mia said the parliamentary standing committee chairmen used to get an employee and a personal assistant to run their offices.

The temporary employees were supposed to be appointed by the chairmen according to their choices, not by the parliament secretariat, he said.

"But the MLSS and the PA were appointed by Sircar when the (eighth) parliament expired.

"We have to investigate how the appointments were made.

"I urge you to form a parliamentary inquiry committee to investigate his corruption," he said.

The speaker in his ruling said, "It cannot be that as speaker I will misappropriate, but nobody will talk about it."

"He appointed 42 permanent staff members when parliament expired and even when the state of emergency was enforced. There was no existence of standing committees," said Hamid.

"They were supposed to temporary staff, (but) they have been appointed permanently."

He said the parliament secretariat had been paying them salaries for years without work.

Parliament to probe Sircar :: Bangladesh :: bdnews24.com ::