Monday • November 07, 2005

N A T I O N A L  N E W S

Sheikh Hasina exchanges Eid greetings with diplomats

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Friday exchanged Eid greetings with cross-section of people as well as heads of foreign missions and representatives of international organizations at the Dhanmondi office.

Thousands of people representing different strata of society - political party leaders, teachers, editors, academics, freedom fighters and party workers - assembled at Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office and exchanged greetings. A long ueque of peple was seen from Jigatala to Dhanmondi Road 3/A.

Sheikh Hasina with smiling face stood for a long time at the compound of her office and greeted the people from 9:15 am to 12:30 pm. She distributed sweets among the kids.

Heads of foreign missions and representatives of international organizations also came to the Dhanmondi office and exchanged Eid greetings with the opposition leader from 11:15 am to 11:45 am. Sheikh Hasina entertained them with sweets and fruits. Senior leaders of Awami League were present.

Sheikh Hasina goes to monga-hit northern districts tomorrow

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina goes to northern districts tomorrow on a four-day monga-relief mission.

On the first day of the visit, Sheikh Hasina will distribute relief among the distressed people in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district.

On November 9, she will go to Kurigram and Lalmonirhut to distribute relief materials among the Monga-affected people.

On November 10, she will go to Nilphamari on her relief mission and be back to Rangpur.

Sheikh Hasina will return to Dhaka on November 11.

Jail Killing Day observed in befitting manner

Awami League and its front organizations on Thursday paid deep homage to the four national leaders killed inside Dhaka Central Jail this day 29 years ago, taking a fresh vow to fulfill the ideals they fought for.

The day is known as jail killing day, marking the burtal killing of Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Capt Mansoor Ali and AHM Kamruzzaman.

On November 3 in 1975, the four leaders were gunned down in the prison by some army-men amid political turmoil since August 15 military coup.

Awami League and its front organizations hoisted national and party flags at half-mast and black flags atop Bongobondhu Bhaban and party offices in the capital and across the country.

Leaders and workers of the Awami League and its front organizations wore black badges.

Awami League will hold a discussion at the Institution of Engineers in the city on November 12 with the Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The Awami League President and leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Sheikh Hasina, placed wreath on the portrait of Bongobondhu in the morning and later placed wreaths at the graves of the national leaders at Banani Graveyard.

Dr. Kamal Hossain meets Sheikh Hasina

Gano Forum president Dr. Kamal Hossain had an exclusive meeting with opposition leaders Sheikh Hasina at Sudha Sadan residence Sunday evening, discussing identical anti-government program to be announced from November 22 grand rally in the capital.

"Under the prevailing situation, the country needs a qualitative change," Dr. Kamal told reporters after the house-long meeting.

He said opposition parties would meet again to finalize the action program.

BNP-linked gang shoots at police gunman in the capital

A group of BNP-linked hoodlums shot at a police constable assigned as bodyguard to the commissioner of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Ward 62 in Lalbagh area Saturday night.

The injured constable, Kamruzzaman, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Sources said a gang of local goons led by Jalal, Rubel and Sagir, who are patronized by the local BNP lawmaker, made the attack on the policeman at about 11:00pm. As the gang tried to snatch his gun, a bullet was fired and hit the constable.

A case was filed with the local police station in this connection.

The Daily Star, November 7, 2005

Huge alcohol seized from Bogra BNP leader's shop, house

Police seized a huge quantity of alcohol from a shop and house owned by a leader of Sariyakandi upazila BNP in Bogra district on the night of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Tipped off, police conducted a raid at the shop of Amirul Momin Pintu, former general secretary of Sariyakandi upazila BNP, and seized the alcohol. Police also arrested shop employee Wasim. Following his statement, police conducted another raid at Amirul's house and seized more alcohol from there, sources said.

Police said they seized around 90 litres alcohol from the house and shop but could not arrest Amirul. Police filed a case against Amirul and Wasim in this connection.

The Daily Star, November 7, 2005

O T H E R S

JMB threatens to blow up UNO, police offices in Khulna

Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) threatened to blow up Dumuria Police Station, UNO headquarters and Rangpur Union Police Camp of Dumuria upazila yesterday.

Dumuria Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Howlader Rakibur Bari received a hand-written letter of the outlawed organization in which it threatened to blow up all members of the UNO's family within November 25. The officer-in-charge (OC) of Dumuria Police Station also received a similar letter threatening him and his family.

The letter to the UNO mentioned Milon, Nabi, Golam, Shanto, Gopal, Dhiren and Robi as JMB cadres assigned to blow up Dumuria Police Station, Rangpur Union Police Camp and to kill the UNO and the OC along with their family.

The letter was signed illegibly by a person who claimed to be a commander of JMB.

The UNO and his family were provided with police guards following the threats. The OC filed a general diary yesterday afternoon.

In a hand-written letter received on October 28, JMB threatened to blow up Rupsha Police Station and kill the officers including the OC.

The Daily Star, November 7, 2005

HuJi kingpins' coalition link keeps cops at bay

Since clamping down the ban on the Bangladesh chapter of militant Islamist organization Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami (HuJi) last month, the government so far has made no visible effort to arrest its kingpins, some of whom are very close and even belong to the ruling coalition.

A number of police and intelligence sources said although HuJi has been banned, they have not received any instruction from the government to launch any drive to nab HuJi leaders and activists.

The HuJi Bangladesh top brass includes Shaikhul Hadith Allama Azizul Haq, also chief of a faction of ruling alliance partner Islami Oikyo Jote (IOJ), Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish second-in-command Muhammad Habibur Rahman of Sylhet, Ataur Rahman Khan of Kishoreganj, Sultan Jaok of Chittagong, Abdul Mannan of Faridpur and Habibullah of Noakhali. All of them are involved with different Islamic organizations and madrasas, and one of them, Ataur Rahman Khan, was elected an MP with BNP ticket in 1991 from Kishoreganj-3.

In an interview a few years back, Habibur Rahman disclosed those names, with whom he had travelled to Afghanistan via Pakistan in 1988, visited some Talibani militant camps and also met al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The government banned HuJi on October 17, with a home ministry note stating, "Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami is a self-proclaimed terrorist organisation. Its activities are very sensitive and it is identified as a terrorist organisation". The government is declaring Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami and all its activities banned on the basis of information received so far."

It may have some significance for the apparent government reluctance to go tough on HuJi members that on October 6, eleven days before the ban came, Shaikhul Hadith and Habibur Rahman had met Prime Minister Khaleda Zia posing as 'Islamic scholars'. The two were accompanied by Moulana Obaedul Haq, IOJ lawmaker Mufti Shahidul Islam, Ashraf Ali, Abdur Rab Yusufi, Yusuf Ashrafi, Nezamuddin, Mohammad Humayun Kabir and Tafazzul Haq Aziz.

REVEALING INTEREVIEW OF HABIBUR RAHMAN

The names of the prominent HuJi-linked people can be found in a bulletin titled 'Islami Biplob (Islamic revolution), published on August 20, 1998 from Sylhet with the express purpose to celebrate "the total victory of Talibans and establishment of an Islamic state in Afghanistan".

The bulletin in its front page ran an interview of Habibur Rahman, in which he gave a detailed account of his visit to Afghanistan in 1988. He said, "An invitation from Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami made it possible for me to make the fortunate trip to Afghanistan... Those of us who visited the Afghan war-fields during that trip were Shaikhul Hadith.... Ataur Rahman Khan... Sultan Jaok... Abdul Mannan... Habibullah... and myself -- in total nine people."

In Pakistan, leaders of the local chapter of HuJi greeted the nine members of the Bangladeshi team and took them to the HuJi Karachi office. Habibur said HuJi Pakistan chief Saifullah Akhtar and a Bangladeshi Mujahedin Abdur Rahman Shahid drove them to an Afghan Mohajir (literally, refugee) camp on the Pak-Afghan border. They stayed at the camp and visited some injured Mujahedins and an Islamic cadet college, where the cadets received them with a guard of honour.

Abdur Rahman then drove them to the residence of top Mujahedin leader Abde Rabbir Rasul Saiaf, the narration goes on. The house was defended like a fort with anti-aircraft cannons and armed guards.

While still in Pakistan and on their way to Afghanistan, the next day the Bangladeshi team visited a special Mujahedin training camp and met about a dozen Bangladeshi young Mujahedins led by one Abdul Quddus. They watched youths from different countries taking military training on a mountainous terrain. The arms they were being trained to operate included rocket launchers.

That night Habibur Rahman shared his meal of dry cold bread with a handsome young Arab. He said, "When I inquired after his identity, I was told he was Osama bin Laden, a son of one of the richest Saudi families."

The next day they entered Afghanistan and arrived at a Mujahedin cantonment on a mountaintop. They visited an armory inside a tunnel. They were informed that some Russian forces were in position nearby and that every one must prepare to fight.

"All of us were given Kalashnikov (AK-47) rifles," he said, adding they stayed the night at the camp, while a Mujahedin team advanced towards the enemy position and engaged in a skirmish. The following day they started their return journey.

In the interview, Habibur asserted that the only way to change the fate of Bangladesh was the Taliban one.

Habibur is also the convenor of Sahaba Sainik Parishad and founding principal of Jameya Madania Islamia, a madrasa at Kazir Bazar, Sylhet.

TRACK OF HUJI IN BANGLADESH

HuJi made its first public appearance in Bangladesh in April 1992 through a press conference organized by a group of Afghan war veterans. However, HuJi says the first Bangladeshi Mujahedin group had been formed in 1984 by Commander Abdur Rahman, who later died in the Afghan War in 1989.

Intelligence reports to the government in late 2000 named some of the HuJi leaders. One of the reports said HuJi Dhaka City chief Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid is a brother of Khulna City IOJ Member Secretary Mufti Shakhawat Hossain. At that time -- January 1999 -- Shawkat Osman was in Dubai at a safe haven. The report also mentioned Chittagong IOJ leader Mufti Ejaharul Islam's link with HuJi. Ejaharul was then absconding in Pakistan.

Law enforcers and intelligence officials involved in investigations into terrorist activities told The Daily Star that although HuJi has been banned, they are yet to receive any specific directive from the government to arrest any HuJi leader.

Among all the Islamist militant groups in Bangladesh, HuJi was the highest-ranking one due to its vast international links. It had a countrywide Qaomi madrasa-based network and an estimated 15,000 to 25,000-strong manpower.

The Daily Star, November 7, 2005

Schoolgirl takes own life after rape, humiliation in Rajshahi

Another girl in Rajshahi committed suicide at the humiliation of her rape and successive arbitrations in Durgapur upazila on Friday morning.

Nazma Khatun, a class ten student of Durgapur High School, took her life by hanging herself at Sreepur village in Durgapur on the Eid day.

Nazma, daughter of day-labourer Abdul Malek, had an affair with Jalilur Rahman Pintu of the same village. She had been repeatedly asking him to marry her since the early August as he raped her.

Following the incident, Pintu and his family beat her up several times, entering into her house. They also threatened her not to make the incident public, said villagers and her family.

Before committing suicide, Nazma left a hand-written letter confirming her rape by Pintu.

Sources alleged local police station repeatedly denied registering complaints in this connection.

Her father had sought justice from village leaders and four arbitrations since August 17 were held in vain.

Nazma in the latest arbitration 15 days before the Eid said she would commit suicide if Pintu did not marry her, said the villagers.

A previous arbitration held at Durgapur municipal building on September 3 fined Pintu Tk 40,000 and his family handed over the money to the officer-in-charge of Durgapur Police Station on October 1.

The OC took Nazma to a Rajshahi court the next day and made her sign an affidavit that she has no objection after the September 3 arbitration. But the OC never gave the money to Nazma's family.

Nazma in the mean time witnessed continuous teasing by villagers, especially by Pintu's family, and harsh scolds from her parents.

Investigation officer Alam Chand said she ended her life at utter dejection from the humiliation.

Nazma's father filed a case against 11 people under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The accused are Pintu, his brothers Nurul Islam, Nur Mohammad, Ala Bux, Baltu, Abu Bakkar, Laltu, village leaders Abul Kalam Azad Bachchu, Nabir, Abdul Jabbar and Abdul Aziz. No-one was arrested so far.

Dejected at her rape and humiliation, Mohima of Puthia upazila committed suicide in 2001, creating an outcry across the country.

The Daily Star, November 7, 2005

Four killed in Rab, police's so-called crossfire

Four people were killed in so-called crossfire with Rab and police across the country in the last three days.

in Narayanganj, Ahad, 30, was killed in crossfire Rab on the Eid day. In another incident at the Fatulla area, Ibu was killed in crossfire with police yesterday.

In Sylhet, Shebul was killed in crossfire of Rab on Saturday.

Pradeep Kumar Biswas, 30, was killed in police crossfire in Khulna early Thursday.

The Daily Star, November 7, 2005

Chittagong businessman slaughtered on Eid day

One businessman was slaughtered on the Eid day at Latifpur under Sitakinda upazila. The victim was identified as Mohammed Hossain (36). He was a Chittagong-based real state businessman.

The family sources said Hossain went out of his residence at Latifpur under Sitakunda upazila at around 4:00pm on the day along with two of his friends - Moslem and Jamal.

He told the family members that he would visit some of his relatives' residences. But he did not return home till 9:00pm on the day.

The police recovered the body of Hossain in abandoned condition while it was lying on a van near the City Gate area at North Kattoli at 9:00pm.

A case was filled in this connection with the Sitaskunda police.

The Independent, November 7, 2005

Schoolgirl kidnapped in Gazipur

Youngsters kidnapped a 13-year old schoolgirl from Bandariachala village in Sadar upazila on Friday.

Police said, student of class VII the girl was going to her maternal uncle's home in the same village when the clowns coming in a microbus picked her up from the road.

It was alleged that Oli Ahmed gave lead to the abductors.

A case was filed but police could not rescue the girl till Sunday afternoon.

The Daily Bangladesh Observer, November 7, 2005

Schoolboy beaten to death in the capital

A schoolboy was killed yesterday by his friends following a dispute at Mir Hajir Bagh in the capital. The deceased was identified as Ratul Ahmed Shawon, 17, an SSC candidate for the next year from Narinda Govt. High School. Shawon was the son of Rezaul Karim Raza of 70, Sayedabad.

Though the police said that Shawon's friends committed the murder following previous enmity with him, his family pointed to the local hoodlums accusing them of the killing.

SI Abul Kalam Azad of Demra Thana said that Shawon, along with his maternal cousin Rintu, went to Mir Hajir Bagh at about 9 am. He was slotted in a dispute with his friends Shuman, Azad, Zahid and Al-Amin there. At one stage, those companions beat him with a cricket bat and fled the spot.

Shawon was declared dead by the on-duty doctors at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital after the local people rushed him there.

The Independent, November 7, 2005

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