Thursday • November 17, 2005

N A T I O N A L  N E W S

British Minister meets Sheikh Hasina

Government should ensure environment for free, fair election

The visiting British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Kim Howells, said it is the responsibility of Bangladesh government to ensure an environment in which people can exercise their voting right freely in the upcoming general election.

"The whole world will carefully observe the upcoming national elections in Bangladesh," he said, adding: "The elections should be free and fair.".

Dr. Howells was talking to journalists on Wednesday evening after an hour-long meeting with the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina at her Sudha Sadan residence.

The British minister said all the candidates from different political parties should be allowed to participate in the election freely, ensuring their security.

About the possibility of Awami League participation in the next national polls, Kim Howells said, "I think she will participate if there is a free and impartial election."

About security of the opposition leader, the British Minister said, "I am very keen to see she is protected."

Regarding the recent spate in violence in Bangladesh, Dr. Howells said that there should not be any bomb attacks and terrorist activities in Bangladesh. "We want that Bangladesh be strengthened further both economically and financially."

While briefing the newsmen, political secretary to Sheikh Hasina Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that reform of the Caretaker government and the Election Commission is essential to make the election process transparent so that people can vote for the party they like.

"Without reform of Caretaker government and Election Commission, election will not be free and fare, as the government has already finished the election engineering," Saber Hossain Chowdhury alleged.

He said, "No outsider, rather the people of Bangladesh will decide what kind of country they want in future - and it would be decided through election."

Saber Hossain Chowdhury said the reform proposals are people's desire, which have been put forward based on reality.

"Nowadays, journalists, judges and MPs are being killed due to the absence of rule of law," the political secretary to the Leader of the Opposition said, alleging that the perpetrators belong to the four-party alliance government and the government is patronizing them."

Among others, Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil MP, presidium member Kazi Zafrullah MP and British High Commissioner in Bangladesh Anwar Chowdhury were present on the occassion.

Lawyers boycott courts today

Panicked judges threaten to cripple judiciary

Bangladesh Judicial Service Association (BJSA), an organization of judges, yesterday threatened to paralyze the judiciary if any more judges are killed or injured by the militants.

"If another judge is injured or killed, we'll cripple the judiciary, one of the three main organs of the state," BJSA Secretary General Rezaul Karim Khan said at a meeting of the judges and magistrates with Communications Minister Nazmul Huda.

The first attack was made on courts three months ago but the government did not take any safety measures, said Khan, also the Dhaka divisional special judge.

"Had the government taken effective measures, the two judges would not have to die," he said, referring to the killing of two senior assistant judges in a suicide bomb attack by Islamist militants in Jhalakathi on November 14.

"It seems the country has no government," he observed.

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, BJSA president and district and sessions judge of Dhaka, will meet the prime minister today to seek security of all judges.

The speakers at the meeting strongly condemned the government's failure to ensure security of the judges and demanded deployment of permanent police force at the Dhaka courts.

"What the government should do now is to sit with the opposition parties and resolve the problem unitedly," the BJSA secretary general said, adding that bomb attack is a political issue and the government should face it politically.

"Terror haunts me when I sit at court after the repeated bomb attacks. We cannot work in this situation," Jalal Ahmed, chief metropolitan magistrate, Dhaka, said. He pointed out that the government has not allocated quarters for all his colleagues who have to stay in rented houses at different places of the city.

The judges of the Special Courts for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, who are equivalent to district judges, have no vehicles and are exposed to attack, he said.

The meeting held at the judges' conference room at the Dhaka Judge Court was addressed, among others, by Metropolitan Sessions Judge Momin Ullah, District PP Mohsin Miah and Dhaka Bar Association General Secretary Khorshed Alam. Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Abdul Bari also attended the meeting.

LAWYERS BOYCOTT

As part of their protest against the killing of two judges, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) will boycott the Supreme Court and all other courts across the country today. The lawyers will wear black badges, hoist black flags and stage demonstrations.

The SCBA leaders yesterday urged all lawyers, irrespective of opinion and party affiliation, to make the programme a success.

The SCBA leaders at a press conference said the chief justice is the guardian of the constitution, the judges and the lawyers. So the lawyers and the judges expect that he would play a courageous role to uphold the rule of law, the constitution and the judicial system against the backdrop of a deteriorating and anarchistic situation.

SCBA President advocate Mahbubey Alam and Secretary advocate M Enayetur Rahim in a written statement said the repeated attacks indicate that a certain quarter within the government has strong link with the bombers and the extremists.

They said the lawyers hoped that the government would take effective steps to root out the patrons of the bombers after the August 17 serial bomb blasts, the attacks on courts in Chittagong, Chandpur and Laxmipur on October 3 and the attack on a judge in Sylhet. But the government has absolutely failed to fulfil the expectation, they alleged.

Former SCBA presidents Abdul Baset Majumder and barrister Shafique Ahmed, advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun, advocate Rahmat Ali MP, Khondaker Mahbub Hossain, Sirajul Haque, Shah Zahirul Alam, MA Mannan, Bashir Ahmed, Sheikh Akhterul Islam, Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Shahidul Islam were present at the press conference.

The Daily Star, November 17, 2005

Threatens to kill judges, UNO, AC

JMB vows to keep on attacking judiciary

In a desperate bid to establish a so-called Islamic rule, outlawed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) has reiterated its stance to continue attacking the judiciary in letters to four judges and phone calls to an upazila nirbahi officer and an assistant commissioner, threatening to kill them.

Law enforcers yesterday arrested three more alleged JMB cadres in three districts, while a half-day hartal was observed in Jhalakathi in protest against the Monday's assassination of two senior assistant judges.

The judges receiving the death threats are Sub Judge-1 of Money Loan Court, Pabna Sharif Mostafa Karim, Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Mohammed Abdus Samad in Khulna, Senior Assistant Judge Ahsan Tarik and Assistant Judge Enayet Kabir in Rajshahi.

AC (Land) Ananda Kumar Biswas and UNO Satendra Kumar Sarkar also received the death threats in Bhola yesterday.

PABNA

The JMB yesterday sent a warning letter to Sub Judge Karim, threatening to blow him to bits if he does not conduct his court proceedings according to shariah. The handwritten letter jointly sent by JMB and outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party's (PBCB) Janajuddha faction termed the judges Islam's enemy.

It reads, "If you do not deliver your verdict according to Islamic shariah, you and your court will be blown up with a remote control bomb."

A black shroud was tagged with the letter sent by the government postal department.

KHULNA

In a separate letter, the JMB threatened Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Samad to terminate him. The judge received the handwritten letter on November 9, but did not disclose it. He yesterday informed the matter to the police commissioner in the wake of the killings of the judges.

This letter says: "The JMB does not believe in laws formulated by humans; those who conduct court proceedings by these laws would be killed for the sake of Islam."

RAJSHAHI

The Islamist outfit yesterday asked two judges in the district -- Senior Assistant Judge Tarik and Assistant Judge Kabir -- to resign if they want to escape death. The judges yesterday received the threat letters by post and informed the local police and the administration. Each of the letters asked the recipient to resign in 15 days; otherwise, they will be killed.

"Join our group and help establish Islam or resign and leave Rajshahi. If you don't, make ready your shroud," the officer-in-charge of Rajpara Police Station quoted from the letters.

The letter sent to Judge Kabir says: "We are warning you that we are leaders of the suicide squad of Bangla Bhai and JMB. We want Islamic rule in the country. "We are alerting you to leave the anti-Islamic occupation and return safely to your home in Bogra. If you don't, we will kill you at your home."

BHOLA

Anonymous callers yesterday threatened UNO Sarkar and AC Biswas in Bhola with death and blowing up their offices. A person called AC Biswas at 10:49am, threatening to blow up his office by November 25. A similar caller gave the same message to UNO Sarkar at 10:53am.

The Daily Star, November 17, 2005

Babar finds militants' growth not alarming

Failure to try attackers encouraged militants: UK minister says

Failure to bring to trial the perpetrators behind the grenade attack on British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury and other bomb attacks ultimately encouraged the militants, UK State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Common-wealth Dr Kim Howells said yesterday.

"If these people are not brought to justice, others may feel that they can get away with attacks on government officials. We have to find these people and find (them) quickly," he told reporters after a meeting with State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar.

The state minister however stated that militants have not grown to an alarming proportion.

"I don't think the number of militants has reached an alarming level," Babar said, despite all the militant attacks, including the August 17 countrywide serial blasts, attacks on courts in three districts and the recent killing of two judges in Jhalakathi on November 14.

Babar's denial of the strong network and large number of the Islamist militants came in continuation of the government's earlier denials although the countrymen as well as the world community have witnessed countrywide stronghold of the militants.

The intelligence agencies submitted reports to the government on militant organisations and their activities a few years ago and many were arrested with firearms and explosives in different parts of the country, but the authorities kept on denying their existence.

After Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai and his Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) launched self-styled vigilante operation, killing 27 people in Naogaon-Rajshahi-Natore region last year, the government and the state minister denied his existence.

Even when Bangla Bhai and Abdur Rahman, chief of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), gave interview to newspapers, admitting to their action, the government said Bangla Bhai is the creation of the media.

Meanwhile, the JMB grew larger and equipped itself with a strong network and launched the nearly-simultaneous bomb attacks in 63 districts on August 17, killing three people.

The government under international pressure then banned the JMB but took no major step to arrest him or his militant cadres.

However, determined to establish Islamic rule in the country, in total opposition to democracy and judicial system, in the second phase of their attacks, the militants blasted bombs on courts in Chittagong, Chandpur and Laxmipur on October 3, killing two people.

On October 18, a JMB activist hurled bomb on a Sylhet judge and in the recent attack on Monday, a member of the JMB suicide squad killed two judges in Jhalakathi.

Babar, who is now at the helm of the home ministry, however, refused to be complacent over the situation. "We cannot neglect the matter. The action against militants is a continuous process and we'll have to stick to the process," he said.

British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury was present at the meeting.

The Daily Star, November 17, 2005

Says Howells

Next elections crucial in wake of terrorist acts

Visiting UK Minister of State Dr Kim Howells yesterday said the next general elections in Bangladesh would be crucial in the wake of terrorist acts but hoped that the country will have a free, fair and acceptable poll.

"Eyes of the entire world are focused on the elections and United Kingdom will also watch it with great attention to see open and transparent polls," he said while addressing a press conference at the residence of the British high commissioner in Dhaka.

The British minister on his three-day visit to Bangladesh appealed to the ruling party to be completely transparent and fair in the elections so that every political party gets equal opportunities making their voice heard and the country has a true democratic society.

During his hour-long talks with the press, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office replied to a volley of questions on terrorism, corruption and political impasse facing Bangladesh.

Britain intends to help in whatever way it can for ensuring a free, fair and neutral polls in Bangladesh, he said.

On the political hostility between the two major parties in Bangladesh, he said there must be reconciliation, but it depends on the willingness to do things peacefully and openly.

He said Bangladesh should be proud of its great history of democracy and people here deserve good leadership and vision of future from the leadership for changing their economic condition. Bangladesh has great potential of human and natural resources.

On the critical issue of terrorism, Howells said Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance and Bangladesh should not be the target of terrorists, extra-judicial killing, political assassination and bombings.

He said there are many religious leaders with great influence both in Britain and Bangladesh and they should speak out against the liars, who murdered innocents in the name of Islam.

Asked if he thinks that the presence of Islamist fundamentalist parties in the cabinet encourages terrorist acts in Bangladesh, he said the people of Bangladesh will take decision how they want to look the cabinet. He said those who tacitly support terrorism must be exposed by the people and the press.

On how the UK could help Bangladesh in enhancing counter-terrorism capability, Howells said UK will cooperate with the Bangladesh government in increasing the efficiency and capability of the police forces.

Emphasising the need for economic development, providing the country's youth with better jobs, the British minister said that is how the young people stay away from the romantic ideas of terrorism.

The British minister, who leaves Dhaka today, said he had productive discussions with the intelligence agencies.

Describing Bangladesh's position at the bottom of the least corrupt nations as unfortunate, he said, "Businesses will not go to corrupt countries and pay bribe." The government and political leaders, who do not tackle corruption, undermine its own country and people, he added.

British High Commissioner in Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury and head of South Asian Desk Antony Strokes were also present at the conference.

Anwar Choudhury expressed extreme disappointment that no perpetrator, who had hurled grenade on him in Sylhet last year, has been arrested, named or brought to justice.

"We have made our views clear that the people responsible must be brought to justice, otherwise [terrorism] looks a risk-free practice," he said.

The Daily Star, November 17, 2005

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