Thursday • August 24, 2006

N A T I O N A L  N E W S

Accept reform proposals and let's see whom people want: Sheikh Hasina

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said, "Hold a free, fair and neutral election after implementing reforms in the caretaker government and the Election Commission to find out who really turns out to be the winner in the upcoming election.

"If you (Prime Minister) have the courage, refrain from conspiring; accept the reform proposals and hold a free, fair and neutral election, let's see whom the people want," Sheikh Hasina said while having an exchange of views with the party's grassroots activists from Sunamganj district at Dhanmondi office in the capital.

In response to the prime minister's remarks on Tuesday that the opposition went insane to come to power, the Awami League President said, "It is not the opposition, rather Khaleda Zia who has been crazed for power and for rigging the next election. ...she can never come to power without stealing votes."

The Awami League president reiterated that the Chief Election Commissioner has forged the voter list ignoring the Supreme Court directives and no free, fair and neutral election would be held with 'this' voter list. "Tens of thousands of people are still to be included in the current voter list."

Sheikh Hasina demanded for an accurate voter list with photographs of voters and transparent ballot boxes at every polling booth. It is easy to make a voter list with photographs in this digital age by using only 3,000 digital cameras in around 29,000 polling centres in the country, she advised.

The Awami League President said that the BNP-Jamaat alliance has chosen KM Hassan as the chief justice only to implement their secret plot of engineering the election under his jurisdiction.

Sheikh Hasina accused the prime minister of destroying discipline and politicizing all sectors including the judiciary by allowing permanent appointments to 17 judges.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has approved a number of projects at the eleventh hour of its tenure only for plundering public money. "They want to come back to power for looting public money again and they have finalized all conspiracies to rig the next election."

Speaking on militancy, Sheikh Hasina said the government earlier had imposed a ban on the militant outfit Harkatul Jihad, but now this banned organization is being seen openly in the political arena and they are consulting with the alliance government. How this militant outfit is doing politics after being banned unless the government supports them, questioned Sheikh Hasina.

Senior Awami League leaders including Syeda Zohora Tajuddin, Abdul Jalil MP, Suranjit Sengupta MP, Motia Chowdhury, Kazi Zafarullah MP and Obaidul Quader were present among others at the meeting.

Ivy Rahman's death anniversary today

The second anniversary of death of veteran Awami League (AL) leader Ivy Rahman is being observed with due reverence and solemnity today.

Two years ago in 2004 on this fateful day, Ivy Rahman, a dedicated forerunner of women's' rights movement, gave in after a three-day tug of war with death.

She had been critically injured and her two legs were blown off in the gruesome grenade attack on AL rally at Bongobondhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.

Ivy Rahman's family will commemorate the day with elaborate programs including a milad mahfil at her residence, Ivy Concord at House # 22, Road # 108, Gulshan after the Asr prayer. All well wishers, admirers, relatives, political colleagues, and friends are requested to attend the milad.

Ivy was born on July 7, 1944 in 'Baro Bari' in Bhairab, Kishoreganj. A graduate from Dhaka University, Ivy was an active worker of Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League during her university years and took part in numerous political movements under the leadership of Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She was trained in guerrilla warfare as a freedom fighter in 1971 and had numerous contributions in the war against the Pakistani occupation forces.

Wife of the frontline Awami League leader and former local government, rural development and co-operatives minister Zillur Rahman, Ivy served as the women's affairs secretary of Awami League till the day she died.

Ivy Rahman dedicated her whole life for establishing the rights of women and their empowerment in all aspects in the country. She was also the president of Bangladesh Mohila Samity. She also played a noteworthy role in the world women community as the area president of Associated Country Women of the World,.

She is survived by two daughters and a son.

Reform proposal

Saber Hossain Chowdhury asks if Mannan Bhuiyan has PM's mandate to hold one-to-one talks

Awami League leader Saber Hossain Chowdhury has asked whether BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan has any mandate from the Prime Minister to sit for one-to-one talks with Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil on the reform proposals.

"We don't think he has any mandate or authority from the Prime Minister to talk since he was not on the 5-member panel from the government side," he told UNB responding to a query as to why Awami League does not respond to the secretary-level meeting between Awami League and BNP.

"Let him say that he has mandate," said Saber Hossain Chowdhury, political secretary of opposition leader Sheikh Hasina.

Secondly, he said, the BNP secretary general did not respond to the latest letter sent by Awami League regarding discussion on the opposition reform proposals. The letter is still lying on his desk.

Questioning the efficacy of dialogue, Saber Hossain Chowdhury mentioned the Prime Minister's public statement that the elections would be held on the basis of the present provision of caretaker government as enshrined in the Constitution.

Mohammad Hanif returns home today

Mohammad Hanif, President of Dhaka City Awami League, will return home today after a six-month-long treatment in the Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok.

The city Awami League has organized a reception for him at the airport.

Mohammad Hanif suffered cardiac arrest while addressing an anti-government rally organized by Awami League-led 14-party combine in the capital last February. The party activists moved unconscious Mohammad Hanif to a city hospital and from there he was flown to the Thai hospital.

The City Awami League held a special meeting to organize the reception for Mohammad Hanif which was attended by secretary of the city unit Mofazzel Hossain Maya, Mokbul Hossain, Kamal Majumer and Haji Selim.

Justice Joynul Abedin appointed SC judge superseding three judges

Justice Joynul Abedin, one of the senior judges of the High Court division, was appointed judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday.

As per provision of the Constitution, President Iazuddin Ahmed appointed Justice Joynul Abedin a judge of the Appellate Division.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) will not felicitate Justice Joynul Abedin, as the government has appointed him by superseding three senior High Court judges.

SCBA Secretary Advocate AM Aminuddin yesterday said that Justice Joynul Abedin was appointed in the Appellate Division superseding three senior High Court judges- Justice Syed Amirul Islam, Justice Md Hasan Amin and Justice AK Badrul Haque.

Justice Joynul Abedin was appointed a High Court judge in 1996. He was made the head of one-member Judicial Commission following the deadly grenade attack on the Awami League rally on August 21, 2004.

There are seven judges in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Out of seven, Justice Fazlul Karim is absent due to illness for more than six months. Another Appellate Division judge Justice MA Aziz has been functioning as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) since May 23 last year.

The Independent, August 24, 2006

O T H E R S

Hartal today

Agitation for power in Joypurhat

People under the banner of Biddut Grahak Sangram Committee brought out a procession and held a rally in Joypurhat town yesterday protesting frequent power outage.

Leaders of the committee at the rally called a half-day hartal in the town for today from 6 am to press smooth power supply. They also announced that the Power Development Board office will be besieged today.

People from all walks of life spontaneously joined the programs. The processionists paraded streets of the town chanting slogans demanding power.

After the procession and rally, the committee members were seen holding small street corner meetings to campaign for today's hartal.

The Daily Star, August 24, 2006

Home | Contact Us

Best viewed using IE, Netscape at 800 x 600 pixels, 32-bit color depth
[ Bangladesh Awami League • Concept and design by www.albd.org ]