Tuesday • September 05, 2006

N A T I O N A L  N E W S

Energy Advisor Mahmud lied to the nation

BNP signed deal with Asia Energy in 1994: Sheikh Hasina

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has said her party has never signed any treaty with any foreign company that goes against the country's interests and will never sign any lopsided agreement if elected to power again, although her party wants direct foreign investment in Bangladesh.

"The Khaleda-Nizami alliance has come to power in the polls through massive rigging in 2001 after signing an uneven agreement that made scopes for handing over national resources to foreigners," she said while speaking at a largely attended public rally at Fulbari Government College ground in the district yesterday.

Terming the alliance government an administration comprising liars, the Leader of the Opposition said although the agreement between the British company Asia Energy and the former BNP government was signed in 1994 for exploration of coal from the Fulbari mine, the incumbent Energy Adviser Mahmudur Rahman lied to the nation by saying that the agreement was signed during the five-year tenure of the previous Awami League government.

Sheikh Hasina called upon the alliance government to implement immediately the six-point agreement signed between the government and the movement committee on Fulbari deadlock on August 31. Otherwise, she said the Awami League-led 14-party combine along with the people of Fulbari would announce a greater movement.

Portraying a grim picture of the present Bangladesh where spiraling prices of essential commodities and power crisis have made life miserable, the Awami League chief alleged that a BNP high-up had looted an amount of Taka 12,000 crore by selling electric poles instead of taking a pragmatic initiative to enhance power generation in the country.

The former Prime Minister said, "There is no alternative left to the people other than to choose Awami League for running the state affairs at this crucial juncture of the nation to tide over the monumental problems that have long been crippling the people's life."

"Awami League always believes in credible polls and wants to participate in the election and that should be arranged as per the constitutional provision... but the alliance government of Khaleda Zia wants to arrange a farcical election by violating the Constitution, which will not be tolerated by the people under any circumstances," the opposition leader said categorically.

Presided over by Fulbari Thana Awami League president Tofazzal Hossain Master, the huge public rally, attended by thousands of people from Birampur, Parbatipur and Fulbari upazilas of Dinajpur district, was also addressed by Abdul Jalil MP, Matia Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Prof Nazma Rahman, Dr Deepu Moni, Pankaj Bhattacharjee, Md Nurul Islam, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mirza Azam MP, Ajoy Kar Khokon, Pankaj Debnath, Advocate M Abdur Rahim, Iqbalur Rahim, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Dinajpur district Awami League general secretary Advocate Mustafizur Rahman MP and other central and local leaders of the 14-party combine.

Prior to speaking at the public rally, Sheikh Hasina met at the Roads and Highways Rest House the family members of those killed or wounded in the August 26 police and BDR firing at Fulbari upazila headquarters who had been staging a violent protest against the British company Asia Energy's open-pit extraction of coal from Fulbari Coal Mine.

The Awami League President distributed Taka 20,000 each among the family members of slain Amin, Tariqul and Salekin and Taka 10,000 each among 64 persons injured by bullets.

Although four days have elapsed after the government side had accepted all the six-point demands of the committee to protect oil, gas, ports, power and natural resources on August 31, there was no sign of implementation of any of those points till today that had frustrated the Fulbari dwellers, local people said.

On her way to Fulbari, Sheikh Hasina addressed a public rally at Ghora Ghat in Dinajpur in the afternoon. Chaired by Ghora Ghat upazila Awami League president Mofazzal Hossain, the rally was also addressed by Awami Jubo League chairman Jahangir Kabir Nanak, its general secretary Mirza Azam MP and Awami League central leaders Iqbalur Rahim and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, among others.

Sheikh Hasina meets families of Phulbari victims

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Monday reiterated her stand on electoral reforms as she addressed rallies on her way to Phulbari in Dinajpur.

Sheikh Hasina promised a better Bangladesh if her party was voted to power in the 2007 general election.

The former prime minister went to Phulbari where at least five people were killed and scores injured on August 26 after security forces fired on thousands of people protesting a coal mine, planned by the British firm Asia Energy Plc.

She addressed two roadside rallies, one at Gobaindaganj in Gaibandha and another at Raniganj in Dinajpur, on her way to Phulbari.

Later she met the families of the victims of the Phulbari carnage.

Sheikh Hasina handed over cheques worth Tk 20,000 each to the families of the dead and Tk 10,000 each to those of the injured.

Awami League frontline leaders Abdul Jalil MP, Matia Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Chhatra League Mahmudul Hasan Ripon and general secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton also accompanied their leader.

Sheikh Hasina says at Gaibandha rally

People will foil election engineering

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina said here yesterday the Four-party Alliance has finalised a blueprint to descend to power in the next general election by means of vote rigging but the 14-party Combine will foil the conspiracy at any cost.

Sheikh Hasina was addressing a roadside meeting at the Janata Bank intersection in Gobindaganj yesterday while on her way to Phulbari in Dinajpur. Gobindaganj Upazila Awami League president Tozammel Huq Prodhan presided the meeting.

Awami League President said so-called uncompromising leader Khaleda Zia has compromised with her husband's killer Ershad just to clinch to power. As a consequence, Ershad is being released from the corruption cases one after another, she said. As the prime minister has no confidence on people, so she extended her hands with autocratic Ershad, she said.

The Alliance government has formed a puppet Election Commission (EC) just to bring the polls result in their favor, but the 14-party Combine would resist such move, Sheikh Hasina said.

Sheikh Hasina said the Khaleda-Nizami Government is patronizing Islamic militants and using them in own interest. The ruling Alliance announced death sentence to kingpins of militants so that they do not disclose names of their patronizers, she said.

Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil, in his address, said no election would be held in the country unless reforms in the caretaker system of government and EC. He said if the Alliance Government refuses to meet the demands, those will be realized through non-cooperation movement during the next Caretaker Government's tenure.

Among others, central leaders Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Mirza Azam MP, Jahangir Kabir Nanon, Advocate Fazley Rabbi, Pankoj Dev Nath and Mahmud Hasan Ripon addressed.

Earlier, at a similar meeting held at Mitidali intersection on the outskirts of Bogra town, Sheikh Hasina said price of rice came down to Tk 10 per kg while prices of other commodities were within reach of common people when her party was in power. Rice price increased from Tk 10 to 20 per kilogram as soon as the Four-party Alliance came to power, she said.

She alleged that BNP leaders were involved in corruption at the same time the government party rehabilitating the corrupt persons.

Bogra Awami League president Momtaj Uddin presided the meeting.

Among others, 14-party Combine leaders Abdul Jalil, Motia Chowdhury Hasanul Haque Inu, Pankaj Bhattacharya, Mostafa Zaman Mohiuddin, Zahangir Kabir Nanak Mirja Azam MP, Pankaz Devnath, Mohamudul Hasan, Abdul Mannan, Saleha Sultana, Shahadat Alam Zhunu, Sagar Kumar Roy and Haider Ali. addressed.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy arrives Bangladesh

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Sheikh Hasina, arrived in Dhaka from the United States Monday. He touched the airport at around 11:57 am.

Sirajganj Jubo League leader shot dead

A Jubo League leader was shot dead on the premises of Kandapara Government Primary School at Belkuchi upazila headquarters last night night.

The dead is Jewel Hassan, 32, information and research secretary of Belkuchi upazila unit of the Awami League's youth front.

Witnesses said a gang of 15 swooped on Jewel while he was chatting with his friends at about 8:30pm. The gang shot him point blank and left the scene.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the body to the police station.

The Daily Star, September 5, 2006

O T H E R S

Opposition Program

Ban on gathering in, around EC secretariat

The government yesterday imposed a ban on any kind of gathering, procession, demonstration or laying siege to anything in and around the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat for 19 hours from 1:00am tomorrow.

The move was apparently to thwart 14-party opposition combine's program to lay siege to the EC Secretariat tomorrow.

The Awami League (AL)-led 14-party combine's leaders last night decried the ban and expressed their determination to go ahead with their program.

"It is not our concern. We declared the program and we will go ahead," Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil said.

He termed the DMP's ban usual. "The government had imposed ban on opposition programs. So it's nothing new," Abdul Jalil, also the coordinator of 14-party opposition combine, said.

The government imposed such bans on opposition's program to lay siege to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and a sit-in program in front of Bangladesh Secretariat this year.

The Daily Star, September 5, 2006

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