Follow-up process begins as apex court delivers verdict

BSS, Dhaka

Jail authorities has initiated the follow-up process of the final verdict in the Bangabandhu Murder Trial conveying the five convicts in prison the apex court's decision upholding their death penalties, officials said on Friday.
Jail officials said the process began as they informed the decision to the condemned five ex-army officers at Dhaka Central Jail hours after the Supreme Court's Appellate Division pronounced the judgment.
Legal experts and concerned lawyers said the judgment was likely to be executed in two months after exhaustion of two more legal steps that were open for the convicts.
"The jailor accompanied by several other prison officials went to the isolated cells of the convicts and loudly read out the copy of the Appellate Division's short order last evening in line with the Jail Code," a senior jail said.
He added that the five ex-army officers wanted to see their relatives as well as their lawyers as they apparently preferred to seek a review of the verdict by the apex court itself as the last legal step ahead of seeking the presidential clemency.
Lawyers of the convicts also told newsmen that they were preparing for filing petitions for review of the judgment.
Several legal experts separately told newsmen that the execution of the verdict could take as high as two months as according to the constitution they were entitled to the opportunity to seek a review of the verdict at the Appellate
Division within 30 days, and if rejected they would have a last chance to seek presidential clemency within subsequent seven days.
Under the jail code, a death row convict would be hanged in between 21 and 28 days on exhaustion of the last legal option.
State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam, however, told newsmen after the verdict on Thursday that the assassins could be hanged by late December or early January on exhaustion of legal procedures.
The five death row convicts are sacked lieutenant colonels Syed Faruque Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Muhiuddin Ahmed, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and sacked major Bazlul Huda are in jail while the first three of them faced the trial in person since the process began in 1996 while the rest two were brought back home later abroad where they were hiding.
A total of 11 ex-army officers were to walk gallows but six of them were hiding abroad while Foreign Minister Dipu Moni
On Thursday told newsmen that a process was expedited to track them out and bring home to expose to justice

Suicide bomber kills 13 in western Afghanistan

Afghan soldiers secure a street in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday. Photo: AP/File AP, Kabul

A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle killed 13 people, including a police officer, and wounded 30 others Friday in a busy city square in western Afghanistan.
Several children were among those wounded in the morning explosion, said a doctor at the hospital in Farah city, Shir Agh Asas.
Afghan police shouted, "Stop! Stop!" at the motorcyclist before he detonated the explosives, provincial police chief Gen. Mohammad Faqir Askar said.
Provincial governor Rohul Amin said the deadly blast occurred about 50 metres from his compound in a crowded square in the city of Farah.
"These days Taliban are causing high casualties because the foreign forces and Afghan forces have been conducting operations against the insurgency in the region," Askar said.
An operation three days ago in another part of the province killed five insurgents, including a Taliban commander and a bomb-maker, said Askar.
The violence comes a day after Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in his second inaugural address, said he has placed national reconciliation with insurgents at the top of his peace-building agenda.
"We invite dissatisfied compatriots, who are not directly linked to international terrorism, to return to their homeland," he said.
Karzai also set a five-year benchmark for the Afghan security forces to be in the lead in defending the nation, a goal that would allow international forces to take on more of a support role.
As the inaugural ceremony took place in Kabul on Thursday, a suicide bomber killed two U.S. service members in the southern province of Zabul, local officials and Nato said. Hours later, another suicide bomber blew himself up in a busy marketplace in another province, killing 10 civilians, including three boys, and wounding 13 other people.
Also on Friday, three civilians were wounded in a roadside bomb in Khost province, according to Wazir Pacha, deputy police chief of Khost.

Man shot dead in Mirpur

Star Online Report

Unidentified assailants on Thursday night gunned down a middle-aged man in the capital's Mirpur area.
On information, Shah Ali police recovered the body of the around 40-year-old man, who was not named instantly, from Block-F at Mirpur-1 this morning.
The officer-in-charge of the Shah Ali Police Station told The Daily Star this morning that they recovered the bullet-hit body after being informed by locals.
He also said the reason behind the killing could not be known immediately.

Rebels blow up train track in India, killing 1

Photo: NDTVAP, Patna

A passenger train derailed after Maoist rebels blew up a key track in eastern India, killing one person and injuring at least 30 others, a police official said Friday.
The rebels bombed the track shortly before the train passed through a sparsely populated area in Jharkhand state Thursday night, said Sindhu Hembram, a deputy inspector general of police.
Eight of the train's coaches went off the tracks and toppled over, killing one woman instantly, Hembram said. Five of the 30 injured passengers were in critical condition, said BN Mete, a railway official.
Efforts were underway on Friday to clear and repair the track, which is one of main rail routes linking the cities of Calcutta and Mumbai.
The rebels, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting for more than three decades demanding land and jobs for farm laborers and the poor.
Thousands of people, including police, militants and civilians, have died in the violence in recent years.
The rebels have called for a 24-hour strike in Jharkhand on Friday to protest next week's elections for the state legislature.

8 militants killed in reported US strike in Pakistan

The picture shows an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as Drone plane. Photo: InternetAP, Mir Ali

Missiles fired from a reported US drone killed at least eight suspected militants Friday in Pakistan's lawless tribal area along the Afghan border, intelligence officials said. It was the fourth such attack since the Pakistani military began an offensive in a nearby area in mid-October.
A drone fired two missiles at a compound being used by suspected Taliban militants in a village near Mir Ali in North Waziristan, according to two intelligence officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.
The compound was destroyed and eight bodies were pulled from the rubble, the officials said, adding that two other suspected militants were wounded.
Ahmed Nawaz Dawar, a local tribesman, said Taliban militants buried those killed and took the wounded to a hospital.
US officials rarely discuss the unpopular missile strikes and the reports could not immediately be confirmed.
Anti-American sentiment is pervasive throughout Pakistan. The Pakistani government publicly condemns the US strikes as violations of its sovereignty, but many analysts believe the two countries have a secret deal allowing them.
Militants are believed to have fled to North Waziristan to escape the Pakistani offensive under way in South Waziristan. The army has retaken many towns in the region, but the militants say they avoided fighting and will now begin a guerrilla campaign.
The United States has welcomed the offensive, but wants the army to do more against the insurgents in the border area blamed for violence across the border in Afghanistan.

Pabna AL leader chopped dead

A local Awami League leader was chopped to death in Santhia upazila of Pabna district on Thursday night.
The deceased, Rezaul Karim Dipu, son of Abdul Kader of Dhulauri in the upazila, was the secretary of ‘Dhulauri’ union unit of AL, reports our Pabna correspondent.

Police said criminals chopped Dipu mercilessly as he got onto a road after saying Esha prayers at a mosque of the village, leaving him dead on the spot.
Later, the criminals left the place by firing, the police added.
Reason behind the murder could not be ascertained initially, Police Superintendent of the district Nibash Chandra Majhi said.

Killers to walk gallows

Appellate Division upholds HC verdict in Bangabandhu killing case, rejects pleas of 5 convicts

Julfikar Ali Manik and Ashutosh Sarkar

The light of justice yesterday completely removed the darkness that had hung over the nation for 34 years following the heinous killing of Bangabandhu as the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence to a dozen killers earlier confirmed by the High Court.
Amid an unprecedented tight security on the court premises as well as across the country, a five-member special bench of the Appellate Division delivered the nine-minute "short order" of the judgment around 11:45am in a jam-packed courtroom of the chief justice.
"We are of the view that it [killing of Bangabandhu] is not a case of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny, rather it is a criminal conspiracy to commit the murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other members of his family," said Justice Md Tafazzul Islam, the most senior member of the bench, while reading out the order.
This order dismisses the appeal petitions of five convicts against the third judgment of the High Court that handed them and seven others death penalty.
These five, now languishing in jail, had filed the petitions in October 2007 giving five different points to challenge the High Court verdict.
Of seven other convicts, six have been absconding while the other is dead.
With yesterday's verdict, their punishment remains valid.
"The appellants having failed to make out a case of extenuating circumstance to commute their sentence of death, we are not inclined to interfere with the sentence of death awarded to the appellants by the learned sessions judge and maintained by the High Court Division," says the Supreme Court verdict.
The other members of the five-member bench were justices Md Abdul Aziz, BK Das, Md Muzammel Hossain and SK Sinha. They heard submissions of the appeals for 29 days beginning on October 5.
When the delivery of the verdict was finished, the courtroom got filled with cheerful buzzes only to be hushed into silence within a few moments. After the nerve-racking silence, some of the relatives of Bangabandhu, including grandson Fazle Noor Taposh, burst into tears.
Soon the judges left the courtroom.
The emotional outburst continued for another 15 minutes. Bangabandhu's relatives, lawyers, the complainant and investigation officer of the case, and a few Awami League leaders were seen hugging each other, tears still in their eyes. They came out of the room but stayed on the court premises for a while.
"The nation has got justice," Chief State Counsel of the case advocate Anisul Huq told The Daily Star at that moment.
Attorney General advocate Mahbubey Alam said, "This verdict will be considered as the best historic judgment of the nation."
Barrister Abdullah Al-Mamun, who represented the convicts, told The Daily Star, "According to the law, we will file a review petition with the Supreme Court as soon as we get the certified copy of the judgment."
In general, most lawyers considered the verdict to have freed the nation from the shame of killing the father of the nation and set the example that no matter how powerful a killer is, they are not beyond the purview of the law.
According to lawyers, if the review petition fails to produce any result, the convicts could seek the president's mercy.
If the president refuses their mercy petitions, the convicts will get 21 more days before they are hanged within the next week, said defence lawyer barrister Abdullah Al-Mamun.
In case of absconding convicts, whenever one is arrested he will be sent to jail. He will have the right to file a petition with the Supreme Court through the jail. The court may either entertain the petition or reject it. The convict can then seek the president's mercy.
The court wore a different look yesterday with closed circuit cameras installed at two points and several metal detectors set up. Security staffs from all agencies of the government were seen everywhere in the court. They checked the chief justice's room before the court opened.
People started pouring in the Supreme Court as early as 8:00am. By 11:00am, there were so many people in the corridors of the court building that it became very difficult even to walk. Hundreds of curious onlookers were seen waiting on the footpath outside the Supreme Court boundary.
Soon after the verdict, a small group of people chanted slogans and held a rally on the court premises for a short time expressing their joy.
The whole country remained glued to TV sets for live telecasts from the court to hear the final verdict.
Many schools in the capital were kept closed. The traffic movement in the city was unusually thin for any given Thursday.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's personal assistant Mohitul Islam, who had survived the attack by a gang of army officers on the night of August 15, 1975, filed the case for the killings on October 2, 1996.
On January 15, 1997, the charge sheet was filed against 20 living and four dead persons--Khandakar Moshtaque, Mahbubul Alam Chashi, Capt Mustafa and Risalder Sarwar.
As all except the dead were brought to trial, the court examined 61 witnesses and heard submissions for 151 days.
On November 8, 1998, the trial court handed death sentence to 15 of the 20 accused.
On December 14, 2000, a two-member High Court bench gave a split verdict on the trial court's judgment: one judge upheld the death sentences of all 15 convicts while the other upheld that of 10. The judges were also divided on which section of the Code of Criminal Procedure to be followed for the death sentence of one convict.
On April 30, 2001, a third judge of the High Court resolved the matter and finally gave death sentence to 12 killers. Of them, the following are now in jail: Lt Col Syed Farooq Rahman, Lt Col Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Maj Bazlul Huda, Maj (Lancer) AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and Lt Col (Artillery) Mohiuddin Ahmed, who appealed with the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict.
The six absconding are: Lt Col Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Lt Col Shariful Haque Dalim, Lt Col SHMB Nur Chowdhury, Lt Col AM Rashed Chowdhury, Capt Abdul Mazed and Risaldar Mosleuddin Khan. The other convict Lt Col Abdul Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe in June 2001 where he took political asylum.
Of the jailed convicts, Huda was brought to Dhaka from Bangkok in 1998 while AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed was brought from USA during the last caretaker government's rule. The other three were arrested in Dhaka.
According to sources, the absconding convicts took refuge in Pakistan, Libya, USA and Canada.
Soon the convicts in jail filed leave-to-appeal petitions with the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict.
But its hearing was stalled with the change in government in October 2001. After the BNP-led alliance government came to power, the Supreme Court did not hear the case even for a single day.
The hearing of the leave-to-appeal petitions finally took place on August 7, 2007, and the appeals were granted on September 23 the same year.
The hearing of the appeals against the High Court verdict began on October 5, 2009.
The killers murdered Bangabandhu and seven of his family members and three security personnel at his Dhanmondi residence on August 15, 1975. Soon after the killing, their accomplice Khandaker Moshtaque took over power as president and framed an indemnity ordinance to protect the killers.
Later, subsequent military governments led by Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad had rewarded the killers with various diplomatic posts.

Hang the killers: SC

slide showStar Online Report

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the High Court verdict that confirmed death sentences of 12 retired and dismissed army men in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case.
The five-member bench comprising Justice Md Tafazzul Islam, Justice Md Abdul Aziz, Justice BK Das, Justice Md Muzammel Hossain and Justice SK Sinha delivered the verdict dismissing the appeals filed by five convicts against their death sentences in this case.
Lt Col (sacked) Syed Farooq-ur Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Lt Col (retd) Muhiuddin Ahmed, Lt Col (retd) AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and Maj (retd) Bazlul Huda, who are now behind bars, filed the appeals with the apex court in October 2007 against their convictions and death sentences by a lower court.
Of the other seven condemned killers, Lt Col (retd) Md Abdul Aziz Pasha had died earlier.
The death sentences of Col (retd) Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Maj (retd) Shariful Haque Dalim, Lt Col (retd) AM Rashed Chowdhury, Lt Col (retd) SHMB Noor Chowdhury, Capt (retd) Abdul Mazed and Risaldar (retd) Moslemuddin delivered by the High Court will stand valid as they are absconding at present.
In his immediate reaction to the justice, chief counsel for the state Anisul Huq told The Daily Star, "The nation has got the justice."
Barrister Abdullah-al Mamun, counsel for convicts Bazlul Huda and AKM Mohiuddin, said they will submit a review petition with the Supreme Court within the stipulated 30 days after receiving the SC certified copy of the judgment.
The SC observed in the verdict that Justice M Fazlul Karim has properly delivered the verdict and this court cannot interfere in it.
The court said Justice Fazlul Karim has reviewed the matter of six accused as earlier two judges of the HC had expressed same opinion about the nine other accused, out of 15, in this case.
The apex court said that the trial court and the HC have properly explained the delay in filing the first information report (FIR) of this case.
The court of judges said the incidents of August 15, 1975 were a simple murder and it was not a result of mutiny.
Criminal conspiracy was committed to murder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and this was not committed for any mutiny, it added.
The court further said there was no contradiction or anomaly in the evidence and the statements in this case. So, there is nothing to interfere in the HC verdict. And the HC verdict has been confirmed, the court said.
After hearing for 29 days the appeals, the special bench delivered the verdict.
Convicts Lt Col (sacked) Syed Farooq-ur Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Lt Col (retd) Muhiuddin Ahmed, Lt Col (retd) AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, and Maj (retd) Bazlul Huda, who are now behind bars, filed the appeals with the apex court in October 2007 against their convictions and death sentences by a lower court.
Earlier on November 8, 1998, Dhaka Sessions Judge Golam Rasul handed down death sentences to 15 of the 20 defendants in the case.
The court gave the capital punishment to Lt Col (dismissed) Syed Farooq-ur Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Lt Col (retd) Muhiuddin Ahmed, Lt Col (retd) AKM Mahiuddin Ahmed, Maj (retd) Bazlul Huda, Lt Col (retd) Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Maj (retd) Shariful Haque Dalim, Maj (retd) Ahmed Shariful Hossain, Lt Col (retd) AM Rashed Chowdhury, Lt Col (retd) SHMB Noor Chowdhury, Lt Col (retd) Md Abdul Aziz Pasha, Capt (retd) Md Kismat Hashem, Capt (retd) Nazmul Hossain Ansar, Capt (retd) Abdul Mazed, and Risaldar (retd) Moslemuddin.
A division bench of the High Court comprising Justice Md Ruhul Amin and Justice ABM Khairul Haque on December 14, 2000, delivered split verdicts on death reference appeals in the case.
First judge Justice Md Ruhul Amin upheld the death sentences of 10 and acquitted five -- Muhiuddin Ahmed, Ahmed Shariful Hossain, Md Kismat Hashem, Nazmul Hossain Ansar, and Moslemuddin.
Second judge Justice ABM Khairul Haque upheld the death sentences of all 15 convicts.
On January 15, 2001, Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim was appointed as the third judge to adjudicate the appeals.
He delivered the final High Court verdict in the case on April 30, 2001, affirming the convictions and death sentences of 12 of the 15 defendants. The three that he acquitted are Md Kismat Hashem, Ahmed Shariful Hossain, and Nazmul Hossain Ansar.
The deafening sound of gunshots broke the stillness of dawn on August 15, 1975 on road No 32 of Dhanmondi residential area. In less than an hour, the darkest chapter in the political history of Bangladesh was written on that fateful morning.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the following members of his family were assassinated in three separate attacks: his wife Begum Fazilatunnessa, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and nine-year-old Sheikh Russel, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal, Parveen Jamal, Bangabandhu's brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, 13-year-old Baby Serniabat, Serniabat's son Arif, four-year-old grand son Babu, a visiting nephew, three guests, four servants, Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, a nephew of Bangabandhu, his wife Begum Arju Moni, and Bangabandhu's security chief Colonel Jamil Uddin Ahmed.

The judgment hailed

Photo: Star/Anisur Rahmanslide show Star Online Report

The nation on Thursday hailed the verdict in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case.
In his immediate reaction, chief counsel for the state in this case Anisul Huq told The Daily Star, "The nation has got the justice."
Awami League Lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh said, "Today is my birthday and this is the best gift for me."
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the verdict will be considered as the best judgment.
"Through this judgment the nation has got rid of disgrace," he said.
Hundreds of people thronged the Dhanmondi road-32 residence of Bangabandhu this morning and chanted slogan after the verdict was declared, demanding immediate execution of the judgment.

Verdict shows justice: Ashraf

Awami League General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam Star Online Report

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Tuesday expressed his party’s reaction on the final verdict in the Bangabandhu assassination case saying it has been proved that no one is above the law, no matter how influential he or she is.
The AL welcomed the verdict on the August 15, 1975 killings that had remained as a stigma for the nation during the last 34 years, Ashraf told reporters at the party's Dhanmondi office after the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's verdict awarding capital punishment to the killers of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members.
The verdict couldn’t bring joy to the AL men, as it would not be able to bring back Bangabandhu and his assassinated family members, he added.
Ashraf, also the LGRD minister, said the AL was not a vindictive party and never will be. It only wants to establish the rule of law and human rights.
Answering a query on Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina’s reaction on the judgement, the LGRD minister said she got what she wanted.
She sought nothing but the justice, he said adding that she expressed her satisfaction after the verdict, but she was also lamenting remembering her assassinated family members.

Hasina nominated for Indira Gandhi Peace Prize

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been chosen for this year's Indira Gandhi International Prize for peace, disarmament and development.
The Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust made the announcement, our correspondent from Delhi Reports.

Verdict restores rule of law: Moudud

Barrister Moudud Ahmed Star Online Report

BNP leader and former law minister barrister Moudud Ahmed said on Thursday the rule of law has been reestablished through the judgment and the nation got relief.
"We all have to accept the verdict delivered by the apex court of the country," he said while giving his reaction to the verdict in Bangabandhu murder case at his Motijheel office.
It will not be fair to consider the judgment politically, he added.

IFAD promises Tk 280 cr for agricultural development

Star Online Report

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has assured Bangladesh of Tk 280 crore financial assistance for rural agricultural development especially, in the coastal belt areas.
IFAD President Kanayo F Nwanze made the pledge at an hour-long meeting with Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque at the organisation's Rome headquarters. The minister came to Rome with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 15 to attend the world summit on food security.
"The IFAD will assist Bangladesh with Tk 280 crore for the agricultural development of the coastal belt in the country," Razzaque said.
Comprehensive projects would be launched to ensure development of the coastal areas by constructing cyclone shelters and embankments," he added.
Issues including climate change, food security and agriculture also came up at the discussion.
Highlighting different problems the country has been facing, he told the official that the main problem of Bangladesh is poverty, which needs to be reduced significantly by ensuring employment.
He also said the smallholders must be given priority to ensure food security in Bangladesh.
The minister said he urged IFAD to extend their assistance to Bangladesh, a politically stable and democratic country with good law and order.
In this context, the IFAD chief said he would take all necessary measures to involve other donor agencies including DFID, the World Bank and the US Aid for co-financing the development projects.

AG gets threat on life

Attorney General Mahbubey AlamStar Online Report

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam received a letter at his office containing a threat on his life on Thursday.
The three-page letter with a piece of shroud also threatened to kill all lawyers of the prosecution side of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case.
Kabir Ahmed, personal assistant of Mahbubey Alam, filed a general diary with Shahbag Police Station around 4:45pm in this connection.
An unknown organisation called Jamia Islamia Al Hulhulia Bangladesh owns up the letter.

Karzai sworn in for 2nd term

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, front left, walks with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, front right, at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday. Photo: AP

AP, Kabul Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his country's security forces should take the lead in tackling the insurgency there, and that the forces should be able to take control of security in the next five years.





Karzai also addressed corruption during his inauguration ceremony in the presidential palace. He says officials who are corrupt should be "tried and prosecuted." Karzai has come under intense international pressure to tackle the issue, and he described corruption as a "dangerous enemy of the state."





The president stressed he wants "expert" and competent ministers in his government, and said his administration would seriously fight drug traffickers.

SC security beefed up for Bangabandhu verdict

File photo Star Online Report

The security of the Supreme Court was beefed up on Sunday ahead of the announcement of verdict by this court in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will deliver the verdict on November 19.
Supreme Court registrar Shawkat Hossain told The Daily Star that the authorities have strengthened the security of the SC, some judges and lawyers, so that no untoward incidents can take place on the court premises.
He said the government authorities have deployed additional security forces inside and outside the court premises and the forces have been checking up the people entering the court compound.
Shawkat Hossain also said the additional security will remain in force on the court premises after the announcement of the verdict in Bangabandhu murder case, if necessary.

Salam Pintu remanded in N'ganj attack case

Abdus Salam Pintu Star Online Report

Former deputy minister and BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu was placed on a five-day remand in a case filed for the bomb attack on Awami League office at Chasara in Narayanganj in 2001.
Chief Judicial Magistrate of Narayanganj Arifur Rahman passed the order after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) produced him before the court praying for 10 days remand.
Earlier on Thursday, the BNP leader was shown arrested in the case following a petition by investigation officer of the case Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Yusuf Ali Mollah.
Pintu has already been arrested in connection with the August 21 grenade attack case.
The bomb attack on the Awami League office took place on June 16 in 2001 that left 20 people dead and a number of people, including former AL lawmaker Shamim Osman, injured.

DU VC gets death threat

Prof AASM Arefin Siddiqui Star Online Report

Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof AASM Arefin Siddiqui on Sunday received a death threat.
Dr Siddiqui received a letter sent by post at the VC office at about 1:00pm.
The writer in the letter identified himself as Abdul Hamid and claimed to be a leader of the banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji).
The letter threatened the VC to kill him within three days if he fails to take any step for admission of the madrassa students to some specific departments within 24 hours.
They will blow up the VC office within three days, the letter said.
The letter also said the VC will have to give Tk 2 crore to them if he wants stay alive. It gave a mobile phone number in the letter and asked the VC to contact.

Explain legality of CrPC's amended rules: HC

File photo Star Online Report

The High Court on Sunday issued a rule upon the government to explain within three weeks why the amended rules of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) empowering the executive magistrates to perform judicial functions should not be declared illegal.
The HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury issued the rule upon a petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a human rights organisation.
Earlier in the day, a SC lawyer and the president of HRPB, advocate Manzill Murshid filed the petition as a public interest litigation seeking a direction upon the government to revoke or cancel the amended rules of CrPC.
Talking to The Daily Star, Manzill said the petition challenged the amended CrPC rules, which are against the provisions of the constitution and the principles of the Supreme Court judgement in Masdar Hossain case, popularly known as Judiciary Separation Case.
He said the executive magistrates were empowered to pass orders in the cases through the amendment of the CrPC, which only the judicial magistrates are entitled to do as per the provisions of the constitution and the Supreme Court directives in the judgment of Masdar Hossain case.
“As per sections 145 to 147 of the CrPC, the executive magistrate decides issues of possession, grants ad interim injunction, appoints receiver, restores possessions and grants permanent injunction in the cases until the cases are settled by the courts of the judicial magistrate,” he said, adding that these were the judicial powers.
He also said the secretaries to the cabinet division, the president's secretariat, the Jatiya Sangsad secretariat and the law ministry were made respondents in the petition.

Court orders attachment of 3 Rid staff's properties

File photoStar Online Report

A Dhaka court on Sunday ordered attachment of moveable and immovable properties of one of the directors of Rid Pharma Ltd and its two pharmacists in connection with in a case filed against them for manufacturing toxic Paracetamol syrup that claimed lives of at least 28 children.
The accused are Rid Pharma director Abdul Gani and pharmacists Mahbubul Islam and Enamul Haque.
Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder of the Drug Court issued the order as they did not appear before the court today.
Meanwhile, the court asked officer in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Police Station to appear before it in person before January 5, 2010 to explain why he could not submit any report on execution of arrest warrant issued earlier against the three accused.
The same court also rejected a bail petition of Rid Pharma managing director Mizanur Rahman in this case filed by his lawyer.
Earlier on September 16, the court ordered attachment of movable and immovable properties of the five Rid Pharma officials, including MD Mizanur Rahman, directors Sheuli Rahman and Abdul Gani and pharmacists Mahbubul Islam and Enamul Haque. A case against them has been filed in Brahmanbaria as well.
The court the same day also asked the Brahmanbaria police chief to submit their property attachment reports by October 14.
On October 12, Mizanur surrendered before a Dhaka court following a High Court directive and sought bail in the case.
Judge ANM Bashir Ullah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's court fixed October 19 for hearing on the bail petition submitted by Mizanur in his presence.
On August 18, Mizanur's wife Sheuli Rahman, also a director of the company, appeared before the HC, sought anticipatory bail and secured bail for six months in the case.
The case in brief is that 28 children died of renal failures, following intake of Rid's Paracetamol syrup and suspension, across the country from June to August.
Earlier on August 11, the same court issued arrest warrants against the managing director of Rid Pharma, its two directors and two pharmacists after drug superintendent Shafiqul Islam filed the case with the court.
Three other cases have also been filed against Rid Pharma in Comilla, Narayanganj and Sylhet.

Check graft, population to eradicate poverty: Speaker

Speaker Abdul Hamid Star Online Report

Speaker Abdul Hamid on Sunday said poverty reduction is not possible unless corruption and growing population are in control.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a discussion on the role of municipalities in reducing poverty at city's Cirdap auditorium in the morning.
The speaker also viewed that the interest rate for the micro-credit programmes carried out by the NGOs should be reduced, terming them high.
Hamid also called on everybody to prevent corruption to eradicate poverty from the country.

Fire at indoor SKorean shooting range kills 10

A victim, who was injured in Saturday's fire at an indoor shooting range, receives treatment at a hospital in Busan, south of Seoul, South Korea, on Nov 15. Photo: APAP, Seoul

A fire tore though an indoor shooting range in southern South Korea, killing 10 people, including at least two Japanese tourists, and injuring six.
Some people were on fire as they ran out of the building Saturday, Yonhap news agency quoted a witness as saying.
An official at the National Emergency Management Agency said authorities were struggling to identify the dead because of their burns. A police official said at least two Japanese were confirmed killed and three other Japanese were presumed to have perished.
Nine Japanese tourists and their South Korean guide were inside the facility in the southeastern port city of Busan when the fire broke out on the second floor of a five-story building, police official Han Jong-seok said. He said it was not known how many other people were in the building at the time.
Yoo Seung-ho, a detective handling the case, said four other Japanese were being treated in hospitals.
He said police plan to conduct DNA analysis in coming days to identify the bodies burned beyond recognition.
A Japanese man was in life-threatening condition with severe burns at Dong-a University Medical Center in Busan, said Kim Won-ha, an emergency room nurse.
Five people _ two Japanese, two South Koreans and one person of unidentified nationality _ were being treated for burns over 50 percent to 90 percent of their bodies at Hana hospital in Busan, which specializes in burn treatment, the hospital said.
"They are in a life-threatening condition as they inhaled a lot of toxic gas," said Kim Se-yeon, a doctor at Hana hospital's intensive care unit, adding four of them were placed on respirators and the fifth also might have to go on life support.
The emergency official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing policy, said the fire raged for about 40 minutes before being put out. Police and fire officials were trying to determine its cause.
Prime Minister Chung Un-chan instructed South Korea's minister for public administration and security to visit the site and take steps to provide support to the families of the dead, Yonhap said.
Repeated calls to Chung's office went unanswered Saturday night.
Yonhap said the four indoor shooting ranges in Busan, about 200 miles (325 kilometers) southeast of Seoul, are popular with Japanese visitors to the city.
Last year, a fire and accompanying explosions ripped through a cold storage warehouse in a city south of Seoul, killing 40 people.

Tigers take winning lead over Zimbabwe

File photo
Star Online Report

Bangladesh took a 3-1 lead in the five-match Bangladesh v Zimbabwe series after a tremendous victory of six wickets in the 4th ODI at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.


Zimbabwe was dismissed for 44 by Bangladesh earlier on this day, giving the struggling African squad three of the five lowest totals ever in limited-overs internationals.


Bangladesh scored 49 for 4 (Tamim 22) in just 11.5 overs.


With this win, the tigers has confirmed their third successive series success over the Zimbabweans and their third series victory on the trot after inspiring successes in the Caribbean and Zimbabwe.


Enamul Haque and Shakib Al Hasan took three wickets apiece for the hosts, while only Malcolm Waller (13) and Stuart Matsikenyeri (11) reached double figures for Zimbabwe, which lost its first four wickets for just eight runs.


Zimbabwe's 35 against Sri Lanka at Harare in 2004 is the lowest ODI total ever, one lower than ICC associated member Canada's total against Sri Lanka at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.


Zimbabwe also has the third-lowest total 38 against Sri Lanka at Colombo in 2001 and now the fifth-lowest with its innings at Cittagong.


Bangladesh kept an unchanged team that won the third match in Dhaka last week to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.


Zimbabwe replaced Forster Mutizwa with Mark Vermuelen in the only change.


Zimbabwe innings (50 overs maximum)


Fall of wickets1-2 (Masakadza, 0.5 ov), 2-3 (Taylor, 1.3 ov), 3-4 (Coventry, 2.3 ov), 4-8 (Vermeulen, 5.3 ov), 5-32 (Matsikenyeri, 13.3 ov), 6-32 (Chibhabha, 15.3 ov), 7-36 (Waller, 16.4 ov), 8-36 (Chigumbura, 17.6 ov), 9-39 (Price, 18.6 ov), 10-44 (Jarvis, 24.5 ov)


Bangladesh innings (target: 45 runs from 50 overs)


Fall of wickets1-33 (Tamim Iqbal, 6.3 ov), 2-33 (Mohammad Ashraful, 6.6 ov), 3-36 (Junaid Siddique, 7.4 ov), 4-38 (Naeem Islam, 9.1 ov)


Did not bat Shakib Al Hasan*, Mahmudullah, Enamul Haque jnr, Abdur Razzak, Nazmul Hossain

Dhaka Mass Transit Authority to be formed abolishing DTCB

Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain
Star Online Report

Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain on Tuesday said the government is set to form Dhaka Mass Transit Authority (DMTA) abolishing existing Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) to look after Dhaka’s transport system.


“The DMTA Act 2009 will soon be passed in the Parliament to institute a more efficient and empowered body for Dhaka’s transportation system,” he said while addressing a seminar on Urban and Transport Development.


DTCB and Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) jointly organised the seminar at a city hotel.


The new body is intended to remove the inadequacies of DTCB that has so far been unable to function effectively, he said.


The DMTA Act will also have provisions to institute Dhaka Metro Rail Authority and other bodies as well, said the minister.

Kushtia AL leaders, outlaw caught with AK-47

Kushtia AL leaders, outlaw caught with AK-47
Star Online Report

Three Awami League leaders and activists and a member of outlawed Gono Mukti Fouz were arrested along with an AK-47, a shotgun and 82 rounds of bullet at Trimohoni, on the outskirts of Kushtia town, on Monday night.


The AL leaders were identified as Taslima Khan Ankhi, secretary of Kushtia Mohila Awami League, Abdur Razzak, AL leader of Daulatpur unit, and activist Rani while the outlaw was identified Shahin, reports our Kushtia correspondent.


Detective Branch of Police, Rapid Action Battalion and police along with the arrestees were conducting drives at different places in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia to recover more firearms till filling of this report at about 12:00pm on Tuesday.


Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted a microbus carrying Ankhi, Razzak, Rani and Shahin at Trimohoni check post at about 11:00pm yesterday and arrested the four along with the firearms and ammunitions.


They collected the firearms from Daulatdia and were taking those to the residence of Ankhi in Kushtia town, Assistant Sub Inspector of Kushtia Police Station Alamgir Hossain told The Daily Star.


The ASP said all of them, including Ankhi and her husband, are involved with Gono Mukti Fouz and supplied firearms for the outfit.


Taslima, wife of former poura commissioner Kohinoor Khan, was arrested on October 30, 2006 after the bullet-hit body of Jamirul Islam alias Jamu, Jubo League leader of Kushtia town, was recovered from her house. She was released on bail after six days.

2 held with 17 firearms in Jhenidah

2 held with 17 firearms in Jhenidah
Star Online Report

Police recovered 17 firearms and arrested two arms traders from a bus at Arabpur bus stand in Jhenidah on Tuesday morning.


The arrestees are Azad Hossain and Saidul Islam of Andulia village in Chowgachha upazila, Jessore, reports our Jhenidah correspondent.


Officer in-Charge Anwar Hossain of Jhenidah Sadar Police Station said they recovered the firearms and arrested the two traders from a Rajshahi-bound bus at about 9:40am today.


The firearms apparently seem air gun and are used in different operations. The cost of those firearms is about Tk 68 lakh the OC said.


Police conducted the drive after they received information that huge firearms would be shifted to Rajshahi illegally through the district.


Police super Rezaul Karim of Jhenidah confirmed that the arrestees were illegal arms trader.


He said the seized air guns have been modified and used in different fatal cases. Those were being taken to Rajshahi zero point from Jessore BRTC counter, he said.


The arrested are taken in police custody for interrogation.

Bangabandhu case hearing ends for 22nd day

Bangabandhu case hearing ends for 22nd day
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Star Online Report

The Supreme Court concluded hearing on the appeals in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case for the 22nd day on Tuesday.


Chief counsel for the state in the case advocate Anisul Huq placed his submission before the five-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Justice Md Tafazzul Islam.


The court adjourned the hearing in the case till 9:30 tomorrow.


Five convicts -- dismissed army personnel Syed Farooqur Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Mohiuddin Ahmed, AKM Mohiuddin, and Bazlul Huda, now behind the bars, lodged the appeals with the SC in October 2007 against their death sentences pronounced by the High Court.


The Supreme Court started the hearing on the appeals on October 5.

Vietnam storm kills 11

Vietnam storm kills 11
AP, Hanoi

Tropical Storm Mirinae unleashed severe flooding in parts of central Vietnam, killing 11 people, leaving two missing and forcing families onto rooftops, disaster officials said Tuesday.


Floods in Phu Yen province killed 10 people after the storm hit, drenching the region with heavy rains Monday, said disaster official Duong Van Huong.


Several villages in neighboring Binh Dinh province suffered the worst flooding in four decades after the Ha Thanh River surged over its banks, said disaster official Nguyen Van Hoa. One man drowned in Binh Dinh and two others were missing, Hoa said.


Local authorities asked the central government to send

helicopters to rescue people who were still trapped on rooftops a day after the storm, which lost force as it moved inland.


"We have received many calls for help from people who are still stranded," Hoa said by telephone.

Soldiers in speedboats navigated to submerged areas and ferried out residents.


Mirinae hit the Philippines with typhoon strength over the

weekend, killing 20 people before losing strength as it moved across the South China Sea toward Vietnam.


Both Vietnam and the Philippines were still recovering from Typhoon Ketsana, which brought the Philippine capital of Manila its worst flooding in 40 years when it struck in September. Ketsana killed 160 people in Vietnam.

In the Philippines, Ketsana and two later storms killed more than 900. Some 87,000 people who fled the storms were still living in temporary shelters when Mirinae struck.


In a separate incident in northern Vietnam on Monday, one woman drowned and five others were still missing after a whirlwind toppled two boats in the northern province of Quang Ninh, disaster official Le Thanh Nam said.

Sixteen other passengers managed to swim to safety after the boats sank, Nam said.

Five Muslims killed in Thailand

Five Muslims killed in Thailand
AFP, Yala

Suspected Islamist insurgents shot dead five Muslims, mostly civilians, in a new spate of attacks across the troubled south of Thailand, police said Tuesday.


Gunmen killed a former village chief and his deputy in a drive-by attack on their car in restive Yala province on Monday, they said.


A Muslim villager was killed when attackers broke into his house in Narathiwat province on Monday night while two Muslim rangers died in separate shootings in Pattani province, also on Monday, said police.


Separately a ranger was critically wounded in a bomb blast in Pattani.


More than 3,900 people have died in shootings, bombings, beheadings, burnings and crucifixions since a separatist insurgency erupted in Thailand's southern provinces bordering Malaysia in January 2004.