Hasina, five others indicted

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina along with five others was on Wednesday charged with corruption in the MiG-29 warplane corruption case.
Dhaka divisional special judge Golam Murtoza Majumder, in the makeshift courtroom on the Jatiya Sangsad complex, framed the charges against Hasina, also the Awami League president, and five others in the case.
The judge also posted for September 3 the beginning of the trial with the recording of the depositions of prosecution witnesses.
The court charged Hasina, now facing trial in a case of extortion and another of corruption, with criminal breach of trust under Section 409 of the Penal Code and criminal misconduct under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 causing a loss of Tk 720 crore to the state by buying eight MiG-29 fighter planes from Russia in 1999.
Former air chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yousuf Hossain, former air force officer Mirza Akhtar Maruf, former joint secretary of the defence ministry Mohammad Hossain Serniabat and businessman Noor Ali were charged with abetting Hasina in committing the offences under Section 109 of the Penal Code.
If the charges are proved, Hasina may be jailed for life or 10 years for criminal breach of trust and for seven years for criminal misconduct. In addition, fine may also be imposed on her for both the offences.
The other five may also face similar sentences for helping Hasina to commit the offences.
The court framed the charges rejecting the defence counsels’ petition which sought adjournment of the proceedings for a month saying that Hasina, released on June 11 by an executive order for eight weeks and now in the United States for medical treatment, would return by September 8 and the charges should be framed in her presence.
The prosecution opposed the defence plea and said there was no scope for delaying the framing of charges as Hasina had been exempted from personal appearance in court and was represented by her counsels.
The other five were in the dock and all of them pleaded they were not guilty as the court read out the charges against them.
The court also relieved former army chief Mustafizur Rahman from the trial as he had died.
The prosecution on June 2 proposed framing of charges against the seven, including Mustafiz, in the case.
Abdullah Al Zahid, deputy director of the now defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption, filed the case with the Tejgaon police on December 11, 2001, accusing Hasina and the six others of corruption in the purchase of the MiG-29 fighter planes, which, he said, caused a loss of Tk 720 crore to the state.
This is the third case in which Hasina has so far been indicted and to face formal trial.
The trial of Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim in the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case, stalled for about six months, was restarted on August 18.
M Ashraf Hossain, the judge of the special judge’s court 5 set up on the Jatiya Sangsad complex, began again the trial with recording the deposition of the plaintiff, Azam J Chowdhury, a local power company boss, amid protests of the defence counsels.
The East Coast Trading Private Ltd managing director, Azam J Chowdhury, filed the case with the Gulshan police on June 13, 2007 alleging the former prime minister, aided by her sister and cousin, had extorted Tk 2.99 crore from him for the award of a power plant installation contract in 2001.
The trial, which began on January 30, had been stalled since February 26 when the High Court quashed the case. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on May 8 turned down the High Court verdict and made room for the continuation of the trial.
Hasina is also facing trial on graft charges in the barge mounted power plant case. The trial, however, has been stalled as the High Court on July 7 stayed the trial and issued a rule on the government to explain the legality of the graft cases.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on August 13 upheld the High Court orders that stayed the proceedings in the barge-mounted power plant case.
The full court of all the five Appellate Division judges disposed of the petition filed by the government seeking permission to appeal against the High Court order and asked both parties in the case to get the rule, issued by the High Court on July 7, heard by the High Court expeditiously.
Hasina was arrested on July 16, 2007.

RU closed for indefinite period

Rajshahi University was closed for an indefinite period following a clash between the students of the institution and businessmen of Binodpur Bazar that left 60 people injured Tuesday night.
The authorities concerned also decided to suspend all the classes and examinations for an indefinite period and asked the students to vacant their halls of residence by 12:00 noon on Wednesday. The students had left their dormitories within the deadline.
The syndicate at an emergency meeting Wednesday morning took the decision. Acting vice-chancellor ProfessorMamnunul Kerammat chaired the meeting.
‘We have decided to suspend all the classes and examinations to avoid untoward incident and ensure the security of the students,’ said Dr Shafi, member-secretary of the syndicate.
Campus sources said the clash erupted when the students vandalised the ticket counter of Hanif Paribahan at Binodpur.
The students attacked the counter after the supervisor had forced a third year student of management department to get down from the bus in Natore following an altercation over the arrangement of a seat.
On his return, the management student Humayun Kabir went to the ticket counter and asked its manager to refund him the price of the ticket.
As the manager refused to refund, Humayun informed his fellow students of the matter. Later businessmen, transport workers and local people attacked the students when they went to the ticket counter.
The businessmen of Binodpur Bazar along with local people also entered the campus and attacked the students. They ransacked the windows and doors of SM Hall and Medical Centre of the university.
The university authorities did not take any step to bring the situation under control, some students alleged.
The police reached the spot at 1:00am and fired 20 rounds of rubber bullet and teargas shells to disperse the angry people.
Riot police, members of Rapid Action Battalion and Bangladesh Rifles were deployed on the campus and its adjacent areas to fend off further trouble.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police deputy commissioners Sajjadur Rahman and Mahbubur Rahman visited the spot early Wednesday.
Rajshahi City Corporation mayor-elect AHM Khairuzzaman Liton also visited the area Wednesday morning. During the visit, the businessmen placed 4-point demand, including resignation of proctor Enamul Haque, and compensation of Tk 50 lakh for damaging shops by the students.
Liton said that a group of criminals created such violence on the campus. He demanded immediate appointment of a vice-chancellor and resignation of the proctor, saying that the clash erupted due to failure of the proctor and acting vice-chancellor.

EC drops plan to keep parties

The Election Commission has finalised the draft of upazila electoral rules and code of conduct dropping its plan to keep political parties out of the process of the local government polls.
The EC is likely to send the draft to the law ministry today for vetting after which it will promulgate the rules exercising its power to do so under the Upazila Parishad Ordinance.
The interim government on June 30, 2008 promulgated the Local Government (Upazila Parishad) Ordinance-2008 that said the candidates must resign from their posts in political parties, if they held any, before taking oath to the elected parishads.
In the initial draft code of conduct and electoral rules for upazila polls the EC had made the upazila polls non-partisan and barred political parties from contesting the polls and participating in electioneering.
It brought changes in the draft after the High Court had scrapped similar rules prepared for city and municipal polls that barred political parties from participating in local government polls.
The EC’s plan to keep political parties out of the August 4 polls to four city corporations and nine municipalities fell through after the July 31 HC ruling that allowed the political parties to participate in local government elections.
According to the revised draft of upazila electoral rules and code of conduct, political parties will be able to contest the upcoming upazila elections.
EC sources said that the commission hoped that local government ministry would file an appeal against the HC ruling allowing political parties to contest the August 4 local government polls.
The EC is still sticking to its guns over holding polls to 300-250 upazilas in October though major political parties are strongly opposing the plan for holding any other elections before parliamentary polls the interim government has pledged to hold in December.
The Upazila Parishad Ordinance has introduced a number of provisions suggesting disqualification of certain types of candidates from contesting the elections to the local body. Bank loan defaulters and people employed in any private or semi-government schools will not be eligible to contest the elections.
Anyone who is convicted of fund embezzlement or other criminal offences, who is wanted by police and has been identified as a war criminal by any court will not be eligible for election to the upazila parishads.
The candidates must submit reports on their sources of income and account of the assets they own to the Election Commission. They must resign from the [posts of] political parties, if they hold any, before taking oath.

Bolt claims Olympic sprint double

Jamaican Usain Bolt became the first man in 24 years to claim the Olympic sprint double on Wednesday when he won the 200m in record-breaking style.
Bolt set a new world record time of 19.30 seconds to bag a double last achieved by American Carl Lewis at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
The Jamaican, who will be 22 on Thursday, broke the record of 19.32sec set by American Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles claimed silver in 19.82sec and defending Olympic champion Shawn Crawford of the United States took bronze in 19.96sec after team-mate Wallace Spearmon (19.95sec) was disqualified for running out of his lane.
The US team later launched two protests, the first against Spearmon’s disqualification, which they ultimately accepted, and a second against Martina for the same offence.

‘I feel good. I have just proved to the world I am a true champion and with hard work anything is possible,’ said Bolt.
‘This is more than I can handle really, I’m a bit overwhelmed. I didn’t think a 200m record was on because I felt tired after the heats.
‘But I told everyone I was going to come out here and leave everything on the track and I did just that.
‘I worked so hard to become champion and I will work harder to stay at the top,’ the former world junior champion warned.
He accelerated off his blocks in a perfect start and within 20 metres had tracked down Zimbabwe’s Brian Dzingai on his outside.
As he hit the final bend, Bolt was a metre up on Crawford on his inside and he entered the final straight looking majestic, launching his lithe 1.96m (6ft 5’) frame sprinting well clear of the field.
There was no easing up in the final 10 metres, as he had done in the 100m, the Jamaican dipping fiercely at the line with clenched teeth.
‘I got out good, I ran the corner as hard as possible and once I entered the straight I told myself to ‘keep it up, don’t die on me now’,’ Bolt said.
Martina said it had been a privilege to have raced Bolt in top form. ‘I felt good to be there during the race,’ said the 24-year-old whose time was 0.29sec quicker than his personal best.
Meanwhile the International Olympic Committee confirmed the 30-year-old Blonska had failed her A sample and the result of the B sample would be known Thursday.
Blonska faced a lifetime ban if both samples prove positive after serving a previous suspension for taking stanozolol, the anabolic steriod used by disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson.
International Athletics Federation president Lamine Diack confirmed an investigation was underway.
‘The procedure is running. The B-sample will no doubt be opened today and a decision taken tomorrow.’

Toxic ship banned from being

The shipping authorities have banned a foreign ‘toxic’ ship from being scrapped at Sitakundu ship breaking yard, the Chittagong port and shipping officials said on Wednesday.
Mongolian flag carrier New Atlantia, which global environmental watchdog Greenpeace described as hazardous, changed its name to MT Enterprise and entered the Bangladesh territory a few days back, they said.
It was waiting at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong port to be scrapped at Sitakundu ship breaking yard, they added.
Private ship breaking firm Madina Enterprise imported the scrap ship of over 16,000 tonnes for Tk 90 crores from Singapore recently, the officials informed.
Initially, the office of the director general (shipping) gave clearance for breaking up the ship here, but the same office cancelled the clearance on August 14 after learning that it was blacklisted as hazardous by Greenpeace, they also informed.
The authorities also ordered this ship to leave the Bangladesh water territory, they said.
‘We banned this ship after we became confirmed that it was toxic and blacklisted by Greenpeace,’ said Dr Mosarraf Asraf, chief chemist of the office of DG (shipping).
‘Initially, we gave clearance as we were not aware of the problem because our website was down. Singapore-based exporter firm Yalumba Incorporated also misled us with wrong interpretation in the documents submitted to us,’ he added.
Nazim Uddin, owner of Madina Enterprise, claimed that he had imported the ship for scrapping after obtaining due permission from the shipping authorities.
‘When the ship is ready for beaching at Sitakundu yard, the shipping department cancelled the permission with a plea of its name being on the list of toxic ships made by Greenpeace,’ Nazim said.
‘Then, we filed a writ with the high court and secured permission to break up this ship,’ he added.
But the chief chemist said the next course of action would be taken against this asbestos-laden ship after getting the copy of the court order.
Meanwhile, Young Power in Social Action, an NGO working on environmental and human rights issues, said it would organise a human chain in the port city today to protest against the arrival of this toxic ship and to demand its immediate departure.

Kuwaiti Labour Court rules in

A Kuwaiti Labour Court has ruled in favour of about 750 Bangladeshi workers who have been complaining of non-payment and underpayment of salaries.
The Arab Times, a Kuwait-based English language daily, Tuesday quoted a Bangladeshi embassy official as saying that the court under the ministry of social affairs had ruled on the complaints filed by the Bangladeshis who were employed with a local cleaning company and were placed at various government establishments.
It was pointed out that the company was irregular in payments to them and that the employer also failed to renew their residencies. The court ordered the company to pay the workers two months salary and other benefits, in addition to shouldering the cost of their repatriation, reports said.
Bangladesh embassy officials were also quoted as saying that a total of 233 cleaners of the company had already been sent back to Dhaka and that the rest of the ill-fated workers will also be sent home in next few days.
‘The ministry of social affairs and labour is doing everything in its capacity to repatriate the workers and senior officials of the ministry are regularly monitoring the situation of the workers,’ the Arab Times report said.
According to the complaints received by the embassy, some cleaners alleged that they were being paid as low as KD 6 in compensation, even as the embassy has called upon the company to pay the workers not less than KD 20 as temporary compensation. Out of the 750 workers, about 300 are female cleaners. Residency permits of most workers have expired, reports said. Earlier, victim workers told the Arab Times that the company had filed false cases against some of them accusing them of absconding from work in an effort to deport them. The move was aimed at denying them their unpaid salaries. The workers were being paid a monthly salary of KD 20.
The workers had also alleged that they were facing serious food shortage and that some community members were providing them supplies out of kindness.
The Bangladesh embassy in Kuwait has taken some concrete measures to curb the exploitation of its workers by unscrupulous employers. To this end, the embassy henceforth checks the antecedents of a company before giving green light for recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait, who began fresh strike protesting non-payment as well as deduction of salaries since Sunday, reportedly called off their strike following a settlement between the workers and the companies.
The Arab Times on Monday reported that some 6,000 workers of two cleaning companies enforced the strike demanding fixation of minimum monthly wage at KD 40 as per the Kuwaiti government order.
Since the issuing of the order, Kuwait government so far took action against at least five companies as they were continuing to deprive their workers of their fair salary and other facilities.

Bangladesh police denies

The Bangladesh Police on Wednesday denied Indian press reports that the police had entered the Indian territory and arrested one, as published in the Economic Times of India on Tuesday.
Terming the report false, baseless and fabricated, the inspector general of police, Noor Mohammad, told New Age, ‘I have yet to hear the news, but I am confirmed that the Bangladesh police has never entered the Indian territory.’
Saying that the allegations are ‘baseless,’ the Kurigram deputy commissioner, Jalal Uddin, told New Age, ‘A team of the Bhurungamari police, led by assistant subinspector Abdul Latif, conducted a raid on Dakkhin Bashjani early Tuesday to arrest a convict named Hossain Ali.’
‘As Hossain and his associates attacked the police, the police fired six gunshots in which Hossain was injured. He was then arrested at a jungle,’ Jalal said, adding the Bangladesh Police never entered the Indian territory.
The Bhurungamari police officer-in-charge, Aslam Iqbal, told New Age, ‘Our team conducted the raid and fired on the criminals.’ ‘The arrested and the injured police officer were treated in Kurigram Health Complex and were later shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital,’ Aslam said.
Hossain Ali, 40, meanwhile, died from his injuries in Rangpur Medical College Hospital at about 1:30pm.