Fire at RMG factory      

At least 21 garment workers, 15 of them women, died due to smoke inhalation during an incident of fire at a sweater factory in Gazipur Thursday night. The fire broke out around 9 pm on the first floor of Garib & Garib sweater factory in Gazipur. Panicked workers rushed to the upper floors to escape the flames and a number of them died of smoke inhalation there. Another 30 people were injured in the fire. They were admitted to different hospitals.
According to Fire Service and Civil Defence officials huge smoke was the main reason behind the casualties. The fire broke out on the first floor of the seven-storey building that houses the sweater factory but it did not spread to other floors. A huge amount of smoke caused the deaths. A short circuit could be the reason for the incident of fire. Fire fighters rushed to the spot and doused the flame at 11:30pm. Besides, six ambulances were used in rescue operations. Garib & Garib sweater factory had around 3,500 workers and most of them had left for home before the fire broke out.
Incidents of fire have been taking place frequently in and around the capital. In the recent past devastating fire caused heavy losses in Bashundhara city building and the National Text Book Board book deport at Tejgaon. But the fire incident in Gazipur is much more devastating in view of the loss to human lives.
Garment industries in the country are most unprotected and unsafe in many respects and the workers there are exposed to serious insecurity. Over the years a large number of workers died from fire incidents and stampedes. Most of the factories are congested, without sufficient fire fighting arrangements and without arrangements for quick exits in case of emergency. Much has been said about these shortcomings in seminars and newspapers, but all in vain.
What has happened on Thursday in the Garib & Garib Sweater Factory in Gazipur is very unfortunate. Some of the workers who were on duty there returned home as dead bodies plunging their families into untold miseries. We are shocked at their deaths and urge the factory authorities to pay adequate compensation to the families of the fire victims. We also call upon the owners of the Ready Made Garment (RMG) factories to strengthen the security arrangements in the factories so that the fire incidents, other accidents and deaths of workers can be averted.

Homage paid to army officers 

killed in Peelkhana carnage

UNB, Dhaka

Wreaths were placed on behalf of President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a memorial at Banani army graveyard Thursday morning to pay respects to the martyred army officers slain during last year's BDR mutiny on the first anniversary of the Tragedy.
Fifty-seven brilliant army officers who were deputed to the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles as commanders were killed by rebel BDR jawans at the BDR HQs at Pilkhana on February 25-26, 2009. Of the 57 martyred army officers, 48 were buried at the army graveyard.
Asst Military Secretary to the President Lt Col Zakir Hossain and Military Secretary to the Prime Minister Brig Gen Salahuddin Miaji placed the wreaths at the memorial about 9:15am in state homage to the martyrs.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun, State Minister for Home Shamsul Huq Tuku and Chiefs of the three services also placed wreaths at the memorial, observed one-minute silence and offered Fateha seeking peace and salvation for the departed souls.
Later, Leader of the Opposition and ex-PM Khaleda Zia paid floral tributes to the late army officers by placing a wreath at the memorial. Family members of the martyred army officers also visited the graveyard, placed wreaths and offered fateha.
"A heartrending scene was created at the time as some family members burst into tears remembering the tragic deaths of their kith and kin. Some prayed to almighty Allah for the punishment of the killers," says a firsthand report.
Meanwhile, the home Minister attended a milad Mahfil at the central mosque of Pilkhana after Johr prayers.
Director-General of BDR Maj Gen Mainul Islam, senior BDR officers and jawans were present in the praying function. Talking to reporters after the Milad, the Home Minister said, "The bright sons of the soil (slain army officers) were brutally killed, which is an irreparable loss for the nation."
Home Minister Advocate Sahara told her audience at the haunted BDR headquarters that they are moving forward so that "the killers are brought under fair trial." She mentioned that the trial of mutineers already started and the trial of killers will be started "as early as possible" on completion of the investigation.

Curfew clamped in Khagrachhari

50 houses torched, 30 hurt in fresh flare-ups

KHAGRACHHARI, Feb 23: Apprehending escalation of troubles, the district administration clamped down night curfew in the hill-district town and its suburbs in the wake of Bangalee-tribal clashes, reports UNB.
The curfew will remain in force from 8 pm to 6 am, restricting the residents indoors.
At least 50 houses were burnt in arson attacks in seven localities in the strike-bound district town amid clashes between indigenous people and Banglee settlers Tuesday in fresh flare-ups of violence in the hill tracts.
The district Administration imposed ban under section 144 on gathering in the entire area of sadar upazila at 2pm for an indefinite period to avert further outbreaks in a sequel to today''s clashes that left over 30 people wounded, including five newsmen.
Army troops have been deployed in the troubled areas of the hill-district town to come to grips with the situation, seen as the worst since the ethnic strife in the hills was calmed through a peace pact over a decade ago.
"Tensions have gripped the town with most people remaining confined to their houses or offices following the clashes," said a resident of Mahajanpara, one of the worst-affected areas.
Witnesses said Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and United People''s Democratic Front (UPDF) activists locked into clashes that triggered massive violence in the hill-district headquarters today that left over 30 people injured.
Private television channel NTV reporter Talat Mahmun was among those injured. He was rushed to sadar hospital with head injury.
"As groups of Banglee settlers and indigenous people ran riot amid chase and counter-chase, Bangalee men set fire to some houses of indigenous people at Mahajanpara while the ethnic people torched some houses in the Bangalee-dominated Milanpara area," says a firsthand report.
Meanwhile, life in the rugged Chittagong Hill Tracts virtually came to standstill as a daylong
blockade on roads and waterways began on Tuesday morning in Rangamati and Khagrachhari hill districts in protest against Saturday''s killing of two tribal people in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati. The United People''s Democratic Front (UPDF), a forum opposed to the 1997 peace deal, enforced the blockade in the two districts previously affected by over two decades of bush-war until the accord was signed between government and tribal insurgents.
The other hill district in the CHT region-Bandarbun-had been largely peaceful during the insurgency era as also now, maintaining a fraternal co-existence of different communities.
According to a source in the backwoods area, the UPDF supporters staged demonstrations on Manikchhari-Mahalchhari highway at Kutubchhari in Khagrachhari Sadar upazila in the morning. Section 144 was in force for the fourth day Tuesday in Baghaichhari upazila in Rangamati from where the deadly violence flared up.
The hill students brought out a procession in Khagrachari district town in the morning demanding fair trial of the killings. All modes of transport were off the roads in both the districts while the river vessels were found anchored. Road communications of the two hill districts with Chittagong and the capital, Dhaka, came to a halt following the strike. Two tribal people were killed and 15 others injured in a clash between the indigenous community and Bengali settlers at Gangarammukh village in Baghaichhari upazila Saturday.
UNB Rangamati correspondent said some indigenous leaders formed a human chain in front of Deputy Commissioner''s office on Tuesday morning demanding trial of the killings at Baghaihat. They also submitted a memorandum to the DC.
Police said three abandoned houses were torched near Baghaihat ansar camp on Monday midnight.
An emergency meeting on law and order began in DC''s conference room at 4pm to take stock of the situation.
Baghaichhari upazila administration sources said the situation in the troubled Baghaichhari hillside localities is getting back to normal as some of the victims who had fled homes started returning to their areas.
State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku will visit the strife-torn areas on Wednesday morning.
He will meet with local elite and victims and hold meeting with law-enforcing agencies, administrative officials and local leaders. According to a government handout, Food and Disaster Management Ministry sent 100 tonnes of rice, cash Tk 5 lakh and 500 bundles of corrugated iron sheets as relief supplies for the victims of violence in Baghaihat-Gangarammukh areas of Baghaichhari upazila today.

 BNP points finger at govt men behind BDR HQ carnage 

UNB, Dhaka

Opposition BNP leaders Thursday made a sweeping allegation that 'government men' were behind the BDR Headquarters carnage, as the first anniversary of the Pilkhana tragedy was observed today.
The allegation came from a commemorative meeting organized at the Jatiya Press Club by BNP in memory of the army officers who were killed during the mayhem on February 25-26 last year.
Addressing the condolence meet BNP standing-committee-member Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah alleged former army chief Gen (Retd) Moeen U Ahmed is mainly responsible for the BDR HQ incidents and "many people of the government had linked with the former army chief".
The former army officer-turned-politician went on to says that "the Prime Minister also knew what had happened inside the Pilkhana premises on that days from her meeting with the rebel BDR group".
Reacting to the Prime Minister's recent remarks, he said, "She (Hasina) and her party-men hatched conspiracy regarding the BDR HQ killings episode."
Referring to newspaper reports Brig Gen Hannan further fulminated that "many people of the government were involved in the BDR carnage".
Another BNP standing-committee-member, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, said the BDR HQ carnage was pre-planned, not any isolated incident.
Reacting to Prime Ministers' remarks, he asked why she (Hasina) does not hunt down "provocateurs of Pilkhana incident in her own party".
Presided over by BNP standing-committee-member Nazrul Islam Khan, the meeting was also addressed by Zainul Abdin Farooque MP, Shafiul Alam Prodhan, Dr Mahbubullah and former BDR director-general Maj Gen (Retd) Fazlur Rahman.

BSF killing spree continues

Another Bangladeshi killed on C'nawabganj border

TBT Report

One more Bangladeshi citizen was killed along Chapainawabganj border early Thursday as the killing spree of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Bangladesh border continues unabated despite India's repeated pledges to stop such killings.
With this BSF killed 97 Bangladeshis in the last 13 months. The number of Bangladeshis killed by BSF during the nine years period from January 1, 2000 to February 25, 2010 stands at 822. BSF also injured 858 and abducted 897 Bangladeshis in the same period.
According to UNB News Agency, BSF gunned down a Bangladeshi national opposite Fatehpur border in Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj early Thursday.The deceased was identified as Mukul, 28, son of Faring Ali of Khaisapara village in same upazila. Local sources said BSF jawans of Shabghati outpost fired on Mukul as he entered Indian land, killing him on the spot at about 5:30am.
The killings of unarmed Bangladeshis by the BSF on the border are continuing in clear violation of the spirit of good neighborliness as well as international law and despite repeated pledges by the Indian authorities to stop it.
In every meeting between BSF and BDR and also between the higher level officials of the two countries, the Indian side assures that killing of Bangladeshis by its forces on the border would come to an end immediately. But this pledge is seldom implemented.
Meanwhile, on last Wednesday Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Border Security Force (BSF) of India exchanged fire on the Chowka border under Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj district.
Operation Officer of 39 Rifle Battalion in the district Major Nazrul Islam said members of the Sabdolpur BSF camp in India fired 4-5 bullets at the BDR jawans, who retaliated with 10 bullets. The BDR troops were on patrol duty near border pillar number-175 at around 3 am. Later, the BDR sent a protest note to the Malda BSF battalion. However, the border situation was normal, the BDR major said.

Curfew clamped for 2nd day in Khagrachhari
Tuku warns stern govt action against troublemakers

                  

Chittagong Hill Tracts, not Afghanistan: A dismayed housewife sitting on the ruins of her house in ADC hill area devastated during the ethnic violence. The picture was taken on Wednesday. Photo: Banglar Chokh

UNB, Khagrachhari

As army troops patrolled the hill-district town to calm ethnic strife, State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku Wednesday urged the indigenous community and Bengali people to live in the Chittagong Hill Tracts maintaining peaceful coexistence shunning the path of violence.
"The government is committed to maintaining a peaceful order in the region so that both the Bangalee and tribal people can live here upholding their own traditions and cultures," the minister said at an exchange-of-views meeting at the local circuit house in the afternoon.

Several days' clashes and arson attacks left at least three people dead, scores injured and many homes looted and burnt in Khagrachhari and Rangamati hill districts following a land dispute. The administration re-imposed the nighttime curfew in the municipal area of Khagrachhari on Wednesday evening to keep the rioters disengaged and maintain peace.
Terming the incidents heinous and anti-humanity the minister said any man of conscience can't accept such acts of violence.
Tuku alleged that a certain quarter is trying to fish in the troubled waters creating unrest between Bangalee and tribal people and destabilizing the CHT region, where a relative calm had prevailed since the 1997 peace accord between government and tribal insurgents. Suggesting people to be aware of the evil quarter, the minister sought cooperation from the inhabitants of the region in building CHT as an abode of peace foiling all conspiracies.
He also asked the law-enforcing agencies to maintain law and order in the region "at any cost". The state minister also said stern action would be taken against those who will be found involved in the recent violent incidents.
Earlier, the minister visited the violence-stricken Maha-janpara, Rupalipara and Schoolpara under the Sadar upazila and assured the affected people of providing relief goods and cash from government fund.
Meanwhile, normalcy started to get back in the district after a spell of violence between the indigenous and Bangalee communities that erupted when activists of United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) and Parbatya Chattagram Bangali Chhatra Parishad staged demonstrations Tuesday in the town over the Baghaichhari incidents.
District administration sources said the situation in the troubled areas is getting back to normal as most of the victims who had fled homes started returning to their areas.
Army troops, BDR jawans, RAB and police personnel were seen patrolling the town and trouble-torn areas today to maintain law and order and stave off further flare-ups.

86 indicted in Peelkhana trial

                                                                                 

A special court accepted charges against 86 BDR personnel as the Peellkhana mutiny trial began at Durbar Hall on Tuesday, almost a year to the day since border guards took up arms against their officers, killing scores and holding their families hostage, reports bdnews24.com.
The special court began proceedings at noon, at the very site of the bloody uprising on Feb 25 last year, amid tight security in and around the sprawling Pilkhana compound.
Plaintiff in the case Subedar Major Shah Alam read out the charges, including participating in the mutiny, not resisting other mutineers, and not informing the higher authorities of the mutiny.
BDR director general Maj Gen Mainul Islam presided over the Special Court-5, set up under the Bangladesh Rifles Order-1972. Two other senior officers - Lt Col Golam Rabbani and Maj Sayeed Hasan Tapash - were also on the judges'' panel.
The plaintiff said 40 of the accused aimed guns at their officers on the first day of the two-day mutiny while the other accused did not try to stop them.
The court took cognizance of the charges.
Lawyer Mohammad Kislu, a representative nominated by the attorney general, remained present to give the court legal assistance. Four others - Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, Sheikh Baharul Islam, Manjur Alam Manju and Mohammad Shahnaj Tipu - were present as special prosecutors.
"Charges will be brought against the accused today. The charges include mutiny, holding back from resisting the mutineers and not informing higher authorities of the mutiny," Shahnaj Tipu told reporters before beginning of the proceedings on Tuesday.
Manjur said 65 of the 86 accused in the case had remained at the BDR headquarters while 19 were being held in jails and two remained fugitive.
The court issued warrants of arrest against the two absconders and sent the 65 others, who have been working at the headquarters since the Feb 25-26 mutiny, to jail.
The court also asked the law enforcers to show the 19 other BDR men, already in jail in the Peellkhana killing case, as arrested in the mutiny case too.
The Peellkhana mutineers killed over 70 people, nearly 60 of them army officers deputed to the border force, during the events of Feb 25-26 2009. Rebellion spread to other BDR camps around the country.
The government formed six special courts under BDR law last year, including two in Dhaka, to try some 3,500 border guards accused in some 40 cases in connection with the Pilkhana mutiny and associated rebellions in different districts.
The special courts will only try the charges of mutiny and rebellion, BDR officials have said earlier.
Trials of the other serious crimes, including the killings, rape and arson, will be held in civilian court.
The first of the mutiny trials began at Rangamati on Nov 24 against border guards accused of taking up arms in rebellion and solidarity with the Pilkhana mutineers.
Trials are also being held in Feni, Satkhira and Thakurgaon.
The Special Court 4 in Rangamati is due to hand down the first verdict in connection with the BDR mutiny on May 2.
In the event of a guilty verdict by the special courts, the maximum penalty for mutiny or rebellion is seven years in jail. The killings at Pilkhana will carry the maximum penalty under civil law. 

Four BCL cadres of CMC suspended on rape charge

Chittagong, Feb 23: Four students of Chittagong Medical College have been suspended on charge of rape of a young woman attending a female patient of the college hospital on Sunday night, reports UNB.
The decision for suspension of studentship of college BCL unit joint secretaries Kazi Faisal and Asibul Islam Limon and BCL members Sohag and Rabbi was taken at an emergency meeting of the Academic Council on Tuesday afternoon. The meeting asked the college disciplinary committee for further investigation into the allegations against them. If the allegations are probed, the culprits will face legal action, Principal Dr Selim M Jahangir told UNB.
Foysal and Limon are students of 3rd year MMBS, Sohag 2nd year and Rabbi 1st year.
Police and campus sources said a young girl (identity not disclosed),
close relative of a female patient attending her in the hospital, caught the lustful eyes of BCL men. On Sunday night, they forcibly took her away to the adjacent hill and violated her one after another.
They did not stop there. Returning to the hospital they compelled the patient to immediately leave the hospital.
As the information spread, rival group of BCL demonstrated on the campus on Monday and demanded punishment of the offenders that led to minor clash. 

Cheating in exam

   Magistrate manhandled by students    

PABNA, Feb 23: Five people, including a magistrate, were manhandled by the students of Pabna Polytechnic Institute for prevention of copying at examination hall on Tuesday, reports UNB.
Police said about 300 students of different sessions were appearing their course completion examinations Tuesday.
As they continued adopting unfair means openly by defying order, magistrate Shahidul Islam caught 28 of them red-handed and asked the invigilators to expel them at about 12:30pm.
Angered over the action, the students attacked the magistrate and teachers, leaving them slightly injured.
They also took out a procession and demanded withdrawal of their expulsion order and punishment to the magistrate.
Four other injured teachers--Shafiul Islam, Nur Uddin Ahmed, Abdur Razzak and Saiful Islam-were given first aid.
Later, the teachers and the magistrate left the campus under police protection.
Principal Prof. Shahjahan Ali said 28 students were expelled on charge of copying. He said the angry students damaged several rooms, including control room.
Motiar Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadar thana, said police on information rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

New power plant shuts in eight days

Crippled by gas crisis, the newly built Siddhirganj power plant has been shut down just within eight days of its inauguration by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, official sources said Tuesday, reports UNB.
Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB), a subsidiary of the state-owned Power Development Board (PDB), implemented the power-plant project and commenced the 120-MW unit-1 of the 240-MW plant, under a crash course for dealing with a perennial electricity crisis. The PM inaugurated its operation on February 14.
The other same-capacity unit of the twin-plant is supposed to come into operation within next two months.
According to sources, the EGCB shut down the plant on February 23 (Monday) after completion of a test run.
An official at the EGCB told UNB that despite gas crisis, they had to commence operation of the plant because of the fact that the PM would inaugurate it to mitigate the power crunch.
"Instructed by the higher authority, we had to arrange gas supply to the new plant through diverting gas from the existing 210-MW thermal plant at the Siddhirganj station and from other sources," said an EGCB official on condition of anonymity.
He noted that the gas-supply company, Titas, had to cut gas supply to other industries in Siddhirganj and its adjoining Narayanganj and Rupganj industrial belt. "About 500 small and medium-scale industries had been denied gas supply in the areas to ensure gas supply to the new plant," the EGCB official said.
He also informed that the EGCB would now conduct some other tests on the plant keeping it at halt.
The PDB official said that presently they have to keep closed a huge number of power plants, having a total capacity of 770 megawatts, because of gas crisis that has also forced the government to go for the fuel rationing to industries.
EGCB officials said that they have decided to convert the newly installed Siddhirganj peaking power plant to a dual-fuel system to offset the gas crisis and keep it in operation.
"We have already started discussion with the plant''s contractor, Indian BHEL, to convert the plant to dual-fuel one so that we can run the machine with liquid fuel," another EGCB official said.

    Outlaw killed in police ''encounter''    

KUSHTIA, Feb 23: A suspected outlaw was killed in a ''gun battle'' with police and RAB in Mirpur upazila under Kushtia district in the early hours of Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.
Sayeedul Islam, son of late Alimuddin of Anjangachhi village in the upazila, was a regional commander of outlawed Purbo Bangla Communist Party, said Kushtia assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Syed Mostafa Kamal.
Police and RAB officials said acting on a tip off that a group of criminals were holding a meeting near Anjangachhi Primary School playground, a joint team of Kushtia RAB and Mirpur thana police launched an operation at around 4:45 am.
"Sensing trouble the terrorists started firing at the law enforcers, who retaliated by firing shots. The terrorists retreated after around 30 minutes'' gunfight," Kamal said.
A body was recovered after the gunfight, he said adding that local people identified it as of Sayeedul.
The body was sent to Kushtia general hospital for autopsy.
According to the ASP, one light gun, three crude bombs, one lethal weapon, four rounds of bullet and a mobile phone were recovered from the spot.
He said Sayeedul was accused in seven cases, including three involving murders, filed in Mirpur police station.

Power supply severely disrupted as storm sweeps the city

UNB, Dhaka

The power supply in the capital was severely disrupted by the season's first nor'wester that hit the city late in the afternoon Wednesday.
According to official sources, vast area of the city plunged into darkness with the collapse of the power supply system as soon as the rainstorm started at 5:20 pm. The tempest continued for about 15 minutes, but many areas of the city had experienced blackout for hours together.
They said the electricity cables in different areas snapped on to the streets failing to withstand the fury of the nor'wester. The electricity system in the city's north-eastern and central parts, which are controlled by the Dhaka Power Supply Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), had to suffer the most from the nor'wester. The city's south-western part, which is controlled by the Dhaka Power Supply Company Ltd (DESCO), was relatively less affected by the storm.
"About 50 percent of our power sub-stations broke down by the storm, but now those were being repaired and power supply restored gradually," DPDC managing director Ataul Masud told UNB.
DPDC, which replaced the defunct DESA, is responsible for power distribution to major parts of the city including Dhanmondi, Tejgaon, Lalbagh, Narayanganj, Keranigani, Demra and Ramna area.
Masud said they have 33kV grid substations at 34 locations across the city. But half of the substations tripped with the hit of the storm.
"We've already restarted operation at some of the collapsed substations. But it will take another hour to get the whole system fully restored," he said at 7:07 pm.
DESCO managing director Saleh Ahmed informed that a few of their 11 kV substations went off after the nor'wester had hit. But most part under the DESCO remained as usual as none of our 33 kV grid substations were affected," he said.
DESCO is responsible for power distribution to the areas including Gulshan, Baridhara, Mirpur, Uttara and Tongi. Saleh Ahmed noted that two of the 15 feeder substations in Tongi west area were shut down while six out of 17 in Tongi east area, 12 out of 35 in Uttara, 24 out of 57 in Mirpur, and seven out of 30 substations in Baridhara went off after the storm hit those areas.
"But almost all the shutdown substations were restarted and power supply was restored in those areas within few minutes after the rainstorm had stopped," he said.

Political connection in Peelkhana carnage yet to be found: IO

UNB, Dhaka

After a long-drawn investigation into the BDR carnage, the IO Wednesday disclosed that political connection with the incident could not yet be found other than individual links of Awami League leader Torab Ali and BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu.
Briefing reporters at the CID Headquarters, the investigating officer of the BDR carnage case, special super Abdul Kahar Akand, disclosed that the February 25-26 mutiny was "preplanned".
And Torab Ali and Pintu knew about it and, at one stage, they had involvement in the incident that left many army officers in command of the border force dead and the BDR headquarters ransacked apart from other felonies.
"It (mutiny) was the manifestation of pent-up grievance of BDR jawans and also an attempt to tarnish the image of the government," said the investigating officer of the BDR carnage case.
A total of 74 people, including 57 army officers and three women, were killed in the Pilkhana carnage that also sent a ripple of revolt through other garrisons of the Bangladesh Rifles across the country.
Asked about involvement of Jamaat leader Barrister Abdur Razzak who was interrogated in this connection, he said Barrister Razzak was interrogated but his involvement was not found.
Asked about the time for submitting charge sheet in the BDR killings case, Kahar said the investigation is at the final stage. "It takes little bit time to complete the inquiry so the accused cannot escape through the loopholes of law."
He said the charge sheets will be submitted accusing nearly 900 persons. Kahar said that, so far, 2,205 persons, mostly BDR jawans, have been arrested. Of them, 523 BDR men gave their confessional statements to the Magistrates under Section 164 of CrPC. Some 7,974 persons, including BDR men, their relatives, Ministers, MPs, victims and their family members, police, RAB, army, newsmen and local residents, were interrogated.
Besides, 3,700 alamats (evidences) were seized from the place of occurrence and other places. He said at the time of the mutiny about 11,000 BDR men were present inside the BDR headquarters. There are 100 establishments inside the headquarters and offences were committed in almost all those places amid the mayhem.

Peelkhana massacre day today 
Government will track down provocateurs of carnage: PM

BSS, Gazipur

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said her government would track down the provocateurs of the February 25-26 BDR carnage to be exposed to justice along with the massacre culprits as the country observes first anniversary of the carnage today ( Wednesday ) .
"We will find out the provocateurs of the gruesome killings inside the BDR headquarters and expose them to justice along with the killers," she said while addressing a public rally at Nawzor here after formal inauguration of Dhaka bypass road.
She said that whoever would be found involved in the BDR carnage inside Pilkhana must be tried.
In an apparent reference to the main opposition BNP, the premier alleged that when all the partners of the Awami League- led grand alliance joined the rescue efforts, they were not found at the scene while Begum Khaleda Zia too had deserted her cantonment residence for three days to take refuge at an unidentified location.
The Prime Minister's comments came as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police said they were ready to submit the chargesheet against the massacre culprits at the BDR's Pilkhana headquarters detecting the suspects after one year's of thorough investigations.
Under a government decision the culprits would be tried under the fast track Speedy Trial Tribunal which is obligated to complete the trial in 135 days while the trial of the ordinary mutineer soldiers who did not take part in offenses like killing were being tried under the BDR Act in Dhaka and four other places at special BDR courts.
A large number of people joined the rally organized to mark the opening of the 48 kilometre bypass road for traffic as it linked Nawzor of Gazipur with Madanpur of Narayanganj.
Officials said the bypass road was constructed at a cost of Taka 281.60 crore to connect the country's north and southern regions as part of efforts to ease traffic loads on the capital city.
The newly constructed road will reduce traffic congestion of the capital and ease sufferings of the passengers visiting between north, northwest and south, southeast regions.

   UK ban on student visas to go soon     

The ban imposed by the UK on student visa application will be lifted "as soon as possible'''', a British council director said Tuesday, after announcing the schedule of annual UK exhibition in Bangladesh.
"This suspension will come to an end as soon as possible. The door would be wide open and we hope a large number of students will come in UK to pursue higher education, British council Bangladesh director, Charles Nuttal OBE said.
He also expressed hopes that genuine students will get chance for admission.
UK has temporarily suspended accepting visa applications from February 1 in view of the surge in applications during a short period of time.
Students aspiring to pursue higher education in the UK will get a chance to meet representatives from nearly 37 UK-based institutes in the capital and the port city.
In Dhaka the exhibition will take place on 4 and 5 March, from 11 am to 8 pm at Winter Garden of Hotel Sheraton while it will be held in Chittagong on March 7. The entry fee to the exhibition is tk. 50.
British Council is organizing the Education UK exhibition 2010 and this is the 12th of its kind in Bangladesh.
The exhibition will give local students the chance to gain more information on undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, scholarship opportunities and which institute could be right for them.
There will also be a UK Border Agency stall at the Exhibition and staff will provide answers to UK visa related queries.

    50 Turkish commanders held over coup plot     

ANKARA, Feb 23: Once they were untouchable. Some were members of Turkey''s elite military class known as "pashas," a title of respect harking back to Ottoman times. For decades, Turkey''s senior officers, self-appointed guardians of the country''s secular tradition, called the shots, reports AP.
But Monday, the balance of power in this European Union candidate appeared to have undergone a major shift. Turkish police detained 52 military commanders for allegedly planning to blow up mosques in order to trigger a military takeover and overthrow the Islamic-oriented government.
The detentions showed that the elected government is trying to take the upper hand against the military, which has ousted four governments since 1960 and held influence since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk created the secular republic from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
With strong electoral backing and support from the EU, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has curtailed military power and signaled further tough steps to rein in the generals. But Monday''s detentions, following the gathering of wiretap evidence and the discovery of secret weapons caches, marks the highest-profile crackdown to date.
Police in simultaneous operations in eight cities detained 21 generals and admirals, including ex-deputy chief Gen. Ergin Saygun, former Air Force chief Gen. Ibrahim Firtina and Navy Chief Adm. Ozden Ornek. The rest were mostly colonels.
They are also accused of conspiring to plan shooting down a Turkish warplane to trigger armed conflict with Greece in a bid to destabilize the Turkish government. The military strongly denies the allegations.
Erdogan declined to comment Monday on the raids, saying they had been carried out on prosecutors'' orders. However on Sunday, Erdogan said his government had not given "a chance to those who tried to fly a course for Turkey outside the law."
A spokesman for the main opposition Republican People''s Party, expressed concern over the detentions.
"These are grave incidents, severe incidents for society, for the Turkish armed forces," Mustafa Ozyurek said.

"Legally, and from a human rights perspective, there must be a speedy trial." Erdogan denies the ongoing crackdown is politically motivated or designed to silence government critics, as is claimed by opposition parties.
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc on Monday denounced the 1961 hanging by coup leaders of a prime minister and two of his ministers. But he said that those days are over and that Turkey now was going through a normalization process.
"Things will get better when those who were never accountable for their deeds begin to account for them," Arinc told CNN-Turk television Monday.
Conflict over Turkey''s national identity has simmered since Ataturk, an army officer in World War I, founded the republic and abolished the Caliphate.
He gave the vote to women, restricted Islamic dress and replaced the Arabic script with the Roman alphabet, but Islam remains a potent force.
Since taking power in 2002, Erdogan''s Islamic-rooted party has repeatedly denied that it is trying to impose religion on politics and society. However, secularists view its attempts to permit Islamic style head scarves at universities and a past push to criminalize adultery as alarming.
The military''s self-declared mission to protect the secular regime has pitted it in a bitter fight with Erdogan''s government. His July 2007 re-election with 46.6 percent of the votes buoyed the pragmatic leader to investigate people accused of secret military plots, when the first of a series surfaced in 2008. So far, prosecutors have jailed more than 400 people, including soldiers, academics, journalists and politicians. No one has yet been convicted.
In 2008, Turkey''s top court narrowly voted against disbanding Erdogan''s ruling party over accusations it is plotting to impose Islamic rule, but in a warning the judges cut off millions of dollars in state aid to the ruling Justice and Development Party.
Nihat Ali Ozcan, an analyst at the Economic Policy Research Institute in Ankara, said that despite the arrests, military influence is not likely to disappear.
"It is not the military that makes itself important, it is the present state of the country," Ozcan told the AP.
"As long there is no consolidation of democracy, the military will remain a main power in Turkey."

       Photography studio opens in AIUB             

The long awaited professional advertising design and photography studio along with a high tech computer lab for the students was inaugurated at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) of American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) recently, says a press release.
The Vice Chancellor, AIUB Dr Carmen Zita Lamagna and Vice President of Student Affairs Nadia Anwar lit a mangal pradeep (lamp) to inaugurate the studio, lab and exhibition. The invited guests then visited the studio and the computer lab. An exhibition was also organised to showcase the students’ creativity and dedicated efforts.
This ceremony was attended by the Vice President (HRD/ Admin/ Treasury) Hasanul A Hasan, Vice President (Academics) Prof Dr Tafazzal Hossain, Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Anwar Hossain, Deans, teachers, students and other high officials of AIUB.

Curfew clamped in Khagrachhari 

30 hurt, 50 houses torched, army deployed

A house in flame in Mohajanpara following eruption of fresh violence in Khagrachhari on Tuesday. Photo: Banglar Chok Apprehending escalation of troubles, the district administration clamped down night curfew in the hill-district town and its suburbs in the wake of Bangalee-tribal clashes. The curfew will remain in force from 8 pm to 6 am, restricting the residents indoors. At least 50 houses were burnt in arson attacks in seven localities in the strike-bound district town amid clashes between indigenous people and Banglee settlers Tuesday in fresh flare-ups of violence in the hill tracts. The district Administration imposed ban under section 144 on gathering in the entire area of sadar upazila at 2pm for an indefinite period to avert further outbreaks in a sequel to today's clashes that left over 30 people wounded, including five newsmen. Army troops have been deployed in the troubled areas of the hill-district town to come to grips with the situation, seen as the worst since the ethnic strife in the hills was calmed through a peace pact over a decade ago. "Tensions have gripped the town with most people remaining confined to their houses or offices following the clashes," said a resident of Mahajanpara, one of the worst-affected areas. Witnesses said Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) activists locked into clashes that triggered massive violence in the hill-district headquarters today that left over 30 people injured. Private television channel NTV reporter Talat Mahmun was among those injured. He was rushed to sadar hospital with head injury. "As groups of Banglee settlers and indigenous people ran riot amid chase and counter-chase, Bangalee men set fire to some houses of indigenous people at Mahajanpara while the ethnic people torched some houses in the Bangalee-dominated Milanpara area," says a firsthand report. Meanwhile, life in the rugged Chittagong Hill Tracts virtually came to standstill as a daylong blockade on roads and waterways began on Tuesday morning in Rangamati and Khagrachhari hill districts in protest against Saturday's killing of two tribal people in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati. The United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), a forum opposed to the 1997 peace deal, enforced the blockade in the two districts previously affected by over two decades of bush-war until the accord was signed between government and tribal insurgents. The other hill district in the CHT region-Bandarbun-had been largely peaceful during the insurgency era as also now, maintaining a fraternal co-existence of different communities. According to a source in the backwoods area, the UPDF supporters staged demonstrations on Manikchhari-Mahalchhari highway at Kutubchhari in Khagrachhari Sadar upazila in the morning. Section 144 was in force for the fourth day Tuesday in Baghai-chhari upazila in Rangamati from where the deadly violence flared up. The hill students brought out a procession in Khagrachari district town in the morning demanding fair trial of the killings. All modes of transport were off the roads in both the districts while the river vessels were found anchored. Road communications of the two hill districts with Chittagong and the capital, Dhaka, came to a halt following the strike. Two tribal people were killed and 15 others injured in a clash between the indigenous community and Bengali settlers at Gangarammukh village in Baghaichhari upazila Saturday.

   Private University (Amendment) Act 2009             

   APUB urges govt to ditch the bill            

UNB, Dhaka

Leaders of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) Tue-sday requested the government to ditch the proposed bill titled 'Private University (Amendment) Act 2009' to ensure education-friendly atmosphere in country's higher education.
"If the government gets the bill through parliament, country's higher education sector, mostly the 51 private universities, will hit a deadlock," said APUB chairman and former adviser of caretaker government CM Shafi Sami at a press conference at Dhaka Repo-rters Unity (DRU).
He noted that the proposed law provides for bifurcating private universities' boards of governors into Syndicate and Trustee Board for governing the private universities.
"If we provide power and economic responsibilities to separate authorities, a deadlock-like situation will arise in governing the private universities as nobody will take interest in investing their money in this sector without power," he feared.
CM Sami said that the roles and work areas of the Academic Council and the Curriculum Committee will be changed under the proposed bill for establishing control of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Criticizing the law in the making, the former adviser lamented that the proposed bill is giving special facilities to foreign universities in establishing campus in Bangladesh while the domestic universities will have to follow the bill strictly.
"It is an unruly rule for us," said Sami, also an ex-foreign secretary.
He said that the new bill also asks the private university authorities to take permission from UGC in determining tuition fee for the students. "As the UGC does not provide any allocation for the private universities, why we will take permission in determining tuition fee?" he questioned.
National Prof Nurul Islam, APUB vice-chairman Prof Abul Quasem Hyder and APUB secretary-general Prof Dr M Alimullah Mian, among others, also spoke at the press conference.

      Bhola by-election may not be free, fair: Hafiz      

Expressing grave concern over the on going terrorist activities in Bhola, BNP leader Maj Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (retd) said that the upcoming by-election to Jatiya San-gsad-3 seat of the district might not be held in free, fair and impartial manner.
He expressed this apprehension while talking to reporters at his Banani residence in the capital on Tuesday. Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said taking the advantages of having majority in the parliament, the ruling party is going to materialise BAKSAL in the country. As part of the plan, ruling party's activists under the shelter of law enforcing agencies and their political leaders are engaged in committing terrorist activities in Bhola as well as elsewhere in the country. If this situation continues, any election in the country under this government will not be held in impartial manner and participation of BNP in the election will not be possible too.
He alleged soon after the Supreme Court verdict, a number of ruling party cadres equipped with various weapons started creating anarchy in and around the area riding motorbikes. Due to the enormous repression, a number of local BNP leaders and activists are being compelled to leave their houses of the area. Besides, some thana and union level party offices were gutted down under the very nose of police and concerned administration.
"So far as I know, election schedule for holding by-election of the constituency is going to be published within one or two weeks. All sorts of preparations for holding a stage managed election have already been completed," he said.
Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said the government and the Election Commission should take necessary measures to curb the criminal offences which are being committed by ruling party cadres ahead of the upcoming by-election. Replying to a query, he said deleting Zia's name from Zia International Airport (ZIA) is an outcome of politics of revenge. Shaheed president Ziaur Rahman as a commander of Z force had announced country's independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He had given Zia BP award after independence. So erasing the name from ZIA is unreasonable and unacceptable.

        86 indicted in Peelkhana trial        

A special court accepted charges against 86 BDR personnel as the Peellkhana mutiny trial began at Durbar Hall on Tuesday, almost a year to the day since border guards took up arms against their officers, killing scores and holding their families hostage, reports bdnews24.com.
The special court began proceedings at noon, at the very site of the bloody uprising on Feb 25 last year, amid tight security in and around the sprawling Pilkhana compound.
Plaintiff in the case Subedar Major Shah Alam read out the charges, including participating in the mutiny, not resisting other mutineers, and not informing the higher authorities of the mutiny.
BDR director general Maj Gen Mainul Islam presided over the Special Court-5, set up under the Bangladesh Rifles Order-1972. Two other senior officers - Lt Col Golam Rabbani and Maj Sayeed Hasan Tapash - were also on the judges'' panel.
The plaintiff said 40 of the accused aimed guns at their officers on the first day of the two-day mutiny while the other accused did not try to stop them.
The court took cognizance of the charges.
Lawyer Mohammad Kislu, a representative nominated by the attorney general, remained present to give the court legal assistance. Four others - Mosharraf Hossain Kajal, Sheikh Baharul Islam, Manjur Alam Manju and Mohammad Shahnaj Tipu - were present as special prosecutors.
"Charges will be brought against the accused today. The charges include mutiny, holding back from resisting the mutineers and not informing higher authorities of the mutiny," Shahnaj Tipu told reporters before beginning of the proceedings on Tuesday.
Manjur said 65 of the 86 accused in the case had remained at the BDR headquarters while 19 were being held in jails and two remained fugitive.
The court issued warrants of arrest against the two absconders and sent the 65 others, who have been working at the headquarters since the Feb 25-26 mutiny, to jail.
The court also asked the law enforcers to show the 19 other BDR men, already in jail in the Peellkhana killing case, as arrested in the mutiny case too.
The Peellkhana mutineers killed over 70 people, nearly 60 of them army officers deputed to the border force, during the events of Feb 25-26 2009. Rebellion spread to other BDR camps around the country.
The government formed six special courts under BDR law last year, including two in Dhaka, to try some 3,500 border guards accused in some 40 cases in connection with the Pilkhana mutiny and associated rebellions in different districts.
The special courts will only try the charges of mutiny and rebellion, BDR officials have said earlier.
Trials of the other serious crimes, including the killings, rape and arson, will be held in civilian court.
The first of the mutiny trials began at Rangamati on Nov 24 against border guards accused of taking up arms in rebellion and solidarity with the Pilkhana mutineers.
Trials are also being held in Feni, Satkhira and Thakurgaon.
The Special Court 4 in Rangamati is due to hand down the first verdict in connection with the BDR mutiny on May 2.
In the event of a guilty verdict by the special courts, the maximum penalty for mutiny or rebellion is seven years in jail. The killings at Pilkhana will carry the maximum penalty under civil law. 

Siddhirganj power plant 

shut down for gas crisis

Crippled by gas crisis, the newly built Siddhirganj power plant has been shut down just within eight days of its inauguration by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, official sources said Tuesday.
Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB), a subsidiary of the state-owned Power Development Board (PDB), implemented the power-plant project and commenced the 120-MW unit-1 of the 240-MW plant, under a crash course for dealing with a perennial electricity crisis. The PM inaugurated its operation on February 14. The other same-capacity unit of the twin-plant is supposed to come into operation within next two months.
According to sources, the EGCB shut down the plant on February 23 (Monday) after completion of a test run.
An official at the EGCB told UNB that despite gas crisis, they had to commence operation of the plant because of the fact that the PM would inaugurate it to mitigate the power crunch.
"Instructed by the higher authority, we had to arrange gas supply to the new plant through diverting gas from the existing 210-MW thermal plant at the Siddhirganj station and from other sources," said an EGCB official on condition of anonymity.
He noted that the gas-supply company, Titas, had to cut gas supply to other industries in Siddhirganj and its adjoining Narayanganj and Rupganj industrial belt.

           ADP downsized to Tk 28,500 cr

The government downsized the Annual Development Programme (ADP) to Tk 28,500 crore in its maiden budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year while pushed up the number of uplift projects.
Officials said the National Economic Council app-roved the revised ADP with the spending cuts in its meeting Tuesday with NEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
With the trimming, the allocation to the development budget stands at Tk 2,000 crore or 6.6 percent less than the actual ADP size of Tk 30,500 crore.
Under the revised ADP, the number of projects was raised to 1058 from 886 of the original plan, said Planning Minister AK Khandaker while briefing reporters after the meeting. Planning Secretary Habibullah Majumder was present. He said of the revised ADP, Tk 17,200 crore (60.35 percent) will come from government exchequer while Tk 11,300 crore (39.65 percent) as project aid.
Under the revised ADP, the sectors which got comparatively higher allocation of money are education and religion Tk 4,258.79 crore (15 percent), rural development and rural institutions Tk 3,939.65 crore (14 percent), transport Tk 3,878.04 crore (14 percent), power, oil, gas and natural resources Tk 3,546.25 crore (12 percent), health, nutrition, population and family welfare Tk 2,981.18 crore (10 percent), infrastructure planning, water supply, housing Tk 2,972.60 crore (10 percent) and agriculture and water resources Tk 2,963.02 crore (10 percent).
Answering to a question, the Planning Minister said that the progress in ADP implementation (From July 2009 to January 2010) is 35 percent, which was 31 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year.
"The size of the ADP (Tk 30,500 crore) is higher in the current fiscal and Tk 10,652 crore has been spent till January which was Tk 7,829 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year," he told the media men.
He said a reserve fund of Tk 571 crore has been kept in the revised ADP where the projects under finishing stage, very important or in need of sudden amount will be given preference for further allocation.
The planning minister said they have done the revision of ADP this fiscal after a study and the implementation process of ADP will be monitored. "There will be efforts to have project-implementation progress at 100 percent, especially for the important ones and which are in the finishing stages."

Bomb blasts at Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office gate                  Khandaker Delwar’s son Paban injured

Two hand bombs thrown targeting BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office exploded at the office gate injuring at least one person on Tuesday night.
The bombs were reportedly hurled by two motorcyclists at 10:10 pm. At that time Begum Zia and a number of party leaders including Sr. Jt. Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam, chief whip Zoynal Abedin Farooque, Shahid Uddin Chy Anny MP, Nazimuddin Alam, JCD President Sultan Salahuddin Ahmed Tuku and others were in the office. Begum Zia reached the office at 8:30 pm and was in a meeting with the leaders. Khandaker Akhter Hamid Paban, son of BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain received injury from a splinter of the bomb and was admitted to United Hospital.
Begum Zia and other leaders were still there in the office at time of writing this report at 11:00 PM. However, neither the BNP Chairperson nor any other leader gave any reaction to the untoward incident. On receipt of the information, RAB and Police rushed the spot and cordoned the area.
However, no information was readily available about the perpetrators or the motive behind the bomb attack targeting the BNP Gulshan office. It may be recalled here that a cocktail was found in front of the BNP office a few days ago. Besides BNP leaders have been expressing concern over the lack of security of Begum Zia for quite some time. DC of Gulshan Police Hafiz Akhtar told Journalists one Pradeep Saha has been arrested along with his motorcycle on suspecion of his involvement in the blasts. He was being quizzed last night.