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Three persons, including a district unit leader of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, were on Wednesday sentenced to death and four others to life-term imprisonment for killing a district BNP leader and former chairman of a Baghmara union council in November 2003.
   The Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal also fined the lifers Tk 10,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more in prison for murdering Abdul Hamid Moru alias Moru Hamid, vice-president of the district BNP and former chairman of Jhikra union council.
   Those awarded the capital punishment are district Workers Party leader Ali Khawaza MA Majid, also the chairman of Jhikra union council and district Krishak Samity vice president, his nephew Jahangir Alam and a member of Jhikra union council, Shukur Ali. The lifers are Nawshad, Jawadul Islam, Asadul Islam and Abdur Razzak.
   The judge, AFM Aminul Islam, also acquitted nine others. They include Imdadul Haque Joney, Shahin alias Joy, Ratana alias Titas, Jalal alias Jahangir, Akkas alias Titu, Abdul Jabber, Abdus Samad and Abdur Rashid of Bagmara.
   According to the prosecution story, the convicts fired shots on and slit the throat of Moru Hamid at Ghospara area in the city in the broad daylight on November 9, 2003.
   Abdul Washek alias Lal, the victim’s brother in-law, filed a case with the Boalia police and the police submitted charge sheet against 16 persons in 2004. The case was shifted to the Speedy trial tribunal in early 2006.
   The Workers Party and the family members alleged that Khawaza had been ‘falsely implicated in the case under a conspiracy’.
   In a news conference at the Rajshahi Press Club after the verdict, the Workers Party leaders also claimed that the government had taken case politically.
   The WP Rajshahi district unit secretary, Rafiqul Islam Piarul, city unit secretary, Liakat Ali Liku, and central leader Matiur Rahman Tapan were present at the conference.
   The party also staged a rally in front of the Central Shaheed Minar before the pronouncement of the verdict. The speakers at the rally also claimed Majid innocent.
   United News of Bangladesh adds: Downcast having heard the judgement, the family members of the convicts alleged that their kinsmen were ‘falsely implicated in the case under a conspiracy’.
   They said that the government had sent the case to the Speedy Trial Tribunal as their tenure was about to end.

Many companies, including electric appliances, furniture, mobile operator, real estate and motor, along with dress sops and the retailers are offering discount and gifts to woo the Eid shoppers.
   As the shoppers buy necessary and luxurious items alongside cloths, shoes or kitchen items for Eid, the shop owners and companies are offering the discount and gifts to attract the customers, said the sellers.
   A significant increase in the number of shopping malls and companies of similar products in the recent years is another reason for such offers, they added.
   Mobile phone operators, like the past few years, are the top companies in terms of giving ‘special Eid offers’. They are offering discount, scratch card gift, lotteries and SMS competition to sell their different packages.
   Aktel is offering Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur-Dhaka air ticket, Nokia handset and one month bonus talk time on a voice SMS competition to send Eid greetings.
   Citycell is organising fairs ‘Citycell Mobile Eid Utsab’ at 100 places across the country and offering handset with connection in special discount while Grameen-Phone organising GP mobile fair ‘Pathe Pathe’ across the country.
   Different handset companies are also giving discount offers. Motorola offers Tk 1,999 discount with a GrameenPhone connection on the model ‘motorola C113’. Philips is also giving discounts on some models — Philips 690, 588, 5900 and 5800.
   Furniture companies, including Navana, Otobi, Aftab, are giving between 10 and 15 per cent discounts for Eid. ‘We give special offers on our furniture in every year before the Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha,’ a salesman at the Gulshan outlet of Navana Furniture said.
   He said, ‘We give discount on our products as many people, apart from buying dresses and electric appliances, buy furniture before the two Eids.’
   Producer and importers of different electric appliances are also giving special Eid offers on their products.
   Sony-Rangs sales centre at Sonartori Tower on the Sonargaon Road is giving discounts up to Tk 10,000 on different sizes of LCD television.
   Toshiba, Rangs, Butterfly and some other companies are also giving discount on their products and scratch card gifts like fridge, colour TV, washing machine and micro oven.
   The real estate companies are not lagging behind in their efforts to woo the customers. Bashun-dhara of the East West Property Development Limited offers new car, television, fridge and DVD player in scratch card on each booking for plot or apartment.
   Among the car producers, importers and distributors, Navana Limited is giving gift coupon of Tk 2 lakh at New Jarwa House, a jewellery shop, for buying a Toyota Camry car. Rangs Limited offers Tk 5 lakh discount on Mitsubishi Lancer car.
   The markets and shopping malls are also offering prizes like apartment, car, motorbike, jewellery, refrigerator, television, washing machine and dinner set and the shoppers are thronging there.
   A number of private sector commercial banks have made easier shopping by giving consumer loan and gift voucher facilities.
   The HSBC is offering special Eid offer on their Lifestyle Loan. Tazul Hasnain, a sales officer of Personal Financial Services, said anyone having monthly salary of at least Tk 15,000 could get the loan without any processing fees.

Moved by the number of poor people suffering from severe skin diseases and tumours, the British high commission in Dhaka has decided to provide funds for the treatment of 18 selected patients.
   ‘The criteria for selection, which would be open, transparent and fair, will be in order of priority, seriousness of condition, chance of success and economic condition of the patients,’ British high commissioner Anwar Choudhury said Wednesday at a press conference.
   The British high commission has decided to provide 25,000 pound sterling (over Tk 30 lakh) to fund a project titled ‘treatment of skin tumours and serious skin problems and development of marginalised groups.’
   ‘The purpose of the project is to facilitate social inclusion, access to sustainable development and fulfillment of rights for individuals marginalised by disabling tumours of the face and skin as well as serious skin problems,’ Choudhury said.
   Eminent philanthropist and surgeon Professor Kabir Chowdhury, who previously carried out operations free of cost, will implement the project.
   Professor Kabir told journalists that he had treated as many as 60 to 70 patients each year and that he believed the number of total patients with skin tumours in the country would be one out from each 10,000 people.
   The high commission signed an agreement Wednesday with Professor Kabir in this regard.
   The patients with skin tumours were asked to contact Professor Kabir at the National Skin Centre, 118/2 Mouchak Railgate, Malibagh, Dhaka. Telephone numbers: 8317033 and 01712184335.

Seventeen mobile courts in the Dhaka city on Wednesday realised Tk 4,82,450 from and filed 67 cases against different restaurants and shops for selling adulterated foods and diagnostic centres for lacking legal documents.
   The courts also sentenced seven persons to deferent terms of imprisonment on their failure to pay fines.
   A mobile court, led by magistrate Prosanta Kumar Das, conducted drive at Asia Sky Shop of Saniya Trading housed in Motalib Plaza at Hatirpool and realised Tk 50,000 from the shop owner, Nurul Islam, following a complaint of a customer.
   The customer, Nazrul, complained to the mobile court that he was deceived into buying hair oil, which, the shopkeeper said, would help grow hair. It rather damaged his hair, he said.
   The court also did not find any label of the shop.
   The court also fined six vendors Tk 10,000 each for selling vulgar video cassettes at south gate of Baitul Mokarram Mosque.
   Another Mobile court, led by magistrate Sarder Keramat Ali, fined eight persons Tk 4000 for entering the Bangladesh Secretariat without valid pass.
   The unauthorised visitors include a collage principal who went to the ministry of education to discuss certain problems of his college.
   Keramat conducted drive at the secretariat at noon and asked the visitors to show their passes.
   Nineteen Mobile courts will start their drive from today and will continue till Eid-ul-fitr. They will conduct their drive especially at bus stoppages, launch terminals and train stations in the city.
   The courts will also conduct drive even on holiday in two shifts.
   Twenty mobile courts have been conducting drives in the city since second Ramadan.

Three Nepalese cyclists, on a tour of the world to promote peace and immediate end to war, violence, oppression and repression of all sorts, have reached Bangladesh, starting from Kathmandu and travelling through Indian cities.
   Long-standing conflict in Nepal and the wars that caused killings and maiming of thousands of innocent people prompted them to embark on the journey with a message to every human being: ‘Not violence, only peace can ensure living without fear in the world.’
   They left Kathmandu on August 28 and toured a number of Indian cities before coming to Bangladesh on October 11. They are now planning to organise a cycle rally to disseminate the message of peace.
   ‘Today the world is experiencing widespread killing. Although people are willing to live in peace, they are being killed or eliminated,’ said Chandru Poudel, leacer of the cyclists’ team.
   Talking with New Age at the Nepal embassy in Dhaka, he said cycling was a tough task, but they had taken the trouble for the sake of peace in the world. ‘Now we are on a world tour on bicycle for world peace.’
   Poudel and his two fellows, Tendi Sherpa and Dhurba Koirala, decided to travel around on bicycle while studying in Tribhuban University. ‘We left everything —studies, business and the family — to make our mission successful,’ said a happy Poudel said.
   The cyclists, whose next destination is Myanmar and then Laos and Cambodia, came up with a positive image of Bangladesh.
   ‘Situation here in Bangladesh is much better than in many other countries. The people, above all, seemed peaceful and hospitable,’ said Poudel as he sees a bright future of Bangladesh after its winning the Nobel peace prize.
   Along their way, they are stopping at places to talk with people to make them aware of the consequences of violence and the privilege of peace. ‘As we entered Bangladesh through the Jessore border, we found people very much enthusiastic. We talked with them about our idea and they all were convinced,’ Poudel said.
   ‘When travel, many people ask us what our benefits are and every time we tell them that we do not have any personal gains out of it but to build peace.’
   They said sometimes they felt tired of long ride, but that had not discouraged them. ‘When I think of rickshaw-pullers who peddle for 15 to 20 years, it inspires me a lot,’ the leader said.
   On their way from Kathmandu to Dhaka via India, the peace peddlers have travelled a distance of about 5,600 kilometres. They are willing to peddle along 2,00,000 kilometres more in eight years.

As part of its special arrangements for Eid-ul-Fitr, the Dhaka City Corporation has started erecting canopies for Eid prayers at each of its wards.
   Sources said the time-table of the Eid congregations would be prepared within one or two days after an inter-ministerial meeting and a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee.
   The DCC Social Welfare Department sources said a total 360 congregations, four in each ward, would be held under the supervision of the city corporation as in previous years. Besides, the National Eidgah Maidan is being prepared by the corporation.
   Md Nurul Alam, DCC social welfare and cultural officer, told the news agency, ‘We have already started work for holding Eid congregations and each ward has been given Tk 3,800 to meet the expenditure. Besides, special arrangements have been made to give financial support of Tk 2,000 each to three to four hundred destitute people.’
   Nagar Bhaban will be illuminated on the eve of Eid and the ward commissioner offices on the Eid day, he added.
   Health Department sources of the city corporation said several medical teams comprising a medical officer would be ready to provide first aid from round the clock.
   Moreover, the corporation, under its special arrangement, will place water-carrying vehicles at each intersection to ensure water supply on the Eid day. It had also taken initiatives for electricity, water and cleanliness services, and replacing damaged lights of the electric poles.
   Sohel Faruqi, chief cleaning officer of the corporation, told the news agency, ‘As many people leave the city during the Eid holydays, wastage dumping lessens. But we have formed several teams to remove waste instantly.’

A three-day ‘My loan fair 2006’ of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd will begin December 2 at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.
   ‘In Bangladesh, HSBC introduced the concept of the loan fair in 2004 and the tremendous response and enthusiasm demonstrated by the consumers in the previous two fairs prompted us to organise it for the third time,’ said Mamoon M Shah, head of the bank’s personal financial services, at a press conference in Dhaka Wednesday.
   Local event management firm Windmill Limited will assist HSBC to hold the show where HSBC officials will explain the bank’s diversified loan products to visitors.
   More than 50 companies will participate in the fair.
   At present HSBC’s loan products include car loan, home loan, personal instalment loan and education loan.
   Reazuddin Mosharaf, managing director of Windmill, was also present at the press conference.

Eminent journalist and former intake editor of private TV channel Bangla Vision Dr Abdul Hye Siddique on Wednesday joined the Press Institute of Bangladesh as its director general.
   Siddique started his career as journalist in Dainik Azad, a Bangla daily, in 1983 as university correspondent. During his long career, he worked as staff reporter, special correspondent and chief reporter in Daily Inqilab between 1986 and mid 2005.
   He later joined as special correspondent of privately-owned satellite television channel Bangla Vision on October 1, 2005.

Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at one or two places over the Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions till 6:00pm today, said the Met Office in a forecast on Wednesday.
   Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged. The highest temperature on Wednesday, 33.5 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Chittagong and the lowest, 21.6 degrees Celsius, in Faridpur.
   The sun sets in the capital city today at 5:29pm and rises on Friday at 5:58am.
   The Met Office predicts improvement of weather in the outlook for subsequent two days and little change in the extended outlook for another five days.

The Progressive Teachers’ Alliance of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology here on Wednesday afternoon locked the door of the vice-chancellor’s office at the registrar building, demanding his immediate removal.
   Before that, leaders of the left-leaning teachers’ alliance at a press briefing at about 1:00pm demanded a high-priority initiative to resume all classes and examinations after the Eid vacation, following appointment of an ‘academic person’ as the vice-chancellor, and a judicial inquiry into the violent and irregular incidents that had taken place on the university campus since May 12.
   Akhtarul Alam, a leader of the alliance and president of Muktijuddher Chetanay Udbuddha Shikkhakbrinda, from the press briefing called upon the conscious people of the country to come forward to resolve the crisis at the university.
   He urged the authorities concerned to take steps to replace the present vice-chancellor, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, with an honest, sincere and academic person, and said they would provide all the help required to restore a congenial academic atmosphere on the campus.
   The ‘progressive’ teachers also demanded proper steps against the persons responsible for the violent and chaotic incidents on the university campus after the May-12 clash between some SUST students and some staff of the Ragib-Rabeya Medical College and Hospital that later turned into a vigorous student protest against VC Mosleh Uddin.
   ‘We demand a judicial probe into the killing of Mosharraf Hussain Shamim, a fourth-year BBA student, in police firing. Proper actions must be taken against the persons found responsible in the probe for Shamim’s killing. Inquiry should also be conducted into the corruptions of the present vice-chancellor, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed,’ the teachers’ alliance said.
   Akhtarul Alam lambasted the government for pushing the lives of the 6,500 SUST students to the brink of ruin by patronising a corrupt and inefficient VC like Mosleh Uddin instead of dismissing him and taking other steps to restore a proper academic atmosphere on the campus.
   After the press briefing, members of the teachers’ alliance led by Akhtar and Syed Hasanuzzaman locked the door of the VC office in presence of the SUST registrar, Jamil Ahmed Chowdhury, finance director, Faizul Haque, and proctor cum student welfare adviser, Sajedul Karim.

Two more suspected criminals were killed in encounters with the Rapid Action Battalion and the police in Chittagong and Kushtia early Wednesday raising the crossfire death count to 699 since June 2004.
   Of them, Abu Salek, an alleged member of notorious criminal gang Amin Bahini, was killed in a shootout at Saral village under Banshkhali upazila in Chittagong and Milon, said to be a member of underground Biplabi Communist Party, in an encounter at Dhalnagar village under Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia.
   The battalion said a RAB-7 team picked up six robbers including Salek from a shrimp enclosure at Baldar Char under Banshkhali on Tuesday and seized three firearms from their possession.
   Based on their statements, the battalion team took Salek out to Saral village early Wednesday to seize more
   arms.
   As the team members reached there at about 4:30am, the criminals opened fire on the lawmen forcing them to retaliate.
   While trying to escape, Salek died on the spot after being caught in the crossfire, the battalion claimed. The body was sent to the hospital morgue for autopsy.
   Besides, the police picked up Milon, also second-in-command of a faction of the extremist gang Mohan group, from his
   village home on Tuesday morning and interrogated him extensively.
   Based on his statement, a police team launched an arms recovery operation early Wednesday. When the team reached a field in the village, a gang of criminals attacked them to snatch Milon.
   ‘During the fight, Milon sustained bullet injuries and died on the spot,’ the police claimed saying that he was accused in eight cases.

A prayer session was held at 42 Dilkusha in Dhaka on Wednesday on the occasion of the first death anniversary of the late MA Samad, founder of the Bangladesh General Insurance Company Limited and a pioneer of insurance industry of the country.
   BGIC chairman Towhid Samad, vice-chairman Ragib Ali, directors, managing director and all staff were present.
   Maulana AKM Abdul Wadud conducted the prayers, seeking salvation of the departed soul.

The Civic Youth Network for Democracy, a youth network of the Civic Bangladesh, organised a rally and a human chain in the Dhaka city on Wednesday.
   Participants at the programmes called upon the young men and women to inform the media, inspire the people and engage decision-makers in the process of promoting and deepening democracy in Bangladesh.
   The Civic Bangladesh organised the events in response to a call of the World Youth Movement for Democracy, a youth wing of the World Movement for Democracy, as part of its Global Youth Democracy Campaign launched in 2005.

Jafreen Naz Mushsakeb Juthy, fashion designer of different boutique houses including Nipun, Grameen Samogri and Prabartana, died of meningitis at Ibn Sina Hospital at Dhanmondi in Dhaka on Tuesday. She was 36.
   She is survived by her husband fashion designer Faisal Mahmud and five-year-old son Rhythm. She was buried at Shahjahanpur graveyard after the asr prayers on the day.
   Recitation from the Qur’an and a prayer session will be held in her Malibagh Chowdhurypara residence in Dhaka on Friday.
   

Henna programme at Press Club tomorrow
A henna programme will be held at the National Press Club at 11:00am on Friday. The state minister for cultural affairs Begum Selima Rahman will be chief guest at the programme while Malaysian high commissioner to Bangladesh Abdul Malek bin Abdul Aziz will be the special guest. Chairman of the Privatisation Commission Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, press club president Reazuddin Ahmed and general secretary Shaukat Mahmud will also attend the programme. Dhakabashi and the press club are jointly organising the programme.
— BSS