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Extrajudicial killings by law enforcement agencies, especially the Rapid Action Battalion, continued unabated in the past year despite intense criticism at home and abroad.
   The situation last year hardly reflected the Awami League-led government’s repeated assurances that there would be no more ‘crossfire’ killings.
   Since the Awami League-led government assumed office on January 6, 2009, a total of 149 people have been killed in ‘crossfire’ till the High Court on December 14 asked the Rapid Action Battalion not to kill anyone in the name of encounter until the court hears a suo moto rule.
   Among the victims, 72 were killed by the police, 42 by Rapid Action Battalion, 26 by RAB and police, three by army, two by ansars, one each by Bangladesh Rifles, Forest Guard, Coast Guard and jail police, according to the human rights watchdog Odhikar.
   The victims include activists of Purba Banglar Communist Party (Janajuddha), Gana Mukti Fouz, Biplabi Communist Party (Red Flag), an actor, garment workers, a union parishad chairman, freedom fighter, two students of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute and other crime suspects.
   The High Court on June 29 asked the government to explain in four weeks why extrajudicial killings by lawmen in the name of ‘crossfire’ or ‘encounter’ should not be declared illegal.
   The High Court bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to take departmental and legal action against the people involved in such killings.
   The court passed the order after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed by three rights organisations – Ain o Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and Karmajibi Nari – challenging the legality of extrajudicial killings.
   The three human rights watchdogs in the writ petition said 969 people were killed by law enforcers after June 2004 when the Rapid Action Battalion was commissioned.
   Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) submitted a list of 1,057 victims during a hearing on the suo moto ruling on extra judicial killings in the High Court on December 14, 2009.
   The High Court on the day ordered the Rapid Action Battalion not to kill any more people in the name of ‘crossfire’ or ‘encounter’ till it hears a suo moto rule over extrajudicial killings.
   The High Court bench of Justice AFM Abdur Rahman and Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad passed the order as attorney general Mahbubey Alam sought time for the hearing on the rule.
   The court wondered how such incidents were still taking place despite the prime minister’s declared stance against extrajudicial killings.
   On February 11, 2009, the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, said in the parliament that those who were involved in extrajudicial killings would be brought to justice. She reiterated her stance at a meeting with Bangladeshi journalists in New York on September 27, 2009. ‘We do not believe in extrajudicial killing,’ she said.
   Extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh have drawn widespread criticism in recent years from national and international rights organisations.
   The LGRD and cooperatives minister, Syed Ashraful Islam, told newsmen on May 5, 1009 that there would be no more extrajudicial killings. He said the government would no longer allow law enforcers to kill anybody in ‘crossfire.’
   The foreign minister, Dipu Moni, at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 4 said the government would show ‘zero tolerance’ towards extrajudicial killing, torture and death in custody.
   Adilur Rahman Khan, general secretary of rights watchdog Odhikar, expressing his concerns, told New Age, ‘Despite repeated assurances that extrajudicial killings would be stopped, the government is yet to take effective measures in this regard.’
   ‘With extrajudicial killings continuing unabated, the nation is yet to know whether any inquiries into such killings have been conducted in accordance with law,’ he said. ‘It seems rule of law hardly exists in the country.’
   Sultana Kamal, former adviser, to the caretaker government, told New Age, ‘The government is continuing extrajudicial killings in violation of a court order and the constitution.’
   ‘We will provide legal assistance for anyone going to court against such killers,’ she added.

The government is planning to add two more battalions to the Rapid Action Battalion and to enhance its logistics to deal with ‘increased criminal activities’ in some parts of the country.
   The police have, however, opposed the battalion proposal and said it would have a demoralising effect on the police personnel.
   ‘The home ministry has received a proposal from the Rapid Action Battalion seeking an increase in its force by two more battalions and more logistics. We have not made any final decision in this direction. More discussions will be held on the issue,’ the home secretary, Abdus Sobhan Sikder, told New Age after a meeting on the proposal on Sunday.
   The home minister, Sahara Khatun, presided over the meeting behind closed doors in her office. Her deputy Shamsul Haque Tuku, inspector general of police Noor Mohammad and the battalion’s director general Hasan Mahmud Khandaker attended.
   The home ministry asked the battalion to send the proposal again in details.
   The battalion in a recent proposal sent to the home affairs ministry said two more battalions should be added to the force and they would be stationed in Rangpur and Mymensingh as criminal activities were increasing in the areas, the officials said.
   The battalion proposes to change its organogram and create 1,376 posts — 688 for each battalion, requiring an annual allocation of more than Tk 67 crore, said an official record. It will also require 612 vehicles and additional arms and ammunition for the proposed increase in the force’s manpower.
   The police headquarters has, however, in writing opposed the battalion proposal for the increase, saying it will have a demoralising effect on the police personnel.
   The letter sent by the police to the secretary said the battalion was a specialised unit of the police and each battalion member draws salary 70 per cent higher than what a member of other police units draws. The letter said it was not unnatural that the increased facilities and logistics for RAB members should cause frustration and grievances among the policemen.
   The police headquarters does not consider logical the proposal for increase in the battalion’s manpower and logistics. The police said they rather wanted implementation of the government decision on the recruitment of 32,031 policemen.
   Commissioned in March 2004 with ‘a mission to make society crime-free,’ the Rapid Action Battalion now has 12 battalions — six in Dhaka and six in the five other divisions — of about 10,000 personnel.
   The battalion proposal said the state minister for home showed a positive attitude towards the proposal when he visited the battalion headquarters in August, said an official.

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has said her government will discuss the long-standing water sharing issue of the country’s 54 rivers including Teesta with India soon.
   The matters will be discussed between the two governments although it has already been discussed in the technical committee and waiting for discussion in the Joint River Commission, she said.
   The prime minister said this while addressing the 18th National Convention-2009 and 34th council meet of Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh at the IDEB Bhaban in the city’s Kakrail on Sunday.
   She said her previous government signed the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India and then conducted massive dredging programmes in the country’s major rivers including the River Gorai to maintain their normal flows as well as navigability for protecting the vast land of the country from salinity.
   But, she regretted that the previous BNP government after coming to power in 2001 suspended the dredging project that led further siltation in those rivers and contribute inflow of saline water in the southern belt of the country.
   Describing the River Buriganga as the lifeline of Dhaka city, she said her government had already taken massive programme to clean up the Buriganga bed aiming at facilitating its dredging activities.
   Apart from this, she said the navigability of the rivers Turag, Balu and Sitalakhya would be restored by conducting dredging under its massive dredging and maintenance programmes. ‘Not only river management, we are also trying to establish control over rivers by restoring their navigability,’ she added.
   Hasina said the most of the rivers were dying and lost their navigability as the last government did not take any measurers to protect those rivers. Even, the rivers and canals were grabbed by influential persons during the period, she added.
   In this context, she said her government had already directed the authorities concerned to give permission to the developers for developing their projects keeping the provision of open water bodies and trees. ‘We want to synchronise between green and blue to protect environment,’ she added.
   The prime minister said nobody would get permission for developing their projects if they do not keep water bodies and trees inside their project.
   Besides, she said the government had also directed the authorities concerned to set up solar panels along with keeping provision to preserve rain water in each of the building to reduce pressure on ground water.
   Regarding climate change issue, the prime minister said her government had already earmarked Tk 700 crore in the national budget and undertaken an action plan to face the climate change challenges.
   She referred the huge pressure on the capital city and said her government had a plan to expand the capital and making it a neat and clean healthy city habitable for all. ‘Under this plan we have chalked up a plan to set up four satellite towns around the city to this end,’ she added.
   Hasina in her speech gave a salient feature of the country’s long struggle towards achieving independence and its journey to democracy.
   In this context, she said although 38 years had passed of the country’s independence desired development was not achieved so far due to lack of uninterrupted democracy after the brutal assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
   ‘Without democracy no country can achieve sustainable development,’ she said adding her present government was working relentlessly for socio-economic uplift of the people who gave huge mandate to her government in the last general election.
   The prime minister categorically said her government was making all-out efforts to build a happy and prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla’ free from corruption to fulfil the long-cherished desire of the people.
   She said her government was implementing various epoch-making programmes in health, education, self-empowerment and economic sectors to fulfil the basis rights of people.
   Reminding the responsibilities of the diploma engineers for the socio-economic development of the country, the prime minister called upon them to discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and dedication for the welfare of the people.
   The prime minister called upon the diploma engineers to implement the development programmes within shortest possible time for the betterment of the nation.
   Among others, president of IDEB MR Khairul Umam and general secretary Kazi Nazrul Islam addressed the function. Ministers, advisers to the prime minister, delegates from home and abroad, among others, attended the inaugural function.

A case was filed with the Sitakunda police in Chittagong on Saturday night in connection with the explosion in a ship-breaking yard in which four workers were killed and 10 were injured.
   Police subinspector Mohammed Azam Khan filed the case accusing six persons in connection with the explosion at the Rahim Steel and Ship Breaking Yard.
   The accused are the yard’s managing director Ishrafil Alam, officials Salek Uddin, Mohammed Yusuf, Mohammed Ali and Mohammed Jafar Alam and contractor Mohammed Alam.
   The Sitakunda police officer-in-charge, Monirul Islam, said they had started investigating the incident and preliminarily they had found that lack of safety measures by the yard authorities was responsible for the explosion.
   ‘We are checking the documents of the yard and the vessel that was being dismantled,’ he said adding that efforts were on to arrest the people accused.
   A deceased worker, whose identity could not be established immediately after the explosion, was identified as Shohrab Hossain, 35, of Dangatia at Pushenpur in Kishoreganj.
   Four workers were killed and 10 were critically injured about 10:30am in the explosion at the Rahim Steel and Ship Breaking yard at Madambibirhat of Sitakunda on Saturday.
   At least 21 workers — including five on October 8, three on October 13 and another on October 15 — were killed in separate accidents in ship-breaking yards in the year.
   Eighteen workers were in 2006 and 2007 and 15 in 2008.

India did not officially inform Bangladesh of a reported move to deploy its own forces for the safety and security of its high commission premises and diplomats in Dhaka.
   ‘India, as far as I know, has not expressed its intent to man the high commission premises with its own security personnel,’ the foreign secretary, Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, told reporters on Monday when his attention was called to the concerns expressed by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, against the deployment of Indian forces for the security of its mission in Dhaka.
   ‘Foreign missions in any country are a sovereign and independent territory. But a foreign mission can take its security measures, including the deployment of special forces, only if it is not restricted by the laws of the host country,’ he said.
   ‘The responsibility for the security of Bangladesh missions abroad lies with us. But we need to make a balance between the laws of the host country and protect our rights to internal and external security of our missions,’ he said.
   The foreign secretary was speaking at the ministry after launching of the web site of the Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association Bangladesh (www.dcabdhk.com).
   Several newspapers reported that India would deploy a 50-member team of special security forces to increase protection of its high commission in Dhaka.
   The new Indian high commissioner in Dhaka Rajit Mitter arrived in Dhaka Sunday night to take charge of his office.

The country observes the holy Ashura today recalling the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain Ibn Ali (RA), a grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) at the battle of Karbala 1328 years ago.
   The day is observed in the Muslim world as a symbol of ‘sacrifice and mourning’ recalling the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) on the 10th of Muharram.
   On this day, Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) along with his followers were martyred by the soldiers of Yazid at Karbala while fighting for establishing truth in the society.
   The word Ashura means simply ‘tenth’ in Arabic, and therefore the name of the remembrance, literally translated, means ‘the tenth day’.
   Different religious organisations and groups have chalked up different programmes to observe the day. Today is public holiday.
   Shiah Muslims will bring out the largest procession known as Tazia in the city from Imam Bara at Husiani Dalan of old Dhaka.
   Besides, several processions would be brought out from city’s different areas including Mirpur, Mohammadpur and Purana Paltan.
   In the processions, the Shiah Muslims will express mourning and grief by flagellating themselves on the back with chains, beating their heads intending to connect them with Hussain’s suffering.
   The president, Zillur Rahman, and the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, gave separate messages on the occasion.
   The president said the significance and message of holy Ashura inspires us to raise voice against injustice and oppression and also to follow the path of truth and justice.
   In her message, the prime minister called upon all to resist unfair and injustice in our national life and to establish truth and justice reflecting the great teachings of holy Ashura.
   The Islamic Foundation will hold a mahfil on ‘Significance and Teachings of Ashura’ today after Maghrib prayers in National Mosque Baitul Mukarram.
   Dewanbagh Darbar Sharif at Arambagh in the city will hold an Ashek-e-Rasul conference on this occasion.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday said they would go for street agitation against the ‘atrocities’ of the ruling party activists across the country.
   The party standing committee member, Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, at a news briefing in Dhaka said the party activists were still restraining themselves despite continuous atrocities of the ruling Awami League activists. ‘There would be an anarchic situation if they [BNP men] lose patience. So, we are facing up to the government’s oppression, injustice and undemocratic actions in a democratic manner,’ he said and asked the government to desist from such acts.
   ‘Otherwise the BNP will have no option but to wage a movement.’
   Mosharraf said oppression by the ruling Awami League had crossed all limits. ‘The present generation did not see the Awami League’s fascist acts in 1972-1975. Now they are experiencing it.’
   Mosharraf said the Awami League had unleashed a reign of terror across the country when the lower units of BNP were holding their council sessions. Even they attacked a reception programme in honour of BNP leader Abdul Moin Khan, he said.
   The news briefing was arranged at the National Press Club to protest against the attack and looting of the home of former state minister for education ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan at Kachua in Chandpur on December 22.
   ‘Killing, extortion, looting and arson are rampant in Milan’s constituency. Moreover, the goons of Awami League are filing cases against the BNP men after committing the crimes and police have already arrested dozens of BNP leaders in those cases,’ Mosharraf said.
   ‘In an unprecedented incident, the house of former minister and two times elected lawmaker Milan was occupied by Juba League leaders Zakir and Chan Miah and their accomplices. We condemn the heinous act and demand punishment to the persons responsible,’ he said.
   Ehsanul Hoque Milan and BNP leaders Nazmunnahar Baby and Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu were also present at the briefing.

The Appellate Division on Sunday posted the hearing for January 3, 2010 in the petitions filed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain and three lawyers seeking permission to appeal against the High Court verdict that had declared illegal the 5th amendment to the constitution.
   The court also fixed January 3 to for handing out its order on the government’s plea for withdrawal of the petition, filed by the then BNP-led alliance government in 2005 seeking permission to appeal against the verdict.
   Justice SK Sinha, the Appellate Division chamber judge, set the date as attorney general Mahbubey Alam and Ajmalul Hossain, the counsel for the petitioner sought expeditious hearing in the petitions.
   Earlier on May 4, the Appellate Division allowed Khandaker Delwar Hossain and three Supreme Court lawyers, Munshi Ahsan Kabir, Tajul Islam and Kamruzzaman Bhuiyan, to file petitions in four weeks seeking permission to appeal against the High Court verdict.
   The full court of the Appellate Division, however, withheld an order on the government’s plea for withdrawal of the petition filed in 2005.
   Delwar and the lawyers earlier filed the petitions after the present government had prayed for quitting the legal battle accepting the High Court verdict.
   As the petition, filed by the then government in 2005 seeking permission to appeal against the High Court verdict, came up for hearing in the full Appellate Division court in May 2009, the attorney general told the court the government would not pursue the petition any more as it had accepted the verdict.
   ‘The government does not want to proceed further with the petition and the petition should be dismissed,’ he argued.
   The High Court bench of Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice ATM Fazley Kabir on August 29, 2005 delivered the verdict declaring illegal and void the 5th amendment and the martial law regulations issued between August 15, 1975 and April 1979.
   The court delivered the judgement after hearing a writ petition filed over a dispute over an abandoned property, Moon cinema, in Dhaka.
   The court, however, ‘condoned’ the works done for social development, action that was past and closed, the orders cancelling the fourth amendment to the constitution and other acts that were not unconstitutional.
   According to the verdict, such matters will not be deemed illegal or void under the declaration the court has made.
   The court also observed that usurpation of state power through martial law proclamations, particularly by Khondker Moshtaque Ahmed, Justice Abu Sadaat Mohammad Sayem and major general Ziaur Rahman was unconstitutional.
   Declaration of martial law is unconstitutional and those who have proclaimed it so far are liable to sedition charges, the court said in its 22-point observation.
   ‘Taking over the powers of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh with effect from the morning of August 15, 1975, by Khondker Moshtaque Ahmed, the usurper, placing Bangladesh under martial law and his [Moshtaque’s] assumption of the office of the president of Bangladesh by the Proclamation of August 20, 1975 were, in clear violation of the constitution and as such illegal without lawful authority, and without jurisdiction,’ the court observed. ‘Consequently, all his subsequent actions as the president of Bangladesh were illegitimate and void.’
   The judgement also observed that ‘…by taking over the office of the president of Bangladesh and as such entering into the office on November 6, 1975, by Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem and his assumption of the powers of chief martial law administrator and appointment of deputy martial law administrators and the proclamation on November 8, 1975, were all in violation of the constitution, and consequently all such functions, actions as president or CMLA were illegal.
   ‘The handing over of office of martial law authority to Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman, by Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem by third proclamation on November 29, 1976, enabling Ziaur Rahman to exercise all powers of the CMLA, being beyond the ambit of the constitution was illegal, without lawful authority and without jurisdiction and consequently all his subsequent functions and actions as CMLA were illegal.’
   The court also referred to the takeover of the presidency by Zia on April 21, 1977, and observed that it was also ‘beyond the ambit of the constitution and as such illegal.’
   About the referendum of 1977 on Zia’s presidency during the martial law, the court observed it was ‘unknown to the constitution.’

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, sought cooperation of the media in maintaining uninterrupted run of the hard-earned democracy in the country, as she said it was sine qua non for protecting people’s rights and interests.
   She made the call when a delegation of Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh led by its president and Daily Independent editor Mahbubul Alam met her at her official residence Jamuna on Sunday evening.
   The prime minister told the media owners and editors that without democracy it was not possible to protect people’s interests and the media could play a strong role in further strengthening the foundations of democracy in the country.
   Information minister Abul Kalam Azad was present at the meeting. The Daily Star editor, Mahfuz Anam, Daily Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman, NOAB member from Ittefaq Anwar Hossain Manju, Sangbad editor Altamas Kabir, Financial Express editor Moazzem Hossain, Samokal publisher AK Azad and New Age managing director ASM Shahidullah Khan, among others, were on the NOAB delegation.
   Press secretary to the prime minister Abul Kalam Azad briefed newsmen after the meeting. Principal secretary to the prime minister MA Karim and deputy press secretary to the prime minister Mahbubul Hoque Shakil were also present.
   The prime minister also requested the media owners to present various successes and achievements of the government before the people and not to publish ‘untrue’ news.
   ‘Praise our good deeds; constructively criticise our mistakes, but please do not make untrue news. We want to give our patriotic hardworking countrymen a developed and prosperous Bangladesh. Help us in achieving the development goals,’ she said.
   Hasina said she and her government wanted to build Bangladesh as a most peaceful country in South Asia. ‘Media can be one of the strongest tools in attaining such peace.’
   The NOAB members welcomed the verdict of the Mujib Murder Case, saying that with this historic verdict the rule of law has been upheld in the country.
   They gave special thanks to the prime minister for her cabinet’s decision for rescinding the provision for issuing arrest warrant against journalists from the Criminal Procedure Code.
   Constitution of the Information Commission by the government was also highly praised by the NOAB members.
   About the recently concluded Copenhagen climate summit, they said Hasina with her able leadership was successful in establishing the rights of not only Bangladesh but also of all countries victim to the climate calamities.
   They assured the prime minister of standing by the government to realise the country’s demands regarding climate-adaptation funds and cuts in the carbon emissions.
   The NOAB delegation apprised the prime minister of various problems facing the newspaper industry.
   She gave them a patient hearing and assured them of all necessary cooperation from government side for further development of the industry.

A lawyer of the Dhaka judge court was stabbed to death by a gang of criminals in front of his house at Dholpur in Jatrabari area of the Dhaka city early Sunday.
   The deceased was identified as Advocate Shamsul Haque Rintu, 45, a resident of of Dholpur.
   The victim’s younger brother Mazharul Haque Pintu, who is also a lawyer, told New Age, Shamsul was attacked by a gang of three criminals after he had come out of the house at around 3:00am.
   ‘Shamsul came out, sensing presence of someone inside the courtyard and saw three youths identified as Chand Miah, Sohel and Makki stealing coconuts from a tree,’ he said.
   ‘As my brother resisted them, the gang started stabbing him on the chest and abdomen indiscriminately.’
   Hearing the screams, Mazharul said, he came out of the house immediately and saw his brother lying on the ground in an unconscious state.
   Later, neighbours came to the spot and managed to catch Chand Mian but others managed to get away.
   Shamsul died on way to Dhaka Medical College Hospital at around 3:30am, the victim’s brother said. Later, the body was sent to the DMCH morgue for post-mortem examination.
   The there criminals are the members of a local gang, Mazharul said.
   The officer-in-charge of Jatrabari police station, Moniruzzaman, said Shamsul was stabbed by the gang when he tried to resist them in plucking coconuts.
   The OC said they had taken Chand Miah in their custody. The police launched manhunt to nab the two others, he added.
   Mazharul filed a murder case against the criminals with the police station, he said.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque on Sunday said he was satisfied that discipline had been restored in the city’s traffic system after the introduction of signalling system.
   He also warned that the police would take stern action against the transport owners involved in extorting tolls from the city commuters.
   The DMP chief was addressing a training workshop for the drivers jointly organised by the DMP traffic west division and Transport Community Policing Committee at the Dhaka City Corporation community centre at Pallabi on Sunday afternoon.
   ‘The police would apply its law against any wrongdoer without hesitation to ensure security of the city people,’ the DMP commissioner said.
   He also urged the leaders of city transport owners to oust corrupt persons from their organisation.
   The function was also addressed among others by DMP joint commissioner (detective branch) Amulya Bhushan Barua, deputy commissioner (traffic east) Awalad Hossain and Dhaka Paribhan Samittee general secretary Enayet Ullah.
   Meanwhile, the DMP in its special drive on Sunday filed 640 cases and seized 25 vehicles for not having proper documents, said a DMP press release.
   The traffic department also realised Tk 40,700 in fines from vehicles not having necessary documents.

The Dhaka city unit of Jatiya Muktijodhha Parishad, an outfit linked to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami which opposed the country’s independence, on Sunday honoured some ‘war heroes’.
   The Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, who led the party’s death squad Al Badr that picked up and killed intellectuals at the fag end of Bangladesh’s liberation war in 1971, was to have attended the reception as chief guest, as the organisers had announced, but he did not turn up.
   Poet Al Mahmud, retired lieutenant commander Afazuddin Ahmed who fought the war in sector 8, retired honorary captain Md Salahuddin Ahmed of sector 2, and Dr Rawsan Ara Begum of sector 4 attended the function and each was given a crest, certificate, Tk 50,000 in cash award and some books.
   In the absence of Mujahid, a former supreme court judge Abu Sayeed Ahmed handed over the crests to the recipients. Hannan Hossain, president of the Dhaka city Jatiya Muktijodhha Parishad, chaired the programme at the Victory Hotel of the city’s Naya Paltan.
   The name of sector commander, retired major MA Jalil, was also on the list of those who would be honoured (posthumously), but none from his family attended the programme. The organisers said they would reach the crest to his family.
   Talking to newsmen some ‘freedom fighters’ present at the programme demanded trial of war criminals.
   Md Jamaluddin who fought he war in sector 9, said, ‘It is unfortunate that the Razakars who tortured us and the countrymen, have now become billionaires. We demand their trial.’
   Abdul Khaleq of the sector 5, who looked as if he was shaking in anger, at one point made abusive remarks on Razakars and Al Badrs and demanded trial of war criminals at the earliest.
   ‘I am happy to join this programme arranged by Jammat,’ he said and claimed that Jamaat had no involvement in war crimes. Jamaat was not involved in any kind of war crimes during the war of liberation. In fact it was Muslim League and [the Indian] Congress who were against pro-liberation forces,’ he said.
   Former vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University, Yousuf Ali, Bangladesh Islamic University vice-chancellor Korban Ali, Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Hamidur Rahman Azad, Dhaka city unit Jamaat amir Rafiqul Islam Khan and Jatiya Muktijodhha Parishad president Muslemuddin took part in the discussion.

A senior Congress leader and governor of Andhra Pradesh resigned after an alleged sex scandal in another blow to the ruling Congress party which is facing protests over statehood demands there.
   Governor ND Tiwari, a top representative of India’s president in the state, resigned late on Saturday after a local television channel aired a video of the 86-year-old Congress leader allegedly in bed with three young women.
   Tiwari said the footage was doctored, but an embarrassed Congress party asked the governor to resign.

The ULFA chairman, Arabinda Rajkhowa, and deputy commander-in-chief Raju Barua were Saturday sent to judicial custody after 21 days in police custody, reports the Telegraph Sunday.
   The remand order was passed by chief judicial magistrate Robin Phukan, who heard the case at a camp court inside the Central Jail in Guwahati. The police did not seek custody of the two ULFA leaders Sunday.
   Raja Bora, another ULFA militant who was produced in the camp court along with the two leaders, was sent to Dibrugarh where he will be produced before the CJM court in connection with a case (2/05) registered at Joypure police station.
   This will be the first time that the two ULFA leaders will be separated from their family members after being arrested from the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya December 5.
   The family of the two leaders and the wife of ULFA foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury are under the custody of Assam police.