E-Bangladesh

[Dhaka Correspondent] Protests, crackdown in Myanmar have prompted Bangladesh to alert its border security forces, sources in the Bangladesh Rifles confirmed. Bangladesh has a 271-km-long porous border with Myanmar. Security has been tightened and special surveillance has been initiated in Teknaf border areas, a senior official of the Bangladesh Rifles said, “We are keeping a close watch on the border to check any sort of infiltration. It will continue until the situation on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border becomes normal.”

Bangladesh had strained relations with its next-door neighbor Myanmar in the early ’90s after the influx of quarter of a million Muslim refugees from Arakan and the attack on Rejupara border outpost in Teknaf by Myanmar border guards, NASAKA. Tension along the border was later defused after a series of border talks and high-level bilateral meetings.

Most of the Rohingya refugees were repatriated through a tripartite agreement between Bangladesh, Myanmar and UNHCR.

[Shahnawaz Alam, Sports Desk.] The first ODI of Sri Lanka against England was held in Dambulla where the home side outperformed England at every aspect of the game. Jayawardene scored 66 runs to help Sri Lanka score 269 runs for 7 wickets and Maharoof’s impressive bowling contained the English, taking 4 wickets for 31 runs in 10 overs.

The English were humbled by Sri Lanka as they came on to bat and they were all out for 150 runs. They are yet to win a One-day match in Sri Lanka in the last 25 years and their sloppy performance with the bat added to their awful record. The hosts put up a respectable total of 269-7 on a pitch that is known to favor the batsmen. The average score for this ground before coming into the match was 198 runs.

Phil Mustard had a brief flurry with his bat on his debut for England, before the wickets started to fall. The run rate rose rapidly and soon the match got out of England’s hands as Sri Lanka applied the finishing touches to close in on their seventh straight win over England. The last ODI series of England against Sri Lanka was a woeful one for the English in 2006 as Sri Lanka thrashed them winning the series 5-0.

Banner: Sourov.

[Zafa Noor, USA.]

It has been two weeks since Arifur Rahman’s cartoon “Naam” was published which prompted the Bangladesh police to take him to jail and lock him up without pressing any formal charges or allowing him any legal representation in his defense. Arif was picked up from his Uttara residence under Section 54 of Code of Criminal Procedure for drawing the very harmless cartoon that portrayed a widely used naming convention for Bangali Muslim men. The cartoon did not insult the prophet in any way, nor was it Arif’s intention, because his own first name is Mohammed (newspaper reports addressed him as Md. Arifur Rahman).

This young (early 20s) talented cartoonist has earned accolades for targeting corruption with his creative genius. Only a month before his arrest he was awarded with a crest and Taka 10,000 cash in a cartoon contest against corruption arranged by Daily Star, attended by ACC chief Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury among others.

Arif

[Dhaka Correspondent] Security forces in Bangladesh killed at least 157 people in the last 9 months, according to a survey conducted by human rights watchdog Odhikar.

Of the victims, 83 were killed by the Rapid Action Battalion, 52 by police, 7 by army, 7 by joint forces, 3 by navy and 1 by officers of narcotics control department, 1 by jail police and 3 by RAB and police jointly, Odhikar detailed. Of the total, 107 were killed in “crossfire” or “shootouts,” 29 reportedly tortured to death and the rests died in various incidents, said the report released Monday.

The number of people who were tortured to death increased by more than 52 per cent this year as compared to the same period in 2006, it said. The number of people who died in jail custody also increased by about 42 per cent. A total of 64 people died in custody this year.

During the period, some 32 journalists were reportedly injured, 11 journalists were arrested, 31 were assaulted and 75 were threatened. 12 legal cases have been filed against journalists and 1 journalist’s house was attacked, 1 journalist was forced by the Bangladesh Rifles to sign an agreement that he would not publish any news without their prior permission. In August two TV channels were asked to refrain from broadcasting any “provocative” news, documentaries, talk shows and discussions critical of the government.

According to press reports, in separate orders, the government held that it can ban or attach conditions on broadcasting provocative news, documentaries, talk-shows and discussions critical of the government under powers given to it by Article 5 of the Emergency Powers Rules 2007.

Restrictions were imposed following broadcasting of reports on disturbances in Dhaka University and other places in August, Odhikar said. In September, with the government’s advice on self-censorship and direct restrictions on the media in place, one organization, CSB News, was temporarily shut down for allegedly filing forged documents to obtain frequency allocation.

On women and children repression, Odhikar report said that a total of 346 women and girls were reportedly victims of rape. Of them, 38 women and 18 girls were killed after being raped and one woman committed suicide.

Acid was thrown on a total of 118 people, including 64 women and 19 children during the period.

[Dhaka Correspondent] Awami League and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) Monday decided to place identical proposals during their dialogs with the Election Commission calling for a bar on party registration and poll participation by any religion-based political party.

Leaders of both the organizations at an inter-party meeting also denounced the Chief Election Commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, for his remarks regarding registration of religion based political parties. Replying to query that whether the EC would allow or refuse to register religion-based parties, Huda Sunday said the issues were not under the jurisdiction of the commission. “This is a political problem and it has to be resolved politically. Election Commission has nothing to do with it,” CEC said at meeting in Chittagong.

Criticizing the remarks, AL and JSD leaders opined that the draft electoral law reform, proposed and circulated by the commission, already suggested a bar on registration of religion-based parties. The meeting decided that they would demand for keeping the Jamaat-e-Islami and other religion-based and militant organizations out of the elections, meeting sources said.

The meting held at the Dhaka residence of AL acting president, Zillur Rahman, also agreed to place identical proposals before the commission based on the 31-point reform proposals of the AL-led alliance.

“Remarks by the CEC surprised us,” AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed told newsmen after the meeting, adding that the EC’s draft on the electoral reform said parties with anti-constitutional spirit and discriminatory attitude on religious issues would not be allowed for registration. He said when the EC’s draft and the pro-liberation political parties were opposing registration of religion-based political parties, such remarks by the CEC could not be accepted.

“AL and other components of the 14-party alliance agreed to oppose any move of allowing the religion-based and militant political parties in the elections,’ Tofail, also the acting coordinator of the combine said. He said although the AL-led alliance would agree with most of the EC’s proposals, it has objections on some proposals and would oppose them during their dialogs with the commission.

“The Election Commission should take preparations to hold a fair and credible elections and it is the responsibility of the commission to make the election free from the religion-based parties,” said JSD president, Hasanul Haq Inu. He said that the EC should uphold the provisions it proposed in rule 10 of the draft Election Commission (Registration of Political Party) rules that proposed a bar against party registration by any religion-based political party.

AL and JSD leaders also expressed their willingness to cooperate with the commission and urged it not to take any “unacceptable” decision. The leaders also appreciated the Chief Adviser and the Chief Election Commissioner for their assurances in holding the national elections by December 2008. They also demanded that the government should lift the ban on political activities completely across the country immediately.

AL leaders Mukul Bose, Akhtaruzzaman, Sultan Mansur Ahmad, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Rahmat Ali, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin and JSD leaders Moinuddin Khan Badal, Syed Zafar Sajjad, Sharif Nurul Ambia, Shirin Akhter were present in the meeting among others.

The AL is scheduled to sit with the Samyabadi Dal Wednesday. It will also sit with the other components by turns.

[Dhaka Correspondent] The judicial commission formed to investigate the August 20-22 incidents at the Dhaka University campus observed that the students’ agitation at the university playground after several students were assaulted by some army men was spontaneous.

“Students’ agitation on August 22 was spontaneous but later it was diverted for external interest,” said commission chief Justice Habibur Rahman Khan. He made his observations after interviewing two top leaders of the university teachers association Monday. The commission recorded statements by the provost of Jagannath Hall, Neem Chandra Bhowmik and dean of social sciences faculty Harun-or- Rashid Monday. The commission also began interviewing the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president, Azizul Bari Helal. Till Monday, a total of 86 persons testified before the commission.

After the interviews, Justice Habib said Harun told him that he had attended all the teachers’ association meetings and the decisions were not his own rather reflection of 250 general members of the association. Harun said he did not know why the students’ procession joined the DUTA declared silent procession, revealed the commissioner.

“Neem Chandra denied his involvement with the incidents by any means and he claimed himself a rights activist who surrendered to the court when he was implicated in the charge-sheet,” Habibur said.

[Dhaka Correspondent] BNP secretary general, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Monday accused the government of not allowing the party to hold indoor political programmes. “We sought permission for holding programmes at hotels or other places in accordance with the guidelines announced by the government. But the authorities are not giving us permission,” he told newsmen at his Dhaka residence. “BNP central office in Naya Paltan is still locked despite easing of restrictions on indoor political activities.”

He said the authorities did not allow him to meet the detained party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, despite repeated appeals. “I was not allowed to meet the chairperson to make a decision on the dialog on electoral reforms with the Election Commission. We cannot decide this without talking to her.” He hoped that the jail authorities would allow him to immediately meet the chairperson.

Delwar renewed his call for lifting the state of emergency and complete withdrawal of restrictions on politics. “A congenial political atmosphere will return if the state of emergency is lifted, open politics allowed and two leaders [Khaleda Zia of BNP and Sheikh Hasina of Awami League] are freed. It will also make the path to democracy easier.”

He expressed his satisfaction with High Court’s ruling on the GATCO graft case against Khaleda. “Granting of bail by the High Court in the GATCO case did justice to Khaleda Zia,” he said hoping that she would be released from jail soon.

On the statement of British high commissioner Anwar Chowdhury that “the future elections in Bangladesh will not depend on any person,” Delwar, also former chief whip in parliament, said, “I leave it to diplomatic norms as to how much he [Anwar] is allowed to comment on our politics.”

[Dhaka Correspondent] ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) Monday filed a petition with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking stay of the High Court order granting bail to detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia in the GATCO graft case. It is expected to come up for hearing Tuesday, Khalequzzaman, advocate-on-record for ACC, told newsmen after filing the petition.

It mentioned that a regular petition would be filed seeking permission to appeal against the High Court order issued Sunday upon writ petitions. The High Court bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury Sunday granted bail to Khaleda in the case. The High Court also stayed the proceedings of the GATCO scam case against Khaleda and her younger son, Arafat Rahman, filed under the Emergency Powers Rules.

After hearing the writ petitions, the court also ordered Anti-Corruption Commission and chief metropolitan magistrate of Dhaka to explain in six weeks the legality of bringing the case under the Emergency Powers Rules.

Commission deputy director, Golam Shahriar Chowdhury, filed the corruption case on September 2 with the Tejgaon police against 13 people, including Khaleda and Arafat, on charge of awarding a contract to “an incompetent and unfit firm, GATCO,” to handle containers at the Inland Container Depot in Dhaka and at Chittagong port allegedly for kickbacks.

[Dhaka Correspondent] The High Court Monday stayed the proceedings of the cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission against former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s eldest son, Tarique Rahman, and former ministers Moudud Ahmed and Nazmul Huda. ACC filed cases against them for amassing illegal wealth. The High Court bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury also asked ACC to explain in six weeks why the notices it served on the three BNP stalwarts asking for their wealth statements should not be declared illegal. ACC was also asked to explain why the cases filed against them in the furtherance of the notifications should not be declared illegal and void.

The court passed the orders after hearing separate writ petitions filed by the three challenging the legality of the ACC notices and cases against them. Those writ petitions were the first in challenging the legality of any case filed by the ACC on charges of amassing illegal wealth and concealing information in wealth reports.

The counsel for the three BNP leaders did not press for bail for any of them. The court, however, refused to grant bail to former communication minister Nazmul Huda’s wife and Sigma Huda. She was sued by the ACC along with her husband for abetting him in concealing facts.

The same court Sunday stayed the proceedings of the GATCO scam case against the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her younger son, Arafat Rahman, under the Emergency Powers Rules and granted bail to Khaleda. The court had, however, turned down Arafat’s bail prayer.

Pleading for Moudud, Huda and Tarique, their counsel Rafique-ul-Huq told the court that the ACC had asked them to submit wealth reports in violation of the constitution and laws. According to the Anti-Corruption Commission Act and Anti-Corruption Commission rules, before asking a person to submit his wealth statement, ACC has to be certain, after investigation, that he owns wealth beyond his legitimate income. The counsel claimed that ACC served notices to Moudud on July 3, Huda on February 18 and Tarique on May 29 without any proper investigation of their wealth.

ACC assistant director Talebur Rahman filed a case against Nazmul Huda and Sigma Huda with the Dhanmandi police on July 11. Huda was arrested on February 5 and Sigma later surrendered to court.

ACC deputy assistant director Shariful Haque Siddiqui lodged a case with the Gulshan thana against Moudud for concealing information of his assets worth Taka 4,40,37,375 in his wealth report and amassing assets of Taka 7,38,48,237, beyond his known sources of income. He was arrested on April 13.

On September 26, ACC filed a case with Kafrul police station accusing Tarique, also senior joint secretary general of BNP, his wife Zubaida Rahman and mother-in-law Syeda Iqbalmand Banu, for concealing wealth information. Tarique was arrested on March 7. Tarique was charged for amassing wealth of over Taka 4.82 crore illegally and concealing information of property worth over Taka 4.23 crore in his wealth statement submitted to ACC. His wife and mother-in-law were accused of aiding and abetting him in protecting his wealth.

[Dhaka Correspondent] NBR (National Board of Revenue) will hunt the bigwigs with untaxed money who avoided the offer to legalize their hidden assets by September 30. “We will try to identify those who refrained from whitening their huge untaxed money,” NBR chairman Badiur Rahman told newsmen Monday, a day after the latest scheme to legalize undisclosed incomes expired. The next drive for netting large-scale tax-evaders will not harm the economy in any way, he noted.

A total of Taka 5213.30 crore was whitened until September 30 as 42,459 individuals and companies used the opportunity from June 5 till September 30. Of them, 16,532 rushed to the tax offices the last day. The offer generated a tax income of Taka 802.40 crore, mainly from middle income taxpayers.

“I expected around Taka 1500 crore in tax income from the scheme,” a frustrated revenue chief said, regretting that white-collar tax-evaders, who were catalysts for and key targets of the scheme, largely stayed out. It was middle and lower middle classes people, who crowded into the tax offices to legalize whatever they had to declare and legalize. “I saw people paying even Taka 2000 or Taka 3000 as taxes to legalize their incomes, while big shots did not show up,” Badiur Rahman said Sunday, the last day of the offer that remained open for about four months.

NBR launched the campaign on June 5 and kept it open until July 31 in the first phase. It was later extended for two months to September 30 to give individuals and businesses further chance to legalize their hidden incomes and investments just paying usual tax plus 5 per cent penalty. The scheme did not apply to incomes earned through unfair means and investments made in illegitimate businesses. Individuals and businesses facing tax evasion charges and legal actions were also barred from availing of the money whitening opportunity.