E-Bangladesh

The army headquarters on Tuesday announced that it had no intention or desire whatsoever to participate in the planned dialogue between the caretaker government and political parties.

Also, the army headquarters requested the mass media to refrain from making any imaginary and negative opinion out of their personal notion that might create confusion in the public minds about the army.

An ISPR release said the army had been discharging its responsibility at the instructions of the government and extending cooperation towards holding fair elections under the incumbent caretaker government. ‘This cooperation will continue in future, if necessary.’

The release said the role of the army was praised by all quarters against the backdrop of the January 11, 2007 changeover. At the critical juncture of the nation, the army at the instructions of the president came in aid of the caretaker government and subsequently participated in nation-building and different development and welfare activities.

‘And this praiseworthy role of the army was reflected in different mass media, including newspapers of the country.’

Recently, the release pointed out, various fictitious and confusing opinions are being published in editorials of different dailies, television talk shows and open discussions.

It said in view of the state of emergency in place, even the army chief at different functions and exchanges with editors of different mass media and interviews with local and foreign media gave a clear picture about the role of the army.

Gana Forum president Kamal Hossain came down heavily on newsmen on Monday when a reporter asked him to comment on the people’s perception that he was a traitor because of his role in supporting the military-controlled interim government.

He asked the newsmen to be free from ‘goddesses’, obviously referring to the two detained former prime ministers, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.

‘The corrupt have created criminals who are roaming about with firearms. They can shoot dead many of my colleagues and even I may die any time by a bullet, but you should stand by the people and the country,’ he said.

He was talking to newsmen after attending a roundtable conference on the police ordinance at the National Press Club.

Kamal said, in reply to a query, that it depends on the people whether they trust him or not.
Denying the allegation, made by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, of whitening Tk 102 crore of black money, Kamal said he did not know how many zeros are needed to write 102 crore.

Sheikh Hasina, also president of the Awami League, told her lawyers at the special judge’s court on Sunday that Kamal had whitened Tk 102 crore.

‘In my 50 years as a lawyer, I have never seen a crore of takas in my bank account at a time,’ he said, and declared that he ready to show his bank statement anytime. ‘Those who have brought allegations against me did not even want to make their wealth statements.’

Photo: PR, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon.

The Fundamentalist Mullahs running havoc in Bangladesh for last couple of days turned to a new strategy to continue the anarchy. On Friday they had sent a press note to the media claiming three of their members were dead. Since the claim was overlooked, they again started threatening the journalists over phone on Saturday noon.

The claim was phony indeed. When the undersigned of the Press note Kaji Azizul Haq was contacted he demanded the police took away all the dead bodies to unknown destinations. When said that there was no record of anybody dying in the hospital, he reacted furiously and said, “When you seculars die the whole country mourns, and when a mullah dies its the other way around.”

The Commissioner  of DMP Naeem Ahmed denied any such incident saying that it was impossible to do so, because the media and reporters surrounding the premise was large in number and the police was cautious in their action.

The same fundamentalist used the rumor in Hathazari on Saturday claiming that a madrasha student died and they attacked the local police station.

Photo: Banglar Chokh.

At least 50 people, including five police personnel, were injured as madrassah students attacked the Hathazari police station in Chittagong in a repercussion to police-mullahs riot in Dhaka.  

The students of Darul Ulum Muinul Islam Madrassah, much known as Hathazari bara madrassah, also torched three motorbikes, two cars alongside conducting massive vandalism inside the police station. 

Several hundred students of the madrassah swooped on the police station at around 6:30pm on rumour that one madrassah student was killed in police attack at Baitul Mukarram mosque in Dhaka. 

Witnesses said the madrassah students, equipped with truncheons and iron roads, swooped on the police station suddenly and started vandalizing doors and windowpanes. 

They damaged three motorbikes, two cars of the police station and left five policemen and the imam of the police station mosque injured, said Mohammed Alamgir, the Hathazari police chief. 

Contingents of police deployed at the Chittagong University were called in and they dispersed the attackers lobbing teargas shells. 

The madrassah students took to the street and vandalized several vehicles after the incident,’ he said adding that a huge contingent of additional police and RAB members had drove them out at around 8:00pm. 

The injured policemen, identified as sub-inspector Mizanur Rahman, constables Abdul Hoque, Bahar Uddin, Mostofa and Hamid, were receiving treatment at the police hospital. 

At least 25 madrassah students have also sustained injuries during the incident and four of them were identified as Mafizur Rahman, Nazim Uddin, Hifatullah and Abdur Rahim. The rests could not be unidentified immediately. 

The deputy inspector general of police, AKM Shahidul Hoque, rushed to the spot soon after the incident and was holding a meeting with the madrassah teachers.

Photo:BanglarChokh

More than 150 people, including journalists, police and pedestrians were injured in the city on Friday as ultra-Islamists groups locked in sporadic clashes with the police, turning the Paltan area from the north gate of Baitul Mokarram to its south gate into a battlefield for more than three hours.
 
The agitating bigots also snatched away a loaded shotgun from a police Habildar from the south gate of the mosque during the three-hour riots.
 
Witnesses said the clash erupted when several hundreds of Islamist activists of Islami Ain Bastabayan Committee led by Fazlul Haque Amini, Chhatra Jamiat Bangladesh led by Maolana Muhiuddin Khan and Ahkame Sariah Hefajat Committee led by led by former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Delawar Hossain Saydee and publicity secretary of the same party Taslim Ahmed under the banner of  Anti-Quran Law Resistance Committee attempted to bring out a procession immediately after the Juma prayer at around 1:40pm against the recently announced National Women Development Policy amid tight security.
 
As police tried to resist the activists to bring out procession, the angry activists locked clashes with police indiscriminately pelting brickbats and stones on them from the North gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
 
The laws enforcers charged batons, teargas canisters and rubber bullets to disperse the radical activists triggering rioting clashes, which spread at the Dainik Bangla Crossing, Paltan Crossing, North and South Gates of the national mosque and the all adjacent alleys.
 
The protestors divided in several groups took shelter at GPO alley hurled stones and brickbats while another group in front of the north gate continued chased and counter-chased each other during the three hours clash.
 
At one stage, the furious activists set ablaze at some old clothes and carpets collecting from different shops and took control of Paltan crossing to Dainik Bangla crossing. A group of protestors at south gate of the mosque swooped on police Habildar Riyad and snatched away his loaded shotgun.
 
Huge contingent of police from Rajarbagh Police Line rushed to the scene and swung into action clubbing the protestors and repeatedly charging rubber bullets and teargas canisters a bid to take the situation under control.
 
More than 10 journalists of different printing and electronic media, 40 policemen and 60 activists and pedestrian sustained critical injuries during the three hour’s long rioting clashes.
The police reinforcements by using a water canon and a riot arrived at the spot at around 2:55pm to bring the situation under control but most of the activists took shelter inside the mosque but police managed to arrested two severely injured activists from the scene.

All kinds of traffic movements were suspended on the busy Paltan road and adjacent area till 5:00pm 
A high official of police preferring anonymity told New Age, ‘The police charged 312 teargas canisters, 243 rounds rubber bullet to bring the situation under control.’
 
‘Police arrested 10 activists from the scene while 52 policemen from different ranks sustained critical injuries during the clash,’ he added.
 
Deputy Commissioner of Motijheel Zone, Mazharul Islam told newsmen, ‘Police managed to recovered snatched shotgun at around 4:45pm in front of the south gate of the mosque.
 
The injured were admitted at Markajul Islam Hospital, Dhaka Orthopaedics Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital while the injure policemen were admitted at Rajarbagh Police Line Hospital.
 
The duty officer of the Paltan police station said that ‘We are preparing to file cases against the Islamist activists.’
 
Meanwhile, the Islamic Ain Bastabain Committee amir Fazlul Haque Amini demanded resignation of women affair adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury for formulating ant-Quran rule in the name of women development policy.
 
The government must withdraw the anti-Quran sections from the policy, without which we will continue the protests Amini said at a press briefing at Modina office in Noakhali Tower.
 
Amini who also Chairman of  Islami Oikya Jote  said the police had attacked them without provocation.

He claimed that more than 100 workers of the Islamist outfit had been injured in the clashes.

‘We called a rally to drum up support for the anti-Quran rule, but the government is not fulfilling our demand,’ he added.

Amini threatened that the ‘fire ignited Friday would spread to every corner of the country’.

Asked about mosaic stones taken off the mosque’s wall, Amini said he was not aware of it.