Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 981 Sun. March 04, 2007  
   
Front Page


Relief goods found at offices of Tariqul's wife
Raid on SQ Chy's Dhanmondi residence; valuables from house of ex-BNP lawmaker Munsi confiscated; luxury cars seized from DCC commissioner Chy Alam's house


Joint forces in Jessore recovered 103 corrugated iron (CI) sheets of state relief from different houses including the office of Astha, an NGO run by former BNP minister Tariqul Islam's wife Nargis Begum and local BNP leaders on Friday and Saturday.

In the capital, police seized two vehicles including a luxurious one owned by BNP leader and influential DCC Ward Commissioner Chowdhury Alam.

Besides, the joint forces raided former BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's Dhanmondi residence last night. The raid was going on till filing of this report at 1:00am.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Dhanmondi Police Station told The Daily Star, "We don't know yet what have been seized from the house."

Our Jessore correspondent reports: Police arrested Astha President Nargis Begum's younger brother Saifuddowla, his wife Parvin Rahman, Nargis' another younger brother's wife Nazma Begum, Astha Director Roksana Aktar Ranu and Member Sultan Mahmud.

The district court sent them to jail after the law enforcers handed them over to the court.

Police raided the house of Nargis Begum but she was not present there.

Of the 103 CI sheets seized in Jessore, 23 were recovered from the Astha office set in a part of a house owned by Astha Secretary Sharfuddowla Chhotlu, police said.

The relief material was used to build the roof of Astha office and a library in honour of Tariqul's father-in-law.

Upazila Project Implement Officer Nazrul Islam filed a case against 28 people including Astha President Nargis Begum on charge of misappropriating the CI sheets meant for relief.

Other accused in the case include: Astha Vice-President and Sadar Upazia BNP President Golam Reza Dulu, Secretary Sharfuddowla Chhotlu, Joint Secretary Nur Alam Pannu, Treasurer and Tariqul's son Aninda Islam Amit, Member Shantanu Islam Sumit and his wife Lamia Rahman, Executive Secretary and Juba Dal leader Masudul Haq, Member and Juba Dal President Ehsanul Haq Munna.

The law enforcers also recovered 40 CI sheets from the house of Manir Hossain, 16 pieces from the house of Ansar Ali and 16 pieces from the house of Nurul Islam. Another eight pieces were recovered from the house of Zarina Begum.

Police arrested and Zarina Begum and Dalim,son of Nurul Islam.

DHAKA
Khilgaon police yesterday impounded two vehicles including a luxurious Toyota Prado owned by Chowdhury Alam -- an influential BNP leader and ward commissioner of Dhaka City Corporation.

The two vehicles -- Toyota LandCruiser Prado TX Limited (Dhaka Metro Gha 11-7023) and Toyota Will VS (Dhaka Metro Kha 12-0250) -- were confiscated by Khilgaon police from Alam's residence at 315/C Khilgaon.

Retail market price of Toyota Prado is now Tk 55 lakh while Toyota Will VS is Tk 19 lakh said the police officials.

Officer in-charge of Khilgaon Police Station SMA Zahid told The Daily Star that these vehicles were impounded as part of an ongoing investigation to assess the value of Alam's wealth to compare with his income.

Alam had been placed on a one-month detention after he surrendered to a Dhaka court on February 23.

COMILLA
UNB adds: Joint forces and officials of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) confiscated valuables from the house of former BNP MP Engineer Manjurul Ahsan Munsi at Debidwar yesterday.

Engineer Munsi, one of the 50 corrupt corrupts, is now in jail.

The confiscated valuables include 150 pieces of sari, 23 pieces of lungi, one freezer, two colour TV sets, one sofa set and several air-conditioners.

They also asked Manjurul's maternal uncle Abdur Rab Munsi and Imam of the local mosque Emdadul Haq to take care of his two-storey house.

ACC Deputy Director Abu Syed, Army Major Enayet Karim, local UNO Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, OC Tapan Kumar and engineers Abu Taher and Helal Ahmed were present during the drive.

NETRAKONA
The joint forces recovered 73 CI sheets meant for relief from Kendua and Purbadhala upazila in the district on Friday night, our correspondent reports.

Police sources said, the joint forces recovered 39 pieces CI sheets for relief from the house of BNP leader Abul Mansur at Chilimpur village of Kendua upazila.

The joint forces also recovered 44 pieces of CI sheets from the business establishment of BNP leader Nurul Islam at Narayandohor bazar in Purbadhala upazila.

BENAPOLE
The joint forces seized five bundles of CI sheets from Gopi Central Road in the town on Friday night, reports BSS.

The forces recovered the CI sheets from the house of one Monir Hossain. Police arrested Monir Hossain.

MOULVIBAZAR
One of the close associates of detained former lawmaker M Naser Rahman and Moulvibazar district BNP finance secretary Mohammed Kamal Uddin was produced to Moulvibazar police on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, Kamal Uddin appeared before the Moulvibazar Anti-Corruption Commission office after the commission asked him to do so. After interrogation, he was handed over to the joint forces. The joint force produced Kamal to Moulvibazar Police Station on Saturday evening, reports our correspondent.

BNP leader Kamal is said to have made crores of taka from various firms working for Water Development Board and Roads and Highways Department with blessings of detained former lawmaker M Naser Rahman.

JHENIDAH
Jhenidah police detective branch yesterday arrested Harinakundo upazila BNP secretary general and Doulatpur UP chairman Abul Hossain.

Police sources said Hossain was arrested on charges of extortion, tender manipulation and sheltering extremists, reports our correspondent.

Picture
Two vehicles of DCC Ward Commissioner Chowdhury Alam, which were seized by the law enforcers yesterday. PHOTO: STAR