Assassination attempt on Hasina
A wave of grenade attacks on opposition chief Sheikh Hasina's
rally on Bangabandhu Avenue August 22 left at least 20 people killed
including Ivy Rahman and 200 including top Awami League (AL) leaders
Abdur Razzak, Amir Hossain Amu, Suranjit Sengupta, and Kazi Zafarullah
critically injured. Hasina, who was the apparent target of the attacks
carried out from buildings in front of the AL headquarters, escaped
unscathed as activists formed a human shield to protect their leader
aboard a truck. One of her personal security staff, Mahbub Alam, 42,
who stood close by her, died. The unknown assailants fired seven bullets
at the bullet-proof sports utility vehicle (SUV) that Hasina boarded
immediately after the blasts. A bullet also punctured the rear wheel
of the vehicle and there was a large hole on the rear right side of
its window shield.
At
least three bullets hit the right side of the front window shield, just
opposite the front seat where the former Prime Minister sat. The deadly
attacks started at 5:23pm just when Hasina wrapped up a rally of around
25,000 supporters protesting the recent Sylhet blasts with a call 'to
end the rule of the government that inspires bomb attacks'. The AL central
leaders were on the truck with Hasina. Daily Star, August 22.
Dhaka
upgraded in US trafficking ranking
Washington has withdrawn an imminent threat to impose "non-trade
and non-humanitarian sanctions" on Dhaka as it has upgraded Bangladesh
from the bottom rung of its list of countries marked for being origins
of human trafficking. US state department officials conveyed to the
government that Bangladesh has been moved to tier-2 from tier-3 in the
Trafficking in Person Report 2004, the previous position meaning that
the country was marked as one of the most vulnerable in the world in
terms of origin of human trafficking. The TIP report issued on June
14 relegated Bangladesh's status to tier-3 on the ground of failure
"to make significant efforts to prosecute traffickers". This
upgrade follows a visit by a delegation of the US state department that
had praises for the government regarding the steps taken in this respect,
especially in meeting the six-point recommendations.
The
home secretary added that the government has undertaken a plan of action
to combat human trafficking. He mentioned that an additional 30 cases
of trafficking were selected to be dispose of under speedy trial tribunals
and the home ministry officials would sit every week to select at least
10 pending cases of human trafficking and public prosecutors would be
trained to prosecute effectively. An annual report on the trafficking
situation will also be published. New Age August 22.
Verdict
on jail killing Sept 7
A Dhaka court fixed September 7 for the delivery of judgement in the
sensational jail killing case. After completion of the arguments of
the prosecution and the defence, Judge Mohammad Motiur Rahman of the
Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court fixed the date.
The court recorded the statements of 64 of 75 prosecution witnesses
and the trial was completed in 277 workdays. -Daily Star, August
22.
River
linking will violate Ganges water treaty
A vested group in India has been trying to implement the controversial
river interlinking project keeping quarters concerned completely in
the dark as far as surveys and studies are concerned, Indian experts
told a South Asian consultation. Reaz Rahman, foreign affairs adviser
to the Prime Minister, said implementation of the project would violate
the 30-year water treaty between Bangladesh and India. The experts stressed
on a common regional position to devise a strategy for fair and justifiable
utilisation of common water.-New Age August 22.
Lawyers
won't call 'My Lord' to new HC judges
The appointment of 19 additional judges to the High Court has triggered
resentment among lawyers who described the recruitment as the worst-case
example of political motives. The Supreme Court Bar Association resolved
that the judges whom the lawyers called unqualified should not be addressed
as "My Lord" which should be replaced by a new term in consultation
with the association.-Daily Star, August 24.
Limits
on journos' entry
The home ministry August 23 restricted journalists' entry to the ministry
and asked them to make prior appointment from now on to get in there.
The on-duty policemen on the ground floor of the ministry barred the
journalists in the morning from taking the lift upstairs, where the
state minister and other high officials sit, on instructions from 'the
high-ups'. Journalists from now on will have to contact the home ministry
officials beforehand for appointment and gather information from the
public relations officer. But the restriction was withdrawn later. -Daily
Star, August 24,25.
SC
Bar asks 19 new addl judges to stand down
The Supreme Court Bar Association asked the 19 newly appointed additional
judges of the High Court (HC) to stand down voluntarily and protested
the chief justice's swearing them into office ignoring their reservations
about the fresh appointees. The lawyers also boycotted both divisions
of the Supreme Court yesterday in line with a decision of Sammilita
Ainjibi Samannay Parishad, an association of lawyers, protesting the
appointment of judges on what it said were political grounds. The lawyers
also boycotted courts across the country. - Daily Star, August 25.
Interpol
to help probe rally attack
Interpol
will assist Bangladesh in investigating Saturday's deadly grenade attacks
on an Awami League (AL) rally that killed 19 people and injured 200
others. But the decision did not satisfy the AL that demanded an independent
international body to probe the incident on its own rather than assist
the government or the police.- Daily Star, August 27.
