Law
week
7 judicial bodies to probe irregularities
Seven judicial enquiry committees have been formed to probe allegations of undue influence and irregularities in the elections to the same number of upazila parishads on January 22.Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain disclosed it to journalists at his office yesterday. The seven upazilas are Araihazar of Narayanganj, Mehendiganj of Barisal, Banchharampur of Brahmanbaria, Muradnagar of Comilla, Raipura of Narsingdi, Kaliganj of Gazipur and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar.
The probe bodies headed by district and sessions judges were formed with the Supreme Court's approval. "The probe bodies will submit their reports within 15 days," the election commissioner said. Investigation into the alleged irregularities in the polls to another nine upazila parishads will also start soon. On receipt of the inquiry reports, the EC will decide the fate of elections to those upazila parishads. Election results of the 13 upazila parishads remain suspended for inquiry. --The Daily Star, March 03, 2009.
Video footage shows outsiders in uniform
Newly appointed BDR Director General Brig Gen Md Mainul Islam said yesterday video footage taken during the massacre in Pilkhana shows movement of some unknown people wearing BDR uniforms.Talking to The Daily Star over phone, he said the border guards who fled the BDR headquarters during the mutiny are being allowed to enter it after confirmation of their identity. The DG said 6,124 BDR men have been allowed to enter the headquarters since they began to report back. Of them, around 5,000 were allowed only yesterday. "We are checking and verifying their identity carefully so that no outsider can enter," Mainul said. The BDR personnel are kept at different places in the headquarters and supplied with foods. They are being allowed to join regular parade, but no official activities, he added. Replying to a query, he said only those BDR men who reported back within the stipulated time were considered for entry to the headquarters. --The Daily Star, March 04, 2009.
Ctg Arms Haul
The process of 2004 botched attempt to transport 10-truck load of arms and ammunition to the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) started in late 2001, involving some big time political honchos of the last four-party government, according to confessional statements of two persons accused in the Chittagong arms haul case.
The two accused -- Md Hafizur Rahman and Din Mohammad -- also said on Monday afternoon that the huge cache of weapons was being smuggled under the direct supervision of Ulfa leader Paresh Barua, who was residing in Dhaka back then.
Ministries for home and industries under the 4-party government, some high officials of intelligence agencies concerned, and the coast guard were well aware of the smuggling which also involved a former Jatiya Party MP, and a film director, the accused two said in the confessional statements to the Metropolitan Magistrate Md Osman Gani.
In the 10-page confessional statement one of the principal accused Hafizur Rahman claimed to have given the same statement on different occasions divulging the truth behind the case, since his surrender on October 25, 2005. But, the confession was never recorded, instead the officials concerned warned him against making such statements in the future, threatening him with death as well, sources said quoting from Hafiz's statement. . --The Daily Star, March 05, 2009.
Five rebels remanded, quizzed by CID
The Operation Rebel Hunt enters the fourth day, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) started interrogating five BDR mutiny suspects including suspected ringleader Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Syed Towhidul Alam after a Dhaka court had placed them on a seven-day remand yesterday. The other suspects being grilled are DAD Abdur Rahim, Habilder Azad Ali, Nayek Mohammad Firoj Ahmed, and Jawan Zakir Hossain.
Meanwhile, another victim of the mutiny was identified in Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue yesterday, by matching of fingerprints provided by the victim's family members and colleagues. The victim is now identified as Lt Col Elahi Manzoor Chowdhury. With the identification of Lt Col Elahi, only two bodies of victims remain to be identified in DMCH morgue, which were recovered from a mass grave in Pilkhana.
Twelve family members of five missing army officials yesterday gave samples of their blood and saliva to the DNA testing lab of DMCH. DNA tests are being carried out to identify the two remaining unidentified bodies kept in the morgue. --The Daily Star, March 05, 2009.
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