Tortured, she cries for justice

Victim of brutal torture allegedly by dowry-hungry husband and in-laws, a woman at Bangalkandi village in Gafargaon upazila under Mymensingh district is crying for justice.

Rebzana Akhtar, 23, received burn injuries, mostly on her upper hand and back, as her husband Azizul Haque Ashik with the help of his sisters allegedly poured boiling rice starch on her body at her husband's house at Daricharbaria village in Gafargaon upazila on July 14 .

The victim filed a case with Gafargoan Police Station accusing Ashik and three others but none was arrested as of filing this report yesterday afternoon.

Rebzana, who took treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, is still bearing marks of torture on her body.

Ashik and his family members used to torture Rebzana for dowry since her marriage in 2007, said family sources.

Ashik, a mobile phone shop runner at Kandipara Bazar in Gafargaon, also a local activist of Awami League, recently demanded Tk one lakh as dowry that Rebzana's poor family could not give, they said.

"On July 14, Ashik beat me severely to force me to bring the money from my father's house. At one stage, Ashik's sisters Jyotsna Begum and Hasna Begum held my hands tightly when he took boiling rice from the kitchen and poured it on me," said Rebzana.

"When the neighbours rushed to the spot, the culprits drove them away. Then Ashik and his family members confined me to a house for days.

"Coming to know about the incident after 10 days, my relatives rescued me and took me to my father's house," the victim said.

With the assistance of KN Shahana, executive director of Human Rights and Research Development Society, Rebzana filed a case with Gafargaon Police Station on August 7 night accusing four people -- Ashik, his sisters Jyotsna Begum and Hasna Begum, and mother Aqimunnesa.

Ain O Salish Kendra, a Dhaka-based national human rights organisation, is monitoring the case, said Shahana.

Rebzana's mother Hena Begum told this correspondent that they even sold their land to meet the demand of Ashik and his family members who often tortured her daughter for dowry.

"But the more we gave, the more covetous they became," she said.

Rebzana's elder sister Bedena Akhtar alleged that police is harassing them but did not arrest Ashik.

On contact, officer-in-charge of Gafargaon Police Station Md Omar Faruq denied the allegation of harassment, saying, "We called the victim and witnesses of the case to the police station for the sake of investigation. The culprits will be arrested soon."

Ashik denied the allegation of torture on Rebzana.

Source : The Daily Star

Terminal staff fleece truckers at Paturia: Drivers allege artificial jamming, bribery for access of trucks

Truck drivers have to count Tk 400 or more in addition to the official fees to get ferry ticket for each truck at Paturia terminal due to alleged malpractice by a section of staff of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), traffic police and brokers.

They create artificial traffic to compel the truck drivers to give bribe to have access to a ferry by breaking the serial, alleged the affected truck drivers.

During a visit to Paturia ferry terminals on Wednesday afternoon, this correspondent talked to several truck drivers, officials and employees of BIWTC and traffic police.

"I came to Paturia ghat with an iron rod-laden truck bound for Kushtia from Dhaka at around 6:00am on Wednesday. I could manage a ferry ticket at around 6:00pm that day after giving a broker Tk 400 in addition to the official fee," said truck driver Abdur Razzak.

"The official fee of ferry service for a truck is Tk 960 but brokers having link with BIWTC officials and employees take Tk 1300-1500 to let a truck driver go earlier by breaking the serial," he said.

Md Milon, who came to Paturia ghat on Tuesday afternoon from Sylhet for Jhenidah, said, "I failed to buy the ticket from the BIWTC counter with the government fixed rate of Tk 960 even after waiting one day. Then I had to give additional Tk 400 to a broker to manage a ticket on Wednesday evening. Earlier on more than one occasion, I waited three or four days to get the ticket at government rate," he said.

Several other truck drivers including Nazrul Islam and Sattar Mia of Jhenidah have similar tales to tell.

When contacted, Paturia police out post in-charge Md Mahbub Alam said, "I joined here a month ago. I have received allegations of bribe taking from the truck drivers. I will inform high officials of the matter soon."

Ashraf Ullah Khan, BIWTC manager (Commerce) at Aricha, however, denied the allegations of violating serials and taking bribes by their officials and employees with the help of brokers and traffic police.

"We are trying our best to maintain serials of the waiting trucks," he said.

Thousands of long route vehicles including passenger buses and goods-laden trucks daily use Paturia-Daulatdia ferry route connecting the south-western districts with the capital.

Source : The Daily Star

War Crimes: Hearing on Sayedee's charge framing deferred again

International Crimes Tribunal yesterday further deferred the hearing on charge framing against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee in connection with crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation.

The three-judge panel headed by Justice Nizamul Huq fixed August 23 for the hearing following a petition submitted by the defence lawyers seeking time. It also directed jail authorities to allow the defence lawyers to consult with Sayedee as per the jail code.

The tribunal, on August 10, adjourned the hearing till yesterday.

Tanvir Ahmed Al Amin, a counsel for Sayedee, said the five hours they got on August 16 to talk to Sayedee about the charges brought against him were not enough.

Source : The Daily Star

Rickshaw-van puller dies in brick fall

A rickshaw-van puller was killed when a brick falling from the sixth floor of a nine-storey building hit him on the head at Baitul Aman Housing in the city's Adabar yesterday.

He was identified as Mosharraf Hossain, 55.

The incident occurred around 5:00pm when Mosharraf was talking to his acquaintances on the van near the building that houses the office of Dhaka-based NGO Padakkhep.

Seriously injured Mosharraf was rushed to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Mosharraf's son Ayub Ali told The Daily Star that he doubts whether it was an accident or a killing.

Following the incident, locals went to the spot and found bricks piled up on a corner of the sixth floor.

Source : The Daily Star 

One held with firearms

Police arrested a man with a pistol and bullets in Pahartali area in the port city yesterday.

The arrestee is Zihadul Islam, son of Ruhul Amin, of North Betia village of Chouddagram upazila in Comilla.

Police said they arrested him with one pistol, two magazines and two bullets stashed in a cellphone box during a routine check of vehicles at the city gate check post around 12:10am.

Zihadul was travelling in a Chittagong-bound bus of Star Line from Feni, police added.

Source : The Daily Star

Housewife stabbed to death

Unknown miscreants stabbed a housewife to death at Sutrapur in the city yesterday.

The deceased is Rupa Rani Dey, 25, wife of Sagor Chandra Dey and a resident of Justice Lal Mohon Das Lane in the city.

Her brother-in-law Sumon said he came to his brother's house in the afternoon and found her lying on floor in the house.

She was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared her death around 4:00pm.

Doctors found stab marks on her chest and neck, DMCH sources said

Source : The Daily Star

Riot in London: Bangalees vow to fight extremism

Bangalee communities at a meeting have vowed to stay united and work collectively against all forms of extremism.

The speakers made the pledge at the event at Brick Lane Mosque, Brick Lane in London on Tuesday.

Bangalee communities led by Bangladesh Welfare Association, the largest Bangalee organisation in UK, organised the meeting under the banner of "Unity Platform Against Racism And Fascism."

Harmuz Ali, the association president and vice chair of Brick Lane Mosque, chaired it.

Pointing out the negative impacts of rioting in Whitechapel area on August 8, they called upon the authorities concerned to ban the proposed march planned by English Defence League (EDL) in Tower Hamlets on September 3.

Harmuz Ali said, "We oppose all forms of extremism--from whatever quarter. We believe that the people of Tower Hamlets should be allowed to live without the threat of violence and fear. This is why we are calling on the authorities to ban the EDL march of hate."

Tower Hamlets, a vibrant multiracial area, which has a long and proud history of resistance to racism and fascism specially in Brick Lane-Banglatown area in the 1970s. The people of Tower Hamlets came together just as they did in 1936 to see off the fascists, they said.

Guest speakers were Tower Hamlets MPs Rushanara Ali and Jim Fitzpatrick, Murad Qureshi AM, John Biggs GLA, Councillor Peter Golds, Leader of the Conservative Group, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Councillor Helal Uddin Abbas, Spitalfields & Banglatown, Cllr Khales Ahmed, Rev Andy Rider, Rector Christ Church Spitalfields, Leon Silver, Senior Warden & Honorary Officer: East London Central Synagogue, Steering Group Member: Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum, Nurul Islam, general secretary, Bangladesh Welfare Association, Dr M A Hannan, educationalist, Ex Tower Hamlets Mayor Golam Mortuza and Sam Tarry, campaign organiser, HOPE not hate.

Source : The Daily Star

Laksham-Chandpur: Deal to repair rail track

A 55-kilometre rail track between Laksham and Chandpur will be repaired at a cost of Tk 108 crore to ensure faster rail communication.

The work, being implemented with the government's own funds, will help increase train speed up to 72km an hour. The project will be completed by June 2013.

Bangladesh Railway and M/S Kalindee Rail Nirman (Engineers) Ltd of India signed an agreement at the ministry in this regard yesterday.

Railway Eastern Zone Managing Director Yusuf Ali Mridha and M/S Kalindee Rail Nirman Ltd Vice President Mohindar Kumar Grovar signed the deal on behalf of their respective sides.

Source : The Daily Star

5 food shops fined in city

Enforcement officials fined five food shops Tk 1.04 lakh in the city yesterday, as they were found without licence from Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).

Two executive magistrates penalised the shops leading mobile court drives in Jurain and New Market areas.

VIP Bread and Biscuit Factory in Jurain was fined Tk 80,000; Maiyesha Departmental Store Tk 5,000, and Malisha Departmental Store Tk 7,000 in Hatirpul; and Jadav Ghosh Mishtanno Bhandar Tk 5,000, and Mohan Chand Grand and Sweets Tk 7,000 in New Market.

The shops were running without having licence from the BSTI.

Source : The Daily Star

Fees on Transit to India: Consider costs for environment, land use, say analysts

Political and foreign policy analysts yesterday said the government should consider costs for the environment and land use while fixing the fees on transit to India.

The suggestion was made ahead of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka early September when a framework agreement on transit is likely to be sealed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during her visit to India early 2010, agreed to provide one-time transit from Ashuganj to Agartala. Fifteen land and rail routes were also identified for India to this effect.

Dilara Chowdhury, former professor of governance and politics of Jahangirnagar University, said India says "the land routes are transits and should be treated under the World Trade Organisation (WTO)" and wants waiver on transit fees.

But debates surface because according to the WTO transits are routes going from one country through another country to a third country, she said, in her keynote presentation.

On the other hand, corridors are conventionally defined as routes going from one country through another country to the country of origin, said Prof Dilara.

"So, India should be charged transit fees along with other fees. We must consider the land use and environmental costs too".

Prof Dilara made the observations at a seminar titled "Upcoming Manmohan's visit: Veracity and prospects" organised by South Asia Youth for Peace and Prosperity Society (Saypp) at the city's Jatiya Press Club.

Brig Gen (retd) Shahedul Anam Khan, editor of Defense and Strategic Affairs of The Daily Star; Nurul Kabir, editor of the New Age; Prof Syed Anwar Hossain, editor of the daily sun; journalists Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury and Mostafa Kamal Majumder, and Saypps President Shabnam Azim also spoke.

Source : The Daily Star