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DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
BTCL’s part-time workers stage sit-in for permanent jobs n Tribune Report
Grameenphone to launch 3G in Chittagong n Tushar Hayat , Chittagong
Workers employed on a temporary basis in the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) staged a sit-in yesterday morning in front of the BTCL building, demanding that their jobs be made permanent. The demonstrating workers alleged that they were paid on the basis of their work but their contracts had never been formalised in the last 10 to 12 years. A committee of temporary workers organised the sit-in which took place around 10:30am, seeking an announcement from the BTCL hiring them as permanent employees in the organisation. The 2,932 BTCL employees were in a situation where they were drawing a meagre payment for their work, said Co-Convenor of the Temporary Workers’ Committee Rafiqul Islam Selim. Convenor Humayun Kabir said: “The BTCL authority on March 24, 2010 held a board meeting to formulate a salary structure for the temporary workers and regularise them.” He alleged that there had been no more developments concerning the issue since then. The workers also alleged that a section of corrupt BTCL officials had benefitted from pursuing changes in their favour at the expense of the employees. l
Grameenphone has proclaimed to launch 3G service in Chittagong by the first half of October. The mobile phone operator company yesterday stated at a press conference that it will launch the new service for its customers in select areas within the city. Allan Bonke, chief marketing officer of the company, said: “We know the importance of Chittagong as the business capital of Bangladesh and we want to introduce quality 3G services here along with Dhaka.” Allan added that the 3G service would cover the city’s Agrabad area in October, and Khulshi by November, while Pahartoli, Kotwali, Halishahar, CEPZ, Patenga by December. Chittagong University, and Chittagong University of Science and Technology would also come under the new service within this year, he added. The company’s chief marketing officer assured customers by saying that it had acquired 10MHz of 3G-spectrum, which was more than any of their competitors in the country, in the recent by BTRC auction. The leading mobile phone operator company has been hoping that it would be able to roll out a nationwide 3G network with enhanced capacity. Tahmeed Azizul Huq, head of corporate communications of the company, also addressed the press conference. l
Workers employed on a temporary basis in Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) staged demonstration in front of BTCL building in the capital yesterday, demanding regularisation of their jobs FOCUS BANGLA
ZIA CHARITABLE TRUST GRAFT CASE
Khaleda’s charge framing hearing deferred n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday deferred the charge frame hearing for the seventh time in the graft case of the Zia Charitable Trust, which accuses BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others. Judge Md Motahar Hossain of the Special Judge Court-3 passed the order following a petition for a time extension by the defence lawyer Sanaullah Mia. In the petition, the counsel said the former prime minister was busy with her three-day visit to North Bengal as part of the movement for the restoration of the caretaker government system. The BNP leader started her journey from her Gulshan residence on Saturday afternoon. She was also busy “making preparations” to attend the next parliament session, so she could not appear before the court, said Khaleda’s lawyer. He stated that as per the East
CTG TENDER MURDERS
Eleven bailed out of jail n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
Eleven people accused in the tender double-murder case were freed from a Chittagong jail yesterday, following their attainment of bail from a High Court bench on September 12. One of them is Helal Akbar Chowdhury Babar, a Jubo League leader who led one of the parties that clashed over a railway tender bid killing two bystanders. The process to release the accused started at 5pm at the Chittagong Central Jail, where they had been kept since their arrests, said Senior Jail Super Md Sagir Mia. Earlier, the High Court granted bail prayers of the accused and jail authorities received their release orders through the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court in Chittagong yesterday, said court sources. Four other accused were also freed on bail on August 4. One of them was Saiful Alam Limon, a leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League who led the other party involved in the June 24 tender clash. On that day, two bystanders including a boy of six died when a deadly gunfight erupted between two groups of Jubo League and Chhatra League near the port city’s CRB Shat Rastar Mor area. They were fighting to win a contract worth Tk15m of Bangladesh Railway. Following the incident, police nabbed 56 persons including Limon and Babar, both of whom were suspended from their parties. A case was lodged with the Kotwali police station accusing 87 named, including the arrested 56, and 30-40 unnamed persons. Police interrogated the arrestees for several times. l
Pakistan (now Bangladesh) Assembly Members’ Privileges Act 1965, during a session, no member of parliament could be asked to appear in any civil, criminal or revenue court or any election tribunal. Another accused Monirul Islam Khan, the assistant private secretary of the former DCC mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, filed a similar petition seeking a time extension. Anti-Corruption Commission’s lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajol opposed the petitions for time extension. However, after hearing the petitions, the court granted the extension to the accused and set October 6 for the charge frame hearing. On April 9, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammad Zahurul Haque set May 22 for hearing on the acceptance of the charge sheet placed against Khaleda in connection with the Zia Charitable Trust graft case. On January 15, the court took cognisance of charges against Khaleda and
three others in the case. On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon police station accusing the four, including Khaleda, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources. ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid, the investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012. According to the case statement, a 2809 sq metre piece of land in the city’s Kakrail area was bought by the trust from one Suraiya Khanam for Tk65.2m in January 2005. The other accused are Khaleda Zia’s former political secretary Harris Chowdhury and Harris’ former assistant personal secretary Ziaul Islam Munna. Harris Chowdhury left the country in 2007 and has been staying abroad since. He was mentioned in the charge sheet as an “absconding accused” while Ziaul and Monirul are now on bail. l
Historic Education Day today n Tribune Report
Bangladesh must win against poverty: PM
Today is the historic Education Day. Different students and teachers’ organisations will observe the day for a demand of pro-people education system. On this day in 1962, during the regime of Ayub Khan, Mostafa, Babul, Wajiullah and other students were killed and several others were injured in police firing into protests of students who were demanding that the report of SM Sharif Education Commission 1958 should be scrapped. This led to a wider movement across the country. The movement forced the then government to an instant end to the implementation of the commission’s report. Different organizations will place wreaths at Shikkha Odhikar Chattar pillar in front of Shiksha Bhaban in the capital. National fronts of Teachers and Employees will hold a discussion at National Press Club at 11am today. The Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee for the Ministry of Education Rashed Khan Menon will be present at the discussion. Different student organizations including Bangladesh Chhatra Moitree, Bangladesh Students’ Union will hold programmes marking the day. l
n BSS, Dhaka Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her firm determination to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country by overpowering poverty. “We don’t want to beg to anybody and we don’t want to move by begging. I believe that the nation which achieved independence through Liberation War must be a developed and prosperous country by winning the war against poverty,” she said. The prime minister said this while addressing a publication ceremony of a book, Bangladesh Government 1971-75, authored by former cabinet secretary HT Imam, in the Osmani Memorial Auditorium here this morning. HT Imam, also the Public Administration Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister, AF Salahuddin Ahmad, National Professor and Golam Mostafa, Managing Director of Hakkani Publishers which published the book, also spoke at the function. Eminent cultural personality Asaduzzaman Noor, MP, recited a poem of Syed Shamsul Haque, while Tarana Halim, MP, read out some part of the book at the function.
11 injured in AL intra-party clash in Barisal n Our Correspondent, Barisal At least eleven individuals were injured as activists from the rival factions of Awami League in Barisal clashed and ransacked the city party office yesterday. The clash erupted after activists loyal to district AL President Abul Hasanat Abdullah and city AL President Shawkat Hossain Hiron got involved in an altercation over an alleged assault against a party colleague on the night before. Police fired sound grenades, teargas shells and rubber-coated steel bullets while also charging batons to disperse the activists. According to party sources, a party activist loyal to the Hiron faction, identified as Mohiuddin Babul aka Beai Babul, was allegedly assaulted by some Hasanat loyalists at a Dhaka hotel on Sunday night. The incident provoked an instant outcry from Babul’s sympathisers in the party who, led by city president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Jasim, called for a protest rally and a meeting at the party office in the city’s Sohel Square at 11am yesterday. The activists of the Hasanat faction, led by district secretary of BCL Abdur Razzak, responded by questioning the validity of the programme announcement and soon a face-off between the two factions ensued, eventually escalating into a full-blown clash. Both groups came prepared with “lethal weapons” and bricks, apparently in anticipation of the clash which began at the party office and gradually spilled into surrounding areas. At least 11 activists were injured and various pieces of furniture and win-
Police yesterday hurled tear shells, fired blank shot and charged baton to disarray two groups of Awami League conflicting over supremacy in Barisal DHAKA TRIBUNE dowpanes of the office were ransacked during, sources said. The clash triggered panic among locals and set off a prolonged gridlock around the city’s Sadar Road, Fakirbari Road, KBS Hemayetuddin Road and Fazlul Huq Avenue. However, a police team led by Atikur Rahman, assistant police commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police, soon
arrived on the spot and brought the situation under control. Both groups blamed each other for initiating the fight. The group loyal to Hiron, also a former mayor of Barisal City Corporation, alleged that their rivals had launched an “unprovoked” attack on them collaborating with Jamaat-Shibir activists. The Hasanat group, however, de-
nied culpability and said they only went to the office to protest the presence of Babul in the party, who they claimed was an “infiltrator.” No case was filed in this connection till yesterday afternoon. According to party sources, both the district and city Awami League leaders and activists of Barisal met with party chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday. l
Ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, parliament members, economists, journalists, artistes and senior government officials were present on the occasion. The prime minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman performed a tough task during his short tenure from 1972 to 1975. “He loved people and struggled for the people throughout his life and his only aim was to change their lot,” she said. Bangabandhu, she said, performed a difficult task as he faced the antiliberation forces as well as ultra leftists and rightists in one hand, while he dedicated himself to building the warravaged nation in other hand. Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu had set up a rare example in the world by sending the troops of the allied force to their home within three months. For this, the PM thanked late Indian premier Indira Gandhi. “During his short period, Bangabandhu also realized the recognition of 150 countries as well as the United Nations, OIC and the Commonwealth side by side with nation-building activities,” she said. l
RU student brings sexual harassment allegation against ex-boyfriend n RU Correspondent A female student of Rajshahi University has brought allegations of sexual harassment against a PhD candidate at the university’s Institute of Bangladesh Studies (IBS). The victim, an MBA student, recently submitted a written allegation to the RU Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin, Pro-VC Prof Chowdhury Sarowar Jahan and to IBS Director Prof Shahidullah. The accused was identified as Sayeed Hossain. In the written statement, the victim claimed that after meeting in 2012, the two developed a relationship which led Sayeed to manipulate her into converting her religion from Hindu to Islam. “Sayeed promised to marry me and engaged in physical relations, but later he left me,” the victim said. “Ever since I wanted to submit allegations against Sayeed, he had been threatening me with releasing video clips of our sexual encounters,” the victim added. Last Ramadan, the victim also filed a general diary with Motihar police station regarding Sayeed’s threats. Seeking exemplary punishment to Sayeed, the victim said “Now I am leading a helpless and detached life from my family members as I converted to Islam after being induced by Sayeed.” When contacted, Sayeed however denied the allegations. Claiming himself as a married person, the accused told journalists that the female student was exploiting their friendship to bring false allegations against him. l