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News
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015
ICC promised world class security
Intern lawyer stabbed to death in Gazipur
n UNB
n Our Correspondent, Gazipur
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday assured the International Cricket Council (ICC) of taking adequate security measures for any international cricket event in Bangladesh as it always does so when it comes to security steps. The prime minister said this when an ICC delegation led by Chief Executive David John Richardson called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban. Other members of the delegation were ICC security consultants Sean Norris and Reg Dickson, and Head of Events Chris Tetley. After the meeting, prime minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned that the upcoming Under-19 World Cup Cricket Tournament to be held in January in Bangladesh is very important as under-19 teams are the players of future. Richardson told the prime minister that their delegation held talks with the authorities concerned of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), security agencies as well as embassies and high commissions of the participating countries on security issues. The delegation also visited cricket venues in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar where the matches of the Under-19 World Cup Cricket Tournament will be held, he said. Richardson said the delegation would submit a report to the ICC board on their visit. l
An intern lawyer died after he was stabbed with knife near his house in Gazipur yesterday evening. Enamul Haque Biplob, 42, son of late Khandaker Shamsuddin of north Chhayabithi area, practiced at the district sessions judge court. Two local men - Rabbi, 25, and Robin, 20 - attacked Biplob when he reached near his house around 5:30pm. They stabbed him with a knife and hit him hard with a rod. Locals took the victim to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital but
doctors advised to take him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated, said police. Biplob’s elder brother Khandaker Aminul Haque Tutul, also the former attorney general of the Supreme Court, told the Dhaka Tribune Biplob died on the way to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He said he had no idea why Biplob had been attacked, adding that the body would be taken back to Gazipur as he died on the way. Sub-Inspector of Joydebpur police station Abdul Hamid said Biplob was attacked over previous enmity. He also said police were trying to arrest the attackers. l
But just when Tamim was coasting to his 32nd half-century, the southpaw trudged back to the dressing room off the bowling of part-timer Sikandar Raza (2/47). Raza soon sent back Shakib for 16 and the home side were once again struggling on 123/4 inside the 28th over. Mushfiq was then joined at the crease by the big-hitting Sabbir Rahman. The fifth-wicket pair posted a valuable 119-run stand with Sabbir (57) recording his personal best in ODIs. Sabbir’s pyrotechnics fetched him four eye-catching boundaries and two sixes. At the other end, Mushfiq was his usual dominating self. The diminutive stump-
er-batsman used the slog-sweep to devastating effect and when he managed a single off paceman Taurai Muzarabani, he duly brought up his fourth ton. Alongside Mushfiq, Shahriar Nafees also has four tons while both Shakib and Tamim have six and feature at the top of the list of the most successful Bangladesh centurions in limited-over cricket. Mushfiq’s 107-run knock was decorated with nine fours and a six and the Bogra lad now requires just 129 runs to join Tamim and Shakib in the 4000-club in ODIs. Mashrafe (14) and Arafat Sunny (15) struck late cameos to take Bangladesh past the 250run mark. l
are in demand in Bangladesh.
ment on the extent of the smuggling problem, another high official of the BGB working in the district told the Dhaka Tribune, on condition of anonymity, that the smuggling system in Dinajpur involved virtually everyone, including the railway police, local political leaders and local businesses. But BGB the official pointed the finger of blame primarily at railway staff, without whom the network could not operate. l
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Tigers draw first blood Nasir Hossain grabbed one while the returning Al Amin Hossain also bagged as many. In a disappointing display with the willow by the visiting side, only skipper Elton Chigumbura (41) and opener Luke Jongwe (39) put up any sort of resistance. Yesterday’s win was Bangladesh’s 13th in the last 15 ODIs in Mirpur. Earlier yesterday afternoon, the Bangladesh team management decided to opt for youngster Liton Kumar Das instead of Imrul Kayes as the replacement of dashing opening batsman Soumya Sarkar, who was ruled out of the Zimbabwe ODIs and Twenty20 internationals due to a side-strain injury.
Young paceman Kamrul Islam Rabbi and leg-spinner Jubair Hossain were also overlooked in the starting XI. Asked to bat first on a weary pitch, Bangladesh were in a spot of bother early on as Liton (nought) and Mahmudullah (nine) departed in quick succession. With the Tigers reeling on 30/2 inside the ninth over, the ever-dependable Mushfiq walked out to the middle. In good nick following his 81-run knock against the same opposition in the solitary warm-up last Thursday, Mushfiq, alongside opener Tamim Iqbal, started the rebuilding process. The third-wicket pair resurrected the Tigers’ cause, adding 70 face-saving runs.
A railway station run by smugglers Police action leading to violence and death tends to occur when smugglers and officials disagree about some aspect of the transaction, usually the amount of money involved, said local sources. Residents and those with knowledge of the smuggling operations said the police, BGB and local administration officials receive bribes from the smuggling syndicates. But the bulk of the bribes go to Railway staff, they said. Train attendants, GRP officials, ticket collectors and station guards effectively manage the logistics for the smuggling rings in exchange for money, organising unscheduled stops by passing trains so that smuggled goods can be sent onward to distant retailers. “To make this happen, different groups manage different clients. One gang bribes only GRP officials, another manages the police while a third manages the local administration,” said the ringleader of a smuggling group. He said the police, GRP and BGB are paid off to look the other way. Ticket managers and station security guards are bribed to get the trains to stop at the station. Locomotive drivers take money to break with the timetables and stop their trains; security guards take money to offer a suitable reason for the delay. The divisional controller takes money to determine which train line is used for safe, unscheduled stops.
Local law enforcement sources said just 18 out of 43 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border in Hili is fenced. Goods are passed along across the unfenced border, they said.
Railway officials involved in smuggling
A recent investigation by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) identified at least 133 people involved in smuggling in six districts in the region, including Dinajpur. The report names Parbatipur GRP police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) AKM Lutfar Rahman, its sub-inspectors Md Niamul and Abdul Hannan, assistant sub-inspectors Md Delwar, Md Belal, Md Delwar and 26 constables as being involved in smuggling. The report names Santahar GRP police station OC Md Sayeed Iqbal, its constable Md Liakat Hossain, GRP Outpost member from Bogra Bimol Chandra, GRP Outpost member from Nilphamari Habilder Nenu Mandol and ASI Babul Sheikh. It was learnt that these officials were active in smuggling operations in six districts at various border points including Birampur, Fulbari, Santahar and Hili. In many places, the international boundary fence is nothing more than a handful of posts with a few lengths of barbed wire strung between them. The openings allow all manner of traffic to pass through — farmers working the no man’s land between the two countries, refugees moving into India and contraband goods that
What law enforcement officials say
When approached, Tanzilur Rahman, superintendent of Railway Police (Sayedpur zone), told the Dhaka Tribune that border areas are vulnerable to smuggling but officials have been instructed to be vigilant. “Our officials continuously try to control smuggling and we have recoveries and arrests almost everyday.” Asked about the alleged involvement of his officials in smuggling, the Railway Police superintendent said police officials are not perfect. He said action is taken against officials found guilty of committing crimes. “Last year we took action against 13 railway staff for neglecting their duties.” Lt Col Akther Iqbal, a commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (Dinajpur zone), told the Dhaka Tribune that his force was working to stop smuggling and had recovered large amounts of smuggled goods, including contraband drugs. Asked about a rise in the number of female drug carriers, Lt Col Akther confirmed that this was a growing trend among smugglers. He said female police were being used to check suspicious female travellers. Asked about the involvement of law enforcement and railway officials, he said BGB has limited investigation powers and that arrestees are handed over to the local police. Although Lt Col Akther declined to com-
BNP hints Responding to a query that the ruling party leaders rejection of BNP chairperson’s call for national dialogue, Moudud said: “We are trying to intensify our movement bringing all the democratic forces under one single umbrella led by Khaleda Zia.” On November 7, the BNP leader said Ziaur Rahman introduced multiparty democratic system by replacing one-party parliamentary system through the revolution of people and soldiers. On this day in 1975, amid political turmoil soldiers and civilians jointly freed then chief of army staff Ziaur Rahman from captivity in Dhaka cantonment, paving the way for Zia to come to power. While BNP and its alliances celebrate November 7 as the National Revolution and Solidarity Day, the ruling Awami League and its front organisations consider it as the day of killing of freedom fighters. l