26 Aug, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

A month of eviction devastation n Abu Hayat Mahmud Helal Uddin, a self-made and hard working businessman, is at his wit's end. He was the owner of Everest Restaurant in Uttara, a fledgling business that was running on loss, but slowly making its name. He and his partner had invested Tk30 lakh in the restaurant. On July 25, all his dreams came undone when the arm of a backhoe loader came crashing down on his decorated storefront. It was the first day of an eviction drive by the city development authority against all commercial establishments located in three of Dhaka's upscale neighbourhoods. That day Rajuk closed down 10 businesses on that road. Helal is by no means the only victim of Rajuk's sudden vigour, spurred by supposed security concerns after the terrorist attack at a Gulshan restaurant on July 1. In the last 30 days, Rajuk has carried out around 15 drives in Dhanmondi, Gulshan and Uttara Residential Model Town, demolishing or shutting down restaurants, schools, hotels and all sorts of establishments. Helal cannot figure out how to  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

The month-long eviction drive by Rajuk has seen many such scenes of demolition. Here in a file photo, the front of a commercial establishment is bulldozed as part of the drive in Gulshan MEHEDI HASAN

'You'll die and cause our deaths too' n Bangla Tribune

Mohitul who sued Mujib killers dies n Tribune Desk AFM Mohitul Islam, a personal assistant to Bangabandhu who filed the murder case, died at a hospital in Dhaka yesterday. He was 63. Mohitul breathed his last at 2:55pm at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. Mohitul was kept under life support at the ICU of BSMMU for the last 28 days. But his condition deteriorated on Tuesday. He was admitted to the hospital  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Bangabandhu's personal secretary AFM Mohitul Islam was there at the Dhanmondi 32 residence on the fateful August 15 night when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family were killed. He was one of the few survivors. After 1975, he tried repeatedly to file a case for the August 15 killings – but was denied every time. Finally, in 1996, he became the plaintiff of the Bangabandhu killing case which eventually delivered the long-awaited justice in 2010. Mohitul, a witness to many of the country's historical moments, died yesterday. Following the execution of several killers of Bangabandhu, Mohitul recollected some of the challenges he faced. “I tried to file a case once on October 23, 1976. I went to the Lalbagh police station to file a case without the government's permission. After listening to the case description, the duty officer slapped

me and said 'you will die and cause our deaths as well'.” During the hearing of the Bangabandhu killing case, Mohitul told the court: “I believed that the killers would at least spare the kid,

When I stood in line, Russel came and grabbed onto me. He asked me ‘Bhaia, they won’t kill me, will they?’ [Sheikh] Russel. It is from that belief I told Russel 'No Bhaia, they will not kill you'.” Mohitul was one of the few eyewitnesses who described the gruesome assassination of Bangabandhu and his family. Standing as a plaintiff, Mohitul told the court how Maj Faruk asked

something to Maj Bajlul Huda – who was positioned at the gate during the murders. Maj Bajlul Huda replied: “All are finished.” Mohitul described how Bangabandhu and his family stood courageous and served the people until their dying moments. No family member asked for mercy from the murderers carrying out a heinous killing spree. When Fazilatunnesa Mujib saw Bangabandhu's body on the floor, she told the killers: “You should kill me right here.” On September 26, 1975, self-declared president Khandaker Mushtaq issued the indemnity ordinance to protect Bangabandhu's killers. After the then BNP government approved the ordinance as a law in 1979, there had not been any talk about Bangabandhu's murder or a trial; but it all changed after 1996. After many attempts over the years, on October 2, 1996, Mohitul finally filed an FIR with Dhanmondi police station. During years when  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

INSIDE

Ctg toxic leak threatens to destroy aquatic life A huge amount of ammonia gas emitted from a state-owned fertiliser factory in Anwara, Chittagong has taken a heavy toll on the aquatic life in the surrounding areas and threatens to do further damage.  PAGE 5

Italy quake death toll nears 250 The death toll from a devastating earthquake in central Italy reached at least 241 people yesterday and could rise further after rescue teams worked through the night to try to find survivors under the rubble of flattened towns.  PAGE 32