Hasina demands trial of Goutam’s killers

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina condemned the grisly murder of young journalist Goutam Das and demanded trial of the killers, reports BDNews.

Hasina, also the president of AL, in a statement on Saturday said no one has been arrested even 48 hours into the murder of the Faridpur Bureau chief of the Daily Samakal Goutam Das.

She said, earlier, 12 journalists including Manik Saha, Humayan Kabir Balu, Dipankar Chakrabarti had been assassinated but no trials and investigations into the killings have been conducted so far.

The journalists’ community is working risking their lives but the government is completely indifferent, she alleged, adding, the BNP-Jamaat alliance is not inclined to try the killers. Sheikh Hasina in her statement urged all to join hands in the movement to oust the government for what she said the utter failure of the government to ensure the security to journalists. Not only journalists no one is safe under the BNP-Jamaat regime, she said, urging all to force the incumbent government to step down.

JS session begins today without AL

The parliament goes into session Sunday without main opposition Awami League (AL) once again as it has already decided to continue its boycott of the session, reports BDNews.

The Business Advisory Committee will sit at 3.30 pm prior to beginning of the session at 4 pm and take the decision about the length and businesses to be transacted in the session.

The just concluded SAARC summit, country’s security situation following killing of two judges in Jhalakathi, killing of a journalist, prices of essentials and monga situation in the northern region may figure prominently in the session.

Nearly 10 bills are likely to be placed before the House for approval. These include Bank Company (Amendment) Bill, The International Financial Organisation (Amendment) Bill, The Negotiable Instrument (Amendment) Bill, Censorship of Films, The Drugs Control (Amendment) Bill, The Building Construction (Amendment) Bill, The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, The Members of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (Terms and Conditions of Service) Bill and the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2005.

About 24 adjournment motions on a number of sensitive issues under rule 62 were submitted for discussion in the upcoming session.

The issues include August 21 grenade attack, August 17 chain-bombings across the country, crossfire, killing of two judges in Jhalakathi, rise of Islamic extremists, price spiral of essentials.

The motions were submitted, among others, by AL lawmakers Panchanan Bishwas and Shahajahan Khan, and GM Kader, Moshiur Rahman Ranga and Golam Habib Dulal of Jatiya Party.

A total of 29 call attention notices under rule 71 were submitted till Friday. Legislators from both the treasury and opposition JP submitted as many as 672 questions for Question-Answer session, while other 49 questions for the Prime Minister’s Question-Answer session.

The nine-day brief eighteenth session of parliament was prorogued on September 21.

Rejecting the calls from ruling BNP and the Speaker to join the House, the main opposition Awami League (AL) remains stick in continuing the boycott of the parliament.

Meanwhile, the seat of AL chief and leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina will fell vacant if she will remain absent from the House 18 more working days. As the AL has been boycotting the parliament since last year, Sheikh Hasina did not join the House for last consecutive 72 days till last session.

According to the constitutional provision, any lawmaker will lose his/her seat if he or she does not join the session for consecutive 90 working days.

In the 18 sessions of the current eighth parliament, the main opposition AL was present only for 87 days out of a total of 297 working days.

Army soldier held

Acid thrown on two sisters in Bagerhat

Our Correspondent

KHULNA, Nov 19:–Two sisters Khaleda (20) and Shahanaz (18), daughters of Mostofa Izarder of Srifaltala village under Rampal upazila of Bagerhat district sustained acid burn injuries when army soldier Saiful, husband of Shahanaz threw acid on them while they were sleeping in their parent's house at late night on Friday.

They were taken to local hospital at first and later shifted to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition. The victim's family sources said Saiful threw acid on the two sisters centering family feud. Police arrested Saiful and a case was lodged with Rampal police station under Woman and Child Repression Act on Saturday.

Qul Khwani

Qul Khwani of Alhaj Mozammel Huq, an eminent businessman will be held today (Sunday) after Asr prayer at Azad Mosque, Gulshan. His friends, relatives & well wishers are requested to attend the Qul Khwani and pray for the salvation of his departed soul.

Vice-Chancellor of AUB off to Jakarta

Professor Dr. Abulhasan M. Sadeq, Vice-Chancellor, Asian University of Bangladesh left for Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the International Conference on "Islamic Economics" scheduled to be held during November 21-24.

He will speak on the "Corporate Responsibility of Islamic Banks and Islamic Finance". The conference will be attended by the renowned scholars of different countries on Islamic principles of Economics. Sadeq will represent Bangladesh and will present a paper on the subject.

Goutam killing

Memo submitted to PM, Home Minister

Our Correspondent

FARIDPUR, Nov 19:–The journalists of Faridpur Press Club submitted memoranda to the Prime Minister and Home Minister this noon through DC and SP as a part of their four-day long mourning programme over the gruesome killing of Goutam Das (32), Faridpur Bureau Chief of the Daily Samakal on November 17 morning demanding immediate arrest and trial of the culprits.

Bangladesh Awami League (AL), Faridpur district unit held a public meeting at Alipur crossing this afternoon protesting the barbaric killing of the journalist Goutam and demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment to the killers.

Among others district unit Secretary Hasibul Hasan Lablu, Bipul Ghosh AL central committee member and Abdul Hye Mia, a veteran Awmai Leaguer addressed the meeting presided over by Md. Zainul Abedin, President of the district unit of Awami League.

Another private TV channel RTV starts functioning from Dec 26

Staff Correspondent

RTV, a new private satellite television channel will launch transmission from December 26, 2005. President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed is likely to inaugurate the transmission on the day at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

Chairman and Managing Director of RTV Alhaj Mosaddeq Ali, MP said the name of his only daughter is Rosa Ali and the word R has been picked up after the name of her daughter. He was addressing a Press conference at a local hotel on Saturday.

He said RTV will air round the clock satellite transmission from day one. The experimental transmission will be aired from December 1, next.

"An earth up-link station and other equipment were successfully installed by our engineers and we have signed an agreement with international news agency APTN. We will project objective and credible news and views, air mega serial, magazine programme, dramas, talk show, tele film to entertain our viewers," said Mosaddeq Ali at the Press conference.

Responding to a question he said though he is one of the owners of another private channel NTV there is no link between the two institutions. He hoped that a fair competition will build-up between NTV and RTV.

When asked as Bangladesh is a small market and the number of private channels are thriving in the country, what will be the ultimate fate? He said those who will produce qualitative programmes, viewers will accept them. Those who will earn people's response will survive.

He agreed that the huge number of viewers residing in the rural areas are unable to watch private channels as those have no terrestrial transmission. He hoped that the government would allow the permission of terrestrial transmission to the private TV channels. He denied the speculation of getting the licence on political consideration and said he applied for RTV in the year 2002. The directors and chiefs of various sections of RTV attended the Press conference.