Post-poll violence leaves 3 dead, 100 injured

Three persons were killed and more than 100 injured in numerous post-upazila election clashes between rival political groups across the country on Thursday and Friday.

Three people, one each in Faridpur, Narail and Brahmanbaria died, in the post election violence.

Reports of sporadic clashes between rival groups were also received from Sherpur and Sylhet.

Some Awami League activists ransacked the office and residence of the UNO of Sribardi upazila in Sherpur.

Police said that the Awami league supporters led by the defeated chairman candidate Ashraf Hossain Khoka of the ruling party damaged the windows and furniture of the office and residence of the UNO of the Sribardi Upazila at about 5 pm yesterday.

Enamul Haq, UNO, Sribardi, alleged that local Awami League MP AKM Fazlul Haq on Thursday night put pressure on the election officials including him to manipulate the election results in favour Khoka.

Akkas Matabbar,48, a supporter of Awami League’s rebel candidate was killed and 10 others were injured in a post election clash at Saltha upazila in Faridpur yesterday morning. police arrested four persons in this connection.

In Narail, a BNP activist was killed and five others were injured in separate incidence of attacks by the Awami League supporters at Lohagara upazila.

Idris Molla, 45, died on way to Khulna Medical College Hospital.

The AL activists attacked the BNP workers at the same upazila leaving two persons injured.

In Brahmanbaria, one person was killed in a bloody fight between supporters of pro-Awami League and pro-BNP candidates over control of Purbabhag polling centre at Nasirnagar upazila.Oli Mia, an activist of BNP , lost his life in the clash.

In Sylhet, at least 20 people were injured, eight of them by splinters, in a post-poll violence between the supporters of two upazila chairman candidates at Biswanath upazila on Thursday and Friday.

Seven of the injured were rushed to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital with splinter injuries where the condition of three — Saiful, 17, Azad Mia, 32, and Masuk Mia, 40 — was stated to be critical.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Police also seized a gun from the possession of Hushiar Ali, father of Sumon.

Source: The New Nation

Jamaat accuses: AL of resorting to irregularities in upazila polls

Bangladesh Jaamat-e-Islami accused the ruling Awami League (AL) of massive irregularities in the upazila polls.

Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Secretary General of Jamaat, yesterday said this through a press release.

He said the ruling party took control of polling centers, drove out opposition agents from those centers, and barred voters from casting votes.

The Chairman candidates had to boycott the election for the activists of the ruling party, he added.

The party also alleged that government did not work impartially. In many places complaints against ruling party activists who went on rampage were to no avail by police rather law enforcers harassed the opposition activists.

Though Home Minister promised of peaceful atmosphere in the election, AL activists snatched ballot papers after taking control of the centres. The activists had reneged electoral pledges and the opposition was non-existent during the polls said the party leaders.

Jamaat also called for investigation on the low turnover of voters in the polls.

Source: The New Nation

Meddling in upazila polls: Minister, MP may face prison term: Legal action underway, confirms EC

Step is under process to take legal action by the Election Commission (EC) against the election rules violators, including ministers and ruling party MPs, according to a highly placed source.

The measures are being taken as allegations were made from different upazilas of influencing the polls and violation of election code of conduct by ministers and MPs during the election.

The source said a case has already been filed against a ruling party MP in Cox’s Bazar in this connection.

When contacted Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Sakhawat Hossain told The New Nation that the Commission would obviously take action against those who violated the election code of conduct during the January 22 upazila election.

“We will sit to discuss the matter and determine the next course of action,” he said.

Asked whether the Commission has been carrying out any investigation about the allegations brought against ministers and ruling party MPs, the Election Commissioner said further investigation would not be required.

As per rules, the accused may be imprisoned for a term of two to seven years and fined if they are found guilty of the offences alleged.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Abdul Latif Biswas and Awami League lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi of Cox’s Bazar-4 constituency reportedly interfered in the polls in Belkuchi upazila in Sirajganj district and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar respectively.

When contacted the Police Super of Cox’s Bazar confirmed that a case has been filed with Teknaf Police Station yesterday against the local MP on charge of assaulting an officer engaged in election duty.

The EC had earlier in a letter to the Cabinet Division requested all ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers and persons enjoying similar status not to influence the upazila elections in anyway.

Earlier on Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda in his reaction expressed dissatisfaction about the influence exerted by the ministers and ruling party MPs in the election.

Talking to reporters he regretted that a minister was found at a polling station at Belkuchi in Sirajganj.

Referring to the interference in the Belkuchi upazila poll, the CEC said the minister stayed there and created problems in polling. “As a result, we were compelled to suspend polling of the upazila,” he said.

The CEC also alleged that Abdur Rahman Bodi, a ruling party lawmaker has beaten up polling officials at Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar.

“Judicial magistrates have already been asked to take legal actions against the two leaders. We are waiting for detail investigation reports, on receipt of which we will take action,” he said.

Another allegation was brought that presence of a minister at Raipura upazila of Narsingdi gave advantage to the candidate his party is backing.

Meanwhile, Abdul Latif Biswas yesterday told reporters that he went to Belkuchi to cast his vote not to influence the election.

He termed the allegation brought against him as a propaganda and said he has become a victim of conspiracy.

Source: The New Nation

Bangladesh clinch ODI series

Bangladesh clinch the Grameenphone ODI Series 2-1 when the Tigers crushed Zimbabwe by six wickets in the third and final ODI match at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Friday.

Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by two wickets in the first ODI on January 19.

Later, the Tigers took the sweet revenge over the African side defeating the tourists by six wickets in the second ODI on January 23.

The match was fixed 37-over-a-side affair due to foggy weather.

Chasing Zimbabwe’s 119 for the loss of nine wickets in 37 overs, Bangladesh overhauled the winning taeget in 32.4 overs making 121 for the loss of four wickets.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the country’s best medium pacer, prolific all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and

spinner Mahmudullah Riad played the key role to restrict the African side to a modest total.

Mashrafe completed at 3/26 and Shakib Al Hasan finished at 3/15 while Mahmudullah Riad chipped in with two wickets for 17 runs.

Sean Williams of Zimbabwe top-scored with 38 before he was cleanly bowled by Mahmudullah Riad. Williams hit five fours in his 46-ball knock.

Besides, Keith Dabengwa remained undefeated with 21.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza gave his team early breakthrough as the medium pacer trapped lbw opener Vusimusi Sibanda for a duck. Then, Hamilton Masakadza, the other opener was caught at the first slip by Mehrab Hossain (Junior) off Mashrafe for just 10 runs.

Mashrafe struck again as he cleanly bowled one down Stuart Matsikenyeri for 10 runs.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was adjudged the Man of the Match.

Shakib Al Hasan, who is now the world number one ODI all-rounder according to the ICC ranking was adjudged the player of the series. Shakib harpooned six wickets in three matches and scored seventy runs.

Opener Tamim Iqbal and Mehrab Hossain (Junior) added together 38 runs in the opening stand before Mehrab was unfortunately run out by Sibanda scoring two.

Opener Tamim Iqbal hit a worthy 34 off 49 balls amid five strokes beyond the ropes.

Skipper Mohammad Ashraful again showed a poor batting performance. He was trapped lbw by Raymond Price scoring just three runs. His five previous scores are 18, 26,13, 4 and 5.

After dismissal of Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan came to the crease but his innings was short-lived as Raqibul was trapped lbw by Raymond Price scoring 14. At that time the board was giving a reading of 89 for the loss of four wickets.

Later, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim contributed a valuable 32 runs in their unbroken fourth wicket stand and powered their side to reach the winning spot.

Shakib Al Hasan cracked an undefeated 33 off 36 balls including four fours while wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim hit 20 (not out ) off 31 balls with three boundaries.

Raymond Price bagged a couple of wickets giving away nine runs.

Source: The New Nation

Renewed clash in nat’l mosque: 50 injured

At least 50 people were injured yesterday at the national mosque, Baitul Mukarram, in clashes between pro and anti-Khatib people fighting a battle in and outside the mosque during Juma prayers.

Witnesses said the two groups — one supporting the newly appointed Khatib, Maulana Salahuddin and another opposing the appointment under the banner of ‘Baitul Mukarram Masjid Musalli Samaj’ — clashed inside the mosque as soon as Khatib Maulana Salahuddin began Khutba (sermons) at around 1.00pm.

Several hundred protesters, mostly Kaomi Madrasa students and teachers, started slogans against new Khatib Principal Mohammad Salauddin as soon as he started delivering Jumma sermon, source said.

Of the injured, 16 were admitted to different hospitals in the city while others were given first aid.

Khatib’s supporters then beat up the protesters and drove them away from the mosque triggering the battle.

Later the anti-Khatib people held a separate congregation for jumma prayers outside the mosque.

Mahmud, an activist of the Musalli Samaj, said the trouble started when some musullis refused to say their prayers behind Maulana Salahuddin. The Khatib’s supporters beat up the protesters and forced them out of the mosque.

The protesting musallis then joined a separate juma’ congregation, led by Mufti Abdullah, on the road near the north gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque. Later, they brought out a procession carrying shoes and shouted slogans demanding the removal of new Khatib.

Extra police were deployed in the area to avert any further trouble.

Mahmud, said they are on a movement under the banner of `Baitul Mukarram Masjid Musalli Samaj’ demanding removal of the newly appointed Khatib Maulana Salahuddin for his “questionable” character.

He claimed that Maulana Salahuddin was earlier removed from the post of Khatib of a mosque in Mirpur and of Dhanmondi Eidgah Jame Mosque due to allegations about his character.

At least 50 people were injured on last two Fridays in clashes over the new Khatib, he added.

On January 4, the Musalli Samaj submitted a memorandum to the Islamic Foundation demanding removal of Maulana Salahuddin, who was appointed Khatib to the National Mosque on January 1.

Until the appointment of Maulana Salahuddin, Maulana Nuruddin was acting as Khatib of the mosque since the death of previous Khatib Maulana Obaidul Haq in October 2007.

Source: The New Nation

Work unitedly to free country from hunger : Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called for working unitedly to free Bangladesh from hunger and poverty, making the country a happy and prosperous abode for all.

In a message on the eve of the observance of 1969 historic Mass Upsurge Day today she said her government is pledge bound to build Bangladesh as a modern democratic state to bring smile upon the faces of all.

“We will bring an end to all sorts of deprivation, exploitation and disparity at all levels to rid the country from hunger and poverty,” she said calling upon all irrespective of party and opinion to work unitedly towards that end.

Source: BSS

Bollywood movie banned in Nepal

The Bollywood film “Chandni Chowk to China” has been banned in Nepal because of a scene suggesting the Buddha was born in India, officials say.

Siddartha Gautama, who became the Buddha around 2,500 years ago, was born in what is now south-western Nepal.

Many Nepalis revere the Buddha and have been upset by the film. Protesters have burned tyres in the capital, Kathmandu.

The ban comes even though the offending scene has been cut from the film in Nepal at the request of the censor.

Reincarnation

“We’ve banned the screening of the movie in theatres across the country considering the growing public protests over controversial remarks in the film,” home ministry spokesman Nabin Ghimire told the AFP news agency.

Officials say that the decision to ban the film was taken even though the offending section of the film – a Bollywood co-production with the US studio, Warner Brothers – was cut at the request of Nepali censors.

The film is about a lowly Indian chef who is mistaken for the reincarnation of a fabled Chinese warrior. Its official website says that it is “the first ever Bollywood kung-fu comedy”.

A spokesman for the ministry of information told AFP that while the offending scene had been deleted, it could not be removed from pirated DVDs and videos that are smuggled into the country.

The spokesman said that the foreign ministry had also been asked to take immediate steps to stop any unedited screening of the film in other countries.

Nepal, created nearly 240 years ago, has been officially secular since the removal of the king last year, but correspondents say many people in the country remain deeply spiritual.

Source: BBC

Shakib takes top spot among ODI allrounders

Shakib Al Hasan has confirmed his consistently impressive performances by heading the ICC’s ODI allrounder rankings, the first time any Bangladesh has topped any ICC rankings. His performances in the home tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, took him to 380 rating points, helping him surge past last week’s top two, New Zealand’s Jacob Oram (368 points) and England’s Andrew Flintoff (366).

Shakib (21) was the highest run-scorer in the tri-series and the second-highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh, behind Mashrafe Mortaza. He scored 153 runs in the three matches at 76.50, with a strike-rate of 101.32, and picked up five wickets at 13.80.

“It feels great to be ranked No. 1. My only goal is to keep performing and win matches for the Bangladesh team and I feel more inspired and motivated to give my all in the field. I also know that retaining the top spot will be even tougher and it will require lots of sacrifices, consistency, hard work and dedication,” Shakib said.

He is the second Bangladeshi cricketer to break into any top 10 list, after left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who reached the eighth spot in the ODI bowling rankings in November 2007. Shakib, currently ranked number 12 in the ODI bowling charts, is tenth on the list of Test allrounders as well, making him the first from Bangladesh to enter the top 10 in any Test category.

Source: Internet

Minister, MPs in upazilas during polls: CEC unhappy over political interference

The chief election commissioner has said he is unhappy about the low voter turnout and ‘attempts by ministers and MPs’ to influence the third Upazila Parishad election yesterday.

There were also influences of political parties in the balloting to elect local government representatives to 481 Upazila across the country, ATM Shamsul Huda said to reporters at his office.

“We’d expected that the election being held after 18 years would reflect the people’s will and will re-establish Upazila Parishad. But [after the end of the elections] we’ve some dissatisfactions,” he said.

“The voter turnout was lower than our expectation. The reason behind the low attendance of young and women voters in the Upazila elections compared to their turnout in the general election will be investigated,” he said.

He said the ruling party had always influenced in the election. “We wanted to hold the election during the tenure of the caretaker government. But that was not possible.”

“A number of ministers and MPs have tried to exert their influence on the voting process in some places and we’ve halted the voting in those upazilas.”

“We were expecting that there would be come changes in the country’s political culture. But we didn’t expect that the ministers will abuse power.”

The Election Commission will discuss with the government how the political influence on the election can be curbed, he said.

The EC has postponed voting at Belkuchi of Sirajganj district, Barura of Comilla district, Ramganj in Lakshmipur, Sadar Upazila of Brahmanbaria and Ukhia of Cox’s Bazar districts.

Voting in those Upazila has been postponed on charges of barring the voters from going to polling stations, snatching of ballot papers and forcefully occupying polling stations, the polls chief said.

He said balloting in Belkuchi and Ukhia has been postponed on charges that one minister, Abdul Latif Biswas and one MP, Badiur Rahman Badi, trying tried to influence polling in their respective Upazila.

Huda, however, said there was no information of heavy violence anywhere and the voter turnout was like in the two previous Upazila elections.

If the turnout had reached 50 percent, then it would have been satisfactory, he said.

Meanwhile, after visiting a number of polling stations in Gazipur district, election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain said the voting was peaceful but the voter turnout was not satisfactory.

Sakhawat said Awami League leaders and supporters crated to unwanted incidents at some polling stations, which was not expected.

Whether he was satisfied with Thursday’s election, he said, “I’m not dissatisfied at all, but we’d a lot of expectation.”

Voting took place in 32,381 polling stations of 480 Upazila from 8amto 4pm without break.

According to the EC, 8,187 candidates contested countrywide in the polls, for the three positions in each upazila. Of the total, 13 candidates have already been elected uncontested.

The third Upazila polls were held after some 18 years.

Former president General Hussain Muhammad Ershad introduced the Upazila system. Elections to the local government bodies were first held in 1985 and then again in 1990.

After the fall of Ershad, then the BNP government repealed the Upazila Parishad Ordinance in 1991.

Source: Bdnews

Hillary sworn in as US Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton became President Barack Obama’s top diplomat after pledging to fight climate change, push hard for Arab-Israeli peace and take a new approach to US foes like Iran. The confirmation came on Obama’s first full day in office.

Clinton, a former Obama presidential campaign rival, was confirmed as secretary of state in a 94-2 vote in the Senate and was sworn into office in a ceremony attended by her husband, former president Bill Clinton.

The first “aye” vote came from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, who made an impassioned speech on Clinton’s behalf and declared that Obama had promised “to be serious” about battling climate change.

“We are staring at an abyss of irreversibility,” Kerry warned, adding that he had discussed the problem with Obama and “he intends to be serious about it.”

Kerry also listed unfinished wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the stalled Middle East peace process, conflicts in Africa and efforts to revamp the tarnished US image overseas among top foreign policy priorities.

The only two dissenters in the vote over Clinton, who served two terms as a Democratic senator from New York, were Republicans Jim DeMint of South Carolina and David Vitter of Louisiana.

Greetings awaited Clinton at the State Department, set to host a ceremony early Thursday. “Welcoming Secretary Clinton to the department,” one sign read.

US ally Australia was quick to welcome the appointment, describing Clinton as bringing “a wealth of experience, expertise and dedication” to the job.

“Australia could have no better partner than Secretary Clinton in advancing the causes of peace and prosperity in our own region and globally in the years ahead,” Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said in a statement.

At her confirmation hearing a week ago, Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Obama will lead “a global and coordinated response” to combat climate change, which she called a threat to national security.

“At the extreme it threatens our very existence but well before that point it could well incite new wars of an old kind over basic resources like food, water and arable land,” said Clinton.

She said the United States would participate later this year in the UN Copenhagen Climate Conference and a global energy forum.

In a bid to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, Clinton told the committee that the Obama administration would pursue “an attitude toward engagement that might bear fruit.”

But Clinton, 61, did not mention whether Washington would set conditions for such a change in US policy after nearly 30 years of official silence with Tehran.

Unlike her predecessor Condoleezza Rice, Clinton set no conditions for opening a dialogue with Tehran.

And in written testimony, Clinton even brushed aside concerns that starting a dialogue before the Iranian presidential election in June could bolster the hardliners led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Clinton also said she was ready to engage in a dialogue with Syria, a country with which Rice had strictly limited contacts.

“I believe that engaging directly with Syria increases the possibility of making progress in changing Syrian behavior,” Clinton said.

She also said Israel’s recent three-week war in Gaza had underscored her and Obama’s determination to seek a just and lasting peace deal.

On his first morning in the White House, Obama spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and two other Arab leaders to show he would push for peace right from the start.

Obama has also asked former Northern Ireland peacemaker George Mitchell, 75, to serve as Middle East envoy, a source close to the administration told AFP.

Clinton has pledged to pursue a “very aggressive effort” against North Korea’s alleged role in atomic weapons proliferation, but backed Rice’s pursuit of multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations with Pyongyang.

In a farewell speech on the Senate floor a week ago, Clinton advocated “smart power,” a mix of diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal and cultural strategies.

Source: AFP