e_Paper (11 November 2016)

32
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016
DT
INFLATION EDGES UP TO
5.57% IN OCTOBER PAGE 12
Back Page
THE DEAD END
OF HISTORY PAGE 21
SHAKIB MEETS
SHAKIB PAGE 31
Police against revealing details of
death in crossfire to media
• Kamrul Hasan
Police are now against revealing
the details of cause of death of
crossfire victims to the media.
The Directorate General of Health
Services (DGHS) has instructed its
forensic doctors not to provide detailed
autopsy report on persons
killed in crossfire, after it was requested
by the police in a letter.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police
(DMP) wrote to the DGHS on September
25, requesting it not to provide
detailed autopsy report on persons
killed in crossfire or any unnatural
death if inquired by the media.
DGHS, an associate of the Health
Ministry, served a letter in this regard
on November 6 to all hospitals
with forensic department. Such
hospitals include medical college
hospitals, 200-bed general hospitals
and upazila sadar hospitals.
The DMP letter said detailed
information of an autopsy report
– which is like a secret document –
in many cases is used as important
evidence during investigation and
charge framing. Revealing such
information to all during investigation
hampers the process, creating
confusion among the people about
the death.
The DMP asked the DGHS not
to disclose information about the
types of injuries and to provide
brief information about cause of
death.
It claimed that barring such flow
of information is not violation of
the Right to Information Act 2009.
Bangladesh not suing anyone over BB reserve heist
• Jebun Nesa Alo
Despite being hit with possibly the
largest banking heist in history, the
top authorities of Bangladesh government
have decided not to file
a lawsuit against any international
organisation connected with the
theft.
The decision was made at a meeting
between Foreign Minister AH
Mahmood Ali and Bangladesh Bank
Governor Fazle Kabir at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs yesterday, sources
told the Dhaka Tribune.
Ajmalul Hossain QC, the lawyer
who conducted the legal procedure
of recovering $81 million laundered
from the central bank's reserve account
with Federal Reserve Bank of
New York, was also present at the
meeting.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune,
Ajmal said should Bangladesh government
want to, it is required to file
the lawsuit within one year of the
occurrence of the theft as per the
agreement with SWIFT, the global financial
messaging network through
which the money was stolen.
“In that case, the deadline
would be February 4 next year. But
Bangladesh has decided not to file
any lawsuit. We have already traced
and recovered $15.25million, and
we aim to recover the rest of the
money the same way,” he said.
However, in case the Bangladesh
Article 7 of the Right to Information
Act states that information related
to cases under investigation,
trial, or related to public security
would not be disclosed.
Professor Sadeka Halim, former
commissioner of Information
Commission Bangladesh, told the
Dhaka Tribune that of the 32 articles
of the Right to Information
Act, at least six sub-articles under
Article 7 bar citizens from getting
information related to cases under
investigation.
But if the killings violate human
rights or are results of corruption,
then anybody can apply for information
and the authorities are
compelled to provide the information
within 24 hours, she said.
Stressing that every family
member has the right to know
how their dear ones were killed, or
what happened to them, Supreme
Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua said
although there is a bar to providing
such information, this must
be published publicly at a suitable
time.
Complaining that authorities
had been tightening freedom of
expression since long, Nur Khan,
director of Ain o Salish Kendra,
said such attempts would further
authorities fails to recover the rest
of the money by February 4, they
will not have the option to file the
case after the deadline, he added.
Meanwhile, the New York Fed
has admitted to being guilty of executing
of money transfer order that
led to the heist.
“They admit that they were
partly responsible for this heist,
and are providing support to Bangladesh
government in recovering
the money by putting pressure
on the Philippines,” Ajmal said.
“There is no need for us to file any
case against the New York Fed or
any other organisation, because we
will get our money back.”
Bangladesh is currently trying to
BIGSTOCK
prompt unruly police officials to be
involved in crimes. Besides, journalists
and rights activists would
not be able to reveal the truth if any
crimes took place.
If the authorities succeeded
in implementing their desire, it
would establish a passive control
over the media and gag freedom of
expression, he said.
Professor Zia Rahman, chairman
of Dhaka University criminology
department, said: “Whether there
is a law protecting police’s desire
or not, the only concern should be
transparency and accountability in
the investigation.” •
recover stolen money through the Philippines'
Department of Justice, he said.
According to sources, $70 million
of the heist money was found
to have been smuggled to the Philippines,
of which $15.25 million has
been recovered and will be deposited
at Bangladesh Bank's account
with the New York Fed by November
24. A team from Bangladesh
Bank is working in Manila to complete
the process, Ajmal said.
The rest of $70 million will be recovered
from Solaire casino, money
exchange house Philrem and other
organisations involved with transferring
the money, sources said.
Assets of these organisations
have already been frozen by the
AL leader saves
rapist in Tangail
• Mohammed Afzal
Hossain, Tangail
Parents of a physically challenged
minor, was allegedly raped, could
not take legal action against the
rapist as local Awami League leaders
forced them to negotiate with
the rapist at Chandpur village in
Gopalpur upazila in Tangail.
Victim’s foster mother said:
“Harun Maker, 50, a resident of
Kamakkha village in the upazila, told
us that he wanted to take our girl
to doctor. On September 24 Harun
took the girl saying that he was going
to doctor’s chamber. But he took
the girl to his house instead of going
to doctor’s chamber and raped her.”
After returning home, the girl
told her mother about the incident.
After that victim’s parents tried
to take legal action against Harun
but upazila AL President and Union
Chairman Halimuzzaman and others
stopped them and pressured to negotiate
with the rapist by taking money,
locals said wishing anonymity.
On October 18, Halimuzzaman
and others arranged an arbitration
and fined the rapist Harun
Tk40,000. Harun paid the fined
money on November 5.
When contacted, victim’s foster
father, said: “We had to negotiate with
the rapist as influential people pressured
us to solve the problem locally.”
Halimuzzaman said: “We tried to
solve the problem locally and fined
Harun Maker.”
Masumur Rahman, upazila nirbahi
officer of Gopalpur, said: “We will
take actions against the rapist and
negotiators.” •
Philippine authorities and the Department
of Justice is working to
get the assets forfeited in order to
pay Bangladesh back, Ajmal said.
The money that could not be
traced will be recovered from Rizal
Commercial Banking Corporation
(RCBC) of the Philippines as the
money was transferred through
the bank, Ajmal said.
In August this year, Philippine
central bank Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
(BSP) charged the RCBC a fine
of one billion pesos ($21 million) as
the bank was used by cyber criminals
to pull off the heist.
Earlier, some $68,000 left with
the RCBC bank was sent back to the
New York Fed. •
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower,
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