e_Paper (25 November 2016)

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4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2016 DT News Ragib Ali arrested in India, sent back • Mohammed Serajul Islam, Sylhet HC questions bail to MP Sawkat in loan scam cases • Ashif Islam Shaon The High Court has issued a rule asking the legality of the lower court’s bail to Nilphamari 4 lawmaker Md Sawkat Chowdhure in two loan scam cases. The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan adopted the action through a suomoto rule on Thursday during the hearing of bail petition of the Jatiya Party MP. The court asks the lower court to explain why the bail should not be declared illegal. The Anti-Corruption Commission this year has filed the cases accusing a total of nine people including the lawmaker on charge of a loan scam of around Tk94 crore. According to the case statement, the accused had managed the Tk- 94cr loan from Bongshal Branch of Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd. They withdrew the money with more than 29 letter of credits under three fake companies. • Indian authorities hand over Ragib Ali to Bangladesh authorities yesterday A Sylhet court yesterday sent controversial Bangladeshi industrialist Ragib Ali to jail, rejecting his bail plea in two cases. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ummay Saraban Tahura passed the order after hearing the bail petitions. He was arrested in Assam on Wednesday night as his visa expired and handed over to the Bangladesh authorities around 2:45pm yesterday through Shutarkandi border, Beanibazar OC Chondon Kumar Chakrabarty confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune. He fled to India along with his family members through Jakiganj border on August 10, hours after a court ordered his arrest in two fraud cases. His son Abdul Hye, also an accused in the cases, returned from India on November 12. He was sent to jail upon surrender. Ragib is the vice-chairman of South East Bank, chairman of the trustee board of Leading University and former chairman of North South University trustee board. He founded Ragib-Rabeya Medical College in Jalalabad in Sylhet and many other organisations including local newspaper Dainik Sylheter Dak. The cases were filed against Ragib, his son and four others for grabbing the land of an endowment property of Tarapur Tea Estate through forgery and setting structures flouting rules. The irregularities were first detected by a parliamentary standing committee in 1999 which recommended that the authorities take legal action against the grabbers. Based on the suggestions, then the land commissioner of Sylhet filed ‘Blame game of political parties encourages sectarian violence’ • Kamrul Hasan The leaders of the minority communities pointed out that blamegames amongst the political parties are the key reason that encourage criminals to unleash sectarian violence in this country. Advocate Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad, at a press briefing held at Dhaka Reporters Unit yesterday morning said: “Many of the attacks were carried out with political agendas and often with indirect support from the state.” He said no government has ever taken an effective measure against the attackers and state has taken up the role of protecting the oppressors instead of the oppressed. During his speech, Rana referred to the two recent attacks on the minorities – Hindus in Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria and the Santal in Gobindaganj of Gaibandha triggering criticism throughout the country. During the attack in Nasirnagar nearly 100 temples were vandalised and more than 200 houses were attacked. For the Santals in Gaibandha, three were killed during the attack, many were injured and thousands were rendered homeless who are now spending days in fear and insecurities. Criticising government statements that often describe the attacks on minorities as “isolated and trivial events” Rana said: “This type of approach from the government raises questions about their stance on such attacks on minority groups.” Rana said it is very unfortunate that a culture of denying and overlooking such pre-meditated attacks on minorities has gradually developed in this country. “We want visible and active role of the government in protecting the ethnic and religious minorities of Bangladesh,” he added. The committee demanded inclusion of one minority community DHAKA TRIBUNE two cases with Kotwali police on September 27, 2005. But the proceedings remained stalled for 11 years. In its final verdict, the Appellate Division on January 19 this year ordered the government to recover the land of the tea garden and revive the cases. In April, Police Bureau of Investigation started reinvestigation and filed charge sheet on July 10. Other accused in one of the two cases are current caretaker of the tea garden Pankaj Kumar Gupta, Ragib’s relative Mostak Majid, daughter Rozina Qadir and son-inlaw Abdul Qadir. Pankaj is now on bail and Majid in jail. The two others have remained absconding. • member in the Election Commission (EC) scheduled to be reconstituted in February 2017 and urged the political parties to ensure rational and proportional representation of minorities in the upcoming district council elections. They also demanded formulation of a special law to try criminals who instigate and attack minorities by spreading hatred through social media. Their other demands were that Minority Ministry and National Minority Commission be formed at the earliest to safeguard the minorities. They also demanded quick implementation of the recommendations given in the judicial probe report of the M Shahabuddin Commission that investigated violence against minorities after the general election in 2001. General Secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum Sanjeeb Drong, General Secretary of Bangladesh Buddhist Federation Ashoke Barua, among others spoke at the programme. • Law Minister to meet Philippine authorities on November 26 • Sohel Mamun Bangladesh Law Minister Anisul Huq at a press meeting today stated that a delegation from the government will be going to Philippine on November 26 to discuss the Bangladesh Bank heist of last February. Accompanying the minister will be a team of expert delegates: the Standing Committee President on Finance Ministry Dr Md Abdur Razzak, Bangladesh Bank Governor Mr. Fazle Kabir and Attorney General of Bangladesh Mahbubey Alam. This expert team will be meeting with the Philippine authorities to discuss the legal details concerning retrial of the reserve that was stolen from Bangladesh Bank earlier this year. • March towards Dhaka starts protesting Rampal plant • Manik Miazee Protesting the establishment of a coal-based power plant at Rampal in Sundarbans, activists of the National Committee to protect oil, gas and mineral resources, power and port yesterday began their march to Dhaka from seven different points of the country. The national committee will hold their rally on Shaheed Minar premises in Dhaka tomorrow. The National Committee activists have carried out a hectic campaign to make the March Towards Dhaka a success over the last few days. The National Committee members said the government plan to set a coal-based power plant very close to the Sundarbans will destroy the world heritage site. Professor Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, hoped that the government would not obstruct the rally. If the government does so the protesters who are coming from seven districts of the country will stage a sit-in demonstration wherever they are obstructed, he said. Protesters from Rampal, Panchagarh, Netrokona, Patuakhali, Sunamganj, Cox’s Bazar and Kansat will join the “March Towards Dhaka”. The rally in Dhaka will be held at the Central Shahid Minar on November 26 demanding cancellation of the Rampal power plant. •
No place to hide • Kamrul Hasan and Shadma Malik The concept of marital rape is not recognised by Bangladesh's current laws. For victims, this omission leaves the door open for the nightmare of intimate violence to continue. A 24-year-old Savar housewife explained what the absence of legal recourse has done to her life: “I am an object for him to fulfil his physical desires. He touches me whenever he wants to and throws me out when he has done what he wants to do. “Whenever he opens his mouth to speak, he quarrels with me. He is always suspicious of me even though we have a child together.” She does not want to report the violence, and there is at any rate little opportunity for legal recourse. Section 375 of the Penal Code of 1860 states that “Sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under thirteen years of age, is not rape.” This position is retained in Section 9 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000, although the new act was meant to upgrade the law and bring it into line with Diaz’s mother files murder case, rejects post mortem report • FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong current legal norms. It did not do so. Article 2(a) of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women explicitly recognises marital rape as a form of violence against women. Article 29(a) of the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women also explicitly includes marital rape as part of its definition of violence against women. The exclusion of marital rape from the ambit of rape law reflects “deep rooted attitudes about the role of a woman and the wifely duties she owes her husband,” said women's rights activist Shireen Huq. Enduring in silence Bangladeshi activists said a lack of legal and economic empowerment caused housewives to tolerate rape. Asked why she did not divorce her abusive husband, the Savar housewife said neither she nor her parents could afford the consequences of a divorce. A fear of stigma and financial constraints limits options for these women. A lack of legal cover compels them to resign themselves to their difficult lives. A Magura woman who is also the A murder case was lodged yesterday (Thursday) against ten persons, including an assistant proctor of Chittagong University (CU), current president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and the CU unit president, in connection with the mysterious death of Diaz Irfan Chowdhury. Diaz’s mother Jaheda Amin Chowdhury, an employee of the of CU, filed the case with the court of Judicial magistrate Shiplu Kumar Dey, rejecting post mortem reports which said the BCL leader had committed suicide by hanging. She sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention to ensure justice for her son. The ten accused were- former BCL president of CU Jamshedul Alam Chowdhury, sociology department teacher and assistant proctor Anwar Hossain, CU BCL unit president Alamgir Tipu, his brother Arman Hossain, Rashedul Alam Jishan, Abu Torab Porash, Mansur Alam, Mizanur Rahman, Ariful Haque Opu, and Abdul Malek. After the case was filed, the court ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the case and for submission of the report within 30-days, said court sources. Earlier, Hathazari police refused to lodge a murder case over the death of Diaz, as the autopsy report on Wednesday said he had committed suicide by hanging. “It’s a premeditated murder. I am respectful to the law. I want justice for my son and to ensure proper justice I have sought PM intervention over the issue”, said Jaheda Amin Chowdhury, visibly choked by emotion at a press conference. The press conference was held at Chittagong Press Club at around 4:30pm, where the grieving family of the BCL leader demanded a proper investigation as well as the arrest of the alleged killers. “My son was involved with fair politics and he hated the politics of arms. My son was murdered for his popularity and political success News 5 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2016 victim of marital rape said she had made compromises with her husband and thinks herself lucky that he at least allows her to continue studying, albeit with conditions. “If I had a job, I would have left him. But I understand what he wants and I know what I have to do. I can continue with him ... he is, at least, trying to make me independent,” she said. Rights activists said although women and girls are reluctant to press charges against a rapist when the culprit is their spouse, such incidents occur throughout the country. and I might be deprived of justice as the accused are influential. But I demand the proper and fair investigation of my son’s death”, said the mother. Diaz’s elder brother and advocate Jobaida Sarwar Nipa had said that they went to the police station and attempted to file a case, but the police refused to take it as it was considered to be suicide. “CU BCL president Alamgir Tipu and his associates had been trying to extort Tk 2lakh from my mother, and they had threatened to kill my brother (Diaz) if the demand was not met,” claimed Jobaida Sarwar. Criticizing Hathazari police station’s role, he said at the press conference that the Hathazari police authority was involved with the incident. “When my brother’s dead body was found on Sunday night, no one was at the house, as my mother went to Chittagong city to receive the Rotnogorva Award (mothers of outstanding personalities) while the house caretaker informed her about the incident”, said Jobaida. BIGSTOCK Since there is no law, no case has been filed for such types of violence, Shireen Huq explained. In Bangladesh, marital rape was finally supposed to be recognised as an offence in 2010, when the Domestic Violence Act was passed. But the law somehow managed to bypass the issue. A woman's rights activist who was working to enact the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 (Amendment 2003), said an attempt to include the issue was rejected because some members of the law drafting committee thought their wives might “misuse” it. He also said “When my mother had arrived at the scene, my brother’s room, where the hanging body was found, was locked from the inside and the door of his balcony was open. “The killers murdered my brother in his room in a well planned way, hanged the body with a bed sheet from ceiling and left the room locked from the inside through the balcony door, where a ladder was found beside the balcony”, Jobaida Sarwar said. “The height from the ceiling to DT Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) Executive Director Salma Ali told the Dhaka Tribune that social stigma and concerns about “family reputation” discouraged women from speaking up and seeking help. Family members are often unreceptive to the notion of marital rape, and the economic dependence of many victims also causes them to feel that they must endure in silence, Salma Ali explained. Without the introduction of a law under which complaints can be filed, intimate partner violence would continue, she added. Patriarchal mentalities often lead to a clash of egos when women enter the workplace, and husbands sometimes vent their frustration at being overstepped through marital rape, Shireen said. Without legal protection, marital rape can be used to intimidate them. She emphasised that economic empowerment was at least as important as legal protection. As United Nations Women begins its 15-day campaign to raise awareness about violence against women today, activist Shireen Huq's closing point bears recalling: “By definition, rape is sex without consent.” • bed was 5.4 inch while my brother’s height was 5.6 inch, and both his legs touched a pillow on the bed, which proves that his body was hung after the murder”, added the advocate Jobaida Sarwar. Accusing police, advocate Jobaida Sarwar claimed the police were trying to hide circumstantial evidence by closing the balcony door. “Police did not find the mobile of my brother, which was missing after the incident and is a vital piece of evidence”, added Jobaida Sarwar. • TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY DRY WEATHER LIKELY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Dhaka 29 16 Chittagong 28 19 Rajshahi 30 16 Rangpur 28 14 Khulna 30 15 Barisal 28 17 Sylhet 28 14 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:11PM SUN RISES 6:20AM YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW 31.1ºC 12.4ºC Bogra Tetulia Source: Accuweather/UNB PRAYER TIMES Cox’s Bazar 28 18 Fajr: 5:40am | Jumma: 1:15pm Asr: 4:00pm | Magrib: 5:24pm Esha: 7:30pm Source: Islamic Foundation
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Page 9 and 10: World EU parliament chief Schulz se
Page 11 and 12: World 11 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2016
Page 13 and 14: Business 13 Trade union urges govt
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Page 21 and 22: A timely proposal BNP has extended
Page 23 and 24: Opinion 23 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 201
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Page 31 and 32: Showtime 40 years of ‘Payer Awaaj

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