The Bangladesh Today (26-02-2018)

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NEWS mONDAY, FEBRuARY 26, 2018 2 A 25-member ad hoc committee of Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah (KBA) College Ex-student Association was formed at the meeting room of health sector of the college on Sunday. The college is situated at the Debhata upazila of Sathkhira district. Photo : Courtesy Youth gets life term for raping Natore school girl NATORE : A young man was sentenced for life term imprisonment on Sunday as he raped a minor school girl at Banurvag village of Naldanga in the district in 2011, reports UNB. Natore District and Sessions Judge Rezaul Karim handed down the verdict. The convict is identified as Monirul Islam. According to the prosecution, Monirul picked up the victim while she was returning home from school and raped her on June 12 in 2011. Later, Monirul was later arrested after victim's family filed a case in this regard. 3 journos hurt in Ctg road accident CHITTAGONG : Three journalists of a private television channel were injured in a road accident on Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway in Chakaria upazila on Sunday morning, reports UNB. The injured are staff reporter Hossain Zihad, camera person Nasir-ul-Alam and driver Mintu Das of Jamuna Television. The Jamuna news team was heading to Cox's Bazar from Chittagong by a private car. The accident took place as the car plunged into a roadside ditch around 8am, leaving them injured, said Jamshed Rahman, Chittagong bureau chief of the television channel. Later, they were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for treatment. Democrats release memo rebutting GOP on Russia probe Two weeks after President Donald Trump blocked the full release of a classified Democratic memo, the House intelligence committee published a redacted version of the document that aims to counter a narrative that Republicans on the committee have promoted for months - that the FBI and Justice Department conspired against Trump as they investigated his ties to Russia, reports UNB. The Democratic memo's release on Saturday was the latest development in an extraordinary back and forth between Republicans and Democrats about the credibility of not only the multiple inquiries into links between the Trump campaign and Russia, but also about the integrity of the nation's top law enforcement agencies. The Democratic document attempts to undercut and add context to some of the main points from a declassified Republican memo that was released earlier this month. In that memo, Republicans took aim at the FBI and the Justice Department over the use of information compiled by British spy Christopher Steele in obtaining a secret warrant to monitor the communications of former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page. The GOP memo included the assertion that the FBI obtained a surveillance warrant without disclosing that Steele's anti-Trump research was funded by Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The Democratic memo counters that the Justice Department disclosed "the assessed political motivation of those who hired him" and that Steele was likely hired by someone "looking for information that could be used to discredit" thencandidate Trump's campaign. Republicans say that is not enough, since the Clinton campaign and the DNC were not named. Trump himself seized on this point in a tweet Saturday evening: "Dem Memo: FBI did not disclose who the clients were - the Clinton Campaign and the DNC. Wow!" The White House had objected to the Democratic memo's release, citing national security concerns on Feb. 9. That sent the Democrats back to negotiations with the FBI, which approved a redacted version on Saturday. It was then declassified and released. Trump had no such concerns about the GOP memo, which he declassified in full on Feb. 2 over strong objections from the FBI about the memo's accuracy. The Democratic memo asserts that the FBI's concerns about Page long predate the compilation of memos drafted by Steele, now known as the Trump- Russia "dossier," and that the government's application to monitor Page's communications details suspicious activities he undertook during the 2016 presidential campaign. That includes a July 2016 trip to Moscow in which he gave a university commencement address. The memo also contends that the Justice Department provided "additional information from multiple independent sources that corroborated Steele's reporting" in the dossier. Most of the details of the corroborated information are redacted but they do appear to reference Page's meeting with Russian officials. The memo says that the Justice Department didn't include any "salacious allegations" about Trump contained in the Steele dossier in the government's application to seek a warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. The memo also details Russian attempts to cultivate Page as a spy. It cites a federal indictment of two Russian spies who allegedly targeted Page for recruitment and notes that the FBI interviewed him based on those suspicions in March 2016. The Democrats say the FBI made "made only narrow use of Steele's sources" in the government's FISA application for Page. Republicans say that is still too much. "Again, the fact the GD-307/18 (7.5 x 3) minority cannot outright deny that a DNC/Clinton funded document was used to wiretap an American is extremely concerning," the GD-310/18 (9 x 4) Republican National Ex-Trump aide pleads guilty, will cooperate in Russia probe Rick Gates' guilty plea to federal conspiracy and false-statements charges turns him from defendant to cooperating witness in the special counsel's probe of President Donald Trump's election campaign and Russia's interference, reports UNB. The plea by Gates, a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump's election campaign, revealed he will help special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation in "any and all matters" as prosecutors continue to probe the 2016 campaign, Russian meddling and Gates' longtime business associate, one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort. With his cooperation, Gates gives Mueller a witness willing to provide information on Manafort's finances and political consulting work in Ukraine - and someone who had access at the highest levels of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Gates, 45, of Richmond, Virginia, made the plea at the federal courthouse in Washington. He stood somberly beside his attorney and did not speak during his hearing, except to answer routine questions from the judge about whether he understood the rights he was giving up. He admitted to charges of conspiring against the U.S. government related to fraud and unregistered foreign lobbying, as well as lying to federal authorities in a recent interview. Under the terms of the plea, he is estimated to face between 57 and 71 months behind bars and a possible fine ranging from $20,000 to $200,000. Prosecutors may seek a shortened sentence depending on his cooperation. The plea came a day after a federal grand jury in Virginia returned a 32- count indictment against Gates and Manafort, accusing them of tax evasion and bank fraud. Gates is the fifth defendant to plead guilty in Mueller's investigation. The indictment in Virginia was the second round of charges against Gates and Manafort, who were initially charged last October with unregistered lobbying and conspiring to launder millions of dollars they earned while working on behalf of a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party. Manafort continues to maintain his innocence. "I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence. For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise," Manafort said Friday. "This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled-up charges contained in the indictments against me." In court filings over the past few months, Gates gradually began to show the strain the case was placing on him and his family. He frequently pleaded with U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson for leniency in his house arrest to let him attend sporting events with his four children. Even on Friday, ahead of his plea, Gates had asked the judge to let him take his children to Boston for spring break so they could "learn about American history in general, and the Revolutionary War in particular." Gates' plea comes on the heels of last week's stunning indictment that laid out a broad operation of election meddling by Russia. It began in 2014, and employed fake social media accounts and on-the-ground politicking to promote Trump's campaign, disparage Hillary Clinton and sow division and discord widely among the U.S. electorate. The charges to which Gates is pleading guilty don't involve any conduct connected to the Trump campaign. They largely relate to a conspiracy of unregistered lobbying, money laundering and fraud laid out in his indictments. But his plea does newly reveal that Gates spoke with the FBI earlier this month and lied during the interview. That same day, his attorneys filed a motion to withdraw from representing him for "irreconcilable difference." Gates served on the Trump campaign at the same time that Manafort, Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner met with a team of Russians in Trump Tower in June 2016. He was also involved in the campaign when then-Sen. Jeff Sessions held a pair of undisclosed meetings with Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak. For a few months in 2016, Gates was indispensable to Trump, leading the ground effort to help Trump win the Republican nomination and flying from state to state to secure Republican delegates in a scramble that lasted all the way until the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. But his power and influence waned once Trump fired Manafort in August 2016 after The Associated Press disclosed how Gates and Manafort covertly directed a Washington lobbying campaign on behalf of Ukrainian interests. Gates survived his mentor's ouster, serving as the campaign's liaison to the Republican National Committee and later working on Trump's inaugural committee. Gates also worked briefly with America First Policies and America First Action, outside political groups supporting Trump's agenda, but was pushed out of that job last year. When he was indicted last October, Gates was working for Tom Barrack, a close friend of Trump. Friday's court papers accuse Gates of lying to federal agents about a March 19, 2013, meeting involving Manafort, a lobbyist and a member of Congress. Gates said the meeting did not include discussion of Ukraine; prosecutors say it did. The charges don't name the lobbyist or the lawmaker, but filings with the Justice Department show Manafort and Vin Weber of Mercury Public Affairs met with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., on that date as part of a lobbying campaign on behalf of Ukrainian interests. In an interview Saturday in Paris with The Associated Press, Rohrabacher said the dinner was nothing more than a reunion of old friends even though Ukraine was mentioned. He dismissed as "fake news" any speculation that the twohour dinner might be linked to lobbying. Rohrabacher said Manafort was lobbying at that time for Ukraine and "we probably talked about Ukraine in passing, but it was mainly about catching up with an old friend," he said. Also Friday, Mueller's team unsealed a new indictment solely against Manafort that included an allegation that he, with Gates' assistance, secretly paid former European politicians to lobby on behalf of Ukraine. The indictment accuses Manafort of paying the former politicians, informally known as the "Hapsburg group," to appear to be "independent" analysts when in fact they were paid lobbyists. Some of the covert lobbying took place in the U.S. The indictment says the group was managed by a former European chancellor. Court papers accuse Manafort of using offshore accounts to pay the group more than 2 million euros.
METRO MoNDAY, FeBRUARY 26, 2018 3 Japanese delegation meets LGRD Minister DHAKA : A three-member delegation led by Japanese Ambassador Hiroyasu Izumi today called on Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain at his office. Other members of the delegation were - Takesi Saito and Anry Euno, said a press release. During the meeting, the minister expressed his gratefulness to the Japanese government for their continued support to develop the socioeconomic condition of Bangladesh. He said, "Since B a n g l a d e s h ' s independence Japan remained by its side as a great development partner." The minister said Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been playing an important role in developing the living standard of countrymen by improving different sectors including health, education and infrastructure. The Japanese ambassador informed the minister about the $45 million JICA project to develop socio-economic condition and poverty elevation in Bangladesh in the current year. Secretary of the ministry Abdul Malek and Director General of Local Government Division (Additional Secretary) ASM Mahbubul Alam were present, among others. UGC presents Bangla book on country’s emergence to PM DHAKA :The University Grants Commission (UGC) yesterday handed over a book on the emergence of independent Bangladesh to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The book "Swadhin Bangladesher Avyudoyer Itihas" (History of the Emergence of Independent Bangladesh) has been made mandatory for studying by the university students. "We handed over a copy of the book written by Professor Muntassir Mamoon and Professor Md Mahbubur Rahman to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after a function at the Prime Minister's Office here this morning," UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan told BSS. The function was organized by UGC to distribute Prime Minister Gold Medals among the meritorious students at the Shapla Hall of the Prime Minister's Office. The UGC chairman said the commission has made mandatory two courses-one Bangla language and literature and the other the history of emergence of Bangladesh-for the public and private universities to let them know the country's history and rich heritage and language. "As part of the initiative we published the two books," he said. He said the UGC has asked the universities to introduce the two courses in every discipline to allow the tertiary level students to acquire knowledge of the country's history, heritage and language. Educationist Rafiqul Islam and Dhaka University's Bangla Department Professor Soumitra Sekhar have compiled the book titled "Bangla Bhasha O Sahitya" (Bangla language and literature), he said. Prof Mannan said they are trying to introduce the two courses mandatorily at all universities, especially at private universities, as very few private universities have been following the directives. Addressing a discussion marking the Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day in the Krishibid Institution auditorium yesterday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her annoyance over a general negligence by the younger generation in learning and practicing Bangla language in a proper manner. The premier told the discussion that she came to know that the students of other subjects could not take Bangla as a subsidiary subject. "We will have to sit with the UGC and universities on the issue . . . why this is happening and why such negligence is shown towards Bangla?" she questioned. Sheikh Hasina particularly criticised private universities for not making any arrangement for teaching and learning Bangla language and literature. "We've given permission to set up many private universities . . . but there is no arrangement for teaching and learning of Bangla language and literature at these universities, why it will be so?" she said. BTRC opens new short-code ‘100’ to hear complaint DHAKA : Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will activate "100" as new short-code tomorrow replacing the existing one to hear complaints. "The new three-digit short-code '100' eased the operation of Complaints for Telecommunication Service (CTS) call centre," BTRC Secretary and Spokesperson Sarwar Alam said in a media release . C o m p l a i n t s Management Taskforce (CMT) is assigned to oversee the CTS for solving the complaints of customers and taking effective measures, he added. Earlier in 2016, telecom regulator introduced short-code "2872" to hear the complaints of mobile phone, internet and other telecom related users. But, now it was deactivated following the opening of new short-code. The CTS will work in three phases. Firstly, it will receive complaint from user then the complaint will be forwarded to the concerned operator after scrutinizing by the CMT and finally, the complainant will be informed after getting solution from the operator. BTRC has so far issued 2,025 different kinds of licenses to offer t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n related services. Jatiya Pustak Bandhai Sramik Jote formed a human chain in front of National Press Club yesterday demanding minimum wage as Tk 16 thousand. Photo : TBT Coaching Association, Bangladesh organized a press conference at National Press Club yesterday to meet its demand. Photo : TBT Bangladesh's progress on CPI great achievement: ACC chairman DHAKA : The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmood yesterday said the Bangladesh's two steps forward to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released by the Berlin-based nongovernment organization Transparency International (TI) was a great achievement. "Two steps progress in the corruption index in comparison to the previous year is a great achievement for Bangladesh. But, there is no scope to be satisfied with the progress," he told the media today at his office here in a reaction on releasing the CPI on Thursday. Mentioning Bangladesh's two steps 3 members of easy-bike snatchers’ gang arrested FARIDPUR : Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in separate drives arrested at least three members of inter-district easy-bike snatchers' gang from different areas of Jhenaidah and Faridpur districts on Sunday, reports UNB. The arrestrees were identifed as Rajib Hossain, 32, of Madaripur, Md Shariful Islam, 38, of Narail and Md Mukter Hossain, 28, of Jhenaidah district. Actiong on a tip-off, the elite force teams conducted separate dirves and arrested them with three snacched battery-run easy-bikes, said Company Commander Additional Police Supper Md Roich Uddin of Faridpur Rab. Later, they were handed forward on the CPI, he said, "Many countries have moved up to one step in the Corruption Perception Index while Bangladesh's two points forward is not a small thing." But, he stressed on collective efforts to stop corruption saying, "It is impossible for the ACC to effectively fight the corruption alone." Asked about action against the corrupt elements, he said, "The conviction rate in the corruption cases is now 74 percent which was previously 37 percent." The ACC chief brushed aside the allegation of relieving the ruling party leaders of corruption charges and said, "Investigations are going on against BNP to observe Feb 25 as ‘Army Martyrs Day’ DHAKA : BNP senior leader Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman on Sunday said their party, if returns to power, will take steps to observe February 25 as 'army martyrs day', commemorating the army officers killed in the Pilkhana BDR carnage in 2009, reports UNB. "This day is a tragedy for the nation. BNP, if voted to power, will take measures to officially observe February 25 as Army Martyrs Day," he said. Mahbub, also a BNP standing committee member and a former Chief of Army Staff, came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at the monument set up at Banani Graveyard in memory of those killed in the Pilkhana carnage. He said the bloody incident at the then BDR headquarter at Pilkhana took place as part of a local and international conspiracy. "The complete trial of the carnage is yet to be held. The trial of the case filed under the explosive act is still pending with the court." On behalf of party chairperson Khaleda many leaders of the ruling party and there is no instance of withdrawing of any case upon pressure of the ruling party." Replying to a query about the Basic Bank scam, he said, "We are conducting an investigation into the matter. Nothing could be said about the matter without completion of the probe." Bangladesh has moved two notches up in the CPI released globally by anticorruption agency Transparency International. The country has secured the 143rd position from the top and 17th from the bottom among 180 countries in the index for 2017. Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman, a BNP delegation, led by Mahbub, paid homage to the victims of the bloody mutiny around 10:30am by placing the wreaths. They also stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the slain army officers. BNP vice chairmen Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, Air Vice Marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Kalyan Party chairman Maj Gen (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, retired army officers Ruhul Alam Chowdhury, Fazle Elahi Akbar, Mizanur Rahman, Monish Dewan, Sarwar Hossain and Muktijoddha Dal President Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat were there in the BNP delegation. On February 25, 2009, several hundred BDR, now renamed BGB, members took up arms against their superiors at the Pilkhana Darbar Hall and killed 74 people, including then BDR chief Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed and 56 other army officers. The nation with a heavy heart is observing the 9th anniversary of the atrocious carnage at Pilkhana in the capital. GD-311/18 (8 x 4) GD-308/18 (8 x 4)
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The Bangladesh Today (26-02-2018)

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