21-03-2018

NEWS
WEDNESDAY,
MARCh 21, 2018
2
Austin carnage now random;
an arrest doesn’t appear close
William Grote says the latest attack
by a suspected serial bomber that has
terrorized Austin for weeks left what
appeared to be nails embedded in his
grandson's knees, reports UNB.
Police and federal agents said that
the blast Sunday night triggered
along a street by a nearly invisible
tripwire suggests a "higher level of
sophistication" than they have seen
before in three early package bombs
left on doorsteps, and means the
carnage is now random, rather than
targeted at someone in particular.
Two people are dead and four
injured, and authorities don't appear
closer to making any arrests in the
four bombings that have rocked the
capital city.
Authorities haven't identified the
latest victims, but Grote told The
Associated Press that his grandson
was one of the two men wounded in
southwest Austin's quiet Travis
Country neighborhood. They
suffered what police said were
significant injuries and remained
hospitalized in stable condition.
Grote said his grandson is
cognizant but still in a lot of pain. He
said the night of the bombing, one of
the victims was riding a bike in the
street and the other was on a
sidewalk when they crossed a
trapwire that he said knocked "them
both off their feet."
"It was so dark they couldn't tell
and they tripped," he said. "They
didn't see it. It was a wire. And it blew
GD-434/18 (6 x 3)
up."
Grote said his son, who lives about
100 yards (91 meters) away from the
blast, heard the explosion and raced
outside. "Both of them were kind of
bleeding profusely," Grote said.
That was a departure from the
three earlier bombings, which
involved parcels left on doorsteps
that detonated when moved or
opened. The tripwire twist
heightened the fear around Austin, a
town famous for its cool, hipster
attitude. "It's creepy," said Erin Mays,
33. "I'm not a scared person, but this
feels very next-door-neighbor kind of
stuff."
Authorities repeated prior
warnings about not touching
unexpected packages and also issued
new ones to be wary of any stray
object left in public, especially one
with wires protruding.
"We're very concerned that with
tripwires, a child could be walking
down a sidewalk and hit something,"
Christopher Combs, FBI agent in
charge of the bureau's San Antonio
division, said in an interview.
Police originally pointed to possible
hate crimes, but the victims have now
been black, Hispanic and white and
from different parts of the
increasingly diverse city. Domestic
terrorism is among the variety of
possible motives investigators are
looking at.
Local and state police and
hundreds of federal agents are
investigating, and the reward for
information leading to an arrest has
climbed to $115,000.
"We are clearly dealing with what
we believe to be a serial bomber at
this point," Austin police Chief Brian
Manley said, citing similarities
among the four bombs. He would not
elaborate, though, saying he didn't
want to undermine the investigation.
While the first three bombings all
occurred east of Interstate 35, a
section of town that tends to be more
heavily minority and less affluent,
Sunday's was west of the highway.
The differences in where the blasts
have occurred, the lack of a motive
and other unknowns make it harder
to draw conclusions about a possible
pattern, further unnerving a city on
edge.
Thad Holt, 76, said he is now
watching his steps as he makes his
way through a section of town near
the latest attack. "I think everybody
can now say, 'Oh, that's like my
neighborhood,'" he said.
Fred Milanowski, agent in charge
of the Houston division of the federal
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives, said the
latest bomb was anchored to a metal
yard sign near the head of a hiking
trail.
"It was a thin wire or filament, kind
of like fishing line," he said. "It would
have been very difficult for someone
to see."
Milanowski said authorities have
checked more than 500 leads. Police
asked anyone with surveillance
cameras at their homes to come
forward with the footage on the
chance it captured suspicious
vehicles or people.
Noel Holmes, whose house is about
a mile away, was stunned by how
loud Sunday's explosion was.
"It sounded like a very nearby
cannon," Holmes said. "We went out
and heard all the sirens, but it was
eerie. You didn't feel like you should
be outside at all."
Spring break ended Monday for
the University of Texas and many
area school districts. University
police warned returning students to
be alert and to tell their classmates
about the danger, saying, "We must
look out for one another." None of
the four attacks happened close to
the campus near the heart of Austin.
The PGA's Dell Technologies
Match Play tournament is scheduled
to begin in Austin on Wednesday,
and dozens of the world's top golfers
were to begin arriving.
"I'm pretty sure the tour has
enough security to keep things safe in
here. But this is scary what's
happening," said golfer Jhonattan
Vegas, already in town.
Andrew Zimmerman, a 44-yearold
coffee shop worker, said the use
of a tripwire adds a new level of
suspected professionalism and
makes it harder to guard against such
attacks.
Trump calls for death penalty
to ‘get tough’ on drug pushers
Embracing the tough
penalties favored by global
strongmen, President
Donald Trump on Monday
brandished the death
penalty as a fitting
punishment for drug
traffickers fueling the opioid
epidemic, reports UNB.
The scourge has torn
through the rural and
working-class communities
that in large numbers voted
for Trump. And the
president, though he has
come under criticism for
being slow to unveil his
plan, has seized on harsh
sentences as key to stopping
the plague.
"Toughness is the thing
that they most fear," Trump
said.
The president made his
announcement in New
Hampshire, a state hit hard
by opioids and an early
marker for the re-election
campaign he has already
announced. Trump called
for broadening education
and awareness about drug
addiction while expanding
access to proven treatment
and recovery efforts. But the
backbone of his plan is to
toughen punishments for
those caught trafficking
highly addictive drugs.
"This isn't about nice
anymore," Trump said.
"This is about winning a
very, very tough problem
and if we don't get very
tough on these dealers it's
not going to happen folks. ...
I want to win this battle."
The president formalized
what he had long mused
about: that if a person in the
U.S. can get the death
penalty or life in prison for
shooting one person, a
similar punishment should
be given to a drug dealer
whose product potentially
kills thousands.
Trump has long spoken
approvingly about countries
like Singapore that harshly
punish dealers. During a
trip to Asia last fall, he did
not publicly rebuke
Philippines President
Rodrigo Duterte, who
authorized extrajudicial
killings of drug dealers.
Outside a local firehouse
that Trump visited before
Monday's speech, someone
compared the two leaders
with a sign that said:
"Donald J. Duterte."
"Drug traffickers kill so
many thousands of our
citizens every year," Trump
said. "That's why my
Department of Justice will
be seeking so many tougher
penalties than we've ever
had and we'll be focusing on
the penalties that I talked
about previously for big
pushers, the ones that are
killing so many people, and
that penalty is going to be
the death penalty."
He added: "Other
countries don't play games
... But the ultimate penalty
has to be the death penalty."
The Justice Department
said the federal death
penalty is available for
limited drug-related
offenses, including
violations of the "drug
kingpin" provisions in
federal law.
It is not clear if the death
penalty, even for traffickers
whose product causes
multiple deaths, would be
constitutional. Doug
Berman, a law professor at
Ohio State University,
predicted the issue would go
all the way to the U.S.
Supreme Court.
John Blume, a professor
and director of Cornell Law
School's death penalty
program, said the federal
drug kingpin law has
yielded few "kingpins" or
major dealers, mostly
ensnaring mid- to low-level
minorities involved in the
drug trade.
The president's plan drew
criticism from some
Democrats, including Sen.
Dick Durbin of Illinois, who
said "we can't arrest our way
out of the opioid epidemic"
and noted that "the war on
drugs didn't work in the
'80s."
Opioids, including
prescription opioids, heroin
and synthetic drugs such as
fentanyl, killed more than
42,000 people in the U.S. in
2016, more than any other
year on record, according to
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Much of what Trump
highlighted Monday was
largely repackaged ideas
he's already endorsed.
He called for a nationwide
public awareness campaign,
which he announced in the
fall, including broadcasting
"great commercials" to
scare kids away from
dabbling in drugs. He
announced a new website,
www.crisisnextdoor.gov,
where members of the
public can share stories
about the dangers of opioid
addiction.
Envoy says Maldives will not
extend state of emergency
An emergency imposed in the Maldives after a court ordered
the release of jailed politicians will be allowed to expire
Thursday after allowing time for the government to
investigate corruption allegations against the judges who
issued the order, an envoy said, reports UNB.
The government "has no intention of extending" the
emergency when its 30-day period expires, "barring very
unusual circumstances such as widespread violence,"
Mohamed Hussain Shareef, ambassador to neighboring Sri
Lanka, told foreign journalists in Colombo on Monday night.
The Supreme Court on Feb. 1 had ordered several of the
president's jailed political opponents released because of due
process violations during their trials. Clashes between
security forces and anti-government protesters followed and
Maldives declared an emergency that gave police sweeping
powers, including making arrests and searching and seizing
property and restricting freedom of assembly.
Rights groups and several foreign governments had urged
the government to respect the order and had criticized the
state of emergency. Under the emergency law, President
Yameen Abdul Gayoom had Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and
a second Supreme Court judge arrested for alleged
corruption. The remaining three judges on the court have
annulled the order to release Yameen's opponents.
Yameen's half brother and former dictator Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom was also arrested during the emergency,
accused of conspiring with the opposition to overthrow the
government.
Shareef said the emergency was required to investigate the
allegations of bribery and corruption involving the court
order to release the opposition politicians. He said the chief
justice and the other judge have been charged for accepting
bribes to topple the government through the court order
while Gayoom and another court official will also be charged
shortly. He said investigations are continuing into 38 people
still in custody.
Maldives became a multiparty democracy in 2008 after
decades of Gayoom's autocratic rule. But Yameen has rolled
back much of the democratic gains after being elected in 2013.
Consular Service
Week begins in Sylhet
SYLHET : As part of the countrywide celebration of
graduation from the least developed country (LDC) group to
a developing one, Consular Service Week has begun in the
district on Tuesday, reports UNB.
Manpower Employment & Training Bureau and Wage
Earners' Welfare Board (WEWB) have jointly chalked out
weeklong programme from March 20 (Tuesday) to March 25
to celebrate the achievement.
As like countrywide programme, the service week began in
Sunamganj and Sylhet.
Foreign going workers will be facilitated with registration,
finger print submission, distribution of donation checques at
district manpower office on Tuesday. WEWB director
general Gazi Mohammad Zulhas is scheduled to inaugurate
the service week programmes at Jagannathpur of
Sunamganj today. Online admission of workers, art
competition, and video/short drama on safe migration will
be held on Wednesday.
Colourful rally, distribution of leaflets and booklets on safe
migration and discussion will be held on March 22.
The programmes, including airing the interviews of
successful male and female migrant workers, videos and
certificates distribution among students, will be held on
March 24. Seminar on creating skilled manpower and
concluding ceremony will be held on March 25.
Nepal plane crash victim
Mahmudur buried
FARIDPUR : S M Mahmudur Rahman, who was killed in
US-Bangla plane crash in Kathmandu, was buried at his
family graveyard at Laskardia in Nagarkanda upazila here on
Tuesday morning, reports UNB.
His third namaj-e-janaza, attended by upazila chairman
Syed Shahinuzzaman, upazila nirbahi officer Badruddoza
Sumon, among others, was held at Laskardia Atikur Rahman
High School around 10am.
Later, he was buried at the graveyard.
Earlier, an ambulance carrying his body reached at his
village around 8:30am.
Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Umme Salma Tanzia also
visited his house to condole the victim's family members and
donated Tk 1 lakh to his family.
Victim Mahmudur, head of service of Rana Group of
Tejgaon office, was going to Nepal as his official tour.
At least 49 people, including 26 Bangladeshi nationals,
were killed as the US-Bangla Airlines aircraft crashed and
burst into flames at Tribhuvan International Airport in the
capital of Himalayan county Nepal on March 13.
The bodies of 23 victims including Mahmudur, arrived in
Bangladesh on Monday.
After second namaj-e-janaza of 23 Bangladeshis, who were
killed in US-Bangla plane crash in Kathmandu, at Army
Stadium in the capital on Monday, the bodies of the victims
were handed over to their respective families.
Plane crash: Father, daughter
laid to rest in Gazipur
GAZIPUR : A man and his daughter, two victims of the US-
Bangla Airlines aircraft crash, were laid to eternal rest at their
Nagarhawla village home in Sreepur upazila on Tuesday
morning, reports UNB.
Prior to that, third and fourth namaz-e-janazas of Faruk
Ahmed Priok (BE0269054), 32, and daughter Tamarra
Prionmoyee (BR0896359), 3, were held at Abdul Awal
College Ground and Nagarhawla village around 9am and
11am respectively.
Earlier, people from all walks of life, including Sreepur
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rehana Akter, paid their last
tribute to them on the premises of Shaheed Minar of the
college. The 2nd namaz-e-janaza of 23 Bangladeshis,
including the duo, who were killed in US-Bangla plane crash
in Kathmandu, was held at the Army Stadium in the capital
on Monday.
Earlier on March 12, at least 49 people, including 26
Bangladeshi nationals, were killed as the US-Bangla Airlines
aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Tribhuvan
International Airport in the capital of Himalayan county
Nepal.
DB arrest 6 with arms,
Yaba in Ctg
CHITTAGONG : Detectives in separate drives arrested six
men along with 63000 pieces of Yaba tablets, five homemade
firearms, Tk 10 lakh cash and sized a truck from
different places of the city on Monday night, reports UNB.
The arrestees were identified as Owner of the truck Md
Mizanur Rahman, 36, truck driver Kazi Abul Bashar, 25, Md
Abdullah Al Mamun, 40, Abu Taher, 38, and Md Ripon, 36,
son of Mokhlesur Rahman of Janur Baper Ghona area in the
port city.
Amena Begum, additional commissioner of Chittagong
Metropolitan Police (CMP) came up with the information in
a press conference at Detective Branch (DB) office in the port
city on Tuesday noon.
Detectives arrested Md Mizanur Rahman, Kazi Abul
Bashar and three others along with 63000 pieces of Yaba
tablets and Tk 10 lakh from Wazedia area in the port city.
Another team led by additional deputy commissioner of
DB, AAM Humayun Kabir, conducted a drive at Suparibagan
area adjacent to Lakecity residential area and arrested Ripon
along with two long guns (LG), three home-made pistols and
eight cartridges, said the police official.
Ripon was a listed 'criminal' and accused in several cases
filed with deferent police stations of the city and district, she
added.
Uncle gets life in prison for
acid attack on Joypurhat girl
JOYPURHAT : A court here on Tuesday sentenced a college
teacher to life imprisonment over an acid attack on his niece
in 2013, reports UNB.
Joypurhat Women and Children Repression Prevention
Tribunal-2 Judge Dr Abdul Mazid also fined the convict Tk 1
lakh and in case of failure to pay the penalty, he will have to
serve two more years in jail.
The convict was identified as Saiful Islam Babu hailing
from Gobindaganj in Gaibandhaand a teacher of Islampur
Piarapur IGM School and College.
According to the prosecution, Saiful hurled acid on his
niece Sadia Islam, daughter of Abdus Salam of Kathail village
in Kalai upazila and a student of Kalam Women's College,
while she was asleep in her room on August 13, 2013 over
previous enmity. Locals saw Saiful fleeing after the incident.
Later, victim's father filed a case with Kalai Police Station
over the incident.
2 to die for
killing man
in Manikganj
MANIKGANJ : A court here
on Tuesday sentenced two
people to death for killing his
wife in Harirampur upazila
of the district in 2011,
reports UNB.
The condemned convicts
are Selina Akter, wife of
murdered Idris Ali and Md
Nazrul Islam.
The court also acquitted
another accused Dulal of the
murder charge.
According to prosecution,
Idris Ali, 35, was murdered
at Kamarghona village in
Harirampur upazila on
November 28, 2011.
Detective Branch of police
filed a case against three
people, including the wife of
the deceased, with
Monirampur Police Station.
After examining the
documents and witnesses,
district and sessions judge
Md Mizanur Rahman
handed down the verdict in
absentia of the accused.
World social
work day
observed at RU
RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY
:The Rajshahi University
(RU) Social Work
departmenton
Tuesdayobserved the World
Social Work Day at the
university campus amid
great festivity and
enthusiasm with the theme
'Promoting Community and
Environmental
Sustainability', reports UNB.
Marking the day, teachers,
students and staffs of the
department brought out a
colourful procession in the
morning at Momtaz Uddin
Kala Bhaban in the campus.
Among others, Social
Work department Chairman
Professor Sadequl Arefin
Matin, Professor Md
Ashrafuzzaman, Dr Syeda
Afreena Mamun, Professor
Md Emaj Uddin, Professor
Sheikh Kabir Uddin Haider,
Professor Muhammad
Shariful Islam, Professor
Tanzima Zohra Habib and
Md Faruque Hossain
addressed at the rally.
Addressing the rally, the
speakers said different
communities of our country
are gradually being
scattered, helpless and
backward while some of
those have already been
destroyed due to the socioeconomic
condition of our
country. The speakers urged
people to spread the
knowledge of social work
throughout the whole world
which will help in stopping
inhuman activities including
killing children.
The speakers also urged
the government to open
social work department in
every public universities of
the country.
Besides, five stalls were set
up in front of the
department building where
the department's students
displayed posters relating to
various social issues.
4 BD youths
return after
serving jail
in India
JESSORE : Four
Bangladeshi youths
returned home on Monday
evening through Benapole
Check Post after serving two
and half years in an Indian
jail, reports UNB.
The returnees are - Mintu
Rahman, 14, son of Abdul
Gaffar, a resident of
Kabilpur village, Sohel
Rana, son of Kamrul Islam,
a resident of Fatehpur
village in Jhikargaccha
upazila of Jessore district,
Raihan Gazi, 17, son of
Anisul Islam, a resident of
Etagaccha village in Satkhira
Sadar and Sheikh Rabbi
Sheikh, son of Babu Mandal,
a resident of Songidanga
village in Morelganj upazila
in Bagerhat district.
Petrapole Immigration
Police handed them over to
their Bangladeshi
counterparts on the
presence of members of
Border Guard Bangladesh
(BGB) and immigration
police, said Khairul Islam,
duty officer of Benapole
Check Post.