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Rape at MC College: HC orders shifting case to speedy tribunal
The High Court on Thursday asked the authorities concerned to shift the case over the gang rape of a woman at MC College in Sylhet, to the speedy trial tribunal.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order and asked the authorities concerned to execute the order within 30 days..Barrister Sabrina Zerin and Barrister M Abdul Kaiyum stood for the petitioner and assistant attorney general Abul Kalam Khan Daud represented the state.
The court also ordered the home secretary to transfer the case to the speedy trial tribunal and issued a gazette notification within 30 days, said Barrister Abdul Kaiyum.
On August 1, a writ petition was filed seeking to transfer of the Sylhet MC College rape case to the speedy trial tribunal.
Currently the case is under trial at Sylhet Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal.
On August 16, the HC issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why directives should not be given to shift the case to the speedy trial tribunal.
Also read: Gang rape at Sylhet MC College: 8 indicted in separate extortion case
Gang-rape at MC College
According to the case statement, a group of youths tied up a man and raped his 25-year-old wife at a dormitory of MC College on September 25 in 2020.
The accused started harassing the 25-year-old as his husband went to a shop in front of MC College, stopping his car.
Next, they forcefully took the couple to one of the hostel buildings of the college, where they allegedly committed the crime.
After police rescued the couple, the victim’s husband filed a case with Shahporan Police Station against nine people mentioning the names of six and three to four unnamed men.
On January 17, 2021, the court separately framed charges against the eight in the gang rape case.
On February 7 of the same year, the High Court directed the authorities to run the trial simultaneously in two separate cases filed for gang rape and extortion at MC College.
On December 3 in 2020, police pressed charges against the eight accused in the two cases.
According to police, they found the direct involvement of six people in the rape while two assisted in the crime.
The accused who were directly involved in the crime were Saifur Rahman, Shah Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Rony, Tariqul Islam Tarek, Arjun Laskar, Mohammad Ainuddin alias Ainul and Misbaul Islam Rajon.
Rabiul Islam Hasan and Mahfuzur Rahman Masum were accused of assisting them.
Light to moderate fog across country, weather may remain dry
Light to moderate fog was noticed across the country early this morning.
Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged and day temperature may fall slightly over the country, said a latest bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
Weather may remain dry over the country.
The lowest temperature in the country, recorded on Wednesday, was 11.5 degree Celsius in Rajshahi and Chuadanga, while the highest temperature was 30.5 degree Celsius in Khulna.
Meanwhile, a low-pressure area has formed over southeast Bay and adjoining area. It is likely to intensify.
Also read: Met dept issues fog alert in Bangladesh as Panchagarh shivers
Dhaka air once again world’s most polluted this morning
Dhaka has once again topped the list of cities with poor air quality.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 323 at 8:49 am today (December 15, 2022), Dhaka ranked first in the list of cities with the worst air.
An AQI between 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
India’s Kolkata and Bosnia Herzegovina’s Sarajevo occupied the second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 192 and 190, respectively.
Read More: Effects of Air Pollution on Unborn Children, Neonates, Infants
Similarly, an AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups while a reading of 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor'.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Also read; Dhaka's air quality 'unhealthy' as winter approaches
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Will Juba Mohila League finally get new leadership at 2022 conference?
Aspiring young leaders of the female youth wing of ruling party Awami League are increasingly frustrated at the lack of change in the central leadership of their organisation for the last 20 years.
Nazma Akhter and Apu Ukil have been occupying the top two positions of the Juba Mohila League since 2004, following its formation in 2002 with former women leaders of the Chhatra League, AL's student front.
Many, who did not wish to be named, told UNB about their regret and disappointment.
In such a reality, the third tri-annual conference of the organisation will be held on Thursday (December 15) after five years.
Awami League president Sheikh Hasina will be present as the chief guest at the conference to be held at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the party are expecting a change in the top leadership of Jubo Mohila League through this conference.
Also read: ACC prosecutes Jubo Mohila League leader Papia, her husband
Leaders hoping for the post of president and general secretary of Jubo Mohila League are expecting new leadership for the top two positions through this year’s conference.
The current general secretary Apu Ukil said preparations for the tri-annual council are done.
“The issue of leadership is up to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She will do what she thinks best. I will work where she allows me to work,” she said, when asked to comment on the possibility.
Vice President Kohale Quddus Mukti, a former Chhatra League leader, said that there is enthusiasm among the leaders and workers around the conference, and it is being held as part of a continuous political process.
"Jubo Mohila League is an organisation created by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina,” Mukti said. “I have been with the organisation since its birth. She (Sheikh Hasina) is our guardian. We put our trust and confidence in her. Whatever decision she takes, we will follow that. Everything will depend on the decision of the Prime Minister.”
Jubo Mohila League organising secretary Sharmin Sultana Lilly said the platform was created for former Chhatra League women leaders. Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina created it at a time when BNP-Jamaat terrorist activities, and atrocities against women were rampant. As a street fighter, she then formed the Jubo Mohila League.
"We want the leadership of Dhaka University to be given priority by those who were the leaders of Chhatra League. But whatever decision she (Sheikh Hasina) takes regarding the leadership, we all will accept it," Lilly also said.
Awami League central executive member and former acting president of Chhatra League Marufa Akhtar Popi, Zakia Noor Lipi MP, daughter of interim president and one of the four national leaders Syed Nazrul Islam, and Awami League central executive member Gloria Jharna Sarkar MP can be selected for the position of President, according to the party sources.
Apart from them, Apu Ukil, Shirina Nahar Lipi, Kohile Quddus Mukti, Aleya Sarwar Daisy and Afroza Mansoor Lipi are in discussion for the post of president of Jubo Mohila League.
During its founding in 2002, a convening committee of 101 members was formed in Jubo Mohila League. In the first conference of the organisation held in 2004, Najma Akhtar was elected as the president and Apu Ukil as the general secretary.
After 13 years, the second and last conference of Jubo Mohila League was held on March 17, 2017. In the conference, Najma Akter was re-elected as president and Apu Ukil as general secretary.
Buet student Fardin died after jumping off bridge, Rab says
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) student Fardin Noor Parash died after jumping off Sultana Kamal Bridge, Rab has said.
Commander Khandaker Al Moin, legal and media wing director of Rab, disclosed the information at a press conference at Rab headquarters around over one month after the body of the student was recovered from the Shitalakhkhya river on November 7.
On November 4, the day he went missing, Fardin dropped off his girlfriend Amatullah Bushra, a 3rd year student of East West University who is now in jail, in Rampura around 9pm.
After that he went to a bridge in Keraniganj and then to Johnson Road, Gulistan and Jatrabari respectively till 2am.
Then he went to Sultana Kamal Bridge around 2:34 am. He was alone on the bridge till 2:37am, the Rab official said.
Read more: It’s disappointing, no headway in probe in a month, says Fardin’s father
Police recovered Fardin’s body from the Shitalakhkhya river, behind a cotton mill at Siddhirganj, on November 7, three days after he went missing.
Fardin jumped off the bridge after roaming around in Dhaka, the Rab officer said, adding they scrutinized his whereabouts.
The Rab officer said they tightened intelligence surveillance to figure out the reason behind the death.
He said they submitted all relevant documents including CCTV footage and digital footprints to the investigation officer of the case on Wednesday.
The victim’s father filed a murder case against some unidentified people at Rampura police station on November 9.
Read more: Fardin Noor Parash died by suicide: DB
On the following day, police arrested Bushra from her residence in connection with the death.
Earlier on Wednesday, Additional Commissioner (Detective Branch) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Mohammad Harunur Rashid at a press conference at the DB office in the capital said the Buet student died by suicide.
The DB chief said they scrutinized the footage of Fardin’s movement before his death.
Sheikh Farhad, a physician at Narayanganj General Hospital where the autopsy was done, said there were several injury marks on Fardin’s head and body.
Drik hosts frank conversation about freedom of expression, media in Bangladesh
Shedding the spotlight on freedom of expression and media in Bangladesh, Drik Picture Library organised a special talk session on Wednesday in the capital's Panthapath.
Historian, researcher and UNB and Dhaka Courier Editor-at-Large Afsan Chowdhury joined this conversation alongside globally renowned photojournalist and Drik Managing Director Shahidul Alam at 5:30pm at Drikpath Bhaban.
The conversation addressed major roadblocks to freedom of media in Bangladesh through the narratives of two of the eminent media personalities in the country.
"In Bangladesh, there isn't any freedom of speech. The ideology that we are independent is a fundamental misconception in this country. We do not have control over the circumstances we are in," Shahidul said.
About the Digital Security Act (DSA), he said, "We objected to the rules included in the Digital Security Act, as it was the replacement of the ICT Act 2006's abolished provisions. The law minister who oversaw the creation of this act is no longer in office."
"The then-law minister stated about this bill that if a lawsuit was brought against a journalist under this statute, he would defend the journalist himself. No one doesn't even recall that clause anymore, as he is no longer a minister."
Read more: Media pursues diplomats to speak on Bangladesh’s internal affairs: Momen
"People mistakenly believe that Bangladesh has free media, but that is inaccurate," Afsan said. "The structural limitations of Bangladesh restrict media freedom."
"The government implements the DSA nowadays mostly because of Facebook, the largest social media platform in the world. For the administration, such a sizable social media platform is extremely concerning."
"Facebook is the mass media now, and also the most popular platform where everyone is a journalist. The majority of media outlets in Bangladesh were founded by their owners because they needed to make money. That demand must be dropped to obtain and practice the freedom of media, but no one wants to take that chance."
"So if the journalists want to practice journalism on their own, they must do it alone because the organisations cannot assist them. We now need to consider how to properly express our opinions on social media, while ensuring freedom of speech at the same time," Afsan said.
Read more: Responsible, credible media hold all parties to account: Gwyn Lewis
Fardin Noor Parash died by suicide: DB
Buet student Fardin Noor Parash died by suicide, said Additional Commissioner (Detective Branch) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Mohammad Harunur Rashid on Wednesday.
He made this claim at a press conference at the DB office in the capital this evening.
The DB chief said they scrutinized the footages regarding Fardin’s movement before his death. “Fardin didn’t go to Chonpara,” he claimed.
Read: Law enforcers have made progress in Fardin murder probe: Rab
On November 4, the day he went missing, Fardin dropped his friend Amatullah Bushra, a 3rd year student of East West University who is now in jail, in Rampura around 9pm, said Harunur Rashid.
After that he went to a bridge in Keraniganj and then to Johnson Road, Gulistan and Jatrabari respectively till 2am.
Then he went to Sultana Kamal Bridge around 2:34 am. He was alone on the bridge till 2:37am, he said.
“He didn’t know swimming and we believe that Fardin committed suicide by jumping off Sultana Kamal Bridge,” he said.
“We have a proof of the sound of his jumping in the river from the bridge.”
Besides, the DB chief said he was mentally disturbed due to his poor result. Besides, he was supposed to go to Spain to attend a competition but couldn’t manage the money for going there.
“Also, no injury mark was found in his body as per the inquest (Surathal) report. So there is no evidence that Fardin was murdered,” said the DB chief.
Read: It’s disappointing, no headway in probe in a month, says Fardin’s father
Fardin was a 3rd year student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’s civil engineering department and a resident of Qutubpur area in Narayanganj's Fatullah.
Police recovered Fardin’s body from the Shitalakhkhya River, behind a cotton mill at Siddhirganj, on November 7, three days after he went missing.
Sheikh Farhad, a physician at Narayanganj General Hospital where the autopsy was done, said there were several injury marks on Fardin’s head and body.
Kazi Nuruddin Rana, Fardin’s father, filed a case in connection with his son’s killing with Rampura Police Station on the same day and the case was later transferred to Detective Branch (DB) Police.
We uphold human rights in Bangladesh: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that her Awami League party safeguards human rights instead of violating in Bangladesh.
“Awami League doesn’t violate human rights here in this country, rather gives protection to it. Awami League ensures the rights of the people,” she said.
The premier was addressing a discussion arranged by Bangladesh Awami League (AL) in the city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day-2022. She presided over the meeting.
Slamming opposition BNP men for talking about the killings and forced disappearance issues, she said it is Ziaur Rahman (founder of BNP) who had started the culture of forced disappearance in the country.
Hasina, also the AL president, said Ziaur Rahman was responsible for killing many officers and soldiers of Bangladesh Army and Air Force. At the same time, he was also behind the killing of many AL leaders and made them disappeared, she added.
She said the families and relatives could never see the bodies of the victims. “How come the BNP talks about forced disappearance and killing?”
Read more: PM: During BNP’s regime, human rights were violated at every step
Hasina, the eldest daughter of slain Bangladesh leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said they, who lost their dear ones on August 15, 1975, had no right to seek justice. She was not allowed to file a case after returning home in 1981. “Where were my human rights? Why couldn’t I see the bodies of my parents?” she added.
Pointing at the USA and some other countries, she said they are protecting the human rights of killers and human rights violators. “They are busy in protecting the human rights of the killers,” she said.
The PM also blasted BNP for taking no programme to observe the Martyred Intellectuals Day and not showing respect towards the martyrs. “Today we’re observing the Martyred Intellectuals Day. But what is the BNP’s programme on this day? Do they have any?”
Pointing at BNP, she said they have intimacy with the killers of the intellectuals and the Father of the Nation, the murders and corrupt persons.
The premier said BNP and Jamaat know how to loot and kill the people, and engage in corruption. So, they don’t show any respect toward the intellectuals, she added.
“What respect can they show? We can’t expect that they would show respect (to intellectuals),” she said.
The AL president said her party had pledged to hold the trial of the killers of the martyred intellectuals and today her government tried them accordingly.
Read more: I can understand PM Hasina’s pains: Bachelet
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader delivered the introduction speech, while AL leaders Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Abdur Rahman, Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, among others, spoke at the discussion.
At the outset of the event, a minute of silence was observed as a mark of respect to the memories of the martyred intellectuals as well as Bangabandhu, four national leaders and the martyred freedom fighters.
The nation observed the Martyred Intellectuals Day on Wednesday, paying tributes to the intellectuals who had been killed systematically by the Pakistan occupation forces and their local collaborators at the fag-end of the country’s Liberation War in 1971.
Sensing an imminent defeat, the Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators carried out the cold-blooded mass murders under a carefully thought-out plan to intellectually cripple emerging Bangladesh.
Dengue: 184 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs, zero death
Another 184 people were hospitalised with dengue in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
The total fatalities remained unchanged at 267 as no death was reported during this period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read more: Dengue: 220 cases, another death reported in 24 hrs
Of the new patients, 100 were admitted to the hospitals of Dhaka and 84 outside it, said DGHS.
A total of 916 dengue patients, including 494 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
Read more: 224 more Dengue patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
The DGHS has recorded 60,926 dengue cases and 59,743 recoveries so far this year.
Bangladesh registers 21 more Covid cases, zero death
Bangladesh reported 21 more Covid cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total caseload rose to 2,036,866, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,437 as no new fatalities were reported.
Read more: Bangladesh’s Covid-19 death toll stands at 2,668
The daily case test positivity rose to 0.78 percent from Tuesday's 0.69 percent as 2,700 samples were tested during the period.
The mortality and recovery rates remained unchanged at 1.45 percent and 97.53 percent, respectively.
Read more: Bangladesh sees another Covid death, 438 cases in 24hrs
In November, the country reported 10 Covid-linked deaths and 1,345 cases.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.