A journalist has been arrested in Khulna in a case filed under the Digital Security Act for publishing “false” information on the number of votes cast in a constituency during Sunday's polls.

Hedayet Hossain Mollah, local correspondent of the Dhaka Tribune, was arrested yesterday, a day after the case was filed against two reporters, including him, with Batiaghata Police Station in the district.

The other accused is Rashidul Islam, staff reporter of the daily Manab Zamin, reports our correspondent in Khulna.

According to the initial announcement of the election results, the number of votes cast in Khulna-1 was higher than the total number of voters in the constituency. As the matter was brought to the returning officer's attention, he said it was a mistake and later came up with a correction, said local journalists.

By the time the correction could be made, the two media outlets ran reports saying the number of votes cast was around 22,000 higher than the actual number of voters, they said.

Documents provided by the returning officer's office showed 45,000 of the 2,59,420 voters did not cast their ballots.

Batiaghata Upazila Nirbahi Officer Debashish Chowdhury, also the assistant returning officer, filed the case against the two journalists.

The case statement said the accused published false, fabricated and provocative information on the voting with the use of electronic devices, including laptops, which might confuse people and create a chaotic situation.

Such activities made the “fair election” questionable, the statement said.

Mahabubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Batiaghata Police Station, told The Daily Star that they arrested Hedayet near Gallamary Bridge in connection with the case.

However, several witnesses said the journalist was picked up near Picture Palace intersection in the city when he was returning home from the Khulna Press Club.

Hedayet's wife Sayida Laila Akhter told this newspaper that she called her husband over the phone but another man picked it up and introduced himself as the OC of the police station.

“Last night, the returning officer had requested my husband to apologise for the news. Otherwise, he said my husband would face action,” she said.

Despite repeated attempts, the RO could not be reached over the phone for comments.

Handcuffed, Hedayet was produced before a district court which sent him to jail.

Meanwhile, a former deputy secretary of the Election Commission has been picked up by detectives in the city's Agargaon area for “leaking information on the election”.

Shamsul Alam was allegedly collecting election results submitted to the commission from across the country and sending those to “others”, said police and EC sources.

He was picked up near the Nirbachan Commission office on Monday night, they said.

GG Biswas, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, said the official was kept at the DB office on Mintoo Road.

Abdul Baten, additional commissioner (detectives) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said they picked up Shamsul for interrogation. 

The national election of December 30 has turned the life of Mofiz Uddin upside down -- and all for supporting BNP.

From a decent tea-shop vendor at Rabeya market of Bonkishore village in Rajshahi's Tanore upazila, the 48-year old man now works on a potato field.

“I have been a dedicated BNP worker since the 90s,” Mofiz said. “If I have committed a crime, it would be my engagement with BNP.”

In a tin-roofed earthen room under a Koroi tree at the market, Mofiz started the shop and ran it for over the last 20 years.

Furnished with a television, eight chairs, five tables, four benches and a few racks of bakery items, sweets and groceries, his tea-shop fetched him around Tk 3,000 a day to support his family of seven.

On December 21, Mofiz joined the election campaign for BNP candidate Aminul Haq when the latter went to Pachondor union.

Later that evening, a group of stick wielding men went to the market and ransacked the outside of his tea-shop, according to eye-witnesses.

“The attackers were outsiders, not known to me,” said a local businessman.

“I heard about the attack on my shop when I reached home, after campaigning that day,” said Mofiz. A friend of his called him from the market and told him to hide as the attackers were looking for him.

Until polls day, local AL men used the tea-shop as the election office of Awami League candidate Omor Faruk Chowdhury.

“Two days after the election ended, some local AL workers damaged what was left of the shop, including the earthen room, tin-roof, furniture, television, and everything else inside.”

Locals told this correspondent that they heard the AL men would build a party office in that place.

When contacted, Reaz Uddin, president of AL unit at Pachondor ward-2, said, “We are yet to decide on building our office there. If not an office, we may construct a passengers' shed that will come to the use of many.”

He said the land was 'khas' and Mofiz had been illegally occupying it.

On the identity of the attackers, he said, “Nobody knows them. They were wearing helmets and came to the village on motorcycles.”

He denied that it was local AL men who had damaged the shop after the election.

“It was Mofiz's brother, nephew and son who damaged the shop,” he said. On why Mofiz's own relatives would damage the shop, Reaz did not have an explanation.

When contacted, Rajshahi Superintendent of Police Md Shahidullah said they had not heard about the incident.

“We will investigate all allegations of post-election violence,” said the SP, adding that police circulated a message in the district so that no one would spread fear among others over feuds during the election.

Upon losing his source of income, Mofiz began work as day labourer on the potato fields to make ends meet, earning a mere Tk 300 a day.

“I am living in fear. I could not even go see the condition of my shop, the one I so dearly built from scratch,” he said. 

President Abdul Hamid today urged the police to serve people with honesty and sincerity being imbued with the Liberation War spirit and thus gain their trust.

"Anyone who comes to you to take service shouldn't be harassed. You need to make sure they can avail of necessary services and suggestions. You must keep up efforts to become a service-oriented and people-friendly force by gaining the trust of people - that's the expectation of people."

The president said this at a function marking the 'Police Week -2019' held at Bangabhaban at noon.

"One of the key elements of good governance for the development and progress of the country is the proper enforcement of law. You must continue to play a responsible role to maintain the country's internal security and establish a safe society," he said.

The president further said, "Your main responsibilities are maintaining internal security, protecting people's lives, establishing the rule of law and preventing terrorism and crimes upholding human rights and democratic values."

Hamid said it has to be kept in mind that a new trend of policing activities has started in combination of police, people and technology to face present-day crimes across the globe. "So, in addition to community policing, innovative policing activities should be continued in light of the best practices of modern policing system."

President Hamid said crimes and criminals are no longer limited to the geographical boundary of any particular country. Utilising various facilities of modern technology, organised gangs are being involved in domestic, regional and international crime networks, he said.

"It's very challenging to control and deal with such crimes. Despite this, the professionalism, skill and courage the police members have shown to prevent organised crimes, terrorism, militancy and spread of drug addiction is really commendable. It has brought peace and relief in public life," he said.

"Your success has not only been appreciated in the country but also in the international arena. I firmly believe that you will become more trained and skilled to face new challenges in the future," the president added.

Hamid said the professionalism and success of Bangladesh police in the UN peacekeeping missions is recognised worldwide today. Female police members are also performing their duties successfully in the mission, he added.

He urged the police force to keep up their efforts to uphold the honour achieved in the international arena.

The President mentioned that specialised police units have been formed to make easier the providing of police services and people-friendly ones. Apart from this, various steps, including accommodation, ration, risk allowance and medical facilities, have been taken for their welfare, he said.

Steps have already been taken to establish a scheduled bank named 'Community Bank Bangladesh Limited' for the police. These initiatives of the government will help people get police services in a much easier way, the President said.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Javed Patwari, and senior government officials were also present during the event.

Cabinet members, MPs, senior government officials, leaders of various professional bodies, and members of civil society also attended the function.

Secretaries to the President were also present at the programme.



 

President Abdul Hamid on Thursday urged the authorities concerned to highlight Bangladesh's heritage along with tourist spots in a smarter way to attract foreign visitors.

He said Bangladesh is rich with natural and historical sites that uphold our glorious past from century to century.

"Tourist spots, including our heritage, will have to be highlighted in a smarter wayto the foreigners," President Hamid said."Our embassies in different countries along with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism will have to play an active role in this regard."

The heritage, natural beauty, rituals, and versatile life style of Bangla deeply attract the tourists, he said at the inauguration of 9th Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair organised by Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) at city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

President Hamid reminded everyone that foreign visitors are our guests and urged all to ensure that they can travel to Bangladesh in a relaxed and pleasant environment and get fascinated by hospitality.

He noted that the number of deserving countries for On-Arrival Visa has been increased while Bangladesh missions provide e-visa in the fastest possible time, facilitating visa procedures.

The President said he was elated to learn that Bangladesh has been elected as the new Chairperson for the year 2018-2019 at the 10th Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM). Dhaka city has been declared as "Dhaka, the OIC City of Tourism" for the year 2019.

"To make foreign tourists interested in Bangladesh, such type of fair will make a positive contribution. It'll also improve the relations with the friends flourish the tourism industry and enrichthe national economy," he said.

Mentioning the formation of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation in 1972 by Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman as the forerunner of today's tourism development in Bangladesh, he said, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working for the development of the tourism industry just like Bangabandhu did."

Mahbub Ali, the new State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism spoke as special guest.Chairman of the fair and TOAB President TaufiqUddin Ahmed presided over the opening ceremony, attended, among others, by secretaries to the President.

Organisers said 10 countries, including host Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, The Philippines and the Maldives apart from local tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, hotels and resorts, are taking part in the three-day fair.

As many as 140 business organisationsare participating, organisers said. The entry fee is Tk 30 per person and it will remain open from 10am to 9pm each day.