Law
Week
Mufti Hannan captured
In a dramatic nightlong drive in the capital, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) intelligence officials arrested one of the country's top Islamist militant leaders, Mufti Abdul Hannan. The Rab members arrested Hannan along with his wife and four children at an Ananda Nagar house in Madhya Badda and took them to the Rab Headquarters. Hannan, who also has links to international militant groups, is the operation commander of the Bangladesh chapter of the international Islamist militant organisation Harkatul Jihad.
Hannan told newspersons at the Rab office in Dhaka he has been staying in the country after the former home minister, now the commerce minister, Altaf Hossain Choudhury, assured him of "no fear" in staying in the country. Accused in a sedition case, Mufti Hannan is also the prime accused in the plot to assassinate the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in Kotalipara in Gopalganj on July 20, 2000. Hannan had also submitted a mercy petition to Altaf to relieve him from the case of attempt to assassinate Hasina, he told the reporters. -- The Daily star, October 2.
Militants strike again on courts
Yet another incident of five serial bomb blasts at courts in Chandpur, Laxmipur and Chittagong left two people killed and 38 others, including a district judge and a policeman, injured, stoking fears that have loomed over the country since the August 17 attacks. Some hand-written leaflets of the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), calling for establishing Islamic rule in the country, were found at the Chandpur blast site.
Two bombers held from the Chandpur blast site and one from Laxmipur said JMB, which is blamed for the August 17 attacks across the country, assigned them to carry out the bombings. They said the militant organisation had plans to turn public attention to its leaflets by blasting bombs in courtrooms. -- Prothom Alo, October 4.
First charge-sheet in Aug 17 blast case filed
Defying alleged pressure of the ruling alliance, Joypurhat police filed the first charge-sheet in one of the August 17 serial blast cases against 28 militants including two top leaders of Ahle Hadith Andolan, Bangladesh (Ahab).
Jamir Uddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Joypurhat Police Station, with the home ministry nod secretly handed over the charge-sheet to court Sub-inspector Abdus Salam last night, reports our Rajshahi staff correspondent. Salam places the charge-sheet today before a first class magistrate's court. The charge-sheet submission was scheduled for October 1, but it was delayed on the last moment instructions of a local BNP lawmaker for dropping Ahab adherents' names. A few keymen of the alliance government persuaded by the Ahab activists now on the run had also lobbied in this connection. -- The Daily star, October 4.
Bomber admits Aug 17 role
One of the two bombers caught during Chandpur blast has admitted to having exploded bombs in the district on August 17, the day near-simultaneous explosions rocked the entire country. Abul Kalam, 22, who has been involved with Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for about two years, also confessed that he had met Jagrata Muslim Janata, Bangladesh (JMJB) operations commander Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai in Bagmara at the beginning of this year.
Special security measures have been taken at the courthouses across the country following the terrorist attacks. Some of the court building kept doors and windows shut yesterday for fear of renewed attacks. Two of the three bombers caught on the Chittagong court premises admitted to being members of Shaheed Nasrullah Al Arafat Brigade (Snab), the newly formed military wing of the JMB and JMJB.
The family of JMB cadre Masum, 22, who was caught while hurling bombs at Laxmipur court on Monday, is involved with Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, a key component of the ruling four-party alliance. -- The Daily Star, October 5.
ACC plans to curb graft in education sector
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will make surprise visits to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) and the Directorate of Education to take instant action against corruption and irregularities. The decision was taken at a closed-door meeting between the ACC and the education ministry officials. "We will conduct sudden visit to the NCTB and the education directorate to reduce corruption," ACC Commissioner Maniruzzaman Miah told journalists after the meeting, also attended by officials of the NCTB and the directorate. "We have not come here to probe specific allegations but to find out ways to reduce corruption in the education sector," Miah said about the discussion in the meeting. The meeting also discussed how to mitigate the teachers' hassle in drawing their pension and seeking information about their monthly payment orders (PMO). --The Daily Star, October 5.
Ctg judges get bomb threats over phone
Three Chittagong judges received threats of bomb attack from anonymous callers asking them to discharge their duties as per Islamic 'sharia', two days into bomb attacks in courtrooms in three districts that left two killed and 38 injured. Moreover, a militant organisation -- Islami Ain Bastabayon Parishad mailed three leaflets to Dhaka Bar Association asking it to cooperate in establishing Islamic rule in the country. The leaflets were similar to those circulated with the August 17 blasts. The two incidents triggered panic among people in the judicial arena and they sought security at their houses and offices, and immediate action against those issuing the threats. The judges who received threats are First Joint District Judge Shamsul Islam, Senior Assistant Judge Kazi Abdul Hannan and Judge Umme Kulsum. Court sources said the unknown callers made phone calls to the offices of the three judges between 9:30am and 9:45am. The callers first asked about the identities of the judges and hung up. A few minutes later, they again rang the judges and threatened them with bomb attacks on their courtrooms, the sources added. -- BD News, October 6.
PM seeks help to combat terrorism
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia reiterated her government's stand against terrorism and urged all to help the government arrest the culprits involved in the recent bomb blasts. "Terrorism has no room in Islam. Those who indulge in terrorism are nothing but terrorists," she told the newly elected office bearers of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). The prime minister pledged to take stringent measures against those involved in terrorist activities using the name of religion. The process of apprehending the culprits has been continuing and they will be tried under the law, she said. Highlighting her government's success in economic, education and health sectors, Khaleda said those who do not like to see this progress have been trying to destabilise the situation. She urged all including the businessmen to remain alert against the vested quarters. -- BSS, Dhaka, October 6.
Gunmen for judges, security in courts
In the wake of bomb attacks on courts and death threats on judges and lawyers, the government y decided to provide gunmen to district judges and step up security at courthouses across the country. The judges, many of whom received death threats over telephone in the last couple of days, will also receive security arrangements at their courts as well as residences.
The assurance came when a delegation of district judges met State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar at his office to seek security, following panic after recent telephone threats and bomb attacks on Chittagong, Chandpur and Laxmipur courts, which came 47 days after countrywide bombings at different points, including courthouses. On security measures for other judges and magistrates, he said, "Since manpower of the police administration is limited, the government has primarily decided to provide gunmen only to district judges. But the minister has assured of special security measures at other courts at the same time." Opposing the existing judicial system and saying it contradicts the rule of Islam, a group of criminals has targeted courts and distributed leaflets saying judges and lawyers should be killed, Chunnu, also a judge of the Special Court Dhaka Division, said. -- The Daily Star, October 7.
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