BSS, Dhaka, 16 December : The grateful Bangladesh today celebrated the 40th Victory Day with a renewed call for materializing the dreams of three million martyrs and speeding up the trial of war criminals to free the country from 40 years' stigma.
The whole nation with a deep sense of respect remembered the best sons and daughters of the soil on this great day, expressing their total pledge to build a secular, happy and prosperous Bangladesh free from poverty, hunger and illiteracy. The National Memorial at Savar was covered with wreaths placed by the thousands of people of all walks of life, showing their profound homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and martyred freedom fighters. President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar this morning.As the security restrictions were withdrawn, tens of thousands of people including politicians placed wreaths recalling the martyrdom of Freedom Fighters. They also chanted slogans: "Try Try War Criminals, We want to build a secular Bangladesh." န Photos : UNB
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Reuters journo says he's ready to testify against SQ Chow'
BSS, Dhaka, 16 December : A journalist of Reuters news agency in Dhaka today said he was ready to testify against the just- detained suspected war criminal Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury, being a victim of tortures at his residence during the Liberation War.
"I am ready to say the truth if am called by the International Crimes Tribunal," Nizamuddin Ahmed told BSS as police overnight arrested the influential BNP lawmaker on the eve of the 40th Victory Day. Ahmed added that he was not a party to any political group but he wanted to describe how he was exposed to wraths of the Chowdhury family as he had sided with the freedom fighters during the initial days of the Liberation War in 1971 when he was a college student.
"I am ready to say the truth if am called by the International Crimes Tribunal," Nizamuddin Ahmed told BSS as police overnight arrested the influential BNP lawmaker on the eve of the 40th Victory Day. Ahmed added that he was not a party to any political group but he wanted to describe how he was exposed to wraths of the Chowdhury family as he had sided with the freedom fighters during the initial days of the Liberation War in 1971 when he was a college student.
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War criminals trial will be completed in present govt' tenure
BSS, Savar, 16 December : LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam today said the trial process of the war criminals would be completed during the tenure of the present government.
The formal trial will begin from March next year, the minister said while talking to the journalists at Savar after placing wreaths at the national mausoleum here. Syed Ashraf, also General Secretary of Awami League, said the government is pledged bound to hold the trial of the war criminals.
The formal trial will begin from March next year, the minister said while talking to the journalists at Savar after placing wreaths at the national mausoleum here. Syed Ashraf, also General Secretary of Awami League, said the government is pledged bound to hold the trial of the war criminals.
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B'desh to set up cultural centre in Dubai,NY, London, Delhi
Gulfnews, Dubai, 16 December : Bangladesh Government will set up a cultural centre in Dubai to strengthen the bilateral relations with the UAE and the greater Arab world, which a top official said, would improve cultural understanding.
The country's present government is also planning to extend the voting infrastructure to allow more than eight million non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) spread across five continents to vote in general elections. Nearly half of them live in the Middle East. "We are planning to set up a number of cultural centres in key cities across the world, such as Dubai, New York, London, and New Delhi," Abul Kalam Azad, Bangladesh's Minister for Information and Culture told Gulf News on Thursday. READ FULL STORY
Gulfnews, Dubai, 16 December : Bangladesh Government will set up a cultural centre in Dubai to strengthen the bilateral relations with the UAE and the greater Arab world, which a top official said, would improve cultural understanding.
The country's present government is also planning to extend the voting infrastructure to allow more than eight million non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) spread across five continents to vote in general elections. Nearly half of them live in the Middle East. "We are planning to set up a number of cultural centres in key cities across the world, such as Dubai, New York, London, and New Delhi," Abul Kalam Azad, Bangladesh's Minister for Information and Culture told Gulf News on Thursday. READ FULL STORY
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-FCI supply: Tripura, Mizoram facing shortage of food grain
IANS, Agartala, Aizawl, 16 December : Tripura and Mizoram are facing a food crisis as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has not supplied the allocated quota of food grain to the two states, officials said Thursday.
'In view of the inadequate railway wagons and feeble tracks of NFR (Northeast Frontier Railways), the FCI is unable to supply food grain to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam,' Tripura Food and Civil Supplies Minister Manik Dey told reporters in Agartala. Quoting FCI and railway officials, Dey said: 'The FCI officials assured Tripura MPs that it would supply food grain by trucks and would build a buffer stock in the region.'
IANS, Agartala, Aizawl, 16 December : Tripura and Mizoram are facing a food crisis as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has not supplied the allocated quota of food grain to the two states, officials said Thursday.
'In view of the inadequate railway wagons and feeble tracks of NFR (Northeast Frontier Railways), the FCI is unable to supply food grain to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and southern Assam,' Tripura Food and Civil Supplies Minister Manik Dey told reporters in Agartala. Quoting FCI and railway officials, Dey said: 'The FCI officials assured Tripura MPs that it would supply food grain by trucks and would build a buffer stock in the region.'
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Bangladesh grinds axe on war criminals,SQ Chow' arrested
Dhaka, 16 December : Controversial BNP leader Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury MP was arrested and placed under 5-day police remand for interrogation in connection with Faruk murder case.Faruk suffered serious injuries on 26 June evening when his car was set afire at Maghbazar crossing, a day before the BNP sponsored countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal. Later, he succumbed to his burn wounds at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on July 1. A case was filed with Ramna police station on 26 June. Although he was shown arrest in Faruk murder case, but it is almost certain that he would be shown arrested in war crimes case shortly, political analysts say.
On late night Wednesday RAB intelligence agents arrested him from a house in Banani at 2am and taken to Cantonment police station where he fell sick. SQ Chowdhury was arrested within 24 hours of a petition filed with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday seeking issuance of arrest warrant on charge of war crimes. The tribunal fixed December 19 for hearing on the petition. န Photo : UNB
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