HC questions RPO provision

The High Court wants to know why a section of the Representation of People Order (RPO), going by which candidacy of Tangail MP Abul Kashem was cancelled and BNP candidate Mahmudul Hasan was declared the winner, should not be declared to be contrary to the Constitution.  The bench of Justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Jahangir Hossain issued the rule on Tuesday following a writ petition filed by 25 voters of the Tangail-5 constituency.

The court ordered the Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission Secretary and Mahmudul Hasan, who had been declared winner of the Dec 29 2008polls, to respond within 12 days.  The candidature of Kashem, a candidate of ruling Awami League's key ally Jatiya Party in the ninth parliament elections, had been cancelled in line with the Section 51 (2) (B).

Yusuf Hossain Humayun and Mohammad Bakir Uddin Bhuiyan represented the petitioners while Deputy Attorney General A B M Altaf Hossain and Assistant Attorney General Yadia Zaman argued for the government at the hearing. "The court expressed the hope that Mahmudul Hasan will not be sworn in before the hearing on the rule is finished," Zaman told bdnews24.com on Wednesday.

Bhuiyan said the Election Commission, with the authority given by the Section, had declared Hasan, who got second highest votes, the winner.  "We have said in the writ petition that the Commission can hold the election again if the candidacy of the winner is cancelled so that the people of the constituency can elect a new representative," he said.

"People's representation cannot be secured if anyone who got fewer votes is declared the winner. It runs contrary to the Sections 7 and 11 of the Constitution," he added.  The High Court also asked why the gazette declaring Mahmudul the winner should not be declared unconstitutional, Bhuiyan said.  Kashem had polled 147,152 votes to Hasan's 72,805 votes.

Hasan had moved the High Court in 2009 contending that Kashem had defaulted on payments of Sonali Bank loan and had outstanding phone bills.  The High Court on Dec 15, 2009 ordered the EC to cancel Kashem's candidature and declare Hasan the winner.

On Feb 14 this year, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Mohammad Muzammal Hossain rejected an appeal of Kashem and ordered that Hasan be declared winner in a week.  The Election Commission issued the gazette in this regard on May 7 after getting a copy of the High Court order on Apr 29.  The Speaker of Parliament, however, did not administer the oath of Hasan and preferred waiting for a verdict on a petition filed by Kashem to review the previous order. 

Nationwide shutdown on Thursday

The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance will enforce a dawn-to-dusk general strike countrywide on Thursday in protest at a Dhaka court sending 33 opposition leaders to jail in an arson case. National Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan announced the decision at a press briefing in the party's Naya Paltan headquarters in the afternoon on Wednesday.

"The people of the country will surely understand that we had no wish to call a programme like hartal considering [public sufferings]," he explained. He added that they were left with no other option to protest against the government's 'undemocratic, fascist behaviour."  Khan urged the people to make the shutdown a success. "I urge the people to enforce the hartal entirely (Sorbattokvabe) from dawn to dusk on May 17 (Thursday) demanding unconditional release of the national leaders and withdrawal of the cases over false charges," he said.

The announcement followed a meeting of the central leaders in the BNP office cordoned by police.
Local units of the party that heads the opposition alliance had already called for general strikes in several districts before the announcement from Dhaka was made. A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered into jail BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 32 other leaders after refusing them bail in an arson attack case.

In Thakurgaon, the home district of BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul, the local chapter of BNP called for indefinite general strike. Local BNP leaders called a daylong shutdown for Thursday in Chittagong, Sylhet, Sirajganj, Pabna, Joypurhat, Dinajpur and Bogra.

Police, meanwhile, have cordoned the headquarters of the BNP in Naya Paltan immediately after the court order. Several central leaders were already in the office but police were guarding at the main gate and allowing no supporters in.  Four supporters were detained for trying to get into the office.  Apart from Khan, Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyen Khan, Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman, Advisor to the Chairperson Fazlur Rahman Patal, Joint Secretary General Barkatullah Bulu and Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, among others, were in the office.   

Leaders await Khaleda`s decision

Central leaders on Wednesday said they will decide protest programmes with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia after local leaders called for general strikes in some districts protesting detention of top opposition leaders in jail.  A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered into jail BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 32 other leaders of the 18-Party Alliance after refusing them bail in an arson attack case.

In Thakurgaon, the home district of BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul, the local chapter of BNP has called for indefinite general strike.  Local BNP leaders called a daylong shutdown for Thursday in Chittagong, Sirajganj, Pabna, Joypurhat, Dinajpur and Bogra and more such programmes are incoming.

Police, meanwhile, have cordoned the headquarters of the BNP in Naya Paltan immediately after the court order. Several central leaders were already in the office but police were guarding at the main gate and allowing no supporters in.  Four supporters were detained for trying to get into the office.

"We will set the next course of action after consulting madam (Khaleda)," BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan told bdnews24.com.  Apart from Khan, BNP Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman, Advisor to the Chairperson Fazlur Rahman Patal, Joint Secretary General Barkatullah Bulu and Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, among others, were in the office.

They were assessing the situation in Mirza Fakhrul's office.  Earlier in the day, Metropolitan Speedy Trial Magistrate Mohammad Erfan Ullah heard the bail petitions of the senior opposition leaders in a case filed over arson attack during a general strike which the party enforced in protest against disappearance of Organising Secretary M Ilias Ali. 

No bail for Fakhrul, others, sent to jail

A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered into jail BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 32 other opposition leaders after refusing them bail in an arson attack case.  The leaders appealed for bail after surrendering at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in the morning after failing to get bail in the High Court that had ordered them to surrender at the trial court.

Metropolitan speedy trial magistrate Mohammad Erfan Ullah heard the petitions at noon and passed the order. The lawyers for the alliance leaders then pleaded with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Bikash Kumar Saha to reconsider, but he also turned them down. The alliance leaders surrendered before the court around 11am. The hearing started around 1:15pm with Barrister Moudud Ahmed placing arguments for the alliance leaders' bail. The Public Prosecutor (PP) of Dhaka District Judge's Court Khandaker Abdul Mannan and Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court PP Abdullah Abu opposed the plea.

The judge threw out the bail petition after nearly a hour-long hearing. The alliance leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul, were taken to the prison around 3pm when the 'reconsideration' plea was rejected.   The pro-BNP lawyers erupted in protest at the rejection of the bail pleas. Some of them tried to vandalise the door of the court. Magistrate Mohammad Erfan Ullah's nameplate was also smashed and thrown outside.

A large number of police were deployed in the court premises ahead of the hearing in anticipation of unpleasant incidents. Traffic on the Johnson Road in front of the CMM court and the Roy Shaheb Bazar area was halted during the hearing.  The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance enforced countrywide general strike on Apr 29 and 30 protesting against the disappearance of M Ilias Ali, one of BNP's organising secretaries.

On Apr 29, a vehicle was torched near the PMO and crude bombs were hurled at the Secretariat. Police filed two cases at Shahbagh and Tejgaon accusing the leaders of their alleged involvement in the two incidents.  Fakhrul, Dr Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, M K Anwar, Mirza Abbas, ASM Hannan Shah, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Liberal Democratic Party president Oli Ahmed and other senior leaders of the coalition were charged in the two cases.

A third High Court bench last Sunday ordered them to surrender in the trial court by Wednesday after the bench of justices Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Nazrul Islam Talukder returned a split decision on their petition for anticipatory bail.  The court has already sent the BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi to jail in the case and another joint Secretary General Mahbubuddin Khokon got bail in the same case.  

'Civil uprising if caretakers not agreed'

The BNP again warned on Tuesday of tough demonstrations to push the government if it did not give in to the demand to hold the next national polls under non-partisan caretakers. Party's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir hoped the incumbent Awami League-led government will accept the demand and make announcements accordingly by June 10.

Saying Bangladesh is a country of civil uprising, he said the people knew how to get their demands. From the party's mass rally on Mar 12, BNP chief Khaleda Zia gave the government June 10 deadline to accede to the opposition's demand. Fakhrul was speaking at a discussion organised by '90s student leaders' at the city's National Press Club. The leaders demanded information about the whereabouts of missing leader M Ilias Ali, release of the detained party leaders and withdrawal of 'false cases' against them.

Fakhrul called on the people to stand against the government 'abducting' political leaders. He claimed that 127 persons had gone missing over the past three and a half years which constituted "no less than war crimes and crimes against humanity".

The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance will stage hunger strikes across the country on May 20 against 'forced disappearances' and killings and to demand information on the location of Ilias Ali. It will also hold countrywide agitation rallies on May 27 demanding national polls under a non-party, neutral caretaker government and withdrawal of cases against the central leaders.

Ilias Ali, an Organising Secretary and also the BNP's Sylhet chapter chief, has been missing since Apr 17. The opposition has been blaming the government for the disappearance. The BNP spokesperson also came down hard on the government for its 'repression' of the opposition parties.

He claimed the Awami League was filing false cases against the opposition party leaders while withdrawing cases against their leaders. Fakhrul also accused the government of embezzling millions of taka from the power sector, banks and capital market. He claimed the government's 'corruption in the Padma bridge project' had been proven to the World Bank.

SQ Chy cautioned for last time

Tempers flared across the first war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh as the case against BNP MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury commenced with the examination of the first prosecution witness. 
The court went into lunch recess after the BNP policymaker indicted for 23 charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War managed to irritate International Crimes Tribunal-1 chairman, Justice Mohammad Nizamul Huq, with his repetitive interventions during the cross-examination. Justice Huq adjourned the proceedings of the case until Tuesday morning in an order which cautioned Salauddin Quader for the 'last time'.

The 75-year old Dhaka University Professor Emeritus Dr Anisuzzaman had earlier told the court about the description of Nutan Chandra Singha's murder at the hands of Pakistani soldiers and Salauddin Quader himself. According to the description, Pakistani soldiers had come to speak to Nutan Chandra, founder of Kundeshwari Girls School and Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya, and were about to leave when at the signal of Salauddin Quader, they returned and dragged him out and shot him.

Anisuzzaman recounted what others had told him and said that the witnesses had said Salauddin Quader went up to the dying Nutan Chandra and shot him to death. At one point of cross-examination, the defence asked Dr Anisuzzaman, appearing as the first prosecution witness, why he, along with his family, had migrated to what was then East Pakistan from India in 1947.

The tribunal told defence counsel Fakhrul Islam that he could not ask that the question. But the six-time MP from Chittagong stood up to demand why the question could not be asked. Fakhrul Islam then asked whether the professor and his family had come to East Pakistan as refugees. The professor said the people who came to Pakistan could perhaps be commonly termed as refugees. "But we never claimed any benefits or privileges as refugees." The defence counsel then asked when Anisuzzaman had become a citizen of Pakistan to which the tribunal chairman said there are laws that explain the matter and indicated that the question need not be asked.

The BNP leader in the dock was not satisfied with the decision and stood up to make a point. He said, "I have remained quiet until now. But I have a right to cross-examine the witness, and I will"  Justice Huq said, "Not while your counsels are present." The chairman tried to explain that the counsels were conducting the cross-examination and the accused should not interfere. However, Salauddin Quader refused to keep quiet.

As the voices of both the accused and the tribunal chairman rose while words went back and forth, Justice Huq loudly said, "Mr Chowdhury!" "Mr Nizamul Huq!" replied Chowdhury in his booming voice, and continued quickly reverting to a more respectful address, "Sir, please do not show me your red eye. I request you with all respect and humility." Salauddin Quader kept repeating to the tribunal chief suggesting that the judge should not try to intimidate him. Failing to calm down the accused, Justice Huq finally decided to issue an order.

He noted in the order that the court had intervened several times to calm down both the prosecution and the defence during the cross-examination. "But the accused frequently stood up to speak in the tribunal." The order went on to note that the accused, meaning Salauddin Quader, had his own counsel and thus would not be allowed to talk in the court.

Justice Huq also stated in his order that his court had previously cautioned the accused over similar behaviour. "We caution the accused for last time." The war crimes trial against Salauddin Quader will continue in his absence if he, however, did not give up this tendency, the order said. The tribunal recently amended its rules and included a new provision allowing it to conduct a trial in the absence of an accused if that person proved to be uncontrollably unruly.

Salauddin Quader in ICT

The prosecution submitted formal charges against Salauddin Quader on Nov 14, 2011 and the tribunal took them into cognisance three days later. A former prime ministerial adviser on parliamentary affairs when BNP chief Khaleda Zia was in office, the Chittagong MP was shown arrested for war crimes charges on Dec 20, 2010, five days after his arrest.

The investigating agency submitted a 119-page report with around 8,000-page data to the chief prosecutor on Oct 3 in a bid to prove allegations of war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War. The BNP leader was indicted on Apr 4 on 23 charges of war crimes. Besides Jamaat-e-Islami executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee whose case is the most advanced and Salauddin Quader, Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed and assistant secretaries general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla have been detained on war crimes charges.

The tribunal also sent Jamaat-e-Islami's former chief Ghulam Azam to jail on Jan 11 and indicted him on five different charges on May 13. The second tribunal, set up on Mar 22, 2012, has given Abdul Alim, former BNP MP Abdul Alim and member of Ziaur Rahman's cabinet, an indefinite while his trial proceeds.

Opposition rally kicks off

The rally of the 18-party opposition alliance led by the BNP has begun in front of the party's Naya Paltan headquarters. The rally, being held instead of a procession as police did not allow it, started around 4:15pm on Monday, chaired by city BNP convener Sadeque Hossain Khoka. The programme was declared on May 9 to demand details of the whereabouts of missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali, withdrawal of 'false cases' against party leaders and release of the detained activists. The procession was scheduled to start at 4pm from Naya Paltan.

However, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police refused the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance permission to take it out. Masudur Rahman, Additional Deputy Commissioner who heads the Media and Community Service wing of the DMP, said the opposition will only be able to hold a rally in front of the BNP's Naya Paltan headquarters. He added that the decision was taken considering safety and security of the public and their property.

A large number of law enforcers have been deployed in front of the BNP office. Opposition activists started crowding the venue from noon. BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told bdnews24.com before the rally, "We are not holding the mass procession as police did not permit. Instead, we will stage a peaceful rally." Speakers at the rally are addressing the crowd from a makeshift stage built on top of a truck. Police have barred traffic on both sides of the stretch of the street between Fakirapool to Kakrail intersection

Ghulam Azam indicted for war crimes

 In a landmark decision, the first war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh indicted Jamaat-e-Islami guru Ghulam Azam for incitement, conspiracy, planning, abetment and failure to prevent crimes against humanity during the nation's War of Independence in 1971. When asked to plead, the former Jamaat chief said there were numerous charges mentioned. "It is not possible to respond to all of them in a short time. But I do not consider myself guilty of the charges."

A political science graduate of Dhaka University and also a former leader of the university's central students union, Azam pointed out to the tribunal that the list of war criminals of 1973 did not have his name on it. "I was, however, on the list of collaborators. But after pardoning principal war criminals, the government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared a general amnesty. Hence I have been already forgiven."

The former teacher of Rangpur's Carmicheal College was not allowed to continue further when his remarks took a political turn and the tribunal advised him that he would get the opportunity to make these remarks once his defence called him to the stand presumably during the witness examinations.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1, set up on Mar 25, 2010, on the 39th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence to try crimes against humanity during the bloody war, read out five kinds of charges against the former chief of Jamaat, arguably the largest Islamist organisation of the region, having deferred the indictment order twice since Apr 17. The three-judge tribunal, headed by chairman Justice Mohammad Nizamul Huq, read out charges for almost two hours dwelling upon the historical context, Ghulam Azam's history and procedural history of the case before beginning with the charges.

Justice Huq, reading out the charges, also noted the arguments of both the prosecution and Azam's defence along with the court's observations, as his court gave its third indictment order — the first being another Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee on 20 counts and BNP MP Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on 23 counts. Before beginning with the historical context, Justice Huq said the order was of 'considerable significance for the people of Bangladesh'. "It is a significant moment in the history of Bangladesh," he said before commencing on the historical development leading up to the Liberation War.

The order stated that the tribunal had prima facie case against Azam on the basis of formal charges, witness statements and other documents.  The thrust of the charges was based on Ghulam Azam's superior status, as the chief of Jamaat during 1971, and his influence over his party men.

The indictment order noted that Azam had been part of the 12-member delegation that met with Lt Gen Tikka Khan, the martial law administrator of East Pakistan, on Apr 4 of 1971 and suggested that he had thereby endorsed the heinous atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army from the very outset, since it was after the night of Mar 26 when Pakistani occupation forces had descended upon the Bangladeshi civilians across the country.

The order went on to note the numerous meetings between Ghulam Azam and central figures of the Pakistani junta of 1971 like Tikka Khan and Yahiya Khan, the then president, along with Azam's inciting speeches at meetings and rallies. The charges linked Azam with the Razakars, through his position in the central Peace Committee and Jamaat-e-Islami, something that is denied by the 89-year old man's defence.

Upon noting that Azam had pleaded 'not guilty', the tribunal directed that the trial proceed against him commencing with the opening statement and witness examination on June 5 when the defence will also have to submit its list of witnesses and other documents that it intends to rely upon.

Jamaat Guru in ICT-1

On Dec 12, 2011, the prosecution brought a 52-point charter of charges against Azam and appealed for his arrest. Later, following the tribunal order, charges were re-arranged and presented to the tribunal on Jan 5.   He was produced before the tribunal on Jan 11 and sent to jail the same day. Since that evening, Ghulam Azam has been kept at the prison cell of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for better treatment considering his delicate health.

The prosecution's numerous charges against him mainly consist of incitement, conspiracy, complicity and command responsibility for crimes against humanity.  A former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, Azam is allegedly among the key people who pioneered anti-liberation efforts in 1971 colluding with the Pakistani military junta of that time.

He is widely perceived to have been among core group of right-wing supporters of the Pakistani Army, who came out strongly in support of a united Pakistan. Ghulam Azam, then chief of Jamaat, was instrumental in setting up the infamous Peace Committee at the national level. The Razakars, an auxiliary force set up mainly to actively thwart the liberation forces, are said to have been mobilised through the Peace Committees across Bangladesh.

Among the most notorious vigilante militia are the Al Badr, whose membership is said to have been mainly dominated by the Jamaat's student wing called the Islami Chhatra Sangha at that time.  The Al Badr is alleged to have spearheaded execution of the intellectual elites of Bangladesh just days before the victory on Dec 16, 1971. Azam also spoke in favour of Pakistan to the Middle Eastern countries during the war, according to the prosecution.

He stayed in London for seven years after 1971 and returned to Bangladesh in 1978 during BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's rule. Having led Jamaat for long, Azam retired from active politics in 1999.  His party remains a key ally of the main opposition BNP. Two Jamaat leaders, also behind bars for war crimes charges, have even served as ministers during the BNP's last tenure in government between 2001 and 2006, when Azam's party was part of the ruling coalition.    

Fakhrul, others ordered to surrender

A third High Court bench that the opposition leaders had approached for anticipatory bail on Sunday ordered them to surrender in the trial court by May 16.  BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other leaders of the opposition alliance are facing charges of involvement in the torching of a bus and explosion of bombs in front of the Prime Minister's Office during the Apr 29 shutdown.

Besides the one filed over arson at Tejgaon Police Station, BNP-led 18-Party Alliance leaders were also accused in a case filed with Shahbagh Police Station for hurling crude bombs at the Secretariat. The Chief Justice constituted the third single-judge bench to settle the issue after another bench had returned a split verdict on the petitions but asked police not to 'harass' the opposition leaders for seven days.

The bench of Justice Mohammad Anwar-Ul Haque heard the petitions on Sunday afternoon. Earlier, the High Court bench of justices Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Nazrul Islam Talukder gave a split decision on the petition and the matter went to the Chief Justice's office.

Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain on May 10 formed the third bench to hear the bail petitions of the leaders.  Police last Thursday pressed charges against the accused leaders in two cases filed for violence during the countrywide general strike on Apr 29 demanding 'release' of missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali.

The Dhaka metropolitan speedy trial tribunal judge Erfan Ullah has fixed May 21 for hearing the counsels as a Detective Branch investigator had sought arrest warrants for the opposition leaders in connection with the cases. The third High Court bench will hear on Monday the petition for anticipatory bail in the Secretariat bomb blast case.  

Rafiqul slates Ashraf, Dilip for Yunus snipe

Eminent jurist Barrister Rafique-ul Huque has strongly criticised LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam for his remarks ridiculing Nobel laureate Prof Mohammad Yunus.  "What a stupid country we live in! Holding such a significant position of a major political party, he (Ashraf) has said that one has to pacify a region to get a Nobel Peace Prize," the former attorney general said at a function in the city on Saturday.

"There's no work more heinous than to dishonour a respected person," said the senior lawyer.   He was addressing a discussion organised by Muktochinta Forum, a human rights organisation, at Bangladesh Photojournalists Association auditorium on the country's recent political scenario, forced disappearances and abductions.  

Ashraf, also the general secretary of the Awami League, at a function at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday raised questions about the justification of awarding Grameen Bank founder Prof Yunus the Nobel Peace Prize.   "His [Prof Yunus] basic subject was economics. But he didn't get Nobel Prize in Economics. He got Nobel Prize in Peace without pacifying any region."

He went on to say: "Many of the people present here better know how Nobel Prize is given."  Rafiqul on Saturday also came down hard on Industries Minister Dilip Barua for sniping at Dr Yunus and BRAC Chairman Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. "I say, with due respect to him, he is worth nothing compared to Yunus."

Barua addressing a discussion organised by Bangabandhu Academy at the National Press Club on Friday came down heavily on them for their suggestion for holding the next general election under a caretaker administration.  "Come, get involved in politics if you (Yunus) want to talk on the caretaker issue," the minister had said.  

AL won't come to power for 42yrs: Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has said that the ruling Awami League will not be able to return to power in the next 42 years after the end of its term for its failure to govern the country.  The opposition leader made the remarks at a public meeting in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur district on Saturday.

This is her first public meeting since she issued a three-month ultimatum to the government from her party's Mar 12 'grand rally' in the capital to restore the caretaker government system.  Calling upon the government to meet the demand of holding the next parliamentary elections under the non-party caretaker government, Khaleda said the Awami League would bite the dust if the next polls were to be held in a free, fair and neutral manner.

"We would like to tell the government that the next polls must be held under a caretaker government. The polls under a partisan government will not be allowed," she added.  Claiming that the Awami League has been involved in 'forced disappearance and terrorism', she said, "That's why the countrymen didn't allow them to come to power for 21 years. After the end of their current term, they will keep crying for power for the next 42 years ... the people will not forgive them."

The BNP chief in her 45-minute address also spoke about the country's deteriorating law and order situation, economy meltdown, corruption, the 'forced disappearance' of BNP organising secretary M Ilias Ali and extra-judicial killings. The BNP leaders, activists and supporters of Gazipur, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj and Mymensingh districts attended the rally.

Chaired by local unit BNP President Khalilur Rahman, the rally was addressed, among others, by BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members A S M Hannan Shah, Mirza Abbas, Abdul Main Khan, Vice-President Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Joint Secretary Amanullah Aman. 

Khaleda to address Gazipur rally

 BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is scheduled to address a rally in Gazipur on Saturday afternoon.  She will leave her Gulshan home at 2:30pm for the rally at Kapasia Chala Club ground, her Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told bdnews24.com. The rally has been planned to gear up the opposition's campaign against the government.

The BNP and its 17 other allies are out to strengthen its anti-government movement amid authorities' indifference to its demand for caretaker government. The opposition alliance also wants to rally support from the common people by protesting against the disappearance of M Ilias Ali and cases against opposition leaders and activists, saying the charges are false.

After a Mar 12 rally in Dhaka, this is going to be the first rally to be addressed by Khaleda. She had given the government a deadline of June 10 to meet the demand for restoring the caretaker government system.  Khaleda had told the Mar 12 rally that fresh agitations would be announced if the demand is not met within the deadline.

The party, however, enforced five days of general strikes last month in protest against the disappearance of Ilias Ali, an organising secretary. A number of top BNP leaders have been sued in cases over violence during the strikes

False cases for polls ban: Fakhrul

The BNP's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday alleged the government was filing false lawsuits against opposition leaders to keep them from running in the general election.

"The government has no ground under its feet to stand on. They have filed false cases against the opposition leaders to conceal their own failure. Their intention is to prevent the leaders from taking part in the next election by convicting them quickly," said Fakhrul, referring to the electoral law.  He made the observation at a discussion organised by Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal at the headquarters of metropolitan BNP to demand withdrawal of the 'false' cases and 'release' of missing BNP leader Ilias Ali.

Over 70 leaders of BNP-led 18-Party Alliance were accused in two separate cases police filed for violence during the countrywide general strike on Apr 29.  Police on Thursday pressed charges against the 45 leaders accused in connection with the case over setting a vehicle ablaze in front of the Prime Minister's Office during the Apr 29 shutdown.

Bad Omen

The spokesperson said as many as 127 people had been made victim of 'forced disappearance' during the tenure of the current government.  "It is the government people who have kidnapped Ilias Ali along with his driver. They have not been traced even 23 days into their disappearance. Garment leader Aminul Islam was kidnapped in the same way too before he was killed," Fakhrul said.  He termed the situation is ominous for democracy.

Ostrich Policy

The Acting Secretary General renewed their demand for a return to the provision of a non-party caretaker government overseeing national election and claimed that it gathered support "around the world".  "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the election has to be attended by all political parties. Even India's finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that India is in favour of the people of Bangladesh, not in favour of any specific political party."

According to Fakhrul, the current Awami League-led government has failed to resolve a plethora of problems.  "They have not been able to provide solutions to the problems of the people. They are hiding their head like an ostrich wearing dark goggles. The people of the country have figured the government out."

Yunus and Nobel

Regarding Awami League general secretary's comment over former Grameen Bank managing director Mohammad Yunus, Fakhrul said, "Prof Yunus has made Bangladesh known to the world by winning the Nobel prize. His contribution to alleviate poverty has opened a new chapter across the world. And yet, the government ministers are passing humiliating remarks on him. They are making fun of him."

Local Government and Rural Development Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Thursday said, "He (Yunus) studied Economics. But he did not get the Nobel prize in economics. He won the Nobel peace prize without stopping any war."  "Many of us here know the Nobel prize is won," Ashraful added.

Criticising the statement, Fakhrul said, "We know the government has been lobbying for winning the Nobel peace prize. A lot of money has been spent. The mindset of the government is that nobody would be allowed to win the prize as the government failed to secure it."  Fakhrul addressed a joint meeting of his party following the discussion. The meeting was arranged in the run-up to the party's countrywide demonstration on May 13-14.  

Moudud asks govt for compromise

The BNP has urged the government to strike a compromise on the opposition demand for reinstating a non-party, caretaker government provision in the constitution for overseeing the general elections.

"I would tell the government to waste no more time in reaching a consensus over the question of reinstating the non-party caretaker government. Relieve the country of this anarchic state," said the party's Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed. Moudud made the call after joining a human-chain protest in front of the National Press Club on Friday morning. Diploma Engineers Association of Bangladesh organised the programme to demand withdrawal of cases filed against BNP-led 18-Party Alliance leaders.

"BNP does not harbour politics of conflict. We believe in compromise. The anarchic and violent situation prevailing in the country at the moment can end only by meeting the demand," maintained Moudud, a key policymaker . He renewed the threat of pressing on with the street movement if the Awami League-led government stuck to its decision of holding national election under a partisan administration. "The government will be forced to fulfil the demand of the mass."

Jatiyatabadi Matshajibi Dal, Jatiyatabadi Baul Dal, Jatiyatabadi Motor-Driver Dal, Zia Parishad, 'Amra Thakurgaon' district inhabitants in Dhaka, Desh Bachao Manush Bachao Andolon, and JAGPA Chhatra League also formed separate human chains voicing the same demand. The former law minister claimed that the demand for a non-party, caretaker government also gained support from people like US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and India's Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

He criticised cases against BNP leaders and activists. Police pressed charges against the accused BNP leaders on Thursday, seeking arrest warrants. Police filed two cases on Apr 29 over violence during countrywide strike to demand 'return' of missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali. "The government-patronised people have kidnapped Ilias Ali and killed journalists duo Sagar-Runi and also the Saudi diplomat. That is the reason that none of the killers has been arrested until now," Moudud said.

Profile of Bangladeshi Ministers.

AMA Muhith Born in Sylhet, Finance Minister AMA Muhith obtained his BA honours in English Literature in 1954 and MA from Dhaka University in 1955. Muhith joined Pakistan Civil Service in the following year. During his service life he studied at Oxford University during 1957-58 and at Harvard University during 1963-64. He joined the language movement at its initial stage during 1947-1948 in Sylhet. He was a member of the Central Committee for the Language Movement.   Muhith served as the general secretary of the central committee of the Pakistan Civil Service Association during 1960-1969. In 1966, he was honoured with the Tamgha e Khidmat award by the Pakistan government. He joined the Pakistan Embassy in the USA as Economic Councilor in 1969. He participated in the Liberation war. He took over as the chief of Bangladesh mission in Washington in 1971. He was appointed the first planning secretary in January 1972 and after three months he was sent to Washington to work as the economic minister. He also served as charge de affairs there for some time till joining as the Alternate executive director of the World Bank. In 1977 he returned to the country and joined as the secretary of External Resources Division. Muhith resigned from the government job in December in 1981. He joined General Ershad's cabinet in 1982, and resigned in November 1983. He then left for the USA where he stayed for years. Muhith served for the Asian Development Bank in 2000 and in 2001. The pledges Muhith made include preventing unplanned urbanisation and saving the environment of the area and taking steps to shift the Sylhet Central Jail from the city heart to another place to build up recreation park. Matia Chowdhury  Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury was born on June 30, 1942 at Pirjopur district. As a student of Eden Girls' College in Dhaka she involved herself in student politics, becoming Vice President of the Students' Union in 1963. In 1967, Matia, popularly known as 'Daughter of Fire' joined the East Pakistan Awami Party and became a member of its working committee. Between 1970 and 1971, she was an active participant in the Bangladesh's independence struggle, campaigning, lobbying, and nursing the wounded. In 1971, she became Organising Secretary of Awami League (AL). She was arrested several times during the period of late president Ziaur Rahman and former president HM Ershad. In 1996, she was elected a lawmaker and took the charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food under the Awami League government. Matia has pledged to the people of Nakla and Nalitabari to meet the demands of them with highest priority. She would build up Pichhlakuri bridge over Isamati River and permanent step to prevent wild elephants' attack in the hilly areas of Nalitabari. Abdul Latif Siddiqui Abdul Latif Siddiqui was born at Chhatihati village in Kalihati upazila in Tangail district in 1943. He was elected a lawmaker from Tangail-4 (Kalihati) constituency in December 29 Jatiya Sangsad elections. An organiser of the Liberation War of Bangladesh, Latif did his MA from Dhaka University. He was elected a member of parliament (MP) as an Awami League candidate in 1970, 1973 and 1996 elections. Latif Siddiqui pledged to people that he would work for development of handloom industry and help construct a railway station at Elenga in Tangail district. Barrister Shafique Ahmed Barrister Shafique Ahmed, who has been given the portfolio of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, was born on July 16, 1937 in Comilla district. He obtained his BA (honours) and MA in geography from Dhaka University in 1958 and 1959. He obtained LLB from the same university in 1963 and later completed LLM from King's College, London in 1967. He received his bar-at law from Lincon's Inn the same year. He taught in Dhaka University from 1969 to 1973. He also served as the principal of City Law College. He was enrolled as an advocate in the High Court in 1967 and in the Appellate Division in 1989 as a senior advocate. He was twice elected the president of Supreme Court Bar Association where he is currently holding the position. Barrister Shafique was also vice chairman of Bar Council. AK Khandaker Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khandaker completed his graduation from RPAF College in September in 1952. He served in Fighter Squadron till 1955 and became Flying Instructor. He was at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy till 1957. He served as Flight Commander at Flying Instructors' School till 1958. Later, he became Flight Commander at Jet Fighter Conversion Squadron where he served till 1960. He was Squadron Commander at PAF Academy till 1961. Afterwards, he became Squadron Commander of Jet Fighter Conversion Squadron where he served till 1965. He served as Officer Commanding of Training Wing at PAF Academy in 1966. AK Khandker was president of PAF Planning Board till 1969. Later, he was posted at Dhaka as Second-in-Command of PAF Base in 1969. He took part in the War of Liberation of Bangladesh and served as Deputy Chief of Staff of Bangladesh Liberation Forces. He represented Bangladesh Liberation Forces at the surrender ceremony of Pakistani forces in Dhaka on December 16, 1971. He was Chief of Air Staff, Bangladesh Air Force from 1972 to 1975. He served Bangladesh Biman as chairman from 1972 to 1973. He served as High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Australia and India. He was a minister of planning ministry from October 1986 to March 1990. AK Khandker has been leading the Sector Commanders' Forum as its chairman for two years which created public awareness for trial of war criminals. He pledged to local people in his constituency that he would try his best to solve the problem of river erosion in the area. Advocate Sahara Khatun Ministry of Home Affairs Advocate Sahara Khatun was born at Kurmitola in Dhaka on March 1 in 1943. Sahara is the law secretary of Awami League. She was elected a member of parliament (MP) from Dhaka-18 constituency in December 29 elections. She also participated in the sixth parliamentary elections in 1991 where she lost to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Sahara, a BA and LLB, is a lawyer by profession. She is the founding president of Bangladesh Awami Ainjibi Parishad, General Secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Samity, member of International Women Lawyers' Association and International Women's Alliance. She has also contributed in the liberation war of Bangladesh and has been involved in politics since student life. Sahara pledged to people in her constituency that he would reconstruct the roads and improve the drainage system in the area.   Syed Ashraful Islam Newly appointed Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, was born in 1952 in the Mymensingh town. Ashraful is an MA and is a businessman by profession. He was involved in politics from the student life. He became the general secretary of greater Mymensingh district Chhatra League and assistant publicity secretary of the central unit. He also worked as the acting general secretary of Awami League (AL) after the arrest of its general secretary Abdul Jalil. Now he is working as the spokesman of Awami League. He is the son of Syed Nazrul Islam, acting president of the then Mujibnagar government in 1971. Ashraful went to the United Kingdom after the killing of his father in prison along with three other national leaders in 1975. He came back to Bangladesh in 1996 and was elected lawmaker from Kishoreganj Sadar in the 7th national elections. He was elected a lawmaker in the 2001 election too. He worked as a member of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign ministry. His electoral pledges include building up developed road and rail link from Dhaka to Kishoreganj. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, minister for labour and employment and expatriates welfare and overseas employment, was born on September 29 in 1942. He completed his BSc in Civil Engineering and MSc in Traffic and Highway Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) in 1959 and 1963 respectively. He also studied at Strathclyde University in UK. He worked as consultant in different international organisation including UNDP, ILO and WFP at Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Ghana and Egypt. Khandaker Mosharraf was a visiting professor at Buet. He was president of Chamber of Industries from 1997 to 1999. Taking steps to protect river erosion by using scientific methods and taking initiative to increase educational standard are among his electoral pledges. Rezaul Karim Hira Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira was born on December 1 in 1942 in Jamalpur district. After completing his matriculation, he, also a businessman, started his career in politics. He took part in the War of Liberation and served as a joint convenor of Sangram Parishad formed by Awami League (AL) being the general secretary of Jamalpur Mohokuma AL. He also served in Jamalpur Central Cooperative Bank as its director, vice-president and president. He was also the vice president of Jamalpur district AL. Rezaul was elected as member of parliament in 1996 and 2001 elections. He served as a member of the standing committee on cultural ministry in the eighth parliament. In his electoral pledges, he said that he would implement the long-standing demand to build a bridge in Nandina Ferighat. Dilip Barua Industries Minister Dilip Barua, general secretary of Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal, was born on February 28 in 1949. He completed his BSc (honours) in Physics, MSc from the Dhaka University. He obtained MA, Diploma in Journalism and LLB from the same university. He was a leader of the East Pakistan Students Union from 1966-1970. He was a member of the Communist Party since 1969 and elected member of the Dhaka City Committee of the Party in 1972. He was the President of the Jubo Federation during 1977-1979. Dilip is one of the architects of 14-party alliance. He played a vital role in formulation of 31-point reforms of caretaker government and 23-points programmes. During his long political career, he was imprisoned in 1969 as the student leader, in 1983 as a member of the Political Bureau. He led underground life for several times due to Political reasons.   GM Quader Commerce  Golam Mohammad Quader was born on February 24 in 1948 at West Bengal in India. He completed his SSC and HCS from Rangpur Zilla School and Rangpur Karmichael College. He obtained his BSC Engineering (Mechanical) from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) in 1969. Quader, presidium member of Jatiya Party (JP), held different important posts in several important ministries and organisations including Ministry of Establishment, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, Jamuna Oil Company Ltd and Bangladesh Tobacco Company Ltd. He worked in the Ministry of Agriculture in Iraq as a mechanical engineer from 1976 to 1977. He was elected lawmaker with Jatiya Party ticket in the seventh parliamentary election and served as member of parliamentary standing committee on defence ministry. He was also elected as lawmaker in eighth parliamentary election and served as a member of standing committee on agriculture ministry. Quader, who was elected from Lalmanirhat-3, pledged to the people that he would take effective steps to resolve the monga problem in the area. He would try to start the Mogolhat Railway Station once again and reconstruct the rail line.   Col Faruk Khan Born in Dhaka on September 18 in 1951, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Col (retd) Faruk Khan was elected lawmaker for three times in a row since the 7th parliamentary elections in 1996. Col Faruk started his professional life as a commissioned officer in the then Pakistan Army. He completed his graduation from Pakistan Military Academy and masters in Defence Studies from Defence Services and Staff College in Mirpur. He also received higher education in defence related subjects from the United States. Faruk, also the industries and commerce secretary of AL, worked as a member of the parliamentary standing committees on government institutions affairs and youth and sports ministry. Elected from Gopalganj-1, he pledged to the people that he would protect Vatiapara riverbank area and construct a bridge at Kalna which would ease the road link from Dhaka to Khulna and Mongla.   Dr AFM Ruhul Haque Health and Family Planning Minister Dr AFM Ruhul Haque was elected as lawmaker from Shatkhira-3 in the December 29 elections. He was born on February 11 in 1944 in Satkhira. He passed his SSC from Nalta High School in 1959 and HSC from Notre Dame College in 1961 and then completed his MBBS from Dhaka Medical College. Ruhul Haque was elected as vice president of Dhaka Medical College Students Union in 1967-68. He also participated in Six-point Movement led by Bangabandhu in 1966 and in the mass upsurge in 1969. Ruhul Haque is the president of Swadhinata Chikitshak Parisad and senior vice president of Satkhira district unit of Awami League. He is a former director of National Orthopaedic Hospital, former chairman of Orthopaedics Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. Dr Ruhul received different domestic and international awards including Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy International Award, Bangabandhu Smrity Gold Medal 2008, Honorary Colonel, a civil recognition of the government of Bangladesh, honorary of Bangladesh Orthopaedics Society and honorary of International College of Surgeons. Elected from Shatkhira-3, Prof Ruhul pledged to the people that he would try and help give the landless people rights in land and construct the Shatkhira-Ashashuni road within six months. Dr Dipu Moni Dr Dipu Moni, the women affairs secretary of Awami League (AL), is the first woman to take the foreign affairs portfolio in Bangladesh. She studied at Dhaka Medical College (MBBS), Johns Hopkins University of Public Health (MPH), and the University of London. Dipu Moni, who was elected from Chandpur-3 constituency, pledged to the people that she would carry out development programmes in the area. She is the daughter of late MA Wadud, a close associate of Bangabandhu and Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy. She is married to advocate Tawfique Nawaz and mother of two sons and a daughter.   Nurul Islam Nahid Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid was born in Beanibazar upazila in Sylhet on July 5, 1945. He studied in Sylhet MC College and Dhaka University. Nahid was an elected president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union in 1970 and a founding president of Jubo Union in 1976. Nahid became general secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh in 1991. He joined Awami League (AL) in 1994. Nahid was elected lawmaker from sylhet-6 constituency as a candidate of AL in 1996. He served the parliamentary committee on education ministry as a chairman during the last AL government. He participated in the 55th general assembly of the United Nations as a member of Bangladesh team. Nurul Islam, who was elected from Sylhet-6 constituency, pledged to the people that he would ensure arranging gas pipeline in the area and supply of electricity in important villages. Ramesh Chandra Sen Minister for Ministry of Water Resources Ramesh Chandra Sen was born at Ruhia village in Sadar upazila in Thakurgaon district on April 30 in 1940. He obtained his graduation from Dinajpur Surandranath College in 1963. He had been serving as an honorary teacher of Ruhia High School since 1970. Ramesh got involved with politics of Awami League (AL) since his student life. He was elected Vice-President of Thakurgaon District Awami League in 1979. He became president of District Awami League in 2003. In December 29 parliamentary elections, he was elected a member of parliament (MP) from Thakurgaon-1 constituency. In his electoral pledges, he said to people that he would work for overall development of the area. He also promised to solve problems of educational institutions in the area. Dr Afsarul Amin Dr Afsarul Amin, a physician and a businessman, was born on January 1, 1952 at Pahartali in Chittagong. Son of late Dr Fazlul Amin and Hazera Khatun, Afsarul obtained his MBBS degree from Chittagong Medical College in 1979. He got involved in student politics of Bangladesh Chhatra League since his student life and became its president. Being imbued with the noble cause of independence, Afsarul also participated in the liberation war in 1971. He was the vice-president of South Kattoli Ward unit of Awami League for long until he became the relief and social welfare secretary of Chittagong city unit AL in 1992. Afsarul was elected organising secretary of Chittagong city AL unit in 1997 and joint secretary in its last convocation on June 27, 2006. Elected from Chittagong-9, the minister pledged to fulfil his election commitments. Enamul Haq Mostafa Shahid Minister for Ministry of Social Welfare Enamul Haq Mostafa Shahid yesterday urged the officials of his ministry to work together for changing the fate of deprived people in society. He said this while addressing the officials of his ministry and different departments. He further said that his ministry would work for betterment of the distressed, helpless, orphans, disabled and vagrants. He also advised the officials to work sincerely for welfare of disadvantaged people. Abdul Latif Biswas Minister for Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Abdul Latif Biswas was born in Belkuchi upazila in Sirajganj district. After passing the Dakhil examination, he was admitted to Belkuchi Degree College where he obtained his graduation degree in 1986. He entered into politics during his student life and joined Bangladesh Chhatra League. Biswas, also a businessman, was elected chairman of Dowlatpur Union Parishad twice in 1983 and 1988. In 1988, he contested and won from jail.  He was elected a member of parliament (MP) in 1986 with Awami League ticket. In December 29 parliamentary elections, he was re-elected a lawmaker from Sirajganj-5 constituency. In his electoral pledges, he said that he would strive hard to rejuvenate sick handloom industry and protect the area from erosion by the Jamuna. Dr Abdur Razzak Born in 1950 in Tangail, Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzak has been involved in politics since his student life. He completed his graduation from Bangladesh Agricultural University in 1971 and did his PhD from Purdue University in the USA in 1983. A former director of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council, Dr Razzak took part in anti-Ayub movement, six-point movement and 11-point mass movement. He was also jailed for his involvement in such movements. Dr Razzak, a freedom fighter, was a company commander during the Liberation War. He was the first person to hoist the national flag in Tangail in independent Bangladesh. He was the secretary general of Bangladesh Agronomist Institution in 1996-97. He was also elected a member of parliament from Tangail-1 constituency in the eighth national parliamentary election. In his electoral pledges this year, he said that he would take steps to establish Dhanbari as a full-fledged upazila, bring gas pipeline to the area and meet the demands of indigenous people. Dipankar TalukderState Minister for CHT Affairs Dipankar Talukder was born on December 12, 1952 at Rangamati Sadar upazila. Dipankar completed his matriculation from Bandarban Govt High School in 1968 and HSC from Dhaka College in 1971. He did his honours degree in English from Dhaka University in 1975. The minister, also president of Rangamati district unit Awami League, joined the party in 1973 and was made foreign affairs secretary of the central committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League. He also served as the secretary of Rangamati district AL from 1986 to 1989. He was made the district unit president in 1990. Dipankar was elected as a member of parliament for three times in 1991, 1996 and 2008. Implementation of the CHT Peace Treaty, ensuring gas supply and turning the Rangamati Govt College into a university are among his electoral pledges. Yafes Osman  State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Yafes Osman was born in Chittagong on May 1 in 1946. Son of prominent poet Shawkat Osman, he passed the Secondary School Certificate examination from Chittagong Muslim High School in 1963. He did his graduation in Architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. He was elected the Vice President of the Engineering University Central Students' Union in 1970. He got involved in politics as a member of Bangladesh Chhatra Union. Later, he joined Awami League and became its Science and Technology Secretary. The state minister is a freedom fighter who fought the liberation war of Bangladesh in Sector No-2 in 1971. Ahad Ali Sarker State Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarker was born in 1951 in Natore. A valiant freedom fighter Ahad defeated former deputy minister Ruhul Kuddus Talukdar Dulu's wife Sabina Yasmin. Ahad, who survived the August 21 grenade attacks on Awami League, got involved in politics from his student life. He was the president of Natore Nawab Siraj-ud-Doula Govt College unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League. After the August 15 tragedy in 1975, Ahad was arrested while he was reorganising party workers during the martial law of Ziaur Rahman. He suffered detention during the martial law of HM Ershad. He was elected twice as Natore Sadar upazila parishad chairman in 1985 and 1990. In the last parliamentary elections, he lost to Dulu by a nominal margin of votes. Supply of gas in the region was the first priority among his election pledges. He also pledged to try to implement the Narad and Halda canal project, among others. Begum Munnujan SufianState Minister for Ministry of Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian started her political career in 1968 as president of Khulna Girls' College unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League. Graduated from Khulna Girls' College in 1969, Begum Munnujan is wife of Prof Abu Sufian, a prominent labour leader and freedom fighter who was later gunned down by assailants near Minakkhi Cinema Hall at Daulatpur in Khulna city. Also a freedom fighter and pioneer of democratic movements, she entered into labour politics a few months after tragic death of her husband. Munnujan Sufian who heads a number of labour organisations in her constituency became a member of Awami League central working committee in 1996. She was elected a member of parliament (MP) from Khulna-3 constituency in 1996 from reserved seats for women. In her electoral pledges, she said she would try to reopen closed jute mills and reinstate sacked workers. She also said she would take step for supply of gas to Khulna through pipelines. Dr Hasan MahmudState Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Hasan Mahmud was born on June 5, 1963 at Rangunia upazila in Chittagong. He completed his BSc Honours and Masters in Chemistry from Chittagong University (CU) in 1987 and 1989 respectively. The minister obtained his higher degree on international politics from Geneva in 1996. He did another post-graduation in Environmental Science from Breeze University of Brussels in Belgium in the same year. Dr Hasan obtained his PhD degree in Environmental Chemistry from Limburg University in the years of 2000-2001. He has been doing politics since his student life. He was the senior vice-president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) unit at CU in 1986 and president in 1989-90. Dr Hasan performed as the general secretary of Belgium chapter of Awami League (AL) since 1995 until he returned home in 2001. He had been the assistant personal secretary (APS) to AL chief Sheikh Hasina since November 2001. At the same time, he was also the central secretary for forest and environment affairs of the party.Dr Hasan, who ran in the general elections from Chittagong-6 constituency, pledged to take initiative to rebuild Mariamnagar embankment to save all the unions from the Karnaphuli erosion. He also said that he would try to make Rangunia free of terrorists and would build road and other infrastructures. Mostafizur Rahman FizarState Minister for Environment Mostafizur Rahman Fizar was born at Phulbari upazila in Dinajpur on November 29 in 1953. He obtained his LLM degree from Rajshahi University. He was elected member of parliament five times since 1986. In the seventh parliament, he served as the chairman of the standing committee on disaster management and relief ministry. He also served as members of the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts and on communication ministry. Fizar who was elected from Dinajpur-5 constituency on Awami League ticket on the December 29 elections pledged that he would ensure supply of agricultural apparatus with a lesser price and diesel, fertiliser and pesticides in fair price. He also pledged to take initiative to construct roads, bridges and culverts in the area on priority basis. Captain (retd) ABM Tajul IslamState minister for liberation war affairs ministry, Captain (retd) ABM Tajul Islam was born in Brahimbaria district on May 5, 1951. He studied Economics at Dhaka University. He took part in the War of Liberation and joined Bangladesh Army. During the war, he fought in Sector-3. He was arrested after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and was forced to go premature retirement in 1976. Tajul was elected president of Banchharampur Upazila Awami League (AL) in 1984. He was elected as the first secretary of Liberation War affairs of AL. He was elected as a member of parliament from Brahimbaria-6 constituency in 1996 elections. Tajul Islam pledged to the people that he would work together with people of every stakes and take steps to prevent river erosion.