Turag inherited!

Every piece of papers of the land is "original" and the buyer need not worry or face any problems at all, assures Hazrat Mukhter. There are reasons to trust in him as he works as the assistant of a lawyer. He knows the business."Only if the government extends boundary of the river, then they will acquire the land. Otherwise everything is clean," he says.Hazrat Mukhter was born and brought up in Kamarpara village by the now-reduced Turag. He has many memories about the river."Turag was much deeper and wider when I was a schoolboy. I did not dare to take bath in the river," recollects a nostalgic Mukhter when asked how he saw the river in his childhood."Now that the Turag has been indiscriminately encroached, it is no longer a mighty river," he continues.He claims that he has not encroached on the river, but his phone number is available on a signboard erected on the riverbank at Kamarpara bridge point.The floodplain of the river is the spot where Mukhter has erected the signboard. The place remains under water seven to nine months a year."I have inherited some pieces of land from my father and bought some more. Now I am selling some of those," he adds.He demands Tk 4 lakh for each katha of land and wishes to sell around 20 katha there.As the city is expanding northwards, the price of land started to shoot up especially since the Dhaka protection embankment was built in the early 90s. Soon some influential quarters from the capital invested huge amount on land and started grabbing the river with the help of the local people.On the land to be sold by Mukhter there was another signboard just a week ago that read, "The land is booked by Iman Ali and associates".Contacted over phone, Iman Ali's brother said they were going to buy the land and gave some money to Mukhter in advance."We later decided not to buy the land and removed the signboard," he added.Around 74 decimals of land was developed a couple of years ago beside the land of Uttara University near Kamarpara and Dhaur. A serving brigadier is the owner of the land just beside the Turag.Contacted, the military official said he did not fill up the river; rather he filled up his land six feet away from the river area."The river is really very narrow out there," the said asking not to be identified."I brought engineers from the Water Development Board to measure boundaries of the river and my land so that I don't fill up the river," he added."The land I have bought is absolutely private and legal," he said adding recently he got permission from the government to make a road to connect his land with the Dhaka bypass.The brigadier went on to say he bought soil from the government to fill up his land as the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) dredged the river.But he could not say the width of the river in the official papers and in reality beside his land.The brigadier has a plan to do some charity work on that land once he goes on retirement. Asked about the Wetland and Open Space Preservation Act, 2000, he said he is not aware of the law.

JS secretariat paid fuel bill for Tarique

The Parliament Secretariat paid for the fuel of a government vehicle used in BNP's former senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman's political tours, a parliamentary sub-committee revealed yesterday. Tarique was never a member of parliament and thus entitled to nothing from the secretariat.The body probing alleged corruption that took place in the Parliament Secretariat during the last seven years also found evidence of irregularities and corruption of former chief whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain. The body says that the chief whip took unusual amount of office entertainment allowance and forced the secretariat to clear electricity bills of the flat building where he along with some tenants live.In June 2006, the then senior joint secretary general of BNP Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, visited Mohadebpur of Naogaon, parliamentary constituency of former deputy speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui. A government vehicle meant for the former deputy speaker was used during Tarique's tour and the Parliament Secretariat paid for the 530 litres of fuel, chief of the sub-committee Shajahan Khan told reporters showing documents on the payment of the bill. The office of former deputy speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui received the payment. "This is just an example. Many such anomalies will be found if we can examine all documents on fuel allowances of the last seven years," Shajahan, also a ruling Awami League lawmaker, said after the sub-committee meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban."But it might not be possible for us to examine the large number of documents within the short time," he said, adding that the sub-committee was asked to submit its report to the all-party parliamentary probe body on May 31. The sub-committee will sit twice to finalise the probe report. Asked whether Tarique, who resigned from BNP during the tenure of the last caretaker government, was entitled to such government facilities, Shajahan said he was a nobody to the parliament and the government. "But documents show that the secretariat paid for the fuel for his tour in Naogaon," he said. They show that 100 litres of fuel was used each day of his tour, the sub-committee chief said. Allegation of using government facilities during Tarique's nationwide tour to revitalise the then ruling BNP was also raised.A member of the sub-committee said they have evidence that the former chief whip Delwar's office drew food allowances for 122 people every day for four months at the fag end of the last parliament.Interestingly, the former chief whip in a statement said he did not attend office during that period, the sub-committee member said.According to documents, the former chief whip's office drew the money for rice, vegetables, fish, meat, drinking water, and soft drinks to feed 122 people every day from July to October 2006. "It is really surprising. We are concentrating on finding out how much entertainment allowance the chief whip's office took in those four months," the sub-committee member said. Another member of the sub-committee said the former chief whip submitted electricity bills of the tenants of his flat building to the Parliament Secretariat for payment. Delwar is already accused of taking illegal medical bills and additional fuel allowance. He is also accused of embezzling furniture, a television set, and two refrigerators, which the Parliament Secretariat, at a cost of Tk 20 lakh, gave him for use. The former chief whip did not return those on expiry of the last parliament's tenure. He, however, in a letter told the then speaker Jamiruddin Sircar that the furniture and other items were either lost or damaged. He sought immunity from the liabilities. The former speaker acquitted him but said the law would take its own course if questions were raised in future in this regard. At yesterday's meeting the sub-committee, formed by the all-party parliamentary probe body, also discussed alleged anomalies in allocating residences to officials of Parliament Secretariat during the previous parliament's tenure.

HC asks govt to stop river encroachment

The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the government to take appropriate steps to stop encroachment, earth-filling, and construction of illegal structures on the Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Shitalakkhya rivers. After hearing a writ petition, an HC bench of Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice Md Mamtazuddin Ahmed issued the ad-interim order and a ruling upon the government to explain within one week why it should not be directed to take initiatives to remove all illegal structures built on the earth-filled encroached upon sections of the rivers and on their banks.A section of the ruling also asked the deputy commissioners (DC) of Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur, the chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and the director general of the Directorate of Land Records and Survey to explain why they should not be directed to determine the original spans of the rivers by conducting surveys after forming a special committee.The bench fixed June 1 for a hearing on the ruling, and the direction will continue to have its effect till the hearing.Secretaries to the ministries of planning, environment and forest, finance, land, LGRD, shipping, water resources, and communications, the chairman of BIWTA, the director general of the Directorate of Land Records and Survey, the director general of the Department of Environment, DCs of Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur, and the police commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have been made respondents to the entire ruling.Five Supreme Court lawyers -- Asaduzzaman Siddiqui, Sarwar Ahad Chowdhury, Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan, Tapan Kanti Das, and Mamun Aleem -- on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) jointly filed the writ petition earlier in the day as a public interest lawsuit.The petition sought a court order for the government to demarcate the original territories of the rivers Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Shitalakkhya through a survey by a special team, to restore the rivers to their original conditions, and their protection.The petition also prayed to the court to direct the authorities to take immediate steps to stop encroachment, earth-filling, and construction of illegal structures on the rivers.It said the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakkhya rivers are the main source of water for millions of people residing in Dhaka and Narayanganj. Moreover, the rivers are playing a key role in the transport sector as well as in maintaining bio-diversity. But encroachment, earth-filling, and setting up of illegal structures continue on the rivers in violation of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, leaving negative impacts on the environment, the petition said. Petitioners' counsel Advocate Manzil Murshid told the court that the normal flow of water in the rivers has been damaged due to earth-filling of the rivers and construction of illegal structures on encroached upon portions of them.He said the main source of water for Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) is the Buriganga and Shitalkkhya rivers, and due to wholesale pollution of the river water, purification of water has been seriously hampered.As a result the quality of water supplied to Dhaka city and its adjacent areas has become degraded, endangering thousands of people's health, he added.Deputy Attorney General Mostafa Zaman Islam represented the government.

Third notice to Khaleda to vacate house

The government yesterday served yet another notice with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to vacate her cantonment residence by June 30. In the notice, third of its kind, the Military Lands Administrator asked the former prime minister to hand over possession of the house to the Military Estate Officer of Dhaka Cantonment.Meanwhile, the High Court (HC) is scheduled to hear today Khaleda's a writ petition challenging the legality of the government's earlier two notices. Yesterday's notice reads, "Since you [Khaleda] have not made any reply to the show-cause notice and have refrained from citing any reasons and have not turned its down, we assume the statement is proper and right. In this situation, you have no legal rights to occupy the house No-6 on Mainul Hossain Road at Dhaka Cantonment.”Besides, it says, deed of the so-called lease on the house is void ab initio, which means “invalid from the outset”. It gives her no title to the residence.Additional Attorney General M Enayetur Rahim yesterday told The Daily Star that the government has gone by the law and the constitution to issue the latest notice asking the BNP chief to cede possession of the house by June 30.Mentioning that she did not reply to the show-cause notice served on May 7, and nor she turned that down, he said, “It's now obvious that she has no legal right to continue in the house anymore.” The third notice is based on the show-cause notice, he continued.Hearing on Khaleda's petition challenging the government's earlier notices will be held today. In the interim, technically there is no restriction on the administration to issue her with notice to hand over the house. The first notice, served on April 20, asked the BNP chairperson to leave the house within 15 days. The second, a show-cause notice, asked her to explain why she should not be directed to return the estate within 15 days since receipt.On May 18, an HC bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury adjourned the hearing on the writ petition till today, and directed the government not to force her to leave the house during this period [until May 25].The court ruled that Khaleda, also leader of the opposition in parliament, may submit a supplementary petition in case of any developments before the hearing date. It however told the attorney general that after May 22 the government may take any lawful step with regard to the second notice.So far, three HC judges had felt embarrassed to hear the petition, while one declined saying he was not qualified to hear it.

15 injured as BNP men clash with cops

At least 15 people, including three policemen, were injured in a clash between BNP activists and police in the city's Kotwali yesterday.Witnesses said the clash erupted when the leaders and activists of the main opposition were marching towards Dhaka Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office to submit a memorandum as part of the party's countrywide programme.As police obstructed the BNP procession at Tantibazar crossing, the BNP activists hurled stones and brickbats at police, leaving three policemen injured.Witnesses said police also charged batons on the BNP procession and chased the opposition activists. Later, sporadic clashes took place between the BNP activists and police in and around the area.Among others injured in the clash were assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Aminur Rahman, 11 BNP men and an ETV cameraman.BNP has been submitting memorandums in every district and upazila headquarters protesting terrorism and partisanship in educational institutions.The leaders and workers of BNP and its associate bodies earlier gathered near Nawab Yousuf Market in Nayabazar and started to proceed towards the DC's office at about 11:45am.Later, a BNP delegation led by Dhaka district BNP president barrister Nazmul Huda and general secretary Amanullah Aman handed over the memorandum to Dhaka DC Zillar Rahman at about 12:30pm.BNP Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed condemned the police action on their peaceful programme. "We are observing the programme in protest against terrorism, extortion and partisanship in educational institutions across the country.”“We condemn such 'shameful' action of the government,” he said.Police Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman Patwary however said that about 10 persons including three police personnel were injured in the clash. Meanwhile, BNP and its associate organisations submitted memorandums to DC offices across the country peacefully.

'Criminal' killed in shootout

An alleged criminal was killed in 'crossfire' during a shootout between Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and his cohorts at Savar early yesterday.Rab members recovered a pistol and several other arms from the spot.The deceased was identified as Rafiqul Islam Azad alias Sumon, 25, son of Abul Kalam Azad of Darus Salam in the capital. Rafiq was accused in a murder case in connection with the killings of Sub-inspector (SI) Matiur and two Rab members at Amin Bazar of Savar, Rab sources said.Major Mohammad Sarwar of Rab-4 said Sumon was a member of Gangchil Bahini in Savar area.As Rab members in plain clothes chased the gang of four to five robbers during a robbery at the NR Filling Station on Savar Road at around 2:30am, the robbers opened fire on law enforcers prompting them to retaliate. After the gunfight Sumon's bullet-ridden body was found lying on the spot while his cohorts managed to escape the scene, Maj Sarwar said adding that he was taken to Savar Health Complex where on duty doctors declared him dead.He added they had information on May 23 that the criminals of Gangchil Bahini would rob the filling station and accordingly they stepped up the patrol there.However, Ramesh Chandra Ghosh, owner of the NR Filling Station, said he heard gunshots in the area but no incidents of robbery or shooting took place at his refuelling station Saturday night.Family sources of the deceased and locals said Rab arrested Sumon from his residence Saturday evening and they found his body early yesterday.He was freed on bail few months back in the Rab members killing case, family sources said adding that most of his family members live in Australia and he was a shrimp trader in Satkhira.

Tigers fly in England safe and sound

The Bangladesh contingent has landed in England to start their World Twenty20 mission and it has been a pleasant arrival. The Tigers are the first among the top 10 teams to kick off their preparation for the tournament on English soil. The West Indies are of course currently on tour in England and are involved in the ODI series against the hosts which followed the Tests but Bangladesh's purpose of coming in nine days before the launching of the tournament proper is solely T20 preparation oriented.

The journey from Dhaka took 16 hours including a two and a half hours' transit in Dubai. On the way aircraft crew and fellow passengers flooded the team with good wishes. There were no delays or other hassles and the arrival formalities at the Heathrow were over in a flash. It actually took more time for the squad to sign autographs from the immigration officers than the process itself. Allama Siddiki, Acting High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the UK, High Commission staff and about 20 representatives of the formidable Bangladeshi community here welcomed the team at the Heathrow. In the absence of captain Mohammad Ashraful and his deputy Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who left Dhaka on Sunday, the focus was on world's number one ranked all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan who was interviewed by local Bangladeshi channels Bangla TV and Channel S.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak also responded to queries regarding his remodelled action and how he plans to redeem himself in England.

It was just past 8pm local time (2:00am Bangladesh Standard Time) when the team arrived London but there was daylight still. The weather has been around a refreshing 20 degrees lately and the sunsets around 9pm. With England being six hours behind Bangladesh time the Tigers have a bit of adjusting to do over the next couple of days.

There is a very definite feel-good factor about England in the team.

"This is a lovely country. Look at all the green around and everything is so neat. Even the sheep on the valleys look unreal, as if this was a postcard,” said left-arm pacer Syed Rasel, who has played club cricket in Croydon and has toured twice with the A Team. “Playing cricket here is also a pleasure and things are very orderly,” added Rasel.

“I remember that we were the first team to land in the West Indies for the 2007 World Cup and it is the same here. I like the look of the team. It is now the responsibility of the guys who had been in that World Cup to spread the vibe and revive the spirit that saw us beat India and South Africa. We have India here too and it would be so good to repeat the Trinidad performance,” said Shakib.

The team hotel, the Oxford Belfry is a Tudor style mansion set in the countryside of Oxfordshire and took about 45 minutes to reach from the airport. It is just beside the M40 motorway and is located far from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The Tigers will play two practice games against New Zealand on May 26 and Scotland on May 29at the Wormsley Cricket Ground.

In-between, Bangladesh travel to neighboring Kent on May 28 for a match with the Netherlands. These three games are outside the official practice-match schedule for the tournament and have been mutually arranged by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and England Cricket Board.