Khaleda's counsels initiated a fresh petition day before the hearing to show 'lack of confidence' in judges of 5th amendment verdict

Khaleda Zia's counsels killed nearly 90 minutes by insisting on making submissions on a contempt petition first to the Appellate Division, after an attempt to get a leave-to-appeal petition dropped from the cause list.
Wishing anonymity, a counsel for the BNP chairperson told The Daily Star about the plan yesterday. The lawyer said Khaleda's counsels made a move on November 28, the day before the court hearing, to get the leave-to-appeal petition dropped from the cause list.
Khaleda's lawyers pressed the apex court bench on November 29 to hold a hearing on the contempt petition first fearing that the leave-to-appeal petition, which was on top of the cause list, might get dismissed right away.
The petition challenged the High Court verdict that declared valid the government notice on Khaleda to leave the disputed cantonment house and sought to stay the HC judgment.
Khaleda, through her lawyers, moved to file a petition on November 28 to get the leave-to-appeal petition dropped from the cause list on grounds that she would not get justice from the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque.
In the fresh petition, Khaleda indirectly expressed no confidence in the apex court judges, who in their judgment on the fifth amendment had observed that former president Ziaur Rahman took power illegally.
CJ Khairul handed down a judgment on the fifth amendment to the constitution at the High Court while the other two judges -- Md Muzammel Hossain and Surendra Kumar Sinha -- gave a verdict on the matter at the Supreme Court in February.
Khaleda's counsels filed the petition with the SC section concerned but could not complete the formalities on November 28 to take the matter to the court the following day.
They planned to place the petition before the bench if they could get permission to make submissions on the contempt petition first. But they did not get scope for it during the 90-minute debate with the bench on November 29.
Barrister Rafique-ul Huq told The Daily Star last evening that he stood for a while in the courtroom on that day to tell the chief justice that an application was ready to be placed to get the leave-to-appeal petition dropped from the list but he was not personally interested to move such an application.
Khaleda's other lawyers said the fear of dismissal of the leave-to-appeal petition was behind their opting for the hearing on the contempt petition first. Besides, it could also give them the chance to understand the mindset of the apex court judges.
If they could sense that the court order on the contempt petition would go against them, they would express unwillingness to make submissions on the leave-to-appeal petition, said one of Khaleda's lawyers requesting anonymity.
BNP chairperson's counsel Moudud Ahmed on November 29 tried to submit the application to the apex court through Rafique-ul Huq to get the leave-to-appeal petition dropped from the cause list fearing that the BNP chairperson would not get justice from the judges.
But the court did not allow Rafique-ul Huq to submit the application and passed the order, said Khaleda's another counsel.
Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon, another counsel for Khaleda, said the chief justice might have known the contents of the application somehow.
Rafique-ul Huq yesterday morning told reporters that they did not file any application expressing no confidence in the apex court.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told journalists in the morning that neither Advocate TH Khan nor Rafique-ul Huq submitted such petition. But Moudud Ahmed's chamber took the move to file such a petition on behalf of Khaleda with the section concerned of the apex court.
But the petition could not be officially treated as a petition since Moudud's chamber did not take permission from the SC for its filing or its being listed for hearing.
As per SC rules, the petitioner has to take its (SC) permission to file any petition and to move it.
Moudud Ahmed, at a press conference at the north hall of the Supreme Court Bar Association yesterday, said they submitted the petition to the SC Registrar's Office seeking the Appellate Division's order to drop the leave to appeal petition filed by Khaleda Zia on November 8.
“But the chief justice on that day [November 29] said they will not hear the petition, and therefore we were deprived of placing the petition,” Moudud said.
The SC's dismissal of the leave to appeal petition without hearing it is an unprecedented event, he said.
Moudud also said the judges of the Appellate Division themselves should have refrained from hearing the case as per the tradition, principle and norms of this court.
The BNP chairperson did not express "no confidence" in the apex court, but sought to drop the leave-to-appeal petition from the cause list.
In the petition, Khaleda said she genuinely and seriously apprehends that she may not get "justice" if the matter is heard by the judges of the apex court.
The Appellate Division bench dealt with the case concerning Khaleda's previous cantonment residence.
The petition said, "She (Khaleda) has the fullest trust and faith in the independence of judiciary and in the authority and supremacy of the Supreme Court, and holds the highest regard and respect for the Hon'ble judges."
It went on, "She believes that as the wife of the late president Ziaur Rahman for whose invaluable services for the people and the nation the aforesaid property (cantonment residence) was leased to her.
"And now their lordships (SC judges) having declared that President Ziaur Rahman was an illegal occupier of the office of the president, it has caused a conflict of interest on the part of the judges in adjudicating the leave to appeal petition pending before this Hon'ble court."
The attorney general said Moudud Ahmed's statement is ridiculous since he (Moudud) himself, when he was a Jatiya Party leader, had said they would once evict Khaleda Zia from the cantonment residence.

Contempt of Court

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the contempt of court petition against the government filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia over her previous Dhaka Cantonment house, since the petition was not placed before it for hearing.
A three-member bench of the SC Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque passed the order after hearing the submission from Aftab Hossain, advocate- on- record for Khaleda.
Aftab told the apex court that he received no instruction from senior lawyers for the petitioner to place the petition for hearing.
Other counsels for Khaleda were not present in the court.
Later, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told journalists at his office that no case relating to the residence at Shahid Mainul Road in Dhaka cantonment is pending with the SC.
The government can now use the property as it wishes, he said.
Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, one of the counsels for Khaleda, told The Daily Star that they did not move the contempt petition as the apex court already dismissed on Monday three other petitions filed by her (Khaleda) against an HC verdict that had upheld a government notice asking her to vacate the cantonment house.
On November 23, Khaleda filed the contempt petition against eight high officials of the government and the Cantonment Board for "evicting" her from the house on November 13 although an appeal was pending with the apex court.

10-truck Arms Case

A Chittagong court yesterday granted five days' remand for former director general of National Security Intelligence (NSI) Brigadier General (retd) Abdur Rahim in connection with the 10-truck arms haul case.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Paresh Chandra Sharma passed the order after Criminal Investigation Department (CID) produced him before the court with a 10-day remand.
In the petition, Senior ASP of CID Mohammad Moniruzzaman, also the investigation officer (IO), said Abdur Rahim needs to be remanded for more information and verification of the information he provided earlier.
With this, the former NSI chief has been remanded thrice.
On April 2, 2004, police seized 10 trucks of weapons and ammunition from the Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) jetty in Chittagong, the biggest ever arms haul of the country.

BDR sepoy jailed, also loses service benefits for contempt

A BDR special court yesterday for the first time sentenced an accused mutineer to six months in prison and dismissed him from his services on charges of contempt of court.
The Special Court-7 brought contempt charges against sepoy Abdul Baset of 24 Rifle Battalion of Pilkhana after he made some arrogant remarks during yesterday's proceedings.
“This supreme power [court] will not exist. Allah will do the justice,” said Abdul as the court resumed the trial proceedings of 667 accused mutineers of the battalion at the Darbar Hall of Pilkhana.
He did not seek the court's permission before making the statements.
The punishment for the contempt of court also included cancellation of Baset's all benefits including 50 percent of his salary and ration facilities that he had been enjoying since mutiny charges were framed against him.
The punishment came into effect from yesterday.
Following Baset's remarks, BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Rafiqul Islam who was heading the court asked the security guards if the sepoy was chained up.
Reacting to the question, Baset said, “I have already been shackled. How many more times will you fetter me?"
The court then ordered to keep Baset away from other accused and adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes at 11:45pm.
Just before adjourning the proceedings for yesterday, the court said Baset damaged the sanctity of the court and handed down the sentence as per section 10(b)(1)(w) of the Bangladesh Rifles Order, 1972 and section 228 of the penal code.
Prosecutor of the mutiny case Lt Col Shamsur Rahman said BDR laws allow the court to make such a judgment for contempt of court.
He also said though Baset has been jailed, he will be produced before the court.
BDR sources said such punishment has been given for the first time since the trial of cases for mutiny began on November 24 last year.
The sources, however, said different special courts so far handed down verdicts in eight mutiny cases in which 273 jawans were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment and 11 others acquitted.
The Special Court-7 yesterday also held cross-examination of three witnesses by 43 accused of 24 Rifle Battalion at the Pilkhana headquarters.
Lance Nayek Abdur Rahman, one of the witnesses, in his deposition described the jawans as barbarian beasts and wild animals. His remark infuriated the accused.
Later the prosecutor at a press briefing backed the remark saying, “They [BDR men] killed army officials and threw the bodies into drains. How do you [people] describe their atrocity?”
The court was adjourned until 9:00am today.

Reads copy of the order

Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia's counsel TH Khan's role was contradictory as he prayed to the Supreme Court to adjourn hearing on her leave to appeal petition on health ground but insisted on hearing her contempt of court petition in the cantonment house case.
The apex court in its order said TH Khan sought adjournment of hearing the leave to appeal petition on health ground but curiously was not only ready but insisted on hearing the contempt matter.
The copy of the SC order, which was made on November 29 by a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque, was released yesterday.
The bench observed that the court had no other alternative but to dismiss the leave to appeal petition as it was not placed.
The court said it requested TH Khan time and again since 9:30am to begin his submission on the leave to appeal petition, but he refused to place the matter before it.
"We brought to his notice that the proceedings of the highest court of the country are stuck up for the last 90 minutes and for such a long time the court could not resume its judicial work," it said.
"We also assured him again and again that we shall hear all the matters one after another and also hear his colleagues but to no avail.
"At this stage, he said that he needs further instructions, but failed to explain why he cannot place the Civil Petition [leave to appeal petition] for consideration, while he was ready to argue the contempt matter, which allegedly arose subsequently out of the said very Civil Petition. On the face of it, his prayers are contradictory.
"It may be recalled that he was ready for hearing on November 10 and it was fixed on that date for hearing today [November 29]," the order said.
The bench said in view of the above facts and circumstances, the judges are satisfied that TH Khan was not at all interested to move the leave to appeal petition.
"As such this Civil Petition for Leave to Appeal is dismissed as not being pressed. The connected application for mandatory injunction/status quo would follow the result of the Civil Petition. It is accordingly rejected," it ruled.

Hartal, Agitation

“It [the absence] must not be repeated. I will consider this during nominations in future elections,” sources quoted Khaleda as warning the party leaders.
She made the comment at a close door meeting of the National Standing Committee, party's highest policy making forum, at her Gulshan office.
Following the standing committee meet, she also held a meeting with the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and Khelafat Majlish, another BNP ally.
Jamaat Acting Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam, its Dhaka city unit chief Hamidur Rahman Azad, Khelafat Majlish chief Mohammad Ishaq and Secretary General Ahmed Abdul Kader represented the allies.
The main opposition, however, did not brief reporters about any of the meeting although they waited for a long time to cover the standing committee meeting.
Meeting sources said the standing committee finalised its next course of actions against the Awami League-led government, which might be announced at today's demonstration at Muktangon in the capital.
As per the decision, the party will hold rallies and processions in upazilas on December 5, in districts on December 7 and in all divisional headquarters on December 9.
Before the meeting started around 8:30pm, several hundred supporters of Nazmul Huda, the recently expelled party leader, staged a demonstration and formed a human chain demanding withdrawal of his expulsion.
On November 25, Huda, a two-time member of Khaleda's cabinet, appealed to reconsider the decision.
BNP standing committee on November 21 expelled him from the party for his “anti-organisational activities”. Huda, however, blamed pro-BNP lawyers who come from Noakhali including Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed for the expulsion.

Trial of money laundering case begins Jan 4

A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against former prime minister Khaleda Zia's younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and a former BNP minister's son in absentia in a money laundering case.
The other accused is Ismail Hossain Saimon, son of former shipping minister late Akbar Hossain.
The same court on October 31 issued arrest warrant against Koko and Saimon in connection with the case. As per the law the accused were supposed to be present in the court at the time of hearing on the charge framing and during the trial proceedings.
Judge Mozammel Hossain of the Special Judge's Court-3 fixed January 4, 2011 to start trial of this case through deposition of 23 witnesses.
The court also framed charges against the duo in their absence, as Koko and Saimon did not appear before the court or were not produced by the police.
Koko, who was arrested on September 2, 2007 on graft charges and paroled for treatment abroad in July the next year, is now in Bangkok though his parole is not in effect.
Saimon has been on the run since the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the money laundering case against him and Koko on March 17 last year.
In the case statement, the anti-graft body said the accused had laundered money they received from China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd and Siemens for helping them win government contracts.
China Harbour got a Tk 351 crore contract to set up New Mooring Container Terminal and Siemens a Tk 239 crore contract to supply and install equipment for Teletalk, the state-owned cellphone operator.
The ACC pressed charges against Koko and Saimon on November 15 last year.
As both the accused are fugitives, they did not have any legal right to appoint lawyers to defend them during hearing of charge framing. They would not be able to appoint counsels to defend the case during trial if they do not appear before the court.
The court could not read out the charges to the accused during the hearing on charge framing, as they were absent. Following prosecution submission on charges against the accused and a prayer the court framed the charges.
The trial against Koko and Saimon would continue in their absence, the court said.
Despite absence of Koko, his lawyers yesterday submitted a petition before the court seeking cancellation of the arrest warrant issued in October. The court rejected the petition.
Earlier, the same court asked Koko and Saimon to appear before it and face trial, but they did not pay heed to it.
Koko's lawyers told the court that Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on October 31 appeared before the court and appealed to the court for issuance of arrest warrant against their client. But the trial court in its order did not mention about the attorney general's submission before it. So, they prayed for correcting the order, the lawyers added.
Special Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol told the court that Koko's lawyers had no right to file any petition, as their client was earlier shown fugitive.
As per law, no petition is filed on behalf of a fugitive, Kajol said.
After hearing both the sides, the judge rejected Koko's petition and framed charges against the two.
During deposition of the witnesses, Koko's lawyers would not appear before the court to cross-examine them. As a result, the trial proceedings will be concluded within a short time, Kajol told The Daily Star.
On October 13, the Supreme Court stayed for six weeks a High Court order extending Koko's parole for 20 days. The stay came two days after the HC extended the parole.
Earlier on August 19, the home ministry cancelled the parole and asked Koko to return home by August 31 and surrender to the court.
Challenging the government decision, Koko's counsels filed a writ petition with the HC on August 24 and obtained an extension of parole for their client.

150 hurt, 200 held

With overwhelming presence of law enforcers and ruling Awami League activists in the streets, opposition BNP's dawn-to-dusk hartal yesterday passed without any major untoward incidents.
Top ranking BNP leaders including most of the members of the party's standing committee were not seen in the streets during the showdown. Even leaders like Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Moudud Ahmed, who were very much vocal about enforcing the hartal, were indoors.
The capital, however, saw less private cars and passenger vehicles on streets with rickshaws dominating the major thoroughfares due to the panic created by mass arrest, security measures of the law enforcers and burning of vehicles Monday night.
Sporadic clashes between the law enforcers and pro-hartal activists across the country left around 150 people injured and 200 detained. Of them, over 50 were injured while 65 arrested in the capital. Many of the arrestees were released in the evening.
State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku said police only picked up those who were trying to provoke violence during the hartal.
In Keraniganj, a series of clashes between hartal supporters and law enforcers left 50 people including seven policemen injured. Police picked up seven BNP activists from the spot.
During the clashes, police used around 200 rubber bullets and teargas canisters while the picketers brick chips, bamboos and sticks.
Meanwhile, pro-hartal activists set two buses ablaze in the old part of the capital and Uttara area. Two cocktails (handmade bombs) exploded in front of the BNP central office in Nayapaltan, Dhaka at the eleventh hour of the hartal.
BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain termed the hartal successful and claimed that at least 3,000 BNP activists were arrested across the country while over 2,000 more were injured by ruling party men and law enforcers since Saturday till yesterday evening.
He said a fresh agitation programme would soon be declared in consultation with their political allies.
The hartal supporters could not bring out processions in the capital in the face of obstructions from the law enforcers and frantic arrests. BNP-ally Jamaat-e-Islami brought out hasty processions in four places of the capital including one for a few minutes in Motijheel. The Jamaat leaders and activists whisked away from the procession at Motijheel hearing siren of an ambulance.
On the other hand, the leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies brought out anti-hartal processions in different districts across the country. AL student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) staged huge anti-hartal showdown with motorbike procession in Mirpur and Uttara areas of the capital and took position at strategic points to keep hartal supporters off the street.
Things went the same in port city Chittagong.
Police were seen indifferent to ruling party showdown and alert about BNP activists yesterday.
Additional police have been deployed at all strategic points in the capital including in front of BNP headquarters.
Yesterday's hartal did not affect operations of trains, launches and domestic and international flights although no long-route bus left from Gabtoli, Shyamoli and Kalyanpur terminals since morning.
All educational institutions and business establishments and most shops on major thoroughfares remained closed while government offices and readymade garment factories were open yesterday.
BNP HQ
Police charged batons on hartal supporters when a procession led by BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi approached the party central office in the morning. The law enforcers picked up 13 persons including former lawmaker Bilkis Jahan Shirin.
BNP Secretary General Delwar Hossain and its Senior Joint Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir reached the office around 8:00am but they were not allowed to stay on the road.
Police also held lawmaker Nilufar Chowdhury Moni and former lawmaker Helen Zerin Khan when they were tried to enter the party office. Both of them were released in the evening.
BNP men could not gather in front of the office the whole day as law enforcers kept detaining anyone approaching the party office. DIG Asaduzzaman and Rab officer Maj Emarat Hossain were on duty there.
OTHER SPOTS IN DHAKA
Leaders of BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal burned tyres in front of Government Titumir College yesterday morning.
Witnesses said police barred BNP standing committee member Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah at Mohakhali intersection when he along with some party activists were going to Titumir College area to see hartal activities. Police picked up two activists from the spot.
BCL activist however were seen chanting anti-hartal slogans and patrolling the college area. State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak also brought out procession against the hartal in Mohammadpur area.
Meanwhile, miscreants set a bus ablaze in front of Jagannath University around 3:15pm. Police doused the fire, said fire brigade.

Khaleda's Petition

The hearing of the contempt of court petition filed by Khaleda Zia against the government over the Dhaka Cantonment house was not held yesterday, as the Supreme Court did not sit due to the countrywide hartal called by BNP.
The SC will hear the petition today, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.
“The judges of the apex court did not sit in the ejlash [courtroom] today considering that the lawyers concerned would not be able to attend the court due to the countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal,” he told The Daily Star.
The judges of the Appellate Division came to their offices but did not sit in the courtroom, the AG added.
A three-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque on Monday fixed yesterday for hearing the contempt petition.
The bench on that day dismissed three petitions filed by the BNP chairperson against an HC verdict that had upheld a government notice asking her to vacate the cantonment house.
On November 23, Khaleda filed the contempt petition against eight high officials of the government and the Cantonment Board for "evicting" her from the disputed house on November 13 despite an appeal was pending with the apex court.

The ruling Awami League (AL) said yesterday people hatefully rejected BNP's hartal on the day but the main opposition party said people spontaneously made the hartal a success despite government obstructions.
Both the parties came up with their claims at separate post-hartal press briefings.
The AL said BNP enforced the hartal to protect party Chairperson Khaleda Zia's family interests, and not on any national issue.
And the main opposition party said people expressed "no confidence" in the government by observing the hartal successfully.
"There was no spontaneity among people as the BNP illogically enforced the hartal to protect one person's [Khaleda Zia] family interests, and for this people became angry and disgusted with the hartal," AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said at a press conference at the party chief's Dhanmondi political office.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain told a press briefing at the Naya Paltan party central office that with one-sided hearing on Khaleda Zia's cantonment house, the government decision (in this regard) has been implemented. So, people observed a peaceful hartal across the country in protest against this.
The AL alleged that the opposition party created anarchy by resorting to violence and vandalism in the name of hartal.
On the other hand, BNP alleged accused the government of creating a reign of terror by obstructing its peaceful programme and arresting more than 3,000 party men since Saturday. Even the ruling party carders in "police uniform" were deployed on the streets to foil the opposition programme, he claimed.
Hanif said there is no such situation in the country for which the opposition is supposed to enforce a hartal.
Terming hartal the last step for protesting anything untoward, the ruling party leader urged the opposition to give up the "culture of hartal and vandalism" for the sake of development of the country'. "We hope BNP will find a peaceful political path as an alternative to hartal," said the special assistant to the prime minister.
And Delwar said people's peaceful protest programmes have been obstructed, creating "chances of foreign forces' intervention" in national politics.
They (BNP) will give fresh agitation programmes in consultation with their allies, he said. And anti-government agitations will continue until the present government is ousted, he added.

Aug 21 Probe

A Dhaka court yesterday granted three months more to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to complete the probe into one of the two cases filed in connection with the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in 2004.
The case was filed under the Explosive Substances Act.
Judge Mohammad Zohurul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order after CID filed a petition on Monday seeking four months time to complete the investigation.
Senior Special Superintendent of CID Abdul Kahar Akhand, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the prayer after failing to complete the probe by the stipulated time.
Earlier on October 3, the same court gave two more months to CID to complete the probe and the date expired on Monday.
With this, the court had given the CID 19 months in seven phases to complete the investigation.
The other case, filed for killing the victims, in this connection is now pending with the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka.
At least 23 people including Ivy Rahman were killed and scores injured in the grenade attack on the rally at Bangabandhu Avenue.

Arms Haul Case

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) here yesterday submitted petitions seeking 10-day remand each against former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar and former director general of National Security Intelligence (NSI) Brigadier General (retd) Abdur Rahim in the sensational Chittagong arms haul case.
Investigation officer (IO) and Senior ASP Mohammad Moniruzzaman of CID filed a petition with the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate seeking 10-day remand against Abdur Rahim in the arms smuggling case filed on April 3 with Karnaphuli police station under section-25/B of the Special Powers Act for arms smuggling.
The court fixed today for hearing on the remand prayer against Rahim.
The IO also filed a petition with the same court seeking 10-day remand against former state minister Babar in the arms case filed under section-19 (ka) of the Arms Act.
The court fixed December 6 for hearing on the remand prayer against Babar.
Mentionable, both the two cases were filed with Karnaphuli police station on April 3 following the seizure of 10 trucks loaded with weapons and ammunition from the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited jetty on April 1, 2004.
Regarding the remand prayer Public Prosecutor (PP) Kamal Uddin said, the petitions were filed to gather more information from the two persons.
He said Babar gave important but incomplete information during a five-day remand last month, so he was needed to be quizzed again.
Earlier on October 3, Babar was accused and shown arrested in the country's largest ever arms haul case. On November 1 he was placed on 5-day remand in the cases.
It was the first move by the CID after a Chittagong court on November 24 granted it three months more to complete the investigation into the sensational arms haul case.

BNP terms it govt obstruction; Tuku denies

The main opposition BNP ran a campaign across the country yesterday to drum up public support for tomorrow's countrywide hartal amid obstructions from law enforcers at different places.
Police arrested about 600 people in different parts of the country yesterday ahead of the dawn-to-dusk hartal.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain claimed at least a thousand leaders and activists of the party and its front organisations were arrested and more than 500 injured in police attacks on opposition activists until 12:00noon.
The State Minister for home affairs, Shamsul Hoque Tuku, however said none was arrested in connection with the opposition's protest programmes.
"Police did not arrest anyone without specific charges," he told reporters at his office.
Top police officials said they would ensure safety of commuters and operation of public transport and shops during the hartal.
Law enforcers charged truncheons on a pro-hartal rally in Natore injuring at least 10 people including former deputy minister Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu.
Ruling party activists clashed with opposition supporters in Khulna leaving 24 people wounded. Clashes between the opposition activists and those of the ruling party occurred in Barisal.
A number of opposition parties including Jamaat-e-Islami expressed support for the hartal and urged people to make it a success.
Acting Jamaat Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam at a press briefing at the party's central office called upon people to observe the hartal peacefully.
BNP held rallies and brought out processions at all divisional headquarters as part of its six-day protest programme that began on November 25. It will do the same today to garner public support for the hartal.
BNP standing committee on November 22 announced a set of protest programmes including hartal to "save democracy and the country".
Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia held talks with like-minded political parties and professional bodies and sought their support for the party programmes. She asked the leaders of BNP Dhaka city unit to be on the streets during hartal.
Leaders of party's different units distributed leaflets to elicit public opinion in favour of the hartal.
Meanwhile, police arrested at least 600 people, including 400 in the capital yesterday, the fourth day of the BNP-announced protest programmes.
Of the arrestees in the capital, 275 were detained by police, 125 by its detective branch and Rapid Action Battalion.
At least 120 people were arrested in Rajshahi, 10 in Kishoreganj, 15 in Dinajpur, 10 in Khulna, seven in Manikganj, six in Thakurgaon, 20 in Sylhet and three in Barisal.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed told reporters at his office that the DMP would take security measures for smooth operation of transport and businesses during the hartal.
"We will provide foolproof security for running day-to-day activities on the hartal day," DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed said.
The DMP chief said security would be tightened in and around the capital on the eve of hartal.
Nearly 20,000 additional police and Rab personnel would be deployed across the country. Of them 11,000 would be deployed in the capital.
Commander M Sohail, director of Rab legal and media wing, said 3,000 Rab members would be deployed in the capital and 2,000 others elsewhere during the hartal.
On Saturday, police arrested around 500 people in connection with BNP's protest programmes.
The BNP secretary general said people will give a befitting reply to mass arrest of and attacks on BNP men by the government through observing tomorrow's hartal spontaneously.
Addressing a press conference at the party's Naya Paltan office, Delwar said the hartal was called to realise people's demand for reduction of the prices of essentials and an end to misdeeds of the ruling Awami League and repression on the innocent.
He also said the government is now trying to grab the BNP chairperson's Gulshan house after evicting her from the cantonment house, but people will resist it, he said.
“Government has created a frightening situation by arresting about 1,000 opposition leaders and workers ahead of the hartal,” he said. Despite this, people will make the hartal a success, he hoped.
Demanding immediate release of the arrested leaders and workers, the BNP leader said police damaged houses of BNP supporters across the country and beat them up to foil the hartal programme.
The government had ordered the law enforcement agencies to take a hard line on the hartal in a bid to eliminate BNP since it is trying to protect democracy as well as the country, Delwar said.
Meanwhile, Dhaka city unit of BNP yesterday held a rally at Muktangon as part of the party's agitation programme at all divisional headquarters.
Party leaders including Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, Abdullah Al Noman and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir addressed the rally chaired by Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

It accuses FBCCI chief of political bias; businesses counter again saying 'strike very destructive to economy'

BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday sharply rebuffed a request by business leaders that the opposition find alternatives to economically crippling dawn-to-dusk hartals.
Delwar accused AK Azad, the president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), of bias in the country's political affairs, including the highly partisan general strikes.
“The president of a business organisation like the FBCCI should not make any biased statement,” he said at a press conference at the party's central office in Naya Paltan.
The business community had suggested alternatives to hartal, such as public marches and demonstrations, could accommodate those who wish to vent their anger on the Awami League government.
The business leaders asked the opposition party to resolve disputes between the government and opposition through discussion.
The BNP has called a countrywide daylong hartal for November 30 to protest the government activities. It dismisses concerns of lost income during the shutdown as an issue for owners but not for workers and small independent workers.
“We did not expect anything else from him [Azad], as he is a 'nominated president' of FBCCI," said Delwar. "He is criticising hartal as his factory will be shut on hartal day, but he does not think about workers.”
Why, asked the BNP leader, did the business group not criticise the Awami League's 173 days of hartal during the BNP regime.
Azad said he never supported hartal programmes, as they damage the economy.
"Hartal hampers the flow of both home and overseas investment," Azad said. "We need more investment to create more employment. The opposition party should think of alternatives to hartal."
The FBCCI president said that the business community had the strength and capacity to stand against the BNP hartal, but later he said that it was his personal opinion.
He said the 2.7 crore unemployed people in the country need jobs and a hartal programme would hurt their employment prospects.
Other business leaders agreed.
"Hartal is very destructive to the economy," said M Anis Ud Dowla, president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "There are many ways to protest. Please do not call hartal."
Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said he opposes hartals as they harm the welfare of the people: "Both the opposition and the government can sit together to reach a consensus to resolve any problem. The opposition should think alternatives to hartal."
Habibur Rahman, acting president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the hartal day's thinning of the ranks of workers in factories hampers productivity.
"We hardly do any shipments in a hartal day due to the countrywide halting of business activities.
The ready-made garment manufacturers face more troubles as the sector is highly dependent on imports of raw materials," Rahman said. He urged the BNP to withdraw its hartal call.
The opposition party should find alternatives to hartal to keep the economy from harm, said A K Khan, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Abdul Hai Sarker, president of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, said the country should leave hartal culture behind. "We should work together," he said.
M A Salam, senior vice-president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said hartals should be avoided because any kind of intimidating demonstrations will scare away investment and growth.
"In economy this is the age of private sector," Salam said. "We must keep up the beat of economic activity in the private sector."

The High Court (HC) yesterday granted ad interim bail to six top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders including its chief and secretary general in four separate cases.
But the Jamaat leaders would not get released from jail following the HC orders, as they are accused in other cases.
The six leaders are Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid, Nayeb-e-Ameer Delawar Hossain Sayedee, Senior Assistant Secretary General Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, leader Abdul Kader Molla and its Dhaka city unit chief Rafiqul Islam Khan.
An HC bench comprised of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Abdul Hakim issued separate rules upon the government to explain why the six Jamaat leaders should not be granted regular bails in the cases filed against them on charges of obstructing police in discharging their duties and vandalising cars.
The bench came up with the orders and rules following separate bail petitions filed by the six Jamaat leaders, who were detained in June and July this year in connection with cases filed on charge of hurting religious sentiment of Muslim.
Nizami, Mujahid and Sayedee got bail in the cases filed on June 20 with Paltan police station.
Kamaruzzaman and Qader Molla got bail in the case filed on February 12 with Paltan police station and Rafiqul Islam Khan got bail in two cases filed on June 26 and 27 with New Market and Ramna police stations. The case filed with Ramna police station against Rafiqul was on charge of vandalising cars.

The alliance leaders made the decision at a meeting yesterday at AL President Sheikh Hasina's political office at Dhanmondi in the capital.
They urged the government to take measures to improve law and order and control price hike of essentials.
The coalition will send letters with instructions to the general secretaries of all its components.
"The central leaders of the 14-party coalition will sit last Saturday of every month," AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told journalists after the meeting chaired by alliance coordinator and acting AL president Sajeda Chowdhury.
He said Sheikh Hasina would hold a meeting with alliance leaders upon her return from abroad to fix the date for grand rallies at divisional headquarters to drum up public support for the government move to try war criminals.
Ashraful said the alliance believes that BNP has called the November 30 hartal to protect the interests of Khaleda Zia, not that of people.
He said the alliance would not take to the streets to face the opposition. The law enforcement agencies would take necessary action if anyone tries to hamper law and order.
The coalition sat for the fourth time yesterday since the AL-led alliance assumed power. The last meeting was held on June 1.

Hartal Tomorrow

The parliamentary standing committee on home ministry yesterday asked members of law enforcers to exercise restraint during tomorrow's hartal and simultaneously protect the people's lives and properties.
“We do not want police to be atrocious during hartal so that opposition parties get another issue,” Mujib-ul-Haque, a member of the committee told The Daily Star.
Talking with journalists at his office in the secretariat, State Minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku said law enforcers will not take any actions if opposition parties pledged that they will not destroy people's property during the hartal.
“But police members will resist any attempt of destroying public assets and setting on fire,” Tuku added.
Taking part in a discussion meeting, State Minister for law Kamrul Islam said government and law enforcers will not stay silent if opposition leaders and activists destroy public property during hartal.
Bangabandhu Education and Research Council organised the discussion at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city to wage anti-hartal campaign.
The meeting was addressed among others by AL Joint Secretary General Mahbub ul Alam Hanif, Abdus Sobhan Golap, special assistant to the prime minister.
An online-based newspaper theeditor.net yesterday in an exceptional anti-hartal campaign collected signatures against hartal from people of all sections through setting up three booths at three points in the capital.
Around 2,000 people put signature against hartal and provided their anti-hartal opinions at the Press Club booth till 4:00pm, officials of the newspaper said.
Meanwhile, cross sections of people of different districts including Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Khulna have opposed hartal and urged opposition to refrain from such programmes that bring destruction for country's economy, our correspondents said.

Hearing of Khaleda's petitions today

Hearing on the petitions BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed over the disputed house in Dhaka cantonment would be held today at the Supreme Court.
Considering the sensitivity of the issue, law enforcement agencies have taken special measures to ensure security on the SC premises. Police also requested lawyers and visitors not to enter the chief justice's courtroom and the court premises unless they have to be there.
SC sources said additional law enforcement personnel would be deployed on the court premises to tackle any untoward incidents.
Khaleda on November 8 filed two petitions with the SC challenging the High Court verdict that declared valid the government notice to vacate the disputed cantonment house.
Khaleda also filed two other petitions with the SC on November 23 after she 'left' the house on November 13. She claimed she was evicted illegally and prayed for status quo over the house issue and an order so that she can return to the house.
The full bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque will hear all four petitions today.
Mahbub Uddin Khokon, one of the lawyers of Khaleda, yesterday told The Daily Star that they would try to move the two petitions filed on November 23 first.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, however, said the Appellate Division would decide which one of the four petitions would be heard first.
The political arena has heated up over the issue of Khaleda's house and the main opposition BNP already enforced a countrywide hartal on November 14. Another hartal is tomorrow.
Quite a few instances of violence happened the day when she 'left' the house and the conflict between the ruling party and main opposition BNP has since intensified. There has been mass arrest of opposition activists ahead of tomorrow's hartal.
Police have so far failed to make any headway about the incident of Molotov crackers going off inside the chief justice's residence on November 18 but there are suspicions of this having links with Khaleda's case.
Against this backdrop, lawyers and a cross sections of people apprehend chaos at the court today.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed yesterday at a press briefing requested lawyers to avoid going to the SC today unless they have professional obligation to go.
He said visitors should not enter the Supreme Court compound unless they have any business there.
The Appellate Division on November 10 adjourned, until today, hearings of the two petitions filed on November 8. A judge on November 23 also fixed today for hearing the two new petitions Khaleda filed.
The government on November 13 allegedly evicted Khaleda Zia from the cantonment residence on the grounds that the SC has not issued a stay order on the HC verdict.

Law Commission recommends amending CrPC, CPC for quick case disposal

The Law Commission has recommended that the government introduces plea bargain in the judicial system for expedited adjudication of petty criminal cases through negotiated settlements between plaintiffs and defendants.
In plea bargain, persons charged with minor offences must confess willingly to their crimes to courts through affidavits. The plaintiffs and defendants then may reach settlements for reduced punishments for offenders.
Punishments for offenders could be reduced to a half or one-fourth of what is stipulated by law, the commission said in its proposal.
It added that cases settled through plea bargains should not be allowed to be appealed or revised.
The commission on October 5 submitted the proposal to the law ministry along with 64 other recommendations in connection with proposed introduction of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system, for speeding up the judicial process by settling cases outside the courts.
According to the recommendations, ADR and plea bargain will require amendments to the hundred-plus years old Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and Civil Procedure Code (CPC).
There are more than 10 lakh criminal cases, and six lakh civil cases pending with various courts of the country. Most of those cases are in connection with land related disputes, and petty crimes.
Plea bargain is practiced in the US, UK, Canada, India, and Pakistan, which succeeded in speeding up adjudication of criminal cases at minimum costs, and in reducing backlogs of pending cases, the Law Commission noted.
Introduction of plea bargain in the CrPC is necessary, the commission said.
Law Minister Shafique Ahmed told The Daily Star recently that the government is willing to amend relevant laws to make ADR mandatory for minor cases.
The Law Commission suggested that the government introduces a rule for appointing mediators for out of court settlement of both civil and criminal suits.
Joint district judges should be the mediators at district levels until trained or certified mediators can be found, it added.
The commission also suggested rules for providing compensation to parties who are victimised due to filing of false and baseless cases, and due to creation of hurdles in mediations.
It advised the government to make village courts and Municipal Area Boards effective, to adjudicate minor cases at grassroots level.
It emphasised on formulating a national policy to implement ADR within a certain timeline, establishing a national ADR research centre, and publishing the findings of the research.
It recommended training for judges and lawyers at the Judicial Administration Training Institute; and conferences, meetings, seminars and workshops on ADR.
It also suggested that the government uses both the print and electronic media to create mass awareness about the benefits of ADR.

Police yesterday released all the detainees of Thursday's car accident and the subsequent vandalism on Dhaka University campus following a negotiation between the car owner and the DU authorities.
They were freed around 12:30am yesterday when the owner of the car that hit Sadhan Kumar Ghosh, a fourth year DU student, gave assurance of bearing all the treatment cost.
Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge of the Sahbagh Police Station, said they released the two DU students detained for vandalism and Rubaiya, whose car hit Sadhan, her driver and two friends who were in the car when the accident occurred.
After a discussion with the DU authorities at Sahbagh Police Station, Rubaiya's family handed over TK 50,000 to the authorities for Sadhan's treatment and promised to give more if needed, Rezaul said.
Rubaiya Haque, a first year student of Dhaka City College, hit Sadhan, a resident of Jagannath Hall, on the DU campus around 12:30pm on Thursday.
Meanwhile, owners of the vandalised cars and a journalist who lost his camera filed six general diaries (GD) with Sahbagh Police Station.
After the accident, angry student of the university mainly from the Jagannath Hall, torched two cars and vandalised 25 others in the campus area.
NTV's DMCH correspondent Al Amin alleged that the students seized his camera when he was taking photos of the vandalism.
DU Proctor Prof KM Saiful Islam also said he had heard about it and will try to return it to the reporter if the students had seized that.
Meantime, Sadhan, who was undergoing treatment at the DMCH, told The Daily Star yesterday that he was feeling good except for a headache and a little pain in the left leg.
Sources in the DMCH said Sadhan talked with his friends throughout the day and seemed fit.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged people to remain vigilant so that no “evil anti-democracy” force can foil the progress of democracy in Bangladesh.
Addressing a meeting with Bangladeshi community at her hotel here on Thursday night, she said the anti-people force has been trying to hinder development activities in the country.
“The evil force does not want change of people's fate… does not want to see Bangladesh as a country free from hunger and poverty.”
Hasina alleged that the last BNP-Jamaat alliance government during their five-year tenure only amassed illegal money, plundering public property and through money laundering.
She said: “When our government is working hard to maintain peace and ensuring prosperity for the people, the BNP-Jamaat alliance doest not like it.”
Calling upon the expatriate Bangladeshis for investing in the country's development sectors, the prime minister requested them not to do anything on foreign soils that would harm the country's image.
“Every one of you is a goodwill ambassador of your homeland. So, don't do anything that will tarnish the image of your homeland,” she said.
Hasina said that her government had to face many difficulties in restoring the country's image, as “during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government Bangladesh was known to the world as a country of militancy and corruption.”
She said: “During the last two years, Bangladesh has again started to be known as a country of peace and democracy. Now it is our duty to uphold this image.”
The prime minister said expatriates can make investment in Bangladesh through the Expatriates Welfare Bank. “We give top priority to Bangladeshi expatriates seeking to invest in the country. So, come and invest in your homeland.”
She said the government is giving special facilities, including easy banking, to the expatriate Bangladeshis.
Hasina, in her address, also asked the followers of Awami League at home and abroad to work with utmost sincerity to implement the party's election manifesto.
Showing the election manifesto to the expatriate audience, she said it is the government's sacred duty to implement every pledge of the election manifesto. “We've to win the people's love by fulfilling their aspirations.”
The premier said democracy has been restored after so many sacrifices. “BNP tried to rig the last general election with 1.21 crore fake voters. But they failed in their bid.”
In this regard, she thanked the Bangladesh Army for making a flawless voter list for the December 29, 2008 election.
She told the expatriates that her government is working to make Bangladesh a mid-level income country by 2021. “We are making our best efforts to create social-safety net. We will have to work hand in hand to make Bangladesh a modern digital and developed country.”
Hasina also informed the Bangladeshi community about the outcome of her visit to St. Petersburg in Russia, and her meeting with European Union leaders.
She also told them about her government's activities to protect the people of Bangladesh from the disastrous impacts of the global warming.
The expatriate Bangladeshis congratulated the prime minister for receiving an honourary doctorate degree from the State University of Saint Petersburg.

Protests Against 'eviction'

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was disappointed at city unit leaders' failure to offer resistance to the move to "evict" her from the disputed cantonment house on November 13.
The BNP chief was also irked at the thin presence of party's senior leaders in protest programmes during the November 14 hartal called to protest her "eviction" from the house, said a source in the party.
Khaleda was displeased as only a few hundred leaders and workers gathered at Jahangir gate at Dhaka Cantonment to protest the eviction.
The BNP chief had expected her party leaders to mobilise thousands of supporters in and around the cantonment, said the source.
She was particularly unhappy with BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka, mayor of Dhaka City Corporation and his close aides, for failing to come up with a plan and mobilise supporters to help her keep the house.
Khaleda showed resentment against Khoka at a standing committee meeting on Sunday when a committee member requested her to form a Dhaka city unit committee before announcing protest programmes.
"The mayor [Khoka] was there. What did he do? Why did he not try to build resistance when they [the cantonment board] evicted me from my house?" the source quoted Khaleda as saying.
On Wednesday, the former prime minister at a meeting with city leaders expressed displeasure at the thin presence of BNP city unit leaders on the streets during her eviction from the house.
The cantonment board took possession of the disputed cantonment house that the then army chief had allotted to Khaleda after the assassination of her husband.
Khaleda alleged that she was evicted from the house but the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate claimed that she left the house voluntarily showing respect to the rule of law.
BNP enforced a dawn to dusk hartal on November 14 protesting the eviction of its party chief. A handful of senior leaders were seen on the streets during the hartal.
Khaleda's "eviction" and protest programmes were high on the agenda at the standing committee meetings on Sunday and Monday.
Most committee members provoked Khaleda to go for an all-out movement against the government. The party called a hartal on November 30.
Wishing anonymity, a standing committee member expressed doubts about the success of protest programmes without strengthening the party in the capital.
BNP has no committee in Dhaka since June 4, 2008 as the party leadership failed to form any committee due to internal conflicts.
Khaleda has been trying her best to encourage the leaders of her party and its allies to participate in the anti-government programmes.
The BNP chief has already held a series of meetings with leaders of BNP and its allies.
"She [Khaleda] is determined to make the upcoming hartal a success. We promised her our participation in the hartal," said a leader of Islami Oikya Jote after meeting her.
Khaleda will sit with leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami today to discuss the hartal and protest programmes, said officials at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

The party will hold a meeting with the components of the 14-party coalition tomorrow, a day before BNP's countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal.
The meeting will be held at Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi with acting party chief Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair.
"Our main objective is to sit with our 14-party coalition partners to boost coordination among us. We must make coordinated effort to face opposition's upcoming movements and their conspiracies against the government and implement our electoral pledges," AL Presidium Member Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star.
The overall socio-economic and political situation of the country would come up for discussion at the meeting, AL Deputy Office Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das said in a press release.
AL insiders said after the 14-party coalition meeting, the ruling party would talk with HM Ershad's Jatiya Party to strengthen political ties.
The AL already had informal talks with the partners of the 14-party including Rashed Khan Menon's Workers Party of Bangladesh, Hasanul Haque Inu's Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Dilip Barua's Samyabadi Dal.
AL Presidium Member Kazi Zafarullah, following the party chief's directives, sat with all the components to know about their views on the government and how it should move ahead.
He said from now on meetings with the coalition partners would be held regularly.
Rashed Khan Menon told The Daily Star that the 14-party combine would face as a whole any political threat and movement of the opposition.
Industries Minister and Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua said the 14-party meeting is very crucial under the current circumstances.

Expelled BNP leader Nazmul Huda in a complete about face appealed party Chairperson Khaleda Zia to withdraw his expulsion order.
Claming himself innocent, the much-talked-about leader urged Khaleda to appoint him in a policymaking position in the party.
"I appealed Thursday night to withdraw the expulsion order following pressure from the people in my area and leaders of Dhaka district unit and thana units under the district," Nazmul Huda told The Daily Star last night.
He said he sent a letter through BNP leader Aman Ullah Aman and leaders of BNP Dhaka district unit and hoped that the chairperson would consider it.
Asked about his stance only 72 hours ago that he would not appeal for the withdrawal of his expulsion order, he said, "The desire of my people prompted me to appeal."
The national standing committee of BNP on November 21 expelled Huda, who was vice-chairman of the party and president of the party's Dhaka district unit, from the party for breaching organisational discipline.
The decision came following a few comments of Huda against Khaleda's counsels. He had said that Khaleda had to leave the house due to the mistakes of her counsels. He also criticised the hartal programme and raised questions about Khaleda's crying after her eviction from the cantonment house.
On November 22, Huda at a press conference at his Dhanmondi residence said, "I do not regret my comments and that is why I will not appeal for the withdrawal of the expulsion."
A day after his expulsion, Khaleda replaced Huda in the district unit with Abdul Mannan.
In his letter to the chairperson, Huda, also a two-term minister in Khaleda's cabinet, said some of his public statements for which he was expelled would not cause any harm to BNP.
Explaining his comment regarding chairperson's counsels, the former president of Supreme Court Bar Association said the lawyers could have lingered the case for five to six years but the matter is now going to be finished within six months.

State Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Qamrul Islam yesterday blamed a quarter for spreading the news of recent stalking incidents, claiming the stalking incidents are at a tolerable level in the country.
Stalking women and girls is not new in the society, it was there in the past and now they are falling victim to such offences, he said adding, different communities should raise their voice besides the government's steps against such harassment.
He made the comment at a view exchange meeting organised by Motijheel Women Community Policing Coordination Committee at AGB Colony in the city.
The state minister observed that parents of the offenders should be implicated. He also insisted if the parents monitor their sons' daily activities, stalking could be contained to a great extent.
Encouraging women to play their role in community policing, Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar said women community police can serve as bridge between the law enforces and victims of stalking.
Young women with good reputation in community policing will get preference in recruitment to police department, added the secretary.
He also mentioned that the government is thinking to provide financial support to each of the community police members.
Farhana Dolly, president of the lone women community policing committee in the country, said her team is working to solve the problems which women face in the society and their families.
Speakers at the meeting also urged the home minister to take steps against stalkers who usually harass girl students on their way to and at the gates of academic institutions.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun addressed the meeting as chief guest, with Deputy Commissioner of police, Motijheel division, Abdul Baten in the chair.
Lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon, general secretary of the committee Nasima Akhter, among others, attended the programme.

2 cars set ablaze, 25 others vandalised as learner driver critically injures student on campus

Angry students of Dhaka University torched two cars and vandalised 25 others after a trainee driver hit a student of the university on the campus yesterday afternoon.
To contain the situation, police stopped vehicular movement on the campus for six hours triggering more-than-usual heavy traffic in Dhaka.
Injured Sadhan Kumar Ghosh, a forth-year student of psychology department and a resident of Jagannath Hall, was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors said he was out of danger and did not have any severe injuries.
Police arrested student driver Rubaiya Haque of Dhaka City College and three others who were in the car. They also rounded up two students in connection with vandalism after the incident.
DU Proctor KM Saiful Islam Khan said Rubaiya with her driver next to her and two classmates in the back seat hit Sadhan near his dorm around 12:30pm.
Mohan Das, who witnessed the accident, said Sadhan was walking along the edge of the road near the rear entrance of his dorm when the car hit him from behind.
Following the accident, Rubaiya and her classmates got down and with the help of bystanders sent Sadhan to DMCH in the very car with her driver driving, witnesses said.
Hearing the news, a group of students from Jagannath Hall rushed to DMCH and torched the car parked in front of the emergency department.
The protesters, mainly from Jagannath Hall, took to the streets and started venting their anger on mostly cars and microbuses.
Another group of students started vandalism in front of the Central Shaheed Minar and Teacher-Student Centre spreading panic on the campus.
Police at one stage charged truncheons near the Shaheed Minar to prevent agitators from ransacking vehicles. Officer-in-Charge of Shahbagh Police Station Rezaul Karim however said they just chased the protesters to disperse them.
Some protesters brought out a procession near TSC around 4:00pm demanding punishment of the people responsible for the accident and imposing a ban on movement of vehicles on the campus.
Students burned another car in front of Jagannath Hall around 4:30pm.
Alongside members of DU administration and police, some DU unit leaders of pro-Awami League student body Bangladesh Chhatra League were seen on the streets trying to calm the agitators down. They forced students back into their dormitories several times but the protesters returned after a while.
Movement of vehicles was halted for six hours on the campus streets as the students continued vandalism in phases until 6:00pm.
The angry students also harassed several photojournalists of dailies and cameramen of television channels when they went to take photographs and footage of the vandalism. In the evening, they harassed bike riders and pedestrians around TSC, witnesses said.
Shahbagh police picked up DU students Mohammad Sabbir, of institute of education and research, and Nazmul Huda, of hotel management and tourism department, in connection with vandalism.
DU Proctor Saiful said learning to drive on campus is strictly prohibited but people do it. "We catch around 15 cars almost every day on campus for driving training cars secretly," he added.
He said a case would be filed against the female student and others responsible for the accident.
Later, police released all the detainees except the driver of the car, Abdul Mannan, sub-inspector of Shahbagh Police Station, told The Daily Star last night.
On June 22, 2009 Anima Rani Saha, wife of DU Prof Porimol Kumar Saha of institute of education and research, died when a training car hit her from the back near Jagannath Hall.

The special court-14, set up at Sylhet Sector headquarters, yesterday fixed December 29 for judgment in BDR mutiny case.
Meanwhile, Two separate BDR special courts yesterday fixed charge-framing dates against 54 mutineers of Rangpur sector headquarters and 34 Rifles Battalion under the sector and 42 jawans of Khagrachhari sector headquarters.
In Sylhet, the three-member special court, headed by Comilla Sector Commander Col SM Farhad, started proceedings at 8:30am and continued until 10:30am. Two other members are Lt Col Akhtaruzzaman and Major Maksudul Alam, according to our staff correspondent.
Deputy Attorney general Farhad Ahmed represented the attorney General while special public prosecutors Gazi Zillur Rahman and Habibur Rahman were present.
Argument was held while the Prosecutor Lt Col Khairul Quadir, also the commanding officer of 21 Rifles Battalion, pleaded for justice for the incident that took place at the battalion on February 26, 2009 as a sequel to Pilkhana mutiny on the previous day.
During the argument, the prosecution stated that the accused took control of 21 battalion in the city's Akhalia area on Sylhet-Sunamganj Highway in the morning of February 26.
They also set fire to a number of vehicles, including three private vehicles of BDR officials, in front of the battalion headquarters and blocked the main road, he said
Thirty-nine of the 44 accused pleaded guilty during the trial while the rest claimed innocence.
The then officer-in-charge of Sylhet Kotwali Police Station Syeduzzaman filed three separate cases with the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court on May 17 last year against the BDR men of Sylhet sector and two separate battalions under the sector as they revolted, expressing solidarity with the mutineers of BDR headquarters at Pilkhana in the capital.
They were later arrested and were before the court that sent them to jail hajat.
The charge framing date against 54 mutineers of Rangpur sector headquarters and 34 Rifles Battalion under the sector was fixed on January 24, 2011, reports our Rangpur correspondent.
Of the accused, 11 are from Rangpur sector while the remaining 43 from 34 Rifles Battalion.
The Special Court-13, headed by Dinajpur Sector Commander Col Md Saleh Ahmad, started trial proceedings at around 9:00am and continued until 11:45am. Two other members of the court are Lt Col Mahfuz Alam and Major Didar Al Latif.
Nayek Subedar Rafiqul Islam of the sector and acting Subeder Golam Kibria of 34 Rifles Battalion filed two separate cases after the jawans revolted against their officers on February 26 last year.
A correspondent from Khagrachhari adds: Prosecutor Maj Javad Hasan read out charges in presence of all the 42 accused of the sector headquarters yesterday.
The special court-15, headed by Chittagong Sector Commander Lt Col Zahedur Rahman, then fixed February 22, 2011 for framing charges against the accused. The other members are Lt Col Abdur Nur and Major AZM Golam Mostafa Al Mamun.
Assistant Subedar Md Serajul Islam of the sector filed the case against 42 BDR jawans after the February 26 mutiny.
He alleged that the accused joined the mutiny at Khagrachhari BDR sector on February 26 last year, expressing solidarity with mutineers of BDR headquarters at Pilkhana in the capital.

Motihar police yesterday arrested one more Islami Chhatra Shibir cadre in connection with February 9 violence on Rajshahi University (RU) campus.
The arrestee is Abu Saleh Mamun, a master's student of Arabic department and also a resident of Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university.
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists of the university unit caught Mamun on the premises of Shahidullah Arts Building at around 11.00am and then handed him over to the police.
On information of Mamun's arrival on the campus, a group of BCL men led by Arshad Ali, Imran Ali and Nazmul Hossain went there and caught him.
RU BCL leaders alleged that Mamun took part in February 9 violence that left BCL worker Faruk Hossain dead. Mamun had gone into hiding soon after the incident.
Contacted, RU Proctor Prof Chowdhury Muhammad Zakaria said the Shibir man was arrested for his alleged involvement in February 9 violence.
Abul Khair, officer-in-charge (OC) of Motihar Police Station told this correspondent that they would take steps after interrogating the Shibir man.

BNP began a six-day agitation programme yesterday by holding rallies and bringing out processions at district and upazila levels across the country.

The National Standing Committee of the party had earlier announced the programme that includes hartal on November 30 demanding steps to end miseries of the people and to save democracy as well the country.

The party will organise rallies and processions at district and upazila levels tomorrow and across the country on November 29 in support of the hartal.

Khaleda Zia, chairperson of the main opposition party, last night held a meeting with the leaders of like-minded parties.

Khaleda Zia in her first meeting with the leaders of Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Jatiya Party and Khelafat-e Majlish requested them to participate in the November 30 hartal actively.

In another meet, same request was made to the leaders of Jatiya Ganatantri Party, NPP, Labour Party and Islami Party.

She will hold talks with Jamaat leaders tomorrow.

On Wednesday, Khaleda held a meeting with her party leaders residing in Dhaka and asked them to make all efforts to make the hartal a success.

Party insiders said the agitation programme aims at mounting pressure on the government ahead of the November 29 hearing of the party chief's leave-to-appeal petition against the High Court verdict regarding her previous cantonment house.

Meanwhile, the ruling Awami League leaders said BNP will be held responsible for any sort of violence, arson and killings in the name of hartal.

“BNP leaders will have to take all responsibilities if such incidents occur,” Qamrul Islam, state minister for law, told journalists yesterday.

Senior AL leader Suranjit Sen Gupta said BNP has called hartal against the state, and not against the government. So, the people will resist it.

Earlier on June 27, BNP called first hartal since Awami League assumed office. It enforced another on Nov 14 protesting "eviction" of the party chairperson from the cantonment house.

Two influential ministers of the government yesterday blasted the country's apex trade body, FBCCI, for their stance on enacting law to ban hartal.
“Why are you giving such provocative statements?” asked Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui at the inaugural session of the three-day Batexpo 2010 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
He asked the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) why they want to ban hartal through enacting a law.
“You FBCCI members have not come from the sky… you can show non-cooperation to hartal,” Latif Siddiqui said.
He said there is nothing called hard or soft action of law against anarchy or troublemakers during hartal. “Action should be taken in line with the law, that's all.”
Siddiqui said that generally hartal is imposed to protect the interests of the mass people. “But the BNP-sponsored hartal is just for protecting one person's interest.”
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said banning hartal through enacting law would be a move designed to snatch the fundamental rights of people.
He, however, said the existing law should be implemented strongly against the anarchy-makers.
On Wednesday, FBCCI President AK Azad at a programme at the FBCCI conference room said they wanted to propose the parliament to pass a law banning hartal.
Opposition BNP called for a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on November 30.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Labour and Employment Minister Engr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Commerce Minister Faruk Khan were present at the function.

Ruling Awami League is not worried about the main opposition BNP's threat of resigning en masse from the parliament, as the vacuum can be filled through by-elections, according to AL leaders.
AL policymakers said the government will complete its tenure as mandated by the people, although resignation by all BNP lawmakers would create a problem for the parliament to function efficiently, and advancement of democracy would also be hampered to some extent. But the magnitude of the problem would be nothing that could not be handled.
No such untoward situation has been created in the country for which the main opposition must resign from the parliament en masse, the AL leaders said.
BNP is presenting Khaleda's recent "eviction" from her prior residence in Dhaka Cantonment as the reason for its lawmakers' possible resignation.
But ruling party leaders are seeing Khaleda's departure from the disputed house as a private matter, which should not have any bearing on national politics and economy.
"There will be no problem if BNP resigns from the parliament, as by-elections can be held to fill the vacant seats," AL Advisory Council Member Suranjit Sengupta said yesterday.
But BNP Standing Committee Member SQ Chowdhury said, "The parliament will turn into a one-party House if by-election is held without BNP's participation, and we have seen the consequence of such one-party parliament in the past.”
Suranjit dismissed SQ Chowdhury's claim, saying there is no question of turning the parliament into a one-party House, since there are many parties in the parliament and in the ruling grand alliance. "More parties might also come forward to nominate candidates for the vacant seats," observed the veteran AL parliamentarian.
Former caretaker government adviser Akbar Ali Khan said if the main opposition resigns from the parliament that will be a setback for democracy, but it will not be easy to destabilise the government. He said no elected government gave up power before completing its tenure in the history of Bangladesh.
"If a major party remains absent from the parliament or resigns from it, the effectiveness of the House can be reduced, but definitely it won't drop to zero," the renowned former bureaucrat told The Daily Star last night.
SQ Chowdhury said, "The parliament will lose its importance if the main opposition resigns from it, and no one-party parliament could complete its tenure in the past."
He said there is no question of BNP joining the parliamentary sessions, after the way the government "ousted" the opposition leader from the disputed cantonment house, and the way it "defiled the sanctity of the national flag" when it "forced Khaleda's national flag carrying vehicle to get out of that premises".
He said even the ruling party lawmakers are not joining the sessions regularly, which is an "obvious sign that the parliament has lost its importance".
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said, "No matter what BNP does, we are committed to completing the five-year tenure as mandated by the people." If BNP resigns, it will be for saving the two "corrupt" sons of Khaleda Zia, and about the disputed cantonment residence.
Hanif, who is also a special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, urged the opposition not to resign from the parliament "without any reason".
AL presidium members Kazi Zafarullah and Obaidul Quader see BNP's threat of resignation as a mere threat, not something probable.
Talking to The Daily Star they said AL lawmakers had also signed resignation letters and handed those over to the then leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina when BNP-Jamaat four-party coalition government was in power.
But AL ultimately did not resign from the parliament back then, and this time BNP will also not do that, observed both ruling party policymakers.
"I hope Khaleda Zia will take her decisions keeping the country's constitution in mind, and whatever we do we will follow the constitution," said Zafarullah.
Obaidul Quader also sees BNP's threat of resigning from the parliament as a strategy to resuscitate its activists' enthusiasm and morale, while keeping the government under constant pressure. "There is no such situation in the country at the moment that demands the opposition's en masse resignation from the parliament."
He said there is no way the government can be toppled through hartals and other destructive activities; neither there is any chance of an interim election. Return to power of undemocratic forces is also not a possibility under the current reality of the country, he added.
SQ Chowdhury said it was AL chief Sheikh Hasina who introduced the culture of collecting resignation letters from party lawmakers, so the AL leaders should not get all that excited or mad about the BNP push for its lawmakers' resignation from the parliament.
Workers' Party leader Bimal Biswas said the country is moving towards a tensed situation. The "extreme-right" politics of BNP-Jamaat coalition finds itself between a rock and hard place, so they want to make the country unstable, and destroy the democratic system to save themselves, he added.
"They might make any number of attempts including taking the country towards an undemocratic path just to save their existence," said the leader of the ruling 14-party coalition, which is scheduled to meet on Sunday to discuss the latest political situation.