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Assassination attempt on Hasina
A wave of grenade attacks on opposition chief Sheikh Hasina's rally on Bangabandhu Avenue August 22 left at least 20 people killed including Ivy Rahman and 200 including top Awami League (AL) leaders Abdur Razzak, Amir Hossain Amu, Suranjit Sengupta, and Kazi Zafarullah critically injured. Hasina, who was the apparent target of the attacks carried out from buildings in front of the AL headquarters, escaped unscathed as activists formed a human shield to protect their leader aboard a truck. One of her personal security staff, Mahbub Alam, 42, who stood close by her, died. The unknown assailants fired seven bullets at the bullet-proof sports utility vehicle (SUV) that Hasina boarded immediately after the blasts. A bullet also punctured the rear wheel of the vehicle and there was a large hole on the rear right side of its window shield.
At least three bullets hit the right side of the front window shield, just opposite the front seat where the former Prime Minister sat. The deadly attacks started at 5:23pm just when Hasina wrapped up a rally of around 25,000 supporters protesting the recent Sylhet blasts with a call 'to end the rule of the government that inspires bomb attacks'. The AL central leaders were on the truck with Hasina. Daily Star, August 22.
Dhaka upgraded in US trafficking ranking
Washington has withdrawn an imminent threat to impose "non-trade and non-humanitarian sanctions" on Dhaka as it has upgraded Bangladesh from the bottom rung of its list of countries marked for being origins of human trafficking. US state department officials conveyed to the government that Bangladesh has been moved to tier-2 from tier-3 in the Trafficking in Person Report 2004, the previous position meaning that the country was marked as one of the most vulnerable in the world in terms of origin of human trafficking. The TIP report issued on June 14 relegated Bangladesh's status to tier-3 on the ground of failure "to make significant efforts to prosecute traffickers". This upgrade follows a visit by a delegation of the US state department that had praises for the government regarding the steps taken in this respect, especially in meeting the six-point recommendations.
The home secretary added that the government has undertaken a plan of action to combat human trafficking. He mentioned that an additional 30 cases of trafficking were selected to be dispose of under speedy trial tribunals and the home ministry officials would sit every week to select at least 10 pending cases of human trafficking and public prosecutors would be trained to prosecute effectively. An annual report on the trafficking situation will also be published. New Age August 22.
Verdict on jail killing Sept 7
A Dhaka court fixed September 7 for the delivery of judgement in the sensational jail killing case. After completion of the arguments of the prosecution and the defence, Judge Mohammad Motiur Rahman of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court fixed the date.
The court recorded the statements of 64 of 75 prosecution witnesses and the trial was completed in 277 workdays. -Daily Star, August 22.
River linking will violate Ganges water treaty
A vested group in India has been trying to implement the controversial river interlinking project keeping quarters concerned completely in the dark as far as surveys and studies are concerned, Indian experts told a South Asian consultation. Reaz Rahman, foreign affairs adviser to the Prime Minister, said implementation of the project would violate the 30-year water treaty between Bangladesh and India. The experts stressed on a common regional position to devise a strategy for fair and justifiable utilisation of common water.-NewAge August 22.
Lawyers won't call 'My Lord' to new HC judges
The appointment of 19 additional judges to the High Court has triggered resentment among lawyers who described the recruitment as the worstcase example of political motives. The Supreme Court Bar Association resolved that the judges whom the lawyers called unqualified should not be addressed as "My Lord" which should be replaced by a new term in consultation with the association.-Daily Star, August 24.
Limits on journos' entry
The home ministry August 23 restricted journalists' entry to the ministry and asked them to make prior appointment from now on to get in there. The on-duty policemen on the ground floor of the ministry barred the journalists in the morning from taking the lift upstairs, where the state minister and other high officials sit, on instructions from 'the high-ups'. Journalists from now on will have to contact the home ministry officials beforehand for appointment and gather information from the public relations officer. But the restriction was withdrawn later. -Daily Star, August 24, 25.
SC Bar asks 19 new addl judges to stand down
The Supreme Court Bar Association asked the 19 newly appointed additional judges of the High Court (HC) to stand down voluntarily and protested the chief justice's swearing them into office ignoring their reservations about the fresh appointees. The lawyers also boycotted both divisions of the Supreme Court yesterday in line with a decision of Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad, an association of lawyers, protesting the appointment of judges on what it said were political grounds. The lawyers also boycotted courts across the country. - Daily Star, August 25.
Interpol to help probe rally attack
Interpol will assist Bangladesh in investigating Saturday's deadly grenade attacks on an Awami League (AL) rally that killed 19 people and injured 200 others. But the decision did not satisfy the AL that demanded an independent international body to probe the incident on its own rather than assist the government or the police.- Daily Star, August 27.