File PhotoNews Bangla Online Report

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid on Sunday appealed to a Dhaka court to discharge him from the charges of 21 August grenade attack cases.

Mujahid’s counsel Nazrul Islam placed the discharge petition as Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 resumed the charge framing hearing against BNP Senior Vice-President Tarique Rahman and 51 other accused in the cases in the morning.

Nazrul Islam was placing different points before the court in support of the discharge petition around 12:15pm till filing of this report.

During the October 17 hearing, the counsel of Lt Commander (retd) Saiful Islam Duke, nephew of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, appealed to the court to discharge his client from the charges.

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on July 3 submitted the supplementary charge sheets mentioning 30 names in addition to the 22 accused in the main charge sheets.

Thirty-two of the accused including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and Mujahid are now in jail. Tarique and 10 others were described as fugitives in the supplementary charge sheets.

Twenty-four people including Awami League leader Ivy Rahman were killed and around 200 others injured in the grisly grenade attack on an AL rally at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. The then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack.

Two cases--one under Explosive Substances Act and the other for killing people--filed in connection with the attack were shifted to the speedy tribunal on September 9 this year for quick disposal.

Bangladesh-WI Test: Wet outfield ruins 3rd day play

The October 22 photo shows workers clean Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium ground where the second day's play of the first Test between Bangladesh and West Indies called off due to heavy overnight rain. News Bangla Online Report

The third day's play of the first test between Bangladesh and West Indies at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong was called off due to wet outfield caused by heavy overnight and early morning rain.

The umpires abandoned the day's play around 90 minutes after the scheduled start, cricinfo reports.

The entire ground was under covers in the morning and though the rain had relented, enough water had seeped through to leave wet patches around the field.

Though the sun did break out, it wasn't hot and bright enough, nor was there enough wind, to ensure the ground dried up in time to get some play in.

Bangladesh supporters and fans have become frustrated since they were hopeful of a good result as the hosts were scheduled to resume the day's play with 255-4 on the scoreboard.

2 killed in Kushtia ‘shootout’

News Bangla Online Report

Two alleged auto-rickshaw lifters were killed in a ‘shootout’ between their cohorts and Rapid Action Battalion members on the outskirts of Kushtia town early Sunday.

The deceased are Zia and Milon Hossain of Chourhash in the town, reports our Kushtia correspondent.

Rab sources said the elite force members received information that a gang hijacked a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Gazipur and moved to the Kushtia-Khulna highway.

Being informed by Gazipur Rab, members of Rab-12 went to Bhadalia and challenged an auto-rickshaw passing the highway.

The three-wheelers plunged into a roadside ditch after being chased by the Rab men.

Five lifters went out of the auto-rickshaw and opened fire on the elite force members around 2:30am, forcing them to fire back that triggered a ‘gunfight’, said Lt Abdullah Al Mehedi, commander of Rab-12, Kushtia unit.

Two of the gang was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot while the rest three managed to flee the scene, he said.

Injunction on tree felling at Netrakona

This October 13 file photo shows old trees at Birishiri of Netrakona.News Bangla Online Report

The High Court on Sunday issued an injunction on felling trees on both sides of the road from Jhanjail Bazar to Durgapur upazila in Netrakona for three months.

The court issued the suo moto order following an editorial published on The Daily Star on October 15 with a headline ‘Old trees, an asset’ and a news item published on October 14 with a headline ‘Birishiri tree felling goes on’.

The court in the rule asked the government to explain in four weeks why its decision to cut the trees should not be declared illegal.

Earlier on October 11, the HC directed the government to maintain status quo for ten days on felling the trees following a writ petition filed by Liton Mrong, general secretary of Garo Baptist Convention Bangladesh (GBCB)

The HC however on Sunday summarily rejected the writ petition since the petitioner’s claim to be owner of the disputed land.

Hearing against New Age journos Nov 27

News Bangla Online Report

The International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday fixed November 27 for hearing the contempt of court rule against the editor, publisher and a journalist of the daily New Age for publishing an article on October 3.

The three-member tribunal headed by its Chairman Justice Nizamul Huq fixed the date following an adjournment prayer moved by Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan, a counsel for the New Age.

The tribunal on October 3 issued a show cause notice on them to explain why contempt charges should not be brought against them for publishing an article titled “A crucial period for International Crimes Tribunal” in its OP-ED page written by David Bergman, Editor (special reports) on October 1.

As per the order, Mustafizur on Sunday submitted a reply to the show cause notice on behalf of New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, Publisher ASM Shahidullah Khan and Journalist David Bergman before the tribunal.

Later, the court fixed the date and said the hearing on the contempt rule will be held only in presence of the counsels for the daily, prosecutors and judges.

Mustafizur prayed to the court to keep the reply submitted by him secret.

The tribunal asked him to supply a copy of the reply to the prosecutor.