Headline News

Indo-Bangla ties worsened after Bangabandhu's death

Relations between India and Bangladesh worsened after the death of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, as political parties instilled anti-India sentiment in people to gain political advantage.
Such practice by the political parties even adversely affected the economic development of both the countries, said speakers at a discussion yesterday on “Bangabandhu: Relationship with India under present perspective” at the city's Engineers' Institute organised by Shaheed M Mansur Ali Smrity Sangsad. The organisation arranged the discussion to mark the August 15, 1975 tragedy.
They also said Bangabandhu had established a strong bilateral relationship with largest neighbouring country India considering its economic potentials.
Without mentioning any political party, Golam Sarwar, editor of Dainik Samakal, said political parties were reluctant to identify India as a friend in fear of losing public acceptance during elections.
He however said the situation has changed for the last one and a half years and bilateral relations have improved.
Manjurul Ahsan Khan, president of Bangladesh Communist Party, said Bangabandhu had never compromised on anything that went against the country's interests.
Rashed Khan Menon, president of Workers Party of Bangladesh, said there were fears after the country's independence as to whether it would be a right decision to build a good relationship with India, but Bangabandhu had made it clear that there was nothing to be ashamed of having good relations with a friendly state.
Speakers have expressed frustration saying that even 39 years into the Liberation War, no memorial has been made in Bangladesh in memory of Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in 1971.
They praised the ruling Awami League-led alliance government for signing contracts with India and hoped that the contracts would be implemented accordingly.
At the programme, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan said it is expected that people of both the countries will start getting benefits of the bilateral agreements from next year.
-Daily Star

 

Salahuddin back to assist spinners

Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons wants his former assistant Mohammad Salahuddin to assist the spinners in the national team’s training camp on Monday.
Salahuddin worked as a fielding coach of the national side until November 2009 when he was replaced by Sri Lankan Ruwan Kalpage. He was appointed again as fielding coach after Kalpage left in March.
The BCB recently added him to the coaching staff of GP-BCB National Academy side and appointed ex-British baseball player Julien Fountain as the new fielding coach of the Tigers.
During his days as the national team’s assistant coach Salahuddin also earned a reputation for assisting spinners something which Siddons had kept in his mind. One of his major tasks as coach was correcting the bowling action of Abdur Razzak, which had impressed the Australian highly.
The BCB is now at the closing stage of signing a deal with South African Lance Klusener as the bowling coach, but it is assumed that the appointment of former all-rounder will bring no benefit to the spinners, who are always at the heart of Bangladesh’s game plan.
Siddons found a solution for spinners in Salahuddin and approached the game development committee of the BCB, to which he is now attached, seeking assistance of his former assistant.
The game development committee made no delay in giving him the responsibility in addition to his current job as a coach of the GP-BCB National Cricket Academy. And Salahuddin also did not have any complaint.
‘I am always ready to help the national side in any capacity, although my first priority is now lies with the academy,’ Salahuddin told reporters on the sideline of Tigers’ practice session at Mirpur.
‘It would be great if I could come to any help for the national side provided it did not hamper the practice of the academy side,’ said Salahuddin.
Aminul Haque Moni, chairman of the game development committee, said they have no problem with Salahuddin assisting the national spinners.
‘We are always for greater benefit of Bangladesh cricket. If he can come to the help of national spinners we will always welcome the idea,’ said Moni.
Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, the supreme beneficiary of Salahuddin’s coaching, was ecstatic at the inclusion of his former coach.
‘Nobody should have any doubt about his ability. The way he handled my bowling action problem was amazing. I don’t think any foreigner would have solved my problem that easily,’ said Razzak.
‘This is an age of specialisation and everybody should get specialised help. Definitely his inclusion will be of great help for us,’ said Razak.

 

333-member central committee of Swechhasebak Dal formed

  Jatiyabadi Swechha-sebak Dal, the voluntary wing of the BNP, has finally formed its 333-member full-fledged central committee, over 10 months after the announcement of its president and general secretary.
On October 11, 2009, the incomplete committee of Swechhasebak Dal was formed with Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel as president and Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu as general secretary. Later Shafiul Bari Babu was made organising secretary.
The BNP secretary general, Khandker Delwar Hossain, Monday approved the full-fledged central committee of Swechhasebak Dal.
Monir Hossain has been made senior vice-president while Ali Rezaur Rahman Ripon and Yasin Ali were made joint secretaries. A total of 33 members were made vice-presidents and 12 appointed joint secretaries. Some 146 have been made as central members.

JS panel to probe Aug 2007 incidents at DU

A parliamentary subcommittee on education ministry would probe the campus incidents across the country, originating from Dhaka University on August 20-23, 2007, to find out the exact role of military personnel, its intelligence and others, said Rashed Khan Menon, MP, on Monday.
‘We will submit a report of the findings to parliament, after reviewing media reports and interviewing the students, teachers and the army personnel, who were involved in the incidents,’ said Menon who heads a parliamentary standing committee on education ministry.
The subcommittee, he said, would reinvestigate the incidents not out of vengeance for any quarter, but to find out the truth.
Dhaka University observed Black Day on Monday, August 23, to mark the third anniversary of the excesses, the army personnel had committed against the students during a soccer match on the campus during the emergency.
The protests flared up after the assault of some students by army personnel camped on the university campus when a football match was in progress on August 20, 2007. Two university teachers were also assaulted by the army personnel of the temporary camp housed in the university the gymnasium.
The protests soon spread elsewhere, including major educational institutions in Dhaka and across the country.
Four Dhaka University teachers, three Rajshahi University teachers and scores of students were arrested in connection with the incident.
Marking the ‘black day’, teachers, students and employees of Dhaka University wore black badges on Monday. Classes at the university were suspended for two hours from 11:00am.
At a discussion meeting at the Dhaka University Teacher-Student Centre commemorating the incident, Menon also said the government had already decided not to continue with the 68 cases filed against the teachers, students and general people after the uprising.
‘If any more cases over the incident are detected, those will also be withdrawn…,’ the lawmaker said.
Dhaka University vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique called for a complete and fair investigation and trial of the August 2007 incidents.
‘People should know who were involved in the incidents and whose failure caused it,’ he said.
‘Such nasty incidents will not happen again if everything relating to the August 2007 incidents comes to light,’ he observed. ‘It was the courage, honesty and patriotism of the Dhaka University teachers and students, which inspired them to protest against the undemocratic forces.’
The pro-VC Harun-ur-Rashid and DU Teachers’ Association’s former general secretary Anwar Hossain, who were arrested on August 23, 2007, and DUTA president Khandaker Bazlul Haq also addressed the audience, among others.
Teachers Against Oppression also held a rally on the foot of the Aparajeya Bangla at 10:00am to mark the occasion.
Since 2008, DU is observing August 23, the day its teachers Anwar Hossain and Harun-ur-Rashid were arrested, as ‘black day’.

RU teachers, students observe Black Day

Black Day was observed at Rajshahi University on Monday, marking the repression on teachers and students on the campus on this day in 2007.
The Anti-communalism and Anti-imperialism Teachers Forum of the university brought out a rally and paraded the campus roads marking the day.
Afterwards, the repressed teachers and students were honoured at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium.
RU vice-chancellor Professor Abdus Sobhan, pro-VC Professor Muhammad Nurullah, Professor Hassan Azizul Haque, Kayesh
Uddin, Fayek Uzzaman, Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan, Golam Sabbir Sattar Tapu, Moloy Kumar Bhowmik, Dulal Chandra Bishwash,
Selim Reja Neuton, Al Mamun and Sakhawat Hossain, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Repressed teacher Professor Saidur Rahman Khan, who is now the Bangladesh high commissioner to the United Kingdom, also greeted the participants of the meeting through mobile phone message.