Author: Sumon Admin

Muhammad Azizul Haque: Freedom of speech or expression predates modern international human rights instruments. Like freedom of association and free media, freedom of speech is considered an indispensable pillar of democracy. Without this marble column, the great edifice of democracy is bound to rapidly collapse.    Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) asserts everyone's right to freedom of opinion and expression. Freedom of expression is also recognised in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). However, freedom entails responsibility and that 'responsibility' signifies 'limits.' This view is unambiguously corroborated by Article 19 of the ICCPR. It inter alia states that the exercise of these rights car...

    Drug Administration Department sees illegal transaction of money all through -- from issuing licence to drug registration, according to study of Transparency International Bangladesh. Around Tk 500 to Tk 15 lakh are exchanged for the issuance of new licences for pharmaceutical companies, its renewal, project handover, drugs registration etc, the report said. Drug companies have to pay Tk 5 to 10 lakh to the department for getting licences for Tk 50,000 to 1 lakh for its renewal. The largest illegal transaction takes place for project handover. Approximately Tk 10 to 15 lakh are transacted for this reason. The clients pay Tk 1 to Tk 1.5 lakh for drug registration and between Tk 6,000 and 7,000 for examining sample. Officials at the department and their clients are most...

    BNP has identified and expelled two of its US-based leaders for faking a statement of US House Committee on Foreign Affairs and six Congressmen condemning the confinement of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The two leaders have been identified as Zahid Sardar and Mojibor Rahman, both special advisers to the party and based in the United States. The announcement came from BNP’s Vice-Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka at a press briefing in New York on Tuesday local time, Syrul Kabir Khan, a staff of BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s media wing confirmed The Daily Star Online. “A press release will soon be floated to the media in this regard,” Syrul said. “Zahid Sardar and Mojibor Rahman were appointed as special envoys to BNP in the US. Their appointment has been annulled in wake of th...

BNP has to pledge to stop terrorism, cut militant ties and ask courteously, says HT Imam     The government would consider a dialogue with BNP if it “moves away from the path of violence” and “asks nicely”, a key adviser to the prime minister said today in a major policy decision for the ruling Awami League. The statement came in the backdrop of months of outright rejection of the proposal of a political dialogue demanded by the opposition bloc and recent violent demonstration that came along BNP-led alliance’s non-stop blockade. BNP also hinted putting an end to their ongoing countrywide agitation on the promise of a dialogue for an inclusive general election. Since the January 5, 2014 parliamentary election, key ministers and policymakers repeatedly rejected the proposa...

  Burglars stole Tk 1.57 crore from state-run Rupali Bank’s main branch in Faripur town using duplicate keys, authorities found out today. Police detained four people in this connection and were quizzing them in, our local correspondent reports quoting Bijoy Boshak, additional superintendent of Faridpur police. Authorities discovered the burglary this morning, said Ashak Kumar Singh Roy, deputy general manager of the victim Rupali Bank branch. “We opened the vault around 10:15am today and found around Tk 1.57 crore missing.” “Someone opened the volt of the bank by using duplicate key and theft the money anytime between Friday and Saturday,” he added. The detained were three security guards and a bank official, our Faridpur correspondent reports. “They are being interrogated ove...

  The first phase of the Biswa Ijtema, the second largest global Muslims’ congregation, ended today with Akheri Munajat seeking the spiritual wellbeing and welfare of the Muslim Ummah. Indian Islamic scholar Mawlana Saad began the Akheri Munajat around 11:30am today at the banks of river Turag in Tongi, reports our Gazipur correspondent from the spot. The prayers ended at 11:49am. The prayers were attended by hundreds of thousands of devotees who gathered at the venue defying an existing countrywide blockade programme sponsored by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. President Abdul Hamid took part in the Akheri Munajat from his Bangabhaban residence and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from her Gono Bhaban official residence. They sought peace and prosperity of the country as well as the...

  BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been kept confined to her Gulshan office in Dhaka for the eighth consecutive day. Two pick-up vans and water cannon, which were kept in front of the office since Sunday midnight, are still there. However, the main gate of the office was found unlocked since 8:00pm yesterday. The security in front of the office seems quite relaxed today, reports our correspondent from the spot. Khaleda was confined to her office since Saturday midnight. Protesting her confinement in her Gulshan office and the locking of the party office by police, Khaleda called an indefinite countrywide blockade which started from January 5

  Human Rights Watch (HRW) has strongly criticised Bangladesh government’s steps towards “curbing” the activities of BNP, the Jamaat-e-Islami, and the media saying such censorship will inflame the already tense situation in the country. In a press release issued today, the global rights group said the government should immediately end “use of excessive force, stop arbitrary arrests of members of opposition parties, and lift restrictions on the media.” “The government’s indiscriminate use of force, arbitrary arrests, and censorship will only inflame an already tense situation,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Authorities have an obligation to protect the public, but need to do it in a way that doesn’t throw human rights and the rule of law out the window...

The ancestral home of High Court judge Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque in Feni was set on fire hours after he ordered the government to stop publicising BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman’s statements in the media. His ancestral residence in Mohammadpur area of Feni Sadar upazila was torched sometime last night, reports our local correspondent from the spot. Locals said unidentified assailants poured kerosene on the tin-shed house and set it on fire. The house was partially gutted, however, no one was injured in the incident. Soon after receiving information, additional superintendent of Feni police, Saiful Haque, rushed to the spot. “We do not know who are involved. Appropriate actions will be taken against the perpetrators after investigation,” he told reporters. Yesterday, Justice Qua...

  National team cricketer Rubel Hossain was sent to jail today after his surrender before court in connection with a rape case filed by film actress Naznin Akter Happy. Rubel, who received a four-week anticipatory bail on December 15, appeared before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Anwar Sadat this morning and submitted a petition for bail. After hearing, the court rejected his petition and ordered authorities to send Rubel to jail. The pacer, who is in the 15-member national squad which is going to represent Bangladesh in the upcoming cricket World Cup, was at the centre of controversy since Happy came up with the allegation of rape against him recently. Happy filed the case under the Prevention of Women and Child Repression Act on December 13 accusing Rubel of luring her...