জেলে থাকার কথা, কিন্তু রাজনীতিতে সরব তিনি

• দুর্নীতির মামলায় গত বছর ৮ নভেম্বর হাইকোর্টের রায় হয় 
• হাইকোর্টের দেওয়া রায় এখনো বিচারিক আদালতে পৌঁছায়নি
• তাই নাজমুল হুদাকে আত্মসমর্পণও করতে হচ্ছে না
• নাজমুল হুদার সর্বশেষ গঠিত দল নিবন্ধন পেতে যাচ্ছে 
• নির্বাচনের প্রাক্কালে জমে উঠেছে নাজমুল-খেল

স্বাভাবিক প্রক্রিয়ায় নাজমুল হুদার এখন থাকার কথা জেলে। কিন্তু হাইকোর্টের দেওয়া একটি রায় প্রায় এক বছরেও রহস্যজনকভাবে বিচারিক আদালতে পৌঁছায়নি। এই বিলম্বের সুযোগে তিনি বহাল তবিয়তে রাজনীতিতে সক্রিয় আছেন। আলোচনায় থাকার অভিলাষে মুখরোচক কথা বলায় তাঁর জুড়ি নেই।

নাজমুল হুদার সর্বশেষ গঠিত দল ‘তৃণমূল বিএনপি’ নির্বাচন কমিশনে নিবন্ধনও পেতে যাচ্ছে। গত রোববার হাইকোর্ট নির্বাচন কমিশনকে তেমন নির্দেশই দিয়েছেন। নির্বাচনের প্রাক্কালে জমে উঠেছে নাজমুল–খেল।

আইনজীবী নাজমুল হুদার বিরুদ্ধে আলোচিত মামলা তিনটি। তিনটিই হয় ২০০৭-০৮ সালের তত্ত্বাবধায়ক সরকারের সময়। এর একটি জ্ঞাত আয়বহির্ভূত অবৈধ সম্পদ অর্জনের (এক্সটোরশন) অভিযোগে করা। দ্বিতীয়টি এক ঠিকাদারি প্রতিষ্ঠানের কাছ থেকে প্রতি মাসে ২৫ হাজার টাকা হিসেবে ৬ লাখ টাকা অবৈধভাবে গ্রহণের দায়ে করা। তৃতীয় মামলার অভিযোগ ২ কোটি ৪০ লাখ টাকা ঘুষ গ্রহণের।

বিচারিক আদালত প্রথম মামলাটিতে নাজমুল হুদাকে ১২ বছর সাজা দেন। এই সাজার বিরুদ্ধে তাঁর আপিলের পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে হাইকোর্ট ২০১৪ সালের ১০ সেপ্টেম্বর প্রথম মামলাটি খারিজ করে তাঁকে শাস্তি থেকে অব্যাহতি দেন।

দ্বিতীয় মামলাটি বিচারাধীন। তবে আদালতের আদেশে মামলার কার্যক্রম বন্ধ আছে।

তৃতীয় মামলাটিতে নাজমুল হুদাকে সাত বছর এবং তাঁর স্ত্রী আইনজীবী সিগমা হুদাকে তিন বছরের কারাদণ্ড এবং উভয়কেই অর্থদণ্ড দেওয়া হয়। এই রায়ের বিরুদ্ধেও নাজমুল হুদা দম্পতি হাইকোর্টে আপিল করলে ২০১১ সালের ২০ মার্চ হাইকোর্ট আপিল মঞ্জুর করেন এবং মামলার প্রক্রিয়া শেষে বিচারিক আদালতের দেওয়া সাজার রায় বাতিল ঘোষণা করেন। হাইকোর্টের এই রায়ের বিরুদ্ধে রাষ্ট্রপক্ষ ও দুর্নীতি দমন কমিশন (দুদক) আপিলের অনুমতি চেয়ে আবেদন (লিভ টু আপিল) করে। এর ওপর শুনানি শেষে ২০১৪ সালের ১ ডিসেম্বর আপিল বিভাগ খালাসের রায় বাতিল করে পুনরায় আপিল শুনানি করতে হাইকোর্টকে নির্দেশ দেন।

এই নির্দেশের পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে শুনানি নিয়ে হাইকোর্ট গত বছরের ৮ নভেম্বর রায় ঘোষণা করেন। তাতে নাজমুল হুদার সাজা সাত বছর থেকে কমিয়ে চার বছর করা হয়। আর তাঁর স্ত্রী সিগমা হুদাকে বিচারিক আদালতের দেওয়া তিন বছরের সাজার পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে যত দিন কারাগারে ছিলেন, তত দিনই সাজাভোগ হিসেবে গণ্য হবে বলে রায়ে বলা হয়।

বিচারপতি ভবানী প্রসাদ সিংহ ও বিচারপতি মোস্তফা জামান ইসলামের সমন্বয়ে গঠিত হাইকোর্ট বেঞ্চের এই রায় যেদিন বিচারিক আদালতে পৌঁছাবে, সেদিন থেকে পরবর্তী ৪৫ দিনের মধ্যে নাজমুল হুদাকে বিচারিক আদালতে আত্মসমর্পণেরও নির্দেশ দেন আদালত। গত বছরের ৮ নভেম্বর দেওয়া হাইকোর্টের এই রায়টিই গতকাল সোমবার পর্যন্ত বিচারিক আদালতে পৌঁছায়নি বলে প্রথম আলোকে নিশ্চিত করেছেন দুদকের আইনজীবী খুরশীদ আলম খান।

জানতে চাইলে নাজমুল হুদা সম্প্রতি টেলিফোনে প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, ‘বিচারিক আদালতে রায় পৌঁছার ৪৫ দিনের মধ্যে আমার সেই আদালতে উপস্থিত হওয়ার কথা। কিন্তু বিচারিক আদালতে তো রায় পৌঁছায়নি। এ ছাড়া অন্য কোনো মামলায় আমার জামিন নেওয়ার বিষয় নেই।’

দীর্ঘ রাজনৈতিক জীবনে বিএনপিতে থাকাকালে আওয়ামী লীগের বিরুদ্ধে অনেক মুখরোচক কথা বলে বারবার আলোচনায় এসেছেন নাজমুল হুদা। আওয়ামী লীগের শীর্ষ নেতাদের তিনি কঠোর ও ব্যঙ্গাত্মক ভাষায় সমালোচনা করেছেন। একইভাবে বিএনপি ছাড়ার পর বিএনপির শীর্ষ নেতাদের বিরুদ্ধেও অনেক কথা বলে আলোচিত হয়ে আসছেন।

সর্বশেষ তিনি আলোচনায় আসেন সাবেক প্রধান বিচারপতি সুরেন্দ্র কুমার (এস কে) সিনহার বিরুদ্ধে মামলা করে। গত ২৭ সেপ্টেম্বর শাহবাগ থানায় তিনি এস কে সিনহার বিরুদ্ধে ক্ষমতার অপব্যবহার ও ঘুষ গ্রহণের অভিযোগে মামলাটি করেন।

পেশাদার আইনজীবী থেকে নাজমুল হুদার রাজনীতিতে পদার্পণ ১৯৭৭ সালে, সাবেক রাষ্ট্রপতি জিয়াউর রহমানের গঠিত জাগদলের মাধ্যমে। জাগদলের ধারাবাহিকতায় গঠিত হয় বিএনপি। নাজমুল হুদা বিএনপির প্রতিষ্ঠাকালীন সদস্য। পর্যায়ক্রমে দলটির ভাইস চেয়ারম্যান হন। দীর্ঘ রাজনৈতিক জীবনে তিনি চারবার সংসদ সদস্য নির্বাচিত হন। বিভিন্ন মেয়াদে খাদ্য, তথ্য এবং যোগাযোগ মন্ত্রণালয়ের মন্ত্রী হিসেবে দায়িত্ব পালন করেন।

সিগমা হুদা মানবাধিকার আন্দোলনের একজন নেত্রী হিসেবে পরিচিত। নাজমুল হুদা যোগাযোগমন্ত্রী থাকাকালে তাঁর স্ত্রীর সংগঠন ‘জাতীয় মানবাধিকার বাস্তবায়ন সংস্থা’-এর কার্যালয় স্থাপনের জন্য রেল বিভাগের জমি ইজারা দিয়ে দুজনেই সমালোচিত হন।

২০১০ সাল থেকে বিএনপির সঙ্গে নাজমুল হুদার টানাপোড়েন শুরু হয়। দল তাঁকে বহিষ্কার করে। সেই বহিষ্কারের আদেশের পরও বিএনপির পরিচয়েই রাজনীতিতে থাকার চেষ্টা করেন। তবে বেশি দিন নয়। ২০১২ সালের জুনে তিনি বিএনপি থেকে পদত্যাগ করেন। এর মাস দুয়েকের মধ্যে বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনালিস্ট ফ্রন্ট (বিএনএফ) নামে নতুন একটি দল গঠনের আনুষ্ঠানিক ঘোষণা দেন। কিন্তু এর কয়েক মাসের মধ্যেই ফ্রন্টের আরেক নেতা আবুল কালাম আজাদ তাঁকে ফ্রন্ট থেকে বহিষ্কার করেন।

কিন্তু নাজমুল হুদা দমে যাওয়ার পাত্র নন। ২০১৪ সালের মে মাসে তিনি গঠন করেন বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনালিস্ট অ্যালায়েন্স (বিএনএ)। অবশ্য তাঁর এই উদ্যোগও দীর্ঘায়ু হয়নি। ফলে মাস ছয়েকের মধ্যেই ২০১৪ সালের নভেম্বরে গঠন করেন বাংলাদেশ মানবাধিকার পার্টি (বিএমপি)।

তবে রাজনৈতিক দল গঠন নাজমুল হুদার জন্য পয়মন্ত হয়নি। ফলে বিএমপিও পরিত্যক্ত হয়। ২০১৫ সালের নভেম্বরে গড়ে তোলেন নতুন দল ‘তৃণমূল বিএনপি’। এখন তিনি এই দলের সভাপতি। দলটিকে নিবন্ধন দিতে হাইকোর্ট গত রোববার নির্বাচন কমিশনকে নির্দেশ দিয়েছেন।

জানতে চাইলে সুপ্রিম কোর্টের আইনজীবী শাহদীন মালিক গতকাল প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, একটি রায় পৌঁছাতে এক বছর লাগার কথা নয়। কিন্তু আজকাল পূর্ণাঙ্গ রায় পেতে ছয় মাস বা নয় মাসও লেগে যায়। এসব ব্যাপারে সংস্কার প্রয়োজন। কিন্তু সংস্কারের ব্যাপারে বহু বছর ধরে কার্যকর উদ্যোগ নেই।

• কার্টসিঃ প্রথম আলো/ নভেম্বর ০৬,২০১৮ 

NBR faces Tk 110b revenue shortfall in first quarter

Lower allocation for dev projects blamed

The revenue board has faced a Tk 110 billion shortfall against its target in the first quarter of the current fiscal year as the government allocated less for the development projects, its head said on Sunday. Tax collection has not increased as expected in the July-September period of the fiscal as the release of funds against public sector projects remained poor in the first two months, said chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.

"We hope to offset the deficit in the next quarter (October-December)," he said.

His optimistic views came at a showcasing programme of NBR's innovation, held in Dhaka.

Principal Coordinator (SDG affairs) of the Prime Minister's Office Abul Kalam Azad attended the programme as the chief guest.

The NBR has showcased 11 innovative ideas to simplify tax collection and monitoring system.

The innovative systems are: Benapass for customs, audit management, demand and collection tool, bank search tool, advance tax reminder tool, excel sheet income tax return processing, VAT-east, customs e-payment, e-EGM, LTU-VAT mobile app, and e-savings.

These software and mobile apps have already been implemented in a few tax, VAT and customs offices.

Speaking at the programme, Mr Azad said the integrated software can bring about better results in simplifying tax collection process.

"The country will lose its investment potential unless the tax payment process is simplified. Investors will choose other destinations," he said.

He suggested that the NBR explore the possibility of launching paperless office and show path to other government entities.

He appreciated the innovations of the tax -collecting authority and recommended honouring relevant officials with proper incentives for their creativity.

NBR chairman said the innovations should be implemented in field-level tax offices too.

"We want to increase revenue by ensuring transparency and making the tax payment system hassle-free," he said.

The NBR is now compiling the actual data of revenue collection reconciling with those of the Controller General of Accounts Office's, he said, adding there is no tempered data at NBR now.

He said the target for revenue collection has been increased in line with the increase in budget size.

The NBR chairman said the board with its 34,000 manpower can create an example of paperless office.

Kanon Kumar Roy, income tax policy member and convener of innovation team, said the innovations will be scaled up to other tax offices soon.

He gave a presentation with the details on the operations of the innovations at the NBR.

Mr Roy said the expansion of the NBR is imperative to increasing revenue collection.

Dr Jamaluddin Ahmed, former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), said there are some 90,000 villages in the country where business activity is going on.

Those businesses should be brought under tax net through expansion, he said.

"Budget size can be increased by three-fold by brining those economic activities under the tax net," he said.

Of the innovations, beanpole land customs station is using the Benapass software to expedite import and export activities, data entry of the car pass through one-stop service.

Currently, it is taking only two minutes in the data entry process through the software instead of earlier 10 to 15 minutes.

VAT East software has been installed at the Customs, Excise and VAT commissionarates, Dhaka (east) for checking Business Identification Number (BIN), lodge complains, find VAT offices, compliance alert, acknowledgement receipt, taxpayers' survey, spot assessment, etc.

E-savings software, an innovation of the National Savings Directorate, would help the entity to determine the maximum ceiling of investment in the saving certificates.

With the software, the encashment of savings tools can be made through automated payment slip.

• The Financial Express/ Nov 05, 2018 

“New bank licences on political grounds”

EDITORIAL

Finance minister says it all

Through this statement of his, the finance minister just confirmed what was already known, and the reason this was known is because it couldn't have been based on any logical reasoning. After all, the other private banks that had similarly been given licences based on political considerations a few years back have already failed to perform. And not only that, allegations of money laundering through some of these banks were also brought forth a number of times only to be ignored by the concerned authorities.

As one Bangladesh Bank official said in a report previously published by this newspaper, the central bank could not completely monitor these banks as they were owned by politically influential people—despite some of them being linked to loan scams, aggressive lending and violations of banking regulations among other issues, posing serious threats to the banking sector according to the central bank's own assessment.

Given that members of the ruling party also have very close ties with three out of the four new banks, can we really expect them to perform any differently once operational?

Why then is the central bank going ahead with issuing licences to them? And why is the finance minister, knowing all this, not intervening? Have we not seen him or his ministry intervene with matters concerning the central bank before, even when experts pleaded him not to? Is the finance minister really this helpless to intervene in affairs concerning the nation's financial sector, which is already reeling from being hit with one scam after another?

If that is the case then who really is running our financial sector? The people deserve to know.

In either case, we once again reiterate our call to whoever is in charge of our banking sector, to learn from past mistakes, and to refrain from issuing licences to new banks based on political considerations as that can only push the sector further and quicker towards a major debacle.

• Courtesy: The Daily Star/ Nov 05, 2018

Recent economic growth favoured the wealthy: Debapriya

Poor were worse off, the noted economist said

The economic growth in recent years has favoured the richest section of the society and the disparity increased between 2010 and 2016, said Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, in a lecture yesterday.

The country, which posted 4.53 percent GDP growth during 1991-95, grew 6.32 percent from 2011 to 2015. The per capita GDP and per capita gross national income experienced an almost fivefold increase between 1990 and 2017.

“The benefits of our recent economic growth have been very unevenly distributed. This is an uncomfortable truth and this disparity remains concealed in the exciting discourse of the economic development.”

Bhattacharya made the observation while presenting the Abdul Ghafur Memorial Lecture 2018 styled 'The Uncomfortable Truth: Recent Economic Growth Performance' organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies at its office in Dhaka.

Within the country's enviable growth performance one can notice that there are certain disquieting signals emanating from the economy, he said while citing various global reports such as Oxfam's 'The Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index 2018', where Bangladesh was one of the worst performers.

Poor people as percentage of population more than halved to 24.3 percent between 2000 and 2016, but the pace of poverty reduction has slowed down in recent years.

Based on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the poorest 5 percent population lost out two-thirds of their share and now holds only a minuscule 0.23 percent of total income.

“We observed that not only poorest section of the society, even the lower middle class has experienced an erosion of its income share.”

On the other hand, the richest 10 percent, including the top 5 percent households, enhanced their share of income between 2010 and 2016.

The bottom 5 percent households lost asset share whereas the top 5 percent show noticeable rise in the same, he said.

“Asset inequality is increasing at a faster pace than income inequality and income inequality is increasing at a faster pace than consumption inequality.”

Manifestations of the trend of disparity may be observed not only in case of consumption, income and asset ownership, but also in areas of employment, human and regional development, he said.

Bhattacharya mentioned of sluggish trend in growth in employment, rising youth unemployment, disparity in health and education.

“This creates uneasiness among us and there is a mentality of denial among policymakers about the trend. But instead, we should accept that and discuss based on evidence.”

He went on to refer the high level of default loans and illicit capital outflow from the country to further his point.

“If all the resources got invested in the country in proper ways, then we could have had a radically different gainful employment and inequality situation.”

The recent period is characterised by a lack of political competition, weakening of voice and oversight institutions.

“One wonders whether enfeebling of the accountability mechanism has led to undermining economic governance and consequently marginalisation of the disenfranchised stakeholders in the distribution of benefits of development,” he added.

At the discussion, Mohammad Tareque, a former finance secretary, said life expectancy is rising despite inequality. 

“If we look at it, we would not find the reason,” he said.

In response, Bhattacharya said life expectancy of a poor person in rural area would be much less than that of a well-off person in the urban area.

BIDS Director General KAS Murshid said a lot of the changes -- massive demographic change, migration and emergence of a new class -- are taking place.

“Under these changes, inequality would rise. But we have to see how much is tolerable,” he said, while calling for structural changes to address the inequality.

BIDS Research Director Binayak Sen said inequality is rising and this is not a new trend.

“The HIES data are yet to be finalised and data are being cleaned. But the situation is not as pessimistic as it has been shown,” he added.

Indirect tax accounts for nearly two-thirds of the tax collection, said Mustafizur Rahman, CPD distinguished fellow.

“It is time to see whether fiscal policy contributes to inequality,” he added.

A lot of money gets wasted for spiral in costs of projects under public sector, said M Asaduzzaman, BIDS Professorial Fellow.

“Inequality could be addressed better if the money would not get wasted,” he added.

CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun stressed on the need for ensuring voice and accountability, governance and rule of law. 

“Because of lack of governance, resources become unequally distributed,” she said.

• Courtesy: The Daily Star /Business/ Nov 05, 5018

Tk 86,687cr projects get Ecnec nod

2nd biggest allocation at single meeting comes only days before the unveiling of polls schedule

The government yesterday approved 39 development projects involving Tk 86,687 crore in an apparent move to woo voters ahead of the next general election. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the projects in a special meeting four days before the Election Commission announces the polls schedule on November 8.

This was the second biggest allocation of money for development projects in a single Ecnec meeting during the tenure of the present government.

In December 2016, Ecnec gave the nod to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant scheme, which is the country's biggest ever project in terms of financial involvement, requiring an estimated Tk 1,13,092.91 crore.

Yesterday, the committee, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, approved the 39 projects which included seven projects for law enforcers and government employees.

Thirty-one of the projects approved are new while the rest are revised ones.

Of the total cost, Tk 66,466 crore will come from the government fund, Tk 313 crore from the agency's fund and Tk 19,907 crore from foreign aid.

Contacted, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumdar expressed doubts about the projects' implementation, as he thought it was “not possible to do due diligence for the many projects passed in the last few meetings”.

“I have serious doubts about whether all aspects -- economic, environmental and others -- of a project are examined properly,” said Imam, also a former member of the planning commission.

He said there was a chance that money would be wasted due to possible future project revisions because of the speed of the approvals.

Imam, also a trustee of Transparency International Bangladesh, further termed the high number of projects “not fair” as it might influence voters. 

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, however, said they maintained all standards to approve the projects.

“We have placed the projects [at the meeting] after conducting 100 percent of the study required for them,” Kamal told journalists after the meeting.

He said they had placed 40 projects at the meeting but one was not approved after scrutiny.

Replying to another question, he said, “There is a link between the election and passing of the projects because I will not be here. I will go to my area for the election campaign. For this reason, I am giving more projects.”

Asked whether anymore Ecnec meetings would be held before the election, he first said it would but then changed his answer and said they would not do anything against the electoral law.

Usually, once the election schedule is announced, no projects are approved.

PROJECTS FOR LAW ENFORCERS AND GOVT EMPLOYEES

There are five projects for police, costing Tk 2,342.48 crore.

They are -- construction of nine residential towers for members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police; setting up a police centre for combating terrorism and other international crimes; constructing residential buildings for top police officials; purchasing vehicles and other equipments to enhance police capacity and a project for enhancing highway police capacity.

Ecnec also green-lighted the Tk 340.57 crore project for enhancing technical capacity of Rab.

A Tk 1,921.81 crore project was approved for constructing high-rise buildings at Azimpur in the capital for government employees.

Furthermore, another project, costing Tk 165.20 crore, for expanding the diving unit of fire service and civil defence was also given the nod.

PROJECT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING

Ecenc also passed a Tk 125.39 crore project for monitoring social media.

Rab will execute the project between November 2018 and April next year and it will be fully funded by the government.

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The government approved a Tk 3,347.24 crore project for making earthen roads in different villages more durable. Under the project, the government will also construct 13,000 bridges and culverts on village roads in 492 upazilas in the next three and a half years.

It approved two other projects costing Tk 6,578.20 crore and Tk 3,516 crore to construct 15-meter long bridges and culverts in the same upazilas and for repairing village roads respectively.

It also passed a Tk 949.65 crore project for Kushtia, a Tk 797.48 crore one for greater Dhaka, a Tk 1,106 crore one for Faridpur, Tk 1,123 crore one for Gopalganj, a Tk 749.10 crore one for the three hilly districts and a Tk 195.15 crore project for Kurigram and Jamalpur districts.

COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Ecnec approved a Tk 14,250.61 crore project for constructing dual-gauge double-track rail track from Joydebpur to Iswardhi. Of the total cost, China will provide Tk 8,756.76 crore while the government will provide the rest.

The committee also approved a Tk 10,329.66 crore project (revised) for digging a 100-meter canal from Kuril to Boalia in Dhaka and its outskirt. The original cost of the project was Tk 5,145.28 crore.

A Tk 3982.10 crore project was passed for constructing the first terminal at Paira Sea Port while a Tk 4,111.86 crore project for upgrading Dhaka-Khulna highway to a four lane road was also approved.

Furthermore, a Tk 9880.40 crore project (revised) for construction of tunnel under Karnaphuli River in Chittagong was green lighted. The original cost of the project was Tk 8,446.64. Of the total cost, Exim Bank of China will provide 5,913.19 crore.

A Tk 4,268.32 core project (second revision) was approved under the Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project to build Bus Rapid Transit from Airport to Gazipur. The original cost of the project was 2,039.85 crore. Of the total cost, Tk 2,842.51 will come from foreign aid, including from the Asian Development Bank.

Besides, a Tk 3,709.61 crore project was approved for the expanding runway of Cox's Bazar Airport.

URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The urban infrastructure development projects include: Tk 228.79 crore for development of infrastructure of Tangail municipality, Tk 210.61 crore for Tepakhola Lake development in Faridpur town, Tk 145 crore for five municipalities in Cumilla, and Tk 1,378.55 crore for setting up the Bogura-Rangpur-Syedpur gas transmission pipeline.

Besides, there are several projects for hospitals, universities and some government establishments.

• Courtesy: The Daily Star /Nov 05, 2018

Let a free press thrive

EDITORIAL

Without it, a healthy democracy is not possible

Media freedom is under attack the world over. Governments in countries worldwide, with a few exceptions, are doing everything in their power to throttle the media and silence journalists. And those who care about independent journalism are increasingly realising that we can no longer take a free press for granted. This dire state of affairs was recently echoed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who called on the international community and governments to protect journalists and create the necessary conditions for them to work in.

A journalist is murdered every four days, oftentimes for exposing corruption, human rights violations, or political wrongdoing, while those responsible remain untouched. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in the past decade, at least 324 journalists have been murdered and in 85 percent of these cases, there has been no conviction. This year alone, at least 45 journalists have been killed around the world.

The impunity being enjoyed by those responsible for committing crimes against journalists is something that we see all too often in Bangladesh as well. With at least seven unsolved cases of murder of journalists, Bangladesh occupied the 12th spot in CPJ's Global Impunity Index 2018 which “spotlights countries where journalists are slain and their killers go free.” The enactment of the Digital Security Act—which has several provisions that could hurt independent journalism and hamper freedom of speech—means that media institutions and journalists are under more pressure than ever. A free press simply cannot thrive in this climate of fear that seems to have taken hold.

The government must prioritise the unsolved cases of journalists who have been killed and bring to justice those responsible. Without an environment in which journalists feel that they can do their job without being targeted for harassment or murder, the media will not be able to speak truth to power. But such an environment cannot possibly come about unless the government, media institutions and civil society work together.

• Courtesy: The Daily Star/ Nov 04, 2018

Qawmi madrasa rally: City commuters suffer for lack of transports

City dwellers have been suffering due to a shortage of public transport and traffic restrictions imposed on different roads as a Qawmi madrasa platform organised a rally in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan on November 4, 2018.The photo shows that Ripon, who came to the BSSMU for the treatment of his four-month child, has been waiting for bus for hour at Shahbagh to go to Gauchhia in Narayanganj. Photo: Prabir Das

City dwellers have been suffering due to a shortage of public transport and traffic restrictions imposed on different roads as a Qawmi madrasa platform organised a rally in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan today.

Commuters were seen passing through Shahbagh intersection to Matsya Bhaban, Katabon, Nilkhet and Palashi on foot to reach their destinations as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has asked all heavy and light vehicles to avoid the Suhrawardy Udyan area and adjacent places today.

Many of them were seen waiting for public transports in Shahbagh, Paltan and Matsya Bhaban area, reports our staff correspondents and photographers from the spot.

Meanwhile, the traffic diversion has created huge traffic congestion in different areas including Mirpur road starting from Kalyanpur to Panthapath intersection, causing sufferings to city dwellers, our staff correspondent from the spot.  

The patients, who came to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), for treatment have also been sufferings due to the lack of the public transport and following the DMP restriction.

Talking our staff photographer in the morning, Ripon, who came to the BSSMU for the treatment of his four-month-old child this morning, said he has been waiting for a bus at Shahbagh for over an hour for going to Gauchhia in Narayanganj.

The photo shows that no public transports, except private car, rickshaw and CNG-run-auto-rickshaw were seen plying in Shahbagh intersection as the DMP has asked all heavy and light vehicles to avoid the Suhrawardy Udyan area and adjacent places on Sunday, 04 November 2018. Photo: Prabir Das/Star

Apart from the public transport, the number of cars in the streets was fewer than that of the usual days.

Why the rally has been organised?

Al-Hiyatul Ulya Lil-Zami'atil Qawmiya Bangladesh, a combine of Qawmi education boards led by Shafi, organised the event to hail the passage of a bill making the Dawra-e-Hadith degree equivalent to master's in Islamic studies and Arabic.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to join the programme titled “Shokrana Mahfil” as the chief guest while Hefajat-e Islam supremo Shah Ahmed Shafi will be in the chair.

Since morning, thousands of Hefajat activists are seen gathering the venue to participate in the rally to express gratitude over recognition of top Qawmi degree.

• Courtesy: The Daily Star /Nov 04, 2018 

Zafrullah accuses RAB of excesses in mobile court drive at GK

Gonoshahthaya Kendra management in a press conference on Saturday alleged that the decades-old public charity organisation was facing attacks and cases after one of their trustees Zafrullah Chowdhury joined Jatiya Oikya Front.

‘We believe, these [recent] attacks are being launched and cases filed against Gonoshahthaya Kendra with the assistance of political rivals of Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury,’ the Kendra’s trustee board chairman Altafunnessa Maya told reporters at Gonoshahthaya Nagor Hospital in the capital in the afternoon.

In her written statement, Altafunnessa detailed how Gonoshahthaya Kendra faced attacks from local goons with the help of police and local administration. 

She mentioned the name of one land broker Muhammad Ali and how he filed the cases as he lost nine lawsuits against Gonoshahthaya Kendra in order to occupy land property of the charity.

Altafunnessa came up with allegations against Rapid Action Battalion and revealed how a mobile court, led by executive magistrate Sarwar Alam, in the presence of RAB-4 Savar-Nabinagor camp commanding officer Major Abdul Hakim Nasim threatened the Kendra employees on October 23.

In the statement, Gonoshahthaya Kendra management also said how the mobile court ‘illogically’ and ‘unethically’ had seized the medicines in absence of any employees of the hospital. 

The Kendra management had wanted to pay the fine in cheque but the mobile court wanted it in cash, the statement reads, adding that the following the day, the fine worth Tk 10 lakh was paid to the RAB commanding officer but the management was not given any receipt. 

The RAB-4-backed mobile court also fined Gonoshahthaya Pharmaceuticals Tk 15 lakh and the executive magistrate, Sarwar Alam, gave false information about his findings, it adds.

When contacted, Major Abdul Hakim declined to make any comment while executive magistrate Sarwar Alam could not be reached by Saturday evening.

When approached, RAB-4 commanding officer Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir said he was not aware about the drive at Gonoshahthaya Kendra. 

‘Without instruction from high-ups, this kind of incident can never take place. It was a terrorist attack. When the government is involved, there may be fine but they wanted the money immediately and it is called terrorist style,’ Zafrullah told the press conference.

‘What they have done, they picked two weakest employees — both health workers. They did not pick my director. Our vice-chancellor was there. They [RAB] did not pick him up. They forced them to sign and threatened them that they would land in jail if they did not sign,’ he alleged. 

‘Why does such incident take place? I am an independent citizen. I am one of the trustees of Gonoshahthaya Kendra. As they cannot punish me, they are hurting our organisation,’ said the veteran freedom fighter and physician. He said there were culture disks inside discarded boxes too. 

‘Those cannot be destroyed them whimsically. It needed a committee to destroy those…It cannot go that way to make the country a jungle. But, RAB did it. I have always said RAB should be withdrawn,’ said Zafrullah.

Saiful Islam Shishir, an executive director at the GK, said that so far six cases were filed against them since mid-October. 

He said the cases and attacks were interrelated as each of the attacks took place after a case was filed with the local police station.  After being attacked, the GK officials approached the local police station and police showed their indifference to the issues, leading to further attack. 

‘We approached the local police station with the first information report seeking help. The police officials said they had instructions from the high-ups. We finally filed a case with Dhaka court and preparation of two more cases is underway,’

• Courtesy: New Age/ Nov 04, 2018 

Foreign nationals working illegally go unchecked

No data on foreigners working in Bangladesh

Moinul Haque

A large number of foreign professionals are working in Bangladesh without any legal documents, draining a huge amount of foreign currency, researchers and deferent NGOs have found.

Although the government agencies have no statistics on the number of foreign nationals working in Bangladesh, deferent NGOs have estimated that the number might be more than five lakh and more than $5 billion flows out of the country annually for them.

According to private sector sources, a good number of foreign professionals are engaged in Bangladesh’s apparel, textile, buying house, telecommunication, information technology, poultry and poultry feed sectors and most of them are working without permission.

Industry insiders said that a large number of foreign nationals were working in several industrial sectors in Bangladesh because of lack of skilled manpower in the country.

They said that there were two types of illegal foreign employees in the country –– some came on tourist or student visa and continued residing and working without valid documents while some others obtained permits for some organisations but switched to and continued working for some others.

Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industry recently began a research titled ‘Employment of Expatriates and its Alternatives in the RMG Sector of Bangladesh’ in collaboration with the Faculty of Business Studies of Dhaka University to find out reasons for hiring foreigners and their areas of work in apparel sector.

According to the study proposition, some 5 lakh foreigners are working in Bangladesh and about 1 lakh of them are registered with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and NGO Affairs Bureau.

The Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industry is a joint initiative of the International Labour Organisation, the Government of Sweden, Swedish fashion retailer H&M and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

‘The findings of the study would be finalised shortly and it would disseminated at a seminar,’ centre president Md Atiqul Islam said. He said that they did not know detail about the foreign employees in Bangladesh as there was no integrated list of foreigners working in Bangladesh in absence of coordination among the government agencies concerned.

‘We assume that more than $5 billion is annually spent for foreign employees and we are working to find out the real scenario as there is no study on the foreigners working in Bangladesh,’ Atiqul said.

On December 12, 2017, finance minister AMA Muhith said that the government wanted to raise mid-level managerial experts for the growing textile and leather industries to check the outflow of fund sent by foreign employees, especially Indians.

At a contract signing ceremony at the ministry, Muhith told reporters that the amount was whopping $5 billion annually. 

Two wings – industrial and commercial – of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority issue work permit to foreigners but due to lack of expertise, data available with the authority does not show the real figure of current legal foreign employees.

As per the data, the authority issued 7,642 new industrial work permits to foreigners in the past five years while it also renewed work permits for 11,059 foreign nationals during that period.

The authority also issued some 5,500 new commercial work permits and renewed some 6,300 permits in the past five years. 

‘It will take time to identify the exact number of foreign nationals currently working in Bangladesh with work permits as we are running our regular work amid shortage of manpower and expertise,’ said authority’s executive member Navash Chandra Mondol.  He also said that not only the authority, two more government bodies – Bangladesh EPZ Authority and NGO Affairs Bureau also issued work permits to the foreigners. 

Navash said that the home ministry might provide the actual data of foreigners staying and working in Bangladesh with or without valid documents. One of the security and immigration high officials at the home ministry said that the ministry had no accurate data on foreigners working in Bangladesh legally and illegally.

‘Without setting up a database, it is not possible to preserve the update status of foreign nationals working in Bangladesh and the ministry would initiate a move for setting up a digital database for foreigners,’ he said. 

The foreigners mainly come from India, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan and some European and African countries, said people engaged in the study. Foreign employees are holding key positions in manufacturing industries and information technology sector, they said.

In the apparel and textile sectors and buying houses, foreigners are working as merchandiser, quality controller, designer, marketing officer and technician at washing and dyeing units.

‘There are no foreign workers in the RMG sector but some foreign professionals hold top managerial and technical posts in the sector,’ said Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association vice-president Mahmud Hassan Khan Babu. He said that due to lack of skilled manpower in the country, factory owners were appointing foreigners.

‘We do not know the exact number of foreigners working in the apparel sector but the number would be very small,’ association president Md Siddiqur Rahman said.

A recent survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Dialogue found foreign employees in 16 per cent of apparel factories. 

Centre for Policy Dialogue distinguished fellow Mustafizur Rahman said that data on foreigners working in Bangladesh was not available for making comments on the issue but as per a study published in 2015, Bangladesh was the 5th largest remittance source for India.

‘The government should establish a computerised database on foreigners and it should think how we can substitute locals for foreign employees,’ he said.

The government has to identify the reasons for hiring foreigners in industrial sectors and whether the curriculums of college and universities need to be changed for producing need-based skilled manpower, Mustafiz said.

In 2015, a study based on World Bank Remittance Data conducted by Pew Research Centre showed Bangladesh as the 5th largest remittance source for India and more than $4.08 billion was remitted to India from Bangladesh in 2012.

Labour secretary Afroza Khan said, ‘The issue of foreign employees in Bangladesh has been surfaced as a much-talked-about matter and it is really unfortunate that we have no integrated list of foreigners and ministries concerned should work in a coordinated manner in this regard.’

She said that not only the government, factory owners were also responsible for undocumented foreign employees. Afroza suggested factory owners to scrutinise the visa and other documents of foreign nationals before the appointment.

According to media reports, an intelligence agency informed home ministry in 2007 that about 5 lakh Indian nationals were illegally working in various sectors in Bangladesh and remitting millions of taka to India through illegal channels.

The home ministry had raised the issue at the home secretary-level meeting of the two neighbouring countries in New Delhi in August 2007, media reported.

The National Board of Revenue in October 2017 initiated a move to check income tax evasion by foreign nationals working in Bangladesh with the connivance of their employers.

It decided to inspect at least 30 factories without notice to find out illegal foreign employees in the second phase of such drive after getting a mixed outcome from the inspections at five companies in the first phase.

According to the Income Tax Ordinance 1984, tax officials can impose penalty on companies and their owners as much as 50 per cent of their total payable income tax, or Tk 5 lakh, and scrap all other tax benefits as fine for recruiting unauthorised foreigners.

According to the law, employers need to obtain permit from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and other agencies concerned for recruiting each foreigner. Foreign workers also have to pay income tax at the rate of 30 per cent. 

• Courtesy: New Age/ Nov 04, 2018

‘গায়েবি’ মামলা - পক্ষাঘাতগ্রস্ত বারীর অচল হাতেও বোমা ছিল

• বারী ঝিনাইদহ সদরের হলিধানী গ্রামের বাসিন্দা
• বারী ইউনিয়ন বিএনপির সাধারণ সম্পাদক
• শনিবার বারীকে আটক করা হয় বলে নথিতে উল্লেখ
• পরিবারের দাবি, গত শুক্রবার বারীকে তুলে নেয় পুলিশ
• মামলার পর বারীকে কারাগারে পাঠানো হয়
• পরিবার বলেছে, বারী এক বছর ধরে পক্ষাঘাতগ্রস্ত

আবদুল বারীর দুই হাতে ছিল দুটি হাতবোমা। চেষ্টায় ছিলেন নাশকতা সৃষ্টির। এ অবস্থায় আটক করা হয়েছে তাঁকে। আটকের পর এমন অভিযোগে পুলিশের করা মামলায় কারাগারে পাঠানো হয়েছে তাঁকে।

কিন্তু আবদুল বারীর পরিবার বলেছে, তিনি দুবার মস্তিষ্কের রক্তক্ষরণে আক্রান্ত হওয়ার পর থেকে এক বছর ধরে পক্ষাঘাতগ্রস্ত অবস্থায় আছেন। শরীরের বাঁ দিকটা প্রায় অচল হয়ে আছে। বাঁ হাত ও বাঁ পা নড়াচড়া করতে পারেন না। গতকাল বুধবারও দেখা গেছে, হাসপাতাল থেকে কারাগারে নেওয়ার সময় তাঁকে প্রায় কোলে করে গাড়িতে তোলা হচ্ছে।

পল্লিচিকিৎসক আবদুল বারী ঝিনাইদহ সদরের হলিধানী গ্রামের বাসিন্দা। তিনি হলিধানী ইউনিয়ন বিএনপির সাধারণ সম্পাদক। সদর উপজেলার বিষখালী বাজারের পাশের একটি স্কুল মাঠ থেকে গত শনিবার আটক করা হয় বলে মামলার নথিতে বলা হয়েছে। মামলার পর আদালতের মাধ্যমে ওই দিনই তাঁকে কারাগারে পাঠানো হয়েছে।

তবে পরিবারের দাবি, গত শুক্রবার দুপুরে হলিধানী বাজারে আবদুল বারীর ওষুধের দোকান থেকে তাঁকে তুলে নিয়ে যায় পুলিশ।

ঝিনাইদহ জেলা কারাগারে অসুস্থ হয়ে পড়লে গতকাল বুধবার বেলা ১১টার দিকে আবদুল বারীকে সদর হাসপাতালে নেওয়া হয়। হাসপাতালের চিকিৎসক মোকাররম হোসেন বারীকে ফরিদপুর কিংবা খুলনা মেডিকেল কলেজ হাসপাতালে নেওয়ার পরামর্শ দেন।

চিকিৎসক মোকাররম হোসেন প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, আবদুল বারী ব্রেইনস্ট্রোকে আক্রান্ত রোগী। সদর হাসপাতালে তাঁকে চিকিৎসা দেওয়া সম্ভব নয়।

আবদুল বারীর মেজ ছেলে শাহনেওয়াজ সুমন বলেন, শুক্রবার দুপুরে তাঁর বাবা তাঁদের ওষুধের দোকানে বসে ছিলেন। এ সময় সদর থানার এসআই আবুল কালাম আজাদ কয়েকজন পুলিশ সদস্যকে নিয়ে সেখানে যান। তাঁরা কথা আছে বলে তাঁর বাবাকে নিয়ে যান। পরদিন শনিবার নাশকতার মামলা দিয়ে আরও কয়েকজন আসামির সঙ্গে আদালতে পাঠানো হয় তাঁকে।

আবদুল বারীর বড় ছেলে শামিম আহমেদ বলেন, তাঁর বাবা বাড়িতেই শুয়ে-বসে সময় কাটান। কখনো কখনো কোনো রকমে পা টেনে টেনে বাড়ি থেকে আনুমানিক এক শ গজ দূরে হলিধানী বাজারে ওষুধের দোকানে যান। কখনো সন্তানেরাই তাঁকে দোকানে বসিয়ে দিয়ে আসেন। তিনি ন্যাশনাল ইনস্টিটিউট অব নিউরো সায়েন্স অ্যান্ড হসপিটালের নিউরো মেডিসিন বিশেষজ্ঞ রাশেদ ইমাম জাহিদের অধীনে চিকিৎসাধীন।

এসআই আবুল কালাম আজাদের সঙ্গে যোগাযোগ করা হলে তাঁর মুঠোফোন বন্ধ পাওয়া যায়।

আবদুল বারীকে আটকের সময় সদর থানার কাতলামারী পুলিশ ক্যাম্পের এসআই আবুল কালাম আজাদের সঙ্গে ফাঁড়ির আরেক কর্মকর্তা এসআই সাদিকুর রহমান ছিলেন। তিনি গত মঙ্গলবার প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, ‘ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্মকর্তাদের নির্দেশে বারীকে তাঁর ওষুধের দোকানের সামনে থেকে আটক করা হয়।’

সদর থানার ওসি এমদাদুল হক শেখ বলেন, চিকিৎসক যদি বারীকে অসুস্থ বলেন, তাহলে তিনি আইনগত সহযোগিতা পাবেন।

• কার্টসিঃ প্রথম আলো/ ০১ নভেম্বর ২০১৮