Ershad for national consensus to resolve Teesta issue

Terming the Teesta water sharing issue as a national crisis, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad on Tuesday appealed for reaching a national consensus to resolve it. 

“The Teesta water sharing issue is not an issue of any political party, it is a national crisis. So, national unity is needed for protect national interest and resolve such kind of problem,” Ershad said. 

The JP chief was addressing a roadside rally at Jirani area in Savar as he led a road march towards Teesta Barrage at Dalia in Nilphamari. 

During his first roadside rally in Jamgora in Ashulia, Ershad sought explanation from the government why it failed to reach an agreement with India on Teesta water sharing.

“I want to know from the government why the Teesta treaty could not be done? Where does the failure lie?” Ershad said.

He also urged the Indian authorities to refrain from doing anything that might harm its friendly state Bangladesh. 

“Teesta has turned into a desert due to the water crisis. The farmers are now failing to irrigate their croplands as the Teesta has dried up,” Ershad said.

The JP chief also held an unscheduled roadside rally at Ashulia Baipail area after his first rally.

The JP is conducting the long march to press home its demand for water-sharing of the Teesta River.

The road march set out officially from the party chief's Banani office in the capital around 9:00am.

Ershad is expected to address several more roadside rallies on his way to the Teesta Barrage on the first day.

Ershad will wrap up the first day of his road march holding a rally at Mithapukur in Rangpur. He will stay the night at his 'Palli Nibash' residence at Darshana in Rangpur divisional headquarters and from where he will resume his party's road march towards Teesta Wednesday morning. 

He will fold his road march holding a public rally on Teesta Barrage Helipad ground on Wednesday. 

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Yahya hinted attack on India 10 days before

About 10 days before the 1971 war broke out between India and Pakistan, the then Pakistan president Yahya Khan had indicated to an American journalist his intentions of attacking India, say declassified Indian External Affairs Ministry documents.

After taking a few drinks with Bob Sharpley, a correspondent of New Yorker magazine, Yahya told him that he would be “at the front within 10 days”, according to the documents declassified recently, our New Delhi correspondent reports.

Yahya's word, apparently made unwittingly, came true when Pakistan launched air attacks on military targets in northwest India in the evening of December 3, 1971. 

Shortly afterwards, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said the air strikes were declaration of war on the country. At midnight the same day, India launched an integrated ground, sea and air strike of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. 

Attacks were also launched against West Pakistan. 

The then American Ambassador to India Kenneth Barnard Keating called on Indian Foreign Secretary TN Kaul in New Delhi the next day to discuss the situation. During the meeting he mentioned how Yahya Khan had told Bob Shapley that Pakistan would be at war with India within the next 10 days, the documents showed. 

“They (Shapley and Khan) were returning from a party and the President had taken a few drinks when Bob asked him that he would like to see him again. President Yahya Khan said that he would be happy to see him, to which the correspondent replied that he would ring him up within 10 days. To this President Yahya Khan said that he may be at the front by that time so he had better make it very soon,” Keating told Kaul.

On December 6, 1971 India recognised Bangladesh as an independent state. 

Ten days later, on December 16, the Pakistani forces in the East surrendered unconditionally to the Indian army that led Indira Gandhi to announce a unilateral ceasefire on December 17 and cherish the military victory.

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ICT receives formal charge against Kamaruzzaman

Prosecution submitted the formal charges against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman to the International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday in connection with his alleged crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

Prosecutors Saiful Islam and Nurjahan Begum Mukta submitted the formal charges to the registrar of the tribunal citing 10 counts of alleged crimes against Kamaruzzaman during the 1971 Liberation War.

The tribunal may fix a date on Sunday for its decision whether it will take the charges into cognisance.

Earlier on December 28 last year, the tribunal sent the formal charges against Kamaruzzaman and Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed back to the prosecution as they were not classified and organised properly.

It asked the prosecution to resubmit the formal charges against Kamaruzzaman by January 12 rearranging and reclassifying the charges.But the prosecution missed the deadline.

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Lokman killing: Minister’s brother surrenders

Salauddin Ahmed Bachchu, the prime accused in Narsingdi municipal mayor Lokman Hossain killing and younger brother of the telecommunications minister, was remanded shortly after he and four others had surrendered before a Narsingdi court Sunday.

The four other defendants are: businessman Monowar Hossain Khan Moyeen, former municipality mayor late Manik’s younger brother Amir Hossain Amu and son Mamun and ex-commissioner late Kabir Mia's brother Hiron. 

Our Narsingdi correspondent reported that the five surrendered before the court of Narsingdi Chief Judicial Magistrate Nitai Chandra Saha around 10:30am and sought bail.

After holding hearing on the appeals, the court turned down their bail prayers.

The prosecution, meantime, requested the court for a 10-day remand for each of the accused.

The court later placed Bachchu, Amu and Mamun on a one-day remand each and sent Moyeen and Hiron to jail.

The prosecution was directed to interrogate the two at the jail gate.

While the proceedings were continuing, Bachchu’s supporters brought out a procession on the court premises and chanted slogans demanding cancellation of the case against Bachchu.

Two time gold medallist mayor of Narsingdi municipality Lokman Hossain succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital three hours after criminals shot him at the town Awami League office on Sadar Road on November 1 last year.

According to the first information report (FIR), Posts and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju's brother Bachchu and nine others hatched the murder plot and ordered four other people to kill Lokman.

Mamunur Rashid Mandal, investigation officer (IO) of the Lokman murder case, told The Daily Star that so far 24 accused have been arrested in this connection.

Of the accused, 10 confessed their involvement with the killing before the court.

In a recent development, Lokman's widow Nusrat Tamanna Bubli expressed her doubt about the fair investigation.

She alleged that the law enforcers have been arresting the people who have no link with the killing in a bid to help the prime accused to stay out of jail.

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Stop Tipaimukh Dam, demo before UN

The message was loud and clear."Stop Tipaimukh Dam" or "We shall boycott your goods."In a bitter cold winter onTuesday afternoon, hundreds of Bangladeshis from Three states (New York, NewJersey and Connecticut) at a human chain before the UN buildings protestedagainst the Indian Government's move to build Tipaimukh Dam which would destroy biodiversity, ruin livelihoods of people and cause economic disaster to Bangladesh.(The New Nation)

Participants joined thedemonstration with festoons, placards, banners and flags raised voice thatIndia broke its earlier promise that it would not take any steps regarding thedam that could harm Bangladesh. But despite protests from millions of people,the governmnent of neighboring India is taking up this disastrous projectviolating international law and bilateral agreements. The dam is going to causesevere natural and human catastrophe in Bangladesh, the demonstrators said.'Untiland unless our water rights are guaranteed, Bangladesh with the assistance ofother friendly countries must create pressure on India from the internationalcommunity to ensure its rightful water shares in common rivers.' To mountpressure the protesters said they are considering the option to boycott Indian goods at home and abroad.

IFC (International FarakkaCommittee, Inc New York) organised the program in cooperation withrepresentatives of different socio-cultural organisations of expatriate Bangladeshin the US.

In a press statement signed byits Chairman Atiqur Rahman Salu, urged the Bangladesh government to lodge acase with the International Court of Justice against the Indian government'smove.

'How long we should wait, whileour fundamental and basic rights are denied? We can no longer trust the government of India and are making ourpetition to the highest authority of the world, the United Nations, to enforceinternational laws and conventions,' he said in the statement.

Syed Tipu Sultan, secretarygeneral, IFC, Sirin Akhter, Principal Afser Uddin, Anjumanara Begum, AtaurRahman Ata, Abdur Rahim, Millat Uddin and Salina Ahshan among others, spoke onthe occasion.

Later, IFC leaders handed over amemorandum to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon.

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