Very nicely done by the New Age!
Though the last two pieces at the bottom about government corruption,
however well written, should actually be near the top of the whole list!
Nevermind. Such crimes are unavoidable - it's why the AL (and BNP)
diehards never bother to ask their own party to fix such problems.
We are such practical and realistic people!
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Isha Khan <bd_mailer@...> wrote:
>
> The year in review
> Â
> http://www.newagebd.com/2009/dec/25/dec25/xtra_cover.html
>
>
>
> 2009 began with great anticipation. After two years of having an
undemocratic government in power, who at one point threatened to stay
back indefinitely, democracy had clawed its way back and a new
government was in power. In the first couple of weeks, Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina named her new cabinet â€" a refreshing breath of new
faces â€" and our anticipation for the future reached new highs.
>
> Â Â Â Twelve months down the line, it can be safe to say,
that some of that anticipation has fizzled out. The biggest downside of
the year, undoubtedly, was the loss of 76 lives during the infamous
Peelkhana carnage. The nation spent an uncertain couple of weeks in the
aftermath of the tragedy.
>
> Â Â Â There were further glitches in the calendar as the
months wore on. Tender-grabbing and extortion by Awami League activists
hit the headlines regularly as did extra-judicial killings by law
enforcement authorities. We met our first serial killer in Rasu Khan and
discovered a plethora of alleged criminals of Indian origin and wanted
by the Indian law enforcement authorities.
>
> Â Â Â On the upside of 2009, the Bangladesh cricket team, led
by mercurial Saqib Al-Hasan, emerged victorious in numerous expeditions
at home and abroad. The Bangabandhu Murder Trial finally approached
closure while the High Court and Supreme Court stamped their authority
through a number of rulings that attempted to establish citizen’s
rights.
>
> Â Â Â On the last week of 2009, we take a look at the most
significant events and people that shaped our lives this year.
> a year of tragedy
>
> The mutiny and its aftermath
>
>
>
>
>
> During the 33-hour mutiny at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters
at Peelkhana,
>
> Â Â Â on February 25 and 26, which would later spread in BDR
camps around the country, the lives of 57 army officers, along with 19
other civilians and BDR soldiers, were lost. The atrocious nature of the
mutiny became clear in the hours and days that followed with the
discovery of the brutal manner in which the officers were killed
â€" their bodies defiled, set on fire and buried in mass graves
inside the Peelkhana or dumped through the sewerage line. During the
mutiny, civilians and family members of army officials were also killed,
tortured and physically abused while their belongings were damaged,
ignited and looted. The arms storage at the BDR headquarters was looted.
>
> Â Â Â Though the government declared a general amnesty on the
mutiny, they would later shift from the position and an operation
‘rebel hunt’ would be launched to round up BDR soldiers
who were absconding. The government formed an investigation committee
headed by former bureaucrat Anisuzzaman on March 3, while the armed
forces formed another committee, to look into the mutiny. In the
immediate aftermath of the incident, many senior members of present
cabinet indicated to the presence of conspiracies and outside elements
in the mutiny. Commerce Minister Faruk Khan would directly blame
religious fundamentalists for their link to the incident. However, the
report of the investigation committee, which was partially released on
May 21, failed to find any such links. The investigation committee
further recommended that the BDR forces be reconstituted under a
different name and uniform, work of which is already in progress.
>
> Â Â Â In the following months, criminal cases were filed
against the mutineers, while many of them were interrogated in custody.
As many as 46 BDR jawans died during the period of interrogation,
claimed by officials as death by ‘heart attack’.
>
> Â Â Â Serious human rights concerns were raised over these
deaths by many quarters and the government subsequently formed another
committee on May 14, to investigate the issue.
>
> Â Â Â The new committee was scheduled to deliver its report
within a month of its formation, however, they are yet to publish it.
>
> Â Â Â For a period of time, the government seemed to be in a
dilemma on whether to try the mutineers under the Army Act or the
regular Code of Criminal Procedure. The president subsequently referred
the issue to the Supreme Court on August 17, who would then appoint ten
amicus curie to provide their expert opinion.
>
> Â Â Â On October 15, the government decided that the mutiny
would be tried under the BDR Act of 1972, while the incidents of crime
including murder, arson and loot would be tried under the existing laws
at a speedy tribunal, pending the completion of investigation by the
CID.
>
> Â Â Â Concerns were again raised as to the fairness of trial
as the BDR chief was appointed chair of the special courts while the
defendants were stripped of their rights to question the accusers as
well as their right to be defended by legal counsel, though they were
allowed to seek advise from them.
>
> Â Â Â The trial began on November 24, in a special court at
the Rangamati sector headquarters taking cognisance of mutiny charges
against five soldiers of the 12 Rifles Battalion.
>
> Â Â Â This is the fourth of the six special courts formed
under the order on November 15 for the trial of the BDR soldiers facing
charges of mutiny.
>
> Â Â Â Special court 1 was formed for the mutinies in Khulna,
Rajshahi and Kushtia sectors, special court 2 for Dinajpur and Rangpur
sectors, special court 3 for Sylhet, Comilla and Mymensingh sectors,
special court 4 for Chittagong, Rangamati and Khagrachari sectors and
special court 5 for Dhaka sector. The courts will also hold trial of the
mutineers in other battalions and installations under the sectors
concerned. Special court 6 will hold trial of the mutineers at the BDR
headquarters in Dhaka and other installations under the headquarters.
>
> Â Â Â The framing of charges against 60 soldiers of the 7
Rifles Battalion facing trial in special court 1 of the Bangladesh
Rifles, at the 47 Rifles Battalion headquarters in Satkhira, has been
posted for January 18.
>
> Â Â Â Seven months have already elapsed without much headway
into the investigation of the incidents of unnatural death of BDR
soldiers in custody.
>
> Â Â Â The draft of the new law for the Bangladesh Rifles
proposes raising the highest punishment to death penalty for mutiny or
disobedience on the battlefield.
> a year of achievement
>
> Justice finally prevails
>
>
>
>
>
> The landmark judgement on the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and several of his family members on August 15, 1975, marks as
one of the defining moments of the year. The Appellate Division of the
Supreme Court, on November 19, pronounced death sentences upon twelve
convicted former members of the army.
>
> Â Â Â The verdict follows a case filed on October 2, 1996 by
Muhitul Islam, Sheikh Mujib’s personal assistant, who survived
the grisly attack on August 15, 1975. For 21 years after the killing,
the assassins enjoyed immunity to any trial through an infamous
indemnity ordinance passed by the then president Khondokar Moshtaque
Ahmed, which was subsequently incorporated in the nation’s
constitution by General Ziaur Rahman.
>
> Â Â Â When the Awami League government was voted to power in
1996, it annulled the indemnity ordinance and initiated the Mujib murder
trial.
>
> Â Â Â Since its initial filing, the case had moved from the
Dhaka district and session judge courts to the High Court and finally
reached the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for the final
verdict. The accomplishment of the trial of Bangabandhu’s killing
was one of the Awami League-led government’s manifesto promises.
>
> Â Â Â Among the 12 convicted, sacked lieutenant colonel Syed
Faruque Rahman, retired lieutenant colonel Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan,
retired lieutenant colonel Muhiuddin Ahmed, retired lieutenant colonel
AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and retired major Bazlul Huda are currently behind
bars.
>
> Â Â Â Retired lieutenant colonel Md Abdul Aziz Pasha is
reportedly dead. The remaining six â€" retired colonel Khandaker
Abdur Rashid, retired major Shariful Haque Dalim, retired lieutenant
colonel AM Rashed Chowdhury, retired lieutenant colonel SHMB Noor
Chowdhury, retired captain Abdul Mazed and retired risaldar Moslemuddin
have been sentenced to death in absentia. They are believed to have
taken refuge in Pakistan, Libya, USA and Canada.
>
> Â Â Â After the judgement, the government has initiated a
process to bring them back. Barrister Shafique Ahmed, the law, justice
and parliamentary affairs minister, on his return from Canada said, the
Canadian government agreed to deport former Lt Col SHMB Noor Chowdhury.
Besides, the foreign ministry has been trying to bring back all the
fugitive convicted killers in Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case, he
added.
>
> Â Â Â The government brought back Bazlul Huda from Bangkok on
the day of judgement by the Dhaka district and sessions judge court on
November 8, 1998. Another fugitive convict, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed was
brought back from the USA during the tenure of the caretaker government
of Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed.
>
> Â Â Â On the night of August 15, 1975, Mujib, his wife, three
sons, two daughters-in-law, his brother, his brother-in-law Abdur Rab
Serniabat, his nephew Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni and Moni’s wife
Arzoo were all murdered in a coup to remove Mujib from power.
>
>
> Triumph at the Caribbean
>
>
>
>
>
> Years of frustration instantly turned into joy and expectation as
Bangladesh strolled to its first Test victory on foreign soil. The tour
initially promised to be nothing more than a part of the everlasting
‘learning curve’ for Bangladesh but it proved to be a
major step in the right direction as the team surpassed all expectations
and whitewashed an admittedly depleted West Indies side in both the
One-days and Test series.
>
> Â Â Â Debutant Mahmudullah completed a memorable Test match
on July 13, bowling Bangladesh to a historic 95-run victory, its first
ever away from home. Whisking the West Indians batsmen off the field
with his spin, Mahmudullah ended the match with figure of five wickets
for 51 runs. The man of the match was awarded to Tamim Iqbal for his
determined century in the first innings.
>
> Â Â Â The second Test match ending on July 20, took
Bangladesh to a new level of confidence. With Sakib al Hasan leading
from the front, Bangladesh comfortably surpassed the target of 215 with
a day to spare.
>
> Â Â Â The then acting skipper, Sakib had secured the man of
the match with his all round performance, taking five wickets for 70
runs and scoring an unbeaten 96 from 97 balls in the second innings of
the last Test match against West Indies.
>
> Â Â Â The ODI series triunth followed the clean sweep in the
Test series, against a home side, decimated by a player boycott.
>
>    ‘It was a total team effort,’ said a
delighted stand-in captain and the undoubted star of the team, Sakib al
Hasan afterwards. ‘After winning the Test series, we were looking
forward to this ODI series,’ said Sakib. ‘Every time the
team was under pressure, someone was able to put their hands up and do
the job. This success in the Caribbean will help to take us to the next
level.’
> a year of controversy
>
> Quarrel at sea
>
>
>
>
>
> On October 9, 2009, Bangladesh served legal notices to both India and
Myanmar to settle the disputes over maritime boundary claims before a UN
tribunal as it decided to take the issue to a compulsory arbitration
under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
>
> Â Â Â Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty and
Myanmar Ambassador U Phae Thann Oo were called into the foreign ministry
and foreign secretary Mijarul Quayes handed the notifications to them to
pass on to their respective governments.
>
> Â Â Â 'We need to delimit our maritime boundary to explore
and exploit oil, gas and other natural resources in the Bay to meet our
demands,' said Foreign Minister Dipu Moni after the government's
decision to serve legal notices to India and Myanmar.
>
> Â Â Â The dispute between the three countries over the
demarcation of the maritime boundary on the Bay of Bengal has been a
long-standing one and tensions initially surfaced when in November 2008,
the naval forces of Myanmar and Bangladesh were on the brink of a
confrontation at the Bay of Bengal as it was noted by Bangladesh that
Myanmar had been conducting an oil and gas exploration project - with
the aid of a South Korean company, Daewoo - in a disputed area of the
sea. Nearly 50 men and four ships were employed in the exploration work
in Block AD-7, escorted by two of Myanmar's naval warships.
>
> Â Â Â India and Myanmar claimed their respective maritime
borders and have already filed their claims with the United Nations on
June 29 and May 21, 2009 respectively, while Bangladesh has to do this
before July 27, 2011.
>
>
> Tipaimukh danger
>
>
>
>
>
> Another contentious issue which sparked heated debates and inspired
nationwide consensus this year was the Indian government's recently
resumed proposal to construct the Tipaimukh dam on the Barak River, just
a kilometer north of Jakiganj in Sylhet.
>
> Â Â Â The proposed work was stalled in March 2007 in the face
of protests within (people of the Manipur state of India are slated to
be worst-affected) and outside India, for not following international
conventions on international rivers. The completion of the dam in 2012
will virtually dry up the Surma and the Kushiara rivers, thus choking
the north-eastern regions of Bangladesh, say experts.
>
> Â Â Â Experts also believe that the Tipaimukh dam would
adversely affect the country's fisheries, agriculture, environment and
water supply.
>
> Â Â Â Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, the finance minister of
Bangladesh and also the founder president of the green non-governmental
organisation, Bangladesh Paribesh Andalan (BAPA) points out, 'India will
be worse hit than Bangladesh and so the general people of India are also
against the project.'
>
> Â Â Â A team of parliamentary affairs committee on water
resources visited the site and said that they did not notice any sign of
work starting at Tipaimukh dam in the region in August. Their report was
widely criticised in the country especially by the opposition parties.
>
> Â Â Â People of Bangladesh have more to fear if India makes a
barrage at Fulertala (through which they will be able to manage water
according to their needs), and procure water from the river Barak, while
the rivers Surma and Kushira will become virtually dry.
>
>
> Ticket to the Bay blocks
>
>
>
>
>
> This year, the government awarded contracts to the US-based company
ConocoPhillips and Ireland's Tullow Oil through an international bid to
explore three gas blocks at the Bay of Bengal. The decision immediately
sparked off intense criticism, especially by the national committee to
protect oil, gas, mineral resources, power and port who were heavily
critical of the Production Sharing Contract (PSC), Model PSC 2008, for
tilting heavily to the advantage of the oil companies.
>
> Â Â Â Experts fear that the PSC allows the IOCs right to
export gas to third parties, bypassing our national needs. The national
committee blamed the government for not taking into account public
opinion regarding the matter and instead advocated 'capacity building'
to conduct our own explorations in the future. The government
representatives, meanwhile, pointed out to acute energy crisis as a
reason for awarding to contracts on a speedy basis.
>
> Â Â Â Anu Muhammad member secretary of the national
committee, with hundreds of others, was injured during a barbaric attack
by the police at Bijaynagar in Dhaka when the committee tried to lay
siege on the Bangladesh Mineral Oil & Gas Corporation (Petrobangla)
headquarters at Kawranbazar on September 2, protesting the contracts.
The lone strike called this year owed to the attack brought on the
activists.
>
> Â Â Â While the existing onshore gas reserve is feared to
deplete by 2013, the government and some experts believe offshore
exploration opens the scope to meet the future demand. The exploration
process if initiated now will still take another four to five years, to
bear output.
>
>
> Playing crisscross over Bangladesh
>
>
>
>
>
> A meeting between Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni and her
Indian counterpart SM Krishna in New Delhi on September 8, agreed on
allowing India transit through Bangladesh for carrying heavy equipment
for a power plant at Palatan, in Tripura, through the Ashuganj port and
the use of Akhaura-Agartala road on a test case basis.
>
> Â Â Â The two countries are scheduled to sign a deal on
India's access to the Ashuganj port in May 2010.
>
> Â Â Â India has been seeking transit for a long time so that
Indian vehicles can enter Bangladesh through the Benapole border and
enter and leave the Indian states Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram through
Tamabil, Bibirbazar and Khagrachari in Bangladesh.
>
> Â Â Â New Delhi has long been pressing Dhaka for transit
facilities for their benefits. The access will allow India to gain in
business and intervene into ongoing insurgencies in seven sister states.
>
> Â Â Â Another topic connected with the issue is the Asian
Highway. Of three routes proposed by the United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the government has
articulated its preference for the two routes, both of which begin from
and end in India after going through Bangladesh.
>
> Â Â Â Its preference however runs contrary to the very
rationale behind why Bangladesh should be connected with the Asian
Highway, i.e. for greater interconnectivity.
>
> Â Â Â Worryingly still, the government has kept its decision
and plan of actions regarding the transit facility under wraps.
> newsmakers of the year
>
>
>
>
>
> Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus
>
>
>
>
>
> Illustrations: Mehedi Haque A man reputed for receiving greater
coverage in the international media than he does in his homeland, after
winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, Bangladeshi banker, economist and
the founder of the micro credit system, Dr Mohammad Yunus received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom Award, the highest civilian honour in the
USA. US President Barack Obama conferred the award upon Prof Yunus at
the White House on August 12.
>
>
> Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj
>
>
>
>
>
> The saga surrounding the resignation of the former state minister for
home affairs, Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj, took the form of a long-running
soap opera that never yields a conclusive climax. The former youngest
member of Sheikh Hasina’s council of ministers, Sohel Taj
reportedly submitted his resignation to the prime minister on May 31.
However, he returned to his office on June 4 after four days, citing an
illness as the cause for his absence in the previous days. The state
minister then went on leave and later on, while talking to the United
States-based Bangla news agency News World, he claimed to have
‘ceased to be a minister on May 31 as I myself handed over my
resignation letter and if anyone treats me as a minister now, it would
be in violation of the constitution.’ During his interview with
News World, he also complained that he had found it increasingly
difficult to work with dignity.
>
>
> Lutfozzaman Babar
>
>
>
>
>
> Another former state minister for home affairs with a penchant for
hogging the media's limelight previously with some truly memorable and
amusing comments on different initiatives of the previous BNP-led
government, Lutfozzaman Babar came to the fore yet again and this time
for his alleged involvement in the 21 August, 2004 grenade attack cases.
Babar was shown arrested in the cases filed in connection with the
grenade attacks on an Awami League-rally in Dhaka that had 24 people
killed and injured and maim over 200.
>
>
> Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapash
>
>
>
>
>
> Having emerged as one of the promising new breed of lawmakers during
the ninth parliamentary elections defeating a senior opposition lawyer
and MP from his constituency, AL lawmaker Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapash
escaped with his life as a bomb exploded at Motijheel near his car. The
explosion left at least 12 people injured but Tapash, who was reportedly
the prime target left the scene unscathed. Earlier the same day, he
attended the day’s hearing of the appeal of Bangabandhu murder
case at the Appellate Division as a state lawyer. Therefore, the
government termed it a part of a conspiracy plotted by some related to
the killers of Bangabandhu and some of the relatives of the convicts of
murder case were arrested.
>
>
> Sakib Al Hasan
>
>
>
>
>
> From a promising up-and-comer to an overnight sensation,
Sakib’s rise in world cricket over the last year has been nothing
short of phenomenal, rounding the year of as the game’s leading
all-rounder. His contributions were also noted by the prestigious Wisden
Cricket Magazine who named Sakib the Test Player of the Year for 2009.
In the eight Tests Sakib played in this year, he took 45 wickets at an
average of 23 with his left-arm spin, including five five-wicket hauls,
and scored 498 runs at an average of 35.57. His Midas touch also worked
on the captaincy front as he led the country to series wins both at home
and abroad, including the Test and ODI sweep over the West Indies.
>
>
> Dido
>
>
>
>
>
> The top coaching post in any of Bangladesh’s major sports can
prove to be a poisoned chalice to many respected foreign names in their
respective sports, as West Indian cricket legend Gordon Greenidge and
later, Australian Dav Whatmore found out. The latest addition to this
line comes in the form of Brazilian football coach Edson
‘Dido’ Silva, who was relieved of his duties as coach of
the national football team, just 11 months after his appointment on
November 9. Only a day prior to his sacking, on November 9, Dido named a
youthful side for the SAFF Championship which, it was later learned, did
not go down too well in some sections of the football fraternity as a
few ‘experienced’ players were omitted from the squad.
However, the drama started much earlier when in an interview with a
daily, Dido blamed some BFF officials for plotting against him and
claimed that ‘Salahuddin is surrounded by sharks’.
>
>
> Rasu Khan
>
>
>
>
>
> For much of the months of October and November, the name Rasu Khan was
as much a source of intrigue as it was of general uneasiness as he
emerged with the dreaded tag of being the country’s first serial
killer. Rasu confessed to killing 11 women, most of who were cruelly
violated before they met their demise while he confessed that he had a
plan to kill 101 women. Rasu mainly targeted women from lower-income
groups with garment workers and beggars among his chief targets. He
would pretend to be a lover before taking them to Chandpur with him. He
would drown most of his victims in the middle of various canals around
Chandpur at night, fleeing the area before the next morning would dawn.
A father of four children, Rasu was arrested by the police on the night
of October 7, in Tongi, charged initially with the murder of Parvin
Akhter.
>
>
> Daud Merchant
>
>
>
>
>
> It seems that Bangladesh is a safe haven for the criminals based in
India. A good number of Indian criminals were arrested in Bangladesh in
2009. However, the name Daud Merchant was the most widely discussed. An
operative of the infamous D-company, the mafia organisation headed by
Dawood Ibrahim, Abdul Rouf Daud Merchant was arrested from Brahmanbaria
by the detective branch of police on May 27. Having fled to Bangladesh
following his conviction for the killing of Indian producer Gulshan
Kumar, Merchant along with a few other operatives of the mafia network
had been living in the country with false identities. Merchant was
charged with illegal entry into the country as well as for carrying an
illegal passport upon his arrest. The drive following his arrest led to
the capture of Arif Hossain alias Chacha, another Indian fugitive from
Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area on June 6.
> goodbyes
>
> Mohammad Saifur Rahman
> October 6, 1932 â€" September 5, 2009
>
>
>
>
>
> The former finance minister with the record number of national budgets
prepared under his supervision, Mohammad Saifur Rahman died in a road
accident on September 5 this year when he was returning from his home
district, Maulvibazar, in Sylhet.
>
> Â Â Â Passing away at the age of 77, Saifur had served the
government as finance and planning minister in three terms - 1976-1982,
1991-1996 and 2001-2006. The chartered accountant was also a veteran
politician who began his career by joining the political coalition,
Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal in 1977. The coalition was later renamed
Bangladesh Nationalist Party in 1978.
>
> Â Â Â He holds the unique record of preparing 12 out of the
36 annual budgets for the country since its liberation in 1971. The late
finance minister had been honoured with the Ekushey Padak in 2005 for
his contribution during the language movement. Survived by three sons
and a daughter, Saifur was laid to rest at his family graveyard beside
his wife’s grave in Baharmardan village.
>
>
> Shah Abdul Karim
> February 15, 1916 â€" September 12, 2009
>
>
>
>
>
> The legendary Baul singer of evergreen songs like Gari Choley Na or
Agey ki shundar din kataitam, Shah Abdul Karim passed away on September
12, this year. The Baul musician and a legend in the spectrum of
Bangladeshi folk music had been suffering from old age ailments for
years.
>
> Â Â Â Karim has 1,600 compositions and six books to his
credit. The Bangla Academy has translated 10 of his songs into English.
Passing away at the age of 93, Karim was immensely popular for his Sufi
songs and extraordinary metaphors that convey messages of secularism and
depiction of divine love. Some of his popular songs include Agey ki
sundar din kataitam, Gramer nowjoan, Hindu Mussalman, Tomra kunja sajao
goo, Aj amar prananath asibei and Gari choley na.
>
> Â Â Â Born on February 15, 1916, Karim was a regular radio
artiste during the early the part of his career. He had performed on
many important political and cultural movements that include the
historic Kagmari Congregation in Tangail, the 1954 election, the 1969
mass upsurge, the general election of 1970 and the movement against the
military junta Ershad in the 1980s.
>
> Â Â Â Karim was honoured the highest national award
‘Ekushey Padak’ in 2001. He also received the Prothom
Alo-Meril Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and Drouhee Kotha-Shahityik
Abdur Rouf Choudhury Award in 2000.
>
>
> Alauddin Al-Azad
> 1932 â€" July 3, 2009
>
>
>
>
>
> Many of the literary works in the Bangla literature produced for the
secondary, higher school and graduation level curriculum are attributed
to late Dr Alauddin Al-Azad, who passed away on July 3, this year.
>
> Â Â Â Noted poet, author, novelist and professor, Dr Azad was
also first secretary to the Bangladesh High Commission in Moscow. He
also taught Bangla and served as educational counsellor at the
Bangladesh embassy in Moscow.
>
> Â Â Â His novel novels include Teish Nambor Toilochitra,
Shiter Sheshrat Basanter Pratham Din, Karnaphuli, Kshuda O Asha, Khashra
Kagoj and Shyam Chhayar Songbad. Some of his popular stories include
Jege Achi, Dhankannya and Mrigonavi.
>
> Â Â Â Manchitra, Vorer Nodir Mohonay Jagoron, Surjo Jalar
Swapan and Lelihan Pandulipi are some of his popular poems.
>
> Â Â Â His popular dramas are Ehuder Meye, Morokkor Jadukar,
Dhanyabad and Songbad Sesangsho. The ‘Ferrari Diary’ is
Azad’s book on the liberation war.
>
> Â Â Â Azad received a good number of awards, including the
Unicef award, Bangla Academy award, Sadhinota and Ekushey Puroskar for
his outstanding contribution in the field of Bangla literature. He also
earned a National Film Award.
>
>
> Gaziul Haq
> February 13, 1929 â€" June 17, 2009
>
>
>
>
>
> Language movement veteran Gaziul Haque passed away on June 17 this
year. Born on February 13, 1929, in Nishchintopur village of Chagolnaia
Thana, Haque became a renowned student leader during the Bangla Language
movement in the early 1950’s.
>
> Â Â Â He chaired the meeting at the Dhaka University premises
on February 21, 1952 from which the decision to violate Section 144 was
made. Later that day police fired into the students who demanded equal
status of Bangla along with Urdu.
>
> Â Â Â On April 14, 1953 he was expelled from the university,
for actively engaging in politics and his MA degree was suspended by the
authorities. His degree was later restored and suspension lifted because
of student protests. Haque was arrested again on February 19 of the
following year, 1954, and released on April 18.
>
> Â Â Â A lawyer by profession, Haque fought the liberation war
bravely on Bogra frontline. Gaziul was also a celebrated singer and
lyricist, with the song ‘Bhulbo na Bhulbo na Ekushey
February’ being among the most inspirational pieces throughout
generations. He was a capable and competitive athlete, having been a
boxing champion in his youth. As a writer, some of his works include
Jeler Kabita (1959), Ebarer Sangram Swadhinatar Sangram (1971),
Bangladesh Unchained (1971), Mohammad Sultan (1994) and Media Laws and
Regulations in Bangladesh (1992).
>
>
> Dr Noazesh Ahmed
> February 1, 1935 â€" November 24, 2009
>
>
>
>
>
> Internationally renowned botanist and nature photographer Dr Noazesh
Ahmed passed away on November 24 this year. Born into a renowned Muslim
family of Manikganj, the agricultural scientist worked in various
renowned institutions including Asian Development Bank from 1973 to 1998
and later World Bank as well as UN Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO).
>
> Â Â Â While studying plant genetics in the US, his
participation at the Portrait of America Exhibition in 1957-58 brought
him to the limelight and since then he had developed a niche in nature
photography. His popular published works include Bangladesh (1975),
Portrait of Bangladesh (1982), Quest for Reality (1997), Wild Flowers of
Bangladesh (1998) Chinnapatra (2002) and Dhanshiri Naditir Pashey
(2004). He has held exhibitions in New York, Washington D.C, London,
Japan, Thailand while his works have been published in many globally
reputed newspapers and magazines including the Sunday Times, the
Guardian, Focus, Hemisphere, Illustrated Weekly of India and Far Eastern
Economic Review. He was also consultant editor of Banglapedia (National
Encyclopedia of Bangladesh), Asiatic Society of Bangladesh from 2002 to
2003.
> an entertaining year
>
> Monpura breaks
> 45-year-old record
>
>
>
>
>
> Giasuddin Selim’s groundbreaking romantic movie Monpura
released this year has set a new standard for filmmaking in the country.
>
> Â Â Â The full-length feature film has not only uplifted the
genre of Bangla films but broken the 45-year-old record of ticket sales
at the box office in Dhaka within three weeks of its release on February
13, 2009.
>
>    The film’s prolonged stay at the theatres has
also broken the country’s first released film Mukh O
Mukhosh’s record, which was shown at the theatres for six
consecutive months. While Mukh O Mukhosh received 50,000 audiences
during its screenings at theatres, Monpura superseded 50,000 audiences
during the first three weeks after its release at the Balaka Cineworld,
Balaka 2 and Cineplex.
>
> Â Â Â The film has rightly secured its place as one of the
biggest entertainers of the year. The 1.52 crore taka movie had drawn
nearly half a million audiences to the cinemas till the end of August
and has made nearly three crore takas in revenues. The love story of
Shonai and Pori has thus been celebrated across the country in 70
theatres.
>
>
> Shahabuddin returns
>
>
>
>
>
> Internationally renowned expatriate Bangladeshi artist Shahabuddin
Ahmed’s solo painting exhibitions were held in Dhaka city in
September of this year. The two exhibitions titled ‘Shahabuddin
2009’and ‘Jai Bangla’ held at Gallery Chitrak and
Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts respectively, primarily portrayed the
artist’s passion for the liberation war of Bangladesh.
>
> Â Â Â The Dhaka-born painter reportedly sold paintings worth
Tk 2 to 3.50 crores in the two exhibitions.
>
>    A freedom fighter himself, most of Shahbuddin’s
paintings narrate an injured person’s struggle and emotion during
the war in 1971. His works had a blending of colours of oriental and
occidental art.
>
>    The exhibition ‘Jai Bangla’ was
inaugurated by celebrated Indian actor Shabana Azmi.
>
> Â Â Â Shahabuddin, who has been living in Paris since 1974,
has had more than 40 solo exhibitions in Europe alone and has
represented Bangladesh on numerous occasions in international art
forums. His last solo exhibition in Dhaka was held at Shilpangan in
2000.
>
>
> THIRD PERSON SINGULAR NUMBER
>
> A MULTI-STARRER SOUNDTRACK
>
>
>
>
>
> After gaining acclaim following its screenings in some international
film festivals, the eagerly-anticipated film ‘Third Person
Singular Number’ finally hit the local big screens almost a
fortnight ago. The long wait was most certainly compensated for with a
truly remarkable soundtrack for the film with some memorable tracks only
adding to its appeal. Directed by Mustafa Sarwar Farooki, the film
revolves around the struggles endured by a young woman, trying to make
her way in society independently and the songs aptly depict ranging
themes correlating with the different moods of the protagonists. Among
the most popular tracks of the past year was Didha, composed and sung by
Habib along with Nancy. The song with its soft and mellow tune and
lyrics, written by Marzuk Russell, sets the tone for the film,
describing the inevitable dilemma one faces when an intimate
relationship is on the verge of being built. The seven other tracks in
the film, all
> containing similarly melodious elements, make for a truly worthwhile
listening experience. The album includes songs performed by the likes of
Topu, Anila, Mithila, and Sumi while Price Mahmud, Tahsan, Ashik, Limon,
Fuad Al Muktadir, and Habib have worked on the music and composition.
Kabir Bakul, Topu, Ashik, Marzuk Russell, Tahsan and Mithila provided
the lyrics.
>
>
> The stubbornness of bulls
>
>
>
>
>
> The past year saw a number of noteworthy productions premiering in the
theatre scene but one of the true standouts was Dhabaman, a theatre
adaptation of the legendary Selim Al-Deen’s play about the
uncertainties and the ephemeral nature of existence. The 33rd production
of Dhaka Theatre, Dhabaman was widely acclaimed by audiences, stage
artistes and drama critics nationwide after its premiere in March. The
story curiously revolves around Sohrab, a mighty buffalo battling hard
to fend off but inevitably succumbing to life’s only certainty
â€" death. Dhabaman is a post-colonial narrative as conceived by
Al-Deen, which highlights tradition and art forms countering the western
concept of theatre. The play was the directorial debut of veteran
theatre artist Shimul Youssuf, who also played an active part in the
composition of its music, costume and props. The lead character of the
drama was played by Esha Yousuff, daughter of Shimul and Nasiruddin
Yousuff,
> who displayed her talent in the role of Sohrab, which was similar to
that of the character from the Persian folklore, Sohrab and Rustom.
> an unhealthy year
>
> The swine flu scare
>
>
>
>
>
> The H1N1 virus first came to the attention of the world when Edgar
Hernandez, a four-year-old boy from in an eastern Mexican village,
contracted the virus commonly known as swine flu. Ever since, the virus
ravaged through Mexico, claiming 109 lives in the country alone before
it spread throughout the world. In the process, the H1N1 virus caused
widespread panic the world over, with over 40,000 people reportedly
contracting the virus and a total of 170 deaths resulting from it. The
first case of swine flu in Bangladesh was reported on June 18, when an
airline passenger who arrived from the US tested positive for it. The
IEDCR later confirmed the death of three patients infected with the
virus while reports of another death caused by the virus also surfaced
but there was no laboratory confirmation supporting it. Government
experts estimated that at least 50,000 people were infected with the
swine flu virus in Dhaka city but most of them recovered without
> taking any medication. Nonetheless, the government procured 40,000
courses of Oseltamivir, the antiviral required to fight the H1N1 strain
immediately after the World Health Organisation (WHO) labelled it a
‘pandemic’ on June 11.
>
>
> The vitamin A disaster
>
>
>
>
>
> On June 6, a programme titled ‘Vitamin A plus Campaign’
was initiated nationwide jointly conducted by the Bangladesh government
along with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The campaign sought to administer
children across the country between the age of 12 to 59 months with
high-powered Vitamin A capsules as means to protect them from blindness
and strengthen their immune systems. Children aged between 24 and 59
months were administered an additional dosage of de-worming tablets
(Albendazole), directly supplied by UNICEF. However, just two days prior
to the medicine being administered nationwide, 23 children who had
reportedly been administered with the medicine were admitted to the
Faridpur General Hospital. Within another couple of days, thousands of
reported illnesses and three deaths were reported in the national media.
The sick children were diagnosed with the same symptoms as the children
> from Faridpur.
>
>
> Killed at infancy
>
>
>
>
>
> Another shocking phenomenon took shape in the country when twenty-five
infants were reportedly killed after being administered to toxic
paracetamol syrup, in July. Professor Mohammad Hanif of Dhaka Shishu
Hospital had said on July 20 that 26 children had been admitted to the
hospital with complaints of renal failure since June 1 before confirming
the death of 17 such children while also noting that it was highly
unusual for children to die as a result of renal failure. Newspapers on
July 21 reported that a section of pharmaceutical companies have been
using toxic industrial chemicals in medicines, especially in paracetamol
syrups, causing the deaths. The government on July 21 formed an
investigation committee to find out the reasons for the recent spate of
deaths and identify the producers of the poisonous paracetamol and
vitamin syrups and on July 29, the health ministry officially confirmed
the presence of diethylene glycol in the Temset paracetamol
> manufactured by Rid Pharma.
> around the globe
>
> Obama wins Nobel Prize
>
>
>
>
>
> While we can only marvel at Barack Obama’s intriguing journey
to presidency of the United States, it was not without a hint of
surprise that many, including the man himself, took the announcement of
his receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The five-member Norwegian Nobel
Committee â€" four of whom spoke to The Associated Press, said
awarding Obama the Peace Prize could be seen as an early vote of
confidence, intended to build global support for the policies of his
young administration. They lauded the change in global mood wrought by
Obama’s calls for peace and cooperation, and praised his pledges
to reduce the world stock of nuclear arms, ease US conflicts with Muslim
nations and strengthen its role in combating climate change.
>
>
> India’s first mission to the moon
>
>
>
>
>
> This year also marked India’s significant stride in the field
of space exploration, after its first unmanned mission to the moon was
officially declared to be over on August 29, as the lunar craft
Chandrayaan -1 stopped sending radio signals. Launched in October 2008,
Chandrayaan - 1 was designed to orbit the Moon and perform high
resolution mapping of the lunar surface. Its sensors measured visible
light as well as near infrared, low energy and X-ray wavelengths. The
spacecraft was used to assess the moon's mineral resources and the
distribution of elements such as silicon, iron and titanium. Despite the
premature loss of Chandrayaan-1, scientists are confident that they will
be able to produce several scientific papers from the mission. Plans are
already being drawn up for a Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft.
>
>
> The Copenhagen summit
>
>
>
>
>
> With climate change being at the forefront of most discussion forums
in recent times, delegations from 192 countries arrived in Copenhagen
for talks during a two-week conference aimed at paving the way for a new
global treaty on climate change. About 100 leaders attended the meeting.
The main areas of discussion included targets to curb greenhouse gas
emissions, financial support for mitigation of and adaptation to climate
change and a carbon trading scheme aimed at ending the destruction of
the world's forests by 2030. On the final day of the summit on December
20, a US-led initiative called the Copenhagen Accord was reached,
despite some countries' opposition. The accord includes a recognition to
limit temperature rises to less than 2C and promises to deliver $30bn
(£18.5bn) of aid for developing nations over the next three years.
However, delegates at the summit passed a motion simply taking note of
the deal, without formally adopting it.
>
>
> Obama shuts down Guantanamo
>
>
>
>
>
> President Obama signed executive orders on January 22, banning
coercive interrogation methods, ending the operation of Central
Intelligence Agency’s secret overseas prisons and closing down
the Guantánamo Bay detention camp within a year, following years of
scrutiny and criticism surrounding its dubious operation. However,
closing the jail on the US Naval base in Cuba could also create myriad
other problems. Of the 255 detainees still being held there, experts
believe well over 100 will probably never be charged, because there is
little or no evidence linking them to terrorism. Yet a significant
number of their home countries are refusing to take them back, leaving
Obama with the politically difficult problem of having to decide on what
to do with them once they have been released. However, Obama admitted in
November that the January 22, 2010 deadline had slipped to later in the
year.
> a year of adjustment
>
> An SOS to public servants
>
>
>
>
>
> The seventh pay scale introduced this year is likely to bring some
relief for government employees amidst rising inflation. A special
cabinet meeting held on November 11 approved the pay scale which
increases the basic pay by 52 per cent on an average, for public
servants.
>
> Â Â Â Some 1.2 million government employees and officers have
been entitled to the new pay scale increment since July 1 year. However,
public servants were yet to receive the benefits of the new pay scale as
it pended a gazette notification until December 2.
>
> Â Â Â Under the new pay scale, the highest salary has been
fixed at Tk 40,000 and the minimum at Tk 4,100.
>
> Â Â Â One of the more pleasant adjustments this year helps to
calm the cries of public servants and adds to improving their lifestyle.
>
>
> What’s in a name?
>
>
>
>
>
> Many major establishments in Dhaka city has either been renamed this
year or is in the pipeline waiting to be renamed. The Bangladesh China
Friendship Conference Centre has been renamed to Bangabandhu Conference
Centre. The Maulana Bhashani Novo Theatre has been changed into
Bangabandhu Novo Theatre. Moreover, to add to the name changing list,
the cabinet in its weekly meeting on December 14, agreed to change the
name of the country’s biggest airport, the Zia International
Airport and rename it after the great saint, Hazrat Shahjalal (RA).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who presided over the cabinet meeting,
received proposals to change the names of the structures which were
named after Ziaur Rahman during the tenures of the BNP-led governments.
>
>
> Tuning to DST
>
>
>
>
>
> Amidst confusion and anxiety, the government’s decision to
advance time by an hour on June 19 had been one of the first adjustments
of the year. As part of the day light saving time (DST) theory, the
government advanced the country’s clock by an hour at 11:00pm on
June 19.
>
> Â Â Â The decision had received widespread criticism from
different quarters initially. Muslim religious groups were against it as
they feared it would make prayer schedules difficult. Interestingly,
instead of adapting to the new time completely, a lot of people,
especially in the urban areas or mufassals broke into two divisions
â€" one following the old timings and the other following the new.
While the DST has become popularly known as digital time, the previous
timing in some areas is referred to as analogue time.
>
> Â Â Â Although the government was supposed to revert back to
the previous timing sometime in October, it has instead rescheduled the
office and school hours to avoid the rush hour traffic, while retaining
the DST.
>
>
> Splitting the rush hour
>
>
>
>
>
> Eureka! The government has found the solution for managing voluminous
traffic without finding more roadways in the Dhaka city’s
concrete jungle. This October, the cabinet endorsed schedules in three
layers for schools, government and semi-government offices and private
institutions.
>
> Â Â Â Under the new timing, school-goers will have to finish
their task between 7:00am and 2:30pm while the government and
semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions will
maintain their old timing from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
>
> Â Â Â The non-government offices, banks and other private
institutions will begin their day from 10am and finish at 6:00pm.
>
> Â Â Â Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a cabinet meeting on
August 31, directed the authorities to set separate timetables for the
different sectors which was followed up on October 12 in view to reduce
the worsening traffic condition.
>
>
> Acquaintance with the red, green and yellow
>
>
>
>
>
> In the latest event of adjustment in the year, the government
introduced automated traffic signals in Dhaka city and enforced lane
management through a drive cracking down on traffic violations.
>
> Â Â Â Under the new traffic arrangement, the main roads have
three lanes: the lane by the road divider has been designated for cars,
jeeps and vehicles carrying VIPs, the middle lane has been marked for
the buses, mini-buses, covered vans and pick ups while the lane by the
footpath has been designated for motorbikes, CNG-run-auto-rickshaws and
human haulers.
>
> Â Â Â The police earlier held a two-week trial on the streets
to bring the commuters under the habit of following the rules.
>
> Â Â Â As part of the drive, the traffic department of the
Dhaka Metropolitan Police filed 7,251 cases in the first week from
December 8 to December 14. During the period, the police also fined rule
violators Tk 6.48 lakh, seized 169 driving licenses for three months and
136 vehicles as well as arresting 98 persons for committing road traffic
offences.
> a year of justice
>
> Suo Moto on crossfire
>
>
>
>
>
> The High Court, this year, took a strong stance against extrajudicial
killings, ordering the Rapid Action Battalion not to kill anymore people
in the name of ‘crossfire’ or ‘encounter’
till it hears from the government on the suo moto rule over
extrajudicial killings issued on November 17.
>
> Â Â Â The suo moto gave the government two weeks initially to
explain why the crossfire killing of two brothers, Lutfor Khalasi and
Khairul Khalasi, said to be leaders of Sarbahara Party, by the RAB on
November 16, should not be declared extrajudicial. The government has
yet to reply and the Attorney General sought for more time, presumably
until the court resumes on January 3, 2010.
>
>    In spite of the Awami League’s strong opposition
to extrajudicial killing while in opposition, more than 100 killings
have taken place after it formed the government.
>
>
> Legal action against arbitrary caning
>
>
>
>
>
> The High Court on August 25 ordered the government, law enforcers and
local government bodies to take immediate measures against issuance or
execution of extrajudicial penalties such as beating and caning in the
name of arbitration, mediation or conciliation.
>
> Â Â Â The court alongside asking the government and inspector
general of police, the reason for their failure to prevent extra-legal
penalties, also asked the government to explain why it would not be
directed to frame and adopt guidelines and orders for all authorities
concerned to report on the occurrence of such extrajudicial penalties by
any people or bodies, including union councils or municipal
representatives, in the name of arbitration, mediation and conciliation.
>
> Â Â Â A writ petition filed by Bangladesh Legal Aid and
Services Trust, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Ain o Salish Kendra, BRAC
and Nijera Kori, described incidents in June where a woman and a man
were caned 101 times by the order of village elders at Nabiganj in
Habiganj in arbitration in the presence of a chairman and a woman being
caned 101 times at Srimangal in Moulvibazar for talking with a man of
other faith.
>
> Â Â Â The Ain O Salish Kendra and Bangladesh Mahila Parishad
found through the national dailies that this year until May, some 15
families were victim of illegal fatwa.
>
>
> Bringing sexual harassment to book
> The High Court for the first time issued a set of guidelines against
sexual harassment on May 14. These include installation of complaint
centres headed by women to prevent sexual harassment of women and girls
at educational institutions, offices, factories and other workplaces.
The directive was issued after the final hearing of a public interest
litigation writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Jatiya Mahila Ainjibi
Samity on August 7, 2008.
>
> Â Â Â Any kind of provocation through phone calls or e-mail,
lewd gestures, showing of pornography, lurid stares, physical contact or
molestation, stalking, vulgar sounds or any display of a derogatory
nature will be tantamount to sexual misdemeanor. The verdict, however,
fell on deaf ears as the government and autonomous authorities have so
far failed to initiate any move to protect women from being sexually
harassed at workplaces and educational institutions. At least two
incidents of sexual harassment, including a rape incident, have been
reported at a public and a private university after the ruling in May
this year.
> a year of injustice
>
> Justice served through bullets
>
>
>
>
>
> The first 11 months of the Awami League-led government oversaw 138
lives lost in ‘crossfire’ and ‘encounter’.
The Awami League, prior to forming the government and even after
assuming it, had on many occasions committed to end crossfire, but such
promises have since disappeared.
>
> Â Â Â The extrajudicial killings, however, still continued
unabated with the government gradually shifting its position - from
condemnation to justification - regarding such killings.
>
> Â Â Â The state minister for home affairs, Shamsul Haque Tuku
recently pulled the defence for such killings saying, ‘if the law
enforcers are attacked by criminals when they are fighting terrorism and
maintaining law and order, they must have the right to self
defence.’
>
> Â Â Â While members of the civil society condemn the
government statements regarding extrajudicial killing, what Tuku said is
not essentially different from what his predecessor, Tanjim Ahmed Sohel
Taj said in May or the Home Minister, Sahara Khatun, Foreign Minister
Dipu Moni and Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, has been saying or for
that matter, what the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, said during her
stay in the US.
>
>
> Tender grabbing and manipulation unabated
>
>
>
>
>
> Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of Bangladesh Awami League
spent a busy year hijacking tenders ever since the party formed the
government. On February 16, two groups of BCL in Jahangirnagar
University, exchanged fire and one BCL cadre was arrested with arms. The
clash was an outcome of both the groups vying for the same tender worth
Tk 10 crore.
>
>    On April 13, BCL Dhaka University branch’s
organising secretary of central committee, Ashrafur Rahman and
international relation secretary, Sheikh Sohel Rana were arrested on
charge of tender-grabbing. The former and serving BCL leaders were also
reported to have been involved in stopping tenders at TCB in Karwan
Bazar and other places in connivance with the administration.
>
> Â Â Â The tenders of Chittagong City Corporation worth Tk 12
crore were apparently distributed among AL activists in presence of the
city mayor, Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
>
> Â Â Â Disappointed over the activities, Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina resigned from her position as president of Chhatra League on
April 5.
>
>
> Institutions wear the political badge
> One mention the party forgot to make in its manifesto was of
completing a fully politically-inclined public administration,
irrespective of merit, experience or performance. Ever since the
government’s assumption on January 6 this year, there has been a
gradual reshuffle in every important position, from the police,
educationists to the secretaries and ambassadors.
>
> Â Â Â At least 500 officials of various levels, including
secretaries to home, establishment, communications, information,
education and local government ministries have been changed apparently
to reshuffle the bureaucracy in the party’s favour.
>
> Â Â Â Another 350 officials are idling their time away as
officers on special duty (OSD). The government on September 7 promoted a
total of 494 officials, mostly from the administration cadre to the
levels of deputy secretary, joint secretary and additional secretary in
excess of the approved vacant positions in the organogram and made them
OSDs.
>
> Â Â Â The government has given contractual appointments on
political considerations to most of the key overseas missions of the
country including those in the United States, United Kingdom and India.
>
> Â Â Â Fifty-four senior police officers were transferred and
three others were made OSD in March. In addition, the position of the
chiefs of the Anti Corruption Commission and the Regulatory Reforms
Commission, have also undergone change. The vice chancellors of the
Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi University have also been appointed on
the basis of political consideration.
>
>
>
> the year in photos
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
> http://www.newagebd.com/2009/dec/25/dec25/xtra_cover.html
>
------------------------------------
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