Give referendum on DCC split: (Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir) BNP

BNP has demanded that the government hold a referendum to test the reputation of the division of Dhaka City Corporation after the Awami League dared the main antagonism to inward election.

"In response to the challenge given to us by Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam to take part in the city elections, I want to say that the elections are far away; put the DCC split to public vote. The vote itself will prove what the people want," acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Saturday.

He claimed that 98 percent residents of Dhaka want a unified corporation.

Syed Ashraf at a party rally in the city on Friday said, "I'm demanding BNP and attractive them to contest in this election. Do not step to the side at the last minute [as the candidate you backed did] in the Narayanganj City Corporation election. We will accept the results if you win," he added.

Parliament last Tuesday passed the Local Government (City Corporation) alteration Bill 2011 to split the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) into two disconnect entities amidst protests by the antagonism on the streets and demonstrations by serving councilors and DCC staff members.

As per the amended law, the civic body is being divided into two — north and south. The new northern city corporation consists of 36 of the total 92 wards and the southern one consists of the remaining 56. The polls should be held within 90 days of the bifurcation, according to the bill.

President Zillur Rahman signed the bill into law on Thursday. BNP will enforce a dawn-to-dusk general strike in Dhaka on Sunday in protest.

In support of the general strike, Alamgir along with the party activists and leaders distributed leaflets at places from its Naya Paltan headquarters to Fakirapool intersection.

Later, he told reporters that police were arresting BNP supporters and harassing them in their houses ahead of the lockdown and protested the harassment.

Alamgir urged the people to make Sunday's strike a success.

BNP chairperson's advisor Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain, joint secretaries-general Barkatullah Bulu and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, and Dhaka city unit BNP member secretary Abdus Salam were present during the leaflet distribution.

Two workers die in false fire stampede

After an explosion in a garment factory at Chankharpool in the city on Saturday two workers died and 50 workers injured when they run for safety.

The deceased were Jasmin, 17, and Taslima, 20, – both workers of Euro Tex Limited.

Witnesses said a machine exploded with a big bang in the factory around 1:15pm, sending panic to the workers of the factory housed in the second to sixth floors of the seven-storied building.

The frightened workers tried to run down the stairs for safety suddenly. At least 52 workers injured at this time.

The doctor declared dead when Jasmin rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Taslima succumbed to her injuries later, hospital sources said.

Protesting the occurrence, nervous workers were signifying and vandalizing the factory building at 3:50pm till filing of this report.

Close International Crimes Tribunal: (Moudud Ahmed) BNP

Expressing no assurance in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), dealing with crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, BNP has demanded immediately stopped all its proceedings.

"The elementary privileges of the war crime suspects have been despoiled in the tribunal. BNP has no assurance in the tribunal," senior party representative Moudud Ahmed said at a news conference at the party's central office on Saturday.

The former law minister termed the tribunal as nothing but a rubber-stamping body and its proceedings 'eyewash'.

Moudud demanded that senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury MP, now behind bars for his suspected contribution in war crimes and immediately released from custody crimes against humanity.

The government formed the International Crimes Tribunal, lawyers' panel and an investigation committee on Mar 25 last year to try the 1971 war criminals.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary-general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee, assistant secretaries-general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla, BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and former member of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's cabinet Abdul Alim were arrested on charges of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

The tribunal has already framed charges against Sayedee.

BNP acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members A R Gani, Jamiruddin Sircar, A S M Hannan Shah, Rafiqul Islam Mia, Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, vice-president Selima Rahman, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and its general secretary Badruzzaman Badal, former attorney general A J Mohammad Ali, former minister Aminul Haque and former president of Dhaka Lawyers Association Sanaullah Mia were present at the press conference at its Nayapaltan headquarters.