The members of the armed forces, who lost their jobs during the previous government, have made a three-point demand, including reinstatement of their jobs with full salary and other benefits from the time of dismissal.

This demand was made in a press conference organized by the comrades in the press club auditorium on Wednesday (October 9).

On behalf of the dismissed armed forces members, their chief coordinator, Naimul Islam, said that the previous government, in order to maintain the autocratic regime, some senior officers of the military force, as allies of the fascist government, misused their power in the military force and applied a one-sided justice system. Deprived of due pension, even forcibly subjected to inhumane torture by confining the unit to quarter guards and so-called mirror houses.

He said British martial law is still in force in the army, which is illogical. Under this Act, the army personnel were dismissed from service at various times. As the interim government has taken initiatives to reform various sectors including the constitution, the army should also reform this British martial law.

Apart from this, the army personnel have been fired due to political vendetta at various times. If BNP-Jamaat affiliation is found in the family or among the relatives, he is issued and dismissed from the job for the slightest mistake, which is extremely discriminatory.

He also said that it is a rule of the army that if any complaint is received by the wife without proper investigation, the soldier loses his job. Even if the wife later wants to withdraw her complaint, the superiors continue to intimidate and fire her.

He said some military officers have been establishing autocratic rule by depriving a member of the military of his rightful rights through abuse of power.

He also said that another important disparity in the military is that, while a member of the navy and air force addresses his seniors as sir, in the army, except for commissioned and junior commissioned officers, other seniors are addressed as staff and master. Such terminology is highly inappropriate in a force of international repute and repute like the army. We also want to eliminate this discrimination.

The 3-point demands they raised in the press conference are-

The job must be reinstated with full salary, allowances and other benefits from the time of dismissal. If full service of a member of the armed forces is not possible then they said member of the armed forces shall be covered by full pension with all government facilities.

The legal framework and the one-sided justice system that has led to the dismissal of hundreds of armed forces must be reformed. During this time, coordinator Mostafizur Rahman from the dismissed army, coordinator Md. Korban Ali from the navy also spoke. Abdul Hakim, the coordinator on behalf of the Air Force and Navy member Riazul Karim Mazumder, Air Force Sergeant Reza, Army member Al Amin, Army Sergeant Bashar, Air Force member Tauhidul Islam and others. About two hundred dismissed armed forces members were present at the time.

A case has been filed against 17 people, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Minister of State for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim, singer Mumtaz Begum and actress Shomi Kaiser, on the charges of enforced disappearance and attempted murder two years ago.

On Wednesday (October 9), a BNP activist, Syed Hasan Mahmud, filed the case in the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Belal Hossain ordered the CID to investigate the complaint and submit a report after accepting the statement of the plaintiff.

Other accused include former minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Obaidul Quader, Anisul Haque, Hasan Mahmud, Dilip Barua, Jatiya Party's Moshiur Rahman Ranga, police officer Haroon Or Rashid.

It is said in the case, the plaintiff filed a case against Moshiur Rahman Ranga, the then leader of the 14-party alliance on November 21, 2011, for making defamatory statements about martyr Nur Hossain in the 1990 student movement. The case was dismissed by the CMM court. In view of that case, the plaintiff Mogbazar Nayatla was forced to leave his house and go elsewhere.

The plaintiff was hoping for nomination for the post of Commissioner on behalf of Nationalist Party BNP from Ward No. 35 of City Corporation Dhaka North in 2019. On 22nd June 2020, the plaintiff was attacked and looted from his shop in order to financially harm him when he started a publicity campaign in the area.

In addition, on June 25 that year at 6 pm, the plaintiff was on his way to Rampura Bridge from Moghbazar for his business work, when plain- cloth people picked him up in a microbus, blindfolded him with black cloth and handcuffed him and took him to an unknown place. After staying there for 4 days, on June 29, he was left on the Hatirjheel road island.

In addition, on July 8 of that year, he was identified by the law enforcement forces and taken to an unknown place and kept missing for 14 days and released on July 21. On July 26, the police of Hatirjheel police station picked up the plaintiff and filed a case under the Digita Security Act.

Former Planning Minister MA Mannan got bail in the case of attack on students in Sunamganj town on August 4.

Senior District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Hemayet Uddin granted the bail on Wednesday (October 9) afternoon. However, during the bail hearing, the plaintiff's lawyers were not present in the court.

Earlier, at 11 o'clock in the bail hearing of Sunamganj-3 Constituency Member of Parliament MA Mannan, there was a commotion between the lawyers of both sides. Meanwhile, Senior District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Hemayet Uddin left the courtroom. The hearing has been scheduled for 2:30 PM later.

Former Planning Minister MA Mannan is currently undergoing treatment at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.

Police arrested MA Mannan from his home in Shantiganj upazila on the night of September 19. The next day he was arrested and sent to court in a case filed under the Speedy Trial Act at Sunamganj Sadar Model Police Station. Since then he was in Sunamganj District Jail.

Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of Sunamganj Sadar Hospital Mohammad Rafiqul Islam said that he (MA Mannan) has various physical complications. He has been taking medicines for chest and stomach pain for a long time. Doctors have realized that mental problems are more than physical problems. A psychiatrist should be consulted. Besides, there is no chest specialist here. So it is suggested to take him to Sylhet.

MA Mannan was arrested by the police from his home in Shantiganj upazila on the night of 19 September. The next day he was arrested in a case filed under the Speedy Trial Act at Sunamganj Sadar Model Police Station and sent to court. Students have blocked the Sunamganj-Sylhet regional highway in Shantiganj, protested and human chained to protest his arrest and demand his release. However, the leaders and workers of BNP and organizations have protested several times in Shantiganj and Sunamganj to demand his punishment.

Half of the under-construction Tk. 30 lakh bridge over the river Teesta in Belka Kheyaghat area of Belka Union of Sundarganj Upazila of Gaibandha has collapsed into the river.

On Tuesday (October 8) morning, this half of the bridge from the northern side collapsed due to the force of the current. Locals alleged that the bridge collapsed due to the indifference of the engineers in charge and the irresponsible work of the concerned contractor.

Earlier, on the night of June 24 this year, 90% of the work was completed; the four CC pillars in the middle of this bridge went unsettled. At that time, the four pillars of the bridge gave way before the construction work was completed, and the local people raised questions about the project's effectiveness and planning.

According to local sources, for a long time local people used to cross the river by boat from Belka Ghat of Belka Union of Sundarganj Upazila. Boats were the only means of communication for the people of Haripur-Belka Union on both sides of the river there. At least 20,000 people from the Char area of those two unions used to travel by boat along with goods. Sick patients and common people including students going to schools, colleges and madrassas suffered due to various reasons while crossing the boat. Later, in view of public demand, Sundarganj Upazila Parishad took the initiative to build a bridge in Belka Ghat area to alleviate their suffering. Sundarganj Upazila Engineering Directorate (LGED) got the responsibility of constructing the bridge at the cost of Tk.30 lakhs of ADP. This office of the upazila also designed the bridge.

According to LGED sources, in the financial year 2022-23, the annual development program (ADP) for the construction of this bridge with a length of 200 meters and a width of 6 meters is estimated to cost Tk. 30 lakh. A contractor company named Sana Enterprises of Saghata got the responsibility for the construction of this wooden bridge.

Construction of the bridge, which began in August 2022, was scheduled to be completed by May 2023.

But in the middle of January 2024, the responsible contractor withdrew the bill with the connivance of the office officials without working. At that time no safety railing was provided on any side of the bridge. Also, wood was used instead of cement slabs for the bridge deck. Later, when the matter came to light, the work started in February of the same year and ended in mid-June. But as the quality of the work was very poor, the four pillars in the middle of the bridge could be given away within a few days on the night of June 24 with the rise of water in the river. Locals were angry because the long-desired bridge was damaged so quickly.

Later, on June 27, three days after the incident of pillar going to unsettled, newly transferred Sundarganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Tariqul Islam and the upazila engineer of the department implementing the work, Abdul Mannaf, visited the bridge.

After inspecting the bridge at that time, UNO Tariqul Islam told the media persons that a five-member investigation committee has been formed in the incident of four pillars of the bridge collapsing before the inauguration. The committee has been directed to submit its report within the next three working days. UNO also said that legal action will be taken if indifference or irregularity is observed against the concerned parties including the contractor in the report.

But even after going to unsettled Pillar, hundreds of thousands of people from the Char area of Belka and Haripur Union of Upazila were crossing over that bridge at risk. However, within a few days, the bridge was damaged and their communication was cut off. Then, when the water level rose for the second time in the river, three months after the pillar was passed, today (October 8), half of the bridge collapsed and disappeared into the river.

Ibrahim Khalilullah, chairman of Belka Union Parishad (UP), expressed his anger over the fact that the long-awaited bridge was first given a pillar and later collapsed into the river.

Meanwhile, Chairman Ibrahim Khalilullah said that four pillars could be given before the work of the bridge was completed last June. And on Tuesday morning, half of the bridge collapsed into the river. The earlier sufferings of the masses, the sufferings remain. Tk. 30 lakh was wasted from the middle.

Sundarganj Upazila Engineer asked about the collapse of the bridge. Abdul Mannaf told Barta24.com on mobile phone around 8:30 pm, "I don't know about the collapse of the bridge. Today, someone told me that the bridge has collapsed. The matter has been told to the sub-assistant engineer. Let's see if people will go there tomorrow."