The former president of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Syed Almas Kabir has been arrested by the police.

He was arrested from his house in Gulshan of the capital on Monday (October 14) night.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Tejgaon Division DC Ruhul Kabir Khan confirmed the matter. He said that Almas Kabir was arrested and taken to the police station in a case filed at the Mohammadpur police station.

Almas Kabir has been the CEO of Metronet since 2006. He was an Associate Professor at Independent University Bangladesh (IUB). Apart from this, he has held various administrative positions at IUB, North South University and City University.

Almas Kabir was also a guest lecturer at National University and Northern University. 

The trial of genocide and crimes against humanity, happened around the July-August student movement, begins at the International Crimes Tribunal on Thursday (October 17).

On Tuesday (October 15) after a courtesy meeting with the judges, the chief prosecutor Tajul Islam gave this information.

The chief prosecutor said that the chairman of the tribunal and other judges will be welcomed tomorrow.

Prior to this, yesterday, Monday, Golam Mortuza Mozumdar has been appointed as and addition judge of the High Court. The other two members of the International crimes tribunal formed by Golam Mortuza Majumdar as chairman are additional judges of the high court. Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired District and Sessions Judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury. On October 14, a notification was issued establishing the International Crimes Tribunal by order of the President.

Meanwhile, on September 5, Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Mohammad Tajul Islam was appointed as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal. Besides, the other five prosecutors of the prosecution team are Md. Mizanul Islam, Gazi Monawar Hussain Tamim, BM Sultan Mahmud, Abdullah Al Noman and Md. Saimum Reza Talukdar.

The interim government has taken the initiative to try the genocide that took place last July-August in the International Crimes Tribunal formed in 2010 to try the crimes against humanity during the liberation war. Already, half a hundred complaints of murder, genocide, disappearance and murder have been filed with the investigation agency and prosecution team of the tribunal. Deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government ministers, parliamentarians, members of law enforcement agencies , Awami League leaders and media workers have been accused.

Advocate Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, said that the tribunal will be functional only after the appointment of judges. Once the tribunal becomes functional, we will seek warrants of arrest, orders to stop the accused from going abroad, to seize data. The help of law enforcement agencies will be needed to quickly arrest the accused. An order will come from the tribunal in that regard.

On March 25, 2010, the International Criminal Tribunal was established to try ‘71 crimes against humanity. Later on March 22, 2012, another tribunal named Tribunal-2 was constituted. However, on September 15, 2015, the two were merged and one tribunal was established. As a result, the trial of ‘71 against humanity is ongoing in a tribunal.

Five people were killed in a head-on collision between two buses in Mallikpur area of Kanaipur Union of Faridpur Sadar Upazila on the Dhaka-Khulna highway. Besides, 9 people were injured in this incident. The injured are being treated at Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

The accident took place on Tuesday (October 15) at around 4:00 AM in the head-on collision between two buses, Jhenaidah Paribahan and Jhenaidah bound Green Express. The names of those killed were not immediately known.

Confirming the truth of the incident, Karimpur Highway Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Salauddin Chowdhury said that efforts are underway to identify the names and identities of all the victims. The two buses involved in the accident were recovered and brought to the Karimpur Highway Police Station. 

The scene of two brides fighting with one husband is seen in the movie. Something that sometimes happens in reality. But this is the first time that the two organizations are struggling with a ghat! Kumira-Guptachara Ghat is the main seaway connecting Sandwip upazila, an isolated island in the heart of the Bay of Bengal, with mainland Sitakunda. Two government organizations, Zilla Parishad and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), are involved in a dispute over the ownership of that ghat.

From the beginning, the Zilla Parishad was managing this ghat as the owner. But a decade ago, BIWTA suddenly claimed the ownership of this ghat. The issue of conflict between the two parties is even brought up to the court. The BIWTA authorities became 'silent' when the court ruled in favor of the Zilla Parishad. But after breaking the silence in 2023, BIWTA once again took possession of the ghat. Now along with the Zilla Parishad they are also claiming the ownership of the ghat and giving lease.

Although Zilla Parishad and BIWTA are busy 'honey extracting' through leases, the two organizations are not doing anything visible for the development of the ghat. As a result, anger fell on the service. Harassment of Sandwip residents is also extreme. The two lessees are in trouble even though there is no conflict between them as they have been working together. Because the two companies are taking the revenue, there is pressure on the lessees. And that pressure has also affected the passengers.

BIWTA's 'illegal' intervention!:

Zila Parishad: Kumira-Guptachara Ghat was managed by the organization for ages. But BIWTA authority Ghat in 2012. A dispute started when a man named Abul Kasem Raja was leased. A writ number 11517/2013 was filed in the High Court Division regarding the matter where the judgment was given in favor of the Chattogram Zilla Parishad. Not only BIWTA, but also Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) demanded control of the ghat at one point. Similarly, Civil Petition Nos. 2723/2012 and 2722/2012 were filed in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, the service also gave final judgment in favor of Chattogram Zilla Parishad. There is no opportunity for BIWTA or BIWTC to interfere with the said ghat due to the judgment of the Supreme Court in favor of the Chattogram Zilla Parishad regarding the ownership and management of the ghat. After the verdict, BIWTC withdrew from ownership of the wharf, but BIWTA-claimed ownership and issued a lease notice.

The fresh conflict between Zilla Parishad and BIWTA started mainly in 2021. In 2013, when a conflict arose between the BIWTA and the Zilla Parishad over the lease of the Kumira-Guptachara Ghat, on March 9, 2014, at the initiative of the then Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, a meeting was held in the presence of two local MPs (Chattogram 3 and Chattogram 4), representatives of the BIWTA and the Zilla Parishad-Chattogram. The meeting took place. According to the decision of that meeting, on December 2, 2014, a 6-year agreement was reached with BIWTA and Zilla Parishad on the management of Kumira-Guptachara Ferry Ghat. According to the agreement, the entire lease management of this ghat will be managed by the Zilla Parishad.

After the expiry of the agreement period, Zila Parishad did not want to enter into a new compromise agreement and BIWTA sat down. The argument of the organization was that in 2020, the government declared the entire area from Feni to Patenga as a naval port through a notification. Besides, BIWTA is also given the responsibility of managing the seaports. BIWTA wants to operate the wharf under that Act. Although the court's verdict was in favor of the Zilla Parishad, which has been running for ages.

Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Shabbir Iqbal alleged that BIWTA is interfering illegally despite the court order. He said, 'BIWTA and BIWTC are obstructing the Zilla Parishad in the proper management of the ghat due to the conspiracy of some interested parties. There is a judgment of the full bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court that the ghat belongs to Chattogram Zilla Parishad. Such a judgment of the Appellate Division is not open to anyone else to claim ownership. Unwanted interference by BIWTA, BIWTC or any other party during the management of the ghat by the Zilla Parishad with the consent of all parties is not only a violation of the law, but also an unwanted obstacle to the improvement of the environment and passenger service of the ghat. Shabbir Iqbal seeks the cooperation of all parties in managing the ghat properly.

However, Deputy Director of BIWTA-Chattogram Division. Kamruzzaman said, "The government has identified the area as a naval port. Because of this, no one else has the opportunity to dominate this ghat. That's why we have been managing since the financial year 2023-24.

Presently the lessee of Zilla Parishad is M/s Adil Enterprises. The owner of this company is Azmain Adil Chowdhury. The Zilla Parishad has to pay Rs 93,500 per day including VAT as lease to the institution. On the other hand BIWTA has M/s RK Enterprise as its lessee. The owner of the company. BIWTA has to pay approximately Tk 82 lakh including VAT as lease to Jaglul Hossain Nayan.

Suffering Islanders:

The islanders are suffering the most from the tug of war between two organizations over a ghat. A ghat is leased by two parties for a large amount of money, but no one is working to develop the ghat. As a result, the sea route from Sandwip to Chittagong is waiting for the passengers to suffer. To get rid of this suffering, the government constructed two jetties at a cost of 25 crores. Neither of these two jetties constructed through BIWTA have brought the expected benefits to the people of Sandwip. A part of the jetty built in the Guptachara part of Sandwip collapsed five months after its inauguration    in the head And Chittagong's Kumira broke into pieces in May 2022. In just 10 years, the sufferings of the two jetties have increased. Although there is a jetty, passengers have to wade through waist-deep water and mud to reach the shore during low tide. The passengers who came on the ship were also brought down in waist-deep water by 'red boat'. Children, elderly, women and sick patients are fluctuating with extreme risk. Not only that, if the weather changes, the life of the people of the island will come to a standstill. The people of Sandwip hope that the dispute between the two organizations will be resolved soon. Then as the suffering in their journey will be reduced, the suffering will also be removed.