Dhaka, Mar 19 (UNB) – The bodies of the seven victims of Monday’s gun attack on a motorcade of election officials and law enforcers in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati were handed over to their families on Tuesday.

Family members received the bodies in the afternoon after their postmortems at Khagrachhari Modern Hospital, said officer-in-charge (investigation) of Baghaichhari Police Station Jahangir Alam.

The victims are M Amir Hossain, assistant presiding officer of a polling centre at Kanglak under Sajek and a teacher of Kachalong Girls’ School, Abu Tayeb, 40, a teacher and a polling officer, Ansar VDP members Jahanara Begum, 40, wife of Tafsil Ahmed of Kachalong Bazar, Mihir Kanti Dutta, 40, son of Sadhu Basak of Karoshtali, Bilkis Akther, 50, daughter of Nur Ali of Paillagona, M Al Amin, 25, son of Selim of Sarikkha, and vehicle helper Mantu Chakma, 25.

Meanwhile, a seven-member probe body has been formed with Local Government Division Director Dipak Chakraborty as its head to look into the gun attack, said Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati AKM Mamunur Rashid.

He said Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Abdul Mannan constituted the investigation committee on Tuesday night.

The other members of the probe panel are Additional District Magistrate Nazrul Islam and representatives of Chattogram Range deputy inspector general of police, Border Guard Bangladesh, district police, Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board and Rangamati District Council. 
 
The probe body was asked to submit its report within 10 days, the DC added.

On Monday, seven people were killed and a presiding officer among 24 was injured in the gun attack on the motorcade of the election officials and law enforcers when they were returning from three centres in Sajek after voting in the 2nd phase upazila election.

Terrorists opened fire on the last vehicle of the convoy from a hill, leaving six people dead on the spot.

Seven of the injured were brought to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka from Chattogram CMH on Tuesday where a total of 17 were admitted on Monday.

Besides, seven more injured were receiving treatment at Baghaichhari upazila health Complex.

Meanwhile, joint forces have launched a drive in the hilly region following the gun attack.

Bangladesh Army’s Khagrachhari regional commander Brig Gen M Hamidul Islam who visited the spot on Tuesday said law enforcers launched the joint drive soon after the attack. However, they were yet to make any arrest.

He said no one will be spared over the gun attack.

Parbatya Bangali Chhatra Parishad called a daylong hartal in Khagrachhari district for Wednesday protesting the killings of the seven people and Bilaichhari upazila Awami League president Suresh Kanti Tongchanga.

It was announced in a press release signed by parishad’s acting general secretary M Rabiul Islam.

The dawn-to-dusk shutdown is also meant for demanding the removal of female MP Basanti Chakma.

Suresh Kanti was gunned down by some miscreants at Farua in the upazila of Rangamati on Tuesday morning.
 

Dhaka, Mar 19 (UNB) - A court here on Tuesday granted bail to Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, chairman of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Women’s Football Committee, until April 2 in a case filed for making ‘derogatory remarks’ on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sorafuzzaman Ansari passed the order on a bond of Tk 10,000.

On Saturday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Sufian Md Noman sent Kiron to jail when police produced her before his court, rejecting her bail plea.

Kiron, also a member of BFF executive committee and FIFA council, was arrested from Dhanmondi in the defamation case filed by sports organiser Abu Hasan Chowdhury Prince, said sub-inspector of Motijheel Police Station.

Prince, a member of Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, filed the case with Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Tuesday when the court issued a warrant for Kiron’s arrest. 
   
At a press conference at the BFF House on March 8, Kiron reportedly made disparaging comments about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
 

Dhaka, Mar 19 (UNB)— The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday moved the High Court seeking a stay order on a proposed film on Jaha Alam, who spent three years in jail in place of the real accused in two dozen corruption cases.
 
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said the hearing will be included in the cause list on Wednesday for the bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam. 

Khan said they sought a stay order until the 33 cheque fraud cases, pending in subordinate court, and the High Court’s suo-moto rule are resolved.

Two newspapers reported on March 13 that a film is set to be made on Jaha Alam. The ACC decided to move the court the next day.

Lawyer Khan said the High Court on March 6 noted that making films on sub-judice matters is tantamount to contempt of court.

Jaha Alam, a jute mill worker, languished in jail since February 2016 in 26 corruption cases in place of the real accused Abu Salek. He was arrested in cases filed by the ACC for misappropriating money instead of Salek.

Jaha Alam was released from Kashimpur Central Jail-2 in Gazipur on February 4 following a High Court order.
 

Dhaka, Mar 19 (UNB) -The national anthem 'Amar Sonar Bangla' will be sung simultaneously across the country on the Independence Day on March 26.

Educational institutions run by Bangladesh missions abroad will sing the national anthem together with that in Bangladesh if possible and others will sing it at a convenient time on the day, said a PID handout on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lead the nation in singing the national anthem at the main programme at 'Jatiya Shishu Kishore Samabesh', scheduled to be held at Bangabandhu National Stadium on the day.

Besides, awards will be distributed among the winning teams of the ‘Singing of National Anthem in Right Tune’ competition held on March 10-18.
 

Dhaka, March 19 (UNB)— The three-day international tourism fair ‘NOVOAIR Dhaka Travel Mart-2019’ will begin on Thursday in the city.

Md Mahbub Ali, state minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, will inaugurate the fair as the chief guest at hotel Sonargaon around 11 am. 

The Bangladesh Monitor, a leading travel trade fortnightly, is organising the fair for the 16th time, said a press release issued on Tuesday. 

NOVOAIR, one of Bangladesh’s leading private airlines, is supporting the event as title sponsor. 

Bangladesh Tourism Board, Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Mutual Trust Bank will take part as partners while Nepal will join the fair as the Partner Country, Raquib Siddiqi, chief editor of The Bangladesh Monitor, told the media at Pan Pacific Sonargaon on Tuesday.

Dr Bhubon Chandra Biswas, CEO, Bangladesh Tourism Board, Akhtar Uzzaman Khan Kabir, Chairman, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Mes-bah-ul-Islam, Head of Marketing and Sales NOVOAIR, Shakil Meraj, General Manager- Public Relations, Biman Bangladesh Airlines,  Azam Khan, Group Chief Communications Officer, Mutual Trust Bank Ltd and Diwakar B. Rana, Senior Manager, Nepal Tourism Board were, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Raquib Siddiqi said The Bangladesh Monitor has been working for the development of the country’s tourism sector since its inception. Among its many initiatives, it has been organising Dhaka Travel Mart since 2002. 

“Over the years, we have seen many quality changes taking place in Bangladesh’s tourism sector,” Siddiqi said.

The development of tourism infrastructure, encouraging trend of foreign tourist arrival, and continuous diversification in the tourism products and services are some of the positive changes.

“Private initiatives are playing leading roles,” Siddiqi said.

National Tourism Organisations of Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia will participate in this year’s travel mart. 

Forty-one organisations from seven countries, including Bangladesh, will display their products and services in five pavilions and 70 stalls during the fair.