Dynamites upstage Kings to win BPL title

Favourites Dhaka Dynamites easily defeated Rajshahi Kings by 56 runs to win the final of the Bangladesh Premier League 2016 on Friday. 

Put into bat first, Dhaka batsmen were not at their very best, but Evin Lewis' 45 and Kumar Sangakkara's 36 helped them post 159 for 9.

In-form opener Mehedi Maruf could only manage 8 while Nasir Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain both cut a sorry figure of 5.

Rajshahi bowlers were also successful in containing the likes of Shakib Al Hasan (12), Andre Russell (8) and Dwayne Bravo (13), but Lewis and Sangakkara made sure Dhaka post a fighting total. 

Lewis' 45 came in just 31 balls, courtesy of eight fours, while Sangakkara hit two fours and a six in his 33-ball innings.

Sunzamul Islam hit 12 off five deliveries in the end.

Farhad Reza was the best bowler for Rajshahi, bagging three wickets for 28 besides taking a spectecular catch that brought an end to Russell's innings.

Chasing 160, Rajshahi lost opener Nurul Hasan on only 15, but Mominul Haque and Sabbir Rahman were looking well set till 62. However, a run out brought an end to Sabbir's 26-run innings and things started getting worse for the Kings.

Mominul (27) joined his team-mate in the pavillion in the next over and barring these duo and Samit Patel (17), none of the other batsmen could manage double figures, as Rajshahi could only manage 103.

Rajshahi Tail-ender Kesrick Williams retired hurt after being hit by a Bravo throw, which looked unnecessary from the Dhaka all-rounder.

All the Dhaka bowlers bagged some success, the trio of Abu Jayed, Shakib and Sunzamul each netting two wickets while Bravo and Russell claiming one apiece.

Sangakkara was adjudged the player of the match for his ice-cool innings, while Khulna Titans captain Mahmudullah was named the player of the series.

Source: Prothom Alo

33 more arrested over Nasirnagar attacks

Police on Saturday said they arrested 33 more people in connection with the attacks on Hindus at Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria.

In drives from Friday night to early Saturday, police arrested 33 suspects at places in the upazila after examining  video footage of the October 30 attacks, Nasirnagar police officer-in-charge Md Abu Zafar told New Age.

He, however, declined to disclose identities of the arrestees.

They will be produced before the court today, he said.

Earlier, police arrested 11 people in this connection.

Local people and victims alleged that activists of the ruling Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat-e-Islam as well as goons from outlying villages, who joined rallies at Nasirnagar on October 30, instigated and carried out the attacks. 

About 200 houses and business establishments and 22 temples of Hindus were vandalised and robbed during the attacks, they said.

The attackers came to the upazila headquarters to join rallies demanding punishment of a Hindu youth, Rasraj Das, for allegedly sharing a doctored photo showing an idol on the Kaaba on his Facebook wall on October 28.

The protest rallies were organised by Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat at Nasirnagar college intersection, and Towhidi Janata of qoumi group backed by Hefazat-e-Islam at Ashutosh Pilot High School.

However, according to an assessment made by Nasirnagar upazila administration, the attacks damaged 17 temples and 52 houses and business establishments.

AL men involved in plundering Tk 10 rice: Khaleda

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday alleged that the ruling party men are involved in widespread ‘plundering’ of the Tk 10 per kg rice allocated for poor people.

“We’re stunned and ashamed over the news on the looting of rice allocated for the poor at Tk 10 per kg by the well-off Awami League (AL) men across the country,” she tweeted in the afternoon.

With her tweet, the BNP chief also posted a placard which reads, “We’d kept the price of coarse rice within the limit of Tk 14-15 per kg during our rule until 2007.”

In the placard, the BNP chief said they had introduced the Open Market Sale (OMS) for providing the poor with rice at a low price alongside giving them the rice at free of cost to cope with price

hike or crisis.

Khaleda, also a former Prime Minister, said each poor person could buy at best 5 kg rice at reduced price during their tenure.

“Now the government has made a rule to provide only the cardholders with rice at Tk 10 per kg, and handed over the cards to affluent ruling party men. It’s paved the way for widespread looting (of the rice), depriving the poor,” the BNP chief observed.

She also alleged that government which assumed office without people’s votes have created a scope for plundering for the ruling party activists snatching the poor people’s food

Ban On NDTV Channel Shows Emergency-Like Attitude: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticized the central government for putting a one-day ban on NDTV India and said it showed that an "emergency-like situation" prevailed in the country.

"NDTV ban is shocking. If the government had issues with the Pathankot coverage, there are provisions available. But a ban shows an Emergency-like attitude," Ms Banerjee said in a statement.

An inter-ministerial panel yesterday concluded that NDTV India had allegedly revealed crucial and "strategically sensitive" information when the terror attack on Pathankot's Air Force base was being carried out.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry, while invoking the powers under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, said it "orders to prohibit the transmission or re-transmission of NDTV India channel for one day on any platform throughout India with effect from 00:01 hrs on 9th November,2016 till 00:01 hrs of 10th November, 2016".

This is the first ever such order against a TV channel over its coverage of a terror attack, the norms regarding which were notified last year.

In its reply, NDTV India said that it was a case of "subjective interpretation" and that most of the information they had put out was already in the public domain in print, electronic and social media.

Attacks on Hindu community, 3 B’baria AL leaders suspended

District Awami League on Friday suspended its three leaders on charges of their involvement in the recent attacks on the Hindu community in Nasirnagar upazila.

The action was taken against Nasirnagar upazila unit AL assistant general secretary and Sadar union parishad chairman Abul Hossain, its Haripur union unit president Faruk Ahmed and Chapoitala union unit president Suruj Ali.

The three AL leaders were suspended following media reports on their involvement in the recent attacks on the houses, temples and business establishments of the Hindu community in Nasirnagar, district AL general secretary AL Mamun Sarker told UNB.

Meanwhile, the district AL formed a five-member committee, headed by its vice-president Helal Uddin, to probe whether the suspended leaders were involved in the attacks.

On October 30, an unruly mob equipped with sharp weapons went berserk and demolished a number of Hindu temples and nearly 100 houses in Nasirnagar upazila following a rumour of a Facebook post demeaning the Holy Kaaba.

A young boy arrested because of stealing gold from Shekharnagar traditional Kali temple.শেখরনগর কালি মন্দিরে ঠাকুরের স্বর্ণের হার চুরি করতে গিয়ে যুবক গ্রেফতার

গত ০৩/১১/২০১৬ বৃহস্পতিবার সিরাজদিখান থানার শেখরনগর ইউনিয়নের ঐতিহ্যবাহী কালি মন্দিরের ঠাকুরের গলার স্বর্ণের হার চুরি করতে গিয়ে জনতার হাতে ধরা পরে পার্শ্ববর্তি টেগুরিয়া গ্রামের জাকির শেখের ছেলে অনিক শেখ (২৪) । ঘটনাস্থল হতে জানা যায় অনিক মন্দিরের প্রধান গেইট দিয়ে ভিতরে প্রবেশ করে মহাদেবের মাথায় পারা দিয়ে কালি ঠাকুরের বিশাল স্বর্ণের হার ঠাকুরের গলা থেকে খুলে তার ব্যাগের ভিতর ভরে পালিয়ে যাওয়ার চেষ্টা করে।কিন্তু স্থানীয় মনি পাড়ার লোকজনের নজর থাকায় তাকে হাতে নাতে ধরে ফেলে।পরবর্তিতে উক্ত যুবককে পুলিশের কাছে সোপার্দ করে।সিরাজদিখান থানার এ.এস.আই আমিনুল ইসলামের সাথে যোগাযোগ করলে জানা যায় উক্ত যুবকটি মানসিক ভারসাম্যহীন (পাগল) যা তার পরিবার সনদ উপস্থাপনের মাধ্যমে হাজির করেছেন। যার প্রেক্ষিতে উক্ত ছেলেটিকে পুলিশ ছেরে দেন।

Houses set on fire in Nasirnagar

Miscreants have set fire to at least four houses in Nasirnagar of Brahmanbaria district amid the ongoing tension over the attacks on Hindu community and temples.

The incidents happened in the early hours of Friday at Namoshudro Para, Parchim Para, Thakur Road and Hospital Road.

At least four houses including a temple were burnt, confirmed Brahmanbaria Police Supper Md. Mijanur Rahman.

Over 100 people were injured when a mob of around 3,000 local Muslims armed with weapons demolished at least 10 temples and vandalised hundreds of houses of the Hindu community in Nasirnagar upazila on October 30, reportedly in response to a Facebook post.