Abdur Razzak given teary farewell

People bade Abdur Razzak a teary farewell as the frontline organiser of the Liberation War was laid to rest at Banani Graveyard with state honour on Monday afternoon.

A smartly turned out contingent of the police gave a state honour as bugles played the Last Post before the body was lowered into the grave at the banana Graveyard. Mourners observed a minute’s silence and offered at the graveside.

Senior Awami League leaders handed over Razzak’s body to his two sons, Nahin and Fahim Razzak, who joined the burial rites, as mourners burst into tears.

Among others, AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Jalil, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Obaidul Quader, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mahbubul

Alam Hanif, BM Mozameel Haque, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Abul Kalam Azad and Hasan Mahmud were present. A group of freedom fighters also paid their last respect to Razzak.

The cabinet at its weekly meeting on the day adopted a condolence motion on the death of Abdur Razzak, also Awami League advisory council member and a former minister.

The meeting recalled the contributions of the veteran leader to all democratic movements beginning from the education movement in 1962, said the prime minister’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad.

Abdur Razzak, whose illustrious political career spanned half a century, died in King’s College Hospital in London on Friday after protracted illness.

Earlier, the fifth and last namaz-e-janaza of Abdur Razzak was held at the graveyard around 3:40pm.

The body was flown to Razzak’s ancestral village at Shariatpur’s Damudda in the morning and brought to Banani Graveyard from there at about 3:30pm.

People from walks of life, including politicians, lawmakers, lawyers, socio-cultural activists and students gathered at Razzak’s ancestral home in Damudda and on the upazila parishad premises where the body was kept for public view, to pay homage to the late leader, who was lawmaker elected from Shariatpur-3 constituency.

Razzak’s fourth namaz-e janaza was hold at the Damudda upazila mosque after Johr prayers. Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Hemayetullah Auranga and Shariatpur district president Jamal Sharif attended the janaza.

Razzak’s first namaz-e-janaza was held in London on Saturday. His body was flown to Dhaka by a special Biman on Sunday. His second and third namaz-e-janaza were held at South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad and Jatiya Eidgah ground with thousands of mourners attending.

The AL leader’s body was also kept at his Gulshan house, Central Shaheed Minar premises and AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue, for public view on Sunday.

President Zillur Rahman, prime minister Sheikh Hasina and people from all walks of life paid tributes to the late leader by placing wreaths at the coffin.

AL leaders and activists wore black badges and the party flag flew at half-mast atop party offices across the country on Monday – the last day of a two-day mourning programme.

Razzak, a political luminary and popular leader, never lost a general election in his career.

He was also the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources ministry. He was water resources minister in 1996-2001.

Razzak, was one the three members of the core committee of the Swadhin Bangla Biplabi Parishad, widely known as ‘nucleus’, a radical group of the Chhatra League that in early 1960s had conceived the idea of an independent nation state and started work for its establishment.

Razzak was also in the forefront of all landmark movements in the turbulent 1960s, including the historic six-point movement, the 11-point movement and the movement against the Agartala Conspiracy Case that climaxed in the 1969 popular uprising and culminated in the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.

He was the organising secretary, general secretary and presidium member of the Awami League during his illustrious political career. He was also general secretary of BKSAL, formed by the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.

Abdur Razzak fought relentlessly against communal and reactionary forces throughout his political career. He was also a leader of the movement against autocrat Ershad in 1980s.

Record pass in Primary Terminal Examination

About 97.26 per cent of the examinees passed the primary terminal examination this year, according to the results published on Monday. The pass rate in Ebtedayi terminal examination was 91.28 per cent.

Officials said the pass rate of primary and Ebtedayi terminal examinations this year increased than the figure of the previous year.

Last year, the pass rate was 92.34 per cent in primary terminal examination and 83.93 per cent in Ebtedayi terminal examination. The pass rate was 88.84 pee cent in the maiden primary terminal examination in 2009. The examinations were held from November 23 to 30.

Male students did well this year than the female students in terms of pass rate. The pass rate for male students was 97.48 per cent and for female 97.08 per cent in primary terminal examination and 92.51 per cent for male and 90.23 per cent for female in Ebtedayi.

This year for the first time, the results were published according to the grade system.

Of the successful candidates in primary terminal examination, 105,673 got GPA 5 while 2,150 students got GPA 5 in Ebtedayi terminal examination.

In primary terminal examination, the highest GPA 5 achiever was from Dhaka division and the lowest achiever was from Sylhet division. Some 41,731 students got GPA 5 in Dhaka and 3,291 got GPA 5 in Sylhet.

A total of 26,42,155 students took the examination this year in 6,176 examination centres.

Primary and mass education minister Afsarul Ameen and other officials of the ministry handed over the results to prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday morning.

The results were later available on website at dpe.teletalk.com.bd and at the districts and upazila education offices. Students and their guardians also collected the results through short message service from mobile phone operators. The examination is considered to be the biggest public examination in the country.

Some 4,287 physically challenged students sat for primary terminal examination and the pass rate was 96.64 per cent while in Ebtedayi 418 physically challenged students took the examination with the pass rate being 94.98 per cent.

Among seven divisions, students of Barisal division did well in primary and their pass rate was 99.05 per cent. In primary, the pass rate in Rajshahi was 97.63 per cent, in Khulna 98.13 per cent, in Dhaka 98.08 per cent, in Chittagong 97.24 per cent, in Sylhet 90.59 per cent and in Rangpur 96.85 per cent.

Students of Barisal division also did well in Ebtedayi terminal examination. The pass rate was 94.65 per cent.

Among the different types of educational institutions, students of PTI schools did well and the pass rate was 99.88 per cent. The pass rate in BRAC-run school was 99.73 per cent, in model government primary schools was 98.63 per cent, in High school adjacent primary schools 98.17 per cent, in kindergarten schools 98 per cent, in government primary schools 97.89 per cent, in registered non-government primary schools 95.95 per cent, community primary schools 94.78 per cent, in non-registered primary schools 93.74 per cent, Shishu Kalyan schools 92.69 per cent and NGO-run schools 91.45 per cent. The lowest pass rate was in Ananda school at 73.37 per cent.

In primary terminal examination, the top three educational institutions were Monipur High School in Dhaka, Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in Dhaka and Motijheel Ideal School and College in Dhaka.

In Ebtedayi, the top three madrassas were Darusjannat Siddiqiya Kamil Madrassa in Dhaka, Baitus Sharaf Kamil Madrassa in Chittagong and Tanjimul Ummah Cadet Madrassa in Dhaka.

No students of 371 schools and 99 madrassas who took the examinations became successful whereas in 68,629 schools and in 6074 madrassas, 100 per cent students passed the examinations.

The government introduced the public examinations for Class V students in 2009. Only students of general schools sat for the exam that year. From 2010 the Ebtedayi madrasa students are also taking the examination.

The examinations were held in Bangla, English, maths, religious studies, science and social science with a total of 600 marks.

The students must pass the terminal exams to get enrolled in Class VI. Scholarships would be awarded on the basis of their results in primary terminal examinations.

Killers are not killers!

Scores of crazy transport workers cheerfully hurling shoes at a portrait of film star & road safety campaigner Ilias Kanchan, from the "grand" rally of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik-Sramik Oikyo Parishad at the Central Shaheed Minar on Monday.

Below are some comments made by online readers of The Daily Star:

• Faqrul USA
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 12:55 AM GMT+06:00 (19 hours ago)

  What an errant family of workers the minister is maintaining for his political purpose. I am quite concerned that these errant people were allowed to disrespect Shaheed Minar complex without any resistance from the police. The bold picture reveals the sense that they have occupied our foundation of independence for their personal interest having no national interest at all...is it a drama staged at the Sheed Minar to demonstrate their popularity and solidarity with the government? What a choice to demonstrate against a committed soul whose public record is much more superior than the ministers most likely blessing the notorious event. Shame!

• Mohammad Rahman
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 12:57 AM GMT+06:00 (19 hours ago)

  I have lost my words to describe this. This is ridiculous. Where is the dignity and morals of these people?

  I strongly codemn this. As a civil society we have to unite and ensure road safety at any cost.

• Eddo Brandis
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 12:58 AM GMT+06:00 (19 hours ago)

  I cannot imagine how much our society has deteriorated! And it is very unfortunate that the State is backing such deterioration. Demanding safe road is not centred with an individual, it is for all even the criminal minister who is misleading the unconscious transport workers. Alas! Unfortunate for the nation! Criminality dominates society!

• Raihan Sharif
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 06:20 AM GMT+06:00 (13 hours ago)

  Hoodlums heedless of basic common road sense, parading their ability to cow down a whole nation and administration, and given political cover by a transport gangster turned minister, who in turn is sheltered by a PM whose lust to win elections has seemingly become monstrous!

• Dejwar
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 07:18 AM GMT+06:00 (12 hours ago)

  Mr Ali is talking against the interest of public. It will undoutedly go against the interest of the ruling power in the next election. Wait & see.

• Md Ibrahim Khalil
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 07:25 AM GMT+06:00 (12 hours ago)

  Shame on the Shipping Minister!!

• Md Mahbub-ul-Alam
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 08:41 AM GMT+06:00 (11 hours ago)

  This is not true. The drivers are not always responsible for all accidents. It happens for different reasons. What about the driver of Tarique Masud's microbus? Branding all drivers as killer is totally wrong.

• Nazneen Ahmed
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 10:39 AM GMT+06:00 (9 hours ago)

  There are two sides of the coin... We tend to hold the drivers responsible only, which is justified to some extent as they are the primary perpetrator. But what about those people who actually own the buses and hire these drivers in return for low salaries? Why are going Scot-free? Drivers are only employees. If the rich, so-called educated owner groups are utter callous in maintaining employee plus vehicle standards, then the subsequent results will only be accidents. This group is the main culprit pulling strings from behind.

• kamal
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 10:46 AM GMT+06:00 (9 hours ago)

  It's really alarming to see an angry mob or drivers/helpers chanting slogan against road safety campaigners. Now, it's time to find out their interests are whether evil or not, and take initiatives to solve the issue accordingly.

• Reaz Hassan
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 10:50 AM GMT+06:00 (9 hours ago)

  Such loathsome dirty stinking sick fools are polluting the sanctity of Shaheed Minar. This is reprehensible. And just think, their leader is a ruling party minister! Perhaps we need an avatar to cleanse our homeland from all sorts of such pitiable 'performances'. I am sure the movement for safe roads would be further strengthened by such nefarious deeds, and Ilias Kanchan would be endeared by the people for his selfless noble cause.

• waqar khan
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 11:45 AM GMT+06:00 (8 hours ago)

  It shameful for the whole nation that being a public representative and minister Shahjan stood beside the killer transport drivers ignoring mass peoples sentiment and fading the government image.

• Rusafie
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 09:58 AM GMT+06:00 (10 hours ago)

  This so called minister is not at all capable for being a minister! This minister should rather stay in the line of all those illiterate transport workers not in the cabinet!

  And if Prime Minister doesn't remove him from his position, then it'll be a questionable mystery always that what's Prime Minister's intention?

• hasan mohib
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 02:54 PM GMT+06:00 (5 hours ago)

  Oh no!

  It is totally unexpected.

• jahid
  Wednesday, October 26, 2011 02:56 PM GMT+06:00 (5 hours ago)

  All drivers are not killer at all. But shipping minister should have shame...
  

Jamaat's Violent Confrontation

Activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami fought pitched battles with the police and torched scores of vehicles in the city on Monday afternoon after the law enforcers intercepted the party’s protest march. About 20 vehicles, including four police cars, were burnt and damaged during the clashes that spread across a large area from Kakrail to Shantinagar and Paltan.

Reports of clashes between the Jamaat activists and police also came from different parts of the country, including Chittagong and Comilla that left about 100 more people injured.

Leaders and activists of Jamaat took to the streets on the day in protest against the ‘conspiracy’ to try the party leaders on ‘false’ charges by using a ‘black law’ and demanding their release. Jamaat claimed that at least 700 leaders and activists were injured and 400 were arrested across the country. Dhaka Metropolitan Police said that they had arrested 75 persons during clashes with Jamaat activists in Dhaka city.

After the clashes, the police on Monday night arrested Jamaat’s acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam at the party’s Moghbazar headquarters. Witnesses said ATM Azhar was arrested when he was coming out of the party’s central office after a press conference. Jamaat publicity secretary Tasneem Alam was also arrested along with him. DMP Ramna zone deputy commissioner Krishnapada Roy confirmed the arrest of the Jamaat leaders.

The injured policemen were given treatment at Central Police Hospital at Rajarbagh while a number of Jamaat activists were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Police in some districts foiled the Jamaat demonstrations without any major incidents by arresting its leaders and activists.

A large number of police and members of Armed Police Battalion with water cannons and armoured carriers were deployed at different places ahead of the scheduled demonstrations in Dhaka.

The capital’s Kakrail, Paltan, Bijaynagar, Shantinagar and Malibagh areas turned into virtual battlefields during the clashes that left around 100 people, including 30 police personnel injured.

Police fired several hundred shots, mostly rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

Jamaat activists set fire to at least 17 vehicles, including two police vans, a police jeep and a prison van during the violence. The activists also attacked buses and other vehicles and torched nine motorcycles.

Witnesses said police had charged batons and fired a barrage of tear gas shells to disperse hundreds of Jamaat activists who gathered at the Diploma Engineers Institute at Nightingale crossing at Kakrail to march towards Paltan.

But police swung into action and tried to disperse them by using batons. Soon the clashes spread out to Paltan, Bijaynagar, Fakirerpool and Malibagh areas.

Activists of Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir confronted the police with sticks and hurled stones during the nearly two-hour clashes.

A large number of people, mostly those returning home from work, suffered as transports went off the roads and police also cordoned off the intersections at Paltan, Bijaynagar, Kakrail and Malibagh restricting movement of traffic.

The demonstrators, in the face of firing of tear gas and rubber bullets, retreated to different nearby lanes from where they hurled stones at police.

Most of the shops and business establishments remained closed in the areas during the clashes.

Correspondent in Chittagong reported that activists of Jamaat had vandalised several vehicles in the port city on Monday afternoon. At least three policemen, including CMP assistant commissioner Abdul Mannan, were injured in the clashes triggered by police action on the Jamaat activists trying to stage demonstrations in Muradpur area of the port city. Police arrested a number of activists at the spot.

In Comilla the activists of Jamaat clashed with police for about an hour after the law enforcers stopped a procession in Chawkbazar area. The angry demonstrators smashed windowpanes of four commercial banks and attacked buses. The police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse about 4,000 activists and arrested 11 people at the spot.

In Bogra, the police dispersed Jamaat activists by charging batons when they tried to bring out a procession at Barogola. Jamaat claimed that six activists were injured during the police action.

Strong quake shakes country

A magnitude-6.8 earthquake shook most parts of the country along with the capital for over a minute today evening.

Television reports, however, said shattered window panes of different high-rises in the capital fell on the ground.

People gripped by panic rushed to the streets from their offices and residences and called loved ones after the tremor started at around 6:45pm.

There were no immediate reports of casualties and the duration of the quake was not known instantly.

The epicentre of the quake was 490km northwest of Agargaon Met office in Dhaka, an official said.

Reports of tremor came from Manikganj, Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Khulna, Chittagong and Rajshahi.

The quake also hit northern India on Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to buildings, reports news agency Reuters.

The US Geological Survey said on its website the quake was centred 64 km north west of Gangtok, in Sikkim. It was 10 km deep.

Tareque Masud and Mishuk Munier killed in a tragic road accident

Noted filmmaker Tareque Masud, media personality Ashfaque Munier Mishuk and three others died yesterday in a fatal road crash on Dhaka-Aricha highway in Manikganj, sending shockwaves through the nation.

Tareque's wife Catherine Masud, painter Dhali Al Mamun, his wife Dilara Zaman Jolly and film production staff Saidul Islam were injured in the accident. They are now receiving treatment at the Square Hospital in the capital. The wounded are now out of danger, said Syed Modasser Ali, health adviser to the prime minister.

The microbus carrying the team to Manikganj town collided head-on with a bus on the Dhaka-Aricha highway at Ghior in the afternoon. The team was on its way to meet the Manikganj deputy commissioner for permission to shoot for Tareque's latest project “Kagojer Phool” after visiting a shooting spot in Shibalaya upazila. Police found the bus 40-50 yards off the spot.

Film production crew Wasim and Jamal, and microbus driver Mostafizur Rahman are among the dead. Bodies of Tareque Masud and Chief Executive Officer of ATN News Ashfaque Munier, popularly known as Mishuk Munier, would be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar at 10:30am today for people to pay last respects, said Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu, president of Sammilita Sangskritik Jote.

Body of Mishuk will be brought to ATN News office at Karwan Bazar at 10:00am today, reported the private television station. Their bodies were kept at the mortuary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

Rois Uddin, officer-in-charge of Ghior Police Station, told The Daily Star that a Chuadanga-bound bus from Dhaka collided with the microbus travelling to Manikganj town in Joka area at about 12:15pm.

The bus left Dhaka with nearly 50 passengers after 10:30am. It was travelling at high speed when it hit the microbus coming from the opposite direction, said several passengers of the bus.

“The passengers told us that they could hardly see anything outside as it was raining heavily at that time,” said Noor-e-Alam, assistant superintendent of police of Shibalaya Circle.

The driver did not slow down the bus even before taking a left-turn in Joka area. It hit the microbus at high speed after travelling about 10 yards from the turn. Half of the microbus was smashed on impact.

“I saw five bodies tangled in the wreckage. The wounded were trying to crawl out of it,” said 70-year-old Bomkesh Sarker, who lives just 15 yards off the scene. Locals rushed there to rescue the victims and one of them informed police about the incident.

Catherine Masud, painter Dhali Al Mamun and his wife Dilara Zaman were whisked off to Manikganj Sadar Hospital at about 12:45pm. They were later taken to the Square Hospital in the capital.

The five bodies were first taken to Manikganj Sadar Hospital morgue at 2:00pm and then to Dhaka Medical College morgue around 6:00pm.

Bodies of Wasim, Jamal and Mostafizur have been handed over to their respective families, mentioned Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu.

The bus driver left the vehicle with passengers 40-50 yards off the spot after the accident. “The bus staff fled the scene leaving the vehicle,” said Noor-e-Alam. Police seized the bus and took it to Borongail police outpost.

The bus driver, Jamir Uddin, is from Daulatdiar village in Chuadanga, reports our Kushtia correspondent. Bus owner Mujibul Haque Khokon said Jamir has been driving bus for three decades and working for him for the last two years.

Khokon claimed that he lost contact with Jamir after the accident. “If I manage to contact Jamir, I'll ask him to surrender,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia, and leaders of socio-cultural organisations expressed deep shock at the deaths.

BNP Lawmakers beaten badly by police on first day of strike

The police attacked lawmakers and activist of the opposition BNP and its allies in Dhaka and elsewhere on the first day of their 48-hour general strike on Wednesday amid continued arrest of leaders and activists and imprisonment in trial by mobile courts for their suspected involvement in picketing. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party said that 400 activists, including the party’s former lawmakers Quamruddin Ehiya Khan Majlish and Nure Ara Safa, had been arrested at places across the country. Eighty of them were arrested in the capital.

The police attacked about 30 BNP lawmakers on Manik Miah Avenue as the strike began. The leaders were headed for the party’s central office at Naya Paltan about 7:00am under leadership of the opposition chief whip Zainul Abedin Faruque.

The lawmakers said that when they walking down the road, a team of policemen, led by Harun-or-Rashid, additional deputy commissioner of the Tejgaon zone, suddenly started abusing them, which led to an altercation.

The police then attacked the opposition chief whip as Harun shouted ‘action,’ the lawmakers added.

Policemen in riot gear beat Farroque with truncheons, tore off his polo shirt and kicked him down on the ground.

As he tried to escape, the police chased him to the lawmakers’ apartments, captured him in the garage of a building and severely beat him again, the lawmakers said.

The injured Farroque was taken to the flat of lawmaker Syeda Ashifa Ashrafi Papiya and then admitted to the intensive care unit in United Hospital at Gulshan.

‘They kicked me down on the ground. I got injured in the head and the leg. You can still see the stains of blood on the floor of the garage of this building,’ Farroque said when he was staying in Papiya’s house.

The ICU in-charge in United Hospital, Asif Mahmud, said that Farroque was taken to the ICU after an operation.

‘He has injuries overall the body, especially in the legs. The legs have swollen. He feels acute pain in the head and at knee-joints. He is also suffering from respiratory problems,’ Mahmud said.

Harun-or-Rashid, who was a member on the Chhatra League central committee headed by Bahadur Bepari told, ‘As I saw him about to attack a vehicle, I grabbed him by the collar and asked him “Why are you doing this, Sir?” and he pushed me down.’

‘Then there was a scuffle. And I also got injured. I am now admitted to Police Hospital at Rajarbagh,’ he said, brushing aside the allegation of launching an attack on Farroque.

The BNP lawmakers planned to lay siege to the office of the speaker and lodge a complaint with him but later dropped the plan as Farroque needed to be sent to hospital. They later lodged a complaint with the speaker in the evening when the session was on.

The police picked up former lawmaker Nure Ara Safa, also the president of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal, and seven others at noon from Mohakhali when she was leading a procession.

Property Tax for property valued over Tk 50 lakh

Citizens of Bangladesh having property worth more than Tk 50 lakh will have to pay tax, National Board of Revenue (NBR) said on Tuesday.

The new tax, styled as ‘Property Tax’, will be slapped primarily on people living in the metropolitan areas.

“Primarily the tax will be imposed on owners of lands and buildings in the metropolitan areas,” Aminur Rahman, a member of the NBR, during a discussion on the policy with the stakeholders at a city hotel.

The property tax will be fixed on the value of property as per its market price, he said.

He did not disclose any amount when journalists asked for so as an example.

The NBR member said the revenue watchdog will form a separate specialised unit in this regard.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith and NBR Chairman Nasiruddin Ahmed were present among others at the meeting.

Full version of Barrister Andalib Rahman's speech in Bangladesh Parliament on 27 March 2011

Barrister Andalib Rahman is the chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Part. This is the complete video of Parliamentary speech by Andalib Rahman Partho on 27/03/2011. His bold appearance in the national assembly brought mass attention at home and abroad.

HC bench rejected Yunus's writ petitions

An HC bench summarily rejected two writ petitions filed challenging the legality of the central bank's order. He will appeal against the verdict with the Supreme Court, his lawyers said.

Delivering the verdict, the court said the microcredit pioneer's posting as the MD of Grameen Bank since 1999 was illegal as he reached the age of 60 by then.

The MD of Grameen Bank is an official who cannot hold the office for an unlimited period, it added.

The board of directors of Grameen Bank is the authority to appoint its MD with approval from Bangladesh Bank. But it did not happen in Yunus' case since 1999, the court said.

The HC bench of Justice Mohammad Momtazuddin Ahmed and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore observed that there was no substance in the writ petitions.

Details of the grounds on which the HC rejected the writ petitions could not be known immediately, since the copy of the verdict's full text was not released yesterday.

The Grameen Bank authorities expressed disappointment with the verdict.

Jannat-E-Quanine, general manager for information and media co-ordination of the institution, in a statement said, "We have received the order and are very disappointed. We are consulting with our lawyers about the next steps. We hope that in the meantime nothing will jeopardise the stability of Grameen Bank."

"Eight million borrowers and 26,000 members of Grameen Bank have brought the bank to this level through their hard work and are deeply involved in building the future for their children -- we hope nothing will disrupt that," it added.

Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, a counsel for Yunus, told journalists in his Supreme Court Bar chamber, "On hearing the verdict, Dr Yunus asked all his counsels whether he should move an appeal with the Supreme Court. All of us suggested going to the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court verdict."

"Dr Yunus might move a provisional leave to appeal before the chamber judge of the Appellate Division tomorrow," he said yesterday.

He said his client may continue in the office of MD of Grameen Bank until its board of directors appoints his successor, as per the Bangladesh Bank's "removal letter".

Rokanuddin said it is not a setback for Dr Yunus and he has not been reduced in honour. No-one is asking questions about Yunus but about what happened in court, he said.

He said Yunus' lawyers expressed to the High Court on Monday their apprehension that the writ petitions would be rejected, and the apprehension has become true through the judgement.

Rokan hoped that the Supreme Court will cancel the HC verdict after hearing the appeal. There are many precedents in the history of judiciary that the Appellate Division set aside HC verdicts, he said.

"We believe in the rule of law, and the supremacy of the constitution, and we have full confidence in the Supreme Court that we will get justice," Rokan said.

Everything is still now in favour of Dr Muhammad Yunus, he added. "Ordinary people of Bangladesh treat Dr Yunus as a great hope and a matter of pride and achievement. There was no great man like Yunus in Bangladesh except Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," Rokan told the media.

"It is abnormal, unimaginable and surprising that the High Court passed the judgement without issuing any rule," said Barrister Sara Hossain, Yunus' another counsel, in an immediate reaction, terming the day as a sad one for the whole country.

In an SMS she said, "Today is a sad day for Bangladesh, and for all of us who practise before these courts. The government has attacked and vilified one of our most respected citizens, Prof Yunus, who won the Nobel Prize for Bangladesh."

The government appears intent on seizing the Grameen Bank which Prof Yunus founded and built, she added. "We are shocked but hardly surprised at today's order. We apprehended we would not get justice, and we have not got justice," she wrote.

The lawyer went on, "The court has upheld a grossly illegal order and made an extra-ordinary declaration that Prof Yunus' term of his office expired when he reached 60 in 1999. And that the central bank's clear audits of Grameen and their engagement with Prof Yunus for ten years since amount to nothing."

"If that's the case we should perhaps ask the Nobel Committee whether they would seize the Nobel Prize which was given to Prof Yunus in 2006," she quipped.

No senior counsel for Yunus was present in the court during the verdict delivery. Dr Kamal Hossain, Mahmudul Islam, and Rokanuddin Mahmud argued for Yunus during the three days of hearing on the writ petitions.

Hasina, Santu should win Nobel Peace prize: Attorney General

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam at a briefing in his office told reporters that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and adivasi leader Santu Larma should have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for their contribution in establishing peace in the hills.