SA President Ramaphosa appoints Tito Mboweni new Finance Minister

File Photo: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

CAPETOWN: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday (October 9) appointed former central bank governor Tito Mboweni as finance minister, replacing Nhlanhla Nene who admitted to having meetings with the business family at the centre of corruption allegations.

Nene succumbed to pressure to resign after he admitted visiting the Gupta brothers, friends of scandal-plagued former president Jacob Zuma who have been accused of high-level influence-peddling, and failing to disclose the meetings earlier. Initially he had asked President Ramaphosa to fire him, which the presidency ignored.

“After due consideration of the circumstances surrounding this matter and in the interest of good governance, I have decided to accept his resignation … and in the wake of Mr. Nene’s resignation I have decided to appoint Mr. Tito Mboweni as the Minister of Finance with immediate effect,” Ramaphosa declared.

The crisis over the finance minister had thrown a spotlight on Ramaphosa’s promise to crack down on corruption and boost economic growth.

South Africa has had four finance ministers in the last two years, with the rand and bonds reacting badly to the upheavals. But economist Dr. Azar Jammine sees no need for panick.

“When people start panicking that we are now going to have a new minister of finance to deliver the medium term policy statement, I think that is completely overblown. The fact is that much of the ground work has been done by a huge team of experts under Nene.”

“The actual numbers, which are the key issue the ratings agencies will be looking at, I don’t think are going to change one little bit, they were agreed upon a long time ago,” Jammine added.

The rand firmed moments before Mboweni was announced finance minister at a ceremony in Cape Town. Banking stocks closed more than one percent firmer.

The Gupta brothers – Ajay, Atul and Rajesh – have been accused of using their friendship with Zuma, Ramaphosa’s predecessor, to siphon off billions of rand in state funds and of inappropriately influencing cabinet appointments.

Source: (Africanews)

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Bangladesh National Party rejects Aug 21 grenade attack case Verdict

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir File Photo

DHAKA: The party says the government has set another bad example by using the justice system to take political revenge

BNP has rejected the verdicts of the August 21 grenade attack cases, saying they have been given at the 'behest of the government' with a political motive.

"BNP thinks that this verdict is politically-motivated. It is a naked manifestation of satisfying the government's political vengeance," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a press briefing at the party’s Naya Paltan office, minutes after the verdict was delivered on Wednesday.

"We reject the verdict," he said, reports UNB.

Fakhrul also said the government has set another bad example by using the justice system to take political revenge.

As their party’s Senior Vice-Chairman, Tarique Rahman, was given life imprisonment in the cases, Mirza said that that no citizen now has the possibility for obtaining justice.

Earlier in the morning, after a 14-year wait, Dhaka’s First Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced 19 people to death, and 19 others – including BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman – to life imprisonment. This is regarding two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka in 2004.

Source: DhakatTibune

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Bangladesh National Party Announces 7-day Program to protest the August 21 verdict

File photo of BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi

DHAKA: The program consists of protests and rallies in all cities, districts, and upazilas BNP and its affiliated organizations have announced a 7-day program to protest the verdict of the August 21 grenade attack case.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the announcement at a press conference at BNP headquarters at Dhaka's Naya Paltan, on Wednesday.

The 7-day program consists of protests and rally in all cities, districts, and upazilas  including Dhaka – on Thursday, reports Bangla Tribune.

On October 13, 14, and 15, protest rallies will be held across the country by Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal, and Sechha Sebok Dal, respectively.

On October 16, BNP will hold a black flag rally nationwide. Also, on October 17 and 18, Mahila Dal and Sramik Dal will form human chains, respectively, country-wide.

Source: DhakatTibune

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Aug 21 grenade attack: Ex Minister Babar & 18 others sentenced to death in Bangladesh

Former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, Photo Credit: Dhaka Tribune

DHAKA: A court on Dhaka capital of Bangladesh has sentenced former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, and 18 others, to death, in the August 21 grenade attack case. And BNP leader Tarique Rahman and 18 others have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Tarique Rahman, and 18 others, have received life imprisonment in the case. Eleven others have been sentenced to various jail terms. Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal delivered the verdict around 11:50pm on Wednesday.

A grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka, on August 21, 2004, left 24 people including Ivy Rahman dead and more than 300 others injured.

The prime target of the attack was then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina, narrowly escaped death but suffered hearing loss. According to the charge sheet, the attack was orchestrated by a group of influential BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Working with militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh, they collaborated with some senior officials of: the Home Ministry, police, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, the National Security Intelligence, and the Prime Minister’s Office.

“They [those sentenced to death] shall be hanged by neck until they are dead,” Nuruddin proclaimed as 31 of the 49 accused were present on the dock, BSS reports.

The judge also made 12-point observations on the background, motive, and consequences of the attack.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters that the government would take steps to repatriate the fugitive convicts.

The convicts

Those who have been sentenced to death are: Babar; Abdus Salam Pintu; Mawlana Tajuddin; intelligence officials major general (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury and Brigadier General Abdur Rahim; transport operator Md Hanif; as well as militants Mawlana Sheikh Abdus Salam, Abdul Mazed Bhat, Abdul Malek, Shawkat Osman, Mohibullah, Abu Sayeed, Abul Kalam Azad, Jahangir Alam, Hafez Abu Taher, Hossain Ahammed Tamim, Moin Uddin Sheikh, Rafikul Islam, and Md Uzzal.

They have also been fined Tk1 lakh each, according to BSS.

Apart from Tarique, former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s then-political adviser Haris Chowdhury, and former BNP MP Qazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, received life imprisonment.

Others sentenced to life imprisonment are militants: Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel, Abdur Rouf, Sabbir Ahmed, Arif Hasan, Hafez Yahia, Abu Bokor, Ariful Islam, Mohibul Muttakin, Anisul Mursalin, Mohammad Khalil, Jahangir Alam Badar, Mohammad Iqbal, Liton, Shafikur Rahman, Abdul Hai, and Ratul Ahmed Babu.

They all were fined Tk50 thousand, each, in the case lodged under the Explosive Substances Act.

Source: DhakaTribune

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