e_Paper, Wednesday, May 3, 2017

CTTC: ABT collecting info
on targeted bloggers
• Tarek Mahmud
The banned militant outfit
Ansarullah Bangla Team is
regrouping outside Dhaka
with a plan to again target
bloggers in the country.
The ABT Information
Technology wing is trying to
hack into the social media
accounts of the bloggers and
forward their details to the
ABT military wing.
The Counter-Terrorism and
Transnational Crime Unit under
the Dhaka Metropolitan
Police learned this information
after arresting the ABT IT wing
Chief Md Ashfaq-Ur-Rahman
Ayon alias Arif alias Anik on
Monday night.
CTTC also learned that a
special team was undergoing
training to execute this plan.
Ashfaq, who was closely
supervised by the discharged
fugitive army official ABT
Military wing Head Major
Syed Ziaul Haque, or Zia, was
gathering the bloggers’ details
on his laptop.
CTTC Chief and Additional
Commissioner Monirul Islam
disclosed thee findings to journalists
at a press briefing held
over the arrest at DMP media
centre yesterday morning.
He said: “Ashfaq was
nabbed from Bhatara area of
Dhaka on Monday night following
a tip-off.” Later, a case
was lodged against him with
Bhatara police station under
the Anti-Terrorism Act.
He was produced before a
Dhaka court seeking 10-day
remand, though the court
granted him five-day remand,
court sources said.
Studying Computer Science
at Shahjalal University
of Science and Technology,
Ashfaq joined ABT a year
and half ago. He was arrested
when he went to meet someone,
the CTTC chief said.
ABT aims to regroup,
while silently collecting
members and training them,
he said.
“We seized several electronic
devices from Ashfaq’s
possession while trying to
unmask the current leaders
of the outfit’s three wings –
Dawa, military and media,”
he added.
In the interrogation, Ashfaq
admitted to collecting
names, addresses and movement
of bloggers, by hacking
into their social media accounts,
Monirul said.
He also admitted to meeting
Major Zia several months
back, he added.
Based on his statements,
police suspect Major Zia is in
Bangladesh, though CTTC has
been unable to gather recent
information about Major Zia.
Ashfaq underwent arms
training from Major Zia in
2015 at Pallabi and Uttara,
when appointed as the Media
wing chief.
Ashfaq also translated foreign
articles, instigating militancy,
into Bangla and supplied
them to ABT members
as well as uploading them
onto the “Dawa Illallah”
website run under the supervision
of Major Zia.
Major Zia failed to orchestrate
a coup in 2011 and has
been on the run, with a Tk20
lakh bounty announced to
nab him. •
Inu questions UGC decision
• Tribune Desk
Information Minister
Hasanul Haq Inu yesterday
said that taking decisions
without consulting stakeholders
are in no way acceptable
and it is also difficult to
implement.
He made the remark on
University Grants Commission’s
(UGC) recent decision
of implementing semester
system in all the universities
of the country rather trimester
method in a view-exchange
meeting organised
by Association of Private
Universities of Bangladesh
(APUB) on April 30 in Samson
H Chowdhury auditorium of
Dhaka Club.
The minister said: “Imposing
directives is no solution
and it does not result
in better outcomes either.
The authorities should have
thought to what extent the
directives are implementable
before they had imposed
them.”
In the meeting, Sir Fazle
Hasan Abed, founder and
trustee board chairman of
Brac University, said: “The
primary objectives of trimester
system at the undergraduate
level are to make it easier
for students to fulfill their
academic requirements and
finish their degrees in time.
The trimester system is very
conducive for those who
are unable to spend much
time in studies as they find
it financially challenging.
Also, the system fits the international
higher education
standards very well.
He also said that in the
semester system students
are required to take more
credits. In four years, they
have to complete 130-150
credits, each consisting of
three hours, while there is
less credit pressure in the
trimester method. On the
other hand, students in the
dual semester cannot make
use of time in a productive
way.
Among others, Hasanul
Haq Inu, MP, trustee board
chairman of Rabindra
Maitree University; Shirajul
Islam Mollah, MP, trustee
board chairman of People’s
University; Benajir Ahmed,
trustee board chairman of
North South University and
also general secretary of the
APUB; Dr Kazi Anis Ahmed,
vice-chairman of University
of Liberal Arts Bangladesh;
Dr Farashuddin, trustee
board chairman of East
West University and former
governor of Bangladesh
Bank; Rokeya Afzal Rahman,
former advisor to a caretaker
government; Sarwar Jahan,
founder and chairman of
Southern University; Abul
Kahir Chowdhury, chairman
of Eastern University; Dr
Rezaul Alam, chairman
of Northern University in
Khulna; were present at the
programme. •
News 5
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017
Southeast Bank Limited inaugurates its 129th branch at Majumdar Market in Feni on April 30
DT
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka 36 26 Chittagong 32 26 Rajshahi 37 25 Rangpur 32 23 Khulna 37 24 Barisal 36 25 Sylhet 33 22
Cox’s Bazar 32 25
RAINFALL LIKELY
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:28PM
SUN RISES 5:22AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
35.4ºC
20.0ºC
Rangamati
Chuadanga
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Fajr: 4:55am | Zohr: 1:15pm
Asr: 5:00pm | Magrib: 6:34pm
Esha: 8:30pm
Source: Islamic Foundation