Vol. 5 Num 302 Sat. April 02, 2005       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Point-counterpoint Metropolitan National International Culture General Views Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections StarTech Literature Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives Today's Index Front Page Dying rivers deliver deluge blow Flooding recurs every year with spiralling ferocity, as no fewer than 25 of the 230 rivers in the country are either dead or dying out, with many more dozens drying up and reduced to water pockets, river   Quacks cripple hundreds Hundreds of people, especially children, across the country lose their limbs and become crippled due to wrong treatment by traditional healers of bone injuries.   Boiler explosion kills 2 in Jhalakathi Two people were killed and five others injured seriously in a boiler explosion at a rice mill at Char Indrapasha under Rajapur upazila of Jhalakathi district in the early hours yesterday.   Wolfowitz named WB chief The World Bank Thursday named Paul Wolfowitz its next president despite misgivings about the deputy US defence secretary's "neoconservative" ideology and enthusiastic promotion of the war in Iraq.   Pope hovers near death Pope John Paul neared death yesterday as his health suddenly worsened, drawing anguished prayers from Catholics around the world reluctant to accept his historic pontificate was near its end.   Chinese premier praises Dhaka's achievements Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has congratulated the people of Bangladesh for the "enormous achievements" they made in their "unremitting efforts for independence and national development.   Brisk business of fake bottled water on Dishonest traders in Old Dhaka and Keraniganj continue to bottle ordinary tap water for commercial bulk sale throughout the city.   JU appoints more teachers than advertised for The Jahangirnagar University (JU) authorities continue to appoint more teachers than the posts advertised for or without any advertisements in violation of university rules, giving rise to allegations   Dr Kamal spells out steps for effective EC, caretaker govt Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday spelt out a set of urgent measures to ensure true independence of the Election Commission and nonpartisanship of caretaker government, as politicians from the   2-yr boy rescued, abductor arrested Police yesterday rescued the two-year-old boy, who was kidnapped from their Nazimuddin Road house in the city on Wednesday.   Cochin ODI today In-form Pakistan batsman Younis Khan will miss Saturday's opening game of a six-match one-day series against India due to a fever, captain Inzamamul-Haq has said.   Schiavo dies but battle over her fate still rages The life of brain-damaged woman Terri Schiavo has ended but the battle over her fate is still raging in the United States, with a leading lawmaker vowing to take action against an "arrogant, out-of-control"   Benazir to go home soon after 'return of democracy' Pakistan's self-exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto yesterday said she hoped to return to the country soon "after the return of democracy".   MP's son yet to be nabbed Police are yet to arrest Noman Kadar, son of BNP lawmaker Ali Kadar of Jessore-1 constituency. Noman is accused of beating up a traffic constable.   Nepal sets free Koirala, 200 other detainees Former Nepali prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and around 200 other activists detained since King Gyanendra seized power two months ago have been released, police said yesterday.   Hopping along...   115 killed by law enforcers, 92 in political violence in last 3 months A total of 115 people were killed, of them 105 in 'crossfire' and 10 in custody, by law enforcers across the country during JanuaryMarch, 2005, according to a report by Odhikar, a human rights organisation.   Zahiruddin Khan laid to rest Former minister for industry and planning AM Zahiruddin Khan was laid to eternal rest at Batali Hill family graveyard after his second namaz-e-janaza following Juma prayers here yesterday.   Khulna 'criminal' captures jetty a week into joining ruling BNP A notorious criminal on Wednesday captured Khulna Roosevelt Jetty only a week into his joining the ruling BNP along with 10 associates.   Tragic! A teenage girl yesterday met aher tragic death at their Kafrul residence in the city while exercising.   Skop to enforce 48-hr strike on Apr 5-6 Labour leaders from a rally in the capital yesterday threatened to go for a tougher movement, if the government does not immediately implement its agreement with the labour organisations.   IFJ extends solidarity to Bangladesh journalists International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) yesterday protested the recent imposition of imprisonment and fines in contempt of court proceedings on journalists in Bangladesh.   Road accidents in city kill 3 Three people died in road accidents in the capital yesterday.   China defies world to back embattled Nepal king China became the first major country yesterday to voice support for Nepal's King Gyanendra as the Chinese foreign minister ended a visit to the Himalayan nation globally isolated since the monarch seized   BJP to reignite temple campaign Senior Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan said yesterday that a controversial campaign to build a temple on the ruins of a destroyed mosque would be reignited.   Six abducted in Rangamati Armed miscreants abducted six people from two villages of Barkal upazila of the district yesterday and on Thursday night, security sources said. Business Tourist growth luring foreign investors to hospitality sector Foreign investors are showing keen interest in developing tourism facilities, especially luxury hotels, in Bangladesh as increased tourist flow giving a boost to the country's hospitality industry.   Spectacles producers seek govt help to explore EU market As a three-day international optical fair is underway in the city from Thursday, optical entrepreneurs sought government support to export to European Union and also expand local market.   Local apparel entrepreneurs to seek jt ventures with Pakistan Setting up of joint-venture industry in apparel sector is likely to be figured prominently during Saturday's meetings between the visiting Pakistani trade delegation, BTMA and BGMEA.   Malaysian co to invest $6.5 lakh in Ctg EPZ A Malaysian electronic company will set up an industrial unit at Chittagong Export Processing Zone. The company will invest $6.   India launches VAT despite protests India ushered in a new value-added tax (VAT) in 21 out of 29 states Friday, its most significant tax reform in years, ignoring protests from thousands of wholesale and retail traders against the levy.   Rakub holds managers' conference A daylong conference of managers of Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (Rakub) was held here on Wednesday aiming to give a thrust to national effort for alleviating poverty by lending to the poor to help them   Oil buoyant amid talk of $100 crude World oil prices rose strongly Friday in the wake of a banking study that forecast crude could eventually trade at more than 100 dollars per barrel, fuelled by robust world demand for energy.   IBM to tie up with Indian institutes IBM will collaborate with 300 institutes in India to train 75,000 students in IBM and open standards-based technologies by this year-end to meet the increasing demand for skilled IT professionals.   EU, Canada to slap new duty on US exports The European Union and Canada will slap an extra 15-percent duty on tens of millions of dollars worth of US exports in a dispute over payments to US companies that Washington says were hurt by dumping,   Tankan report shows sharp dip in Japan's business confidence Business confidence among Japanese companies deteriorated sharply in March, a quarterly Bank of Japan survey showed Friday, dashing hopes the economy would quickly rebound after a mild recession lastyear.   WTO unable to inscribe generic drugs deal in stone World Trade Organization members were unable to make permanent a 2003 agreement on access to generic drugs for poor countries, although it was still regarded as valid on a temporary basis, a WTO official   Weekly Currency Roundup Mar 27-Mar 31, 2005 Local FX Market US dollar was mostly steady against Bangladeshi taka in the week. Sports Cricket: Younis handicap for Pakistan Pakistan suffered a setback before Saturday's opening one-day international against India when in-form batsman Younis Khan was ruled out due to chest infection and fever.   Football: Kang spills the beans Despite being sacked as Mohamme-dan Sporting Club coach, Man Young Kang hopes he can restore his position.   Cricket: Hinds, C'paul revel Wavell Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul helped make the sponsorship row that threatened to derail the West Indies seem like a distant memory when they helped their side pile up 347-3 on the first dayof   Cricket: Bangladesh paired with India, SL Reigning champions Australia will face South Africa in the group stages of the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, the International Cricket Council said Friday when announcing the seeding details andvenues   Football: AFC U-13 festival from today at BKSP The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) under-13 football festival begins today at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP).   Cricket: Cochin holds many surprises The Nehru Stadium in Cochin made its international debut exactly seven years ago when Australia played India on April 1, 1998. India ended up winning that one by a comfortable margin, after amassing 309.   Cricket: Delhi ODI back on The cricket match between India and Pakistan which Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was due to attend will be held as scheduled in New Delhi on April 17, officials said Friday.   Cricket: Tigers leave May 7 The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has revealed the Tigers' itinerary for next month's tour of England.   Hockey: Navy, Old Dhaka romp Bangladesh Navy and Old Dhaka Hockey Development Board recorded comfortable wins in the Independence Day Hockey Tournament at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.   Football: All eyes on Chelsea Premiership leaders Chelsea will look to finish a difficult week in style when they travel to relegation-threatened Southampton on Saturday.   Football: Leaders without leader It's back to business for Spanish league leaders Barcelona, as they face third-placed Real Betis on Saturday after a week-long break for international commitments.   Football: Two-way race resumes Serie A title rivals AC Milan and Juventus, level on 66 points with just nine matches left to play, resume their championship duel this Saturday with games against lowly opposition battling for survival.   Football: Shearer won't retire Alan Shearer confirmed Friday he was postponing his retirement in order to have one more season with Newcastle.   Tennis: Clijsters cruises to final Former world number one Kim Clijsters crushed top seed Amelie Mauresmo 6-1, 6-0 here Thursday to reach the finals of the 6.5 million-dollar WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament.   Football: Agent rules out Zizou U-turn Former French international midfielder Zinedine Zidane will not come out of retirement to help the national side, his agent Alain Migliaccio insisted Friday.   Football: Weird! Fans of Romania's Arges Pitesti have staged a cat's funeral and burned a rooster on the pitch in a bid for good luck before Friday's match against Farul Constanta.   Cricket: Big wins for Maniknagar, Ashrafabad Salim Hossain smashed an unbeaten 106 as Maniknagar Model High defeated Dhaka Collegiate by seven wickets in the Standard Chartered Young Tigers National School Cricket Championship at the Gulshan Youth   Football: Maradona's Presidential lunch Argentina's former football star Diego Maradona lunched with President Hugo Chavez Thursday at Miraflores presidential palace, officials said. Chavez said earlier Thursday, "I am off to lunch withMaradona.   Cricket: Mehrab Jr, Russel to play in Darwin League Left-handed batsman Mehrab Hossain Jr and left-arm paceman Syed Russel were selected to play in Australian domestic cricket.   Partex squash Favourite Ram Jagadish outplayed Mohammed Karim 9-2, 9-1, 9-1 to win his second successive match in the Premier Division of Partex Open squash tournament at the Gulshan Club yesterday.   Volleyball: Khulna Pepsi v'ball champs Khulna dethroned Dhaka in the Pepsi inter-district volleyball tournament winning yesterday's final 3-0 in Narail. Metropolitan 'Resist black money holders to bring change to politics' Eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday called for resisting untaxed and black money holders from entering parliament to ensure a meaningful change in politics.   Acute water crisis in SW region The southwestern parts of the country are facing acute drinking water crisis as the underground water level is receding at an alarming rate.   Consultancy firm swindles Tk 3 cr out of students A student consultancy firm has disappeared reportedly with Tk 3 crore it amassed from a large number of students and also others promising to send them abroad.   Ctg Int'l Medical Exposition begins in Ctg The Chittagong International Medical Exposition (CHIMEXPO)-2005, first of its kind in the port city, began here yesterday.   Charity painting exhibition begins today Troik, a group exhibition of three young painters, begins in the city today to help the underprivileged children of the country.   IGP in Khulna to oversee progress of investigation Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ashraful Huda arrived in Khulna yesterday evening from Dhaka to monitor the progress of the investigations of the murder cases of journalists Humayun Kabir Balu and Belaluddin   Thailand keen to help train policemen Thailand is keen to extend its facilities to Bangladesh for training of police and other law enforcement agency personnel on anti-crime and anti-drug campaigns.   Demonstration against PSCs on April 18 Nineteen left-leaning political and socio-cultural organisations will stage a demonstration in front of the energy ministry on April 18 demanding cancellation of all production sharing contracts (PSCs)   ICM demands reform in election system Leaders of Islami Constitution Movement (ICM) yesterday demanded reform of the election system through a dialogue with all political parties.   FM to attend Asian Cooperation Dialogue Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan is expected to leave for Pakistan tomorrow to attend the two-day Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), a forum of 26 countries from East and West Asia.   Japanese grant for construction of community centres in CHT The Japanese embassy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a grant contract of Tk 52 lakh for construction of multi-purpose community centres in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT),says   Children's recitation festival held The third 'Shishu Abritti Utsab-05' was held at Bakultala of the Fine Art Institute of Dhaka University yesterday.   Road accident kills one in Sylhet Traffic on Sylhet-Companyganj road at Khagail was disrupted for about four hours on Thursday evening following a road accident that left one man killed and two others injured.   Obituary Sayeeda Begum, wife of Din Mohammad, joint director general of Bangladesh Railway, passed away at Railway Hospital yesterday at the age of 46. She had been suffering from cancer, family sources said. National Farmers face acute crisis of jute seeds in two districts Abnormal price hike of jute seeds has frustrated the farmers in Kushtia and Nilphamari in the ongoing peak season of jute cultivation.   Govt relief too meagre for tornado victims: Ershad Jatiya Party Chairman H M Ershad yesterday urged the government to provide more relief materials for the tornado-affected people in Rangpur and Gaibandha.   Role of mass media in combating ‘a social problem’ underscored Mass media can play a vital role in creating awareness among people about tuberculosis (TB) which is not only a disease but also a social problem.   Fund crisis: Repair of flood damaged dam hampered Fund crisis hampers repair work on a 70-kilometre flood damaged embankment here.   Handicrafts fair with a difference A handicrafts fair with a difference was held in Narsingdi recently.   Cop's wife held on murder charge The wife of a police officer was arrested on Tuesday on charge of killing her domestic help here on Saturday.   BDR man deceives girl 'in name of marriage’ A member of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) was sued for deceiving a schoolgirl in name of marriage and assaulting her when she tried to establish her legal rights as his wife at his house. Point-Counterpoint The lights are going out Shoppers were relieved to see that the lights in their favourite shopping centres still shone brightly, the day after the authorities came up with their latest clever idea.   Justice Murshed Today is the 26th anniversary of death of Justice Sayed Mahbub Murshed. My first meeting with him took place in the very early 1960's.   Is reading going out of fashion? I have a feeling that more and more people are quitting the habit of not only smoking but also reading. Quitting smoking, though a good idea, is often involuntary.   Water, soil and highrise buildings This is to bring to the citizens' humble notice and for careful observation of Dhaka City's suicidal development and high rise construction spree destroying rules and ethics of Nature on many counts. Culture Kabori's screen heroes Although four decades have gone by, Kabori's memories of her co-stars remain firmly etched in her mind. "Subhash Dutta was my first onscreen hero and, more than that, he is my mentor.   A mystic treat Bauls, the mystic singers of the rural Bangladesh, have their own rituals and traditions.   Framing the details of everyday life The pessimists may say that life is not a bed of roses, but there are many who believe it is an exciting adventure. The melange of happiness and sorrow, says this school of thought, enriches life. General Half of cancer deaths preventable: Report More than 60 percent of all cancer deaths could be prevented if Americans stopped smoking, exercised more, ate healthier food and underwent recommended cancer screenings, the American Cancer Society reported   Woman killed, girl raped in Kushtia A housewife was killed and a minor girl raped in separate incidents at Daulatpur upazila in the district on Thursday night.   Foil evil designs against Islam: Nizami Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami and Industries Minister Motiur Rahman Nizami has urged Islamic forces to work unitedly to foil all evil designs against Islam and independence of the country.   Construction worker dies in wall collapse A construction worker was killed and another person injured when a wall of an under-construction building collapsed on them at Naogaon bazar in Dhamrai yesterday. International Troops deployed to snub Kathmandu cut-off move Nepalese troops are in place to block a fresh bid by Maoist insurgents to cut off the Kathmandu valley, the army said yesterday, noting an improved security climate.   Thousands flee amid fresh quake panic New panic swept Indonesia's Simuelue island yesterday as most of the population fled to the hills after rumours of a repeat of the earthquake that destroyed entire villages five days ago, a senior official   Maps need to be redrawn Three months after the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster saw Indonesia's Sumatra island nudged slightly towards Sri Lanka, the latest quake to hit the region has again altered the landscape.   'Super volcano may dwarf earthquake catastrophes' As Indonesians struggled to recover from the second deadly earthquake to strike them in three months, an Australian expert warned yesterday that the country faced the prospect of a "super volcano" eruption   'China supports larger role for India at UN' China supports a bigger role for India in the United Nations and the UN Security Council, China's ambassador to New Delhi said yesterday ahead of next week's landmark visit by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.   US to keep up pressure on Iran, N Korea despite damning WMD report The White House said Thursday it had no plans to change is approach to nuclear disputes with North Korea and Iran despite a new report warning that intelligence on their atomic programs may be shaky.   UN sends Darfur suspects to Hague court for trial The UN Security Council decided to send cases of war crimes suspects in Sudan's Darfur region to the new International Criminal Court after agreeing to exemptions for US citizens.   Pakistan a dilemma for United States When a US State Department report this week denounced Pakistan for a "poor" human rights record, a military-dominated political system and corrupt judiciary, there was little new.   Prayers around the world for pope Faithful from around the world prayed for Pope John Paul II as the one-billion strong Roman Catholic community awoke Friday to alarming news of the 84-year-old pontiff's rapidly deteriorating health.   World's largest iceberg on the move again The threat of sea access being blocked to US and New Zealand bases in Antarctica may have receded after the world's largest iceberg broke free from the McMurdo Sound sea bed last month, New Zealand Antarctic   30 killed in Rio de Janeiro drive-by shooting Thirty people, including three children, were killed by eight gunmen in two cars driving around northern Rio de Janeiro suburbs Thursday night, a local official told CBN radio. Editorial Editorial: Missing vehicles A report of the establishment ministry has revealed that no fewer than 26,348 project vehicles are being used by 43 ministries and divisions, in clear violation of the rules.   Editorial: Access to modern healthcare We welcome one of the most major and path-breaking events in the private health care sector in Bangladesh in recent times.   Cooperation on security and counter-terrorism According to published reports, the US Department of Homeland Security now has 180 000 employees. It also oversees 22 agencies.   Something concrete must emerge from contacts It is sheer coincidence that the Chinese Premier Wen Jaibao and the Pakistan President Parvez Musharraf are visiting New Delhi within the space of four days this month. Letters to Editor Freedom of press I have noted with concern your editorial titled 'Judgement likely to curb freedom of press' of 23 March 2005.   Anarchy Almost everyday, the Prime Minister and other Ministers are talking about anarchy and they are preaching that opposition parties are out to create anarchic situation in the country.   In response to Obaid from Brisbane I believe my write up was taken out of context. I only meant to include that English medium schools provide or provided during my time a great education.   Media fever! Recently, pungent repercussion of government against media has bemused me enormously whether we are undergoing a democratic tenure or something else.   About Marmas Most of the people in our country do not know about the Marma tribe. The Marma lives in the CHT. The Marmas live in the CHT. They are Buddhists. They generally make their homes on the hilltops.   Conspiracy against Islam One of the unusual news that recently rocked the Muslim world was about aÊincident of a Jumma prayer. StarTech BanglaFox on test BANGLA computing has taken another step forward as Ekushey (ekushey.org) and Ankur Group (ankurbangla.   IBM holds iSeries customer summit The iSeries Customer Summit 2005 was held at the Spectra Convention Center last Thursday.   Matrix ERP: the new solution for local business Kolkata based ERP specialists, Matrix Infosystems Ltd., recently announced the launch of their comprehensive ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Solution, Matrix ERP for the Bangladesh market. Literature The Chair A house without a chair? Everyone in our house suddenly began to feel this way. And that was it: the matter was placed on the family 'agenda', and the debate commenced.   'neither from here nor from there’ Amu, Shonali Bose; Penguin India; 2004; 142 pp.; Rs. 200. Amu', a short novel by film-maker Shonali Bose, is based on the life of a twenty-one year old Indian-American woman named Kajori Roy, orphaned during the 1984 Sikh riots in Delhi. It is the story of a rather convoluted journey she undertakes in search of her roots when she returns to India--the land where she was born, and where she'd lost her birth parents.   Oath-taking at Bidyanathtala Bangladesh Liberation War Mujibnagar Government Documents 1971; compiled and edited by Sukumar Biswas; Mowla Brothers; February 2005; Taka 1200; 655 pp.   Tempered Poetry My life in words or words from my life Either way , unfinished Like an aphrodisiac, that one Ventures to taste But is too scared to drink Beyond a sip For fear of revealing too much Not   Sunday Afternoon Reverie Where do I begin my science Ply my trade of reason To a thousand questions That wrap around the naked boughs Of this late season Dare I reckon with the hand That has been dealt Or   © thedailystar.net, 2005. All Rights Reserved.