Vol. 5 Num 483 Tue. October 04, 2005       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Metropolitan National International Culture Views Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives Today's Index Front Page Militants strike again on courts Yet another incident of five serial bomb blasts at courts in Chandpur, Laxmipur and Chittagong yesterday left two people killed and 38 others, including a district judge and a policeman, injured, stoking   Security tightened The authorities have further tightened security across the country, especially in the key-point installations and sensitive establishments, after yesterday's fresh serial blasts in three districts that   First charge-sheet in Aug 17 blast case filed Defying alleged pressure of the ruling alliance, Joypurhat police filed the first charge-sheet in one of the August 17 serial blast cases against 28 militants including two top leaders of Ahle HadithAndolan,   Blasts won't affect Saarc meet: FM Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan yesterday resolutely said that neither the bomb blasts in the country nor the BDR chief's remarks in New Delhi will affect the twice postponed 13th SAARC Summit in Dhaka   More destructive bombs this time Yesterday's bombs were more powerful and destructive than those used in the countrywide serial blasts on August 17.   3 Jamaat MPs recommended mercy petition The investigators are quizzing militant kingpin Mufti Abdul Hannan, operations commander of Harkat-ul-Jihad (Huji), to extract information about the militant dens as the law-enforcers are appreh ending   China company lodges complaint against PDB For the first time, a Chinese company has lodged a formal complaint against the Power Development Board (PDB) under the Public Procurement Regulation (PPR) 2003 for "illegal practices" in the bid evaluation   Civil Society Forum seeks market access for LDCs A three-day International Civil Society Forum 2005-- For Advancing LDC Interests in the Sixth WTO Ministerial kicked off in the capital yesterday with a call for providing market access to the LDC products   26,000 depositors conned by swindler At least 26 people including a journalist were injured yesterday when Barisal police baton-charged hundreds of people who were demanding the release of the chief of a racketeering company in an effort   Rise of a terrorist Mufti Hannan, prime accused in a plot to assassinate the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in July 2000, was reportedly trained in Peshawar in Pakistan and sent to Afghanistan to fight the former Soviet   Aug 17 blasts protest against courts' denial of bail to Galib The August 17 serial blasts at court premises and other places were targeted to protest different courts' successive denials to grant bail to militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib of Ahle Hadith Andolon   After a downpour   35 mobile courts to work in city in Ramadan Thirty-five mobile courts will launch a viorous drive in the capital from the first day of Ramadan to check irregularities in catering and transport services.   ACC unearths Tk 92-crore tax evasion The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday unearthed an incident of dodging Tk 92 crore import duty at Benapole land port.   5 Bangladeshi lynched in India Five Bangladeshis were lynched by a mob in Uttar 24 Parganas of West Bengal, India, on Sunday.   Tour boat capsizes in NY lake: 21 die Twenty-one people from a senior citizens' tour group were killed on Sunday when a small tour boat capsized after it hit the wake from a larger boat on Lake George in upstate New York, police said.   Low turns into land depression The well marked low over the northwest Bay off Oriss-West Bengal coast moved north-northeastwards and turned into a land depression, triggering rain and squalls.   Hasina holds govt responsible for blasts Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the bomb blasts during proceedings of court in country's three districts amidst round the clock police guard cannot take place without "clear instigation   India concerned at BDR chief's comment The Indian High Commission yesterday expressed deep concern at the reported comment of the director general of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to the effect that New Delhi did not protest the alleged involvement   Aussie duo wins Nobel prize in medicine for ulcer research Australian research duo Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren were on Monday awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their breakthrough research on how to treat stomach ulcers, the Nobel jury said.   Ramadan from tomorrow if moon sighted today The holy month of Ramadan will begin in Bangladesh tomorrow if the Ramadan moon is sighted today.   Tiger kills one in Sundarbans A fisherman was killed yesterday by a man-eating Royal Bengal Tiger in the Sundarbans. The victim was identified as Arshad Ali Gazi, 60, of Village Munshigonj in Shyamnagar upazila.   Maizbhandari floats new political party Former lawmaker and ex-BNP leader, Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari, yesterday launched a new political party comprising mainly spiritual leaders.   India, Pakistan sign missile test deal India and Pakistan yesterday signed a deal requiring them to notify each other of plans for ballistic missile tests, a key step in the peace process between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Business Light engineering sector performance below expectations Light engineering sector fails to contribute significantly to the economy, as entrepreneurs lack technological and institutional knowledge, Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury said yesterday.   Women entrepreneurs want regional network to spur economy Women entrepreneurs at a regional workshop stressed the need for building a network in the South Asian countries that would help them contribute more to their economic growth and poverty alleviation.   Plastic goods makers assured of all-out govt support There is a huge demand for plastic and polythene products around the world and Bangladesh can earn a lot of foreign exchange by catering to this demand through increased export of these items, Communications   Bangladeshi firms get $1.3m spot order from fair in Nepal The 5-day Bangladesh Single Country Fair in Kathmandu concluded yesterday with spot orders of US$ 1.3 million for a variety of Bangladeshi products displayed in the fair.   China Eastern Airlines to up flights from next month China Eastern Airlines will increase two more flights from Dhaka from the next month, increasing the number of flights to five on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with connections to 110   StanChart's 2nd branch at Gulshan marks completion of Amex purchase The launch of the new branch of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) at Gulshan in Dhaka on Sunday came following the successful completion of SCB's purchase of American Express Bank Ltd business and branches   Oil edges up on winter fuel worries Oil prices edged up on Monday as hurricane-wrecked refineries stayed shut in the United States and strikes threatened to cut supplies at French plants, leaving consumers fearful of winter fuel shortages.   Japanese business confidence rises Japan's large manufacturers grew slightly more confident in the three months to September, defying hopes of a sharper improvement, the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey showed Monday.   Tata Steel says its sales rise 14pc in Q2 India's second largest steel maker, Tata Steel Ltd., sold 1.18 million tonnes of steel in the July-September quarter up 14 percent from a year earlier, the company said.   OIC states urged to establish Islamic common market The first World Islamic Economic Forum Monday called for the establishment of an Islamic common market and floated a series of initiatives to boost business cooperation among Muslim nations.   Thai inflation hits near 7-year high at 6pc Thailand's inflation rate spiked to a near seven year high of six percent in September, the commerce ministry said Monday, blaming oil prices for the increase.   Toyota aims to sign up 100 dealers in China Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. and a Chinese partner aim to sign up about 100 dealerships to sell the Camry sedan when the model debuts in China in mid-2006, a Toyota spokesman said Monday. Sports Cricket: Saber's views rejected President Ali Asghar clarified the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) position regarding Sunday's comments made by his predecessor Saber Hossain Chowdhury on the Tigers' tour of India.   Football: Mirpur shine in the rain Even the torrential rain for the last three days could not dampen the spirits of the young footballers and the die-hard fans as the Sheikh Russel Under-14 football tournament ended amid huge outpouring   Cricket: What Tigers really want The members of the national cricket team hailed their first of its kind meeting with the high-ups of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as a healthy practice.   Football: Pran-Cola school football final today The curtain will fall on the second edition of the metropolitan school football tournament today with Residential Model School and College meeting Emarat Hossain High School in the final.   Cricket: Ganguly served notice The Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has virtually put captain Sourav Ganguly on notice, saying the selection committee may have to take a decision on his future if he fails to come out of the   Cricket: Gilchrist queries Super Series status Adam Gilchrist believes Test matches should be country versus country affairs and has questioned the ICC's decision to award the Super Series games official international status.   Football: Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo .... Montu! Football means Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo … then there is Montu.   Swimming: Sizzling Sabura Sabura Khatun of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) grabbed the headlines by setting three national records on Day Three of the Keya Cosmetics 21st National Swimming Championships in Mirpur Monday.   Handball: Rifles remain best in business Bangladesh Rifles maintained their monopoly in domestic handball when they successfully retained the Cute Premier Division Handball League title on Monday.   Football: MSC, Abahani ready to roll for NFL Mohammedan Sporting Club's residential camp for the coming Nitol-Tata National Football League will begin on Thursday.   Cricket: Hogg, Tait ruled out Australia Monday suffered a double injury blow with the withdrawals of all-rounder Brad Hogg and fast bowler Shaun Tait for this week's Super Series cricket one-dayers against a World XI.   Tennis: Sania eyeing Japan glory India's rising tennis star Sania Mirza is hoping her successful season will continue this week at the Japan Open in Tokyo.   Football: Day of Juve, Maldini Serie A leaders Juventus maintained their 100 percent record with a 2-0 home win over title rivals Inter Milan on Sunday.   Football: A lesson in Blues Reigning champions Chelsea took another confident stride towards retaining the Premiership title on Sunday when they crushed Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield to open up a nine-point gap.   Cricket: Waugh tees off on complacency Former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh has warned England not to get comfortable resting on its Ashes-winning laurels.   Football: Made in Brazil Real Madrid's Brazilian contingent overwhelmed Real Mallorca 4-0 in the Bernabeu on Sunday and helped move the team up to third in the Primera Liga.   Cricket: Baseball to the rescue Australia's chastened cricket team Monday summoned an American baseball coach to help rid them of the fielding fumbles that blighted their Ashes campaign against England.   Football: Mexico silence the samba Mexico scored twice in two minutes to set up a stunning 3-0 victory over defending champions Brazil to capture the FIFA Under-17 World Championship on Sunday.   Football: Portuguese player collapses The 24-year-old captain of Portuguese side Uniao Leiria was hospitalized Sunday after he collapsed on the pitch just ten minutes into a premier league match against Vitoria Setubal.   Football: Romeo again! Romeo, the three-year-old son of David and Victoria Beckham, has been rushed to hospital in Spain suffering from convulsions, for the second time in two months, The Sun newspaper reported Monday. Metropolitan Make society a safe habitat for children Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday called upon all to work from their respective positions to make society a safe habitat for children for their proper grooming, failing which the nation could facea   'Introduce integrated edn system to reduce poverty' An integrated education system combining both general and technical education should be introduced in the country in order to reduce poverty and unemployment, thereby helping the nation achieve the Millennium   2 killed in road accident Two garment workers were killed and 35 others injured in a road accident on Dhaka-Aricha highway at Kelia in Dhamrai upazila in Dhaka yesterday.   AMCH lottery prize money distributed The Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) distributed the prize money among the winners of Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital (AMCH) Lottery - 2005 at a ceremony yesterday.   Six bombers captured Police and locals captured six bombers while they were on the run after exploding bombs at the courts in Chittagong, Chandpur and Laxmipur yesterday.   'Treat disabled children as part of mainstream society’ The disabled children should be treated as part of the mainstream society, said the speakers at a rally yesterday.   People now insecure People have been living in utter insecurity and uncertainty since the BNP-led coalition government came to power four years ago, said the speakers at a rally yesterday.   Parishad seeks cooperation of all Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad yesterday sought cooperation from all in celebrating the forthcoming Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of Hindus, and in upholding the sanctity of the holy month   Lawyers condemn bomb attacks on court premises Leaders of Sammilita Ainjibi Samannaya Parishad (SASP), a pro-opposition lawyers' forum, yesterday strongly condemned the incidents of bomb blasts on the court premises in Chittagong, Chandpur and Laxmipur.   Purbokone journo killed in road mishap AZM Omar, 53, acting news editor of the Dainik Purbokone, was killed in a road accident in the port city yesterday.   SSKOP demands trial of killers of Ittefaq employee The Sangbadik-Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SSKOP) yesterday threatened to launch a tougher movement if the killers of Kamaluddin, an employee of the daily Ittefaq, are not arrested before the Eid-ul-Fitr.   Dhaka elected Cirdap chairperson Bangladesh has been elected chairperson of the governing council of Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (Cirdap), the highest policy making body of Cirdap, for the period of National OMS makes little impact on rice price in N-dists Open market sale (OMS) of rice launched on Saturday could hardly make any impact on rice prices in Rangpur, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts as the vast rural areas remained out of the government'sspecial   AL to resist polls without caretaker reforms Central leaders of Awami League yesterday said the party, taking the people along, will resist any move to hold the next election without reforming the electoral system as per proposals of the 14-party   'Rapist' Jaldhaka BNP leader, five others sent to jail A court in Nilphamari on Sunday rejected the bail prayer of BNP leader and Jaldhaka Municipal Chairman Anwarul Kabir Chowdhury and five others in a rape case filed about two months ago and sent them to   BNP factions in Satkhira hold separate rallies Rift in the BNP here has widened as two factions of the party held two separate meetings on the Vote Revolution Day on Saturday.   Demonstration for food, work in Dinajpur Amid downpour, about 2000 day laborers yesterday staged a demonstration in front of the office of Biral Upazila Nirbahi Officer in Dinajpur demanding food and work.   Drug trader released after ‘taking bribe’ A drug trader was allegedly released after arrest by a police officer in exchange of bribe at Shivalaya in the district on Friday.   Obituary Nawab Ali Waris Khan, a prominent industrialist of Prithimpassa in Kulaura upazila, died of blood cancer at a hospital in Madras, India on September 27. He was 37. Culture A budding talent Aadil Hoque, a 15 year-old autistic boy has recently been awarded a gold medal by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.   Women's issues under the spotlight Rural girls in the subcontinent often have to contend with problems such as early marriage, dowry, trafficking and abuse. The theme was reflected in the play Alta staged by Jolshiri.   "Mustafa Monwar told me once, ' A day will dawn when you will perform and everybody else will watch you.' " --Neepa Celebrated artiste Shamim Ara Neepa has been dancing way back since her childhood. Today she is a busy danseuse and has received international acclaim.   Glimpses of universal truth through wall magazines How literature contributed to human evolution and present day civilisation is inscribed in the history, tradition and culture of every nation.   Sting: From strength to strength The singer Sting, christened Gordon Matthew Sumner, got his nickname "Sting" from the black and gold rugby shirts he used to wear, which made him look like a hornet. International 18 killed as train jumps track in India A crowded train sped through a railway station in central India, jumped the tracks and crashed into a signal cabin yesterday, killing 18 passengers and injuring about 100, authorities said.   31 Taliban rebels killed in Afghanistan attacks At least 31 militants linked to Afghanistan's toppled Taliban regime were killed in clashes with government forces near the border with Pakistan, the defence ministry said yesterday.   US forces kill 28 rebels holed up near Syria US troops battled insurgents holed up in houses and driving explosives-laden vehicles in a second town near the Syrian border Sunday, killing 28 in an expansion of their two-day-old offensive chasingal-Qaeda   Armed police burst into Palestinian parliament Dozens of armed policemen burst into the Gaza branch of the Palestinian parliament yesterday to protest against the killing of one of their colleagues in clashes with Hamas, an AFP correspondent said.   Cong sweeps Andhra civic election The ruling Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh on Monday made a clean sweep of the civic elections bagging the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.   'Pak nukes can never fall into wrong hands’ Pakistan's nuclear assets are safe and secure and can never fall into "wrong hands", says Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.   Iraqi tribunal to start Saddam trial on Oct 19 Iraq's Special Tribunal officially announced yesterday that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein would go on trial on October 19 for a Shia massacre, confirming a date announced by the government a month ago.   S Korean concert stampede kills 11 Eleven people were trampled to death and around 60 injured in South Korea yesterday in a stampede at a pop concert in the southern city of Sangju, police said.   Thousands gather to see annular eclipse Thousands of people across Portugal and Spain donned protective eyeglasses yesterday to watch a rare and spectacular type of eclipse, which dimmed the Iberian peninsula beginning around 10 a.m. Editorial Editorial: Terrorist bombs again Before the memories of the August 17 bombings across the country could fade away, the attackers have struck again.   Editorial: Foreign Ministry clears the air At last there is an attempt to clear the air of misunderstanding created by what was an unnecessary remark by the BDR chief.   Four years of false hopes Notwithstanding the allegation that the general election was engineered in 2001, two of the most important promises that placed the ruling BNP-Jamaat alliance to power were: (a) the much avowed cut in   Diplomacy at gunpoint WHEN interests come into conflict with policies, the latter suffer. Letters to Editor Dr. Ahmed's reply As a journalist I am never offended if someone writes a letter disagreeing with me. But the letter by Air Cdre Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury (Retd.   What is the ACC doing? We appreciated the formation of an Independent Anti-corruption Commission headed by one Retd. Justice, to eliminate corruption.   Allowance, VGF cards and stipends For sometime now, our government is giving old age/widow allowance to some poor aged persons and destitute widows and also issuing VGF card to help mitigate the sufferings of the poverty stricken people.   Listening to the radio Listening to the radio is not a very popular habit these days. But I find it has its unique way and place in life. Radio is not as demanding to one's attention as TV.   Fanatics strike again The bomb attacks in three places yesterday should be the final reminder of the fact that we are living with a great menace--the religious fanatics.   © thedailystar.net, 2005. All Rights Reserved.