Vol. 5 Num 835 Sun. October 01, 2006       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Point-counterpoint Metropolitan National International Culture General Views Editorial Write to Editor Sections Special Supplement Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page AL, BNP ready for talks on reforms The ruling BNP and opposition Awami League (AL) might begin today or tomorrow the long-awaited dialogue to break the current political stalemate over reforms in the caretaker government and electoralsystems.   Life became difficult on many counts Five years from now, the BNP-led four party alliance won a landslide victory in the eighth parliamentary election riding on a number of pledges, including ensuring good governance, but in reality thesituation   RMG workers ransack Uttara police station At least 50 people including 10 policemen and three journalists were injured during a series of clashes between the law enforcers and garment workers at Uttara in the capital yesterday when the workers   Power crisis deepens for powerful quarter The exit of the state minister Anwarul Kabir Talukder will hardly help improve the acute power crisis as the problem lies elsewhere in the government, said a number of top officials of the sector yesterday.   Khaleda pledges to solve power crisis if reelected Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday blamed the opposition for resorting to destructive activities, making electricity an issue.   Protests on against outages Violent and persistent agitation protesting erratic power supply continued across the country yesterday.   Graft, poor infrastructure pull country down Corruption and poor infrastructure are the number one and two factors that pulled down Bangladesh in the global competitiveness index (GCI) in 2006.   PM is responsible for power crisis: Hasina Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina yesterday blamed Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for power crisis across the country as she holds the portfolio of the power ministry.   16 Satkhira villages flooded Three days of downpour coupled with the overflowing Kapotakkha river have left over 30,000 people in 16 villages of Tala upazila marooned for two weeks.   Kumari Puja observed The Hindu devotees across the country will observe the Mahanabami at Puja Mandaps today amid due religious fervour and festivity.   Talks possibility inspires new hope Civil society members and diplomats yesterday expressed hope that the planned dialogue between the secretaries-general of BNP and Awami League (AL) will resolve the current political dispute for a free   Brac expands programmes in Africa After its successful operations in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh's first international non-government organisation (NGO) Brac is now expanding its programmes to Africa.   Talukder skips PM's visit to his district Removed state minister for power Anwar Kabir Talukder was absent during the prime minister's visit to his district Jamalpur yesterday.   500 shanties gutted in fire at city slum At least three children are missing after a devastating fire gutted over 500 shanties, rendered 2,500 people homeless and injured 10 people at Katasur in Mohammadpur in the city last night.   Drivers beat up doctor branding him 'carjacker' A doctor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital and his two companions were injured as rental vehicle drivers beat them up last night at Muktangon following a row over hiringof   Time limit for submission extended to Oct 19 The National Board of Revenue (NBR) yesterday extended time limit for submitting income tax return for individual category from September 30 to October 19, responding to the demand of different occupational   ISI, Lashkar behind Mumbai blasts Indian police said yesterday they had found evidence that Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out the July 11 serial blasts in Mumbai and Pakistan's military spy agency was behind the   New US sanction bill targets Iran allies The US Congress early yesterday gave its final approval to a new set of sanctions targeting foreign countries that continue nuclear cooperation with Iran and sell it advanced weaponry.   Brazil plane crashes over Amazon with 155 aboard A Brazilian airline passenger plane with 155 people on board disappeared over the Amazon jungle and was believed to have crashed, local officials and news reports said.   Qaeda video brands Bush a liar al-Qaeda No 2 Ayman al-Zawahri called President Bush a failure and a liar in the war on terror in a video statement released Friday, and he compared Pope Benedict XVI to the 11th century pontiff who launched   Five injured as tank lorry explodes A massive explosion wrecked a petroleum lorry yesterday that injured at least five people critically and damaged four buses at Mymensingh bus stand at Gaital area.   BSF kills 1 Indian Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead a Bangladeshi youth near Roghunatpur border at midnight on Friday. Business Rupali recovers 8.29pc loan from 20 defaulters Rupali Bank Limited lagged far behind its annual target of recovery in bad loans from top 20 default borrowers, posting only a 8.   Bangladesh to benefit from transit to India Bangladesh can reduce its huge trade deficit with India if the country offers transit facilities to the next-door neighbour, a Dhaka University professor told a discussion yesterday.   India's 8.9pc growth in Q1 beats most forecasts India beat most predictions by reporting 8.9 per cent economic growth in the first quarter to June as the ruling Congress-led coalition completed half the term of its five-year electoral mandate.   Top China companies' earnings may fall in '07 Although China's largest firms are set to enjoy bumper earnings this year, the forecast for 2007 is not quite so rosy, according to a report released by global lending rating house Standard & Poor's.   WTO allows time for appeals before final GMO ruling The WTO on Friday confirmed its partial condemnation of the European Union in a dispute with the United States, Canada and Argentina over genetically modified organisms (GMOs), giving the parties 60 days   Pak PM wants textiles to be competitive Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has called for making the textile industry viable, more competitive and sustainable in view of the paradigm changes in the industry globally.   6-day Asian Eid fair begins today A six-day Eid fair of goods produced by Asian women entrepreneurs begins today at National Shooting Federation, Gulshan in Dhaka.   BGMEA wants uninterrupted power to meet export deadline Bangladesh Garment Manu-facturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) yesterday urged the authorities to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply for the garment factories to enable them to timely complete   New MD of Pubali Bank Helal Ahmed Chowdhury has been appointed managing director of Pubali Bank Ltd, says a press release. Prior to this assignment he was additional managing director of the same bank.   Pakistan to fund youths for self-employment Pakistani government has set aside a sum of 12 billion Pakistani rupees (about 200 million US dollars) as loans for self-employment of the youth in the country, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan   Kuwait headed for another year of record income Opec member Kuwait is on course for another year of record income after a sharp rise in revenue in the first five months of the current fiscal year, a report said Saturday.   GE plans to increase investment in Indonesia US-based General Electric (GE) plans to increase investment in manufacturing locomotive and power plant in Indonesia, the company top official said here Friday.   Lower gas prices may help auto sales When Nelson Ropke recently replaced his Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicle with a Chrysler Pacifica crossover, gasoline prices were top-of-mind.   Dollar firm on solid US data The dollar was higher against the other major currencies Friday on data suggesting that the US economy is enjoying a soft landing, traders said. The single European currency bought 1.   Nigeria, Venezuela to cut oil output Opec members Nigeria and Venezuela are to cut their crude oil production in the face of sliding prices, a move limited in scope and likely to have an uncertain impact on the market.   Vietnam's rice export drops Vietnam is estimated to ship abroad over 4.1 million tons of rice valued at more than 1.1 billion US dollars in the first nine months of this year, posting respective year-on-year decreases of 8. Sports Cricket: Target second round Bangladesh cricket team set off for India today with one complaint against a force they can hardly dictate.   Chess: Rakib clinches Rating title International Master Abdullah Al Rakib became champion in the senior section of the second University of Greenwich FIDE Rating chess tournament at the Bangladesh Chess Federation hall-room yesterday.   Cricket: I forgive him: Inzy Pakistan cricket captain Inzamamul Haq said Saturday he would not seek legal action against Australian umpire Darrell Hair after being cleared of ball tampering charges by the ICC.   Cricket: Boycott blasts Hair English cricket legend Geoffrey Boycott has lambasted Australian umpire Darrell Hair for attempting to "play God" in his handling of the forfeited fourth Test between England and Pakistan.   WADA to test players Two players from each of the ten participating teams would be selected at random and subjected to dope tests by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) officials during the Oct 7-Nov 5 ICC Champions Trophy   Hockey: Germany edge out India Unlucky India were beaten 3-2 by Germany in the women's field hockey World Cup here on Friday having briefly been in sight of victory.   Tennis: Blake sends Safin packing James Blake denied Marat Safin a place in his first final in more than a year as he staged a comeback to pip the Russian 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) at the Thailand Open Saturday.   Tennis: Ancic crashes out Second-seed Mario Ancic was sent packing from the inaugural ATP Mumbai Open here on Friday after losing to veteran Stefan Koubek of Austria in the quarter-finals.   Cricket: Ranjan calls for diplomacy Senior official Ranjan Madugalle has warned umpires must do their utmost to prevent another forfeited Test.   Cricket: Reverse swing legal: Jones Simon Jones, the England fast bowler, has hit out at suggestions that reverse swing is only possible when the ball has been tampered with.   Football: A forgettable day for Reds Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina had a day to forget as Rafa Benitez saw his team suffer their third successive Premiership away defeat with a 2-0 loss at Bolton on Saturday.   Football: Hanover earn Dortmund draw Hanover 96 twice came from behind in a furious second-half spell to earn a 2-2 draw at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Friday.   Football: No place yet for Becks David Beckham's chances of ever adding to his tally of 94 caps for England appear extremely slim after head coach Steve McClaren declined the perfect opportunity to recall the 31-year-old.   Football: Makelele settles int'l career Wantaway France midfielder Claude Makelele said Saturday he would not extend his international career again by competing in the upcoming European championships.   Hockey: Farashganj finish 2nd Farashganj Sporting Club ended their Green Delta Insurance Metropolis First Division Hockey League as runners-up by outplaying close-rivals Bachelors SC by 3-0 goals in their last super-four match atthe   Cricket: No WC ticket auctions World Cup organisers are clamping down on tickets for next year's Caribbean showpiece being auctioned off on websites.   Cricket: Uttar Pradesh trounce Sialkot Experienced batsman Rizwan Shamshad outshone promising youngsters as Uttar Pradesh thrashed Sialkot by 316 runs to lift the Mohammad Nissar Trophy here on Saturday.   Cricket: Ex-Test star blackmailed A man appeared in an Australian court on Saturday charged with blackmailing former Australian Test cricketer Craig McDermott over explicit videos, local media reported.   Football: Le Guen a French spy! Rangers boss Paul Le Guen is ready to face the wrath of Scotland by helping France coach Raymond Domenech plot the Scots' downfall in a crucial Euro 2008 qualifier next week.   Football: United abused at Benfica! Manchester United have complained about racist abuse and monkey chants directed at some of their players during Tuesday's Champions League win at Benfica.   Football: Hungarians protest Euro 2012 bid Hungarian fans on Friday protested against the country's bid to host the European Championships and called for their football federation to put its house in order.   Alonso takes Shanghai pole Defending world champion Fernando Alonso was brimming with confidence after dominating qualifying session for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix.   Football: Saha filling Ruud void Louis Saha has spent almost three years attempting to prove himself at Manchester United but the French striker believes he is now finally living up to his 12.6-million-pound transfer fee.   Football: English FA waging war on corruption The English Football Association stepped up their battle against corruption on Friday by recruiting more 'bung-busters' for their compliance unit.   Golf: Woods to give rivals break World number one Tiger Woods has vowed not to pick up a golf club for a fortnight following the current World Golf Champion-ship event here.   Football: No salary caps, says UEFA The European Union and soccer authorities have no plans to introduce salary caps on players, the CEO of UEFA said on Friday.   Football: Rooney toiling to find form Wayne Rooney was the last player off Manchester United's training ground on Friday as he seeks a remedy for his first slump in form in his two years at the club.   Football: Dudek dropped Poland coach Leo Beenhakker has dropped Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek for his squad's European championship qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Portugal on Oct. 7 and Oct.   Tennis: Sugiyama in final Fourth seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan and Greece's Eleni Daniilidou routed their semifinal opponents to book a showdown in Sunday's final of the 145,000-dollar Korea Open. Metropolitan Need for common strategy to fight terrorism in S Asia underscored Speakers at a book launching ceremony in the city yesterday underscored the need for a common strategy and extradition treaty among the countries in South Asian region to combat terrorism.   Move for dialogue a ray of hope to end political crisis Leaders of both ruling BNP and opposition Awami League (AL) yesterday showed positive attitude over the much-awaited dialogue on electoral reforms while civil society members and business leaders also   Strong network a must to control use of drugs Speakers at a meeting yesterday underscored the need for building networks among law enforcer agencies to control the use of drugs and narcotics and prevent spread of HIV/AIDS in the city.   $15 b British aid to promote edn worldwide Bangladesh will receive a substantial amount from a $15 billion British aid package designed to promote education around the world over the next 10 years, visiting Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen   Mother, daughter gangraped in Barisal A widow mother and teenage daughter of a poor minority family were gangraped in Barisal on Friday night.   Kidnapped student rescued, 6 held Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday rescued a kidnapped student from a dormitory of Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University and arrested six people in this connection on Friday night   Schoolboy killed in road accident A schoolboy died in a road accident at Koddarmorh area on the Dhaka-Bogra highway in Sirajganj district yesterday noon.   Sanitation month begins today Information Minister M Shamsul Islam yesterday said sanitation in trains, launches and low-lying areas still remains a problem despite massive success in coverage of the facility across the country.   Robbery at Mohakhali Armed robbers looted cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth around Tk 2.5 lakh from a house at Mohakhali Wireless Gate in the city during Tarabi prayers last night.   AL distributes money among families of storm victims Tk 1 lakh given by Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina was distributed among the relatives of those died or went missing in the recent Bay storm at Moheshkhali on Saturday.   Depression crosses Orissa Coast The depression over northwest Bay of Bengal crossed Orissa-coast on Friday midnight and lies over Orissa and adjoining area as a land depression yesterday morning.   Medical board to review President's health today The medical board constituted to treat president Iajuddin Ahmed is to meet today at Bangabhaban to review the latest health condition, a brief statement from Bangabhaban said yesterday. National Heavyweights start campaign in Sylhet-1 Sylhet-1, one of the 'most sought after' seats in country, is warming up with heavyweight candidates from rival parties campaigning for the coming election.   Saifur blasts Kamran for 'poor show' as Sylhet mayor Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday blasted Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran alleging his failure to ensure civic amenities for city dwellers.   AL vows to wipe out corruption if voted to power Awami League Presidium member Suranjit Sengupta yesterday said the 14-party alliance would make a corruption free Bangladesh if voted to power in the coming election.   VC, cops talk steps Rajshahi University Vice-chancellor Prof Altaf Hossain held a close-door meeting with high officials of police and intelligence agencies at his residence Friday night and discussed security of teachers Point-Counterpoint Coal, gas, and peanuts It was the World Cup final, so after dinner I switched on the BBC to catch up on the news before watching the finals.   Terror in South Asia under the microscope Since September 11, 2001, terrorism, effects of terrorism, and ways to fight terrorism have dominated the international political landscape.   How strange this land is! Today is the fourth day of Ramadan in Bangladesh. In other areas of the Muslim world, east or west, it is the fifth or sixth. We have a moon sighting committee.   Good FDI, bad FDI It is true that FDI needs for any country are mainly focused on attracting capital for business. However, it is also expected to bring in the technological and domain knowledge which is not availablelocally. Culture Nitun Kundu remembered Speaking at a commemorative programme for Nitun Kundu, held at the National Museum yesterday, Qayyum Chowdury said, "Nitun Kundu is a significant name in our cultural arena.   Channel i and its multifarious roles Topping the list of an online opinion poll (conducted by Bangladesh Cable TV Viewers Forum), Channel i is on an all-time high. Incidentally, Channel i turns 8 today.   Special programmes on Channel i anniversary October 1 marks the 8th anniversary of satellite television station Channel i. To celebrate the occasion, Channel i has chalked out special programmes including discussions and TV plays.   'Borat' upsets Kazakhstan It was certainly one of the most unusual press conferences held recently.   Ramzaner Shad. General 50 injured, 40 motorcycles damaged At least 50 people were injured and 40 motorcycles damaged during a fierce clash between two rival factions of ruling BNP here yesterday.   Mere AL-BNP understanding won't end political crisis Mere understanding between ruling BNP and main opposition Awami League cannot save the country from political crisis, speakers said at a roundtable in the city yesterday.   Rival factions clash at Ctg AL confce: 20 injured At least 20 Awami League activists were injured in a clash between two rival factions of Chittagong south district unit at its triennial conference at the Engineers Institute auditorium here yesterday.   President, PM greet Chinese counterparts President Iajuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday felicitated their Chinese counterparts on the occasion of the 57th National Day of China today. International West will fail in 'war on terror' without Pakistan The United States and its allies will fail in the so-called "war on terror" without the support of Pakistan and its intelligence service, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said yesterday.   Indo-US nuke deal ends up as 'unfinished business' on Senate plate The Indo-US nuclear deal ended up as 'unfinished business' on the Senate plate as the House went into recess early on Saturday for the Congressional elections.   20 killed in Lanka battle At least 17 Tamil Tiger rebels and three policemen were killed in Sri Lanka yesterday, the security forces said, as the worst violence since a 2002 ceasefire grinds on despite peace talk pledges.   12 killed in Kabul bombing A suicide bomber detonated himself next to Afghanistan's Interior Ministry yesterday, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 40, an official said.   Monica Bedi gets 5yrs jail for forgery A Hyderabad court sentenced former Bollywood actor Monica Bedi to five years in jail on Friday for passport forgery and cheating in a high-profile case involving an underworld leader.   US Congress okays ports security bill Congress approved a major ports security bill early yesterday, providing new steps to prevent terrorists from slipping a nuclear, chemical or biological device into one of the 11 million shipping containers   Russian spat with Georgia intensifies Russia was evacuating its embassy in Georgia on Saturday and had halted troop withdrawals from the country amid a deepening diplomatic dustup since the arrest by Tbilisi of four Russian officers on spying Editorial Editorial: It is good augury At last we see a ray of hope emerging out of the current oppressive political impasse. It is a good augury that the BNP and the AL are considering to sit for the much-awaited dialogue on electoral reform.   Editorial: State minister's exit With the exit of State Minister Anwarul Kabir Talukder from the power sector which has been limping under an acute shortage of electricity, this is the second time in four months that the state minister   Let fire rage, vote us to power again ... Golden Bengal is burning, just as Lanka burned and Rome burned in the antiquated past. Hanuman set Lanka on fire to rescue Sheeta, wife of Avatar Rama, from the clutches of Lankadhipati Raksasraj Ravana.   The view from Dhaka The Brookings Institution and Center for Global Development, led by Dr.   A new Musharraf? General Pervez Musharraf has staged yet another coup. He has ousted the Musharraf who was always worried about his image and concerned about the support within Pakistan. Special Supplement China makes strides in poverty alleviation in rural areas E villagers now can drink clean tap water as urban residents do," said Zhao Caihong, with a broad smile on her face.   MESSAGE Today is the 57th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.   China plans five-year leap forward of railway development Powerful engine pulled passenger compartments for the first time into Lhasa, the remote capital of Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on July 2.   Confucius Institute: Promoting language, culture and friendliness Two thousand, five hundred and fifty-six years after his birth in China, Confucius is reliving his mission of "touring various kingdoms".   Beijing ticking down to 2008 Olympic games Jia Shasha, a 20-year-old student in the Beijing-based Renmin University of China, is longing to become a volunteer at the 2008 Olympic Games.   Green Olympics: A Pledge to Honor for Beijing His eyes opened for a second and closed again. Still in bed, Wo Niu reached out for the tiny alarm clock on the desk. He squinted at its round surface. The black short hand pointed at seven.   Driving the engine of democracy in China He nods his head and beams when others refer to him as a "public hearing expert".   China to continue active use of foreign funds in coming five years Although China will adjust its main purposes, concepts and industrial and zonal focuses of using foreign funds to adapt to the changing domestic and global situation, it will continue to actively andeffectively Star Health Self management plays important role in controlling epilepsy Epilepsy is a family of more than 40 neurological conditions that share a common symptom - seizure.   Keeping safe high risk pregnancies When a woman becomes pregnant, she herself and all her family members eagerly wait for a beautiful and healthy baby.   Introducing newer vaccines to give more protection to your child Vaccines are for protection against different infectious diseases. Achievement of EPI programme in Bangladesh is highly praised nationally and internationally.   A backup support of contraception Unwanted pregnancy is a major leakage of our family planning management and population control.   Rural living easier on lungs Living in the country may be good for respiratory health, according to a study conducted in Scotland, which suggests that rural as opposed to urban dwelling is associated with a lower prevalence of asthma.   Training on modern treatment of corneal disease at Islamia Eye Hospital Islamia Eye Hospital (IEH) has started training programme for postgraduate ophthalmologists in order to improve the quality and standard of corneal treatment in the country, says a press release.   Your Doctor on Gastroenterology Dear Doctor, I had my gallbladder removed. I watch my diet but continue to have diarrhoea. Is this common? What can I do about it? Regards Abddullah Al Mamun, Dhaka. Star City Poor transport planning causes havoc Rickshaws are clogging city roads linked with rickshaw-free roads because of short-sighted and faulty transport planning worsening the traffic chaos in the city.   New waves hit the city Two new 24-hour private channels, Radio Today and Radio Foorti, have hit the radio waves recently, stirring up the wilting trend of listening to radio.   Rajuk issues third notice to BGMEA With the Rajuk asking again and again to pay the penalty, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) looks for ways to evade the punishment for constructing its15-storey commercial   Mitford sans OT for two decades Mitford Hospital, one of the biggest government hospitals in the city cannot provide the least service to emergency patients as the operation theatre (OT) at the casualty department has not functioned   Archway at the New Market   © thedailystar.net, 2006. All Rights Reserved.