Vol. 5 Num 896 Mon. December 04, 2006       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 Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Package proposal placed before Khaleda, Hasina A team of advisers to the caretaker government talked with the two major political alliances last night with a package proposal in an apparent last ditch effort to resolve the prevailing political crisis.   4-party agrees to change in EC commissioners The BNP-led four-party alliance has responded positively to the package of proposals set forth by the caretaker government and agreed to have the Election Commission (EC) recast by sending two controversial   14-party puts forward its conditions Responding to the package proposal of the caretaker government (CG), Awami League (AL)-led 14-party coalition late last night placed three demands to be met immediately, which it placed as a prerequisite   JCD man killed, 50 hurt in clashes as blockade resumes A leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) was killed and over 50 were injured in clashes between rival political activists in Sylhet as the fourth round of countrywide indefinite transport blockade by   Acting CEC bins NDI claim of excess voters Acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Mahfuzur Rahman yesterday said the Election Commission (EC) does not agree with the National Democratic Institute's (NDI) survey report claim that there   Ctg port dockers stop container handling for vessels with cranes The country's premier seaport, the Chittagong Port, is headed towards another crisis as the workers this time stopped container handling for vessels with gear (crane) following the directives of the city   Time to add new tools to microcredit Speakers at a conference yesterday said there is an emerging east-west inequality in reduction of poverty in Bangladesh, and urged for new ways to tackle poverty in addition to micro-credit.   Dr Kamal for consultation body for interim govt Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday proposed immediate formation of a consultation body for the caretaker government to ensure protection of the president's post from any outgoing government's illegal   Lawyers demonstrate for and against CJ's stay order The lawyers loyal to Awami League (AL) and BNP yesterday demonstrated on the Supreme Court (SC) premises throughout the day for and against the chief justice's staying the proceedings of the writ petitions   Blockade to go on until 5-pt demand met The 14-party alliance yesterday said their ongoing non-stop countrywide blockade programme would continue until President and Chief Adviser (CA) to the Caretaker Government (CG) Iajuddin Ahmed met their   Yunus in telecom deal to wire up the poor Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has teamed up with some of the world's largest telecom firms to leverage communications technology to help alleviate poverty, he announced Sunday.   Unrest to mar investment climate: ADB The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its quarterly economic update on Bangladesh cautioned yesterday that the present political unrest would take a heavy toll on the country's investment climate.   Blockade programme at Muktangon...   Tigers ease to 2-0 lead A 104-run opening partnership between Shahriar Nafees and Mehrab Hossain secured Bangladesh a comfortable six-wicket victory against Zimbabwe in the second one-day game at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium yesterday.   Rejoinders Three high government officials in separate rejoinders have said the reports published in different newspapers on their attending a secret meeting at ex-energy adviser's office in Uttara on November 24   Violence may affect Japanese investment Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Masayaki Inoue yesterday voiced concern over the recent political violence in Bangladesh and said if the violence continued it might affect Japanese investment in and cooperation   4-party stages rallies to protest vandalism at SC Leaders and activists of BNP-led four party alliance yesterday held rallies and brought out processions in every thana in the capital protesting the anarchy as well as vandalism at the chief justice's   Arrest warrant against Mahfuz Anam in case by Mirza Abbas A Dhaka court yesterday issued an arrest warrant against publisher of the Weekly-2000 Mahfuz Anam in a defamation case, rejecting the defence lawyers' oral appeal about his (Anam) absence from it dueto   Awranga joins BNP Hemayetullah Awrangajeb, who had been persona non grata at the Prime Minister's Office during tenure of the last Awami League (AL) government and detained for illegal possession of firearms in 2002, yesterday   Last minute preparations...   Bangladeshi hajj pilgrim killed in road crash A Bangladeshi hajj pilgrim was killed in a road accident in Madina in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.   John Gastright due today US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs John Gastright arrives in Dhaka early today on a two-day visit, with matters of the upcoming election in Bangladesh high on his agenda.   FBCCI to stage token protest against deadlock The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) will stage a token demonstration on Wednesday if the caretaker government fails to break the present political deadlock by tomorrow.   Jatiya Oikya Front demands resignation of chief adviser Jatiya Oikya Front (JOF) observed a sit-in programme yesterday simultaneously with the blockade programme of Awami League led 14-party alliance demanding resignation of the chief adviser.   Body of Coast Guard officer recovered The body of Coast Guard Petty Officer MH Kabir, killed after an encounter between the law enforcers and a gang of pirates near Mongla seaport on Friday night, was recovered from river Pashur yesterday.   Bangladeshi film Nirontor gets special award Bangladesh's feature film "Nirontor," directed by Abu Sayeed, won a Special Jury award yesterday in the competitive section of the 37th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa.   3 GIs, 29 Iraqis killed as US reviews Iraq tactics Shell-shocked Baghdadis yesterday cleared the bloody wreckage from the latest deadly bomb attack on their city, as the United States sought a new strategy to pull Iraq back from the abyss.   Lanka asks Norway to snap LTTE contacts Sri Lanka asked peace broker Norway to suspend contacts with Tiger rebels pending a review of relations with the guerrillas, a top Sri Lankan official said yesterday.   Rumsfeld backed pullback in Iraq US forces attacked insurgent bases in Iraq on Sunday as a leaked memo from the man who sent them there revealed that Donald Rumsfeld believes their strategy is not working and it may be better to reduce Business Political unrest to hurt investment climate The current political unrest in Bangladesh will hamper the country's competitiveness and investment climate, Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecast in its quarterly economic update on Bangladesh that was   Politics in the business class, business in the third class A prosperous economy is a prerequisite for human development while a congenial environment is the precondition for economic prosperity. Despite several odds in the country, Bangladesh GDP grew by 6.   India's textile firm plans to partially shift denim unit to Bangladesh India's leading integrated textile manufacturer Arvind Mills plans to partially shift its denim unit overseas, including Bangladesh.   Unilever, CARE to create business opportunities for rural women Unilever Bangladesh Ltd and CARE Bangladesh signed an agreement yesterday to create sustainable business opportunities for thousands of rural women in the country under a project styled 'Aparajita', says   Europe calmly looks at sliding dollar With the European economy on the upswing, companies and governments are shrugging off the dollar's renewed slide against the euro this week a phenomenon once dreaded as potential poison for the continent's   Telecom giants gather in HK for world expo Executives from the world's leading telecom companies are gathering in Hong Kong this week for the industry's largest trade show with digital connectivity fast becoming an integral part of everyday life.   EU seeks FTA with Asian, Latin American nations The European Commission is due to launch plans for a "new generation" of free trade agreements on Wednesday by seeking mandates for talks with Asean, South Korea and India as well as Andean and Central   Etihad's 6 flights a week to KL from Jan 15 Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced that from January 15, 2007 it will operate a six flights-per-week service to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.   Iran to supply LNG to China Iran's state-owned gas exports company has agreed to supply Chinese company PetroChina with about three million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) a year, news agency Shana said Sunday.   Chevron builds common room for college in Sreemangal Chevron Bangladesh has sponsored a girls' college in Moulvibazar to construct a common room for the students, says a press release. Sports Cricket: Lefties rule in Bogra It is too early to say whether the two southpaws Shahriar Nafees and Mehrab Hossain will keep their opening positions, but both batsmen said they have a good understanding to be a successful pair, solving   More woes for Bangladesh Bangladesh's chances to retain the Asiad silver medal in kabaddi was heavily dashed when they crashed to their second successive defeat in the competition in Qatar capital Doha yesterday.   Cricket: Kapali, Rajin hit tons Discarded national batsmen Alok Kapali and Rajin Saleh cracked hundreds for Sylhet on the opening day of the four-day Ispahani Mirzapore Tea 8th National Cricket League encounter against Dhaka at theDhanmondi   Cricket: Narayanganj post big win Narayanganj rode on a brilliant hundred from Rony Talukdar to crush Gopalganj by 119 runs in the National Cricket Championship at the Faridpur Stadium yesterday.   Football: Transfer, to be or not to be... The transfer of the inaugural Professional Football League is due to begin tomorrow but footballers of the country had no faith on the governing body of football and feared whether it would really start   Cricket: Proteas pound India South Africa captain Graeme Smith returned to form as South Africa gained a fourth successive crushing win over India in the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa at Centurion Park   Cricket: Ponting leads fightback Ricky Ponting became Australia's pinnacle Test centurion with his 33rd hundred and Mike Hussey narrowly missed a ton to lead a home recovery on the third day of the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval   Cricket: Bravo out of ODIs West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has left the tour of Pakistan before the one-day series for personal reasons, the team management said on Sunday.   Cricket: Dilip hits out at pitches Indian selection panel chief Dilip Vengsarkar on Sunday said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should consider punitive measures like imposing fines on host associations if the pitchesin   China start domination China built on its opening day gold medal momentum at the Asian Games Sunday, and grabbed the event's first world records when Chen Yanqing set three new marks in the women's weightlifting.   Cricket: Punter bets against odds Ricky Ponting holds hopes of a come-from-behind victory over England with the Australians still to overcome the follow-on target after another tough slog in the second Ashes Test on Adelaide's back-breaking   Cricket: World Cup rehearsal Pakistan line up against the West Indies in the first of a five-match one-day international series on Tuesday, with both teams eager to improve ahead of next year's World Cup in the Caribbean.   Cricket: Khan agrees with Yousuf Prolific Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf has found spiritual strength from his faith, which helped him achieve commendable batting feats against the West Indies, former great Imran Khan said Saturday.   Football: United stretch lead Sir Alex Fergu-son's belief that Manchester United can reclaim the Premiership title has been bolstered after his side emerged victorious from a scrap with Middlesbrough to pull six points clear of Chelsea.   Football: Inter unbeatable Inter Milan beat Siena 2-0 at home in an Italian league match on Saturday to stretch their winning sequence to 11 in all competitions for their best victory run in more than half a century.   Football: Levante hold Barca Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard paid for his decision to rest Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho as his league leaders slipped up at Levante where they were held 1-1.   Football: 'Ronaldo is a cheat' Cristiano Ronaldo was accused of cheating by an angry Gareth Southgate after the midfielder's controversial role in Manchester United's 2-1 Premiership victory at Middlesbrough.   Tennis: Nalbandian makes it 2-2 David Nalbandian kept Argentina on track for their first ever Davis Cup title by beating Russian Nikolay Davydenko to level the final 2-2 here on Sunday.   Cricket: Lee facing hearing Australian paceman Brett Lee was to appear before a disciplinary hearing later Sunday charged with excessive appealing during the second Ashes Test against England at Adelaide Oval.   Football: Boo-boys confuse Emerson Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Emerson has said he is mystified after being jeered by his club's fans.   Football: Lyon pile up records Lyon broke another record in France on Saturday after a 1-0 win at Le Mans gave them their 14th win from the first 16 matches this season.   Football: Klose fires Bremen atop Werder Bremen warmed up for Tuesday's titanic Champions League tussle with Barcelona by moving to the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday.   Football: Wenger plans Henry showdown Arsene Wenger will hold clear-the-air talks with Thierry Henry after admitting rumours of a training-ground argument between the pair had overshadowed Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Tottenham on Saturday.   Football: Bellamy pleases Benitez Rafa Benitez believes Craig Bellamy can inspire Liverpool to new heights after the striker put his off-field problems behind him at Wigan on Saturday.   Football: Referee attacked South African referee David Bennett was attacked after Royal Armed Forces of Morocco were denied a stoppage time goal in the African Confederation Cup second leg against Etoile Sahel of Tunisia on Saturday.   Owen hopeful of swift return Injured England striker Michael Owen hopes to be back playing for his club Newcastle United before the end of the season.   Football: An un-gamely death A player with second division Tenerife was substituted on Saturday after his coach heard the defender's father had died of a heart attack in the stands. Metropolitan Discriminatory social norms increase risks of HIV/AIDS Speakers at a discussion yesterday said prevailing discriminatory social norms debar adolescents from learning and talking about sexual problems and thus increase the risk of HIV/AIDS infection.   DU academic activities at standstill Academic activities at Dhaka University (DU) have come to a standstill due to current political unrest since a couple of days before the caretaker government took the helm.   Make blockade programme a success Coordinator of 11 party alliance Comrade Bimol Bishwas called upon all political activists and citizens of the country to make the countrywide non-stop blockade programme enforced by 14-party alliance   BCL, JCD clash in Barisal At least eight activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) were injured in a clash between the two rival student wings on Barisal Government College campus yesterday.   'Raise awareness for dev of people with disability' Speakers at a discussion yesterday underscored the need for raising public awareness and taking initiatives for the development of the physically and mentally challenged people.   'Extend helping hand for people with disability' Protibondhi Kalyan Society (PKS) held a rally at Vashantek in the city yesterday to mark the International Day of the Disabled Persons.   Bangladesh Dy HC meets Aga Khan in Karachi Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Karachi Saquib Ali called on Prince Karim Aga Khan on Saturday.   'President pushes country into confrontation' Leaders of Combined Citizens Movement (CCM) yesterday said the president is pushing the country into confrontation in the name of constitution though he still holds the post of chief adviser violating   Practise religious life to fight AIDS US Ambassador to Bangladesh Patricia A Butenis has underscored the need for following religious and moral ethics in personal life to combat the deadly disease AIDS, says a press release.   One arrested Police arrested one man for his alleged involvement in October 28 clash between Jamaat and Awami League (AL) activists at Paltan Maidan that left seven dead and several injured.   Valuables worth Tk16.37 lakh looted from city house Robbers looted 95 tolas of gold and electronic goods worth around Tk 16.   Take steps to hold free, fair elections Leaders of Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL) in a meeting on Saturday urged the caretaker government to take necessary measures to hold a free and fair election where all political parties would participate   4-party rally today Four-party alliance led by BNP will hold rallies and bring out processions at every thana of the city corporations and district towns today, says a press release.   406 women victims of violence in Nov A total of 406 women were the victims of different sorts of violence in the country last month, said a report of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad yesterday.   'Make EC, admin free from BNP-Jamaat grip' Making the Election Commission (EC) and administration free from the control of the BNP-Jamaat is the prerequisite for holding a free and fair election, leaders of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB)said   Hartal observed at Taherpur Awami League-led 14-party observed a dawn to dusk hartal at Taherpur yesterday protesting 'killing of a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader in crossfire'.   Khulna mayor to consider other options if Ashraf gets party ticket Khulna City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Tayabur Rahman yesterday said he would consider other options if former whip and party colleague Ashraf Hossain gets nomination from Khulna- 3 constituency in theupcoming   BNGA confce March 2 The 12th conference of Bangladesh National Geography Association (BNGA) will now be held on March 2 instead of December 22 due to unavoidable circumstances.   Publication of probe report demanded Disqualified MBBS admission seekers of government medical colleges for the year 2006-2007 yesterday urged the caretaker government to cancel the admission result and arrange a fresh test.   Mobile court realises Tk 4.4 lakh in Ctg A mobile court here yesterday in separate drives fined seven cargo vessels, two brickfields and four commercial centres and realised over Tk 4.4 lakh for different allegations.   One killed in road accident in B'baria One person was killed and another injured in a road accident when two trucks collided head-on at Dharker village on Brahmanbaria Comilla highway under Akhaura upazila of the district at 1:00am today.   One murdered, two shot in city One person was murdered, two people were shot and two others stabbed in separate incidents in the city yesterday. Police recovered the body of a man in the city yesterday.   Smuggled goods worth Tk 1.41 crore recovered Members of the 10th battalion of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in separate drives seized smuggled goods worth Tk 1.41 crore from the frontier areas of the district last night.   Motor vehicle owners urged to collect tax, fitness stickers The government has decided to distribute tax and fitness stickers marked with '2007' and route permit stickers marked with '2009' for all motor vehicles except motorcycle, says a Bangladesh Road Transport   Ibn Sina Award 2006 announced Ibn Sina Trust yesterday announced the names of the people who have won Ibn Sina Award 2006, says a press release.   Gold, valuables worth Tk 4 lakh looted in N'ganj Wearing masks, armed robbers looted 40 tolas of gold ornaments and valuables worth Tk 4 lakh from the residence of a businessman at Baburail under Sadar thana of the district in the early hours of yesterday.   DU 'Kha' unitc admission test postponed The admission test of 'Kha' unit of Dhaka University (DU) for the honours courses, scheduled to be held on December 8, has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances.   Time extended The submission deadline of application forms for admission into undergraduate courses of Level 1, Semester 1 of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) for the academic year 2007 is extended to December   Iftekhar made PIO Iftekhar Hossein, director general of Bangladesh Film Archives, has been appointed as the Principal Information Officer of the Information Directorate, says a Press Information Department (PID) pressrelease.   Abdullhel Baki, Amirus Salam Today is the 35th death anniversary of Shaheed Abdullhel Baki, Bir Pratik and his comrade Shaheed Amirus Salam Babul, says a press release. National Urea crisis hampers Boro, Rabi cultivation in N dists Acute crisis of urea fertiliser is affecting cultivation of Irri-Boro paddy and Rabi crops in eight northern districts, frustrating farmers from the very beginning of the season.   Police deaf to protests, rallies in Ashuganj Ashuganj upazila headquarters has turned into a town of protest meetings and processions as police are yet to find any clue to the sensational five murders committed at the house of Rafiqul Islam at Charchertala   Satkhira-1 AL men won't'give away' seat to ally Awami League leaders in Satkhira-1 (Tala and Kalaroa upazilas) are unhappy over the party's possibility of forming an electoral alliance with Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by dissident BNP leader   BNP faction pushes for new face in Mymensingh-2 Immediate past BNP lawmaker from Mymensingh-2 (Fhulpur-Tarakanda) Shah Shaheed Sarwar faces opposition from a faction in the party, who demand a new face in the coming election.   Trainee nurses demand removal of teacher Students of Seba Institute, a government nurse training institute in Sirajganj, yesterday staged a demonstration protesting alleged harassment of students by a teacher and demanding his removal.   Zia Fertiliser DGM faces show cause, 3 suspended Ashuganj Zia Fertiliser Company Limited (ZFCL) deputy general manager (DGM) faced a show-cause notice following detection of shortage of 2,57,700 polythene bags worth Tk 25 lakh from its chemical godown   Blockade In Districts   RU staff stage hunger strike Several hundred officials and staff of Rajshahi University (RU) under the banner of Officer and Karmachari Oikya Parishad staged a token hunger strike for the second day yesterday to press their four-point   Toxic water polluting croplands   'Ensure voting by disabled' Speakers at a discussion meeting here yesterday demanded steps by the authorities to ensure voting by physically challenged people in the coming election.   Step forward in tourism Point-Counterpoint Doctrine of state necessity I have read Barrister Harun ur Rashid's "Advice for the Chief Adviser" published in your esteemed newspaper on December 3. He is a good friend of mine.   Crisis at the EC It was expected that the departure of CEC Aziz, on leave, would set the stage for reforms and reconstitution of the Election Commission.   Beyond contempt From 2:30 to 4 pm the mobile barely stopped ringing. Culture Remembering Rembrandt with aplomb Celebrating Rembrandt's 400th birth anniversary, 20 senior artists ranging from Mohammed Kibria, Murtaja Baseer and Hashem Khan, to Javed Jalil and Rebecca Sultana Molly, held a workshop.   11th Berger Young Painters' Art Competition Recently a veritable troupe of talented painters, veterans and apprentices alike gathered for the 11th Berger Young Painters' Art Competition (BYPAC) Award Ceremony.   Drama serial 'Biborno Bhalobasha' Popular drama serial on ntv, Bibarno Bhalobasha is set to air tonight at 9:50pm.   Christmas tunes in the wind There's more to Christmas carols than just Jingle bells, Rudolph the red nose reindeer or We three kings of Orient are. General 'Raise awareness about AIDS among vulnerable groups' Speakers at a seminar said risk factors that cause HIV to spread are present in Bangladesh.   World AIDS Day observed Durjoy Nari Sangha observed the World AIDS Day through countrywide workshops, rallies, processions and cultural programmes. International Burns to visit India on Dec 6 to discuss nuclear deal Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs R Nicholas Burns, the key US negotiator for the civil nuclear deal with India, will visit New Delhi from December 6-9 to address India's concerns over the   Several killed in attack in Afghan south At least eight people were killed in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar yesterday in a suicide car bombing against Nato troops and subsequent gunfire by the soldiers, police and witnesses said.   Identity becomes woe for Indian Muslims The very visible identities of Islam-burqa, beard, skullcap and hijab-are posing problems to large numbers of Muslims in India, a country with the world's second largest Islamic population.   Controversial security law to be changed A controversial security law in northeastern India that critics say has been misused to kill and torture suspects will be amended, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday.   India develops missile defence system India has developed an anti-missile defence system, which could be put in place in 3 to 5 years, the country's top defence research body said on Saturday.   Train accident in India   IAEA chief warns against isolation of Iran, N Korea UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei yesterday warned against diplomatic isolation of North Korea and Iran, saying confrontation would only lead them to accelerate their nuclear programmes.   Lebanon govt defiant as protesters up pressure Lebanon's political crisis showed no sign of easing yesterday, with the pro-Syrian opposition pressing on with its protest campaign to topple the Western-backed government.   Birds flu outbreak in S Korea South Korea has culled some 771,000 chickens since it reported two new bird flu outbreaks in its southwest late last month, a local government said yesterday.   Call for int'l aid to Palestinians France's socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal called for a resumption of international aid to the Palestinians during a visit to the Gaza Strip yesterday.   'Typhoon toll may cross 1,000' The top Red Cross official in the Philippines said yesterday that he thinks 1,000 people or more have been killed by Typhoon Durian.   Distrust of Muslims runs deep in US When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.   US puts a $350b price tag on Iraq war The war in Iraq has cost the United States more than 350 billion dollars since the March 2003 invasion, according to an AFP review of Congress figures.   Divided UN powers to meet for Iran talks A meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany to discuss a UN resolution on Iran's nuclear programme will go ahead Tuesday, after Russia on Saturday withdrew a statement   Pinochet suffers heart attack Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has suffered a life-threatening heart attack while under house arrest and was rushed to hospital early yesterday, doctors said.   Ailing Castro misses parade Tanks rolled through the streets and jets roared overhead on Saturday in Havana's first military parade in a decade, but ailing leader Fidel Castro did not attend in what many saw as a sign his long rule Editorial Editorial: 1.22 crore excess voters! The NDI has reinforced what the media and the civil society had been persistently trying to attract the Election Commission's (EC) attention to since the voter list was 'updated' in August this year.   Editorial: CHT Agreement We are disappointed by the lack of progress in implementation of the CHT Agreement of 1997. Over the past nine years no serious effort has been made in putting the various terms of the agreement intoeffect.   When judges do injustice... Remember that icon? The goddess of justice is blindfolded and the two weighing scales in her hand are evenly poised. That is the symbol of a just and a civilised society.   A London diary The red edge of dawn woke me up at 15,000 feet above Zurich. We had risen through a floor of thick, dark grey cloud that was both still and undulating, a sky-sea of waves at 10,000 feet.   A travesty of the caretaker concept When, after a protracted movement, the 14-party alliance garnered some success for the electoral reforms it has been seeking, a bizarre series of events tilted the balance and the election engineering Letters to Editor Bangladesh politics As a foreigner having lived in Bangladesh for almost four years, I am appalled at the current situation in the country.   Don't blame the media None has forgotten the incident of Bangla Bhai. When the media unveiled his destructive activities, a former minister told, "Bangla Bhai is the creation of media.   Leakage of MBBS question The nation has once again witnessed a nasty game with the future of our brightest students through leakage of question paper for their MBBS admission test held on 17 November 2006.   Place for a loser! After such an embarrassing defeat in the recently held mid-term election, US President Bush seems to be in real trouble. He might even face impeachment.   Al Jazeera and our cable operator A few days ago, I called up my cable operator at Gulshan, requesting him to include the newly launched English TV channel of Al-Jazeera. I was hoping that the cable guy would be happy to hear my request.   Avoid traumatising photos in posters Some days ago when I was going along the road below the Shahjahanpur flyover, a shocking election poster on the pillar drew my attention.   Ah security! The other day, a few people ordinary citizens were having an evening out at Dhaba kebab at Banani road number 11. We don't have too many places to go in this grim, sad capital.   Grameenphone logo My attention was brought to a letter in your "Letters to the Editor" page commenting on Grameenphone's new logo. Star City Dhaka voters' list murkier than the rest There is no alternative to thorough correction of the 'updated voter list' particularly in the urban areas for a meaningful parliamentary election, according to findings of various non-government poll   Urban development watchdog comes into being The much-awaited Urban Development Committee has finally come into being with a wide mandate of overseeing all kinds of development activities in the capital city and making recommendations on the planned   Mosque architecture under threat Space constraints caused by large scale land grabbing, high-rise building construction, unplanned restoration and air pollution pose constant threats to the historical mosque architectures, said historians   Khoka's Corner   © thedailystar.net, 2006. All Rights Reserved.