Vol. 5 Num 1069 Mon. June 04, 2007       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Metropolitan National International Culture General Views Point-counterpoint Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page CA firm on holding polls as early as possible Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said his caretaker government is determined to hand over power to an elected government through holding a free, fair and credible election as early as possible.   Babar remanded again; Jalil, Selim sent to jail Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil, its Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, and former BNP lawmaker also businessman MA Hashem were sent to Dhaka Central Jail, while another BNP leader   Draft coal policy draws sharp criticism The sixth draft version of national coal policy, now being prepared by the energy ministry, draws sharp criticism of investors and some experts who believe it will drive away investors and will fail to   Twin jeopardy for Old Dhaka Frequent power snaps and water crisis compounded by scorching weather have been severely disrupting life and trade especially in the old parts of the city.   Forest plunderers living on nerves All forest officials, especially the top ones, are panicking now, slowing down the usual bustle in the offices of the forest department considerably, since the sacking of Osman Gani, the recently detained   Controversial NGO RIHS shut down Bangladesh chapter of giant Kuwait-based NGO Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) is still running its offices and covertly continuing activities through some other NGOs, despite cancellation of   Jalil in CCU with chest pain Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil was admitted to the coronary care unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) last night as he complained of chest pain.   Fakhruddin faints at function, goes home after check-up Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed fell ill out of exhaustion at a public function in Tangail yesterday morning and later had a check-up at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.   Quick start of voter listing urged The Election Commission (EC) should make door-to-door visit for preparing the voter list rather than setting up voter camps for the task, civil society leaders told a roundtable discussion in the capital   Dhaka getting ready as 'fortress against terrorism' Law Adviser Mainul Hosein yesterday told a UN counter-terrorism team that Bangladesh is doing everything to organise itself as "fortress against terrorism".   Lightning kills 18 in 4 dists At least 18 people died and 17 others were injured after being struck by lightning in Mymensingh, Lalmonirhat, Netrakona and Rangamati yesterday.   Zillur criticises 'bid to destroy Hasina's image' Awami League (AL) Presidium Member Zillur Rahman in a statement yesterday said a certain quarter is trying to destroy the image of party chief Sheikh Hasina as they had to retract from their decisionnot   Judge feels embarrassed to hold trial A Dhaka court yesterday felt embarrassed to conduct trial of a graft case against detained former home minister Mohammad Nasim while another Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against Jatiya Party (Manju)   Lightning kills 16 in 3 dists At least 16 people died and 15 others were injured after being struck by lightning in Mymensingh, Lalmonirhat and Netrakona yesterday.   Fresh probe ordered into extortion case against Harris A cognizance magistrate's court in Sylhet yesterday ordered a fresh investigation into an extortion case filed against former prime minister Khaleda Zia's political secretary Harris Chowdhury and five   US authorities foil plot to blow up NY airport US authorities said Saturday they foiled a terrorist plot to bomb fuel tanks and pipelines at John F Kennedy airport, averting an explosion they said would have also devastated large portions of the nearby   EU troika due June 6 to assess situation A five-member European Union troika comprising representatives of Germany, Portugal and EU Commission will arrive on a four-day visit on June 6 to assess the prevailing pre-election political situation   Nagorik Committee wants Valerie's reinstatement as CRP coordinator Nagorik Committee, a citizens' committee, yesterday demanded dissolution of trustee board of Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) and reinstatement of its founder Valerie A Taylor to her   Russia could target Europe Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that US plans to build a missile defence system in Eastern Europe would force Moscow to target its weapons against Europe.   Fighting continues in Lebanon refugee camp Heavy gunfire rang out from inside a bombed out Palestinian refugee camp yesterday as the Lebanese army pounded Islamic militants holed up inside during the third day of a military offensive aimed atcrushing   7 US troops, 15 Iraqis killed in attacks Suspected Sunni insurgents killed 15 Iraqis in attacks north of Baghdad yesterday as their Shia militia counterparts clashed with US and Iraqi forces south of the war-torn capital. Business Apartment prices to go up 20-40pc in Dhaka Prices of apartments in Dhaka will go up by 20 to 40 percent, as building materials have now become dearer, developers said yesterday.   DSE turnover hits all time high at Tk206.79cr The Dhaka bourse yesterday set another milestone with the total turnover hitting an all time high at Tk 206.79 crore, surpassing the previous record of Tk 178.98 crore on May 27.   India ready to open up its market to other Saarc countries India, the current chairman of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc), said yesterday that it was ready to open up its market to other countries of the regional grouping without insisting   Lack of proper access to finance seen main barrier to SME growth Lack of proper access to finance is thLack of proper access to finance is the main barrier to flourishing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh, speakers observed at a seminar yesterday in   Managing food security to sustain political transition [This article has summarised in two instalments a paper available at www.ergonline.org. The first part looked into the plausible reasons of price increase observed.   IFC-SEDF seminar on business competitiveness In a bid to help local businesses prosper under the ever-growing competition, IFC-SEDF, the private sector arm of the World Bank, organised a training seminar on competitiveness.   Impact PR launches operations in Ctg Impact PR, a public relations firm, on Friday launched operations in Chittagong as part of its expansion programme, says a press release.   Sonali Bank registered with Registrar of Joint Stock Companies Sonali Bank, a nationalised commercial bank, yesterday was registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSCF) to operate as a public limited company.   Dubai property boom to continue The burgeoning property boom in Dubai looks set to continue until at least 2010, a report released on Sunday said, dismissing widespread forecasts of a looming correction in property prices.   Prime Bank's new vice chairpersons Shahnaz Quashem and Hasina Khan have been elected the new vice-chairpersons of Prime Bank Ltd, says a press release.   Indonesia faces shortage of skilled workers Indonesia's oil and gas companies have begun to suffer from a shortage of skilled workers due to their preference to work overseas, an oil drilling executive says.   G8 under fire over failing to meet aid pledge Group of Eight rich countries, gathering for a summit this week, are under fire from Africa and activist movements that accuse them of reneging on aid pledges at a time when China is looming large onthe   India's trade deficit nearly doubles India's trade deficit nearly doubled in April, the first month of the financial year, from a year ago as costs for imported oil jumped, the government said in a statement Sunday.   Citibank-Bank Asia workshop on documentary credit held Citibank NA Bangladesh and Bank Asia Limited recently organised a workshop on UCP-600 (Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credit), says a pres release.   Currency Sports Cricket: Team for SL to be named today A few changes are expected when the national selectors announce the Sri Lanka-bound team today.   Cricket: Dav in line for India The dice seems to be loaded in favour of Dav Whatmore to succeed fellow-Australian Greg Chappell as the new cricket coach of the Indian team ahead of their tour to England and Ireland later this month.   Cricket: Relegation decision on Friday Decision on the relegation play-off of Premier Cricket League has been delayed till June 8 after Saturday's Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) meeting was adjourned.   Football: Russel halt MSC run Mohammedan gave up solo lead but the Dhaka giants had the share of the B. League top spot with Muktijoddha after 11 rounds following a goalless draw against Sheikh Russel yesterday.   Local Snippets Comilla were crowned champions in the Chittagong leg of Samsung 2nd Divisional Karate Championship in Cox's Bazar on May 19. They won five gold medals and one silver and bronze each.   Cricket: England stay unchanged England named an unchanged squad Sunday for the third Test against West Indies as they aim to win the series at Old Trafford.   Tennis: When grit meets panache Lleyton Hewitt will summon his street-figh-ting instincts to slug it out with champion Rafael Nadal when the two fiery stars clash in a mouth-watering French Open fourth round duel on Monday.   Tennis: Williams, Henin to do battle Top seed and title-holder Justine Henin and top challenger Serena Williams set up a French Open quarter-finals showdown when both easily won their fourth round ties on Sunday.   Cricket: Re-laid track for Afro-Asia Cup opener The Afro-Asia Cup might have lost its sheen due to the pull out of several stars and the accompanying negative publicity, but hosts Karnataka State Cricket Association are confident of a strong response   Football: Gomez stars in rout VfB Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez scored twice as Germany went back to the top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group with a 6-0 win over minnows San Marino in Nuremberg on Saturday night.   Football: France's flawless showing Second half goals from Franck Ribery and Nicolas Anelka shot France to the top of Euro 2008 qualifying Group B putting them well on course to qualify for the finals in Austria and Switzerland.   Football: Switzerland hold Argentina Euro 2008 joint hosts Switzerland held Argentina to a surprising 1-1 draw in a friendly on Saturday, after a combative performance that stifled the Albiceleste's trial Copa America line-up.   Football: Bremen's u-turn on Klose Werder Bremen admitted in the German press on Sunday they are ready to discuss a multi-million euro transfer with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for German international striker Miroslav Klose.   Football: Rossi rules in Mugello again Italian superstar Valentino Rossi won the Italian MotoGP here on Sunday to maintain his 100percent record in his home race but only his first win since the second race of the campaign.   Football: Denmark-Sweden match abandoned The European Championships qualification group F match between Denmark and Sweden here on Saturday was abandoned in the 90th minute with the scores level at 3-3.   Cricket: Akram for foreigners Pakistani bowling legend Wasim Akram on Sunday recommended foreign coaches for both the Pakistani and Indian cricket teams, saying their players felt at ease with overseas experts.   Football: Giggs bows out with Czech draw Ryan Giggs's final match for Wales saw the hosts hold high-flyers the Czech Republic to a goalless draw in a Group D Euro 2008 qualifier at the Millennium Stadium here on Saturday.   Chess: Ehsan, Dung share lead Grand Masters Ghaem Maghami Ehsan of Iran and Nguyen Anh Dung of Vietnam won their respective penultimate round matches yesterday to share the lead in the Eighth United Insurance and United Leasing Grand   Football: Uganda and Argentina closer to WC Uganda and Argentina go forward into the next phase of qualifying for the 2011 World Cup after reaching the final of the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 played here.   Cricket: Mahmood ruled out England fast bowler Sajid Mahmood has been ruled out of the remainder of his country's matches against the West Indies after his county, Lancashire, announced on Saturday he would undergo surgery.   Cricket: Atapattu set for recall Marvan Atapattu is likely to play his first Test for Sri Lanka in nearly 18 months later this month when Bangladesh arrive for a series of three Tests and three ODIs. Metropolitan Arrests useless if results do not come: ACC chief Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury yesterday said there is no use of nabbing hundreds of people in graft charges if results are not shown.   Malnutrition rate high due to ignorance Country's poverty has shrunken but malnutrition is ever present among the people of the country, even in high-income groups, due to lack of knowledge, experts at a roundtable said yesterday.   Publish white paper on corruption in power sector Speakers at a dialogue yesterday urged the government to publish a white paper on corruption in power sector and bring to book the politicians and bureaucrats who were involved in the shady deals sacrificing   4 muggers to die, 3 get 30 years' RI A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced four muggers to death and three others to 30 years' rigorous imprisonment for killing Imtiaj Shafiq Sourav, a HSC examinee from Rajuk Model School on July 21 in 2005.   CG revives CMC to tackle power crisis The caretaker government yesterday decided to revive the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) formed last year to tackle the then power crisis across the country, as nagging outages seriously affected life   Road accidents kill 5 At least five people, including two children, were killed in separate road accidents in Comilla, Lalmonirhat and Thakurgaon yesterday and on Saturday night.   Create more jobs for persons with disabilities Speakers at a workshop yesterday stressed the need for creating more employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in a bid to bringing them into the mainstream of the society.   Judiciary was not neutral in the past Law and Information Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein yesterday said countless terrorists and corrupt people went unpunished as country's judiciary was not neutral in the past.   DU probe body finds him not guilty, defies opinions of two members A six-member probe committee of Dhaka University (DU), formed to investigate some allegations against the director of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, finalised its report recently and found   CU increases student fees Chittagong University (CU) authorities increased student fees as well as the fees teachers, officials and employees had to pay to get different facilities from the university.   '269 incidents take place in May' As many as 269 incidents of repression against women and children took place across the country in May, says a report of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) yesterday.   Abducted UP member rescued in Ctg Joint forces rescued a kidnapped UP member in Satkania upazila in the early hours of yesterday.   35 killed by law enforcers in last 2 months: ASK A total of 53,831 people were arrested in last two months across the country, says a report of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) yesterday.   Huge date-expired, contraband medicines seized A mobile court in a drive yesterday recovered huge quantity of date- expired and contraband medicines from a pharmacy in the city's Halishahar area.   Detainee dies in police custody A detainee committed suicide in custody on the sixth day of his remand in Dakkhinkhan Police Station in the city yesterday evening, police claimed.   Campaign to end water poverty today The national launching meeting on "End water poverty: Sanitation and water for all" begins in the city today as part of the global campaign to resolve water and sanitation problem. National Outlaws' den busted in Pabna shoal, one killed Joint forces yesterday busted an outlaws' den in Dhalar Char, a remote shoal on the Jamuna in Pabna district.   Party colleagues refuse to defend 'corrupt' Shafiq The party in power came as a magic lamp for Maolana Shafiqul Islam, secretary of Pirojpur district Jamaat-e-Islami and a close aide to party leader and former lawmaker Maolana Delwar Hossain Saidee.   Life becoming too hard for both acrobats, animals At around noon on Thursday a crowd of around 100 men, women and children stood by the river Lohalia in Patuakhali and looked eagerly towards the middle of the river.   Brahmaputra devours villages as river bank protection delayed The Water Development Board (WDB) did not start Brahmaputra river bank protection work at Baguria and Sayedpur despite release of Tk 8. 92 crore in the current financial year.   Anti-corruption body formed in Moulvibazar A new anti-corruption organisation has been floated here.   Tornado lashes 5 Lalmonirhat villages: 30 hurt At least 30 people were injured when a tornado lashed five villages of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila yesterday morning. Point-Counterpoint We want election the soonest but ... Election seems to have become the main focus of the nation now.   Upholding the dignity of the judiciary The recent momentous comment made by the Chief Justice of Bangladesh on the irregularity in the appointment of judges of the Supreme Court, had a rippling effect in citizens' minds. Culture Art fair with a flare Art fairs, though common in Europe and USA, are rare in the Subcontinent. Shilpangan is currently holding its second art fair featuring 53 paintings.   Theatre School stages "Shormishtha" The certificate giving programme of the 17th batch of Theatre School was held at the National Theatre Stage, on June 2.   'Kalhar': A reflection of art and architecture Omni Books and writers.ink jointly organised a reception for eminent art historian, archaeologist and founder director general of the Bangladesh National Museum, Dr.   "Ontoral-er Kotha" on Channel-i tonight The new episode of docu-drama Ontoral-er Kotha will be aired on Channel-i tonight at 6:15pm. This episode is based on the case of Chhobi. Chhobi, a 17-year old is a student of class ten.   Helen Mirren goes to Gaza Helen Mirren's upcoming projects include an untitled drama that will see her as a Jewish woman whose journalist daughter falls in love with a Palestinian and is shot dead. General ‘Cancer curable in 90pc cases if detected early’ National Professor MR Khan in a seminar yesterday underscored the need of cancer awareness programmes to resist cancer since it is curable in 90 percent cases if detected early, says a press release.   Fake TV factory unearthed in city A mobile court yesterday seized fake television sets and parts worth Tk 1 crore and arrested two people in the city.   'Mass awareness to play vital role in disaster preparedness’ A two-day debate competition on disaster management awareness ended at Public Library auditorium on Thursday, says a press release.   SUST team calls on president An eight-member delegation of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) called on President Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban yesterday.   16 aggan party members arrested in city Detective Branch (DB) of police yesterday arrested 16 members of aggan party (a gang of criminals who rob people after drugging them) from different parts of the city and recovered tablets and powderthat International Deal on Iran's nukes possible: Tehran Iran yesterday said disputes over its nuclear programme could be settled in the coming weeks if the UN Security Council dropped preparations to debate another round of sanctions against the country and   US can forget about winning in Iraq The man who led coalition forces in Iraq during the first year of the occupation says the United States can forget about winning the war.   Hundreds protest against Thai junta At least 1,400 anti-coup demonstrators descended on Bangkok yesterday to urge a return to democracy, police and organisers said, a day after a similar rally drew record numbers.   Gates warns Turkey not to invade Iraq Defence Secretary Robert Gates yesterday cautioned Turkey against sending troops into northern Iraq, as it has threatened, to hunt down Kurdish rebels it accuses of carrying out terrorist raids inside   Israel vows to keep up Gaza strikes Israel vowed on Sunday to keep up its strikes on militants in Gaza as a soldier was wounded by mortar shells fired from the lawless territory by the armed wing of Hamas.   Unprecedented poverty for Palestinians after 40 yrs occupation: Amnesty Israel has plunged the Palestinians into unprecedented levels of poverty and despair through 40 years of occupation, yet failed to ensure its own security, Amnesty International said today.   Castro meets Vietnamese official Convalescing leader Fidel Castro received visiting Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nong Duc Manh, Cuban television reported Saturday.   Heavy fighting in Lanka ahead of Japanese peace move The Tamil Tiger rebels said yesterday they had killed at least 10 Sri Lankan army troops in attacks on military defences and materiel, as Japan readied a fresh bid to quell the spiralling violence.   India, US edge closer to nuclear deal India and the United States have moved closer to finalising a key civilian nuclear deal but gaps persist ahead of talks between their top leaders in Germany next week, officials said Saturday.   Militants planned Sept 11-style Lebanon attack A mass-circulation Beirut daily reported on Sunday that Fatah al-Islam, whose fighters are under siege at a refugee camp in the north of the country, had planned a September 11-style attack on Lebanon.   Fresh wave of military drives against Taliban Afghan security forces supported by Nato-led and US-led troops have launched a wave of operations against Taliban militants in insurgency-hit southern Afghanistan, the defence ministry said yesterday.   Britain planning Iraq pullout within a year British military chiefs are preparing to withdraw troops from Iraq within 12 months in order to concentrate on Afghanistan, The Sunday Telegraph said citing a senior military official.   Quake in southwest China kills 3 A strong earthquake shook southwest China's Yunnan province early yesterday, killing at least three and injuring hundreds and forcing the evacuation of 120,000 people, state media reported.   12 Islamists killed in US attack in Somalia At least 12 Islamist fighters, including foreigners were killed in US naval shelling and fighting with forces from the Somali semi-autonomous region of Puntland, officials said yesterday.   Arsenic can prolong life of leukaemia patients Well known as a poison that can kill, arsenic also can prolong the lives of patients with a rare form of leukaemia, a new study out Saturday found.   Guantanamo trials loom for Laden's driver, teen soldier Osama bin Laden's ex-driver and a Canadian child soldier captured in Afghanistan face arraignment today at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay under a US military process slammed by activists as a travesty   South Asian Mps call for creation of Intra-Parliamentary Union The Second South Asian Parliament Conference concluded here yesterday with the adoption of the Shimla Declaration, agreeing to form a South Asian Parliamentary Forum.   Enact right to information law The 7th meeting of South Asian Chapters of Transparency International has called upon all stakeholders to work with topmost priority to prevent corruption in judicial system and establish integrity and Editorial Editorial: The ADP sounds ambitious but doable The National Economic Council has unveiled Annual Development Programme (ADP), 2007-08 that is refreshingly not the run-of-the-mill type we have been accustomed to seeing as the handiwork of political   Editorial: Recovery of siphoned off wealth We are happy at the World Bank assurance that it is ready to provide all assistance with regard to recovery of our stolen assets siphoned off abroad.   Antecedents do matter Today we shall talk about antecedents, but let us begin this column with a prelude. We actually begin with two befitting quotations.   Breach of diplomatic norms & practices Diplomacy is the art and practice of skillful handling of a situation without offending any one.   Speechless Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave a thoughtful speech at the annual session of the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry for all you yokels who do not know what the country's most powerful acronym stands Letters to Editor Saving water Amidst the daily news reports of CTG's continuing crusade against the corrupt, and the unwanted drama revolving around the BNP chief, which is now nothing but a boring event, newspaper reading is an   Palestine scene Both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas have been elected by the Palestinian people, then why are they slaughtering each other? Only two months ago, they signed an agreement ending the earlier   Election crisis Firstly, congratulations for the article regarding the election crisis in Bangladesh.   CNG issue The government tried to end passenger harassment by CNG autorickshaw drivers when they set up the new meter reading and fixed daily down-payments for owners.   Secularism and Bangladesh Bangladesh as a small country has a lot to learn from India: technologically, in trading and economics, developing infrastructure, developing tourism, even election methods.   National ID I was surprised to hear that in Bangladesh everyone is talking about the immediate data collection process, which is only a very small fraction of the gigantic task, but no one has any concern about the   BCS exams and expatriates We, the Bangladeshi students in the UK, feel the need for a BCS exam centre in the UK. Many Bangladeshi students who are currently studying full time can hardly hope to appear in the BCS exams.   A suggestion People of Bangladesh are now in their quest for new leaders in politics.   AL chief's stand Awami League president Sheikh Hasina has long been complaining against the interim government. She has claimed that the nation is now in a 'suffocating situation' (18/05/2007).   AL leadership It seems that Awami League leaders are desperate to come to power. They cannot wait for the EC reforms to take shape.   Election and democracy Should we not ask ourselves what we want? In a very simple manner we can interrogate Bangladeshi citizens and ask them questions like this: - Are we living now in a better condition under thegovernance   Secularism In principle I agree, with reservation, with the comment of the Indian High Commissioner, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, that Bangladesh lacks real practice of secularism.   To the Chief Adviser First of all, I congratulate the present interim caretaker government for taking right decisions in almost all the sectors of governance. We appreciate the government's steps taken to root out corruption.   Money in bags & pillows! The bizarre that might surpass Reply's Believe it or Not stories has been unfolding its multifaceted ugliness one after another in this land lately.   Prescriptions for us It has become a daily practice for Western envoys to write prescriptions for all ailments of Bangladesh. Now it seems the Indian envoy has joined the league.   Combating corruption The anti-corruption drive by the caretaker government (CTG) is not limited to the corrupt politicians but has also been extended to corrupt industrialists and government officers, however, on a small Star City City dwellers gasp for respite Summer has set in with load-shedding coming back in its full fury. From the very onset of summer, not a single day has passed without outages, making the city life unbearable.   BIWTA floating dockyard rusting for seven years The only floating dockyard installed by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) by the river Buriganga at Gazir Ghat under Shyampur thana is sitting idle for the last seven years.   Design of glass tower yet to be finalised Construction work of Swadhinata Stambha (Independence Monument) in Suhrawardi Udyan may take a couple of months more to complete as the design of the 100-foot glass tower is yet to be finalised, saidofficials   Khoka's Corner   Weak laws, carelessness cause most fatalities For weak laws and even weaker enforcement, motorcyclists remain one of the most defiant road users in Dhaka city.   Cancellation of dirty allotment tangled in paperwork The process of cancelling anomalous allotment of plots to influential organisations in the Begunbari Canal is confined within mere lengthy paperwork for more than two months despite government instructions   "city express" The latest crop of quotes from the city's press -- words worth repeating, we feel, for their humour, insight or sheer outrageousness.   © thedailystar.net, 2007. 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