န TOP BENGAL NEWS OF THE MOMENT

Bangladesh to begin trial of 'war criminals' early next year
Dhaka, 14 December : Bangladesh has said it will begin trial of ‘war criminals’ early next year. Those who killed unarmed civilians during the 1971 freedom movement are called war criminals in Bangladesh.
“I can tell you that the process of the trial of the war criminals would start either by the end of January or in the beginning of February,” Law Minister Shafique Ahmed told Bengal Newz today. The announcement by Ahmed came as the nation paid homage to its intellectuals, a large number of whom were killed in December that year by bands of Islamist militia in the final stage of the liberation war. The killings took place at the behest of the East Pakistan authorities.
President Mohammed Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday paid rich tributes at the Martyred Intellectuals’ Memorial at Mirpur, a downtown area in Dhaka.

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Gorkha Janamukti Morcha withdraws 4day shutdown
Siliguri, 14 December : The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has withdrawn its four-day shutdown in the Darjeeling Hills that began on Monday, a senior leader of the outfit said.
"We had a meeting with top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders today. They appealed to us to refrain from any agitational activity now," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told Bengal Newz from New Delhi. However, the GJM activists will continue the indefinite hunger strike.

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Jute mills remain close, demand check on payment

Kolkata, 14 December : Altogether 52 of the 54 jute mills in West Bengal, employing 2.5 lakh people were closed today, after an indefinite strike was called by 19 unions demanding payment of dearness allowance, provident fund, gratuity, bonus and minimum wages.
The unions also want the Jute Corporation of India (JCI) procure bales directly from farmers for supply to the mills. General Secretary of Bengal Chatkal Mazdoor Union Gobinda Guha told Bengal Newz that 52 to of the 54 mills were closed.
The Central Jute Mill at Budge Budge and the Meghna Jute Mill at Jagaddal were open. However, a meeting with the Chairman of Indian Jute Manufacturer's Association (IJMA) Sanjay Kajeria remained inconclusive.

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Flood victims in B'desh build 'flood shelter' with WFP help

Xinhua, Dhaka, 14 December : Kaliaharipur, an union in Bangladesh' s Sirajganj district, 134 km northwest of capital Dhaka, becomes submerged every year in monsoon season which makes many poor residents living there homeless.
With the fund support from World Food Program (WFP), one local NGO named Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) is implementing a project to build a flood shelter in the union to provide shelter to the homeless people when flood comes. READ FULL STORY

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BD commemorates martyred intellectuals with rich tributes

Dhaka, 14 December : Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyred intellectuals at the Martyred Intellectuals' Memorial at Mirpur in the capital marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day on Monday.
President Zillur Rahman placed wreaths at the memorial first. Then came Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, few minutes after the president, to pay homage to the martyrs. After the president and the prime minister, people from all walks of life paid homage to the intellectuals who were martyred just two days before the declaration of the Bangladesh's independence.
Jatiya Party Chairman and former president HM Ershad, opposition leader Khaleda Zia, accompanied by BNP Secretary Khandaker Delwar Hossain and standing committee members, also paid her tribute to the martyred intellectuals. People belonging to different political, socio-cultural organisations and students from various schools, colleges and universities also thronged the memorial in the morning. န Photos : AP, Mustafiz Mamun

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Centre may amend act for Tripura High Court : CM
Agartala, 14 December : The central government may amend the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971, to set up a separate high court in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said here Monday.
All the seven northeastern states, excluding Sikkim, come under the jurisdiction of the Guwahati High Court. Sikkim has a separate high court. All parties in Tripura have been demanding a separate high court in Tripura for the past three decades.

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Gopalkrishna Gandhi bids adieu to WB, given warm send-off

Kolkata, 14 December : Gopalkrishna Gandhi today bade adieu to the people of West Bengal with a 'namaskar' and was given a warm send-off, a day after demitting the office of the governor of West Bengal.
Gandhi, who was given a guard of honour by a police contingent as he stepped out of the grand stairs of the Raj Bhavan, conveyed his best wishes to the people of the state. "My namaskar," Gandhi said before leaving for Chennai with wife Tara. The outgoing governor took the salute at another guard of honour at the lounge of the NSC Bose international airport before his departure.
Meanwhile, Bihar governor Devananda Konwar arrived here from Patna to take over additional responsibility of West Bengal with effect from today till regular arrangements are made.

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Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges recommend major reforms
BSS, Dhaka, 14 December : Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges on Monday recommended a set of measures to help further development of the country's capital market.
The recommendations include increasing the paid up capital of companies, accelerating the flow of mutual funds into the primary market, rationalising the demand and supply in the secondary market, introducing uniformed market lot and face value of shares, speeding up the disposal process of the cases related to stock market and allowing brokerage houses open more branches.
Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSE, President Rakibur Rahman announced the recommendations at a press conference at the DSE after a meeting with the Chittagong Stock Exchange, CSE.

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Bangladesh And Malaysia Plan Bilateral Pact On Palm Oil
Dhaka, 14 December : The Bangladesh government is keen to procure palm oil from Malaysia using its state-owned trading arm to ensure consistent edible oil supply and price stability prevails in the domestic market.
"Bangladesh is interested to have a government-to-government buying arrangement to ensure there is steady supply and price of palm oil is maintained in the local market," said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernad Dompok

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96-hour GJM strike disrupts traffic in Darjeeling Hills

PTI, Siliguri, 14 December : Life came to a standstill in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district today due to the 96-hour shut down by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) demanding a separate state.
Darjeeling magistrate Surendra Gupta told PTI that the shut down began at 6 am and also affected a part of Siliguri sub-division at Salbari and Sukna area in the foot-hills. All offices, educational institutions, banks, shops and markets remained closed and vehicles kept off the roads. National highway 31A, the arterial road link between Sikkim and Siliguri was, however, open, he said.
GJM press and publicity secretary Benoy Tamang claimed the shut down was spontaneous and supported by the people. GJM was allowing Sikkim-bound vehicles carrying food items and medicine to ply along NH 31A which passes through Kalimpong sub-division. န Photos : Reuters, Sanjit Mitra

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Bangladesh Cabinet decides to upgrade nurse job to C - II

Dhaka, 14 December : The Bangladesh cabinet on Monday decided to upgrade the job status of nurses to Class II and appoint 2,627 nurses in a bid to improve service quality in the health sector.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, prime minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said about 9000 four-year diploma holder nurses remain unemployed in the country and the current ratio of doctors and nurses is 2:1, which should be 1:3 as per international standard. For this reason, the cabinet has approved the appointment of the nurses, Azad said. He said a number of steps has been taken to provide better service in the health sector since the government assumed the office in January.
He also said various steps also have taken to improve the nursing standard and the nurses have been given training to improve their quality. န File Photo

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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina goes to Copenhagen tonight
Dhaka, 14 December : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave here for Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, Monday night to attend the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Hasina who will lead a high-profile Bangladesh delegation to the conference leaves here tonight for Dubai enroute to Copenhagen by an Emirates Airlines flight. The prime minister's delegation includes Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, State Minister for Environment and Forest Hasan Mahmud, Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister MA Karim and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad.

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Deep depression over southwest Bay moves in westerly direction

UNB, Dhaka, 14 December : The deep depression over southwest Bay and adjoining area moved slightly westwards over the same area on Monday.
It was centered about 1795 kms south-southwest of Chittagong port, 1725 kms south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar port and 1670 kms south-southwest of Mongla port at 10:00am(BDST), said a Met office special bulletin. “It is likely to move in a westerly direction and may cross north Sri Lanka coast around noon today,” the bulletin said. Maximum sustained wind within 48kms of the depression centre is about 50kph rising to 60kph in gusts/squalls. Sea will remain moderate near the depression.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted distant cautionary signal No one.

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BSF jawans seizes 15 turtles from Tripura border
Agartala, 14 December : Border Security Force (BSF) jawans seized 15 turtles of endangered species from a bordering area of Agartala while it was being transported from Bangladesh, but nobody has been arrested in this connection so far.
Police today said the turtles were packed in jute packets, adding the smuggler abandoned the bags and fled as the BSF tried to intercept him last evening. The recovered turtles have been handed over to Shipahijala National Park authorities today.

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Prestigious Kolkata Asiatic Society award for Hasina

Dhaka, 14 December : The prestigious Asiatic Society of Kolkata has chosen Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the Indira Gandhi Gold Plaque 2009.
Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, during his farewell call on Hasina as he moves to his next posting, Sunday handed over a letter from the Asiatic Society. The letter reads: "The Council of Asiatic Society in its meeting decided, unanimously, to confer the Indira Gandhi Gold Plaque 2009 on Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh." Hasina was last month also selected for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, 2009.
The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, awards the Indira Gandhi Gold Plaque annually to an eminent person of global repute for significant contribution to international understanding or human progress or for inter-cultural cooperation. It is likely that she will receive both awards during her visit to India next month.

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Two trampled to death by elephants at Aziz Nagar in Bandarban
Bandarban, 14 December : Wild elephants trampled two people, including a child, to death early Monday at Aziz Nagar in Lama upazila of Bandarban.
The deceased were identified as Abul Kashem, and his four-year son Rashed of the village. Locals said at least 12 wild elephants rampaged eight houses of the village and crops. The wild elephants often come to eat ripe paddy in the area of the district in winter season.

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Has climate change affected Sunderbans ?
PTI, Kolkata, 14 December : With reports of rise in the water level in the Sunderbans because of global warming, foresters have demanded a proper study of climate change in the world''s largest mangrove forest stating that the royal Bengal tiger and other wildlife might be affected if it was true. Both water level and salinity were increasing in Sunderbans due to climate change, claimed Biswajit Roy Chowdhury, secretary of Nature, Environment and Wildlife Society, a wildlife NGO, and said there was no proper study.
"Due to rise in water level salinity is also increasing. Wildlife including tigers have a salinity tolerance level. If it continues to increase, it will badly hit wildlife," he said. He also claimed that swamp deer and water buffalo which were once found in Sunderbans were now extinct due to habitat loss triggered by climate change.
"Even barking deer cannot be spotted there now," Roy Chowdhury, also a member of the WB state wildlife board, said. Pradeep Vyas, director of Sunderban Biosphere Reserve (SBR), however, told PTI "There should be a proper study on carbon emission and rise in water level.
At present there is no concrete research on climate change in the Sunderbans and there is a significant rise in water level."

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26 dead in bus-trailer collision at Kulgachia in Howrah dist.

Howrah, 13 December : At least 26 persons were killed and 41 others injured when a private bus in which they were travelling collided with a truck in Howrah district today.
The incident took place on the National Highway six near Mahisrekha bridge at Kulgachia in the district, police said, adding that the bus was en route to Gadiara town from Howrah. The bus collided head-on with the trailer which veered to the right side on the arterial road in Uluberia area at around 6.15 pm, they said.
While 14 bodies were recovered from the bus, which was reduced to a mangled frame of steel and wood under the impact, at least 50 others were rescued and rushed to Uluberia sub-divisional hospital and Bagnan rural hospital. Some of them were in serious condition, doctors said. န Photo : PTI

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Tripura adopts new strategy for forest conservation
Agartala, 13 December : The Tripura government has adopted a new strategy for protection of forest land, besides promoting settled agriculture among the tribal communities.
Addressing convocation in Tripura Forest School here today, state Forest Minister Jitendra Choudhury said about 1.5 lakh hectares of forest land had already been distributed among about 84,000 forest dwellers under Forest Rights Act and it was duty of the foresters to protect the core zone. ''Forest officials are not only responsible for maintaining the office documents, but also accountable for take care of the demarcated forest land,'' Choudhury said, adding the state government had initiated several projects for economic rehabilitation of the tribal people.

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Gopalkrishna Gandhi ends eventful tenure as WB Governor

Kolkata, 13 December : Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Gopal Krishna Gandhi Sunday bade adieu as West Bengal governor by hosting the state's creme de al creme to tea after occupying the Raj Bhavan for five momentous years.
The 64-year-old former IAS officer and diplomat, who took over as governor 14 December, 2004, found his tenure coinciding with the most volatile period the state has seen in three decades - peasant unrest fuelled by the opposition parties in Singur and Nandigram as well as largescale political clashes.

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Darjeeling prepares 96-hour shutdown from Monday

Spl arrangement for tourists, no blockade on NH-31A : GJM

Siliguri, 13 December : Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Sunday said it would make special arrangements for tourists and allow Sikkim-bound people uninterrupted passage through the NH-31A, as it prepares for the 96-hour shutdown in Darjeeling from tomorrow.
Benoy Tamang, Press Secretary of the GJM, told newsmen in Darjeeling that two special buses would take tourists to Pintal village, near here, from Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong and back during the four days.
The GJM, which is spearheading the renewed agitation for a separate state after the Centre conceded to the Telengana demand, would set up special tourist assistance cells in all the four places. All essential services would also be kept out of the purview of the bandh.

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150 shops and houses torched in Howrah by 2groups
Howrah, 13 December : Nearly 150 shops and houses were today torched by two groups belonging to different communities in a mixed locality at Manikpir of Howrah district.
The two groups, initially, clashed over a local dispute and then set ablaze the buildings, police said, adding twelve persons were arrested. Police, however, declined to name the communities involved in the violence. Seven fire engines took two hours to control the fire. Rapid Rapid Action Force (RAF) was patrolling the area where the district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC.

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5 die in Mymensingh road crash on Sunday afternoon

UNB, Mymensingh, 13 December : At least five people were killed and seven others injured as a bus and pickup van collided at Trishal upazila on Sunday afternoon.
Mymensingh additional superintendent of police A S M Akhteruzzaman told UNB that the crash occurred at around 12:30pm(BDST) when the Jamalpur-bound bus collided with the Dhaka-bound pickup van at Jamtali. All the dead were passengers of the van, he said. The injured were admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, the ASP added.

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3 National Liberation Front of Tripura insurgents surrender
Agartala, 13 December : Three insurgents of outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have surrendered to Assam Rifles, in two separate occasions in Longterai valley sub-division of Dhalai district, police today said.
Two ultras have surrendered at Manikpur village and deposited one revolver, one hand grenade and many live cartridges and one magazine yesterday. They were identified as Subhash Tripura and Romsrai Reang. One more insurgent, identified as Piyajoy Tripura surrendered to Assam Rifles at Dronakumarpara on the same day. He did not deposit any arm or ammunition.

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Andaman finds jute bags as alternative to polythene

Port Blair, 13 December : After blanket ban on use of polythene carrybags in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the inhabitants have found jute as suitable alternative to polythene bags.
Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Administration Vivek Rae has urged the Andaman and Nicobar Consultancy Centre (ANCON) to tie up with National Centre for Jute Diversification (NCJD) to see the possibilities of opening up of jute raw material bank in these islands for the benefit of the entrepreneurs involved in the making of jute products. Addressing the gathering during an interactive meeting on low cost jute bags at Port Blair yesterday, the Chief Secretary, while describing jute as wonder product, said these islands need it due to its bio-degradable quality.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands have already imposed a ban on use of polythene bags in these ecologically sensitive islands and users of polythene are being fined presently in Port Blair and other regions.

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Maoists shoot dead CPI(M) activist at Dharampur in Lalgarh
Midnapore, 13 December : Suspected Maoists shot dead a CPI(M) activist in Lalgarh region Sunday, police said. West Midnapore district police sources said the body of CPI(M) worker Dinabandhu Soren was found in a forest in Dharampur in Lalgarh in the morning.
Soren, a resident of Kadamdiha village, was abducted from his house Saturday night by gun toting rebels, who appear to be deeply entrenched in the region.

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Wild elephants damage tea garden in Dooars region
ANI, Siliguri, 13 December : A herd of 20 wild elephants damaged a tea garden in the Dooars region here on Saturday.
The jumbos were first sighted by tealeaf pluckers on Saturday morning. “The elephants came in from the nearby forest. They were roaming around in the tea garden and also uprooted plants. They were chased from the other side as they came in here,” said Niranjan Roy, a resident.

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Groundwater level in northern and eastern districts falls by 10 f

And the blame goes to Climate Change...
Dhaka, 12 December : Groundwater level in the country's both northern and eastern districts has dropped by about 10 feet over the last decade, according to a study of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS). Water expert and Executive Director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) Dr Atiq Rahman attributed the falling water level in the region to decline in river flows and inadequate rain caused by climate change, and heavy withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation. READ FULL STORY

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Maoists demand autonomy for 3 WestBengal districts
PTI, Kolkata, 12 December : A demand for autonomy for three tribal-dominated districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia in West Bengal was today made by a top Maoist leader, who also justified the Gorkhaland statehood issue.
"We demand autonomy for the three districts on the lines of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council," Maoist leader Kishenji told PTI from an undisclosed location. He alleged that the West Bengal government had denied the legitimate rights of the people of the districts. "We demand autonomy to protect the language, culture and religious beliefs of tribals." Asked if he meant statehood, he replied, "the people of the three districts are not yet prepared for statehood."
Queried if it was part of the demand for a 'greater Jharkhand', Kishenji said, "That demand is no longer relevant. The scenario has changed. "Moreover the formation of Jharkhand has not solved any problem.

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Cyclonic storm “Ward” hoists signal No 2 at ports
UNB, Dhaka, 12 December : The cyclonic storm “Ward” (with ECP 1000 HPA) over southwest Bay and adjoining southeast Bay moved slightly northwards over the same area on Saturday. It was centered about 1585 kms south-southwest of Chittagong Port, 1515 kms south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar Port and 1480 kms south-southwest of Mongla Port, said a Met Office special bulletin at 4:00pm(BDST). “It is likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly direction,” the bulletin said. Maximum sustained wind within 54kms of the storm centre is about 60kph to 80kph in gusts/squalls. Sea will remain rough near the storm. Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted distant warning Signal no 2.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.

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Demand doesn't mean new states everywhere : Pranab

Barasat, 12 December : Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said that the demand for smaller states does not mean that new states would be created everywhere.
“The demand for Telangana is 60 years old. This does not mean everywhere new states are to be created,” Mukherjee told reporters after inaugurating a new hospital here in North 24 Parganas. He said that so far Telangana was concerned Home Minister P Chidambaram had made a statement that “there were stages for formation (of a state). These are preliminary stages".
A state, he said, has to express its views because the President would like to know it before recommending a Bill to be considered in Parliament, he said.

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4 rebel called for tri-nation series
Dhaka, 12 December : The four ‘rebel' Bangladeshi cricketers for the first time, after lifting the ban against them, was given the opportunity to play for the national team.
They were included in the 26-member squad in the upcoming tri-nation series in a bid to play for the national team. The four are Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed, Alok Kapali and Dhiman Ghosh. Host Bangladesh is scheduled to play against India and Sri Lanka in the tri-nation series beginning from 4 January next year.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricked Control Board has lifted the banned it had imposed on the 14 'rebel' cricketers following their departure from the Indian Cricket League.

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Maoist-backed group observes shutdown, torches truck

Midnapore, 12 December : Activists of the Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) Saturday torched a truck on the National Highway-6 while observing a 24-hour shutdown in three western districts of West Bengal, police said.
Police said the incident took place near Lodhashuli forest area in trouble-torn West Midnapore district Saturday morning as a group of PCAPA activists stopped the vehicle on the highway and set it on fire. The truck was carrying vegetables. Meanwhile, the joint forces personnel also recovered a landmine from Dharampur region in the district. They also detained a villager on suspicion of links with the Maoist ultras, police said.
The shutdown was called in the West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts to protest the death of a PCAPA supporter in police firing at Satpati area in West Midnapore.

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Construction of Airport near Durgapur from next Jan.

1,000 crore investment was expected in steel sector in next five years

Kolkata, 12 December : Construction work of a greenfield airport near Durgapur in Burdwan district would start from January, 2010, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) Managing Director Dr Subrata Gupta told Bengal Newz.
The airport would be set up along with a township, IT and logistic hub. The work of the project had been deferred as the state government had to enter into a dialogue with Coal India Limited, which had raised objection to the project as the area was falling on a coal reserve worth Rs 2,40,000 crore. He also told, that the goverment was giving emphasis on investment in sectors like petrochemicals, steel and food processing in West Bengal, he said more than Rs 1,000 crore investment was expected in steel sector in the state in the next five years.
The WBIDC had taken the decision to set up industrial parks across the state in the next few years to provide a filip to different industrial sectors, he added.

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Tourists leave Darjeeling as Gorkhaland movement gains momentum
Siliguri, 12 December : Hundreds of visitors scrambled to leave the tourist resort of Darjeeling Friday as pro-Gorkhaland activists began a hunger strike and took out rallies in northern West Bengal to push for creation of a separate state.
Youth activists of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) began a hunger strike for what they called indefinite period in the hills and plains of Darjeeling district demanding the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state. Their action came a day after the GJM announced massive protests to push for their goal. The activists were spurred with the central nod to a separate Telangana state in Andhra Pradesh.
Tourists began winding their way down the hill resort in cars, jeeps, trekkers and buses and long lines of vehicles could be seen on National Highway 55 that connects Siliguri with Darjeeling. The GJM has announced a four-day shutdown in the hills 14-17 December. န File Photo

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GRP man shot dead by Maoists in running train near Malda

Malda, 11 December : One GRP man was shot dead and another injured tonight as some armed miscreants fired at them in a running passenger train in Malda district, GRP officials said.
Constable Arun Bhadro succumbed to his injuries in the hospital after six-seven armed Maoists suddenly fired at a group of four GRP personnel escorting the Malda-Kathiya passenger train, in Kathiya sub-division of the district, they said. "The motive of the attack is yet to be ascertained. But no passenger was hurt during the attack. It seems that the attack was not attempted at the passengers," GRP IC (Malda) Prabir Kr Das told Bengal Newz. Adding that two rifles were also snatched by the attackers before fleeing away.

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WestBengal invites railway officials to visit Singur site
PTI, New Delhi, 11 December : West Bengal government today invited the Railways to visit Singur for the proposed coach manufacturing unit.
"The response from West Bengal government on the proposed coach manufacturing factory was received today," a source in the Railway Ministry said. It is learnt that the state government, keen to utilise the land at Singur, is understood to have invited railway officials to visit the site at the earliest. Agreeing Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's proposal for setting up a coach manufacturing factory in Singur, the state's chief secretary wrote to the chairman railway board on 8 December and sought further advice on the subject.
The following day, railways wrote back to the chief secretary agreeing state government's proposal in principle but insisted that 400 acres land should be returned to farmers who do not want to sell their farm land for the project. န File Photo

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"Hang Mujib killers", says Bangladesh's lawmaker

Dhaka, 11 December : A senior ruling party lawmaker in Bangladesh wants former army officers sentenced to death for killing the country's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to be hung this month.
Awami League's deputy parliamentary leader Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury voiced the demand "in the name of the people" as the country Friday began celebrations leading up to "Bijoy Diwas," 16 December, the day the Pakistani military surrendered to the Bangladeshi-Indian forces in 1971. Chowdhury reiterated on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government the authorities' resolve to try those who killed unarmed civilians during the 1971 freedom movement, New Age said.
"Bijoy Diwas" gains added importance because of the government's move to hold the trials of those who killed Mujibur Rahman.

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Rajkhowa's BD passport cancelled
Dhaka, 11 December : Authorities in Bangladesh have ordered the cancellation of a Bangladeshi passport issued to Arabinda Rajkhowa, the recently detained chairman of the banned Indian insurgent outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), officials here said Friday.

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Indian separatists 'increasingly cornered'
Subir Bhaumik, BBC News, Kolkata, 11 December : Separatist rebels from north-east India, facing considerable heat in Bangladesh, are desperate to find a new sanctuary in the neighbourhood, officials say.
Nearly 50 of them have been arrested by Bangladesh security forces in the last two months and quietly handed over to Indian authorities. That includes at least four top leaders of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa), among them the group's chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa. Nearly 200 fighters belonging to rebel groups in Assam and Tripura have fled the crackdown in Bangladesh and some have already surrendered.
Intelligence officials say many more guerrillas, totally demoralised, may give up soon. The Ulfa have maintained several bases and "safe houses" in Bangladesh since the early 1990s, Rajkhowa told Assam police during questioning. READ FULL STORY

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Rising seas threaten 20 million people in Bangladesh
Reuters, Dhaka, 11 December : Rising sea levels, triggered by global warming, will displace about 20 million people in low-lying Bangladesh, a study by a state-run think-tank said on Friday.
"The sea level will rise at least by three meters (yards) submerging some 18 percent of the country by 2050," the Dhaka-based Institute of Water Modeling (IWM) said. READ FULL STORY

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Vietnam Dy PM Truong Vinh Trong arrives in Tripura

Agartala, 11 December : A 10-member Vietnamese delegation led by its Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong today arrived here for a four-day visit, officials said.

The delegation was received at the Agartala airport by Information and Culture Minister, Anil Sarkar, Rural Development Minister, Jitendra Chowdhury and other dignitaries. Trong, who is a politburo member and Chairman of the Commission of North-East Vietnam and the delegation would today interact with the ministers.
During their stay, they would visit the headquarters of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), Tripura Legislative Assembly, Tripura University and Boxanagar block in West Tripura district, bordering Bangladesh. န Photos : Parthajit Dutta

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Rizwanur R case : HC to hear Todis' appeal from Monday

Kolkata, 11 December : A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court will begin hearing the appeal filed by the seven accused in the Rizwanur Rehman death case from Monday.
On a petition filed by the CBI, the Division Bench of acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice Prasenjit Mondal on Thursday directed the agency to serve notices to all the parties related to the case. The appeal has been pending in the High Court for nearly 14 months and its hearing is significant for the trial to begin at the Bankshal criminal court.

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Tripura govt unhappy with Mizoram on refugee issue

Agartala, 11 December : The Tripura Government has lambasted its Mizoram counterpart’s “lackadaisical attitude” towards repatriation of Bru (Reang) refugees from Tripura camps.
Rural Development Minister Jitendra Choudhury said the State had been taking the burden of Mizoram residents who had fled from Western Mizoram following ethnic clash in 1997 and recently few more hundred of the Brus took shelter while Karimganj district (Assam) administration pushed out three hundred more refugees from that State. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar visited the refugee camps and interacted with the refugee leaders following which held a meeting with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi and urged him to ensure early return of the Bru refugees.

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Shutdown called in three West Bengal districts Saturday

Kolkata, Jhargram, 11 December : Activists of the Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) Friday called a 24-hour shutdown in three western districts of West Bengal Saturday to protest the death of one of their supporters in police firing.
In a bid to prevent security forces from reaching the Pirakata outpost in West Midnapore district’s Satpati village, where security forces traded fire with Maoists Thursday, PCAPA members blocked various intersections by felling tree trunks and branches, police said. The Maoists and PCAPA activists also tried to lay siege to the outpost under Salboni police station near Lalgarh, leading to an exchange of fire with the security forces. There are no reports of any casualties.

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Trinamool supporters attack CPIM district office at Tamluk
Tamluk, 11 December : With the political rivalry between the CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress at its height in Haldia, Trinamool activists today attacked the CPI(M) district committee office at Tamluk. Yesterday, CP(M) cadres had attacked a Trinamool rally led by party MP Suvendu Adhikary at Haldia, in which Adhikary was injured.
The CPI(M) district committee secretary, Kanu Sahoo, said that about 500 Trinamool activists made an attempt to enter the party office today. They pelted stones and bricks at the party office in which Prasanta Pradhan, former MP of the party, was injured. The Trinamool men escaped when policemen arrived at the spot, Sahoo said.

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Silchar experiences chilly winter...
Silchar, 11 December : With the advent of winter, poor souls unable to afford warm clothes are passing a tough time during the chilly nights. According to the pavement dwellers, winter this year is exceptionally cold.
Even during daytime, people are seen moving with warm pull-overs. According to weather report of the Metereological Department, the mercury will continue to dip down causing appreciable fall in temperature. Today, it recorded 22 degree celcius during the day which will go down to 15 degree celcius. The forecast till Monday states that the temperature would be between 23 to 11 degree celcius and this Sunday would be the coldest with temperature sliding down to 11 degree celcius at night from 24 degree celcius during the day. With the sky remaining sunny and cloudy during the week, people will feel the pinch of cold. It is not unusual to come across working class people making a sort of bonfire along the road side to keep themselves warm in this shivering cold.

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Guwahati jail turns into meeting point for ULFA leaders

Guwahati, 11 December : The Guwahati central jail has become the meeting point for four top separatist leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to set the wheels of the deadlocked peace process moving, a step facilitated by the government.
ULFA vice president Pradeep Gogoi, self-styled foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury, finance secretary Chitraban Hazarika, and the outfit's publicity chief Mithinga Daimary have been holding intense discussions inside the Guwahati jail over the past two days. According to prison officials, the four ULFA leaders were allowed to share a common cell so that they could exchange views and talk amongst them for the larger interest of peace in the state.
Security and legal experts said the government might very soon try and complete the interrogation process of arrested ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and the deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah and also send the duo to the Guwahati jail.

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72 railway stations not operating in Paksey, Lalmonirhat Div
Rajshahi, 11 December : Seventy-two railway stations under Lalmonirhat and Paksey divisions have not been operating for a long time due to want of adequate manpower and the strong security to be provided to the passengers, merchandise and railway staffs of those stations in consequence whereof the government has been being deprived of revenues of millions of taka.
At the same time, tens of thousands of passengers using those stations for their journeys to and from are facing untold sufferings because there is no second fair communication.

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Ship with combustible material being checked at Haldia

800 tonnes 'Ammonium nitrate' seized from "MV Fani"

Haldia, Kolkata, 11 December : Indian intelligence agencies were checking a Panama-registered cargo ship detained at the Haldia dock near here that was carrying combustible material that can be used as explosives. The 24 members of the vessel’s crew are from Pakistan.
The ship M.V. Fani, coming from Estonia, has been berthed at the Haldia dock in East Midnapore district since 4 December. The cargo was meant for a company in Jharkhand, Indian Explosives Limited. “It is carrying ammonium nitrate, which is used in the commercial explosives industry like in mines. But at the same time it can be used in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IED),” state police director general Bhupinder Singh told Bengal Newz. Bhupinder said the police sleuths were checking the ship to see whether it has all the requisite documents for carrying such materials.
East Midnapore police superintendent Bastab Baidya told Bengal Newz that sleuths of the state’s Criminal intelligence Department (CID) and Intelligence Bureau conducted checks and spoke to the crew Wednesday and Thursday. န Photos : Raghu Nandan Mallick

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NFF demands scrapping of N-power plant at Haripur

Kolkata, 11 December : The National Fishermen''s Federation (NFF) today threatened to launch countrywide agitation if the Centre did not scrap its plan to set up a nuclear power plant at Haripur in West Bengal''s coastal East Midnapore district, after opposition from Trinamool Congress on the issue. "If the Centre does not scrap its plan to set up a nuclear power plant at Haripur, over one crore coastal fish workers will rise in a massive opposition all over India," an NFF resolution adopted at its annual general body meeting here said.
Describing the Centre''s proposal as "very dangerous", NFF''s acting Chairperson M Saldhana and acting General Secretary R Patil expressed fear that installation of such a plant in coastal belt might cause accident "resulting in ecocide like that in Chernobyl years back." The resolution said there might be radiation hazards that inflict irreversible damage to all living beings as well as marine life.
Union Minister of state for rural development and senior Trinamool leader Sisir Adhikari has already opposed the Centre''s move to set up a nuclear power plant at Haripur. "When thousands of people thrive on nature''s yield in the area, setting up of such a plant will directly evict 10,000 farmers and fishermen and rob them of their livelihood," the NFF resolution said.

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Workshop on BD's heritage opens in Bogra today
Bogra, 11 December : A four-day workshop on “Formulation of Draft Outline of National Plan for Management of Cultural Heritage of Bangladesh” begins at Mahasthangrah Museum site in Bogra today.
Department of Archaeology under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Unesco, Dhaka, have jointly arranged the workshop, aiming at capacity building of national staffs, assessment of impact of previous workshop held in May this year and formulating draft outline of national plan for management of cultural heritage.

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ULFA top Paresh Barua tells Subir Bhaumik he is willing to talk

Subir Bhaumik, BBC News, Kolkata, 10 December : Paresh Barua the separatist leader in the Indian state of Assam has said he would be willing to hold talks with the government if it sets no pre-conditions.
Paresh Barua, the head of the military wing of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa), told the BBC that any talks "must be free and unfettered". Barua's comments came days after a leader of his group was handed over to Indian authorities by Bangladesh.
The Ulfa rebels have fought for a separate Assamese homeland since 1979. Barua is the only senior Ulfa leader still at large - almost the entire top leadership of the rebel group is now in jail. READ FULL STORY

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34th Kolkata Book Fair from 27 January

Kolkata, 10 December : Latin American country Mexico will be the focal theme of 34th International Kolkata Book Fair 2010, which will be held here from 27 January to 7 February.
"In order to celebrate 200 years of Mexico's independence and 100 years of their revolution, they have selected Kolkata," Kolkata Book Fair general secretary Tridib Chattopadhyay said here today.

The formal inauguration would be held on 26 January. He said Mexican poets, artistes and writers would visit the fair.
The Publishers and Booksellers Guild, which organises the fair, would also celebrate the 150 years of the birth of Rabindranath Tagore.

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Bangladesh police hunt for fishermen after pirate raid

AFP, Dhaka, 10 December : Authorities in southeastern Bangladesh are searching for 14 fishermen missing for 10 days after pirates attacked their trawler in the Bay of Bengal, police said Thursday.
Cox's Bazar district police chief Sakhawat Hossain told AFP around two dozen pirates stormed the vessel on 1 December, and threw the 20 fishermen onboard into the sea. "Fourteen fishermen are still missing and we have asked all nearby police stations to remain alert in search of them. We have also sought assistance from the coast guard," he told AFP.
"Apparently the motive of the pirates, whose identity is still unknown to us, was to rob the boat's engine, fish and fishing nets," Hossain added. န Photo : AFP

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Railways 'supplementary demands' presented in LS
PTI, New Delhi, 10 December : Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today presented in Lok Sabha the supplementary demand for grants of her Ministry worth over Rs 731 crore for 2009-10.
The amount of Rs 731.30 crore has been sought for execution of various projects identified as 'National Projects' and taking up some 'out of turn' works during the period. The national projects identified include construction of the 290 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line in Jammu and Kashmir, Kumarghat-Agartala line in Tripura, Bogibeel bridge in Assam and several other such projects in the Northeast.

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Trinamool patronising Maoists, Buddhadeb tells assembly
Kolkata, 10 December : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today directly accused the opposition Trinamool Congress in the state assembly of patronising Maoists.
Maoists were operating in six to seven states under patronage from some political parties. The Trinamool Congress was assisting the Maoists in West Bengal, the Chief Minister said while replying to a question by Congress Chief Whip Manas Bhunia. Stating that the overall situation in the state was alarming, he said not a day passed without casualty or killing.
The Chief Minister said, altogether 69 persons were killed in clashes between 1 Januar to 13 November this year, including in the three Maoist-hit districts. Of them, 47 were from the CPI(M), 15 TMC, 4 Congress, 2 Jharkhand Democratic Party and 1 from Jharkhand Party (Naren), he said.

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Bangladesh Post office to launch money transfer by phone

Dhaka, 10 December : The government will launch money transfer services through mobile phones at all post offices from June next year.
Officials told the parliamentary standing committee on post and telecommunications ministry on Wednesday that the postal department was set to run the e-banking services on an experimental basis through post offices in Comilla from January 2010. Once launched, people will be able to send money on mobile phones from all post offices.
The parliamentary body also finalised the draft of the Post Office Act, 1898 for launching of the service. The century old act was a barrier to start the e-banking services through post offices. As per the suggestion of the watchdog, the post and telecommunication minister will table the Post Office (amendment) Bill-2009 in parliament soon.

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Sukhois to fly over Kolkata for first time during 'Vijay Diwas'

Kolkata, 10 December : The Su-30 MKI supersonic fighters will fly for the first time in the skies of Kolkata to mark Vijay Diwas.
Vijay Diwas to mark India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war would be celebrated here on 16 December with a flypast for the first time by IAF's Sukhoi-30 MKI supersonic fighter aircraft on 14 and 15 December. The programmes would span four days and would include participation by 14 Mukti Joddhas and three service officers from Bangladesh, Major General Munish Sibal, MGGS, Eastern Command said here Wednesday.
Several former Indian Army generals have also been invited to participate in the celebrations, including Gen J F R Jacob, known as one of the masterminds in India's win over Pakistan and the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. န Image credit : IAF

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Maoists shoot three CPI(M) workers in Jhargram area

Jhargram, 10 December : Suspected Maoist rebels shot dead three CPI(M) activists in a village in West Midnapore district, police said Thursday.
A group of heavily armed extremists called out the three victims - Bijay Mahato, Manik Mahato and Brihaspati Mahato - from their homes in Jhitka village in the wee hours of Thurdsay and shot them at point blank range, a police officer with the police control room said here. The bodies were found near a college with a handwritten note alongside that accused the three of being “police informers”. “A people’s court has given them the extreme punishment,” said the note.
In a separate incident, the radicals triggered a landmine to blow up an office of the state forest department at Jhitka in Lalgarh. န Photo : PTI

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BBC World inks content sharing deal with Big FM

Radio and Music, Mumbai, 10 December : Reliance Media world, the company which operates Big FM, has inked a content partnership with the BBC World Service for entertainment updates for 32 of its FM radio stations.
Reliance Media World said that entertainment updates from BBC will be available to audiences across the cities of Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Amritsar, Asansol, Baroda Bhopal, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Indore, Jammu, Jamshedpur, Jhansi, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Kota, Mumbai, Patiala, Rajkot, Ranchi, Shimla, Sholapur, Srinagar and Surat. READ FULL STORY

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Dhaka Intl Book Fair begins on 11 Dec
BSS, Dhaka, 10 December : Bangladesh Minister for Cultural Affairs Advocate Promod Mankin On Wednesday urged the people to develop the habit of reading books for enrich their knowledge.
The state minister made the call while leading a book rally in the capital in the morning. The rally was arranged on the occasion of Dhaka International Book Fair beginning 11 December.

"The Dhaka International Book Fair is being organised to create scopes for less educated people in society to read books," the state minister said while addressing the participants of the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club (JPC).
The 15-day Dhaka International Book Fair will be held at Suhrawardy Udyan, opposite to the Bangla Academy.

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Send Parliamentary Team to assess Andaman tsunami rehab process : MP
UNI, Port Blair, 10 December : The lone Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has urged the Centre to sent a Parliamentary Team to these tsunami-hit islands to assess the rehabilitation work, which according to him, was still unsatisfactory.

''There are corruption cases in tsunami rehabilitation process in the islands, which must be investigated by the Centre,'' Lok Sabha member Bishnu Pada Ray told UNI today over phone from New Delhi. He also urged the government to provide relief to those tsunami victims of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, who, even after five years of the disaster, were still waiting for the succor. Participating in a debate in Lok Sabha recently, the MP pointed out that although huge funds have been provided for tsunami victims, its benefits did not reach the targeted group in true sense. He also expressed concern over the plight of the tsunami affected farmers whose land continues to remain submerged under water and they are awaiting relief for their huge loss.
''More than 10,000 hectares of land are estimated to have been submerged due to ingress of sea water, of which 5000 were house sites,'' the MP added. The MP has asked for immediate compensation for the tsunami victims besides providing them free ration till they are given alternative land. န Photos : AP

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WB govt to vacate schools in Lalgarh before HC deadline

Kolkata, 9 December : The West Bengal Government is confident of vacating all schools in the Maoist-hit Lalgarh area in West Midnapore district, where Central forces are camping, by 30 December, the deadline set by the Kolkata High Court, Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said here today.
Joint forces were camping in 12 schools altogether at the time of directive by the Court. Now they are camping only in four schools at Lalgarh, Bhadutala, Kantapahari and Satpati, while they have vacated the rest schools, Sen said.
Out of these four schools, Sen said alternative arrangement of three schools had already been done for setting up camps for Central forces, while for the rest one school Superintendent of Police had been instructed to take appropriate measure so that it could also be vacated before the deadline set by the Court. န Photo : Arpan Mukherjee

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Interception of North-Korean Ship by Indian Navy in Indian Water
Press Information Burreau Press Release, 9 December : North Korean ship MV Mu San entered Indian territorial waters off the Andaman Islands without notification and permission of the Indian maritime authorities. Since it did not respond to radio communications from the Coast Guard, it was brought to Port Blair for Joint investigation by different security agencies. After thorough investigations, the ship was found to be carrying sugar. The Government had taken up the matter with the North Korean authorities. North Korean Embassy in India reiterated in writing that the Captain sincerely apologized for not complying with the Indian Coast Guard’s orders. READ FULL PRESS RELEASE

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Tea production in West Bengal suffers due to scarce rainfall

Siliguri, 9 December : Scarcity of rainfall has had an adverse effect on the production of many crops and the latest to be hit is the tea production in Derjeeling hills.
Spells of rainless monsoon seasons for the last five years have brought in a sharp drop in the production level of tea in the whole of the tea-producing region of West Bengal. The meteorological experts believe that the adverse effect on the tea production in the region is due to the climatic changes taking place in the world. “Actually, due to natural calamity, the weather is very imbalanced, due to global warming and shortage of rainfall. Because at the peak period, that is the rainy season, wherein we are producing much more quantity of leaves, but this year rainfall is low and automatically production is reduced,” said Dr. Subir Sarkar, a met expert of the North Bengal University.

Rising temperatures and falling humidity levels in the Doars and Terai regions of West Bengal are wreaking further havoc on the tea plantations.

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Vietnam to study Tripura’s 'Socio-economic growth'
Vietnam Deputy PM to visit Tripura
Agartala, 9 December : A high level delegation from Vietnam will reach Tripura Friday to study the socio-economic development in the northeastern state, officials said here Wednesday. A nine-member Vietnamese delegation led by its Deputy Prime Minister Trayong Vin Trong would visit Tripura for four days from Friday.
Trong, who is a politburo member and Chairman of the Commission of North-East of his country along with the delegation would interact with state ministers.
They would visit the headquarters of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), Tripura Legislative Assembly, Tripura University and Boxanagar block in West Tripura district, bordering Bangladesh.

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India-Bangladesh renew Inland Water Transit & Trade Protocol

Kolkata, 9 December : India and Bangladesh has renewed the Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol. The protocol, which was renewed in March this year, will expire in March 2011. The trade protocol has identified four ports of call in each country through which inter country trade through inland waterways can take place. These are : Narayanganj, Khulna, Mongla and Sirajganj in Bangladesh and Kolkata, Haldia, Karimganj and Pandu in India.
The Protocol includes various terms and conditions for its working covering issues such as conservancy and pilotage, handling facilities, supply of bunkers, assistance to be provided to the vessels in distress, recognition of survey certificates and other documents, sharing of inter country trade and transit cargo, customs checks and documentation.
In another leap forward in Indo-Bangla ties, the IAF’s ‘Air Warriors Drill Team’ (AWDT), in its first performance abroad, exhibited its skills in Dhaka. The Indian High Commissioner at Bangladesh, Chief of Air Staff, BAF and other senior military personnel witnessed the display. In the next six days, the team will perform at various Air Bases at Bangladesh including Chittagong, Jessore and at the Indian high Commission.

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Suspected Maoists killed CPI(M) worker in Belpahari
Midnapore, 9 December : Suspected Maoists shot dead a CPI(M) worker and injured another in West Midnapore district today.
Subal Mahto was gunned down at Odolchua village under Maoist dominated Belpahari police station at about 10.30 am, police said. While the attackers sprayed bullets at Mahto, who was standing in front of a petrol pump, a bullet hit another man whose identity was yet to be ascertained.

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Begum Rokeya Day observed today
Unb, Dhaka, 9 December : Begum Rokeya Day, commemorating Begum Rokeya's pioneering role in advancing the causes of women in this subcontinent, observed in Bangladesh today.
Women and Children Affairs Ministry and various socio-cultural organisations observe the day. President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages paying rich tributes to Begum Rokeya on the occasion. In his message, the president recalled the first step Begum Rokeya had taken for awakening the Muslim womenfolk in the British India through education in an adverse environment. Prime Minister in her message said Begum Rokeya showed the women the enlightened path of education overcoming different obstacles.

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"Muktijuddher Bijoy Mela" opens in Chittagong tomorrow
Chittagong, 9 December : A three-week-long 'Muktijuddher Bijoy Mela' begins in the port city tomorrow.
Muktijuddher Bijoy Mela Parishad is organising the fair, which started its journey at Chittagong outer stadium in 1989. Deputy Leader of the Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury will attend the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest at 3:30pm.(BDST) Private Television channel ATN Bangla will telecast the inaugural programme live. This year, the fair will have 242 stalls and six pavilions, said the organisers at a press conference at Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) auditorium.
The programmes include recollection of memories of the Liberation War, cultural programme, recitation, drama, documentaries on Liberation War, cultural and painting competition and a reception to the GPA-5 achievers.

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Good catches of hilsa at long last
Cox's Bazar, 9 December : Thousands of fishermen in coastal areas of Cox's Bazar district are all smiles as a huge catches of popular fish hilsa is being netted in the Bay.
The Bakkhali River in the town sees a large number of trawlers carrying fish, much to the happiness of the fishermen who have been passing hard times for over a month. Fish from large trawlers is being loaded into small ones for supply to Matsya Obotoron Kendra, the main fish landing station in the town. After buying fish from there, the wholesalers are supplying it to different areas of the country including Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.
In Matsya Obotoron Kendra, it was found that each piece of hilsa weighing 500 to 800 grams, is selling for Tk 85 to 100 while it is selling for Tk 190 to Tk 210 a kg in the retail market. Around 40 trucks loaded with hilsa are being transported to different places daily and the supply will increase in a couple of days, said Omar Kazi, a trader.
Nurul Islam, president of Fisheryghat Fish Traders Association, said around 80,000 fishermen of the area have passed tough times for over a month due to scarcity of hilsa but they are now happy with the amount of hilsa being netted in the deep sea. "As hilsa was not seen in the sea for over a month, thousands of fishermen families could not celebrate the Eid. But now we are happy as huge fish is being caught. We hope the situation will continue throughout the month if there is no natural calamity," said fisherman Abdul Malek.

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Bangladesh most affected by climate change : Report

AFP, Copenhagen, 8 December : Bangladesh, Myanmar and Honduras were the countries most affected by climate change over two decades from 1990, a new report revealed on the second day of crucial climate talks in Copenhagen.
Berlin-based Germanwatch, in its 'Global Climate Risk Index 2010' report, said the top ten most affected countries were all developing nations in the low-income or lower-middle income country group.

BD seeks15%climate fund
Some 15 % of any UN climate adaptation fund should go to the most vulnerable small islands, LDCs and African countries and it should come from developed countries, the Bangladesh delegation to Copenhagen said on Tuesday.
Bangladesh made the plea on behalf of least developing countries and those most vulnerable to climate change, at a press conference at the Bella Conference Centre in the Danish capital. It also demanded a legally binding framework for the adaptation fund. န File Photo : Reuters

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West Bengal govt favours railway factory in Singur

Kolkata, 8 December : West Bengal government Tuesday sent a letter to the railway ministry asking it to set up industries on the plot of land abandoned by Tata Motors in Singur.
“We’ve sent our proposal to the railways and we’ve said that if they want to set up industries in Singur, they are welcome,” Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty told reporters here. He said if the railway ministry wants to set up a coach factory in Singur, the government would cooperate with it.
Earlier, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had evinced interest to set up a rail coach factory in collaboration with the state government or on a public-private-partnership (PPP) model at the abandoned Nano project site in Singur.

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BSNL launches 3G in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Port Blair, 8 December : State-owned telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has launched the much-awaited commercial 3G services in remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands, officials said today. DP Parihar, Chief General Manager, BSNL's Andaman and Nicobar Telecom Circle, launched the service at Port Blair yesterday.
Apart from Port Blair, 3G services are planned to be launched in the cities of Rangat, Mayabunder and Diglipur of North and Middle Andaman for which equipment installation work is in progress. 3G services in these three cities are likely to be launched by March 2010. GM further said the Third Generation mobile network is capable of providing many more services like live TV, video streaming, video, music download, online games which are likely to be available to the 3G customers in near future in a phased manner.

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Two National Liberation Front of Tripura insurgents surrender
Agartala, 8 December : Two insurgents of banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have surrendered at Gandacherra in Dhalai district, police said today.
Churiya Tripua (32) and Hapingsa Tripura (45) surrendered before the Assistant Sub-inspector of Special Branch yesterday and deposited one hand grenade and seven live cartridges of AK-47.

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Solar photovoltaic power plant commissioned in ASL

Asansol, 8 December : India’s first 2MW solar photovoltaic power plant was commissioned Tuesday at Jamuria's Seebpur village by Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, who said the National Solar Mission has fixed a target of adding 1300 MW of solar energy in the next three years.

“We will add 1300 MW of solar energy, including both grid and non-grid supply, in the first phase of our mega scheme of generating 20,000 MW solar power by 2022,” Abdullah said after commissioning the power plant at Seebpur in Jamuria Block near here. The National Solar Mission aims to add 1300 MW of solar energy by 2012 at a Rs.20,000 crore investment, he said. West Bengal Power Minister Mrinal Banerjee said it would be difficult to attain the solar power generation target if the raw materials used for such plants are not produced in the country.
The Rs.36 crore Seebpur plant, promoted by West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Ltd and supported by DPSC Ltd, got a soft loan from Power Finance Corporation at a debt-equity ratio of 70:30. DPSC will purchase the power at Rs.5 per unit, sources said. န Photos : Niraj Modi

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Non-stop Duronto train between Howrah-Bangalore soon
IANS, Bangalore, 8 December : Indian Railways will operate a Duronto (quick service) train between Bangalore and Howrah in West Bengal soon.
“I am gifting the people of Karnataka a non-stop Duronto express between Bangalore and Howrah (a distance of 1,962 km). The service will begin soon by the South Western Railway,” Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced here Tuesday.

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PM Hasina orders to conserve forests, flora, fauna in tourist zones
Dhaka, 8 December : Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina has directed the authorities concerned to take effective measures for conserving the country's forests and flora and fauna in all the tourist zones.
At the same time, the premier asked the ministries and departments concerned to remain vigilant so that the public living in the coastal and forest areas are not harmed anyway regarding their houses and other sorts of property. Briefing the media, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the Cabinet approved a draft law styled Bangladesh Tourism Preserved Zone and Exclusive Tourist Zone Act 2009.

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Bangladesh "National Youth Day" celebrated
Dhaka, 8 December : The National Youth Day was celebrated in the country today with a call for the youth to play a pioneering role in its socio-economic uplift.
`Youths to Build Digital Bangladesh’ was the theme of the day this year. President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages on the occasion greeted the country’s youth community. In his message, the President called on the youth to step forward with their energy and enthusiasm for helping the government build a `Digital Bangladesh’. “I believe the youth will be active in maintaining peace at every sector besides contributing to the national development as per their capacity with the spirit of patriotism,” he said.
The Prime Minister in her message termed the youth as the main driving force of a nation, saying that it is possible to build Bangladesh as a modern and prosperous country with their talent, skill and leadership.

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West Bengal state Assembly may be adjourned again
Kolkata, 8 December : After the failure of the new sound system in the West Bengal Assembly on 1 December, leading to it being adjourned till 10 December, Speaker H A Halim today said some deficiencies still existed and the House could be adjourned further if they were not rectified.
"The sound system is working, but there are some deficiencies. Let us give it a trial. If it does not work, we will adjourn the House again," Halim told reporters. The new system system was installed and the company entrusted with the work were done without consulting him, Halim said.

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Bangladesh wants legally binding cuts: FM Dipu Moni

Dhaka, 8 December : Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni said on Bangladesh wants to see the Copenhagen deal ensure carbon emission cut targets "legally binding" for all emitters by 2010.
Currently, emission cut targets of the gas is a "politically binding" for developing countries, but legally binding for developed nations. If the Copenhagen agreement has legally binding provision for the emission cut targets for the emitters, the developed and developing countries will have to reduce burning fossil fuels, which generate carbon di-oxide and other harmful gases responsible for earth's temperature rise. The "politicall binding" emission cut targets give the polluters a chance not to slash emissions.
"There is an effort in the climate negotiations for keeping provision of politically binding emission reduction," Dipu Moni told reporters Monday at a press conference at the foreign ministry.

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Sheikh Hasina may now visit India 10-11 January, '10
Dhaka, 8 December : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may visit New Delhi in January next year as her December visit has been rescheduled since leaders of both countries will be busy at the Copenhagen climate summit, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni said yesterday.
‘The Bangladesh prime minister’s visit has been rescheduled. Though the fresh date has not yet finalised, but the tour is expected to take place 10 January or 11 next year,’ Moni told reporters. According to the earlier programme, the Bangladesh leader was scheduled to visit India 18 to 21 December.

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HIV therapy units to come up at Block health centres

Kolkata, 8 December : To mitigate the harassment faced by HIV/AIDS patients, the West Bengal State Aids Prevention Control Society (WBSACS) has decided to set up Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) centres at the block primary healthcare centres.
The decision has been taken in view of problems faced by HIV positive patients in remote areas who have to travel miles to reach a nodal ART centre located in the state-run hospital for medicinal needs. Currently, there are five nodal ART centres in WB - School of Tropical Medicine, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan Medical College, Malda District Hospital and RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Two other new nodal centres at M R Bangur Hospital and Islampur sub-divisional hospital are expected to come up by the end of this year.
According to WBSACS, by the end of this month, two ART centres are supposed to come up at Raghunathpur in Purulia and Murshidabad. The new ART centres would now allow the HIV patients residing close to these areas to collect their dose of HIV medicines without much hassle.
The project is being funded by the National Aids Prevention Control Society (NACO).

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Another Janajuddho men killed in gunfight with police

UNB, Bagerhat, 8 December : Sheikh Murad, a leader of the outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (Janajuddho), was kelled in a gunfight with police early on Tuesday at Fakirhat of the district.
The 32-year-old PBC cadre was earlier sentenced to death by a court in connection with a murder case involving the death in 2001 of SM Farhad Hossain, a local Awami League leader and an industrialist. The gun battle took place at around 4am(BDST) Tuesday in a mahogany plantation near Shubhash Mallick's house in Brahmanrakdia village under Fakirhat Upazila.

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