န TOP BENGAL NEWS OF THE MOMENT

WB govt announces 'reservation' for Muslims in Govt Jobs
Kolkata, 8 February : On a day when the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down job reservation for Muslims, the West Bengal government on Monday announced 10 percent quota in employment for the community under the OBC category.

The state government declared the quota for the Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward in the state. "We have decided to accept the recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission and will take steps to implement it," chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told newsmen at the state secretariat without waiting for the Centre's decision on the report.
He said like other states there was reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in the state. The government, he said, had begun the process of identifying Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward. There was 7 per cent reservation for OBCs in the state. "After identification, we will provide reservation to them under the OBC category," the chief minister said.
Earlier in the day, a Constitution bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down a state law providing 4 per cent reservation in educational institutions and jobs to 15 groups belonging to the Muslim community. န File Photos

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Rs 40 lakh looted from post office in Sonarpur
Sonarpur, 8 February : Six armed miscreants today looted Rs 40 lakh and critically injured two persons during a daring robbery incident at a local post office in South 24-Parganas district.
The incident took place when money was being transferred from the Sonarpur post office to the nearby police station in the morning, police said. When the post master and a policeman tried to put up a resistance, the armed group fired at them and critically injured the duo at the doorstep of the post office. The miscreants, then, decamped with the booty, police said, adding the injured were rushed to a nearby nursing home.

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GJM threatens to drive out DM,SP from Darjeeling hill

Kalimpong, Darjeeling, 8 February : After the Centre did not announce the date on political-level talks on Gorkhaland, which it was suppose to announce in the first week of February, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Sunday said that it would go for "home rule" by driving out the district magistrate and superintendent of police from the Hills if the Centre fails to respond positively to its demands.
The announcement was made by GJM president Bimal Gurung at a rally at Kalimpong. Four other rallies were organised at other places in the Darjeeling district where similar announcements were made by other leaders of the outfit. "We received feelers that by 9 February or 10 February, the Centre will inform us about the next date. I will expect that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will be present in the meeting. And I will also be in that meeting where I will offer a formula which should be acceptable to all," Gurung told the rally.
"But if no positive response comes, we will start home rule in the Hills and as a first step we will drive out both the DM and SP from here," the Morcha chief added. န Photo : Sanjit Mitra

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Elite Santiniketan stays away from rural "Sriniketan Fair"
Santiniketan, 8 February : The Sriniketan Magh Mela near Santiniketan, which had come up on Tagore's concept of an ideal village fair, hardly pulls in any crowd these days.

Village Reconstruction Centre Director Amit Hazra said, ''Over the years the crowd has dwindled with only village people visiting the fair. People of Santiniketan hardly visit it. It lost its popularity to the Poush Mela in Santiniketan which now attracts a global audience.'' Barely 3 km away from Santiniketan, people of the area, including staff of Viswa-Bharati, which was founded by Gurudev, preferred to stay away due to its non-elite character, he added.
The three-day fair concluding today displays a wide range of indigenous items, including tribal artefacts and things of daily use.

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SSB organises confidence-building camp in West Bengal
ANI, Siliguri, 8 February : The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) which guards country's border with Nepal, conducted a confidence-building camp here in a bid to increase the interaction with the people and win their confidence.
The four-day camp beginning on Sunday was organised in Thakurgaunge near Nepal border. "We check crime on the border, smuggling, criminal activities and with that we also want to sensitise people about the force. We want to tell them that we are for their security. We want to tell them that we need to work together to fight criminal activities in the state," said A. K Thakur, deputy commandant, 36 battalion of SSB.

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We will not surrender to Maoists : CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

PTI, Kolkata, 7 February : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said his government would not surrender to the Maoists who were killing CPI(M) workers and accused Trinamool Congress of helping Maoists.

"The cowards (Maoists) are attacking our party workers in the darkness of night and killing them. But we will not surrender to them," he told a Left Front rally here. In a dig at Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, he said, "Sometimes they are saying there is nothing called Maoists. If so, then who are killing our party workers? They are also saying police cannot be sent to tackle the Maoists." Turning to the Maoist onslaught in West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia, Bhattacharjee said that Trinamool wanted to see that "our party workers surrendered. But they will not bow down".
Left Front chairman Biman Bose, speaking at the rally, also charged Trinamool with having links with the Maoists. န Photos : PTI

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'Kolkata Book Fair' concluded
Kolkata, 7 February : The 34th Kolkata Book Fair concluded on Sunday in the presence of chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The book lovers will now have to wait for another one year for this extravaganza.

The highlight of the 2010 book fair was some interesting best sellers. The autobiography of late CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu was one of the best sellers this season. “The autobiography of Basu, Jatadur Mone Pore in Bengali and along with its English version by the name Memoirs, were reprinted and released in the fair which did a brisk business,” an official of the National Book Agency, Prabhat Chakroborty said. On the other hand, the book which stole the show was Nandi Maa by Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. The officials of the Deys Publishing, which had published the book, said that the book had immense popularity.
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild, Tridip Chatterjee said that the 35th Kolkata Book Fair will be thrown open to the public and book lovers from 26 January till 6 February in 2011. န Photos : Avijit Mondal

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Chittagong-Jeddah Hajj pilgrims' sea route to be resumed
Hajinformation.Com, 7 February : The Bangla Deshi Shipping Ministry is considering offers by private shipping lines to re-open the ferry service for Hajj pilgrims to travel by sea from Chittangong to Jeddah. A Hajj trip by ship would cost US$ 850 (Tk 59,075) for each passenger and would take six to seven days on each trip, an official has explained.

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Bangladesh opposition wants good ties with India: Khaleda

IANS, Dhaka, 7 February : Weeks after attacking the government for "selling out" to India, Bangladesh's main opposition party BNP has said it too wanted good relations with New Delhi in a manner that would "benefit both countries".
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia said this as she met the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Rajeet Mitter, who called on her on Sunday evening. "We want to build the bilateral ties in manner which can benefit both the countries," Zia was quoted as having told Mitter by a BNP spokesman after the envoy had nearly hour-long talks with her at her Gulshan office on Sunday night.

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Myanmarese and Thai poachers held in Andamans Islands
PTI, Port Blair, 7 February : Eleven Myanmarese and three Thai nationals suspected to have been poaching sea cucumber, coral and other ornamental fish were held today near Bompaka in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Coast Guard personnel apprehended them along with their boat and seized 700 kg ornamental fish from them, CG officials said. They were seen moving suspiciously by personnel of the newly-commissioned Coast Guard station Hutbay near Bompaka between Chowra and Tillangchong, officials said. Equipment like a VHF set for communication, diving gear like compressor and other equipment were seized from the poachers.

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Maoist bandh cripples life again in WB' s Jangalmahal

PTI, Jhargram, 7 February : Life was paralysed in 'Jangalmahal' areas of West Midnapore and neighbourng Purulia and Bankura districts as the 72-hr Maoist-sponsored bandh began today.
In Jhargram town and Lalgarh, Belpahari, Binpur, Jamboni police station areas of West Midnapore, shops downed shutters and vehicles kept off road, reports said. Joint security forces were present in Jhargram town and other areas but tension was palpable in the localities with very few venturing out. No vehicle plied in other parts of the sub-division, including Nayagram, Gopiballavpur, Sankrail though some shops were seen open in those places during the day time. Paramilitary personnel kept vigil along inter-state borders of Belpahari, Nayagram, Jamboni and Gopiballavpur.
Reports from 'jangalmahal' area (forested pockets dominated by tribals) in neighbouring Purulia and Bankura also referred to private vehicles mostly staying off roads in most pockets and markets remaining closed.

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JetLite Air to launch Kolkata-Agartala-Kolkata service
Kolkata, 7 February : Low coast carrier JetLite's flight S2 371 will operate five days a week from Monday to Friday between Kolkata and Agartala, the airline said in a release.
The flight will depart Kolkata at 0755 hours and arrive in Agartala at 0855 hours. The return flight S2 372 will depart Agartala at 0925 hours and arrive in Kolkata at 1025 hours.
This new JetLite service will complement the existing Jet Airways Konnect flight on Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays/Sundays, where 9W 2478 departs Kolkata at 1350 hrs and arrives into Agartala at 1455 hrs. On the return, 9W 2479 departs Agartala at 1755hrs arriving into Kolkata at 1845 hrs. On Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, Jet Airways Konnect flight 9W 2478 departs from Kolkata at 1640 hrs and arrives into Agartala at 1745 hrs. Flight 9W 2479 leaves Agartala at 1825 hrs and arrives into Kolkata at 1920 hrs.

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40,000 Die of Kidney Failure Annually in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 7 February : About 20 million people in Bangladesh are suffering from chronic kidney disease while 40,000 die of kidney failure in the country every year, Xinhua news agency reported Sunday.
There is only one nephrologist for 2.5 million people in the country but the ratio should be one for 50,000 people, experts said here at a seminar. Experts at the seminar on ‘Chronic Kidney Diseases: Bangladesh Perspective’ organised by a local science organisation said more and more people in Bangladesh are suffering from kidney disease for various reasons including diabetes, high blood pressure and genetic factors.

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Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina set to fly for Kuwait

Dhaka, 7 February : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave here for Kuwait on a three-day bilateral visit.
The Emir of Kuwait has sent a special aircraft to carry the prime minister to his country. Diplomatic sources said Kuwait is bestowing a top honour on Sheikh Hasina and it is expected that the visit will involve a great deal of cooperation and good will. The prime minister and a high-profile delegation comprised of ministers and high officials will hold talks with Kuwait's top government leaders and businessmen. She is scheduled to hold talks with the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Monday.
At the top of Sheikh Hasina's agenda will be increasing Kuwaiti assistance for infrastructure and other development projects, particularly the fund for the Padma Bridge, added sources. Manpower exports and the expansion of bilateral trade and commerce are also likely to dominate the talks. န Photo : Gustavo Ferrari (AP)

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Malaysia show the way to India on women in armed forces
Port Blair, 7 February : The Indian armed forces may have reservations over its women personnel joining combat arms, but Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim nation, has taken a lead in allowing them to take on the enemies as combatants.
Malaysia has about a year ago commissioned five women officers into its Navy in combat roles and they perform all tasks on board its warships as a combatant. In fact, the Malaysian patrol ship, KD Perak, which is here for the five-day Milan naval exercise, has two women officers among the 68 personnel on board, with both performing combat support roles.

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Maoists blow up railway tracks in Jhaja-Jasidih section

Asansol, Kolkata, 7 February : Maoists blew up railway tracks to enforce their 72-hour bandh near Rajla station on Jhaja-Jasidih section of East Central Railway in Bihar’s Jamui district near Asansol, officials said.
“About 40 Maoists blew up the up and down tracks late last night between Rajla and Narganjo railway halts near Kahba bridge, affecting the movement of several long-distance and local trains,” Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) U S Dutt said in Patna. A stretch of 2.5 feet of up line and five feet of down line was damaged in the blast, railway sources said.
While jawans of GRP, RPF and local police have reached the site, Divisional Railway Manager of Asansol D K Gaien has also rushed to the spot to oversee the repair work, official sources said.
Maoists have called the bandh in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh today to protest the proposed ‘Operation Green Hunt’ to be launched by Centre against them. န File Photo

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Now Rabi Thakur's Literary Works Just a Click Away

Kolkata, 7 February : In a bid to popularise Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s literary works, the West Bengal government has launched a new Rabindra Rachanabali website which contains poems, songs, novels and short stories, essays and verses written by the author.
The website www.rabindra-rachanabali.nltr.org will help a large number of people access Tagore’s literary works, state IT Minister Debesh Das told Bengal Newz. It may also facilitate many students and academicians to carry out research activities on the nobel laureate as it will have a powerful search engine that will help find other important references on Tagore online.
The Rabindra Rachanabali website was launched with an initiative taken up by the Society for Natural Language Research (SNLR), which was formed to promote Bengali literature on the internet in the age of IT communication. The research board has also taken up an initiative to design a Bengali operating system.

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Will city Kolkata host two fashion weeks this month ?

PTI, Kolkata, 7 February : A year after having two not-so-successful seasons of Kolkata Fashion Week (KFW), a race has begun between estranged partners of the fashion extravaganza to hold separate events this month, leaving designers confused.
A rift between Yudhajit Dutta and Prateek Sen, erstwhile partners of Mindscapes Maestros Events & Sports Management, the organisers of KFW, has split the fashion event in two. If both go according to their plans then the city will have two fashion weeks, the KFW and the Kolkata Fashion and Lifestyle Week (KFLW) later this month.
Under his new company, Purple People Management, Dutta said he would organise KFLW from 24 to 28 February.

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All-India Gorkha League calls 24-hour Hills bandh on 9 February

Darjeeling, 6 February : All-India Gorkha League (AIGL) has called a 24-hour bandh in the Hills region and the Dooars on February 9 to protest against the state government's "apathy towards the demand for a separate Gorkhaland".
"The government is conspiring to thrust the Sixth Schedule on us. We will not accept it and have decided to call a 24-hour bandh on 9 February," said Madan Tamang, AIGL president. "We appeal to people to stay indoors for a day. We don't believe in causing inconvenience to people, but this agitation will send a loud and clear message to Kolkata and Delhi," said Tamang.
Tea gardens, government offices, milk and water carriers and NH-55 have been brought under the strike purview. Vehicles belonging to the police superintendent and district magistrate as well as NH-31 and NH-31A have, however, been exempted.

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'5th Amendment verdict' to put secular education in action
Dhaka, 6 February : Bangladesh Law Minister Shafique Ahmed on Saturday said the Supreme Court's verdict in the fifth amendment case has cleared the way for reintroducing the non-communal and indiscriminatory education system in the spirit of Liberation War.
The Supreme Court judgment nullifying the fifth amendment of the constitution has not hurt the religion, but established it, he said. Shafique was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of seventh conference of Bangladesh College-University Teachers Association at Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) auditorium on the Dhaka University campus.

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Jhumpa Lahiri in US President Obama's arts committee

PTI, Washington, 6 February : Bengali-American Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has been appointed as a member of US President Barack Obama's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, along with five others.

"I am proud that these distinguished individuals will serve in my administration. The arts and the humanities enhance the vibrancy of our society, inspire us and strengthen our democracy," Obama said in a statement. "I look forward to working with them in the weeks and months ahead," Obama said.
A fiction writer, Lahiri's debut collection of stories, Interpreter of Maladies, received the Pulitzer Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Addison M Metcalf Award and the New Yorker magazine's Debut of the Year. Her novel, The Namesake, was a New York Times Notable Book, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was selected as one of the best books of the year by USA Today and Entertainment Weekly. Her latest story collection, Unaccustomed Earth, won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and the Vallombrosa-Gregor von Rezzori Prize.

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Overseas Bangladeshi jobseekers to get smart card

Dhaka, 6 February : The Bangladesh government is introducing smart card, a tag with computer chip, for overseas jobseekers from tomorrow to ease the immigration process and help them more effectively while they are abroad.
The card will contain all the information furnished in the passport, a jobseeker's fingerprints and the name and licence number of the recruiting agency so that the authorities can identify all the parties involved in the migration process and take prompt actions when needed. "With a smart card a migrant will not have to fill up embarkation form at the airport. The form will be automatically furnished when the smart card is inserted in a card reader," said Khurshed Alam Chowdhury, director general of Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET).
This will greatly reduce their initial hassles at the airport, he said.

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Legal notice served to protect sanctity of "Shaheed Minar"

Dhaka, 6 February : A legal notice was served on Saturday on the BD government and the Dhaka University vice chancellor, asking them to protect sanctity and honour of the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
Human Rights and Peace For Bangladesh (HRPB) served the notice asking them to set up a museum on the Shaheed Minar premises so that the visitors can know the history of Language Movement. The HRPB also asked them to inform this organisation within 48 hours on what step they will take in this regard.
The notice stated that the 21st February is observed every year as International Mother Language Day and the sanctity and honour of Central Shaheed Minar are maintained for that day only.

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'Milan drill' worries China's People's Liberation Army Navy
Port Blair, 6 February : The biggest ever naval build-up in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea under the ongoing Indian Navy-led Milan multilateral exercises is believed to have fed China’s concerns. At least three nations taking part in these maneouvres and China have overlapping sovereignty claims to Spratly islands in the South China Sea.
The Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, among the 12 participating countries, are competing with China to grab their share of oil and natural gas reserves in the Spratly region. Senior navy officials said the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) could be monitoring the six-day exercise.

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WB speaker Hasim Abdul Halim hospitalised in Singapore
IANS, Kolkata, 6 February : West Bengal legislative assembly speaker and senior CPI(M) leader Hasim Abdul Halim was admitted to a hospital in Singapore Saturday after he suffered respiratory trouble, party sources in Kolkata said.
Halim was on his way to London and was taking a stopover in Singapore. CPI(M) state secretariat member Rabin Deb told IANS, "Halim suffered respiratory problem while he was taking a stopover in Singapore on way to London. He went to Kuala Lumpur to participate in a programme organsied by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association." He said.
Halim, a legislator from Kolkata's Entally assembly constituency, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. "He will be under medical observation for the next 24 hours. The doctors said his condition is now stable," Deb said.

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Want a figure like Bipasha Basu ?
PTI, New Delhi, 6 February : When some one like Bipasha Basu promises a definite weight loss and an enviable figure like hers, one has to be all ears. Showing off a svelte figure, the Bengali girl was in the city to launch her workout DVD and promises that with just 25 minutes of daily workout one could own a chiseled physique like her.

Basu's DVD, 'Fit and Fabulous', based on her personal workout regime, is targeted towards women but the star says men can also try her tricks to be fit. "Today everybody wants to be fit but what I am trying to focus is not just on physical training but mental as well. My mantra is to love yourself and work out for your heart and soul. It has done wonders for me," Basu said. And that is not all as the 31-year-old actress has pulled in Bollywood bigwigs like Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra to endorse to her promise.
Basu gushed that her beau, Bollywood heartthrob John Abraham has also tried her workout DVD and swears by its effects. "It helps to have a fit partner. John is a fitness freak just like me so his comments about the DVD were vital. He has tried the workout and he simply loves it," Basu said.

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'Biman Bangladesh' resumes Dhaka-London flight
Dhaka, 6 February : After a break of about 12 years, Bangladesh Biman restarted Dhaka-London-Dhaka direct flight Saturday morning, .
The Boeing 777-200ER left Zia International Airport for London with 297 passengers at about 9:00am(BDST), reports ATN Bangla. Biman authority said initially the flight would operate twice a week - Saturday and Tuesday. It will take 11 hours to reach London.

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Bangladesh launches drive against piracy in Sundarbans

Dhaka, 6 February : Bangladesh has launched a special drive to check piracy in the Sundarbans and the coastal belt in the Bay of Bengal along India's West Bengal state.

Foreign fishermen who infiltrate the Bay of Bengal falling within the jurisdiction of Bangladesh territorial waters are allegedly involved in looting fish and other belongings from Bangladeshi fishermen. Bangladesh Coast Guard, police and forest guards have launched the special drive named "Operation Sandhan".
Bangladesh and India, which share the dense forests of Sundarbans that are home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, are currently in the process of negotiating their international maritime boundary. The 710 km of coastal belt in Khulna and Bagherhat and the Sundarbans have been brought within the purview of the special operation, said a Coast Guard official coordinating the operation that started last Monday.
The main aim of the operation was to arrest pirates, recover their arms, curb their activities in the Sundarbans and the sea, stop infiltration of foreign fishermen and thus restore a sense of security in the area, said Lt. S.M. Waliur Rahman, chief coordinator of the operation.

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Top brass of 4Maoist-hit states hold strategy session
Kolkata, 6 February : Ahead of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's meeting with chief ministers of four Maoist- affected states next week, top bureaucrats of these states yesterday held a strategy session here on the roadmap for dealing with the menace.
While Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal were represented by their chief secretaries, Jharkhand was represented by its home secretary, officials sources said.

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Kolkata High Court upholds Aftab Ansari's death sentence

In 2002's American Center attack case in Kolkata
Kolkata, 5 February : Kolkata High Court today upheld the death sentence of Aftab Ansari for his involvement in the American Center attack in which five policemen were killed and 14 seriously injured in 2002.

Capital punishment has also been upheld for Aftab’s accomplice Jamiruddin Nasir. Musarat Hussain, Sakir Akhtar sentenced to five years for forgery. Hasrat Alam, Rehan Alam and Adil Hassan have been acquitted. A division bench of Justice A K Banerjee and Kalidas Mukherjee, who had heard the appeals for 77 days, pronounced the verdict at 1 pm on Friday.
All the seven had been given death sentence by a special CBI court in April 2005. The court awarded death sentence under section 121 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for waging war against the state. They were also given life imprisonment under section 302 (murder) and section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC.
Aftab and Ansari and Jamiruddin Nasir can appeal to the Supreme Court against the order in three months. န File Photos : AP

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WB Governor M K Narayanan to attend Munich Conference

ANI, New Delhi, Kolkata, 5 February : Two representatives from India will for the first time be taking part in the Munich Security Conference which starts today.
National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and his predecessor and now Governor of West Bengal M.K. Narayanan will attend the security meeting, informed sources said. Raj Bhawan sources in Kolkata confirmed that Narayanan will be away till 8 February. Naryanan has been a regular participant in the Munich Security Conference before heading off to the Raj Bhawan in Kolkata last month. This is the 46th annual conference and it is a rarity that a former NSA is invited to the event, diplomatic sources said. Narayanan's personal rapport with German NSA Christoph Huesgen has earned him the invitation even after his departure from South Block.

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Andaman and Nicobar islands to have more Airbases
IANS, Port Blair, 5 February : With hundreds of uninhabited islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago making it vulnerable from the security perspective, India is planning to open more airbases in the islands.
Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma Friday said India was planning to revamp the infrastructure in the 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal. "The airstrip up north (Northern Andaman islands) needs to be refurbished. Even for smaller aircraft it is a tight fit," Verma told reporters here. The airfield at Shibpur is about 1,000 feet in length and is inadequate for smaller cargo aircraft like Dornier and AN-32. Currently, only helicopters are capable of conducting operations from the airfield.
More airfields and helipads will boost the surveillance and logistics capability of the Indian armed forces along the archipelago, located about 700 nautical miles away from the Indian mainland. Presently, there are airbases in Port Blair, Car Nicobar, and Campbell Bay. According to senior Indian Naval officers, plans are afoot to spread out air power in other islands like Katchul and Hut Bay.

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PM Sk Hasina pays tributes to Bangabandhu at Tungipara

Dhaka, 5 February : Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Friday morning paid tributes to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a wreath at his mazar at Tungipara following the execution of his killers.
Her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, nephew lawmaker Fazler Noor Taposh and Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, among others, accompanied the premier, reports ATN Bangla. Earlier in the day, the prime minister arrived at Tungipara by a helicopter. She attended a milad and special doa mahfil at Bangabandhu mausoleum mosque after Juma prayers to express gratitude to the almighty Allah for execution of the verdict in Bangabandhu murder case. This is her first visit to Tungipara after execution of the verdict.
Special security measures had taken at Tungipara in connection with the prime minister's visit. Police and Rab personnel are searching vehicles on roads leading to Tungipara. န File Photo

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Indian Navy's largest war game begins in Andaman Islands

ANI, Port Blair, 5 February : Exercise Milan, the largest four-day naval war game hosted by India started on Friday with the participation of 12 navies of the Asia-Pacific region within the context of the Indian Navy's "Look East" policy and naval interactions to this effect.
Milan is a biennial gathering of navies of the Indian Ocean region and is held for building friendship and mutual understanding between participating navies. This year's multinational exercise takes place from February 5-8 at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Indian Navy is organizing Milan at Port Blair since 1995, and the seventh edition of this exercise this year will see participation of nine naval ships from eight countries and representatives from four others in a tabletop exercises.
Naval ships of Singapore (two ships), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar, with representatives from navies of Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam and New Zealand joining Exercise Milan.

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GJM's students set vehicles on fire, confine DM, SDO
PTI, Siliguri, 5 February : After a lull, crisis erupted in Darjeeling Hills with Vidyarthi Morcha, the students'' wing of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) confining the district magistrate and three sub-divisional officers in their homes and setting two police vehicles and two buses on fire, police said today. The trouble erupted late last night following a rumour that 22 Vidyarthi Morcha activists were seriously injured in police lathi-charge at Darjeeling More in the afternoon when they were demanding permission for holding a public meeting at the spot tomorrow, they said.

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Indian Air Force fighter jets to armed with BrahMos missiles
RIA Novosti, Singapore, 5 February : India's fleet of Su-30MKI Flanker-H fighter jets could be armed with BrahMos missiles by 2012, the vice president of the Irkut Corporation said at the Singapore Airshow 2010.
The corporation is a prime contractor in manufacturing the Su-30MKI multi-role fighters for the Indian Air Force. Its share of Russia's arms exports is 15 percent. "The modernisation programme includes re-equipping of some 100 Su-30MKI fighters, which are currently in service with the Indian Air Force," Vladimir Sautov said on Thursday. "It is being carried out by the Rosoboronexport, the Sukhoi Design Bureau and NPO Mashinostroyeniya. If things go well, we may offer modernized Su-30MKI fighters to our other foreign partners as soon as 2012," he added.

The BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kg. It can effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters and has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the US-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile. The Indian Air Force originally ordered 50 Su-30MKI aircraft from Russia in 1996 and an additional 40 planes in 2007. India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was also contracted to build 140 aircraft in India between 2003 and 2017 under a licensed production agreement.
Established in 1998, BrahMos Aerospace, a joint Indian-Russian venture, produces and markets BrahMos supersonic missiles. The sea-based and land-based versions have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy. န Photos : PTI, Indian Military

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Dhaka Zoo beefs up biosecurity for outbreak of Bird Flu
Dhaka, 5 February : Biosecurity measures on Dhaka Zoo have been strengthened in the wake of fresh outbreak of bird flu.
The zoo authorities beefed up the biosecurity measures, as bird flu broke out at the government's central poultry farm at Mirpur adjacent to the zoo. Dhaka Zoo Curator Dr Mosaddek Hossain told reporters that disinfectant has been being sprayed on the bird sheds thrice a day. "However, the birds in cages are less vulnerable to H5N1 virus, known as bird flu. It mostly infects the poultry birds in farms," Dr Mosaddek said.
Earlier this year, bird flu attacked three poultry farms in Joypurhat and Sirajganj.

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Bangladesh govt to buy Frigates, Fighter Planes and Missiles

Dhaka, 4 February : Bangladesh plans to buy military hardware, including tanks, frigates, fighter planes and surface-to-air missiles, to strengthen its armed forces, a minister said Thursday.

"To modernise the armed forces, the government has decided to purchase a number of military equipments in the current fiscal year (due to end on 30 June)," Bangladesh's Planning Minister A.K. Khandaker told parliament. He said that the plan included seven tanks for the army and a range of equipment including 80 armoured personnel carriers and two helicopters for the use of Bangladeshi soldiers on United Nations peacekeeping missions abroad. For the air force, the government intends to buy a surface-to-air missile system, air defence radar, two helicopters and a squadron of fighter planes and missiles for them.
A process was underway to call international tenders to purchase two maritime patrol aircraft, seven patrol craft, a survey ship and an oil tanker for the navy, the minister said. The government also has plans to procure two reconditioned frigates.

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Oldest endangered Great Andamanese tribal woman dies
PTI, Port Blair, 4 February : The oldest member of the endangered Great Andamanese tribe died in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, health officials said here today.
"85-year-old Boa Sr, who died on January 28 here, was suffering from old age health ailments for sometime. She was the oldest member of the Great Andamanese tribe," Tribal Health Deputy Director R C Kar told PTI. With the death of the woman, who lived in the Strait Island of Andaman, only 53 members of the tribe are now left, he said. According to officials, Boa was one of the few speakers of Bo, one of the 10 Great Andamanese dialectical groups.
"Most of the Great Andamanese have forgotten their mother tongue and speak in Hindi now. They have been rehabilitated in Strait Island, located north-east of Port Blair, since 1978," B N Sarkar, an anthropologist of Anthropological Survey of India, said. န Photos : Survival International

Also read : Last speaker of ancient language of Bo dies in India
BBC News, 4 February : The last speaker of an ancient language in India's Andaman Islands has died at the age of about 85, a leading linguist has told the BBC..... READ FULL STORY By Alastair Lawson

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Bangladesh Nationalist Party to attend ongoing JS session
Dhaka, 4 February : Bangladesh's main opposition party BNP lawmakers on Thursday decided that they would attend the existing session of the parliament, Opposition Chief Whip Joynal Abedin Farroque said.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the BNP parliamentary party at the parliament complex, which was also attended by the MPs of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Party. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia presided over the meeting. Farroque briefed reporters after the meeting. He did not say what time they would return to the parliament.

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CPM launches fund-raising drive for 167 War Martyrs
Kolkata, 4 February : The CPI(M) today said it has launched a fund-raising drive to assist families of 167 party activists who were allegedly killed at the hands of Trinamool Congress activists and Maoists after the Lok Sabha elections.
"Out of the 167 dead, 71 CPI(M) workers were killed in West Midnapore district alone during the period," party's politburo member and state secretary Biman Bose told reporters on the first day of its three-day central committee meeting here. To assist families of "our martyrs", CPI(M) has launched a fund-raising drive, he said, urging everyone to donate for the cause.

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9 bridal party killed in Chittagong microbus plunge
Chittagong, 4 February : At least nine people of a bridal party were killed when a microbus carrying them plunged into a roadside pond at Sadhur Hat area in Mirersharai upazila of Chittagong on Thursday.
Five others also sustained injuries in the accident. The accident occurred around 12:30pm(BDST) when the driver of the microbus lost his control over the steering and toppled down into the pond. The people were going to Baratakia area of the upazila to attend a bridal party.
The injured were sent to Mirersharai Upazila Health Complex. The identities of the victims could not be known immediately.

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Anthurium export help Jalpaiguri flower industry to blossom
ANI, Jalpaiguri, 4 February : West Bengal's flower industry has received a fillip thanks to the efforts of a farm in Jalpaiguri district.

Anthurium flowers, which are native to South America, are being grown here. Utpal Banarjee, the owner of this farm, says the relative cooler sub-tropical climate of northeast India is suited to the flower's growth. "This flower is mainly grown in the northeast India. So in the rest of the country, you cannot grow this flower; either it is too hot or too cold, and does not have the required climate. So you see, the northeast is catering to the entire demand of the country," said Banarjee. Banarjee and 22 farmers are using artificial planting procedures to grow the flowers. Anthuriums belong to the arum (Aracae) family, which is made up of around 600 to 800 species.
Anthuriums are popular for interior decoration and as cut flowers, as they can last for up to 15 days. Also known as the 'flamingo flower', the plant is characterised by large heart-shaped flower and dark green leaves. Domestic demand for anthuriums is fast picking up, with the price rising by 20% in the last two years.

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Maoist indefinite bandh to be withdrawn from 5 February
Jhargram, 4 February : The indefinite bandh in three districts of West Bengal by Maoist ally Peoples Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) will be withdrawn on 5 February.
PCPA sources said the bandh in West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts which began on 1 February, will be 'relaxed' on 5 February. The bandh was launched demanding withdrawal of joint forces from the three districts after the Maoist attack on Barikul police station in Bankura district on the day. In tribal Junglemahal area, which stretches across the three districts, traffic has come to a halt as a result of the bandh. Shops and business establishments too remained closed.

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Former GNLF head Ghising says he will return to Darjeeling
Siliguri, 4 February : Gorkha National Liberation Front supremo and former Hill strongman Subhas Ghising, who was driven out from Darjeeling by the GJM, has said that he would return back to the town.
Ghising had shelved the demand for a separate Gorkhaland and settled for the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council following the signing of the DGHC Agreement by the Centre, West Bengal government and the GNLF in 1988. The GNLF chief yesterday said that he would finalise plans for revival of the party before he returned to the Hills. His demand for 6th Schedule status for Darjeeling was scrapped by the Centre in August 2009.

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Manchester, 3 February : Acclaimed photographer Don McCullin poses next to 'A woman and child waiting for medical attention' taken by him in Bangladesh in 1971, at the Imperial War Museum North, Manchester, England.
Imperial War Museum North is staging the largest ever Uk exhibition of work by the Don McCullin and includes his most iconic war images, contemporary landscapes and his personal perspective on more recent events.'Shaped by War: Photographs by Don McCullin' starts on 6 February and runs until 13 June. န Photo : Getty Images

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No 'secret deal' : Sheikh Hasina
BSS, Dhaka, 3 Feb : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday categorically told the Jatiya Sangsad that she did not sign any 'secret deal' with India during her recent visit to the neighbouring country.
While replying to a supplementary from independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim during the prime minister's question-answer session, she refuted the allegation of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in this regard and asked her (Khaleda) to refrain from giving such 'misleading and false' information in the greater national interest. "If you have any document regarding the so-called secret deal, please make it public. Don't mislead the people by giving such untrue information," she told the BNP leaders including its chairperson.
The PM told the House that the agreements signed with India during her visit to New Delhi was meant for upholding the national interest and spirit of the country's independence and sovereignty as well as the nation's dignity.

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Mixed response on day two of pro-Maoists’ shutdown call
Kolkata, 3 February : The indefinite shutdown called by the Maoist-backed People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) in three West Bengal districts against alleged atrocities by the joint security forces evoked partial response on the second day Wednesday.
The police said the shutdown had an impact in Jhargram and its peripheral areas of West Midnapore district, Barikul and Ranibandh in Bankura district, but Purulia district remained unaffected.

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Wanted ULFA leader could be handed over, hints B'desh
Guwahati, 3 February : Bangladesh on Wednesday hinted at handing over a top jailed Indian separatist leader, but wanted New Delhi to reciprocate by deporting some of its wanted terrorists allegedly hiding in India.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq Ahmed Karim said this in response to questions at a press conference here on whether Dhaka would hand over jailed ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia, arrested in Bangladesh in 1997.

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B'desh replacing China as major exporter of cheap RMG

Chittagong, 3 February : The RMG exporters said that Bangladesh is gradually replacing China as a major exporter of cheap readymade garment as the developed countries are yet to recover from the global recession.
"The country's RMG sector was mostly dependent on the buyers from America and the European countries. But our market is now expanding to Japan and other countries. They are showing more interest on our cheap garments," BGMEA first vice president Nasir Uddin told the media. He said, the economic recession could not harm our RMG export so much as was feared because the recession compelled the buyers to opt for cheaper garments from countries like Bangladesh instead of China.
The BGMEA leaders were addressing a press conference at a hotel in the city on the occasion of Chittagong Apparel, Fabrics & Accessories Exposition (CAPAXPO) 2010.

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Hasina inaugurates Biman Bangladesh Airlines's new logo
UNB, Dhaka, 3 February : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday ordered stern actions to stop all corruption and irregularities in Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited.
“You have to curb all sorts of corruption and irregularities with an iron hand,” she said in her clear direction for the authorities concerned, as the national flag carrier is now poised for a fresh takeoff with a new look. The prime minister issued the directive while inaugurating a new logo and livery of the recently-converted aviation company, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited, at the VVIP Terminal of Zia International Airport.

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West Bengal's Power minister

Mrinal Banerjee passed away
Kolkata, 3 February : West Bengal's Power and Non-Conventional Energy Minister and senior CPI(M) leader Mrinal Banerjee died of colon cancer at a private hospital here Wednesday. He was 72.
Banerjee, who was an electrical engineer and a former employee of Durgapur Steel Plant, had been ailing for the past few years. He was admitted to the AMRI Hospital in southern Kolkata last Thursday and put on ventilator. He died at 12.55 pm Wednesday. He is survived by his wife.
Banerjee, state vice-president of the CPI(M)'s labour wing CITU, earlier also held the labour portfolio in the cabinet. But he was relieved of the charge due to his ailment. He was a state legislator from Durgapur-1 constituency in Burdwan district.

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NABARD meeting on Sundarban rainwater harvesting held

Kolkata, 3 February : National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organized a colloquium on Monday to discuss a unique experiment on rainwater harvesting in Sunderban.
The colloquium were attended by P V S Surya Kumar, General Manager, NABARD; S P Sinha Ray, Ex-Member Secretary, Central Ground Water Board; A N Chakraborty, Technical Advisor, Finance Department, Govt of West Bengal; A Chattaraj, Sunderban Development Board;.N J Moitra, Programme Coordinator, KVK, Nimpith and Shubhra Sen, World Wide Fund for Nature.
Speaking on the occasion, general manager Kumar said NABARD had organized this colloquium to help, co-evolve and refine this technique and disseminate the same, so as to bring it to the doorsteps of those who need it. He also said that Sunderban Development Board, Central Groundwater Board, Nimpith KVK and WWF are also working to manage and rejuvenate water resources in the Sunderban area.
The technique was accepted and it was understood that while testing and experimentation will continue, government as well as other organizations would work towards up scaling the project coverage in Sunderban.

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CPIM Politbureau meeting begins, followed by CC meeting

Kolkata, 3 February : The Politbureau meeting of the CPI(M) has begun in Kolkata on Wednesday morning. The meeting will be followed by three days Central Committee meeting from Thursday.
The highest policy making body of the CPI(M) is discussed on the current political situation in the country. The Politbureau will also chalk out strategies to strengthen Left movements particularly in West Bengal in view of erosion of their base in the state in last Lok Sabha and Municipal election. The party's General Secretary, Mr. Prakash Karat, Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala and other top brass were attending the meeting.

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Fire in operation theatre of Kolkata's SSKM hospital
Kolkata, 3 February : A fire broke out in an operation theatre of West Bengal's largest state-run super-speciality SSKM hospital here Wednesday morning. There were, however, no casualties.
Panic gripped patients and their families in the gynaecology ward after smoke billowed out of the operation theatre on the second floor of the department at about 9.20am. Two fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after 15 minutes, police said. An electrical short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire. SSKM hospital is the state's only referral hospital.

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Tenders for nine Bangladesh power plants likely this month

Dhaka, 3 February : Under a mega plan to bring Bangladesh to a zero load-shedding level from present nagging crisis, the government is likely to invite tenders within the current month to set up more than nine power plants having a total capacity of about 4,000 mw, reports UNB.
The proposed plants include Meghnaghat 300-450 mw phase-2 (dual fuel), Meghnaghat 300-450 mw phase-3 (dual fuel), Meghnaghat 500-650 mw phase-4 (coal-fired), Bhola 150-225 mw (gas-fired), Savar 100-150 mw (dual-fuel), Kaliakoir 100-150 mw (dual-fuel), Chittagong 1000-1300 mw (coal-fired), Mongla 1000-1300 mw (coal-fired) and Jajira 500-650 mw (coal-fired).
As Bangladesh has been experiencing severe gas crisis, only one of these plants will be gas-fired, four will be dual-fuel and the other four will be coal-fired plants. According to official sources, all these power plants will be set up in private sector or under the public private partnership (PPP) as independent power producer (IPP) plants.

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BSNL announces rent free landline on Broadband Service
Kolkata, 3 February : India’s National Telecom Backbone and largest Broadband and telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) today announced exciting “Broadband Benefit Bonanza for new and existing subscribers in Kolkata Telecom circle.
BSNL offers Free Installation and Activation of new landline with Rent free modem for 24 month for its Postpaid Broadband connection. While the operator also offers Rent Free Landline connection on subscription of its Prepaid Broadband service.

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West Bengal tops vasectomy chart in India : NRHM's report

Luxmikantapur, Kolkata, 3 February : West Bengal has this year acquired the top position in implementation of vasectomy by providing regular incentive to BPL enlisted males for undergoing the preventive surgery, said a report of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
"Last year, the state was second in the all India chart of success ratio of vasectomy performance," said Dr. Ashok Kandari, BMOH, Mandirbazar in South 24-Parganas district,on Tuesday. He was addressing an interactive seminar of rural couples, health workers and NGOs on NRHM and Janani Suraksha Yojana at Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign.
Since its introduction in West Bengal in April 2005, NRHM has proved quite successful in staming reproduction mortality of women and newly borns. Mothers belonging to the BPL category are provided special grants of Rs.500 each till reproduction of two children for their nutritional intake while carrying the baby provided they visit the nearest government facility thrice in the expecting stage, Kandari said.

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4 health dept vehicles torched during PCPR shutdown
Jhargram, 3 February : Four vehicles belonging to the West Bengal health department were set ablaze in the Jhargram sub-division of West Midnapore lastnight as the indefinite shutdown by the Maoist-backed organisation began in the Maoist pockets of the district.
Police said four sport utility vehicles (SUV), which ferried women from nearby villages to Manikpara rural health centre for a family planning programme were torched while returning after dropping the women home. The drivers and helpers were forced to stop by ten armed motorcyclists, believed to be members of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, asked to get down and the empty vehicles then set ablaze, police said.

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There can be no talks while in custody : Arabinda Rajkhowa

ULFA rejects peace talks with government from jail
Guwahati, 2 February : Outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom's (ULFA) chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa Tuesday rejected Home Minister P.Chidambaram's offer for peace talks, saying "there can be no talks while in custody".

"Question of writing a formal letter for beginning peace talks from inside the jail and with handcuffs on simply does not arise," Rajkhowa told journalists here. "There can be no talks while in custody." The ULFA chairman, now lodged at the Guwahati Central Jail, was brought to the Regional Dental College here for treating a tooth ailment.
Chidmabaram said Monday the government was ready to hold talks with the jailed ULFA leadership without the presence of the elusive Paresh Baruah, the outfit's self-styled commander-in-chief. Meanwhile, Assam's CM Tarun Gogoi said unless the ULFA leaders express their willingness for talks in writing, no negotiations would take place.
"They must give in writing, otherwise how can talk begin," he told journalists. The jailed ULFA leaders, including Rajkhowa, have been repeatedly saying that they were ready for talks but not in handcuffs.

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Mountaineer dies after fall from Purulia's Gajaburu hill
Kolkata, 2 February : A mountaineer died Tuesday after he slipped and fell from the Ayodhya hill in Purulia district while on a trekking mission, police said.Amitava Sen, who was trekking along with two others, fell 100 feet down into a gorge, an official said.
“He is dead. He slipped and the rope bound to his waist gave way,” said an officer manning the state police control room. However, Sen’s body was brought out from the gorge around 9pm.

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Dhaka-Delhi Joint River Commission meeting by 20 March

UNB, Dhaka, 2 February : A meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint River Commission (JRC) will be held within 20 March, Water Resources Minister Romesh Chandra Sen said Tuesday.
“The JRC meeting will be held on ministerial level,” he told reporters in reply to a question after attending a seminar at the National Press Club. The Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board (BHWDB) organised the seminar titled `Climate Change Impact on the Haor, Wetland and Environment’ marking the World Wetland Day. Water Resources Minister Romesh Chandra Sen was the chief guest at the seminar.
Replying to another question, the minister hinted that during the ensuing JRC meeting, an agreement might be reached on sharing the waters of Teesta river by the two countries.

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Gorkhaland activists to take their agitation to Delhi

Siliguri, 2 February : In a bid to intensify their protests, separate state activists in Darjeeling have decided to take their agitation to New Delhi.
Officials of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), the political party agitating for a separate state of Gorkhaland has said their protests in the State have not borne much fruit, so they will take it to New Delhi. "We will all get together and take out our protests in to New Delhi which will have better effect. People here are suffering because of the protest. We stall traffic, block roads, so we are thinking that we will organise less of our programmes in Darjeeling and more in New Delhi." said Daowa Pakhrin, leader of GNLF.
Meanwhile, a non-political organization that fights for the cause of the smaller states in the country, asked GNLF and all other activists supporting to separate state to work in unison.

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SC dismisses pleas against Fifth amendment verdict

Dhaka, 2 February : The Bangladesh Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed two leave-to-appeal petitions against a High Court verdict that had declared illegal and unconstitutional the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution with some observations and modifications.
The six-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Md Tafazzul Islam, pronounced the order saying, “The petitions are dismissed with modifications and observations.” The modifications and observations were not available immediately.
The amendment legitimised all the governments that had been in power following the coup of 15 August, 1975 till 9 April, 1979 including late president Ziaur Rahman's ascension to the presidency. BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain and three SC lawyers Tajul Islam, Kamruzzaman Bhuiyan and Munshi Ahsan Kabir filed two separate leave to appeal petitions with the SC against the HC verdict in May last year.

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Withdraw cop's medal for role in abuse case : Tripura Rights group
Agartala, 2 February : A rights group in Tripura Tuesday urged the union home ministry to withdraw the police medal of a senior official for shielding his bureaucrat brother, who has been accused of sexually abusing a woman. The victim later committed suicide.
The Tripura Human Rights Organisation (THRO) has written to the home ministry, alleging that Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (southern range) Bimal Krishna Roy be stripped of the president's police medal given to him.
"In a letter, we have strongly urged the union home ministry to withdraw the medal from the DIG for his involvement in interfering in an alleged sexual abuse case to save his senior civil servant brother," said Purosottam Roy Burman, secretary of the rights group.

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Bangladesh bag 3rd gold in 11th South Asian Games
Dhaka, 2 February : The host Bangladesh achieved their third gold medal in the 10m air rifle women's individual event in the 11th South Asian Games on the fifth day on Tuesday.
Sharmin Akhter Ratna secured the gold medal at the National Shooting Range Complex in Dhaka. Her compatriot Syeda Sadia Sultana bagged silver while Mampi Das of India achieved a bronze in the event. Earlier, three women- Sharmin Akter Ratna, Tripti Datta and Syeda Sadia Sultana -secured the second medal in the 10m air rifle group event in the afternoon.

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'PCPA' bandh affects four blocks in Purulia district

Purulia, 2 February : Four blocks in the district were affected today owing to the indefinite bandh called by the People's Committee against Police Atrocities' (PCPA) in Junglemahal area against the combined forces' operation.
Sub-Divisional Officer, Purulia Sadar, Avijit Latua said traffic movement in Bandwan, Balampur, Bagmundi and Barabazar areas was less and shops and markets remained closed. Although schools, colleges and offices were open, they had very thin attendance. Meanwhile, Sarenga, Raibandh and Barikul under Bankura district also witnessed a similar scenario, the SDO said, adding no untoward incident has yet been reported.

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Dhaka HC orders on Zia Orphanage case pleas 3 February

Dhaka, 2 February : The High Court will order Wednesday on two petitions filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman seeking stay on the proceedings of Zia Orphanage Trust embezzlement case.
After hearing arguments from the counsels of both sides of the case, the HC bench of Justice MA Wahhab Miah and Justice Md Abdur Razzaque fixed the date. The court said it will pass order on the petitions in presence of the petitioners’ counsels, the attorney general and advocate Anisul Huq, a lawyer for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) which had filed the case.
The ACC filed the case against Khaleda and Tarique and five others on 3 July, 2008 with Ramna Police Station in connection with embezzlement of over TK 2.10 crore by forming the Zia Orphanage Trust.

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Maoist magazine 'People's March' editor dies in SSKM
Kolkata, 2 February : The arrested editor of the Bengali edition of the banned Maoist magazine People's March, Swapan Dasgupta, a blood cancer patient, died in SSKM hospital Tuesday, sparking allegations that the authorities had hastened his death through neglect and lack of proper treatment. A senior official of the SSKM hospital said a post-mortem and forensic examination will be conducted to pinpoint the exact cause of his death.
Dasgupta, along with the magazine's publisher Sadananda Singha, was arrested from their residences in the southern outskirts of the city 7 October and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for publishing the banned periodical that allegedly contained "seditious matter".

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More farmers in Rajshahi areas cultivate Onion this year

UNB, Rajshahi, 2 February : Farmers in three upazilas of the district have brought vast tracts of land under onion cultivation as its cultivation proved to be more profitable than other crops.

Some 15,570 hectares of land have been brought under onion cultivation in the district this year against 14,622 hectares last year. Bangladesh farmers are showing interest in onion cultivation as its production cost is lower this season due to low price of its seeds. On the other hand, the market price of the produce is higher than last year's initial rates.
A large number of farmers in Durgapur, Bagmara and Puthia upazilas have been cultivating various varieties of onion including Taherpuri variety.
After visiting different areas, it was found that the farmers were busy in cultivating onions on their fields. Onion cultivator Ayub of Ratanpur village in Durgapur upazila said he cultivated onion on two bighas of land last year. “But, I brought four bighas of land under onion cultivation this year as I got high price of my produce last year.”
Onion traders from all over the country, particularly from Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, come in barges to the bazaar on the bank of the Baronai River. They hire 'chung' (space under rooftop of a house), buy and store onions and carry the stock by waterway to their trading centres during the season.

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