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Monday, March 30, 2009

န TOP BENGAL NEWS OF THE MARCH, 2009

Sorav Ganguly in sole KKR charge, But with rider...
Kolkata, 31 March : Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan has called temporary truce in the ongoing confrontation between last year’s captain Sourav Ganguly and head coach John Buchanan over the contentious captaincy issue.
In a bit to douse the controversy over Buchanan’s multi-captain theory, SRK played peacemaker throughout a marathon meeting on Tuesday with the two principal protagonists, later indicating that "as of now" Ganguly would remain the team’s sole captain. A final decision, though, will be taken only after a two-week camp in South Africa, meaning a window has been left open for Buchanan to implement his ideas away from the media’s glare in Bloemfontein, where the team will be based during IPL Season 2.
With Sourav and Buchanan refusing to see eye-to-eye on the issue, SRK got down to cooling tempers and came up with a solution which is likely to temporarily appease both parties. An official KKR press statement issued later also sought to douse the fires, suggesting the franchise was in damage control mode.

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Hilsa catching goes on despite a two-month ban

Barisal, 31 March : Fishermen in the coastal areas of the southern region continue Hilsa catching despite a two-month ban from 1 March. The Bangladesh government imposed the ban to save the fry in the breeding season in 340 kilometre area which includes estuary and rivers. But the initiative is falling flat for lack of wide publicity and slack enforcement of ban due to poor coordination among the departments concerned.
The ban covers the rivers of Ilisha, Meghna, Tentulia, Bishkhali and Padma of Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Munshiganj, Chandpur and Laxmipur regions.Locals said hundreds of fishermen are still using banned current nets in Uttar Tazumuddin to Poshchim Syed Awalia areas, in the north-west of the Meghna, and on the River Tetulia under Bhola district.
The fishermen, however, said they catch Hilsa including Jatka (fry) as they have no other means to survive. "We are poor people. How will we survive if we do not catch fish?" posed Ahmed Ali, a fisherman of Tazumuddin upazila in Bhola.

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Assam blast near Pranab Mukherjee's rally site kills 1
Police personnel inspect the blast site in Guwahati. Photo: PTI >
PTI, Guwahati, 31 March : Atleast 5 people were injured and 1 person was killed in a blast on Tuesday near Lal-Ganesh area in Western Guwahati in Assam. The powerful bomb was kept in a Pulsar motorbike and the UFLA is believed to be behind the attack.
The blast reportedly took place near the Shanker hotel in Jyoti Kuchi in Lal Ganesh area of Guwahati. The blast took place very close to where Pranab Mukherjee's rally was being held. On 25 March at least 13 people, including a CRPF jawan, were injured in a grenade attack by ULFA militants at the busy Lakhsmi Mandir area in Tezpur town of Assam.
53 militants surrendered before the Indian Army in Assam
ANI, Guwahati, 31 March : A total of 53 militants surrendered before the Indian Army in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Tuesday.These 53 militants included 44 members of the banned militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), three from Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and six of the Adivasi National Liberation Army (ANLA).
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Bangladesh expresses concern over Myanmar fence
Dhaka, 31 March : Bangladesh's foreign ministry expressed concern Today over Myanmar's plan to build a barbed wire fence along a 40-km stretch of their border, renewing tensions after a resources dispute last year.
We heard a few days ago that Myanmar was piling fencing materials on its side of the border but only realized it yesterday that they plan to erect the fence only 13 meters off the no man's land, said a foreign ministry official, who asked not to be named. No construction work is allowed in the narrow no man's land area, other officials said.
The Bangladesh foreign ministry would lodge an official protest, the ministry official said, adding that the Myanmar embassy in Dhaka had confirmed the plan to build the fence. Bangladesh and Myanmar share a 320 km border, partly demarcated by the Naf river, a regular route for smuggling and illegal crossings by Muslim refugees fleeing what they say is persecution by Myanmar's military junta.

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PNHZP to start 'Clouded Leopard' conservation breed
Darjeeling, 31 March : The Padamaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is set to start conservation breeding of the clouded leopard with the arrival of a pair from Sephoyjhola zoo in Tripura.
The World Conservation Union, an international organisation that maintains a global list of endangered species, has classified the clouded leopard as “vulnerable”. Experts say conservation breeding of the animal is extremely difficult.

“The zoo in Darjeeling will be the second in the country after the one at Sephoyjhola to start the conservation breeding of clouded leopards. As the male leopard is known to be very aggressive with the partner during mating, sometimes even leading to the death of the female, breeding of clouded leopard is difficult,” said Siromani Sangden, estate officer of the zoo here. The Darjeeling zoo had a male clouded leopard, which was exchanged with Sephoyjhola for a pair.
“The clouded leopards arrived in Darjeeling on Friday and they are doing well,” said Sangden. The animal is usually found in China, eastern Himalayan belt and South-east Asia.

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IOs sued for skewing 21.08.04 grenade attack probe
Dhaka, 30 March : The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police today filed a case against three investigation officers of the '21 August grenade attack' for their alleged attempts to skew the probe. The accused three retired police officers are Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), ASP and Special Superintendent of police of the Bangladesh CID.
The grisly attack on 21 August in 2004 killed 22 people including AL's woman affairs secretary and present Bangladesh President Zillur Rahaman's wife Ivy Rahman and injured over 200.
It was speculated that the attack had been plotted to assassinate present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
During the four-party alliance's rule the investigators arrested some suspects in connection with the 21 August grenade attack. One of the arrestees, petty criminal George Mia, gave confessional statement before a court that underworld gang Seven-Star Group led by most wanted criminal Subrata Bain Shuvro carried out the attack.

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Dhaka seek Interpol help in probing BDR carnage

UNB, Dhaka, 30 March : Bangladesh Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, coordinator of the probe bodies investigating into the BDR carnage, today said Bangladesh might seek support from Interpol to interrogate anyone from abroad under the ongoing investigation process.
“So many people have so far been interrogated and the probe bodies will interrogate more, if necessary, for an acceptable result, no matter whether they are locals or foreigners,” he said after a function organised by Action Aid.
He said they would seek support from Interpol, the world’s largest international police organisation with 187 member countries, in case they have to interrogate anyone from outside the country. Replying to a question he said, the investigation is progressing in its own way and the investigators are working freely. “You know 30 more working days have been given to the probe body and it might get further time, if necessary,” he said.
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Tripura will play crucial role in forming Third Front
Agartala, 30 March : Tripura will play a crucial role in forming a third front government after the April-May Lok Sabha polls, claimed a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) spokesman here Monday.
“As thousands of people belonging to non-Left camps have joined the Left parties over the years in Tripura, the vote share of the CPI-M would further increase in the Lok Sabha elections,” said CPI(M) spokesman Gautam Das.
The CPI(M) is the main constituent of the Left Front government, which has been ruling the state for 26 years. “The deposits of the main opposition Congress candidates would be forfeited and the electorate would give a befitting lesson to the party (Congress) for the United Progressing Alliance (UPA) government’s anti-people and anti-nation policies,” he said.
“After its first phase of state-wide campaign, the party will launch a massive poll campaign 5 April with a big rally in Agartala, to be addressed by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat.” “Due to the Congress-led UPA government’s miserable performance on all fronts, more fence-sitter parties would soon join the Third Front,” he claimed.
Sitting Lok Sabha MPs Khagen Das and Bajuban Reang, both CPI(M) central committee members, Monday filed their nomination papers for the Tripura West and Tripura East parliamentary constituencies, respectively.
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Moynar Juddho Dibash Today
Great 'liberation war' past yet to get any recognition
The memorial for martyrs of battle at Moyna ။ Photo: STAR >
Natore, 30 March : People of Lalpur in Natore district will observe 'Moynar Juddho Dibash' today as valiant freedom fighters in the area destroyed a large number of Pakistan occupation forces on this day in 1971. Forty people including Bangalees and Santals embraced martyrdom during the crucial event in the beginning of Bangladesh liberation war.
But the great victory of the freedom fighters at the early stage of liberation war is yet to get proper recognition at national level and no museum or library has been set up in memory of the martyrs till date !
Members of the martyrs' families in Moyna and adjoining villages demanded observation of 'Moynar Juddho Dibash' at state level.

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Ordered to hang 'Bangabandhu' Mujibur's portrait
In all Bangladesh Govt. offices, schools....
Dhaka, 30 March : The Bangladesh government today decided to hang the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with the head of the government in all educational institutions, embassies, government, non-government and autonomous institutions of the country. The government made this decision at a cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the cabinet division.
Prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters this emerging from the meeting. The government also approved the National Information and Communications Policy in the meeting, Azad added.

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Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) new chief to visit India today
Dhaka, 30 March : Bangladesh's new paramilitary border force chief is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Monday on a three-day trip to India to discuss border issues between the two neighbouring countries, a foreign ministry official said in Dhaka on Sunday.
Mainul Islam, who was appointed as Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) chief following the killing of Major General Shakil Ahmed during a mutiny last month, will meet India's Border Security Force (BSF) head M L Kumawat on 31st March, the official said, adding that the meeting would basically be a "familiarisation meeting" between the two.

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133 SBI branches to sell Nano forms in East Indiat
Business Standard, Kolkata, 30 March : State Bank of India (SBI) has identified 133 branches in the Bengal circle, comprising, Sikkim, Andaman and Nibobar islands and West Bengal, for sale of application forms to book the Tata Motors Rs 1 lakh car, the NANO.
The bank had recently entered into an agreement with Tata Motors for bookings the car through SBI branch network. The facility will be available in nearly 30 branches of SBI in Kolkata, including the regional head office of the bank on Strand Road.
In Andaman, the bookings will take place through a branch in Port Blair. According to the agreement between Tata Motors and SBI, the filled up application forms with booking amount will be collected through more than 1350 SBI branches in more than 850 cities.
The SBI booking loan product will enable applicants for booking a Tata Nano by financing 100 per cent booking amount at down payment amount starting from Rs 2,999 onwards. Nano car loans had a maximum tenure of seven years.
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Czech citizen lands in Tripura jail after arrested from Sonamura Border
Agartala, 30 March : A local court today remanded a Czech student to five-day judicial custody for not carrying valid travel documents. Zerslav Mark (26) was arrested yesterday at Sonamura border in West Tripura from Bangladesh for not carrying any valid passport, BSF sources said.
Along with some Indian rupees, 401 dollars, 1160 Bangladeshi taka, a Bangladeshi SIM card and some travel tickets of India and Bangladesh were recovered from him, the sources added. ”Initial investigation revealed that mark entered Mumbai on 17 February without valid documents and visited several parts of the country till 12 March. Finally, he went to Bangladesh through Kolkata,” police said.
Mark claimed that he was a management student and was on a tour to India and Bangladesh but couldn’t show any valid documents to support his claim. The matter had been taken up with Czech embassy through External Affairs ministry, police added.

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