န Thousands of tribals participated in Kolkata rally

Tribals protest in all over Kolkata on "Lalgarh" issue
Kolkata, 24 April : Nearly 1,500 armed tribals brought traffic to a grinding halt in Kolkata for almost two hours on Friday evening. The tribals from Lalgarh and other parts of West Bengal blocked the traffic at Esplanade area in protest when police stopped them breaching the no-entry zone.
The police allegedly beat up some protestors and damaged their vehicles following a scuffle after the tribals gathered in Kolkata to express solidarity with the people of Lalgarh, where tribals with the help of Maoists have banned the entry of police. Earlier, security forces conducted flag march in the Maoist-hit areas in West Bengal, including Lalgarh in West Midnapore district.
West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Debashis Sen said that 27 companies of Central force had already arrived in the state for election duty and many of them had already gone to Maoist-hit and other sensitive areas. ။ Photo : AP
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Pranab rules out support from Left to form govt
Burdwan, Arambagh, 24 April : Two days after saying in Kolkata that Congress was open to Left support to form the next government at the Centre, senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee on Friday ruled out the possibility.
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Bangladesh History Confce begins in Cox’s Bazar
Cox’s Bazar, 24 April : Two-day 40th annual conference of 'Bangladesh Itihas Parishad' began in Cox’s Bazar cultural centre conference room on Friday morning. The Chittagong University vice-chancellor, Professor Abu Yousuf Alam, inaugurate the conference as chief guest.
A total of two-hundred members of the organisation are participating in the conference. Sixty topics, including eight on Cox’s Bazar, will be discussed in different session. ‘This conference will inspire the next generation for to write on local history,’ said Professor Abu Yousuf Alam in his inaugural speech. ‘Bangladesh Itihas Parishad can play a vital role in writing the actual history of War of Independence of Bangladesh,’ he added.
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Left may ally with Congress after polls : Buddhadeb
PTI, New Delhi, 24 April : West Bengal chief minister and senior CPI(M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has not ruled out the possibility of the Left parties working with Congress again if the situation warrants after the Lok Sabha polls.
"We are not committing anything.... After elections, when the situation will arise, we will discuss on the concrete situation at that time," he said when asked whether Left parties could again "ally" with the Congress to keep BJP out if the situation demands. He said the Left parties at present are "busy with the task to defeat both the Congress and the BJP."
Asked whether Left parties, like in 2004, would again remain out of government if they get a chance to be part of it, Bhattacharya said "History does not repeat itself. What happened in 2004, I don't think its going to get repeated again." He referred to 1996 when the Left parties rejected the idea of Jyoti Basu becoming the Prime Minister and said "we discussed and decided that if situation demands and if we can play a meaningful role in the Government, then we have to think over and we may join this Government."
On Congress, the CPM leader said the Left parties had no problem with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as an individual but were opposed to his policies.
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India concerned over Taliban thrust : Anand Sharma
Kolkata, 24 April : India on Friday expressed grave concern over the progress of Taliban in Pakistan saying it posed a threat to the stability and peace of the entire region, while urging Islamabad to deal effectively with the situation. "The thrust of Taliban is a matter of deep concern and poses threat to the stability and peace of the entire region and, off course, the stability of Pakistan," the Minister of State for External Affairs, Anand Sharma told reporters in Kolkata today. "This organisation poses a threat to civil order and peace in the entire world," he added.
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Chittagong port reopens
UNB, Chittagong, 24 April : The movement of ships to and from Chittagong seaport became normal this morning after the channel was dredged following capsize of a clinker-laden lighter vessel.
Sources in the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) today said the channel has been deepened and widened by dredging and as a result nine feeder vessels have already been entered into the port from outer anchorage. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Shipping Minister Afsarul Amin visited the spot of occurrence this morning. Talking to reporters, the minister said they would make arrangements to buy a salvage ship for the port. He also said necessary measures will be taken to remove the capsized vessel as early as possible.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, the lighter with clinker capsized at the estuary of the Karnaphuli River, jamming the shipping channel from Chittagong Seaport into the Bay of Bengal and impeding shipping operations. Among 12 crewmembers of the vessel, 11 managed to swim ashore while its master, Bahar, was found dead.
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Two CPI(M) leaders shot dead near in Balarampur
Purulia, 24 April : Suspected Maoists shot dead two local CPI(M) leaders at Supurdih village in Balarampur area, about 40 from here, last night.
Police said Bibhuti Singh Sardar and Baikuntha Mahato were returning from a fair at around 11 pm last night when some motorcycle-borne persons shot at them from a close range. Both of them died on the spot, police said. While the police is yet to identify the assailants, the family members of the victims said the killers raised slogans in support of the Maoists after killing the two.
The CPI(M) has called a 12-hour bandh in Balarampur on Friday in protest against the incident. Security has been tightened in this district headquarter town in view of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit for campaigning.
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Tornado kills 1, injures 25 in Haimchar of Chandpur
UNB, Chandpur, 24 April : A tornado swept over two villages in Haimchar upazila of Chandpur Thursday night, killing a man and injuring 25 people. According to a delayed report, the whirlwind hit Jaliachar and Baburchar villages at about 7:00pm(BDST) and lasted about 15 minutes.
A boat capsized in the River Meghna during the storm, leaving Momin Sardar, 22, of Lakshmipur drowned. The tornado also razed 200 dwelling houses to the ground, leaving 25 people injured, upazila youth development officer Abul Bashar Patwary said. Two of the injured were sent to Dhaka for better treatment.