Bangladesh to connect with Asian Highway Network
Dhaka, 21 May : The government has decided to connect Bangladesh with the proposed Asian Highway Network (AHN), Bangladesh Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain said today.
After a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network, Abul Hossain told reporters at his office that the decision would benefit the country. "We will present the summary in the next cabinet meeting for the government's approval. We would inform the government's decision to the UN-ESCAP after approval," the minister said. "The agreement would be signed as per the routes proposed by the UN-ESCAP. "If we can be connected with the Asian Highway Network, our communications and trade with Asian countries would be boosted. It would flourish our tourism industry," Abul Hossain added.
The proposed three routes are Benapole-Jessore-Kanchpur-Dhaka-Sylhet-Tamabil, Banglabandha-Hatikamrul-Dhaka-Kanchpur-Sylhet-Tamabil and Dhaka-Kanchpur-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar-Teknaf-Myanmar border.

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Trinamool demands President's rule in West Bengal
New Delhi, 21 May : The Trinamool Congress on Thursday demanded the imposition of president's rule in West Bengal, alleging there was complete breakdown of the constitutional machinery and people had lost confidence in the Left Front government there.
"The CPIM led Left Front government has to come to an end in West Bengal. There needs to be president's rule and there have to be elections because (of) the kind of killing which is taking place and the poor state of law and order machinery. There is (an) entire constitutional breakdown," Trinamool leader Dinesh Trivedi told a news channel in New Delhi.
"In democracy the last word is of the people and the people of West Bengal have spoken very loudly and clearly. There is no confidence in the West Bengal government," said Trivedi.

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W.Bengal looking for Bhutan's hydroelectricity power

Kolkata, 21 May : The West Bengal government is looking at hydel power projects in Bhutan. At present, only 3 per cent of the total power generated in the state came from hydroelectricity and the rest from thermal sources, primarily coal.
“We have approached the central government to allow us to execute hydel power projects in Bhutan,” said Sunil Mitra, additional chief secretary at the department of power in West Bengal. Mitra was addressing an interactive session organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce today. According to Mitra, West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WESEDCL) will be the nodal agency for the projects in Bhutan. “We are aiming for a project with a capacity of 600MW in Bhutan. We have already identified three to four river sites there,” said Mitra, who is also the government nominee on the board of the state’s power distribution company.
In the Eleventh Plan period (2007-2012), the state plans to add 3,262MW. Of this, 2,260MW has already been added. The target is 2470MW by this calendar year. At the end of March 2007, the state’s total generation capacity was 4,196MW.

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Six children rescued at Benapole, Two arrested
Benapole, 21 May : Police today rescued six children and arrested two alleged female traffickers after raiding a bus in the Benapole land port area.
The children were identified as Alim, 8, Jihad, 7, Milton, 9, Riaz, 8, Milon, 8, and Mohammad Ali, 9, of Rianda under Sharankhola upazila in Bagerhat while the arrestees are Hosne Ara and Renu Begum. The children were handed over to Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association.

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FH and BDA launches Rs 1,000-cr Health City project in Burdwan

New Delhi, Burdwan, 21 May : Faith Healthcare today announced the launch of Rs 1,000-crore Health City project in Burdwan, which will be developed as a public partnership project with the WB state government.
The project, to be executed in three phases over the next five years, will house a 500-bed hospital, specialised treatment centres for orthopaedics, obstetrics and ENT, pharmacy, telehealth institute, medical college and residency for staff and patient visitors. "The Health City project at Burdwan spreads over 60 acres. Land has already been bought and the next five years will see an overall investment of Rs 1,000 crore," Faith Healthcare Chairman SS Chakraborty told reporters in New Delhi today.
The project is being undertaken in partnership with Burdwan Development Authority and Bengal CES Infratech, he added, but declined to comment on investments to be made by the company.

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GJM resumes non-cooperative movement against WB Government
PTI, Siliguri, 21 May : The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on Thursday resumed its non-cooperation movement against the West Bengal Government, demanding Gorkhaland and denying payment of any tax to the State.
"Non-payment of the state taxes was a part of the non-cooperation movement based on Gandhian ideology aimed at achieving separate Gorkhaland state," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI.

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TMC says it is not bargaining for Ministerial berths
Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi. န Photo : PTI >
New Delhi, 21 May : Trinamool Congress on Thursday said it was not bargaining for ministerial berths in the new Government with a senior party leader Trinamool maintaining that the party forged electoral ties with Congress in West Bengal without any precondition.
"I know my leader (Mamata Banerjee) very well. She has already made it clear that she will not bargain for ministerial berths," leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Partho Chatterjeee said. "Our party has not set any conditions," he said. He parried a question on whether Banerjee herself would join the Cabinet, saying "I do not know because I am not part of the Trinamool Parliamentary party."
Asked whether Trinamool Congress would demand President's rule in West Bengal, Chatterjee evaded a direct reply but said the Left Front must go because the verdict has gone totally against them. "If they are bad in Delhi, they are bad in West Bengal also," he said. Referring to "political atrocities" in West Bengal, he said "if they go on their own it is all right, if not we will raise our voice."

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UPA must bring Northeast development : Tripura CPM
"We would observe the functioning of the new UPA government and its attitude towards northeast India for the time being and then we would take our course of action." - Tripura CM Manik Sarkar

Agartala, 21 May : The victorious Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) must initiate development and provide security in the northeast, the CPI(M) which is in power in Tripura said here.
“We are hopeful that the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh would not deprive the northeastern region of developmental programmes and suitably utilise the region’s untapped resources,” Gautam Das, CPI(M) spokesman in Tripura, told reporters. CPI(M) leads the state ruling Left Front. “Like before, the Left parties would initiate a bigger movement if the UPA government takes any steps detrimental to the interest of the seven northeastern states.”
“There is a friendly government in Bangladesh. The UPA government should further accelerate its initiative to fulfil the northeast’s long pending demands, including the transit issue,” the CPI(M) leader said.