Another Language Martyrs day celebrated in Bengal
Agartala, Silchar, 19 May : Song and dance performances, seminars and discussions marked another Mother Tongue Day celebrated in northeast Indian states along the India-Bangladesh border today.
A large number of functions were held in Tripura, Assam and West Bengal to mark the Language Martyrs Day. On 19th May, 1961, in Silchar of South Assam in North East India witnessed another fight for the Bengali language and 11 people died in police firing to protest against the forcible imposition of Assamese on the Bangla speaking people there as a state policy. The martyrs of 19th May gave their everything for the language and later the Government had to back down.
On 21st July, 1986, in another momentous day in the struggle for the Bengali Language, two bengalis gave their life in Karimganj, a small town in Southern Assam, protesting against yet another attempt by the state government to impose Assamese on the local Bengali population. The two martyrs gave their life when police opened fire on unarmed protesters. This was the pivotal incident that forced the government to withdraw their unpopular legislation.
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E-passport, Visa from next April in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 19 May : The Bangladesh government will introduce machine-readable passport (MRP) and machine-readable visa (MRV) from next April, home ministry officials told reporters. The Department of Immigration and Passport, with the help of army, will start working on the project in July, for which the government has already sanctioned Tk 2.83 crore.
All Bangladesh passports issued from this July will be machine-readable and no one will be allowed to travel without such a document after next April. "Tender will be floated next month," director general of Immigration and Passport department Md Abdur Rab Howladar said.
Md Anwar Hossain, deputy secretary at the home ministry, said International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has stipulated that all countries introduce MRP and MRV by April 2010. However, due to lack of budget and equipment the e-passport could not be lunched, he added.
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Monsoon expected over (S) Andaman sea in 48 hrs

Reuters, Mumbai, 19 May : The south-west monsoon is expected to advance over south Andaman Sea and southeast Bay of Bengal in the next 48 hours, India's weather department said on Tuesday.
Rain and thundershowers are expected at many places over Andaman and Nicobar islands during next 48 hours and at most places thereafter, as per the India Meteorological Department's forecast for the coming five days. India's monsoon rains, crucial for crops such as sugarcane and rice, are expected to hit the southern coast on 26 May, five days ahead of the normal date, it said last week.
Last month, the weather department said the June-September monsoon was likely to be 96 percent of the long-term average.

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How America influenced the big election victory for the Congress Party

Is Indian democracy a slave under influence of CIA ?
Indiadaily.com/Editorial By Ratan Ratnagar, 18 May : There was no way Bush Administration could let India’s ruling party go out of business. India has a new name today, although very disgraceful but real. It is called a satellite nation of America just like Australia, Japan, UK, Mexico and many other central and South American countries. READ MORE