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.

Storm Of Hailstones Pelt Over Bengal With Welcome Rain...

Temperature drops in 2 Metros, After thundershower
Dhaka, Kolkata, 29 March : Sunday evening witnessed a spell of rain that led to a sharp fall in the mercury level. "Sunday morning was very hot and humid. The rain, followed by a cool breeze, brought some welcome relief from the hot and sultry weather," said a meteorological department official in Dhaka. A storm of hailstones pelt the capital Dhaka along with welcome rain.
The day's maximum temperature in Kolkata was 34.6 Dig.C. After Sunday's spell of rain 1.75 mm in Kolkata, as recorded by the Alipur Met office there was a sharp fall in temperature, much to the relief of two Metros. After the rain, the temperature dropped to 25.4Dig.C. in Kolkata and 24 Dig.C. In Dhaka.
Despite the sudden rainfall, there were no reports of flights or trains getting delayed in two Metros. Neither was there any waterlogging reported.

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Joint patrolling of India-Bangladesh border resumed

Agartala, 29 March : Indian and Bangladeshi frontiers guards have resumed joint patrolling along the border after a brief suspension of the combined vigil following a mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troopers in Dhaka last month, officials said here Sunday.
The joint patrolling resumed last week following talks between the two sides, A.K. Singh, spokesman of the Border Security Force (BSF), said. Some 80 people were killed in the mutiny by BDR troopers.
Five Indian states - West Bengal, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam and Tripura share a 4,095 km border with Bangladesh. These include a 2,979 km land border and 1,116 km are riverine. In view of next months Lok Sabha elections, we are also conducting joint patrolling along vulnerable border areas with security forces of the northeastern states, Singh said. According to the BSF official, 21 companies (2,100 personnel) of additional paramilitary troopers have been deployed in Tripura for the elections.

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British Airways ends direct flights to Kolkata & Dhaka

Kolkata, Dhaka, 29 March : British Airways ended its direct flights between the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka and London Saturday because the 34-year-old route was no longer profitable, the carrier said. And also will suspend its operations from Kolkata from Monday due to shortage of passengers even as the NSCBI Airport gets ready to take off with a Rs 2,000-crore modernization package under its wings. The last BA direct flight to London from the Kolkata taked off on Sunday morning with 200-odd passengers on board.
The airline suspended the three-times-a-week Dhaka service as it had not made a profitable contribution to our business for some time. The first Dhaka to London service was in January 1975, according to BA, and was operated on a VC10 aircraft. Initially the route was only once a week.

Global passenger volumes in February nosedived 10.1 percent below levels recorded a year earlier, the airline industry association IATA said this week.Airlines in South Asia have been hit hard by the global economic downturn, with Sri Lanka's national airline this week cutting half its flights to India in a bid to reduce losses. ။ Photo Courtesy : ABP

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Bangladesh approves SAARC convention to combat terrorism
Xinhua, Dhaka, 29 March : Bangladesh’s Cabinet approved a convention to strengthen cooperation among the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations in combating terrorism, a senior official said.
Abul Kalam Azad, press secretary of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinsa, told reporters that the Cabinet approved the proposal SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, which was adopted during the 15th summit in Sri Lanka last year. A senior official to Bangladesh’s Home Ministry said the Convention seeks to provide the legal basis for mutual assistance in criminal matters, namely investigations, prosecution and resulting proceedings.
“A collective action on dealing with terrorism is a dominant issue for eight member states of SAARC as we are all facing the menace of terrorism,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

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'Save Sunderbans to Save Kolkata' a NGO campaign

Kolkata, 29 March : Imagine being caught in a cyclonic storm that floods Kolkata, submerging the length and breadth of the city from Dum Dum to Tollygunge. Giant tidal waves lashing the streets, sweeping away homes and offices, uprooting lamp posts and tossing away vehicles. If this sounds like a post-tsunami scene witnessed in Pataya five years ago, Kolkata could well be heading for a similar disaster in the next 25 years, say marine experts and conservationists.

With the water level rising in the Sunderbans and the forest cover shrinking fast, Kolkata is losing the buffer that has been protecting it from natural disasters for centuries. A threat to the Sunderbans ecology is actually a warning for the city. Unless steps are taken, the city's sub-surface acquifers and the river Hooghly could turn completely saline by 2050. A substantial part of Kolkata could also go under water in the next 40 years, said experts at the School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University. Water level at the Sunderbans has been rising by 3.14 mm each year. Its impact is already being felt in Kolkata in the form of rising salinity.
To make people aware of the impending danger, an NGO launched a campaign "Save Sunderbans to Save Kolkata" in the city on Sunday.
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Campaign on for World's 7 Wonders at Cox’s Bazar
Cox’s Bazar, 28 March : Bangladesh National Front of Teachers and Employees Campaign to voting for Cox’s Bazar and Sundarbans as among the seven natural wonders of the world begins from today morning at Cox’s Bazar.

Golam Mohammad Quader, minister for civil aviation and tourism formally inaugurated this campaign as chief guest. Activate Bangladesh, a non-government organisation organised under the banner of ‘Jago Bangladesh’.
GM Quader said, ‘Bangladesh has a historical background. We are proud of Cox’s Bazar, which boasts the longest sea beach in the world, and the Sundarbans, which is the largest mangrove forest in the world.’ Cox’s Bazar and Sundarban should be at the top of the list in the competition of seven wonders.

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Judge me by my work, Pranab Mukherjee tells Murshidabad voter

Jangipur, 28 March : ‘Stating that voters should judge him by his acheivements, senior Congress leader and External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee said that he does not believe in making tall promises but in result based performance. “I do not believe in making tall promises. I believe in results of efforts made,” Mukherjee told an election rally at Jangipur, his Lok Sabha constituency on Friday night.
Pinning high hope on the Congress-Trinamool Congress seat adjustment in West Bengal, he said a joint campaign by the TC chief Mamata Banerjee and him would be launched after 16 April.

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1st Rickshaw Festival in World's Rickshaw capital

Dhaka, 28 March : Dhaka, known as the 'rickshaw capital of the world', saw its first ever rickshaw festival on Saturday. Approximately 400,000 cycle-powered rickshaws run in the capital each day. However, increasing traffic congestion and resulting collisions have led to their ban on many of Dhaka's major roads.
The festival is meant to promote this environment-friendly vehicle, and the rickshaw-pulling community, that caters to a vast majority of people in the Bangladesh. It is also meant to raise the profile of Bangladeshi heritage and culture.
Children and adults thronged the colourful day-long event at New Colony Field in Lalmatia. Two public universities, including Dhaka University, and 15 private universities also assisted in hosting the day-long programme, which included rickshaw-pullers presenting traditional songs and dances and showcased rickshaw painters who are famous for their elaborate and colourful illustrations. It also allowed festival goers to try their hand at rickshaw art and take part in rickshaw races. ပ Photo : Nashirul Islam

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Nano launch a conspiracy against me: Mamata on Tv
Kolkata, 27 March : Four days after the launch of the Nano in Mumbai, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged that the event was timed with the Lok Sabha elections in mind and was a conspiracy against her.
Participating in an interactive programme aired by a private television news channel (Star Ananda), Banerjee said: "The launch of the Nano was timed keeping in view the approaching Lok Sabha polls. It was motivated. It is a conspiracy against me. "Where is the factory? The car is also not ready. Some parts of cars were bought from malls to make the model cars," she alleged in the programme.
Banerjee claimed that Tata Motors had fled from Singur not because of her party's agitation against land acquisition, but because of the global meltdown. The Trinamool supremo said Tatas' purchase of Corus had brought down the share prices of the company. "Their plants in Jamshedpur are also not running through the week."
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Singur people want Nano back : Buddhadeb on TV
Kolkata, 27 March : Global auto major Tata Motors may have moved out its Nano plant from the state but the people of Singur still want the project, says West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. "People of Singur want the factory over there, they are very hopeful and I have conveyed this to the higher authorities of the Tata Group," Bhattacharjee said in an interview to a private Bengali news channel (24 Ghanta) here.
Singur, in the state's Hooghly district, had turned into a battleground for about two-and-a-half years since May 2006 after the WB state government allotted land for the Nano project.
On 3 October last year the TATA company announced it had scrapped its plans to bring out the small car, priced at Rs.100,000, from the Singur facility. The plant was shifted to Sanand in Gujarat.
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Investigators identify more 'killers' of BDR carnage
Dhaka, 27 March : Three more "killers" involved in last month's carnage in Bangladesh Rifles headquarters have been identified after investigators examined the CCTV footage and recorded video clips captured during the mutiny, officials said. Three killers of two army colonels were identified on the basis of tapes, the Shamokal newspaper said quoting officials familiar with the investigation even as dramatic pictures of the first few minutes of the mutiny were splashed by several newspapers on Friday.
The pictures, available on a social networking site, showed two armed men failing to fire their guns on the now slain BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed as he held a "darbar" or open meeting with officers and soldiers. A BDR soldier is seen rushing out to call in other armed rebels to kill the officers after their initial attempt failed. The rebels, in the first few hours of the mutiny, had claimed that Ahmed first shot at the troops.
Officials earlier said they initially had identified over 300 mutineers, some of them directly involved in the killing, as dozens were remaned in custody for interrogation. Meanwhile, a senior security official said they planned to made public a list of 1800 fugitive soldiers with pictures as several of them were found to have carried out the killings during the rebellion.
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New index to help Rabindranath Tagore researchers
Kolkata, 27 March : Two researchers have prepared a concordance an alphabetical index showing contextual occurrence of a word based on 19 volumes of letters written by Rabindranath Tagore published by Visva-Bharati.
This detailed compilation, called Rabindranather Chithipatra : Nirdeshika, was prepared by Sati Chatterjee and Debi Rani Ghosh, city based academics with a passion for Bengali literature. They say their work will help research students to know the literary giant better.
Debi Rani Ghosh said, "It was disappointing that in Bengali literature there was no concordance work, be it of Saratchandra Chattopadhyay, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay or Tagore. While some such research was initiated in the past, it mostly remained incomplete. It was very difficult for the research scholars to look for any particular subject on Bengali literature. So we decided to undertake our research."
To start with, Chatterjee and Ghosh have worked on about 2,500 letters written by Tagore to his friends and family. The Nirdeshika, published recently by the Bengal chapter of National Council of Education, also charts out a map of the poet's developing ideas on moral-spiritual values, literature, music, painting and on several of his own works.
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Barapukuria coal mine affected families to get compensation
Coal News, 27 March : The Committee constituted to determine compensation for the resettlement of 406 affected families of Barapukuria in Dinajpur coalmine project in Bangladesh is likely to submit its report this week.
Some 2,000 affected people of 406 families living at seven villages in coal mining areas will be given compensation for their rehabilitation. Read More....
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Upgraded 'CAT II' trial run at Kolkata N S C Airport
Kolkata, 27 March : Having faced frequent flight delays due to fog and other extreme weather conditions in the past, the N S C Bose International Airport authorities are holding the trial run of the upgraded CAT II Instrumental Landing System today.
The system, to facilitate plane movement beyond 350 metres visibility, was installed at the primary runway with work completed today on a war footing, airport sources said. However, though the AAI authorities planned to use a pilot aircraft from Delhi to check the efficacy of the new system this evening, it was later postponed to late hours and tomorrow morning due to a squall which broke out at around 6:30 pm.
Though the system could be checked amidst the storm, the authorities did not take any chance and the system was expected to be finally put to use soon, the sources said.

။ Bangladesh celebrates 38th years of Independence

< People from all walks gather at the Savar National Memorial on the 38th anniversary of independence, to pay their respect to the national heroes.

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A girl holds a rose and a Bangladesh national flag at the Savar National Memorial.

တ Photo : Firoz Ahmed

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Sourav is our main man: Shah Rukh
Kolkata, 26 March : After fuming protest over ill-treatment to Sourav Ganguly, Kolkata Knight Rider's co-owner Shah Rukh Khan said Dada is the main man of his team and that no decision is final as nothing is etched in stone.
In an interview to The Telegraph, King Khan said, "Sourav is our main man. No idea or decision will be taken without Dada's consent and agreement. And the whole KKR respects and loves him no end. So, there is no reason to overreact by any of us right now," said Shah Rukh.
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'Go back Buchanan', shout protesting
Kolkatans just outside Eden Gardens
Kolkata, 26 March : A day after the Kolkata Knight Riders Cricket Manager John Buchanan made it clear that Sourav Ganguly was no more its sole captain, protests broke out today outside Eden Gardens where KKR team camp was going on. A group of youngmen took to the streets protesting the development and shouted slogans like 'Go back Buchanan'. They also burnt Buchanan's effigy outside the stadium.
Ganguly has been axed as the sole leader of the side with Buchanan on Wednesday saying there would not be a "fixed captain" of the team and he wants to go ahead with the strange concept of "multiple captains" during IPL matches.
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Sophisticated seismic observatory installed in Tripura
Agartala, 26 March : The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has come up with a sophisticated seismic observatory with digital broadband seismograph and short-period digital seismograph in Tripura for ensuring an accurate prediction of tremor.GSI Director General P M Tejale said here today that the observatory lab would be able to provide early detection of landslips as well as earthquakes.
Tejale pointed out that GSI had initiated a process to prepare a seismic micro-zonation map for the hilly parts of the region, including Tripura, falling under the Seismic Zone V, vulnerable to earthquake.
”The seismic pillar will able to record even a micro-level earth movement up to 20 peripheral surface distance. The equipment, designed after Tsunami, is the first of its kind in the country,” GSI Seismologist O P Mishra said.
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RAB seeks modern equipment to fight extremism
ATN Bangla, Dhaka, 26 March : Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has urged the government for raising its strength by equipping it with the modern air and naval facilities to combat crime and extremism of the country.
Director General of the RAB Hasan Mahmood Khandkar said this while attending a ceremony in observance of its 5th founding anniversary in the city this morning. He also said RAB would become an efficient force to serve the country and its people if it is facilitated with the modern equipment.
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Six member Foreign delegation visits Tripura
Agartala, 26 March : A six-member delegation from abroad today met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Governor D N Sahay after visiting the industrial growth centre at Bodhjungnagar. Official sources here today said the delegates comprised the members from Indonesia and Cambodia, adding they were on a two-day visit since yesterday to explore the investment opportunities in the state.
The team includes Ambassadors of the Republic of Indonesia Andi Muhammad Ghalib and Haji Sidek Ali, High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam, Ambassador of the kingdom of Cambodia Yous Makana and First secretary of Indonesia Embassy Leonard F Hutabarat.
The delegation held a meeting with Pabitra Kar, Chairman of Tripura Industrial Development Corporation, along with the officials of state industry and commerce department, leading entrepreneurs and the Tripura Chamber of Commerce.

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Former SC judge Bannerjee to probe

Kharagpur IIT student's death
Midnapore, 26 March : Former Supreme Court judge U C Banerjee will conduct a judicial probe into the death of a third year engineering student in IIT-Kharagpur campus five days back and the subsequent violence.
Banerjee, also the former Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court, would examine the circumstances leading to the death of electrical engineering student Anil Kumar on 22 March, the consequent student violence and the alleged heckling of Damodar Acharya who 'resigned' from the Director's post that very night, IIT sources said. Banerjee, currently based in Kolkata, has been briefed about the situation by the chairman, IIT Board of Governors B Muthuraman and is likely to visit the campus shortly, the sources said.
Teaching schedules operated normally in the campus after the elite institution was rocked by student violence during which the bungalow of the dean was damaged and his car vandalised.

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Bangladesh celebrates 38th years of Independence
26 March marked with calls for peace and progress
AP, Dhaka, 26 March : Bangladeshis celebrated 38 years of independence on Thursday amid tight security as tens of thousands of people visited a national memorial outside the capital to mark the split from Pakistan in which millions of people died.
The government deployed additional security forces in the capital, Dhaka, after officials had warned that Islamic militant groups might launch attacks. It cancelled a traditional Independence Day military parade following February's mutiny by border guards that killed 75 people, including 57 army members. Bangladesh became the province of East Pakistan after British colonialists ceded control of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, leading to the creation of India and Pakistan. Pakistan's military rulers refused to hand over power to an elected party of Bangladeshi nationalists following general elections in 1970. Pakistani forces gunned down thousands of mostly unarmed civilians, including university students, police officers and homeless people sleeping on the streets of Dhaka, in a crackdown in the hours before East Pakistan declared independence, just after dawn on 26 March, 1971.
Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at a national memorial in Savar, Dhaka.

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OCP mine catches fire at Sangramgarh near Asansol

Niraj Modi, Asansol, 26 March : Thick black smoke of carbon monoxide and methane gas started billowing out of the ratholes, dug by illegal miners, early on Wednesday morning. And today late in the evening, there were reports that the fire was going out of control and that the army had been called in. One local residents Bhim Ruidas (30) reportedly died today due to poisonous gas.
The nearest human habitation is the nondescript hamlet of Muchipara, barely 2Km away. Most of the 150 families, residing there, thrive on illegal coal and though the funds for rehabilitation and resettlement are ready, they are just not interested in shifting anywhere. The families, which do not depend on illegal coal, blame the state government for dilly-dallying the issue of R&R, fearing a loss in majority of the Muchipara vote-bank.
Asansol SDO Debashis Sarkar told Bengal Newz, he has sent Salanpur BDO Soma Shaw to the site and also instructed Samrajit Chakravarti, the chairman-cum-managing director of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), to ensure that the flames are doused with mud and water so that the passage of air does not get cut off by the underground fire. Sources said some illegal miners of Sangramgarh also fell ill on Wednesday night. Villagers also prevented two fire tenders from dousing the flames, fearing it would spread further. ECL officials said the abandoned Sangramgarh incline is situated just beside the Sangramgarh OCP.
Villagers agitated in front of Salanpur area office of ECL today, demanding the fire be put out. Nearly 1,500 families of Sangramgarh have demanded immediate rehabilitation. "If the Muchipara residents do not want to shift let them live dangerously but we want to shift but the state government is not thinking about us,"said a local resident.
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Tiger skin seized from 'fisherman' in Kultali
Kultali, 25 March : Poaching has reared its ugly head in the Sunderbans yet again. An adult tiger's skin was recovered from a fisherman's house at Purba Gurguria in Kultali, leading to two arrests early on Wednesday.
Although the forest department refused to confirm if it was a Sunderbans 195 cm-long tiger skin, some forest guards said the skin looked "fresh", suggesting that the tiger had been killed less than two weeks ago. A probe has been started to identify a poaching racket that is suspected to be involved.

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Indian goods to reach Dhaka by water in 2010

Dhaka, 25 March : Businessmen will be able to transport consumer goods from India by water all the way to Dhaka and Narayanganj by middle of June next year, officials said Tuesday.
Ending a two-day negotiation, Bangladesh and India renewed the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade, first signed in 1972, for two more years. Officials of the two countries said cargo unloading facilities in Dhaka and Narayanganj would help Bangladeshi consumers to get commodities at much cheaper prices. At present, a small portion of cargo, mainly cement raw materials and crude oil, comes from India by waterways using Khulna and Sirajganj jetties. Delegation heads of both the countries termed the existing volume of inland trade “very small”.
But acting shipping secretary Masud Elahi was enthusiastic about the new cargo facilities. “This gives us an opportunity to enhance the existing inland water trade with India,” Elahi told reporters, after the protocol signing at the Sonargaon Hotel.

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India-Singapore naval exercises in Andaman Sea
New Delhi, Port Blair, 25 March : Aiming to attain interoperability and train personnel in manoeuvres during war, Indian and Singaporean navies today launched their annual bilateral exercise SIMBEX-2009 in the Andaman Sea. Being the 16th in the series of exercises that began in 1994, this year's edition of SIMBEX would extend from the Andaman Sea to the South China Sea and would go on till 2 April, Naval officers said in Delhi.
The Indian Navy is fielding vessels from its Eastern Fleet, which are currently on a South-East and East Asian deployment. These ships are bound for the Chinese port-city of Qingdao in the Yellow Sea, where they would participate in Chinas first International Fleet Review next month. "Both navies will, as usual, field front line surface and sub-surface combatants for the SIMBEX. This will be in addition to fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft from both sides," officers said.

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Bamboo trader abducted in North Tripura
Agartala, 25 March : Suspected National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants has allegedly abducted a bamboo trader from remote Monacherra area in North Tripura.
Police said here today that a group of unknown miscreants stormed the house of one Pravasanti Reang and forcibly kidnapped the tenant, identified as Md Joynal Uddin (35), who had been involved in bamboo trading. A massive manhunt had been launched though nobody had been arrested so far, police said.
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British Petro gets ready for methane hunt in Birbhum
Rampurhat, Howrah, 25 March : BP, one of the largest integrated oil companies in the world, is set to begin exploration drilling in Birbhum district soon. The company, formerly known as British Petroleum, will search for coal bed methane (CBM) here.
This is the first exploration work that the global giant with a revenue of over $365 billion is taking up in India. “Our preparations are in the final stages. We hope to begin drilling work in the next few weeks,” a BP official told Bengal Newz on Wednesday.
It has received all the necessary clearances for the project, including the Union environment ministry’s approval. The area of the block is over 248 square kilometres. However, the company will not require more than 50 acres for exploration activities, which will be done over four-and-a-half years. Industry experts see good potential for the block in Birbhum, which has large unexplored coal deposits. The first commercial production of coal bed methane in the country is taking place in the Ranigunj-Asansol belt of Burdwan, which is not far from Birbhum. Great Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd is undertaking production.
ONGC and Essar are also exploring CBM in the state. However, this is the first time a global oil and gas giant such as BP is doing significant exploration work in West Bengal, which has so far been unlucky in petroleum.
။ Coal bed methane is a form of natural gas which is extracted from coal beds. It has become an important source of energy in recent years, especially to generate power and for heating.
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Committee reviews laws on war crimes trial
'The trial will begin soon,' said the Minister
UNB, Dhaka, 25 March : An inter-ministerial meeting on war crimes trial met for the first time today to review provisions of the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973 to see if the trial is possible under this law.
After the meeting, State Minister For Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj told reporters that they also discussed the formation of tribunal, appointment of prosecutors and investigation agencies. “We want to hold trial of the war criminals according to our election commitment and the present session of parliament passed a resolution for quick trial of the war criminals,” Taj said.
Bangladesh Home Minister Sahara Khatun, Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed, secretaries of the home ministry and war of liberation affairs ministry, additional attorney-general, IGP, chiefs of RAB and Special Branch and a director of NSI were among others present at the meeting that lasted one and a half hour. ။ Cartoon courtesy : The Daily Star
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Sourav Ganguly dropped as 'fixed' Kolkata Knight Riders captain
Buchanan wanted 'Dada' to be axed as captain
Kolkata, 25 March : Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan has dropped Sourav Ganguly as “fixed” captain of the IPL team for the Twenty20 tournament to be held in South Africa from 18 April.
The team will have four captains, team coach John Buchanan announced on Wednesday in Kolkata. He said the decision to have multiple captains has nothing to do with Ganguly's performance or fitness and denied any rift in the team.
“Chris Gayle (West Indies), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) and Ganguly will all captain KKR. There will be a nominated captain for each game," said Buchanan.
"Reacting to KKR's 'four captain' formula, Sourav Ganguly said, "It is new and I think we will have to access it. John has all the right to make the decision, he is the coach of the team...He has been pretty open about his views and we will stick to it. I have nothing to say about this." Even before Ganguly could finish his response, Buchanan intervened to say "He is the King of Kolkata."
Clearly dejected, Sourav Ganguly, however attempted to put up a brave face and said he was not upset by Buchanan’s decision.
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Editor-in-Chief of Assam Daily 'Aji' shot dead
Veteran journalist Anil Majumder shot just outside his residence
PTI, Guwahati, 24 March : Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday night shot dead Anil Majumder, the Editor-in-Chief of local Assamese daily 'Aji', who had been writing in favour of ULFA coming for talks with the government.
Majumder, in his late 30s, was shot dead by youths near his residence on Rajgarh Road at around 10 pm. One of the five gunmen, who were waiting in front of his house in a silver Indica car, fired from point blank range several rounds at Majumdar as he got down from his Honda City car in front of his house.
Police sources said. Majumder was accosted by a seven-member unidentified group while opening the gate of his residence on return from office and fired at .
Meanwhile, the journalists’ fraternity has severally condemned the killing. ။ Picture courtesy: TimesNow.tv
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Trains withdrawn from terror zone
Silchar, 24 March : The Northeast Frontier Railway today withdrew train services from the Lumding-Silchar section after an unsuccessful attempt by militants to blow up tracks in North Cachar Hills last evening raised fears of more attacks on railway staff and property.
The Badarpur area office of the Northeast Frontier Railway, about 25km from Silchar, received a message from the railway divisional office in Lumding this afternoon that indicated that the apprehension of subversive activities was the primary reason for the decision.
Last evening, at least a dozen militants, suspected to be from the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) were trying to blow up a part of the metre gauge railway track near Harangajao station on the Silchar-Lumding hill section. Police said a team from the army rushed to the area and engaged the rebels in an encounter. Though one militant was killed, the rest managed to flee in the dark.
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B'desh "Swadhinata Utsab" begins at Shaheed Minar
Trial of '71 war criminals demanded
Dhaka, 24 March : Speakers at the inaugural ceremony of the three-day "Bangladesh Swadhinata Utsab" today demanded immediate trial of the war criminals. They also demanded fanaticism and militancy be eliminated from the country. "Sammilita Sangskritik Jote" is organising the event at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city.
Noted academic Prof Serajul Islam Chowdhury stressed the need for developing a cultural movement that can inculcate the true sense of freedom in people. “A combined social and cultural movement can bridge the gap among people from different backgrounds and form a social bond of unity, which was the true spirit of the liberation war,” he added.
The festival was also inaugurated simultaneously at Rabindra Sarobar at Dhanmondi today.
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4 JMB men held, arms, jihadi books seized in Bhola
London-based NGO runs Bhola madrasa: RAB Major
Bhola, 24 March : The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) today arrested four people allegedly linked to outlawed Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Ramkeshore village of Borhanuddin upazila some 20 kilometres from Bhola district headquarters this afternoon. A resident teacher of Green Crescent Madrasa, was among the four arrested.
The Rab recovered two pistols, two revolvers, five short guns, 700 rounds of bullet, around 3,000 splinters and 200 grams of gunpowder from his possession. RAB also seized a briefcase and huge number of jihadi books. And also a links of a London-based NGO was found to the madrasa. Major K M Mamun, leader of the Barisal-8 RAB team that raided the madrasa complex for three hours from 12 noon (BDST), said London-based NGO Green Crescent built the madrasa and the orphanage building on 12 acres four years ago. ။ Photo : STAR
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South Africa to host IPL- 2 (NRIPL): Lalit Modi
New Delhi, 24 March : South Africa will now play host for the second edition of the cash rich Indian Premier League which is expected to begin from 17 April, 2009. The IPL commissioner Lalit Modi Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola will address the press at 9 pm IST in this regard.
Earlier, Modi and Gerald Majola had a meeting at undisclosed venue this afternoon to discuss the possibility of hosting event in South Africa. According to sources, Modi will check out the possibility of hosting the event here after the Indian government back home had an issue with the dates of the tournament which clash with the Lok Sabha elections.
South Africa had an edge over England as a potential host of the cash-rich event because of the good weather in the April-May period.
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Moderate intensity quake hits Andaman and Nicobar
PTI, New Delhi, 23 March : A moderate intensity earthquake today hit the west coast of Andaman at 19.15 hours, a meteorological department release said.
The quake, epicentered at 10.8 degree latitude and 91.8 degree longitude, was of slight intensity, measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale, it added. So far, no loss of life or property has not been reported, an official of the meteorological department said.
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Don't care for Nano or No-No: Mamata
Kolkata, 23 March : As the world watched the launch of Tata Motors' Nano in Mumbai, an agitated Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she was not bothered by the event and lost her cool with journalists for asking whether she now regretted her campaign that forced the world's cheapest car out of West Bengal.
"We don't care for Nano. That is not our business. We ignore it," Banerjee said when asked by mediapersons for her reactions to the Nano launch. Banerjee, who had called the media to release her party manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha polls, got angry when asked whether she regretted the sustained campaign against land acquisition launched by her that forced Nano out of the state.
"Why? We are not bothered whether it is Nano or No-No. We can't interfere in their business. I am not a partner," she said, raising her decibel. "You can't ignore the interests of common people there (in Singur) whose land was forcibly taken by the government," she said. Lashing out at the journalist who posed the query, Banerjee countered: "Why are you asking this question? What interest do you have?"
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။ Lok Sabha Vote, 2009
Notification issued for polls in Andaman and Nicobar
Port Blair, 23 March : The process for elections to Andaman and Nicobar parliamentary seat began today after the issuance of poll notification. No nominations were filed on the first day, Returning Officer, A&N Islands Parliamentary Constituency, S N Jha, said.
There are 347 polling stations in Andaman, of which East Island polling station is the smallest with only 7 male voters. All of them are employees of the forest department. Like last elections, this time also some tribals like Onge, Shompens and Great Andamanese are included in the voters list, sources said.
A total of 25, 61 and 16 people from the tribes of Great Andamanese, Onge and Shompens have found place in the voters list. The total number of voters in the islands are 2,63,694.