Kolkata, 15 February : In yet another daring attack, Maoists attacked a joint forced security camp in Sildha in West Midnapore district that killed at least 24 paramilitary personnel on Monday.District Magistrate N S Nigam told Bengal Newz at least 50 Maoists on 25 motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons swooped down on the camp. Nigam said the Maoists also planted landmines on the entire stretch of the road leading to the camp. "There were 51 EFR jawans and officers in the camp when the attack took place," IGP (Law and Order) S Purakayastha told PTI.
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"According to information available here, nine jawans were burnt to death and 12 others were shot dead. We are yet to get the detailed figure of the casualty," a Bengal Newz source said. Top police sources said at least 14 Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) jawans were feared killed in the attack which took place around 5.30 pm. The firing is reportedly still on.Two companies of CRPF have been rushed from adjacent posts to aid the Sealdah camp. According to Nigam night vision force with anti-landmine vehicles have been rushed to the camp from nearby Binpur. Meanwhile, Maoist leader Kishenji claimed responsibility for the attack. "We have attacked the camp and this is our answer to Chidambaram's 'Operation Green Hunt' and unless the Centre stops this inhuman military operation we are going to answer this way only," Kishenji said from an undisclosed location. He claimed there were at least 35 Eastern Frontier jawans who had been liquidated and they had looted sophisticated arms including AK-47, SLR and mortars from the camp which they set ablaze.
The attack took most of the jawans by surprise as they were either "whiling away their time in the camp or were busy in the kitchen cooking", a senior police officer said. န Photos : AP, Reuters
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Dhaka's Zia Intl Airport to be renamed after Sufi saint
Renamed as 'Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport'
Dhaka, 15 February : Bangladesh's Zia International Airport is to be renamed after 13th century Sufi saint Hazarat Shah Jalal, after deleting the name of former president Ziaur Rahman.The civil aviation and tourism ministry drafted the proposal after a nod from the cabinet in October last year. Shah Jalal is believed to have been born in Turkey in 1271. He commands great respect among Muslims of the subcontinent. He was buried in Sylhet in northeastern Bangladesh, where his shrine is visited by thousands of devotees.
The move is part of an effort by the Sheikh Hasina government to rename places and institutions named after Ziaur Rahman. His widow and former prime minister Khaleda Zia is currently the leader of the opposition in parliament. The government's move to rename Zia International Airport (ZIA) is likely to trigger opposition protests, political analysts said.
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Shredded currency note mystery resolved : DM O.S Meena
PTI, Krishnagar, 15 February : The mystery surrounding the shredded currency notes found strewn on the national highway in Nadia district has been resolved, officials said today.Defective notes, which had been shredded as part of RBI's Clean Note Policy and were being transported to Patna in Bihar for recycling, had got strewn on the way yesterday, district magistrate Onkar Singh Meena said. The shredded notes were packed in 1,500 sacks in Kolkata and were loaded in three vehicles by the vendor for their onward journey to Patna, Meena said. The machine-cut notes of the denomination of Rs 1000, Rs 500 and Rs 100 with RBI seal were found scattered on a three km stretch of the national highway between Kalirhat to Gobindapur areas in the district yesterday.
Apparently the sheet covering the sacks in one of the vehicles tore leading to the scattering, the DM said. န File Photo : PTI
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Sheikh Hasina for quick disbursement of 'Adaptation fund'
Dhaka, 15 February : Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the donors for quick disbursement of the climate change adaptation and mitigation fund to counter the adverse impact of the changing climate on Bangladesh.
"Bangladesh need quick disbursement of the fund promised in the COP-15 summit in Copenhagen in last December for adaptation and mitigation, particularly for least developed countries' (LDCs) and low lying costal countries," the PM told the donors. The premier said this inaugurating the first session of the two-day long Bangladesh Development Forum, a key meeting between the government and donors, in the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
She also urged the donors to increase the amount of the adaptation and mitigation fund so that the counties facing the grave consequences of the changing climate could handle it bravely.
Dhaka, 15 February : Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the donors for quick disbursement of the climate change adaptation and mitigation fund to counter the adverse impact of the changing climate on Bangladesh."Bangladesh need quick disbursement of the fund promised in the COP-15 summit in Copenhagen in last December for adaptation and mitigation, particularly for least developed countries' (LDCs) and low lying costal countries," the PM told the donors. The premier said this inaugurating the first session of the two-day long Bangladesh Development Forum, a key meeting between the government and donors, in the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
She also urged the donors to increase the amount of the adaptation and mitigation fund so that the counties facing the grave consequences of the changing climate could handle it bravely.
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Maoists attack police posse, kill CPI(M) activist in Belpahari
Kolkata, Purulia, 15 February : Three senior police officials, including an additional superintendent of police and a deputy superintendent of police, and five constables were wounded when the Maoists attacked them while they were preparing to raid Kumra village under Bandwan police station of Purulia district following a tip-off that the Maoists were holding a rally Sunday."The police party went to the village on receiving specific information that the Maoists, including some involved in recent killings, had assembled in the area," Purulia police superintendent Rajesh Yadav told Bengal Newz over phone.
In a separate incident, the body of a CPI(M) worker was found in the Belpahari area of West Midnapore district Monday morning. Atul Singh Sardar, member of the anti-Maoist mass resistance group, was abducted by the Maoists from his residence Sunday night, police said.
Suspected Maoists also blew up a mobile telephone tower in Ishara village under Bhimgarh police station of Birbhum district. They also set fire to a truck at Bechkundi under Jhargram police station of West Midnapore district Monday.
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Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren appeals to Maoists to free BDO
PTI, Ranchi, 15 February : Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren on Monday appealed to the Maoists to free the abducted Dalbhumgarh's Block Development Officer Prashan Kumar Layek and offered to open dialogue with them.
"I appeal to the Maoists to free the official, so that the officials can work for the state's development in a fear-free environment. Abduction of innocent officer is not a solution to any problem," Soren said in a signed statement circulated to the media. Assuring that the government would take corrective measures if there was any violation of "human values" at any level, Soren said in the statement that when he took over as chief minister he had appealed to the Maoists to join the mainstream.
PTI, Ranchi, 15 February : Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren on Monday appealed to the Maoists to free the abducted Dalbhumgarh's Block Development Officer Prashan Kumar Layek and offered to open dialogue with them.
"I appeal to the Maoists to free the official, so that the officials can work for the state's development in a fear-free environment. Abduction of innocent officer is not a solution to any problem," Soren said in a signed statement circulated to the media. Assuring that the government would take corrective measures if there was any violation of "human values" at any level, Soren said in the statement that when he took over as chief minister he had appealed to the Maoists to join the mainstream.
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Rangamati BDR trial startsRangamati, 15 February : The trial of 75 alleged BDR mutineers of the 9 Rifle Battalion at Marishya in Baghaichhari in Rangamati began Monday morning.
The three-member Special Court-4, headed by BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Mainul Islam, sat at the Mechanical Transport Shed at the Baghaichhari BDR sector headquarters in Rangamati town around.
The mutiny in Rangamati took place at three of the sector's five battalions.
The three battalions are 12 Rifles Battalion at Rajnagar in Longudu, 9 Rifles Battalion at Marishya in Baghaichhari and 18 Rifles Battalion at Chhotohorina in Barkal upazila.
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China spurs navy fortification in Andaman - Nicobar Islands
Pakistan Defence Forum, 15 February : China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region appears to have injected new momentum in India’s efforts to fortify its farthest military outpost, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Plans are afoot to upgrade airstrips to support fighter operations, induct 5,000 more troops and deploy additional warships, senior officials said. Myanmar’s Coco Islands, where the Chinese navy has reportedly set up a surveillance post, are barely 40 km from the Andamans’ northernmost tip Landfall. READ FULL STORY
Pakistan Defence Forum, 15 February : China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region appears to have injected new momentum in India’s efforts to fortify its farthest military outpost, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Plans are afoot to upgrade airstrips to support fighter operations, induct 5,000 more troops and deploy additional warships, senior officials said. Myanmar’s Coco Islands, where the Chinese navy has reportedly set up a surveillance post, are barely 40 km from the Andamans’ northernmost tip Landfall. READ FULL STORY
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'Bengal Aerotropolis Projects' plans solar-equipment hub
Kolkata, 15 February : Bengal Aerotropolis Projects (BAPL) plans to set up a solar power equipment manufacturing hub within the proposed Rs 10,000-crore airport city coming up near Durgapur. Coined as the ‘solar valley’, the area is expected to attract an investment of Rs 4,000 crore.BAPL, in which Singapore’s Changi Airport International holds a 26% stake, has just received 1,090 acres from the West Bengal government for the airport city project. It has roped in IL&FS to prepare a detailed roadmap for the solar valley project, which will be a part of the science and technology park being planned by the company.
Talking to Bengal Newz, Subrata Paul, chief executive officer of BAPL said : “The science and technology park is an integral part of our airport city project. The ‘solar valley’ will be part of this park, for which we are in talks with West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (GEDC). This will be under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission project.”
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