No CBI probe into Gyaneshwari Express derailment : WB govt

Kolkata, 31 May : In a snub to Railway minister Mamata Banerjee's demand, the West Bengal government on Monday ruled out a CBI inquiry into the 28 May Gyaneshwari Express disaster in West Midnapore district which claimed 148 lives.
"The CID probe has progressed a great deal and the state government does not feel that a parallel inquiry is necessary," Home Secretary Samar Ghosh told reporters at the state secretariat when asked about a CBI inquiry. He said the Union Home ministry had sent a letter yesterday to Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen seeking concurrence of the state government for a CBI investigation.
Asked why a CID inquiry was ordered, he said that generally the Commissioner of Railway Safety inquired into railway accidents. But since there was criminal involvement and sabotage in the disaster, the CID was investigating it. Asked how long the CID inquiry would take, he said, "it can't be said immediately."
Alleging that there was a 'political conspiracy' behind the disaster, Banerjee on 29 May had demanded a CBI investigation. She had said that the Railways had requested the Union Home Ministry for a CBI investigation since it was in 'jangalmahal' where joint operations were on.

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Total 95 bodies of 148 killed in Gyaneshwari Exp identified
Kolkata, 31 May : Altogether 95 bodies of those killed in Gyaneshwari Express disaster have been identified, while samples of the remaining 53 sent for DNA test, West Bengal Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said here today.
"All the bodies identified so far have been handed over to their relatives after post mortem in Midnapore Medical College Hospital and Kharagpur State General Hospital, while samples of the rest sent for DNA testing to identify them," he said.

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Bangladesh Cabinet okays National Education Policy-2010

BSS, Dhaka, 31 May : Bangladesh cabinet today okayed the National Education Policy-2010 aimed to introduce a science and technology-based modern education system with the spirit of education for all without any discrimination, non-communalism and War of Liberation.
The approval was given at the regular cabinet meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the new education policy was endorsed restructuring the education levels with provision for free and compulsory primary schooling up to class eight.
He said the new policy will elevate the primary education from class five to class eight while secondary education from class nine to class twelve and free education from class nine to class twelve.

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Assam shutdown to end as government agrees for talks
Guwahati, 31 May : Normal life was paralysed in six districts of Assam today due to a shut down call given by All Tai Ahom Students' Union (ATASU), but the group has announced withdrawal of 72-hour hartal from tomorrow following government's assurance for talks.
ATASU decided to withdraw the call in response to a letter from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi inviting it to come for talks with the government tomorrow. The shut-down had affected normal life in districts Jorhat, Sibsagar, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Lakhimpur of upper Assam.

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Gorkha Janmukti Morcha losing support: West Bengal govt
Kolkata, 31 May : The West Bengal government today claimed the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is losing its support base in the Darjeeling hills and people are disenchanted with the party spearheading a movement for a separate Gorkhaland state.
West Bengal's Municipal Minister Ashok Bhattacharya said people's participation in yesterday's show of strength by GJM in Darjeeling was "not spontaneous" as during the march taken out after the killing of All India Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang.

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ASEAN envoys to visit Indian northeast to boost trade, tour

IANS, Agartala, 31 May : Diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will soon visit the northeastern states to explore possibilities of promoting tourism and trade, officials said here Monday.
"Union minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Bijoy Krishna Handique held separate meetings during the past few days in New Delhi with the ambassadors and diplomats of ASEAN countries including Thailand and Myanmar," a senior Tripura government official told IANS.
Referring to a DoNER ministry communique, the official said that both the northeastern states and the ASEAN countries would benefit from trade and economic activities between the two regions.

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Bangladesh signs 'transshipment agreement' with India

Dhaka, 31 May : Bangladesh today signed an agreement with India finalizing a crucial transshipment deal to allow Indian goods to be transported to its northeastern Tripura state through Bangladesh territory, officials said.
"I have just signed the agreement declaring our Ashuganj as a new`port of call'' for transport of Indian goods including heavyconsignments for their Palatana Power Project in Tripura, Shipping Secretary Abdul Mannan Hawladar told reporters. He said with the signing of the agreement in line with an earlier decision taken during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India tour in January this year, the northern Ashuganj would be the second transshipment point and fifth port of call in Bangladesh.

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Bangladesh ready for wild World Cup FB, despite no team

AFP, Dhaka, 31 May : Bangladesh sit a lowly 157th in football's national rankings, but the World Cup excites wild rivalry as the country splits down the middle - are you batty about Brazil, or ardent about Argentina?
For the South Asian nation's tailors, such passion is good for business with fans proving their die-hard allegiance with counterfeit team shirts and large, colourful flags draped from houses, offices and street lamps. "For the last seven days I've been selling 2,000 flags a day," said Foyez Ahmed Titu, a tailor who sews flags and shirts at a small shop in Dhaka, the capital of a country normally focused on cricket.
"I've hired more than a dozen extra workers to keep up with demand and none of us have slept properly for weeks," he said. န Photo : UNB

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India government yet to take a decision on Tagore paintings
PTI, New Delhi, 31 May : With just 15 days left for the auction at the Sotheby's in which 12 of Rabindranath Tagore's paintings are slated to go under the hammer, India government is yet to take a decision on what course to adopt on the issue.
The issue of auction of the Nobel laureate's paintings in London was highlighted by art lovers and Tagore's followers recently who asked the government to intervene in the matter. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had over 10 days back assured that the government will look into the issue of bringing back Gurudev's paintings.

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B'desh 'DAE' takes extensive aus farming in Mymensingh

BSS, Mymensingh, 31 May : Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has taken extensive aus cultivation programme in the district.
DAE sources told BSS that under the programme a total of 56,496 hectares of land will be brought under aus cultivation in all 12 upazilas of the district. Of the total target Upshee will be cultivated on 55,509 hectares and local on variety on 9,87 hectares. The target of rice production is 1,39,957 metric tones. DAE sources said, 12,260 kg aus seeds have been distributed among the farmers for aus cultivation.

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NE's cultural icon Dr. Bhupen Hazarika to continue singing

Guwahati, 31 May : “I will continue singing till the doctors allow me to,” said the cultural icon of North-East India Dr Bhupen Hazarika, who according to doctors, is responding quite well to the treatment provided by specialists at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, Mumbai.
“Dr Hazarika underwent a coronary artery bypass surgery in August last year and has surprised all of us with the pace of recovery,” said Dr Pradeep Kaul, heart specialist of the hospital, speaking at the inaugural programme of a consultation centre of the same hospital in Guwahati. Dr Kaul further said that all the doctors in the hospital are happy with the progress, and the music maestro is responding just as an 84-year old person should.
While interacting with the media, Dr Hazarika, seen in a cheerful mood, said that he was happy to come to the State and savour Assamese delicacies like sewali phulor anja and other traditional cuisines.

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Litmus test for ruling Left Front and TMC :

WB holds crucial civic polls, EVM snags,clashes reported
Kolkata, 30 May : Amid sporadic clashes and disruptions owing to faulty electronic voting machines, a high-voltage civic election held in West Bengal on Sunday for 81 municipalities, including the all important Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) which recorded voter turnout of only around 75%.
Sporadic clashes were reported from many places in West Bengal Sunday as urban voters queued up to cast votes for civic body polls in the shadow of Friday's train tragedy and the political bickering over it.

Though the situation was largely peaceful, trouble broke out between the ruling CPI(M) cadre and main opposition Trinamool Congress workers in Jamuria of Burdwan dist, and Naihati in North 24 Parganas district, with the security forces resorting to a baton charge to control the situation. Activists of the two parties also clashed in Beleghata in the city stalling polling. In Paikpara there were clashes in Ward Number 4 and RAF had to be deployed. According to reports, electronic voting machines in a number of wards of Bandel, Arambagh and Kolkata were faulty and polling was suspended in these places.

In another incident, one person was injured when a constable of the Tripura police opened three rounds of fire at a polling booth at Patuli in South 24-Parganas district. The injured identified as Bapi Dhar, was rushed to a hospital, IGP (law and order) SK Purakayastha told reporters.
In district', Trinamool workers ransacked a police van at Sripur in Burdwan dist. Some crude bombs were recovered from Liluah in Howrah district where police seized two motorcycles and made one arrest. EVM hitches slowed down the polling process in some booths, the officer said.
Around 85 lakh people (8.5 million) in 1,792 wards across 81 civic bodies, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, are eligible to exercise their franchise in what is considered the last trial of strength for the contesting parties ahead of the assembly election showdown next year. န Photos : Indrajit Dutta, Shankar Mondal, Niraj Modi

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PCPA denies hand in train derailment, alleges CPI(M) role

PTI, Midnapore, 30 May : Amidst allegations that the People's Committee against Police Atrocities played a role in Jnaneswari Express derailment, the Maoist-backed organisation today denied any involvement in the incident and charged the CPI(M) with "hatching the plot".
"We have no intention to target trains and we condemn and mourn such a colossal loss of civilian lives," PCPA convener, Asit Mahato told PTI over telephone and charged the CPI(M) "with hatching the plot". A day after the state police claimed to have identified two persons of the PCPA recently released on bail having a hand in the derailment of the train's 13 coaches, Mahato said, "Politically motivated statements are being issued to separate us from the masses."
"We will take out a procession in the Jangalmahal to mourn the dead in the train disaster. We strongly condemn such acts which take lives of common, innocent men and we express deep shock," Mahato said.
Countering police's claim, the PCPA leader named four CPI(M) district and local leaders and alleged "Under their leadership, the CPI(M) has opened camps in the last 15 days at Burjoli, Kolla, Patri and Dahimara villages close to Sardiha where the express train derailed." The mishap that occurred in the wee hours Friday has claimed 148 lives so far. န Photos : Arpan Mukherjee, AP

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Bangladesh 'blocks Facebook' over Mohammed cartoons

BBC News, Dhaka, 30 May : Bangladesh has blocked access to Facebook after satirical images of the prophet Muhammad and the country's leaders were uploaded, say reports.
One man has been arrested and charged with "spreading malice and insulting the country's leaders" with the images, an official told the AFP news agency. Officials said the ban was temporary and access to the site would be restored once the images were removed. It comes after Pakistan invoked a similar ban over "blasphemous content".
A spokesman for the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) told AFP Facebook had "hurt the religious sentiments of the country's majority Muslim population" by carrying "offensive images" of Mohammed. READ FULL STORY

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Black Friday's Gyaneshwari Exp tragedy : 148 dead so far

Midnapore, 30 May : The death toll in Gyaneshwari Express derailment rose to 148 after some more bodies, trapped under the engine of the goods train which had rammed into the derailed coaches, were extricated by rescuers this morning.
West Midnapore district magistrate N S Nigam said search was continuing for 25 missing passengers after 13 coaches of the Mumbai-bound train went off the tracks and then were crushed by a goods train coming from the opposite direction. Nigam said some bodies were likely to be extricated from under the engine as rescue operations were still on for the third consecutive day. A foul stench pervaded on the site of the train disaster.
Rescue workers of the railway, personnel of the Army, CRPF, CoBRA, volunteers, NCC and medical teams were at the site watched by a huge crowd from neigbouring villages. န Photo : AFP

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CID, forensic teams inspect Gyaneshwari Exp. mishap site
Jhargram, 30 May : A CID team accompanied by forensic experts on Sunday inspected the site of the Gyaneshwari Express derailment at Sardiha near Jhargram.
A six-member CID team led by Additional Director General Raj Kanojia visited a 400-metre stretch of the railway track and the State forensic experts team collected samples from the spot, including pandrol clips which were found to be dislodged at many places. “It is a case of sabotage. Planned attacks on the railways have been going on in this area for quite some time. The railway line was cut and the pandrol clips were opened. But without a forensic report, we cannot say whether there was an explosion or not,” Kanojia told reporters here.

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Slow pace in climate fund release worries : Bangladesh PM

Dhaka, 30 May : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday lamented slow progress in disbursement of the $30 billion pledged by the developed countries for the climate vulnerable nations for the years 2010-2012.
"Unfortunately, the provisions and mechanisms in the existing framework have failed to secure resources required to finance the adaptation actions on the ground," she said while inaugurating a two-day Asia Regional Conference of Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel in the capital. Developed countries, especially the most advanced ones, should not shy away from their own responsibilities to save the humanity, Hasina said, urging the advanced countries for fast track disbursement of the fund promised in Copenhagen climate summit last year.
Ministers and high officials of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Yemen are attending the conference. Bangladesh and European Union (EU) are jointly organising the meeting aimed at enhancing understanding among the least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) on climate change risks.

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West Bengal civic polls halt Benapole Land Port's trade
UNB, Benapole, 30 May : Trading through Benapole Land Port came to a halt since Sunday morning as elections are being held at different municipalities in West Bengal.
Assistant Commissioner of Petrapole Customs of India JK Nayek confirmed the matter. Benapole Customs Cargo Superintendent Towhidul Islam said the export-import through the port remains suspended since morning due to the elections. Hundreds of trucks loaded with goods and perishable commodities got stranded on both sides of the land port. Aminul Islam, deputy commissioner of Benapole port, said the activities, except export-import, are normal at the port.

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Train services resume on crash-hit Jhargram' railway tracks

Jhargram, Kolkata, 30 May : Train services on the Kharagpur- Tatanagar section of South Eastern Railway (SER) resumed today after restoration of both the railway tracks which was obstructed due to derailment of Gyaneshwari Express.
SER sources said the up line was declared fit at 2.56 am and the down line was restored at 7.55 am. One goods train was run on the up line at 4.45 am which was followed by Puri-New Delhi Puroshattam Express at 6.10 am, they said. Another passenger train and a goods train also passed on the up line, sources said, adding a goods train passed on the down line at 8.30 am.
Both the railway tracks remained blocked since early Friday following the derailment of Gyaneshwari Express which was rammed minutes later by a goods train, killing 148 people. န Photo : Arpan Mukherjee

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5 mln people suffer from blood-related disorders in B'desh
Xinhua, Dhaka, 30 May : Around 5 million people suffer from blood-related disorders in Bangladesh, one hematologist said, urging the government to set up a bone marrow transplantation center immediately in the country to give patients respite from expensive treatments abroad.
"The country has only about 50 hematologists to serve an estimated 5 million people suffering from blood- related disorders, " MA Khan, head of hematology department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in the capital was quoted by leading English newspaper The Daily Star as saying on Sunday. READ FULL STORY

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Cyclone Aila, saline water affects agriculture in Sunderbans

PTI, Sunderbans, 30 May : A year after Cyclone Aila ripped through the Sunderbans, thousands of hectares of once fertile agricultural land adjoining the mangrove forests have turned into a vast wasteland.
The cyclone led to the ingress of saline sea water into the lush green fields stretching across South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas districts, where paddy cultivation provides direct means of livelihood to 85 per cent of the population. The salinity in the soil has snatched away other means of livelihood - animal husbandry and pisciculture from the poor villagers.
"We had no crops in the last season and this year too the prospect of cultivation looks bleak as the salinity refuses to fade away," Dushmanto Mondal, a farmer of Lahiripur village in Gosaba block, said. န Photo : AP

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Crucial civic polls for 81 municipalities in West Bengal tomorrow

Kolkata, 29 May : The crucial electoral battle for 81 municipalities seen as the 'semi-final' to next year's West Bengal assembly elections, the run up to which was marked by acrimony between allies Trinamool Congress and Congress, will be held tomorrow.

The 141-ward Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is the bone of contention between the two allies with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and WBPCC President Pranab Mukherjee trading barbs thick and fast. For the ruling Left Front, which is in power in most of the civic bodies, it will be a litmus test after the string of electoral defeats since the 2008 panchayat polls and last year's Lok Sabha elections to ascertain whether it will reap dividends from the decision of Congress and Trinamool Congress to go alone in the civic elections.
As for Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, it will also be a crucial test to ascertain the party's strength prior to the assembly elections. The war of words between the Trinamool Congress and Congress started with the former unilaterally announcing its candidates for the KMC and offering the ally just 24 of the 141 wards. The Congress had demanded 51 wards, including the ones where it either came first or second in the last KMC poll held in 2005. န Photos : Indrajit Dutta, Shankar Mondal

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Gyaneswari toll to 114, Mamata alleges political conspiracy

Jhargram, Kolkata, 29 May : Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today alleged there was a "political conspiracy" behind the Gyaneswari Express derailment without blaming Maoists for the disaster and demanded a CBI probe, as the toll climbed to 114.

As Banerjee and arch rival CPI(M) indulged in a blame game, the train's driver B K Das filed a FIR with the Government Railway Police(GRP) unit in Jhargram in which he referred to an explosion on the track when the Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express derailed in West Midnapore district, at around 1:30 am.
The FIR was filed against "unidentified miscreants" under sections 150 (maliciously wrecking or attempting to wreck a train) and 151 (damage to or destruction of certain railway properties)of the Railway Act but made no mention of Maoists.
Additional Director General Government Railway Police (GRP) Dilip Mitra said the FIR appeared to be not adequate. န Photos : AP, Avijit Mondal

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2 killed as abandoned warehouse collapses on Strand Rd.

Kolkata, 29 May : Two persons were killed and 10 others injured when a century-old abandoned warehouse of the Kolkata Port Trust collapsed on Strand Road this afternoon, Kolkata Municipal Corporation sources said.
The building, which had heritage status, was damaged in a fire last year.
City Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who visited the spot, said the KMC had earlier issued a notice to the KoPT for dismantling the dilapidated warehouse. "However, KoPT did not adhere to the KMC notice," the Mayor said. န Photos : Shankar Mondal

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Hasina urges peacekeepers to uphold Bangladesh’s image

UNB, Dhaka, 29 May : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the Bangladeshi peacekeepers working under the UN umbrella to carry out their missions with utmost sincerity, upholding the dignity of the national flag and brightening the image of the motherland.
Addressing a function marking the International Day of the UN Peacekeepers at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, she also urged the blue helmets to ensure their effective participation in the worldwide peacekeeping activities and earn more fame and pride for the nation. The prime minister assured that her government would provide all out assistance to the armed forces - whatever they need to improve their standard and image.
“We’ll generously provide all sorts of assistance to you. I know this has risk… but I don’t care as I will do this for the interest of the nation,” she said.

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Tripura Gramin Bank posts record profit, highest among 84
Agartala, 29 May : Tripura Gramin Bank, one of India's 84 Regional Rural Banks, posted a net profit of Rs.3,535 lakh, the highest among the RRBs in eastern and northeastern India, in the last financial year, the bank's chairman said Saturday.
'The bank with 111 branches across the state has achieved a profit of Rs.2,071 lakh in the previous FY and Rs.3,535 lakh in 2009-10,' TGB chairman Nilmani Gangopadhyay told reporters here. He claimed the TGB also attained a record in per branch business and per staff business with Rs.2,567 lakh and Rs.438 lakh respectively in fiscal 2009-10.

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Security tightened in Darjeeling hill town
Darjeeling, 29 May : Security has been beefed up here with CRPF and police personnel posted in strength in view of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's (GJM) proposed rally to demonstrate its show of strength after the brutal killing of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang.
Adequate security measures have been made in the entire hill town to maintain law and order due to the GJM rally as police said they would take no chance. Police was also posted in strength at North Point School ground, venue of the rally.
GJM president Bimal Gurung had earlier announced to gather five lakh people at tomorrow's rally as most of the political parties, particularly CPI(M), claimed that Morcha's support was diminishing after the angry protests following the murder of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League chief on 21 May.

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Five people missing in Bogra boat capsized in river Jamuna
Borga, 29 May : At least five people went missing after a boat capsized in the river Jamuna near Sariakandi upazila of Borga Friday evening.
Halima Begum, who survived the accident, said the boat carrying 15 to 16 passengers sank in the river near Kalatali area at about 6:30pm when they were making a journey by boat after attending a bridal party. Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Sariakandi Avijit Roy however put the number of missing at six.

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Smoke from Howrah-bound Dn Rajdhani Exp triggers panic
Durgapur, 29 May : There was panic among passengers of the 2306 Dn Rajdhani Express when smoke was seen emanating from one of its wheels today.
As the train was entering Durgapur station around 10.32am, a cabin man noticed smoke emanating from a wheel. The train was stopped at Durgapur and checked. On examination, it was found that a plastic bag which had got entangled in a wheel was causing the smoke as it brushed against the track. It was removed and the train left Durgapur for Howrah at 10.44am.

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Bangladesh to administer multi-donor climate fund of 2008

Dhaka, 29 May : Not the World Bank, Bangladesh itself will administer a multi-donor fund formed in 2008 to finance climate adaptation programmes in the country, State Minister for Environment and Forests Hasan Mahmud said on Saturday.
The Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) created in London will be renamed as Bangladesh Climate Change Resilient Fund (BCCRF), he said. "A declaration in this regard will come soon." It was reported in a UK newspaper that Bangladesh refused to take the fund blaming the WB's authority in administering it. Civil society organisations in Bangladesh also opposed it, saying the administering of the fund by the WB will cost some 10 to 15 percent of the money.
Hasan said there would be a governing body comprised of the ministers for environment, finance, agriculture and disaster management to administer the fund totally made of grant.
He was speaking at a news briefing at the ministry’s conference room organised ahead of the two-day Asia Conference of the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) beginning on Sunday in Dhaka.

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At least 82 killed, as suspected Maoist attack Gyaneshwari Exp

Kolkata, Sardiha, 28 May : At least 82 passengers of a Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express were killed and 149+ injured in a suspected Maoist attack near Jhargram early Friday that derailed 13 coaches, five of which were hit by a goods train coming from the opposite direction.

Maoist-backed People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) claimed responsibility for the derailment of the Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express that occurred in West Midnapore district, IGP (Law and Order) S Karpurakayastha said in Kolkata.
Confusion prevailed over whether a bomb blast or an act of sabotage by removal of fish plates led to the derailment, in yet another Maoist attack targeting railways.
With rescue and recovery operations still on, the toll was likely to rise further, South Eastern Railway CPRO Soumitra Majumdar said. Putting the tally of the injured at 149, the official said 78 of them were admitted to the Kharagpur Railway Hospital, 39 to the Midnapore State General Hospital and 25 to Kharagpur Government Hospital. န Photos : PTI, Arpan Mukherjee READ BBC STORY

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Operation against Maoists to be intensified: CM Buddhadeb
Kolkata, 28 May : Resolving to counter the danger posed by the Maoists in the wake of the attack on a Mumbai-bound train in Jhargram, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said operations against the Maoists would be intensified.
"The Maoists have done this work. Operation against them will be intensified and all out efforts be made to free the state and the country from this danger", he told reporters here in Kolkata Press Club.

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Return to 1972 Constitution through parliament; Trial of war criminals must : Ashraf

BSS, Dhaka, 28 May : Awami League General Secretary and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam today said the country would return to the 1972 Constitution through amendment in the national parliament.
"We have to return to 1972 Constitution through parliament, not through verdicts of the Supreme Court. The higher courts have given their guidelines by canceling the amendments to 1972 Constitution," he said adding: "A bill would be placed before parliament soon for amending the Constitution for returning to '72 Constitution and we hope it would be passed unanimously." The minister was speaking as the chief guest at the "National Convention 2010 Against Communalism and Militancy" held at the Engineers' Institute of Bangladesh here today.

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Bomb blast caused train derailment : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee
Jhargram, Sardiha, 28 May : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that a "bomb blast" triggered by Maoists on the rail track caused the derailment of the Howrah-Kurla express train and that TNT explosives and Gelatine sticks were found at the accident site.
"It is a bomb blast case. After the blast, the train derailed and the accident happened. According to information given by Railway Police Force and officials TNT and Gelatine sticks were found at the accident," Banerjee told reporters shortly after visiting the spot. န Photo : Arpan Mukherjee

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Train accident : WB govt announces Rs 3Lk compensation
Jhargram, 28 May : West Bengal government today announced Rs three lakh as compensation to the families of those killed in the derailment of the Mumbai-bound Gyaneswari Express.
Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, who visited the accident spot, told reporters that the government would also bear the cost of treatment of the injured passengers. A medical team and six ambulances were at the spot to treat the injured. A forensic team had arrived as also Kokata Police personnel to assist the National Disaster team. "The rescuers will be divided into five teams to search for trapped passengers," he said.

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Powerful IEDs recovered from West Midnapore, Jharkhand

PTI, Ranchi, Jhargram, 28 May : CRPF today recovered two Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) planted on roads to target security forces from Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Official sources said one of the IEDs weighing 10 kg was recovered from West Midnapore district incidentally on the same road where Maoists killed five CRPF personnel in a blast on 19 May.

Another IED weighing 40 kg was recovered in Bhelki village near a bridge in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.
On 19 May, five CRPF personnel, including a Deputy Commandant, were killed in an IED blast triggered by Maoists in the West Midnapore district. န Photo : AP

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Mobile phone covers half of all families in B'desh : Survey
Xinhua, Dhaka, 28 May : The mobile phone has become a major communication device in Bangladesh which covers half of all families in the country, said a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics ( BBS) survey.
The survey shows 48.3 percent households in Bangladesh owned mobile phones at the end of 2009, the survey was quoted by leading English newspaper The Daily Star on Friday. READ FULL STORY

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Fish plates were removed : WB Police's IG Law and Order
Kolkata, 28 May : Fish plates were found removed at the spot where the Mumbai-bound Gyaneswari express derailed early Friday morning leaving 65+ people killed, a senior police official said.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Surojit Karpurokayastha said that according to preliminary investigation, fish plates were found removed at the derailment site.

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Majpara of Pabna dist is now declared as a `Biogas Union'

BSS, Ramchandrapur, 28 May : Majpara, a union under Atgharia upazila of Pabna district, was declared as the country's first `Biogas Union' as the Biogas Week-2010 began today.
Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), the state-run non-banking financial institution, is observing the week. Minister for Fisheries and Animal Resources Abdul Latif Biswas declared Majpara as Biogas Union by inaugurating a plant at a dwelling house.

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Thunder squall hits Jalpaiguri dist, leaving many homeless
Jalpaiguri, 28 May : A strong squall struck West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri region, leaving scores of people homeless.
The cyclonic winds also disrupted communication links. "The houses crashed down and fell on one another. We managed to salvage some items from our homes and take them out. And now we are living in the house of another family. Our children also got injured," said Anima Das, a victim. Though the intensity of the squall subsided in the morning, the weather conditions are still adverse.

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ULFA General Council body meets in Guwahati Central Jail

PTI, Guwahati, 28 May : ULFA's General Council, led by the outfit's jailed chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, met today at the Guwahati Central Jail to take a decision regarding peace talks with the government.
According to ULFA publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary, the General Council meeting was held in response to the government's invitation for peace talks. Rajkhowa, who is in jail, was joined by ULFA vice chairman Pradip Gogoi and Mithinga Daimary from outside, as intense discussions were held with the Council's jailed leaders. The modalities of the talks and where they would be held was yet to be decided as the discussion was in the initial stage, Daimary said.
The Council members were also hopeful that the banned underground orgnisation's Commander-in-Chief Paresh Baruah, still at large, would abide by their decision on the talks.

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Indian steel major SAIL Q4 profit jumps 40% to Rs 2,085 cr
PTI, New Delhi, 28 May : State-run steel major SAIL today reported a jump of over 40 percent in net profit to Rs 2,084.9 crore for the fourth quarter ended March, 2010, against Rs 1,485.20 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.
Total income of the company rose to Rs 12,672.69 crore in the January-March period of FY'10 from Rs 12,519.33 crore in the same quarter of the previous year, Steel Authority of India Ltd said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

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South Eastern Rail cancels Ispat Exp and Janshatabdi Exp
Kolkata, 28 May : In the wake of the Maoist attack on a Mumbai-bound train in West Midnapore district, the South Eastern Railway today cancelled the Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express and Howrah-Jamshedpur Ispat Express.
The Hapa-Howrah express, Azad Hind express, Koraput- Howrah express, Ranchi Hatia express, Mumbai mail via Nagpur were being diverted.

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Naga students to intensify blockade of all Manipur vehicles
PTI, Kohima, 28 May : Naga Students' Federation (NSF) today said it will intensify its ongoing blockade of Manipur- bound vehicles on NH-39 due to "failure" of the Manipur government in fulfilling their demands.
This decision was taken yesterday at an emergency meeting here, where it was resolved to continue the ban imposed on Manipur-bound vehicles on NH-39, which connects Imphal with Dimapur, since 4 May, NSF sources said.

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Train derailment: Maoist-backed PCPA claims responsibility

Kolkata, 28 May : Maoist-backed People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) have claimed responsibility for the derailment of Gyaneshwari Exp. that left at least 65 dead and over 150 injured early today.
"The PCAPA have left two posters near the rail tracks clearly owning responsibility for the derailment of the Kurla-bound Gyaneswari Express," IGP (Law and Order) S Karpurakayastha said here. The posters read, "We earlier demanded withdrawal of the joint security forces from Jangalmahal (West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia) and end of CPI(M) atrocities, but those demands were not met." Another poster demanded immediate withdrawal of the joint forces from the area. Police have seized both posters.
On 27 October last year, the PCPA had detained the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express for eight hours during a bandh called by the outfit. န Photo : Arpan Mukherjee

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Pranab to Mamata : Don’t repeat CPI(M) leader Karat’s mistake

Ranaghat, 27 May : On the last evening of campaigning for the municipal elections in West Bengal, Union Finance Minister and state Congress chief Pranab Mukherjee warned Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee against committing the mistake that CPM leader Prakash Karat had made when the Left withdrew support from the UPA government.
“Please do not make the same mistake as Prakash Karat. We had run a government with 147 MPs and we will again run the government with 207 MPs,” Mukherjee said at an election rally in Ranaghat in Nadia district.
The verbal duel between Mukherjee and Mamata heightened on Thursday with the campaign nearing its end. Mamata had been criticising the Congress in the past few rallies where she had even said that she was not being given due respect in the Cabinet. န Photo : Prnab Debnath

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South Korea to give US$200 million soft loan to Bangladesh

UNB, Dhaka, 27 May : South Korea will provide US$ 200 million soft loan for Bangladesh over three years (2010-2012) under an agreement signed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to Seoul.
South Korean Ambassador in Dhaka Taiyoung Cho in an interview with UNB chief correspondent Shamim Ahmad said the loan will be granted from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) to finance various projects in health, transportation, construction, power transmission line and ICT sectors in Bangladesh. The interest rate of the soft loan is 0.01 percent while the period of repayment is 40 years with 10 years grace period. As of March this year, South Korea granted US$ 400 million to Bangladesh for 13 projects which are under implementation.
The Ambassador said the Korean government has also increased its grant assistance to Bangladesh from US$ 6.8 million to US$ 10 million annually for at least three years from 2011. From 1991-2009, Seoul provided grants totaling US$ 36 million. န File Photo : Reuters

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SitaR Yechury asks Maoists to join mainstream as in Nepal
Kolkata, 27 May : CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury today asked Maoists to enter the political mainstream like their counterparts in Nepal.
"If the Maoists give up guns, we are ready to talk to them," Yechury told a Bengali news channel. "Let them come to the democratic mainstream," he said, referring to the Maoists in Nepal who joined the electoral process in the Himalayan country. Yechury said his close ties with Nepalese Maoist leader Prachanda began only after his party gave up guns and joined the democratic mainstream. "Let the Maoists here enter the democratic mainstream and then the people will decide," he said.
Alleging that the Trinamool Congress has a nexus with Maoists in West Bengal, Yechury said, "They have on record claimed there is no Maoist in the state and have also opposed anti-Maoist operations.

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General council to decide on talks: ULFA c'man Rajkhowa

Guwahati, 27 May : With the Assam government deciding in principle to initiate talks with the ULFA, the banned group today responded by saying that any decision on its participation will be taken by its 'general council'.
ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa, who was brought to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital here for check-up, told reporters that he cannot comment till the 'general council' decides on the issue. Asked whether talks would be held without Paresh Baruah as Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced here yesterday, he said any decision regarding talks have to be taken by 'general council' members.

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1,200 tribal refugees return to Mizoram from Tripura camps
IANS, Agartala, Aizawl, 27 May : Around 1,200 Reang refugees have returned to their homes in Mizoram for the first time in 13 years after the union home ministry asked the state government to take back the displaced tribals, sheltered in six Tripura camps.
'About 235 families comprising 1,200 men, women and children have been repatriated in three batches (on Friday, Monday and Wednesday) to Mamit district of western Mizoram,' north Tripura's Kanchanpur divisional magistrate Dilip Chakma said Thursday. 'There is no information with the Tripura government on when the remaining refugees would be repatriated,' Chakma told IANS.

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Amnesty Int’l critical of extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh

UNB, Dhaka, 27 May : Amnesty International says despite Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s pledge to end extrajudicial executions up to 70 people reportedly died in “crossfire” in the first nine months of 2009.
The AI in its country report-2010 says police authorities usually characterized suspected extrajudicial executions as deaths from “crossfire” or after a “shoot-out”. The report noted that family members of Mohsin Sheikh, aged 23, and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, aged 22, two Awami League student leaders, alleged that RAB personnel shot the two men dead in Dhaka in May last year. The RAB claimed that the men disregarded a warning to stop at a checkpoint. It said that in the “gunfight” that followed, the men were shot dead. But an autopsy of the bodies showed that none of the bullets fired by RAB officers had gone astray, which suggested that this was a planned killing and not a “gunfight”.
Police subsequently opened criminal investigations against 10 RAB personnel, but no one was brought to justice. န File Photo

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Militant leader brought to Imphal from Banglaore : Police
PTI, Imphal, 27 May : Self-styled chairman of a militant outfit People's United Liberation Front (PULF) of Manipur M I Khan, arrested in Banglaore, was brought here, officials said today.
Khan was nabbed by Manipur police with the help of their Karnataka counterpart at Banglaore on 23 May. He was brought here by air yesterday, they said. Immediately after his arrival, Khan was handed over to Imphal East district police station for interrogation in connection with several crime cases allegedly committed by PULF, including extortion, killings and kidnapings, they said.

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B'desh President hosts reception for Buddhist Community
Dhaka, 27 May : Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman hosted a reception for the members of Buddhist Community at Bangabhaban Thursday afternoon on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, the biggest religious festival of the community.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua, State Minister for Religious Affairs Adv M Shahjahan Miah, Ambassadors of Thailand, Vietnam and Bhutan, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka and representatives of various international organizations and different professionals of Buddhist community took part in the reception. The President welcomed the guests and exchanged greetings with them.
Religious Affairs secretary and secretaries to the President’s office were present on the occasion. န Photos : UNB, AP

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14 killed, over 40 injured in separate road accidents in BD

Dhaka, 27 May : At least 14 people were killed and over 40 others injured in separate road accidents in Tangail, Brahmanbaria, Faridpur and Jhenidah districts Thursday.
In Tangail, five people were killed and 20 others injured in a tragic road accident at Nagar Jalpai in Sadar upazila early Thursday. In Brahmanbaria, Four people were killed and 10 others wounded as a bus rammed into an autorickshaw at Ghariala in Ashuganj upazila on Dhaka-Sylhet highway Thursday noon. In Faridpur, three people, including a mother and her daughter, were killed and 12 others injured as a bus plunged into a ditch at Maligram in Bhanga upazila on Dhaka-Barisal highway early Thursday. In Jhenidah, two motorcyclists were killed and another was injured as a power tiller rammed into a motorbike at Noani bazar in Moheshpur upazila today.

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Maoist poster found in Burdwan University,sparking tension
Burdwan, 27 May : Four posters from suspected Maoists threatening local SFI leader and a college professor were today found from the Burdwan University, sparking off tension in the campus, police said.
The posters were spotted on the walls of canteens of humanities and law department. The posters said SFI's district secretary Arindam Chakraborty and professor Jayanto Saha's fate will be decided in the people's court.

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Crocodile Skin recovered, two arrested in Andaman islands
Port Blair, 27 May : A team of P S Aberdeen yestrday arrested two persons with a crocodile skin at Port Blair.
According to sources both the persons were coming from Mayabunder with Crocodile Skins to sell the same in Mainland. A few days back P S Aberdeen Team had arrest eight persons with seven Elephant Tusks.

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Malda mango heads for Football World Cup in South Africa
Kolkata, Malda, 27 May : When the Football World Cup kicks off this summer, there will be a Bengal ‘flavour’ in South Africa. Around 100 tonne of lakshmanbhog variety of mangoes from Malda will be sold at the food court counters in the village setup to house the football stars and other guests.

Courtesy an association of Bengal’s mango exporters, this is the first time mangoes from West Bengal are going to be exported to a Football World Cup venue. “The idea of sending mangoes to the World Cup occurred to us a long time ago. Talks were on and we finally struck a deal with an agent involved in the World Cup organisation,” said general secretary of West Bengal Exporters’ Coordination Committee Ujjwal Saha. This committee will send the consignment to South Africa by the end of the month.
On the selection of lakshmanbhog type, he said other varieties like Himsagar, Gopalbhog or Fajli, for which Malda is famous, were not selected as lakshmanbhog would suit the taste buds of Europeans and Americans better. န Photos : Misbaul Hoque, AP

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To host an Argentina flag, Football fan dies in C’nawabganj

UNB, Chapainawabganj, 27 May : An adolescent Football fan was electrocuted at Huzrapur in the town here on Thursday morning while hoisting flag of Argentina.
The deceased was identified as Shahrukh Hasan Khan, son of Shamim Khan of Huzrapur area. Witnesses said Shahrukh, a supporter of Argentinean football team, came in contact with a live electric wire while hoisting a flag of Argentina on the rooftop of his house and fell down from the rooftop that left him seriously injured at 10 am(BDST). Shahrukh died on the way to sadar hospital.

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Two more CPIM workers killed by Maoists in Jungalmahal

Jhargram, 27 May : The Maoists continued their mayhem against CPI(M) in Jungalmahal by killing two more CPI(M) workers today.
In Dudhpatri village of West Midnapore, Sujit Mallot was hacked to death by suspected Maoists. According to a senior police officer, Mallot was killed early today by a group of 20-25 Maoists who attacked the house where Sujit and other party colleagues had taken shelter. In another incident a body was found near the Bhalukbasa forest, which was later identified as that of Kamal Ahir.

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