Kolkata, 19 May : Maoist activities in West Bengal cannot be fully controlled if similar security operations are not launched in neighbouring Jharkhand and Orissa, says Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.'It won't be possible for us to fully check Maoist activities in our state till a similar security operation is started in Jharkhand and Orissa,' Bhattacharjee told Bengali Tv news channel 'Chobbis Ghanta' Wednesday night. He added that there was no need to deploy the army to check the Left radicals. 'I don't need the army to tackle Maoists. The police are already working (in Maoist-infested areas).'
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5 CRPF personnel killed in Maoist attack in West Midnapore
Midnapore, 19 May : Five CRPF personnel were Wednesday killed and two injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists at Lalgarh in West Midnapore district on the second day of their bandh called in five states.
The blast comes a day after Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram asked the Maoists to abjure violence and come for talks. The Central Reserve Police Force men had set out from their camp at Goaltore market to patrol nearby villagers when the blast took place at Ramgarh in Lalgarh police station area in West Midnapore district at 11:30am. "Four CRPF jawans and two were injured in an IED blast set off by Maoists," M Nageswar Rao, CRPF Inspector General of Police, Eastern Sector told news agency PTI.Those killed included three constables besides the driver of the 'Mahindra Bolero' in which they were travelling. The vehicle was badly damaged in the explosion. န Photo : Reuters READ BBC STORY
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Indian Coast Guard to procure 14 choppers for surveillance
PTI, New Delhi, 19 May : In a bid to strengthen surveillance in the maritime zone, Coast Guard is planning to procure 14 twin-engine helicopters capable of operating from patrolling vessels.
"We are planning to procure 14 shore-based helicopters for maritime surveillance and search and rescue operations," Coast Guard officials told PTI here. The helicopters would be above medium-weight class and the twin engines on them would help in providing additional safety to the air crew while operating over the sea.
PTI, New Delhi, 19 May : In a bid to strengthen surveillance in the maritime zone, Coast Guard is planning to procure 14 twin-engine helicopters capable of operating from patrolling vessels.
"We are planning to procure 14 shore-based helicopters for maritime surveillance and search and rescue operations," Coast Guard officials told PTI here. The helicopters would be above medium-weight class and the twin engines on them would help in providing additional safety to the air crew while operating over the sea.
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PM urges Muslim countries to build own synergy for dev
BSS, Kuala Lumpur, 19 May : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the Muslim countries for building their own synergies to have a multiplier effect on their efforts through sharing of their own resources, technologies and market opportunities."We need to find new solutions for the present, conform our own economic policies and shield ourselves from the uncertainties of the external financial system to protect ourselves from unexpected economic upheavals in future," she said.
The Bangladesh Premier was delivering her special speech at the opening ceremony of a two-day the 6th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIFE). Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak inaugurated the WIFE at Kuala Lumpur Convention Center here this morning. န Photo : Reuters
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Dhaka court wants BDR carnage report by 30 Jun from CID
Dhaka, 19 May : A Dhaka court on Wednesday asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit by 30 June the probe report of the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) carnage case.
The case was filed after at least 74 people, including 57 army officers, deputed to the paramilitary force, were killed in the bloodbath on 25-26 February in 2009 by the border guards. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate AKM Enamul Haque passed the order after the CID's Special Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahar Akand, also the investigation officer of the case, failed to submit the report by Wednesday, the scheduled date for submission of the report. Earlier on 21 April, the same court asked the CID to submit the probe report by Wednesday.
Dhaka, 19 May : A Dhaka court on Wednesday asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit by 30 June the probe report of the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) carnage case.
The case was filed after at least 74 people, including 57 army officers, deputed to the paramilitary force, were killed in the bloodbath on 25-26 February in 2009 by the border guards. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate AKM Enamul Haque passed the order after the CID's Special Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahar Akand, also the investigation officer of the case, failed to submit the report by Wednesday, the scheduled date for submission of the report. Earlier on 21 April, the same court asked the CID to submit the probe report by Wednesday.
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Tripura troopers to be deployed for West Bengal civic polls
IANS, Agartala, 19 May : Troopers of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) who played a key role in curbing terrorism in the northeastern state would be deployed in West Bengal to conduct free and fair elections to civic bodies, officials said here Wednesday.The election to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 81 other municipalities in West Bengal will be held 30 May. "Ten companies of TSR comprising 800 troopers would leave Tripura Thursday. They would stay in Bengal till the end of the election process," a senior police officer told IANS. According to the officer, the TSR troopers led by their commandant Bharat Paul would be deployed in different parts of Bengal.
"The West Bengal state election commission has sought additional forces from the union home ministry for the local bodies elections. The ministry asked the Tripura government to send the TSR to Bengal to provide security during the civic bodies polls," the officer added.
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Maoists blow up railway track between Gidhni & Khathura
Jhargram, 19 May : Two days after the Dantewada massacre in Chhattisgarh, Maoists have struck again, this time in West Midnapore. Reports say a landmine blast took place around 2.00am this morning between Gidhni and Khathura stations near Jhargram.
A goods train was derailed - its driver and a couple of others injured. Rail services along the route have reportedly been disrupted and long-distance trains are stranded. Reports say, police have reached the spot and work is on to repair the tracks.
Jhargram, 19 May : Two days after the Dantewada massacre in Chhattisgarh, Maoists have struck again, this time in West Midnapore. Reports say a landmine blast took place around 2.00am this morning between Gidhni and Khathura stations near Jhargram.
A goods train was derailed - its driver and a couple of others injured. Rail services along the route have reportedly been disrupted and long-distance trains are stranded. Reports say, police have reached the spot and work is on to repair the tracks.
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Four killed in separate lightning in Bangladesh's Dinajpur
UNB, Dinajpur, 19 May : Four people, including three of a family, died in separate lightning incidents in Kaharol upazila on Wednesday.
Chandana Roy and her two sister-in-laws (nanad) Ratna and Sadhana died on the spot when struck by thunderbolt when they were talking to each other on the veranda of Chandana’s house during rainfall at Boigaon village at about 10:30am(BDST). In another incident, Ishaque, a student of class III of Jony Hat Madrasah of same upazila, was killed as thunderbolt struck him while he was playing on Madrasah playground during rainfall in the morning.
UNB, Dinajpur, 19 May : Four people, including three of a family, died in separate lightning incidents in Kaharol upazila on Wednesday.
Chandana Roy and her two sister-in-laws (nanad) Ratna and Sadhana died on the spot when struck by thunderbolt when they were talking to each other on the veranda of Chandana’s house during rainfall at Boigaon village at about 10:30am(BDST). In another incident, Ishaque, a student of class III of Jony Hat Madrasah of same upazila, was killed as thunderbolt struck him while he was playing on Madrasah playground during rainfall in the morning.
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B'desh wins arbitration in intl court on dispute with Chevron
PTI, Dhaka, 19 May : Bangladesh has won a landmark verdict against US energy giant Chevron in an international court for investment that saved its state-run Petrobangla corporation around USD 240 million following a decade old dispute over payment for carrying gas to national gas grid.
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the World Bank yesterday announced the verdict after one half years of hearing rejecting the Chevron demand for refunding the wheeling charge that Petrobangla used to deduct from its gas bills. The three member ICSID Tribunal in London unanimously rejected Chevron's claim "on the merits" of the case.
PTI, Dhaka, 19 May : Bangladesh has won a landmark verdict against US energy giant Chevron in an international court for investment that saved its state-run Petrobangla corporation around USD 240 million following a decade old dispute over payment for carrying gas to national gas grid.
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the World Bank yesterday announced the verdict after one half years of hearing rejecting the Chevron demand for refunding the wheeling charge that Petrobangla used to deduct from its gas bills. The three member ICSID Tribunal in London unanimously rejected Chevron's claim "on the merits" of the case.
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Tripura to set up Tagore museum at "Pushpavant Palace"
Agartala, 19 May : As a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore, Tripura will set up a museum and research centre at the 93-year-old Pushpavant Palace where the Nobel laureate had stayed during his last visit to the state in February 1926.
The memorial will be part of the year-long celebrations of Tagore's 150th birth anniversary. The Pushpavant Palace, currently the Agartala Raj Bhavan, was built in 1917 by the then king, Maharaja Birendra Kishore Deb Manikya who ruled 1909-1923. The proposed museum and research centre was part of a package announced by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar here Monday night as a tribute to Tagore, who had close relations with the erstwhile princely state of Tripura. This close relationship prompted the bard to visit the state as many as seven times between 1899 and 1926.Under the package, a 1,800-seat Tagore Memorial Centre in Agartala would also be built up at a cost of Rs.275-million, a full-size statue of Tagore would be installed in front of the centre, and the under construction government degree college at Bishalgarh in western Tripura would be named after Tagore. The present Raj Bhavan would be shifted to the capital complex on the city's outskirts, where the civil secretariat - the headquarters of the Tripura administration - was shifted last year.
"Through year-long commemorative programmes, we would take Tagore's works to every place and every man, woman and youngsters," said chief minister Manik Sarkar.
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