Sainthia, 20 July : The toll in the train collision at Sainthia Jn station in Birbhum rose to 66 today even as the West Bengal government ordered a CID probe and the Railways announced a statutory inquiry.Three injured passengers of the Vananchal Express succumbed to injuries today at the Burdwan Medical College Hospital, Eastern Railway sources said. 36 of the injured had been referred to the Burdwan Medical College Hospital from Suri Sadar Hospital in Birbhum district yesterday, the sources said. Altogether, 28 unidentified bodies have been sent to Burdwan hospital for preservation. The sources said that identification was taking time because most of the dead hailed from remote areas in Bihar.
Ruling out sabotage in the collision of Vananchal Express and Uttarbanga Express, West Bengal DGP Bhupinder Singh said the CID would investigate the mishap. န Photo : PTI READ BBC STORY
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Wanted man arrested from Kolkata Intl airport after arrived
Kolkata, 20 July : A man wanted by Mumbai Police in a 2008 case was arrested from the Kolkata airport after he returned to the city from Bangladesh, police said.
A look-out notice was issued against Joydeep Ghorai, 45, who lives in the city, after he was wanted in a case in Mumbai. During a security checking, Ghorai was arrested by the airport police after he arrived from Bangladesh, police said.
Kolkata, 20 July : A man wanted by Mumbai Police in a 2008 case was arrested from the Kolkata airport after he returned to the city from Bangladesh, police said.
A look-out notice was issued against Joydeep Ghorai, 45, who lives in the city, after he was wanted in a case in Mumbai. During a security checking, Ghorai was arrested by the airport police after he arrived from Bangladesh, police said.
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Women supporters of 'PCPA' take to streets in Jhargram
Jhargram, 20 July : Hundreds of women, believed to be Maoists-backed PCPA supporters, today took to the streets demanding withdrawal of joint security forces from the Maoist belt, police said.Hundreds of women, under the banner of 'Nari Izzat Bachao Committee' took out rallies from three separate places here. Armed with sticks, the women demanding withdrawal of joint security forces from the Maoist belt were stopped outside the gate of sub-divisional office by police, they said.
The protestors, who also included school students and teachers, were believed to be part of the women's wing of the Maoists-backed People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), they said. န Photo : PTI
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Bangladesh and India finalise 14 projects for mutual gain
$1billion loan from India to be utilised in current schemes
Dhaka, 20 July : Bangladesh and India have finalised 14 development projects, particularly for infrastructure building, to be implemented in Bangladesh with Indian loan of $1 billion.
Both the countries will be benefited directly as some of the projects are aimed at new connectivity between Bangladesh and India, officials say. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a line of credit of $1 billion during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's state visit to India on 10-13 January for a range of projects including railway infrastructure, supply of BG locomotives and passenger coaches, rehabilitation of Saidpur workshop, procurement of buses and dredging projects.
Dhaka, 20 July : Bangladesh and India have finalised 14 development projects, particularly for infrastructure building, to be implemented in Bangladesh with Indian loan of $1 billion.
Both the countries will be benefited directly as some of the projects are aimed at new connectivity between Bangladesh and India, officials say. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a line of credit of $1 billion during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's state visit to India on 10-13 January for a range of projects including railway infrastructure, supply of BG locomotives and passenger coaches, rehabilitation of Saidpur workshop, procurement of buses and dredging projects.
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Tripartite meeting to discuss '1985 Assam Accord' held
Guwahati, 20 July : A tripartite meeting between the Centre, Assam government and the All Assam Students Union (AASU) was today held at the state administrative staff college here to discuss the 1985 Assam Accord.
Union joint secretary (Home) in-charge of Northeast, Naveen Verma, state government's senior officials Jishnu Baruah and P K Choudhury and AASU advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya participated in the meeting. The Assam Accord was signed at the end of the intense anti-foreigners agitation spearheaded by the AASU in 1985.
Guwahati, 20 July : A tripartite meeting between the Centre, Assam government and the All Assam Students Union (AASU) was today held at the state administrative staff college here to discuss the 1985 Assam Accord.
Union joint secretary (Home) in-charge of Northeast, Naveen Verma, state government's senior officials Jishnu Baruah and P K Choudhury and AASU advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya participated in the meeting. The Assam Accord was signed at the end of the intense anti-foreigners agitation spearheaded by the AASU in 1985.
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Prof Md Yunus meets Japan leaders, talks social business
BSS, Dhaka, 20 July : Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday called on Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako at their invitation in Tokyo at the Imperial Palace.During the meeting, the Imperial couple discussed Prof Yunus's concept of social business and its potential role in solving some of society's most pressing problems, in Japan, Bangladesh and elsewhere, a release said today. Princess Masako had expressed particular interest in meeting Prof Yunus since her father, Justice Hisashi Owada, a former diplomat and currently President of the International Court of Justice, is a long time friend of Prof Yunus. Justice Owada and Prof Yunus both serve on the board of United Nations Foundation founded and chaired by Ted Turner.
Earlier on the day, Prof Yunus met with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan at his residence. During the meeting, Prof Yunus and the Japanese PM discussed on various issues related to social business. န Photo : AFP
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Maoists kill two CPI(M) activists at Arsha in Purulia district
Purulia, 20 July : Maoists killed two CPI(M) activists at Sindurpur village at Arsha in Purulia district, police said on Tuesday.
A group of about 50 Maoists raided the house of one Hrishikesh Kumar (58) and kidnapped him along with his son Kashinath (30) on Monday night. They then shot them dead in a nearby jungle, police said. Maoist posters found near the bodies recovered on Tuesday morning said that the duo had been killed as they were acting as police informers.
Purulia, 20 July : Maoists killed two CPI(M) activists at Sindurpur village at Arsha in Purulia district, police said on Tuesday.
A group of about 50 Maoists raided the house of one Hrishikesh Kumar (58) and kidnapped him along with his son Kashinath (30) on Monday night. They then shot them dead in a nearby jungle, police said. Maoist posters found near the bodies recovered on Tuesday morning said that the duo had been killed as they were acting as police informers.
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Gorkha tripartite talks on 24 JulyKolkata, 20 July : The issue of setting up an interim authority in Darjeeling for the Gorkhas and its territorial jurisdiction is likely to come up for discussion at the tripartite talks in New Delhi on 24 July.
"The Home Secretary will represent the state government at the meeting," West Bengal Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen told reporters. Besides Ghosh, the meeting would be attended by representatives of the Centre and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
Both the Centre and the state governments were for limiting the proposed Darjeeling Regional Authority to just the hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.
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CPI(M) again accuses Trinamool Congress of Maoist links
Kolkata, 20 July : Without naming Trinamool Congress, the CPI(M) today once again accused the main opposition in the West Bengal Assembly of allegedly having link with the Maoists in jangalmahal comprising the districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.Replying to the debate on his department's budget, state Pashimanchal Unnayan Affairs Minister Susanta Ghosh said: "People know very well how the main opposition party had meetings with the leaders of PCAPA in the area." Everyday people were being killed and villagers spend days and nights in terror under the threat of Maoists, Ghosh said, adding that the prevailing situation had marred the environment of development in those areas.
Refuting allegations of lack of development in the area as the main reason for Maoist activities, he questioned the means by which the Opposition wanted to capture power. န File Photo
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Former 'Attorney General' Milon Banerjee passes away
New Delhi, 20 July : Milon Kumar Banerjee, who held the office of Attorney General of India twice between 1992-96 and 2004-09, died here today after months of illness, family sources said.
Banerji, 82, was not keeping well since he suffered a stroke in December 2009. He breathed his last at around 3:30am at the Apollo Hospital. His last rites will be performed at the Lodhi Road electric crematorium tomorrow evening, the family said.
New Delhi, 20 July : Milon Kumar Banerjee, who held the office of Attorney General of India twice between 1992-96 and 2004-09, died here today after months of illness, family sources said.
Banerji, 82, was not keeping well since he suffered a stroke in December 2009. He breathed his last at around 3:30am at the Apollo Hospital. His last rites will be performed at the Lodhi Road electric crematorium tomorrow evening, the family said.
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A self-styled ULFA's 'sergeant major' killed in encounter
PTI, Dibrugarh, 20 July : A self-styled sergeant major of ULFA was today killed in an encounter with police here, while another militant of the outfit was apprehended, police said.
ULFA cadre Nitul Gogoi was arrested with a pistol at Namrup in the district and he led the police to the outfit's 28th battalion self-styled sergeant major, Biplab Baruah's hideout at Jokai Borbil village.
PTI, Dibrugarh, 20 July : A self-styled sergeant major of ULFA was today killed in an encounter with police here, while another militant of the outfit was apprehended, police said.
ULFA cadre Nitul Gogoi was arrested with a pistol at Namrup in the district and he led the police to the outfit's 28th battalion self-styled sergeant major, Biplab Baruah's hideout at Jokai Borbil village.
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Climate change impacts increasingly visible in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 21 July : The impact of global climate change on Bangladesh is becoming more visible day by day as many things are often found unusual than the previous.Rising number of cyclone, storm, sea level rise, unusually early flooding and river erosion, mud slide, excessive salinity in the soil and in underground aquifers used for irrigation has left the country at a dire state. Reports from countryside, experts' opinion and investigation found that the volume of atypical happenings is rising in the country as the impact of climate change is further deepening.
A report, submitted in the COP 15 in Copenhagen last year, found Bangladesh as most vulnerable country to the climate change. Farmers in worst climate change hit Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira districts now days watching their rice crops getting wither and die before reaching maturity. In some cases, farmers have sown rice plants several times in a season but seen none survive. Farmers said worsening sea water storm surges and overuse of irrigation have left fields, wells and ponds too salty to grow crops, leading to a growing exodus of farmers from the region.During the devastating cyclones Sidr and Aila, in 2007 and 2009, sea water was driven into ponds and rivers in Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira districts, and some fields remained flooded by sea water long enough to raise levels of salinity in the soil and in underground aquifers used for irrigation.
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