Kolkata, 5 August : With Trinamool Congress declaring it won't abide by conditions for its proposed Lalgarh rally, in which Maoist-led PCPA to join, the West Bengal government today said no restrictions have been imposed on holding it."No undue restrictions have been imposed for (Trinamool chief) Mamata Banerjee's rally at Lalgarh on 9 August," Home Secretary Samar Ghosh told reporters. He said special steps have been taken to ensure that the meeting ground and roads leading to it are safe and that no mines are planted on the roads and adjacent areas. Permission has been sought from the Centre for deployment of CRPF personnel during the rally, but the state government is yet to receive clearance for it, Ghosh said. "We are awaiting. It could reach any moment."
Rubbishing claims by a Trinamool leader that a contract killer had been hired to eliminate the party supremo, Ghosh said "We don't have any such input.
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B'desh fines phone operators for using anthem as ringtone
Dhaka, 5 August : A Dhaka court on Thursday fined Bangladesh's major cell phone operators for using the country's national anthem as a ringtone and welcome tune, officials said.The court fined private cell phone operators Grameen Phone, Banglalink and Robi 5,000,000 taka (nearly 72,000 dollars) each, payable within a month. The fine is to benefit health institutions treating heart and kidney patients, a court official said. The High Court bench in their order also declared the use of the anthem as a mobile phone ringtone or welcome tune illegal. A Supreme Court lawyer in 2006 challenged the legality of the commercial use of Bangladesh's anthem by the mobile phone providers.
Bangladesh has a total number of nearly 60 million mobile phone subscribers. Grameen, Robi and Banglalink together had some 53.44 million customers as of June, according to the Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Authority. READ BBC STORY
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"RBI keeping watch on inflation, to take step if necessary"
PTI, New Delhi, 5 August : Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said the Reserve Bank is keeping a watch on demand factors that fuel inflation and it will make adjustments, if necessary."It (RBI) is keeping a watch on the demand side and if it is found that demand side needs to be taken care of and if it is necessary then adjustments will have to be made," Mukherjee said in his reply to a debate on inflation in the Rajya Sabha. He said RBI is framing its monetary stance in coherence with the Centre's fiscal policies. "RBI has assured that it does not want to frame monetary policy which is discordant with fiscal policy. That is why, it is making changes in doses," the finance minister said.
The government is slated to borrow over Rs 4.5 lakh crore from markets this fiscal.
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Bangladesh on freedom path, where does Pakistan stand?
Daily Times, Muhammad Akram, Lahore, 5 August : After four decades of painful political struggle, the people of Bangladesh have succeeded in reverting their country back to the four founding principles: nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism, thanks to a Supreme Court judgement purging the Bangladesh constitution of mutilation caused by the rule of military dictators.
Besides annulling many dictatorial insertions in the landmark judgement, the Bangladesh Supreme Court has restored Article 12 of the constitution suspended by military dictator Gen Ziaur Rehman to replace secularism, one of the cornerstones of Bangladesh’s constitution, with Islam as the state religion. READ FULL STORY
Daily Times, Muhammad Akram, Lahore, 5 August : After four decades of painful political struggle, the people of Bangladesh have succeeded in reverting their country back to the four founding principles: nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism, thanks to a Supreme Court judgement purging the Bangladesh constitution of mutilation caused by the rule of military dictators.
Besides annulling many dictatorial insertions in the landmark judgement, the Bangladesh Supreme Court has restored Article 12 of the constitution suspended by military dictator Gen Ziaur Rehman to replace secularism, one of the cornerstones of Bangladesh’s constitution, with Islam as the state religion. READ FULL STORY
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Leader of oppo' demands reservation for OBC in Tripura
Agartala, 5 August : Leader of the Opposition in Tripura Assembly Ratan Lal Nath today accused the state government of depriving Other Backward Class (OBC) community of their constitutional rights.
The ruling Left Front in its poll manifesto in 1993 had made commitment to ensure reservation for the OBC people and in 2005 the state government promised to pass a bill regarding reservation for OBC but did not fulfill the commitment, Nath, a senior Congress told reporters here. He demanded proportionate reservation for OBC people in the state.
Agartala, 5 August : Leader of the Opposition in Tripura Assembly Ratan Lal Nath today accused the state government of depriving Other Backward Class (OBC) community of their constitutional rights.
The ruling Left Front in its poll manifesto in 1993 had made commitment to ensure reservation for the OBC people and in 2005 the state government promised to pass a bill regarding reservation for OBC but did not fulfill the commitment, Nath, a senior Congress told reporters here. He demanded proportionate reservation for OBC people in the state.
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India to expand more railway connectivity with Bangladesh
IANS, Agartala, 5 August : India will extend its railway network to two more places along the India-Bangladesh border to improve connectivity between the two countries, a railway official announced on Thursday.The two places are Sabroom in southern Tripura, 135 km from Agartala, and Akhaurah in western Tripura, just 6 km from the Agartala railway station - the newest station of the Indian railways, coming on the country's rail map in October 2008. Bangladesh operates regular train services on its side up to Akhaurah and various other places, just opposite several sub-divisional towns in Tripura. "A team of officials of IRCON (Indian Railway Construction Company) have recently visited Dhaka and held talks with Bangladesh government and railway ministry officials to finalise alignment of the 13-km Agartala-Akhaurah connecting rail line," Northeast Frontier Railway additional general manager Vipin Jha told reporters.
Of the 13-km proposed link railway line to connect with the Bangladesh railway network through Akhaurah railway station, 5.4 km falls in Indian territory and the remaining portion in Bangladesh.
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Korea's Samsung to open software center in Bangladesh
Korea Times, Seoul, 5 August : Samsung Electronics is planning to establish a software center in Bangladesh to take advantage of the wealth of skilled human resources in software-related business fields there especially in phones.
That would be Samsung's twelfth research and development (R&D) center. The company will operate the new facility from early next year. "Samsung has decided to open a software center in Bangladesh. Despite the number of skilled workers, just a few chances are given to them to work for big IT companies. Samsung could use the highly-competitive human resources in Bangladesh rather than those in India," said a top-ranking Samsung executive, Thursday. READ FULL STORY
Korea Times, Seoul, 5 August : Samsung Electronics is planning to establish a software center in Bangladesh to take advantage of the wealth of skilled human resources in software-related business fields there especially in phones.
That would be Samsung's twelfth research and development (R&D) center. The company will operate the new facility from early next year. "Samsung has decided to open a software center in Bangladesh. Despite the number of skilled workers, just a few chances are given to them to work for big IT companies. Samsung could use the highly-competitive human resources in Bangladesh rather than those in India," said a top-ranking Samsung executive, Thursday. READ FULL STORY
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'Haldia shipyard project' yet to overcome land hurdle
Kolkata, 5 August : The Apeejay Surrendra Group, which planned to set up a shipyard at Haldia with a projected investment of Rs 2,000 crore, is disappointed with the progress of the work.
The Bengal Shipyard project at Haldia which has been lying in a state of limbo for sometime now has seen little progress in land acquisition at Haldia. “We do not think that much will happen on the land acquisition front next year also. Let's see what we can do with the Bengal Shipyard project," group chairman Karan Paul told newspersons in Kolkata.
Kolkata, 5 August : The Apeejay Surrendra Group, which planned to set up a shipyard at Haldia with a projected investment of Rs 2,000 crore, is disappointed with the progress of the work.
The Bengal Shipyard project at Haldia which has been lying in a state of limbo for sometime now has seen little progress in land acquisition at Haldia. “We do not think that much will happen on the land acquisition front next year also. Let's see what we can do with the Bengal Shipyard project," group chairman Karan Paul told newspersons in Kolkata.
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Forlan attracts fans in Kolkata BBC Asian Network, 5 August : Uruguayan football star Diego Forlan, who was named best player in the 2010 World Cup, has attracted huge crowds in the Indian city of Kolkata.
The 31-year-old, who scored five goals in the tournament in South Africa, is taking part in a football talent hunt.
Many of the participants come from underprivileged backgrounds.
"I've had the opportunity to see them playing, and I'm surprised how organised the young players are. You can see real talent," Forlan said. READ FULL STORY
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