Kolkata, 6 November : Former West Bengal Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Roy tonight died at his Beltola Road residence in Kolkata after a protracted illness. He was a veteran Congressman and chief minister of West Bengal three decades back, had courted controversy for his tough handling of the Naxal movement in early 70s in the state. He also advised Indira Gandhi to impose Emergency in the country.He was 90 and survived by his wife Maya Roy. "Ray was ill for quite a long time and had been on dialysis since March. The end came about 6:50 pm," his confidential assistant M Kaviraj told PTI. Ray, a close friend of former chief minister late Jyoti Basu, was elected as the chief minister in 1972. An erudite barrister, Ray remained a favourite whipping boy of the Left parties which accused him of advising Gandhi to impose the Emergency and suppressing political opposition in West Bengal from 1972-77.
The Congress veteran, a former Punjab Governor, had also served as the Indian Ambassador to the US. A confidant of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the 70s, he was appointed union minister (in-charge of West Bengal affairs) by her in 1971. န File Photo : Dipak Chakraborty
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bangladesh Bank developing new banking regime: Dr Atiur
BSS, Dhaka, 6 November : Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman today said the central bank is developing a new banking regime to offer the financial services, which will cater better to the country's requirements.
The governor said the current situation of the country requires fresh approach from the banking sector to match the demands for rapid and sustainable economic growth. Addressing the publication ceremony of a book titled "Unpleasant Economics," in the city, he said the monetary policy and other guidelines of the central bank aimed at achieving inclusion growth and a fresh approach towards attaining sustainable development.
The governor said the current situation of the country requires fresh approach from the banking sector to match the demands for rapid and sustainable economic growth. Addressing the publication ceremony of a book titled "Unpleasant Economics," in the city, he said the monetary policy and other guidelines of the central bank aimed at achieving inclusion growth and a fresh approach towards attaining sustainable development.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forward Bloc students demonstrate before AmericanCentre
Kolkata, 6 November : Around 300 students, owing allegiance to All-India Forward Bloc today staged a demonstration in front of American Centre here and burnt effigies of President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.Protesting Obama's India visit, they held placards which read "Obama go back", "shame, shame Manmohan" and fought with policemen who had put up barricades in front of the American Centre and broke the cordon.
"We decry Obama's visit which aims at subjugating Indians and our protest is directed against the Manmohan Singh government's meek acceptance of the Nuclear treaty at the cost of India's sovereignty," general secretary of state unit of Chhatra Bloc Soumadeep Sarkar said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WB concern over B'desh’s electricity buying expenditure
Energy Bangla, Dhaka, 6 November : The multilateral lending agency World Bank has expressed its concern over higher expenditure of the Bangladesh government to buy electricity from rental power plants and import fuel. The burden may restrict the country’s economic growth in the range between 6.1% and 6.3%.
World Bank organised a programme to explain the state of the Bangladesh economy and outlook for FY11 at its office on 3 Nov. Sanjay Kathuria, lead country economist of WB, in his presentation said in FY11, additional fiscal cost for the rental power will be ranged between Tk 52 billion and Tk 56 billion, which is about 0.6% or 0.7% of the GDP.... READ FULL STORY
Energy Bangla, Dhaka, 6 November : The multilateral lending agency World Bank has expressed its concern over higher expenditure of the Bangladesh government to buy electricity from rental power plants and import fuel. The burden may restrict the country’s economic growth in the range between 6.1% and 6.3%.
World Bank organised a programme to explain the state of the Bangladesh economy and outlook for FY11 at its office on 3 Nov. Sanjay Kathuria, lead country economist of WB, in his presentation said in FY11, additional fiscal cost for the rental power will be ranged between Tk 52 billion and Tk 56 billion, which is about 0.6% or 0.7% of the GDP.... READ FULL STORY
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CNG auto-rickshaw fare hike from 1st Jan in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 6 November : Bangladesh government has increased the fare of CNG-run auto-rickshaw for the first two kilometres to Tk 25 from Tk 14, with effect from next January.
The charge for each subsequent kilometre has been raised to Tk 7 from Tk 6 and the waiting charge will be Tk 1.25 per minute instead of Tk 1. Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain disclosed this after a meeting held at his ministry on Thursday (4 Nov) to re-fix the fare of CNG-driven auto-rickshaws running in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Dhaka, 6 November : Bangladesh government has increased the fare of CNG-run auto-rickshaw for the first two kilometres to Tk 25 from Tk 14, with effect from next January.
The charge for each subsequent kilometre has been raised to Tk 7 from Tk 6 and the waiting charge will be Tk 1.25 per minute instead of Tk 1. Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain disclosed this after a meeting held at his ministry on Thursday (4 Nov) to re-fix the fare of CNG-driven auto-rickshaws running in Dhaka and Chittagong.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indonesian naval ship and maritime patrol aircraft arrive PB
Andaman Sheekha, Port Blair, 6 November : Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Patti Unus and Maritime Patrol Aircraft of Indonesia Navy is presently visiting Port Blair, the Capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “The ship had arrived Port Blair on 05, November while the Maritime Patrol Aircraft CASA/P852 arrived at Port Blair on 04 to participate in the closing ceremony of 16th cycle of the India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol, official known as IND-INDO CORPAT,” sources in Andaman and Nicobar Command, the first tri-service joint command of India, told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ today.The 16th cycle of the IND - INDO CORPAT commenced on 22 October in the Andaman Sea, where in war ships and the maritime patrol aircraft of both the countries undertook patrol in their respective areas in a coordinated manner.
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sharabh and Baratang of ANC took part in the joint patrolling in the Andaman Sea.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bangladesh IGP leaves for Doha to attend 'Interpol' meets
Dhaka, 6 November : IGP Hasan Mahmud Khandker leaves for Qatar tomorrow to attend a 4-day 79th general conference of International Police Organisation (Interpol) in Doha.
The conference will begin on 8 November and end on 11 November. Official sources said the IGP will lead a 3-member delegation in the conference where representatives from 188 countries will attend. The conference will emphasize on increasing assistance and coordination among the member countries of the Interpol to combat terrorism.
Dhaka, 6 November : IGP Hasan Mahmud Khandker leaves for Qatar tomorrow to attend a 4-day 79th general conference of International Police Organisation (Interpol) in Doha.
The conference will begin on 8 November and end on 11 November. Official sources said the IGP will lead a 3-member delegation in the conference where representatives from 188 countries will attend. The conference will emphasize on increasing assistance and coordination among the member countries of the Interpol to combat terrorism.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PM asks ministry to finalize BD National Cooperative Policy
BSS, Dhaka, 6 November : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today directed the ministry concerned to finalize the National Cooperative Policy on an urgent basis to infuse dynamism into cooperatives activities.
She gave the directive while inaugurating the 39th National Cooperative Day at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here this morning. Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman laid emphasis on the cooperative movement for reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.
She gave the directive while inaugurating the 39th National Cooperative Day at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here this morning. Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman laid emphasis on the cooperative movement for reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kidnapped tea garden official released in Assam's Sonitpur
PTI, Tezpur (Assam), 6 November : An official of a tea garden, who was abducted last week has been released by his abductors today in Assam's Sonitpur district, police said.
Dhekiajuli Tea Estate assistant manager Dhrubajyoti Talukdar was let off near Tinkhora Tea Estate, about 7 km from his tea garden, at around 1am, they said. Talukdar told the police that he was treated well by his abductors. Denying the involvement of NDFB in the abduction, the police said, personal grudges might be a reason behind the abduction.
PTI, Tezpur (Assam), 6 November : An official of a tea garden, who was abducted last week has been released by his abductors today in Assam's Sonitpur district, police said.
Dhekiajuli Tea Estate assistant manager Dhrubajyoti Talukdar was let off near Tinkhora Tea Estate, about 7 km from his tea garden, at around 1am, they said. Talukdar told the police that he was treated well by his abductors. Denying the involvement of NDFB in the abduction, the police said, personal grudges might be a reason behind the abduction.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BD plans to generate 5000MW power thru coal gasification
Dhaka, 6 November : The Bangladesh government is planning to generate 5,000 megawatt of power by using Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) technology in the country’s deepest coalfield of Jamalganj.
The plan is being considered as Australian company Mitchell Group, USA-based Clean Coal Ltd (CCL) and two other companies from Australia and Canada have proposed the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources to install the quantity of electricity there. Australian company Mitchel Group recently submitted a proposal to the PM’s Power and Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury to install the mega power plant.According to the proposal, they want to install a 10MW plant in any coal field in the country on experimental basis. “If you permit us then we would install a 400MW power plant under UGC method by 2015,” the proposal reads. Earlier, the USA-based Clean Coal Ltd (CCL) proposed to install such power plant within 3-5 years after signing agreement on build-own-operate (BOO) basis. Jamalganj is the deepest and largest coalfield of Bangladesh with a huge deposit at 500 to 1,000 metre depth. The mine has an estimated reserve of over one billion tonnes of coal.
The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources had formed a 9-member committee to scrutinise the proposals in the middle of this year and asked to submit a report within a month. But the committee is yet to be submit the report on installation of such power plant at Jamalganj.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.bengalnewz.com-----
