Kolkata, 5 December : Arrested Maoist leader Kanchan and others have claimed that their leader Kishenji is leading the banned organisation in West Bengal. "According to arrested Maoist leader Kanchan and others, Kishenji is alive and well and he is leading them in West Bengal," Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Special Task Force, Rajiv Kumar told newspersons in Kolkata on Sunday.Kumar quoted Kanchan as having claimed during interrogation that Kishenji could be in Dandakaranya. It had been rumoured that Kishenji had either been killed or seriously injured in an encounter with the police a few months ago.
In a severe blow to the Maoists, their top leader Kanchan alias Sudip Chongdar and four others had been arrested from the metropolis and the neighbouring Howrah district, Kumar had disclosed on Saturday. Kanchan, a central committee member who had planned the Lalgarh movement in 2008, is second only to Kishenji in the Maoist hierarchy in the state. န File Photo : Reuters
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Hasina for extensive inquiry about fund transfer by Yunus
Dhaka, 5 December : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said there must be an extensive investigation to find out if there was any unauthorized fund transfer by Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.
“Obviously, there should be an extensive investigation,” she said responding to a question during the press conference held at the Prime Minister’s office on her recent tri-nation visit to Russia, Belgium and Japan. Hasina said it is time to know what has been going on in the name of poverty alleviation and with the fate of the poor people. “You can’t hide the truth for a long time… once the truth will come out on the surface.”
Dhaka, 5 December : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said there must be an extensive investigation to find out if there was any unauthorized fund transfer by Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.
“Obviously, there should be an extensive investigation,” she said responding to a question during the press conference held at the Prime Minister’s office on her recent tri-nation visit to Russia, Belgium and Japan. Hasina said it is time to know what has been going on in the name of poverty alleviation and with the fate of the poor people. “You can’t hide the truth for a long time… once the truth will come out on the surface.”
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Highest number of troops in UN peacekeeping missions an int'l recognition : PresidentDhaka, 5 December : President Zillur Rahman today said engagement of highest number of troops in the UN peacekeeping missions by the country is an international recognition and proper evaluation of the outstanding performance of Bangladesh Army.
The President, supreme commander of the army, noted with satisfaction at the army’s engagement in the UN peacekeeping missions while he was talking to the formation commanders at the Dhaka Cantonment.
The meeting was held on the eve of the Victory Day on December 16. The President told the commanders that their main responsibility is to protect independence and sovereignty of the country. Apart from the main task, their engagements in facing disasters are highly appreciated by the people affected by the natural calamities, he said. န File Photo
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Mamata derides CM Buddhadeb's controversial comment
PTI, Burdwan, 5 December : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today asked the people to choose between development and CPI(M)'s removal instead of West Bengal chief minister's controversial suggestion of "Left Front or death"."What kind of a chief minister is he who tells the people to choose between the Left Front and death? Does he have any respect for democracy? We say, the choice is between development or the removal of the CPI(M)," Banerjee told a public rally at the Utsav Maidan here. At a Left Front public meeting in Kolkata on 30 December, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had said that the choice before the people of the state was "the Left or death." "I wonder how people of any other state would have reacted had their chief minister said this," Banerjee said.
Accusing the CPI(M) of using the police and armed goons to fight opponents, she challenged the ruling party to take on Trinamool activists in an unarmed battle. န Photo : Dipankar Chatterjee
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Pirates hijacked, seize Bangladeshi ship off Indian coast
Reuters, Dhaka, 5 December : Pirates have hijacked a Bangladesh-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India, Bangladeshi shipping officials said on Sunday.
"The pirates embarked on board after chasing M.V. Jahan Moni in the Arabian Sea on Sunday," a senior official at the Bangladesh Shipping Department (BSD) said.... READ FULL STORY / READ BBC STORY
Reuters, Dhaka, 5 December : Pirates have hijacked a Bangladesh-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India, Bangladeshi shipping officials said on Sunday.
"The pirates embarked on board after chasing M.V. Jahan Moni in the Arabian Sea on Sunday," a senior official at the Bangladesh Shipping Department (BSD) said.... READ FULL STORY / READ BBC STORY
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Joint survey of disputed Indo-Bangla border from 7 th Dec
PTI, Shillong, 5 December : A joint survey of the disputed Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya will begin on December 7 and is expected to pave the way for fencing of certain patches of the boundary.Land records officials of Bangladesh and India set the programme at a joint preparatory meeting last week at Tamabil check post near Dawki in Meghalaya, officials said. The verification, beginning at the Sylhet-Meghalaya border, will be conducted by the Land Records departments of Bangladesh and Meghalaya in at least 31 patches.
"Bangladesh government has been objecting to the fencing in these patches as the proposed alignment of the fencing is within 150 yards from zero line. The fencing cannot be erected at 150 yards due to terrain constraints," a BSF official said.
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Dr Dipu Moni for women’s roles in decision-making in media
Dhaka, 5 December : Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Sunday stressed that women should play roles in decision-making in media to bring about significant change in society apart from enhancing empowerment of women.
“The women have to come forward in making decision in media, otherwise, the ongoing problems of the media could not be solved,” she said at a seminar at the National Press Club Sunday. The South Asia Women and Media, Bangladesh Chapter, organized the seminar titled ‘Gender Mainstreaming in Media’.
Dhaka, 5 December : Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Sunday stressed that women should play roles in decision-making in media to bring about significant change in society apart from enhancing empowerment of women.
“The women have to come forward in making decision in media, otherwise, the ongoing problems of the media could not be solved,” she said at a seminar at the National Press Club Sunday. The South Asia Women and Media, Bangladesh Chapter, organized the seminar titled ‘Gender Mainstreaming in Media’.
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Bangladesh finance minister defends Dr Muhammad Yunus
Anisur Rahman, PTI, Dhaka, 5 December : Bangladesh government has came in defence of Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus as his Grameen Bank trashed allegations of fund diversion breaching agreements with donors and violating country''s financial laws.
"We have a tendency to look for others'' faults. I see no fault in the transfer of the fund," Finance Minister A M A Muhith told newsmen on the sidelines of a function late yesterday a day after the Grameen Bank called the allegation "a total fabrication and baseless."
Anisur Rahman, PTI, Dhaka, 5 December : Bangladesh government has came in defence of Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus as his Grameen Bank trashed allegations of fund diversion breaching agreements with donors and violating country''s financial laws.
"We have a tendency to look for others'' faults. I see no fault in the transfer of the fund," Finance Minister A M A Muhith told newsmen on the sidelines of a function late yesterday a day after the Grameen Bank called the allegation "a total fabrication and baseless."
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Andaman and Nicobar Port Trust fails to win workers' trust
Port Blair, 5 December : The Port Blair Port Trust, declared by the government as the country’s 13th major port, has been facing protests from workers, who are unwilling to work in a ‘trust’ structure and fear that the perks of a government job will be taken away from them.
Employees of major port trusts are not eligible for the monthly lifetime pension scheme. Instead, they get a lump sum at the end of the service period. The Port Blair port has been registered as a trust and not as a corporate entity following the corporatisation mandate of the government. It has been formed with the merger of state (Union Territory)-controlled Port Management Board and Andaman Harbour Work (AHW), which works under the administrative control of the shipping ministry.
Port Blair, 5 December : The Port Blair Port Trust, declared by the government as the country’s 13th major port, has been facing protests from workers, who are unwilling to work in a ‘trust’ structure and fear that the perks of a government job will be taken away from them.
Employees of major port trusts are not eligible for the monthly lifetime pension scheme. Instead, they get a lump sum at the end of the service period. The Port Blair port has been registered as a trust and not as a corporate entity following the corporatisation mandate of the government. It has been formed with the merger of state (Union Territory)-controlled Port Management Board and Andaman Harbour Work (AHW), which works under the administrative control of the shipping ministry.
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BDR Mutiny : Charges read out against 50 jawans
UNB, Dhaka, 5 December : Special Court-8 on Sunday started reading out charges against 187 alleged BDR mutineers of Signal Sector in connection with the BDR mutiny at the BDR headquarters.
The court, set up at the Darbar Hall of Pilkhana BDR headquarters, began proceedings and continued till 1:00 pm(BDST). All of the accused were produced before the 3-member special court-8, led by Deputy Director General of BDR Brig Gen Obaidul Haque. During the proceedings, Prosecutor Maj Ahsan Habib prayed to the special court to frame charges against the accused. The court read out charges against 50 mutineers simultaneously and it was adjourned till Monday.
The court, set up at the Darbar Hall of Pilkhana BDR headquarters, began proceedings and continued till 1:00 pm(BDST). All of the accused were produced before the 3-member special court-8, led by Deputy Director General of BDR Brig Gen Obaidul Haque. During the proceedings, Prosecutor Maj Ahsan Habib prayed to the special court to frame charges against the accused. The court read out charges against 50 mutineers simultaneously and it was adjourned till Monday.
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Hasina seeks Danish investment for gas exploration in BD
UNB, Dhaka, 5 December : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought Danish investment for gas exploration in Bangladesh when ambassador Svend Olling paid a courtesy call on her at her office today.She informed the ambassador about her government’s plan to create environment-friendly ship building industry across the southern part of the country and sought support to implement it. The Danish Ambassador appreciated the leadership of Sheikh Hasina in restoring democracy in Bangladesh and keep pace in the national economy. Digital Bangladesh concept of the government was also highly lauded by the Danish envoy.
Hasina thanked Denmark and other European nations for extending support to hold 29 December, 2008 elections in a free, fair and neutral manner.
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World’s longest sea beach Coxs Bazar under erosion threat
UNB, Dhaka, 5 December : Cox’s Bazar sea beach, the world’s longest, is now under great threat from erosion due to unplanned development of resort area by cutting hills as well as establishment of shrimp hatcheries along the seashore, according to an expert.
The expert said that deforestation, over-fishing, salt fields, hill cutting for unplanned construction, ship breaking industries and tourism have accelerated the ecosystem damages in the coastal area. Dr Mohammed Ataur Rahman, Director, Centre for Global Environmental Culture (CGEC), International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT), said the seas and oceans are the ultimate resort of water, and waterborne organic and inorganic substances.In a recent write-up titled ‘Seas and Oceans: Save Cox’s Bazar, the World’s Longest Sea Beach’, he mentioned that the roaring and dancing sea waves, the shadow of the blue sky on clear water, rising and setting of sun, and the sparkling moon on a clear sky at night attract the minds of all. Therefore, the beaches are the places of refreshment and tourism. He noted that thousands of people from all corners of the world every day visit Cox’s Bazar, the longest sea beach of the world, every day.
Dr Rahman said the coastal zones have excellent natural defense systems with Arakan hill ranges along the Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar shorelines, strong windbreaks with hill forests in the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal and the dense Sundarbans mangrove forests provide triple tier protection mechanisms.
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