IBNS, New Delhi, 19 January : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday called on Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and expressed his resolve to dismantle armed camps in the state in the backdrop of political violence, but took the opportunity to once again allege a Maoist-Trinamool Congress nexus.
Bhattacharjee, who met the Union Home Minister at the latter's chamber and discussed about the state law and order situation, said he agreed with Chidambaram on the need to dismantle armed camps.Holding that the Nitai killings should not have happened, Bhattacharjee told reporters: "I agreed on two points. Government is firm on disarming all armed groups including those in Jangalmahal. Secondly Netai was raised and I told him that CID is investigating and we have to ensure this is not repeated," he said.
Bhattacharjee once again alleged that "Trinamool Congress is organising public meetings with the Maoists and openly colluding with them, creating a dangerous situation." န Photos : PTI
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Boat capsizes in Hooghly river, 2 missing at Dakshineswar
Kolkata, 19 January : Two persons were missing after an overcrowded country-boat, coming from Belur to Dakshineswar, capsized midstream on river Hooghly near Kuthighat in North 24 Parganas district this afternoon, police said.
The boat, with 50 people on board, was coming from the side of Belur, where the headquarters of Ramkrishna Mission is located, to Dakshineswar, famed for the Kali temple. SP Rahul Srivastava said all but two persons were rescued.
Kolkata, 19 January : Two persons were missing after an overcrowded country-boat, coming from Belur to Dakshineswar, capsized midstream on river Hooghly near Kuthighat in North 24 Parganas district this afternoon, police said.
The boat, with 50 people on board, was coming from the side of Belur, where the headquarters of Ramkrishna Mission is located, to Dakshineswar, famed for the Kali temple. SP Rahul Srivastava said all but two persons were rescued.
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Bangladesh to replace army contingent in UN Mission at IC
UNB, Dhaka, 19 January : Bangladesh will replace its army contingents in UN Mission at Ivory Coast.
UNB, Dhaka, 19 January : Bangladesh will replace its army contingents in UN Mission at Ivory Coast.
Bangladesh is replacing four army contingents in the United Nations Observer Mission in Ivory Coast (UNOCI), named as Multi national Sector Headquarters (East/west), 14 Field Regiment Artillery (BANBAT-3/19, UNOCI), 7 East Bengal (BANBAT-1/20), BANENGINEER-7 & BANMEDICAL-7.Under the replacement programme, a total of 176 members Army team including officers, led by Colonel Almas Raisul Ghani, left here for Ivory Coast on Wednesday by a UN chartered plane from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Director, Artillery Directorate of Army Headquarters Brigadier General Arif Mawla saw them off at departure lounge of the Airport. Munajat was offered seeking more excellence of the army contingent in future at departure lounge of the Airport prior to their departure.
Under the UN Peacekeeping Programme, seven army contingents remained deployed in Ivory Coast since April 2004. About two thousands peacekeepers will be deployed in Ivory Coast from today till February 22, 2011 by 11 flights from 4 contingents of Bangladesh Army, 1 contingent of Bangladesh Air Force and 2 contingents of Bangladesh Police.
Bangladesh Army contingent achieved confidence of Ivory Coast government and the people in mitigating conflict by discharging their duties with efficiency, professionalism and sincerity.
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Bangladesh Govt to import 200,000 tons rice from Thailand
Dhaka, 19 January : Bangladesh government will import 200,000 metric tons of rice from Thailand this year to increase food reserve and ensure food security in the country.
“Thailand has expressed its willingness to import 200,000 metric tons of rice to Bangladesh,” Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque told reporters at his Secretariat office after a meeting with a Thai delegation on Wednesday.
Dhaka, 19 January : Bangladesh government will import 200,000 metric tons of rice from Thailand this year to increase food reserve and ensure food security in the country.
“Thailand has expressed its willingness to import 200,000 metric tons of rice to Bangladesh,” Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque told reporters at his Secretariat office after a meeting with a Thai delegation on Wednesday.
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Calcutta High Court rejects CBI into Lalgarh's Nitai carnage
Kolkata, 19 January : The Calcutta High Court has rejected the demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Nitai village carnage in Lalgarh area but said the investigation by the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) would be monitored by it.
While the court verdict for a CID probe can bring reprieve to the state government, the division bench of Chief Justice J N Patel and judge A.K. Roy asked the combined forces operating in the Lalgarh area of West Midnapore district to dismantle the armed camps of political groups (read CPI-M) if any.
Kolkata, 19 January : The Calcutta High Court has rejected the demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Nitai village carnage in Lalgarh area but said the investigation by the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) would be monitored by it.
While the court verdict for a CID probe can bring reprieve to the state government, the division bench of Chief Justice J N Patel and judge A.K. Roy asked the combined forces operating in the Lalgarh area of West Midnapore district to dismantle the armed camps of political groups (read CPI-M) if any.
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Election observers visit Burdwan districtBurdwan, 19 January : Two poll observers, part of the six-member special Election Commission team visiting the state, today toured Raina in Burdwan district, where clashes between the Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) took place.
ADG Jharkhand B K Pandey and DIG Orissa P S Rampassi visited Pahalampur, Belsore, Hitta, Bantir and Sripur villages and spoke to the residents. Pandey instructed the ASP (Burdwan) Debasish Sarkar to take immediate action over the complaints by villagers.Some villagers at Belsore village alleged that an NGO, run by the Zilla parishad Sabhadipati's wife, was sheltering armed CPI(M) cadres. The observers later visited Raina police station and spoke to the Officer-in-charge Anirban Basu.
A Trinamul Congress delegation led by senior leader Madan Mitra and another Congress delegation led by Burdwan Rural Congress Sabhadhipati Azizul Huq also met the observers. န Photos : Dipankar Chattterjee
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Governor visits Netai & Jhalda, promises justice to villagers
UNI, Lalgarh, 19 January : West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan today visited Netai village under Lalgarh police station where seven people were killed in a massacre on January seven and promised justice to the victims' kin.
Thousands of people of Netai and kin of the slain villagers waited patiently to pour their hearts out before the governor. The villagers demanded punishment to the culprits and removal of all camps except police and joint forces camps, besides a police picket in Netai. The governor talked to the aggrieved people and offered condolence to the victims' kin.
UNI, Lalgarh, 19 January : West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan today visited Netai village under Lalgarh police station where seven people were killed in a massacre on January seven and promised justice to the victims' kin.
Thousands of people of Netai and kin of the slain villagers waited patiently to pour their hearts out before the governor. The villagers demanded punishment to the culprits and removal of all camps except police and joint forces camps, besides a police picket in Netai. The governor talked to the aggrieved people and offered condolence to the victims' kin.
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75 birth anniversary: Khaleda places wreath at Zia’s mazar
UNB, Dhaka, 19 January : BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia paid homage to late President Ziaur Rahman markimh his 75th birth anniversary today.Khaleda flanked by the party leaders and workers placed wreath at the mazar of Zia, the founder of BNP, at city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 11am. She also offered fateha there. The BNP chairperson also inaugurated a voluntary blood donation programme organized by ZISAS at the mazar premises.
Leaders of BNP and its front and associate organizations including Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, MK Anwar, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Habib-un- Nabi Khan Sohel and Sultan Salahuddin Tukuk were present.
Talking to the reporters at Zia’s mazar premises, BNP standing committee member MK Anwar MP said that the BNP-supported candidates won in the just held municipal elections because of the “government’s massive failure in all fronts.” န Photo : UNB
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Give us power to levy tax on services: States to FM Pranab
PTI, New Delhi, 19 January : States today asked Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to allow them to levy taxes on 33 services as a first step for countrywide roll-out of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
"33 services should be given to the states to impose tax in this Budget. Almost all the states have this view," Haryana Finance Minister Ajay Singh Yadav said after pre-Budget consultations with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
PTI, New Delhi, 19 January : States today asked Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to allow them to levy taxes on 33 services as a first step for countrywide roll-out of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
"33 services should be given to the states to impose tax in this Budget. Almost all the states have this view," Haryana Finance Minister Ajay Singh Yadav said after pre-Budget consultations with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
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SC asks to maintain status quo over Jatiya Press Club body
Dhaka, 19 January : The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the contesting parties to maintain the status quo over the pending election controversy at district court, apparently clearing the way for the newly elected body to continue the Jatiya Press Club management.
Passing the order of status quo that means the existing state of affairs remain in force over the club management, the apex court directed the Dhaka district judge’s court to hold hearing on the pending case over election controversy by 31 January.
Dhaka, 19 January : The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the contesting parties to maintain the status quo over the pending election controversy at district court, apparently clearing the way for the newly elected body to continue the Jatiya Press Club management.
Passing the order of status quo that means the existing state of affairs remain in force over the club management, the apex court directed the Dhaka district judge’s court to hold hearing on the pending case over election controversy by 31 January.
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Kolkata's outdoor Hoardings and Billboards to go "Green"
PTI, Kolkata, 19 January : All outdoor hoardings and billboards in the city will soon go green by adopting eco-friendly measures to save power consumption and reduce carbon emission.Acting on a suggestion made by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board and the state environment department last month, outdoor advertising agencies in the city will switch to LED lights and solar power in a phased-manner.
"To start with, they have been asked to use LED lights, but the power source has to be ultimately replaced by solar power. We have given them time to make the conversion," Biswajit Mukherjee, chief law officer of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, told PTI.
AD Ideas Pvt Limited has already became the first such agency in the city to switch over to the new-age power-efficient light emitting diode (LED) lamps.
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