UNB, Khalishpur (Khulna), 5 March : Bangladesh government will fix the minimum wages for the workers of 17 sectors in the country apart from readymade garments (RMG).This was disclosed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while addressing a rally at Pravati School ground here on Saturday. The Prime Minister said that the present government has formed a national committee to fix the minimum wages for the 17 sectors apart from the RMG. Seeking some time to announce the wages, she said: “It is not possible to do all things at a time. Please give me sometime. I will enhance the wages of workers of all sectors.”
In this connection, Hasina mentioned that at her personal initiative the garment factory owners had earlier agreed to give Tk 3000 as the minimum wages for their workers.
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Dy EC arriving tomorrow on four-day visit to poll-bound WB
Kolkata, 5 March : Five days after the announcement of the Assembly poll schedule in West Bengal, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi arrives in the state tomorrow on a four-day visit.
Zutshi will hold meetings with the district and poll authorities, review poll preparedness and assess the law and order situation, election department sources said here today. The Deputy Election Commissioner would meet District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur tomorrow.
Kolkata, 5 March : Five days after the announcement of the Assembly poll schedule in West Bengal, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi arrives in the state tomorrow on a four-day visit.
Zutshi will hold meetings with the district and poll authorities, review poll preparedness and assess the law and order situation, election department sources said here today. The Deputy Election Commissioner would meet District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur tomorrow.
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Supreme Court to hear Binayak Sen’s bail plea on 11March
PTI, New Delhi, 5 March : Indian Supreme Court will hear on 11 March the bail plea of civil rights activist Dr Binayak Sen, sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sedition and links with Maoists.
Dr. Sen (61) has challenged the order of the Chhattisgarh High Court which had rejected his bail plea on 10 February.
In the petition prepared by senior advocate Ram Jethmalani it has been submitted that Dr. Sen has already spent two years in jail after his arrest and he should be allowed to come out on bail during the pendency of appeal in the High Court.
PTI, New Delhi, 5 March : Indian Supreme Court will hear on 11 March the bail plea of civil rights activist Dr Binayak Sen, sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sedition and links with Maoists.
Dr. Sen (61) has challenged the order of the Chhattisgarh High Court which had rejected his bail plea on 10 February.
In the petition prepared by senior advocate Ram Jethmalani it has been submitted that Dr. Sen has already spent two years in jail after his arrest and he should be allowed to come out on bail during the pendency of appeal in the High Court.
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Bangladesh request IOM to increase charter flights to quicken repatriation of BangladeshisDhaka, 5 March : Bangladesh has requested the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to charter more flights and increase their frequencies for speedy repatriation of the stranded Bangladeshi workers of from Tunisia, Egypt and Greece.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes stated this at a regular press briefing at the Foreign Ministry on Saturday afternoon.
He said some 26,341 Bangladeshis had either left the violence–torn Libya or relocated their positions within Libya.
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2 arrested in connection with 14 March Nandigram carnage
UNI, Haldia, 5 March : Two people were arrested from Khejuri in the East Midnapore district under Haldia sub-division last night in connection with the 14 March, 2007, Nandigram carnage.
''The arrested CPI(M) worker Prajapati Das and Trinamool Congress activist Sheikh Ujir have been involved in the 14 March Nandigram killings,'' Superintendent of Police Ajit Sarkar said.
UNI, Haldia, 5 March : Two people were arrested from Khejuri in the East Midnapore district under Haldia sub-division last night in connection with the 14 March, 2007, Nandigram carnage.
''The arrested CPI(M) worker Prajapati Das and Trinamool Congress activist Sheikh Ujir have been involved in the 14 March Nandigram killings,'' Superintendent of Police Ajit Sarkar said.
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BJP Assam office ransacked over selection of "candidates"
PTI, Guwahati, 5 March : Disgruntled Morigaon district unit workers today ransacked the BJP Assam unit office in Guwahati in protest againstselection of candidates.A large group of slogan shouting workers stormed into the office on RG Borooah Road with placards and started smashing the furtniture, computers and window panes.
Alleging the party leadership had put up an unknown candidate "after taking bribe from the Congress and AGP", the demonstrators, including women, threatened to sit on a dharna in the compound of the office till party state unit President Ranjit Dutta explained why the name of Prahlad Bhuyan was announced as the candidate from Morigaon.
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Mamata’s decision not to contest reflects her weakness: SY
PTI, New Delhi, 5 March : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s decision not to contest the West Bengal Assembly polls reflects her “weakness”, a top CPI(M) leader said on Saturday.
“If the Trinamool leader says she cannot contest from a constituency, then she is reflecting her weakness,” Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said here. He was asked to comment on Ms. Banerjee declaring that she would not contest the upcoming Assembly polls because she cannot be identified with a single constituency in West Bengal and she has to keep the interest of the entire State in mind.
“The role of a leader should be to contest on his own, win his own seat and lead the party to victory in the entire state,” Yechury told reporters on the sidelines of the CPI(M) Central Committee meeting.
PTI, New Delhi, 5 March : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s decision not to contest the West Bengal Assembly polls reflects her “weakness”, a top CPI(M) leader said on Saturday.
“If the Trinamool leader says she cannot contest from a constituency, then she is reflecting her weakness,” Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said here. He was asked to comment on Ms. Banerjee declaring that she would not contest the upcoming Assembly polls because she cannot be identified with a single constituency in West Bengal and she has to keep the interest of the entire State in mind.
“The role of a leader should be to contest on his own, win his own seat and lead the party to victory in the entire state,” Yechury told reporters on the sidelines of the CPI(M) Central Committee meeting.
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Andaman Islands fishermen get distress alert transmitters
PTI, Port Blair, 5 March : Amid incidents of the country's fishermen being captured by the Sri Lankan navy, the coast guard today gave distress alert transmitters to fishermen in the Union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.Around 69 fishermen of Middle Andaman were given the distress alert transmitters by the Coast Guard at a function in North Andaman in the presence of Andaman and Nicobar chief secretary Shakti Sinha and IG (Coast Guard) K C Pande.
Speaking on the occasion, Sinha said the devices would definitely enable the fishermen to protect themselves in times of distress at sea and also help the Coast Guard to rescue them with minimum delay.
Pande said that earlier under phase I, 62 transmitters were distributed to the fishermen in 2008-09 and during the present phase II another 69 were being distributed to local fishermen free of cost.
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