PTI, Islampur, 14 April : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today exuded confidence that the coming election would "create history ending the 35-year-old Left Front government's misrule" as the Marxists would not be able cling to power by dividing Opposition votes. Banerjee launched a stinging attack on BJP, whom she described as the "big friend of the CPI(M) in West Bengal".
She also came heavily down on Independent candidates fielded by dissident Congress leaders terming them as "agents of CPI(M)". "History would be created in Bengal.
The CPI(M) would be out of power after 35 years," said Banerjee at an election meeting at this Muslim dominated Islampur constituency in the North Dinajpur district bordering Bangladesh on the last leg of her five-day whirlwind tour of North Bengal where polling would be held in the first phase on 18 April for 54 seats. န Photos : PTI, AFP
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B'desh celebrates Pahela Baishakh amid tradition festivity
UNB, Dhaka, 14 April : Leaving behind all sorrows and despairs of the past one year, Bangladesh greeted ‘Pahela Baishakh’, the first day of the Bengali calendar, amid traditional fanfare and festivity.
Tens of thousands of men, women and children wearing colorful dresses including pajama-panjabi and saree befitting the occasion thronged Ramna Batamul at dawn to welcome the New Year.Leading cultural organization ‘Chhayanat’ rendered patriotic songs heralding the day’s festival. Different cultural organizations and popular bands staged performance at Ramna Park, the main venue of the celebration, from the morning to the evening.
The entire area covering Ramna Park, Shahbagh and TSC virtually turned into a human sea with revelers mostly in red and white singing songs and dancing on the streets, welcoming the Pahela Baishak. Kids painted their faces with red and green inscribing “Shuvo Nababarsha.” A colorful “Mangal Shobha Jatra” brought out from the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University was the main feature of the festival.
‘Baishakhi Mela’ was arranged in different places in the capital Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh where traditional household items mostly made of mud, bamboo or cane were sold. Today was public holiday.
President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the people on Pahela Boishakh and expressed her hopes that the country would go to its desired destination in the coming years. န Photos : Pavel Rahman, Demotix
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Bangladesh Markentine Bank may set up branch in Tripura
Agartala, 14 April : In an attempt to strengthen bilateral trade and commercial relations a plan has been mooted to set up a branch of Bangladesh Markentine Bank Limited in Tripura.
Agartala, 14 April : In an attempt to strengthen bilateral trade and commercial relations a plan has been mooted to set up a branch of Bangladesh Markentine Bank Limited in Tripura.
Sources said a team led by Bank’s Managing Director AKM Sahidul Haque will arrive here on 18 April. Officials here said, the bank authorities wrote a letter to the Tripura government to hold a high level meeting for opening the branch here. The meeting is slated to be chaired by Industries Minister Jitendra Choudhury. The team will hold talks with the state government.
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Manipur 'fake encounter' probe report on or before 30 April
PTI, Shillong, 14 April : Justice (retd) P G Agarwal, probing the alleged fake encounter killing of a youth and the killing of a pregnant woman in Manipur in 2009, will submit his findings to the government this month.
Agarwal, who was here in connection with the hearing of a separate case, told PTI the report is under preparation and would be submitted to the government on or before 30 April. "The police have given their versions. We have examined the version published in a journal. A number of persons, including two journalists of Tehelka, have been examined," he said.
The judicial inquiry was ordered by Manipur government into the alleged fake encounter after organisations spearheading public protests intensified their stir and pressed for resignation of Manipur's Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.
Justice Agarwal was told to submit the report within two months, but it has been extended several times. ။ File Photos : Tehelka
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CM sweats it out at Jadavpur against two former colleagues
Kolkata, 14 April : Facing the task of steering the Left front out of harm's way in the West Bengal Assembly polls, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also finds himself challenged by two former colleagues in the Jadavpur seat. The two candidates are Manish Gupta of the Trinamool Congress, who retired as chief secretary during Bhattacharjee's chief ministership, and former CPI(M) South 24-Paragans district secretary Samir Putatunda who is a candidate of the Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS).
The constituency, where there are another 10 candidates, including six independents, in fray and comprises 10 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, is a CPI(M) stronghold never failing to elect party candidates since 1972. Understandably, Bhattacharjee, the face of Left Front, is giving a lions's share of his time to the constituency holding meetings or roadshows almost daily. န Photo : Special Arrangement
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Lowest price of salt fixed at Tk 4 per KG : Min Faruk Khan
Dhaka, 14 April : Bangladesh Commerce Minister Faruk Khan has said the government has fixed lowest price of salt at 4 taka per kilogram.
The minister also disclosed that Bangladesh would not import consumable salt, and industrial and consumable salts would be given separate code numbers. The minister made the disclosure when a three-member delegation of Costs Trust and salt farmers called on him at his office in capital on Wednesday.
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Total Six Myanmarese arrested from West Tripura district
Agartala, 14 April : Six Myanmarese citizens were arrested from Bishramganj area in West Tripura district for allegedly entering India without valid documents, police said today.
Agartala, 14 April : Six Myanmarese citizens were arrested from Bishramganj area in West Tripura district for allegedly entering India without valid documents, police said today.
On a tip-off, Bishramganj police station personnel arrested the Myanmarese nationals from Bishramganj market yesterday and produced them in a local court, which sent them to 14 days judicial custody, DIG Police Control Nepal Das said. He said the Myanmerese entered Tripura via Bangladesh, which has 856 km long border with the state.
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Bangladesh President urges all to build `Sonar Bangla' imbued with spirit of Bengali culture BSS, Dhaka, 14 April : Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman today urged all to work together for building a happy and prosperous `Sonar Banlga' imbued with sprit of Bengali culture.
"I hope the New Year would unite all in every sphere of national life with a new vigor forgetting all past differences," he said while speaking at a reception, hosted by him on the occasion of Bangla Nababarsha (Bengali New Year) at Bangabhaban Thursday evening.The President termed the first day of the Bengali New Year as a unique day imbued with the classical tradition of Bangla related with culture, literature, agriculture, business, festivals and family and social life of Bengalis. The day influences the life of Bengalis immensely through Inspiring them to step forward throwing away all past mistakes, he said. "For that, the appeal of Bangla Nababarsha is universal in The life of Bengalis," he said.
President Rahman greeted the countrymen on the occasion wishing them a happy and prosperous New Year.
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AGP's Prafulla not convinced of Govt-ULFA peace process
Guwahati, 14 April : Former Assam chief minister and senior AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today said he was not not convinced by the tall claims made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of achieving significant breakthrough in the process of peace talks with the ULFA.
Guwahati, 14 April : Former Assam chief minister and senior AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today said he was not not convinced by the tall claims made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of achieving significant breakthrough in the process of peace talks with the ULFA.
"Gogoi has said he hopes Paresh Baruah (ULFA commander-in-chief and leader of the anti-talk faction) will come to the peace process which indicates that there is some understanding between them", Mahanta told reporters at his residence while celebrating Rongali Bihu, Assam's national festival here.
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