BENGAL NEWZ

2011-12-24T01:13:00.000-08:00

2011-08-19T11:22:00.004-07:00

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Opposition parties 36 hours 'Hartal' hits Bangladesh, Many hurt

2011-06-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Anis Ahmed, Ruma Paul, Reuters, Dhaka, 12 June : A general strike called by opposition parties on Sunday over election procedures disrupted transport and businesses across Bangladesh and sparked clashes with security forces.
Opposition leaders said over 100 of their followers were injured in clashes with law enforcers, and around 150 others, including two former ministers, were detained. Most businesses in the capital Dhaka were shuttered at the beginning of the 36-hour stoppage and public transport was virtually at a standstill, though trains continued to run.
Armed police and members of the elite Rapid Action Battalion fanned out in Dhaka and in the port city of Chittagong, guarding key government buildings. Clashes broke out between police and activists at nearly a dozen places including Dhaka and Chittagong. In coastal Bhola district, activists attacked several buses operating in defiance of the strike.

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia said police broke up attempts to stage demonstrations and many of its leaders were rounded up and detained. "It seems like we are in a forbidden city," BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told party workers.
Politics in impoverished Bangladesh has been dominated for decades by often violent rivalry between Khaleda Zia and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina took office in early 2009 and general elections are due in 2013 as the government grapples with discontent over high prices, high unemployment and inadequate public services.
The BNP called Sunday's strike, the second in a week, to denounce a government proposal to rescind constitutional provisions under which government is temporarily handed to a non-party administration before an election.
Under the system, in place since 1996, the ruling party hands power to a non-party caretaker authority which must oversee an election within three months. Power is then handed back to the newly-elected government. But in 2007, an army-backed interim government held on to power for two years before holding an election.
Sheikh Hasina has called for the abolition of the system since the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional last month. But the court also said the system could remain in place for two more elections to avoid the political turmoil and violence associated with campaigns that prompted its introduction in the first place.
The BNP and allies want the caretaker system to stay unchanged to guard against what it says would be an attempt by the prime minister's Awami League party to steal the election. The Awami League dismisses the opposition charges.
Analysts said the conflicting stance of Hasina and Khaleda over the issue could lead the country back to turmoil and disrupt an uneasy political lull existing for years. န Photos : Pavel Rahaman, Munir uz Zaman

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Singur, Nandigram proved costly but Left still relevant: CPM

IANS, Hyderabad, 12 June : The CPI(M) Sunday admitted that mistakes on Singur and Nandigram led to its 'big' defeat in the West Bengal assembly polls but did not agree that the Left has become irrelevant politically.
The central committee of the party, which concluded its two-day meeting here, reviewed the election results in West Bengal and Kerala. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters Sunday evening that the prolonged rule of the Left Front for 34 years in West Bengal led to accumulation of some negative factors
'Notwithstanding the big achievements of the Left Front governments over the last three decades, there were shortcomings and weaknesses in some of the policies and measures adopted for the welfare of the people. The mistakes with regard to Singur and Nandigram proved costly,' said a statement issued by the party.
The review also identified the organisational defects and shortcomings which have alienated various sections of the people.
The central committee did not agree that the electoral defeat in West Bengal has rendered the CPI(M) and the Left politically irrelevant.
'There has been unity from extreme right to extreme left forged under the TMC (Trinamool Congress) combine. It also had its impact on our performance,' asserted Karat. He pointed out that since May 2009 till assembly elections, 388 Left Front and CPI(M) activists were killed, a large number of them by Maoists. န Photo : PTI

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Congress launches campaign, takes on Ramdev, Anna,BJP

Kolkata, 12 June : Senior Congress leader and Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today hit out at Anna Hazare and Ramdev over the civil society's anti-corruption movement, accusing them of undermining democratic institutions and did not spare the BJP either.
Mukherjee while announcing Congress' plans to launch a nationwide anti-corruption campaign took on BJP saying it was backing Hazare and Ramdev to gain support of people after its debacle in the recent Assembly polls and accused the party of providing "logistical support" to their agitations and resorting to "unconstitutional practice".
"The Constitution has given the power to legislate only to Parliament and the state Assemblies. If 5,000 or 6,000 people dictate from outside what the Parliament ought to do, this will weaken democracy," he told a press conference. The campaign is seen as a bid by Congress to counter the movement by Hazare and Ramdev. န Photo : PTI

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Fake currency of Rs four lakh seized at Malda Rail station
Malda, 12 June : Fake currency with face value of Rs four lakh was seized tonight from Malda Town railway station, GRP sources said.
GRP personnel noticed a youth moving suspiciously on platform no. five at about 9pm and chased him. The youth left his bag and fled. The bag was found to be containing fake currency with face value of Rs four lakh. All the notes were in the denomination of Rs 500, the sources said.

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Parliament begins debate on revised budget for fiscal '10-11
UNB, Sangsad Bhaban, 12 June : Bangladesh Parliament today (Sunday) began general debate on the revised budget of Tk 1,30,019 crore for fiscal 2010-11 which will end on 30 June.
However, the debate was virtually a one-way show without the absence of opposition from the House.

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Trinamool Congress not to "ally' with Congress in Tripura

Agartala, 12 June : Trinamool Congress will not form any alliance with the main opposition Congress in Tripura to fight against the Left Front government, party leaders said in Agartala on Sunday.
"Congress has no reliability in Tripura. People also have no confidence with the party. Their internal feud is never-ending," Tripura Trinamool leader Manik Deb told reporters in Agartala.
'During the previous elections, Congress told the people that they are comning to power, but they failed miserably. Trinamool Congress on its own strength will come to power in the 2013 assembly polls,' Manik Deb also said. According to Deb, many Congress leaders, former ministers and legistors are willing to join the Trinamool after the West Bengal poll verdict.
"We would accept those Congress leaders into Trinamool Congress who has clean image and are dedicated to work for the people," party leader Arun Chandra Bhowmik said. Over 1,000 Congress and other party members have joined Trinamool Congress in Tripura after the West Bengal assembly election results in May, he added.
The Congress has, however, rejected the Trinamool accusation. "It would help the ruling Left Front if the opposition parties do not form any alliance or do not fight unitedly against the Left parties," Congress spokesman Tapas Dey told reporters. "Congress is the main political force in Tripura. How can the smaller parties ignore the Congress," Dey also asked.
Congress Sunday organised a day-long sit-in across Tripura to protest the alleged 'misrule of the Left Front government.' န File Photo

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Four pilgrims from West Bengal killed in Uttaranchal state
PTI, Dehra Dun, 12 June : Four pilgrims from West Bengal undertaking Chardham yatra were killed and three others injured when a tree fell on their mini-bus at Raiwala area near here in Uttaranchal today, police said.
The incident occurred this morning when the tree was uprooted during a squall and fell on the vehicle which was on way to Garhwal region, they said. All the four died on the spot and included two brothers - Dipesh Samanta (37), Dipendu Samanta (42) and Dipendu's wife Pampa (38) and Pradip Manna (40), police said. They were all residents of Singur area of Hooghly district in West Bengal, they said adding that the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital.

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1-H Rhino killed by poachers in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Guwahati, 12 June : Suspected poachers shot dead a one-horned male rhino in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam, officials said.
The rhino was shot at from a .303 pistol by a gang of poachers at around 2.30am and they escaped with the prized horn of the endangered species, they said. This is the first instance of poaching in the Park, located about 52 km from Guwahati, which boasts of the highest density of rhinos in the world.

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Vote Sundarbans, urges B'desh Environment, Forests Min

UNB, Dhaka, 12 June : Bangladesh State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday urged the countrymen to vote Sundarbans into one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the world.

He made the call at a press conference at his Secretariat office in the morning after a meeting with Seven Wonders Foundation director Jean Paul de la Fuente.
Dr Mahmud said the Sundarbans is taking 2-5 places in the list of the World`s Natural Seven Wonders and we have no alternative to up publicity in favour of Sundarbans in order to provide vote for the largest mangrove forest in the region.
He informed that the voting period in electing natural 7 wonders will be concluded in November. ``I am requesting all to vote Sundarbans through SMS or internet within November``.
Dr Mahmud also informed that Bangladesh and India has been continuing publicity respectively to elect the Sundarbans as a 7 wonders and India will arrange a mega cultural program involving Indian top celebrities in this regards.

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10 Buses burnt in Dhaka,RAB guarding street in combat fashion

2011-06-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

UNB, Dhaka, 11 June : Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and riot police were guarding the streets in the capital as pre-hartal violence marked by burning buses seemingly marred the normal life late Saturday afternoon.

Police and fire brigade sources confirmed that at least 10 vehicles, including passenger buses, auto rickshaws and yellow cabs, were burnt in different parts of the capital since Saturday afternoon to 10:00pm allegedly by hartal activists to create panic among the city dwellers and force them to stay inside. Fire Brigade sources said 10 vehicles were set to afire at Motijheel, Chawkbazar, Agargaon, Pallabi, Bangla College, Badda and Kakrail areas in between 1:30 pm to 10 pm.
Opposition BNP and its allies including Jamaat-e-Islami called for 36-hour marathon hartal across the country from Sunday morning to protest the government move to cancel the system of non-party caretaker government to oversee the general elections. The shutdown was also called to protest the price-hike of essentials, deteriorating law and order situation and the government’s failure to resolve gas-electricity-water crises and its failure to make the share market stable.
Witnesses said most private buses and cars went off the streets after the burning of buses in the afternoon. RAB and riot police in combat fashion either took positions at different strategic points or patrolling the streets in a bid to maintain order. Police said so far 54 pro-hartal activists were arrested from different parts in the capital including Ramna, Tajgaon, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Adabar, Shahbagh and Sabujbagh areas and punished them with one month to three months in jail on charge of ‘obstructing police duty.’
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that police have started searching and raiding the houses of BNP leaders and workers across the country. He claimed more than 100 opposition leaders and workers were arrested till Saturday afternoon.
The 36-hour shutdown would be the first of its kind by the opposition party against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s two and a half years old government. Sunday-Monday hartal comes within a week as BNP enforced the last hartal on 5 June on the same issue. န File Photos : AP

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Mamta's cabinet to meet on Monday to discuss Singur 'bill'
Kolkata, 11 June : The West Bengal state cabinet will meet on 13 June to discuss the Singur 'Bill' before it is tabled in the Assembly, with the draft submitted to the Chief Minister's Office today, state Law Minister Maloy Ghatak told Bengal Newz over phone.
The Bill, being prepared by the Industry Department, would seek to revoke the lease agreement between the Tatas and WBIDC by virtue of which nearly 1,000 acre would be reclaimed by the state at Singur, the site of the abandoned Tata Motors Nano project.

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UNFPA approved Bangladesh's $70 M Country Programme

Dhaka, 11 June : A country programme for Bangladesh has been considered and approved today during the Executive Board meeting of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The purpose of the programme is to continue UNFPA's work in the areas of population development, reproductive health and gender equality, according to a release of Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York.
The programme will focus on reducing inequalities, improving health human resources, improving the quality of emergency obstetric care and providing youth friendly services. It is based on the situation analysis, the programme evaluation and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), 2012-2016.
The approved country programme is $70 million, of which $40 million from regular budget. This is in line with the Bangladesh government's commitment to double the percentage of skilled birth attendance, reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancies and to halve the unmet need for family planning by 2015.
The USA, Sweden and Tanzania appreciated the work being done in Bangladeshand reiterated their support for the country programme. The US delegate stressed the need to work with vulnerable groups such as commercial sex workers and drug users in order to tackle the problem of HIV/AIDS. Sweden emphasized the need to involve all stakeholders to be more effective.

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Grenade explodes in front of Assam Rifle unit in Meghalaya
Shillong, 11 June : A grenade blast occurred in front of the main gate of an Assam Rifles unit here today but there was no casualty.
An Assam Rifles spokesman said a 42-year-old civilian, apparently in inebriated condition, allegedly lobbed the grenade at a drain in front of the unit gate located at Madanriting in the city this evening.

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Let black money flow : Dhaka Stock Exchange's chief Rizvi
Dhaka, 11 June : Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) wants the provision to legalise black money to stay for the companies listed in the share market.
“The opportunity to invest unaccounted income in government treasury bonds should be given to the companies listed in the share market,” DSE president Shakil Rizvi told a post-budget press conference on Saturday.

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73,000 villages to have banking facility by 2012: FM Pranab

Raghunathganj, 11 June : Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said 73,000 villages in the country would have banking facility by next year.
"By 31 March, 2012, banking facility will be available in 73,000 villages across the country going by the current pace of work," Mukherjee said after inaugurating a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch at Talai under Raghunathganj police station area in Murshidabad district.
Mukherjee said the government wants to enable every citizen of the country to avail banking facility in future. He said Talai was among the 117 villages of the country to have been chosen by the PNB to mark its 117th year, where branches were being set up and local development projects undertaken.
Pranab Mukherjee also inaugurated an agri-training centre in the village and hoped it would help farmers acquire modern farming skills for better yield.

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PM Hasina inaugurates two power plants at Meghanaghat
UNB, Narayanganj, 11 June : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated a 100 MW furnace oil-fired Quick Rental Power Plant at Meghnaghat today.
She also laid the foundation of a 335-MW duel-fuel combined cycle power plant at the same place. Hasina inaugurated the 25.17 MW captive power plant, set up by Everest Power Generation Company, a sister concern of Meghna Group.

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It's a good decision : Min Pranab on the bill on Singur land
Kolkata, 11 June : Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today made light of the criticism being faced by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for first announcing an ordinance and then saying a bill would be moved in the assembly to reclaim the 400 acre at Singur.
"So what? It's a good decision," Mukherjee told reporters in reply to a question before leaving for his Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad district.

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Khaplang issues counter expulsions, splits in NSCN group

PTI, Kohima, 11 June : Two days after his expulsion from Khole-Kitovi group of NSCN, its former chairman has come up with counter-expulsion orders against senior functionaries of GPRN/NSCN terming it as an "unification group", indicating further splits in the Naga insurgent outfit.
Using the nomenclature of National Socialist Council of Nagaland and addressing himself as its chairman, S S Khaplang yesterday issued two expulsion orders -- one for general secretary N Kitovi Zhimomi and the other for 'kilo kilonser' (home minister) Azheto Chophy and six other functionaries of GPRN/NSCN.
The expulsion orders, issued to the media through P Tikhak who termed himself as "spokesperson of NSCN(K)," described the expelled functionaries as "members of the unification camp" and said they were expelled for their "anti-party activities".

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Monsoon likely to advance to Indian North-east in two days
Kolkata, 11 June : Conditions are favourable for the Southwest Monsoon to advance to the northeast and some parts of north Bengal in the next two days, the weathermen said today.
Director of the regional meteorological centre G C Debnath told Bengal Newz that radar watch of the monsoon current confirmed the existence of favourable conditions for its advance to the northeast and north Bengal.
Thereafter, Debnath said, the flow would somewhat weaken causing delay in its arrival in eastern India. However, good rainfall activity will continue along the west coast and northeastern states.

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Manipur fixes urea price at Rs 400 per Bag to help farmers
PTI, Imphal, 11 June : In a move to help farmers, Manipur government has decided to provide them urea at Rs 400 per bag of 50 kg, official sources said today.
The decision to reduce the price from about Rs 600 per bag was taken during a cabinet meeting presided over by the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh yesterday, sources said. The amount of Rs 2 crores, sanctioned by the state cabinet, would be used in giving subsidy to 10,000 metric tonnes of urea to ensure urea to farmers at Rs 400 per bag, the sourced added.

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Amitav Ghosh comes out with second of his Ibis Trilogy...

PTI, New Delhi, 11 June : The Ibis after its tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean to the Mauritius Islands has now moved to Canton in China in a fascinating build-up to the Opium Wars.
Three years after the internationally-acclaimed beginning to his masterful epic, the Ibis Trilogy with the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted "Sea of Poppies", author Amitav Ghosh returns with another engrossing novel depicting the further adventures of those aboard the Ibis.
"River of Smoke" is second of the trilogy of Ibis, is published by Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin.
In September 1838, a storm blows up on the Indian Ocean and the Ibis, having a motley array of sailors and stowaways, convicts and indentured labourers and moving from Kolkata to Mauritius, is caught up in the whirlwind. When the seas settle, five men have disappeared - two lascars, two convicts and one of the passengers.

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BNP announces countrywide 36 hrs 'Hartal' from Sunday on CG

2011-06-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

Dhaka, 10 June : Bangladesh's opposition BNP on Friday announced a 36 hours countrywide hartal from 6am (BDST) on Sunday protesting the government’s move to scrap the caretaker government system from Constitution.
The hartal was also called protesting the government’s move to delete the phrase "absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah" from constitution and abolish the provision of maintaining good relation with the Muslim world from the Constitution.
The other issues include price hike of essentials, deteriorating law and order situation and the government’s failure to resolve gas-electricity-water crises and its failure to make the share market stable.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the 36 hour hartal programme at a press conference at the party’s central office at Nayapaltan at 11:30am (BDST).
The 36 hours hartal would be the first of its kind by BNP against the AL government during its two and half years tenure. All the last five hartals enforced by BNP were daylong hartals. န File Photo

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Singur Ordinance replaced with Bill, govt advances session
PTI, Kolkata, 10 June : In the wake of the opposition CPI(M)'s objection, West Bengal government today decided that it would place a bill in the Assembly next week, instead of the ordinance it had promulgated earlier, to reclaim 400 acres land at the abandoned site of Tata Motors in Singur.
Speaker of the assembly Biman Bandyopadhyay told PTI that a instead of the ordinance promulgated yesterday, a bill would be placed in the Assembly to reclaim 400 acres land and return it to unwilling farmers of Singur. The move came on a day when a Left delegation led by leader of the opposition Dr Surya Kanta Mishra met governor M K Narayanan and said it would not be proper to promulgate an ordinance when the assembly was in session.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said only one bill would be passed in the ''new session'' and that was in the interest of the helpless farmers of Singur. The first session of the newly-elected West Bengal assembly has been advanced by 12 days to enable the government to adopt the bill on Singur land.
The session would now start on 13 June instead of 24 June, assembly secretariat sources said. "It will be a totally new session of the House.... we attach utmost significance to the people of Singur who are in distress having lost their land. We can''t waste valuable time and therefore the date of House session has been advanced," she told reporters at the Writers Buildings.
Mamata Banerjee yesterday announced promulgation of the ordinance, signed by Governor M K Narayanan, for reclaiming 400 acres of land at Singur. န File Photo

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PM urges to keep essential prices stable ahead of Ramadan
Dhaka, 10 June : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the businessmen to keep prices of essentials within the reach of the commoners and market stable during the coming holy month of Ramadan.
Prime Minister made the call at a meeting with the businessmen at her official residence Ganobhaban on Friday night. Following the Prime Minister’s call, the businessmen promised to keep the market prices within the reach of the people during the Ramadan.

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Work on 2nd rail link to Bangladesh to start soon in Tripura

Agartala, 10 June : India will construct an 18-km-long railway line at a cost of Rs 267 crore to connect Agartala with Akhaura via Gangasagar in Bangladesh, a top railway official said today.
B N Rajsekhar, additional member of the Indian Railway Board, said here that the project, second after the Kolkata-Dhaka line, would be completed in two and a half years.
A six-member delegation, led by Rajsekhar, yesterday saw the alignment of the railway line and gave a final nod to it.
Rajsekhar said the project was held up for a long time and got a fresh lease of life only after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited New Delhi last year.
"Two months ago the Planning Commission had asked the Railway Board to finalise the alignment of the railway," he said. န Photos : Parthajit Dutta

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IIP growth plunges to 6.3%, FM Pranab finds it "disturbing"
PTI, New Delhi, 10 June : Industrial output growth in India plunged to 6.3% in April due to a dismal show by manufacturing and mining sectors, which prompted the government to term the situation as disturbing.
According to the government data with base year of 2004-05, the factory output in 2010-11, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is higher at 8.2%. This prompted Chief Economic Adviser Dr Kaushik Basu to suggest that growth numbers for 2010-11 may be revised upwards from the provisional 8.5%.

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Prop. tax rate at source on export to hinder growth : FBCCI

Dhaka, 10 June : Expressing a mixed reaction on proposed budget for next fiscal, FBCCI president AK Azad on Friday said it reflected government’s sincere efforts for a growth, industry and business-friendly budget, but industrialization will be impeded if their proposals are not accepted.
“We welcome the budget… though it lacks specific guidelines in some areas. We’ll soon sit with the government for discussion. If our proposals are not accepted, industrialization will be impeded,” he said adding that there is no specific guideline to encourage private sector.
The president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry came up with the observation at a press conference at the FBCCI conference room to give the apex trade body’s official reaction over the proposed budget for fiscal 20111-12. န Photo : Nashirul Islam

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Climate change to have large-scale effect on NE biodiversity

PTI, Guwahati, 10 June : The impact of climate change is likely to result in large-scale changes in the biodiversity of the Northeast, a study has revealed.
The study, sponsored by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), has warned that change in temperature and quantum and intensity of rainfall coupled with extreme weather conditions would have a long-term impact, particularly on the structure and composition of forests in the region.
The impact is likely to be more severe in areas where other pressures are deemed to be high, including stability of the natural systems affected due to socio-economic pressures such as encroachment on forest areas, over-grazing, felling of trees for jhum cultivation, etc.
With the impact not being uniform across the region, it is expected to be higher in certain areas and on certain communities because of various factors.
They include physio-geographic and topographic features, degree of association with climate-sensitive environments and ecosystems, socio-economic, political and cultural characteristics of the region and communities, the study pointed out.
The study seeks to understand the factors that determine the vulnerability of the Northeast in terms of the effect of the climatic change and identify measures to reduce the impact.
The study asserted that despite its rich natural resources, the region lagged behind others in terms of social and economic development.

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CPI-M leaders slams Government ordinance on Singur land
Kolkata, 10 June : Opposition CPI(M) today criticised promulgation of ordinance by the West Bengal government for reclaiming 400 acres land at the abandoned site of the Tata Motors in Singur, saying an ordinance could not be passed when the Assembly was in session.
"Assembly session was on. Assembly was not prorogued. When assembly session was on, ordinance cannot be promulgated," leader of opposition Dr Surya Kanta Mishra said commenting on the ordinance. Similar voice was also raised by the former speaker of state Assembly Hasim Abdul Halim.

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An estimated over 70,000 children infected with HIV in India

PTI, Kolkata, 10 June : An estimated 70,000 children are infected with HIV in India and the ailment is caused to most of them by parent-to-child-transmission (PTCT), according to a recent finding by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
Participants of a UNICEF-state AIDS Prevention and Control Society seminar here said, quoting NACO estimates, that a small proportion of these children are infected by unsafe injections and blood transfusions.
"UNICEF supports the government in its effort to halt and reverse the HIV/AIDS outbreak in India to reduce the transmission of HIV from infected mothers to their children," the country chief of UNICEF, HIV and AIDS, Ivonne Camaroni told PTI on the sidelines of the seminar yesterday.
With 21,000 children infected every year through PTCT, the UNICEF wanted to provide strategic supplies of drugs and commodities, improve the capacity of staff by developing innovative communication approaches for prevention and care and helping to improve monitoring and reporting systems.
The possible factors behind infection of children were mother-to-child transmission, blood transfusion and HIV positive mothers not having availed prevention facility during pregnancy, Camaroni said.

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Total 49 illegal firearms seized in West Midnapore district
Medinipur, 10 June : A total of 49 illegal firearms were recovered from the house of a CPI(M) leader and a place near the riverbank at West Midnapore district, police said.
According to police, 15 illegal rifles were seized from an well of the local CPI(M) leader Nandulal Pal at Manidaha village in the district headquarters town here. Police also recovered illegal guns from the char of the Kansabati river.

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ULFA, govt resolve to stay away from violence: Tarun Gogoi
PTI, Guwahati, 10 June : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that though there was no official declaration of ceasefire with the banned ULFA, the government and the militant outfit have decided to use restraint and refrain from violence when the peace talks have been continuing.
"There is no official declaration of ceasefire, but the government and ULFA led by pro-talk chief Arabindo Rajkhowa have decided to refrain from violence," Gogoi said in his first press conference after assuming office for the third consecutive term. He said efforts have been on to bring ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, known for his anti-talks stance, into the discussion table.

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Women’ home resembles inferno: Minister to suspend chief

Special Report , Malda, 10 June : The missing of an inmate from the women’s home in Malda under the social welfare department has bared its inferno like state and the inhuman environment amidst which 26 inmates mostly minor are spending the days under inexplicable agony. The state women and child and social welfare minister Sabitri Mitra was speechless seeing the abominable condition of the home during her visit after learning from sources that the missing girl might have been fallen a prey of trafficking.
It was seen that all the inmates were accommodated in a single room. There was no adequate cot nor did the cots have at least a bed sheet. The helpless inmates are compelled to lie on the bare cots. The inmates of different ages have been put together without paying least heed to the psychological effect. Even the mentally challenged inmates are put with the other inmates and those poor girls receive no special care from the home authorities as was visible during the minister’s visit.

They were made sit like cows on the bare cots before the minister decided to visit the home. Their mute faces were expressive of mixed feelings fear and helplessness, agony and emptiness. It was hard to believe that the socially abused or immorally trafficked women could be accommodated in such a mean environment. “Instead of providing solace, such an environment would rather perish their mental state further,” said Dr C Roy, a psychiatrist.
“We are subjected to all sorts of torture here. We are beaten so brutally that we have lost the words to protest,” said Sunita (name changed) a Hindi speaking inmate aged around 15 years. While Sunita was narrating before Bengal Newz the tortures incurred upon them allegedly by the super of the home, another minor inmate was reminding her by pinching about the probable dire consequence.
Rama Ghoshal (name changed) said: “I cannot tell you who torture us here but once you leave, our agony would be doubled and we would be beaten from pillar to post for yawning our mouths.” Rama was visibly fumbling while her friends sat bowing their faces.
Another inmate whispered: “We are served scanty amount of food and if we protest, they would tease us initially and later the torture would begin. In the same breath she said: “The super of the home punishes us physically if we protest against her dictatorship.”
A former employee, who was removed by the super of the home said on the condition of anonymity: “I apprehend the some of the inmates were forced to indulge in flesh trade.” “The super receives salary for her job and collects rent as the home is lodged at her building,” she said.
The entire scenario prevailed in the home was enough for any person with minimum intelligence the abhorrent state of the inmates. In response of the minister’s pertinent question, the accused super was trying to hide her faults feebly and thereby exposing herself all the more. Minister Sabitri Mitra said: “I have understood everything and I would take stern action against the home authorities including suspension after I go Kolkata.” န Photos : Uday Mondal

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WB government passes ordinance to reclaim part of Singur land

2011-06-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

Ritwik Mukherjee, Kolkata, 9 June : The West Bengal government on Thursday passed an ordinance for reclaiming 400 acres of land at Tata Motors’ abandoned site at Singur, which in turn will be returned to farmers who were not willing to part with it.

The state government also announced that it was ready to pay compensation to Tata Motors through a court-appointed arbitrator if the Tatas wanted to move out of the remaining 600 acres in the same compound. According to state government officials, this was a prelude to the amendment to the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, which the state government was planning to introduce during the ensuing session of the assembly.
“Since the state assembly is not in session, we have promulgated the ordinance. Later, we will take clearance from the assembly,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee said. The ordinance, signed by governor MK Narayanan, is a government decree issued as a stop-gap arrangement before a proper law can be passed by the legislature. Most ordinances are valid for six months, after which they have to be either re-issued or endorsed by the legislature.
The chief minister said the ordinance would be placed in the next session of assembly, and said, “It is a historic day for the people of Singur.” However, a Tata Motors spokesperson said, “We are not aware of such a development and we do not want to make any comment unless we have studied the ordinance.”
The chief minister on her part said the remaining 600 acres would be kept open for industry and added that Tatas could set up industry if they wanted. "If they (Tata) demand compensation without going in for industry on this 600 acres, we will give them compensation through legal means by appointing an arbitrator," she added. န File Photos : Reuters

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Bangladesh budget takes aim at energy shortages, poverty

Ruma Paul, Reuters, Dhaka, 9 June : Bangladesh's government unveiled a budget for fiscal 2011-12 year on Thursday which increases spending on key sectors by nearly a third to tackle power shortages which are curbing growth and deterring investment.
Spending on key development needs such as power and transport will increase by 31 percent from this fiscal year to 460 billion taka ($6.3 billion), of which 60 percent would be provided by the government and the rest by overseas lenders, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told parliament as he presented the 1.6 trillion taka ($22 billion) budget.
Overall spending will increase 23 percent in the year from 1 July to 1.6 trillion taka, he said. The government aims to cap its deficit at 5 percent of gross domestic product in 2011-12, up from a revised 4.4 pct of GDP in 2010-11.
It is targeting a 27 percent rise in tax revenue to 1.18 trillion taka in the coming fiscal year, largely due to improvements in tax collection and crackdowns on evasion.
Bangladesh aims to bolster economic growth to a record 7 percent in the coming year, from 6.7 percent targeted in 2010/11, and expects inflation to ease slightly to 7.5 percent against a revised target of 8 percent this year, he said.
Price pressures are a major concern for the government as nearly 40 percent of the country's more than 150 million people live on less than $1.25 a day.... READ MORE

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Opposition CPI-M slams WB govt ordinance on Singur land
Kolkata, 9 June : Opposition CPI(M) today criticised promulgation of ordinance by the West Bengal government for reclaiming 400 acres land at the abandoned site of the Tata Motors in Singur, saying an ordinance could not be passed when the Assembly was in session.
"Assembly session was on. Assembly was not prorogued. When assembly session was on, ordinance cannot be promulgated," leader of opposition Surya Kanta Mishra said commenting on the ordinance. Similar voice was also raised by the former speaker of state Assembly Hasim Abdul Halim.

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BNP, its allies likely to simultaneously call hartal next week

UNB, Dhaka, 9 June : BNP and it’s alliance partners are likely to again simultaneously call hartal next week (Sunday or Monday) on caretaker government issue and amendment of the constitution.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia Wednesday night held meeting with partners of the four-party alliance to discuss the next course of action.
Before meeting with the alliance leaders she had a meeting with her party’s standing committee, BNP’s highest policy making body.
A leader of the four-party alliance told UNB that they have decided in principle to call hartal and it would be announced on Friday.
He further said the duration and date will be finalized today (Thursday) after reviewing the national budget. He hinted the hartal may be called on Sunday or Monday.
On 5 June BNP and partners of the four-party alliance Jamaat, BJP and Khelafat Majlish called countrywide dawn to dusk hartal against the govenrment move to cancel caretaker government provision embodied in the constitution.

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Tripura police launches action against eve-tease of Agartala
Agartala, 9 June : The Tripura police has launched a special operation against eve teasers of Agartala city under project 'Prayaas', an initiative of people-friendly policing.
According to a report, a police team headed by Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Princee Rani conducted a special drive in different places of Agartala town against the eve-teasers and arrested six in front of MTB Girls’ and BK Girls’ Higher Secondary schools yesterday. Earlier, as many as 11 eve-teasers and, 45 others involved in various criminal activities, were arrested from here in separate raids, police said.

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West Bengal govt to clear land for 'K Nazrul Islam Memorial'

Kolkata, 9 June : The West Bengal government will clear encroachers from a plot of land which was meant for setting up a memorial of rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave an assurance in this regard to the poet's granddaughter Khilkhil Kazi when she called on her Thursday at the secretariat.
Khilkhil said that the plot, in the city's Kestopur area, was given to her grandfather by the United Front government. The land is now illegally occupied.
"We have the documents relating to the land. The occupants are not willing to vacate it. We requested the chief minister to see that the land is freed and a Nazrul Centre is set up there. The chief minister has said steps will be taken after examination of the documents," Khilkhil said.

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West Bengal govt stops research trial of "Transgenic Rice"

Kolkata, 9 June : The West Bengal government today ordered to stop research trial of transgenic rice that started in March this year.
Briefing reporters here, state Environment Minister Dr Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar said the isolation distance for the transgenic research trial was normally 300 metres from normal paddy fields.
However, in this case the isolation distance was 10 metres.
The botany department of Calcutta University was conducting the research trial at Rice Research Station at Chinsurah in the state.
Dr Ghosh Dastidar said an expert panel would be formed to study the matter and the government would look forward to the suggestions made by the panel.
He said cultivation of transgenic seeds was bio-hazardous and could threaten food security.

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Maradona to receive invitation for Kolkata's friendly match
New Delhi, 9 June : Football legend Diego Maradona will be accorded a special invitation for Argentina's international friendly against Venezuela, scheduled to be held at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on 2 September.
"We will be inviting Maradona. I will try and meet him when I go to Argentina during the Copa America next month," said Bhaswar Goswami, chief of Celebrity Management Group (CMG), the firm who bought the hosting rights of the match from Argentina Football Association.

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Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb to skip politburo meeting
Kolkata, 9 June : Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will stay away from the CPI(M) politburo meeting beginning in Hyderabad tomorrow, apparently to avoid discussions on party's debacle in the Assembly polls in the state.
Party sources said Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who is a member of the Politburo, would also not attend the central committee meeting on 11and 12 June. Bhattacharjee had skipped the last politburo meeting in Delhi on 15 May. In recent past too, he did not attend some crucial meetings of the party citing certain grounds.

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Silk with Singapore Airlines offers daily flights from Kolkata

Kolkata, 9 June : Silk Air, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines (SIA), together with the parent airline would operate daily flights from Kolkata to Singapore from 1 August.
Announcing this here today, Silk Air chief executive Marvin Tan said that together with SIA's three weekly flights to Kolkata, the two airlines would now operate seven round-trip services per week. The all-inclusive round-trip fare from Kolkata to Singapore would be Rs 14,999 per passenger by both the airlines, which was against about Rs 21,000 by SIA at present.
This has been possible as Silk Air has agreed to operate four-times-weekly services from Kolkata to Singapore from 1 August.
The SIA flights would be on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, while Silk Air would operate its flights on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, Tan said.

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ONGC on big exploration drive for gas extraction in Tripura

PTI, Agartala, 9 June : ONGC has launched a massive exploration drive for gas extraction in Tripura to meet the requirement of 726 MW gas-based thermal power project at Palatana in South Tripura, which is scheduled to start power generation by December 2012, official sources said today.
Recently, company director U N Bose had reviewed the progress of activities and visited the Palatana project site. The company has set a target to produce six million metric standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas by 2012, to meet the requirements of the project and has also decided to drill two more gas well within the stipulated time (2012). Last year, ONGC had discovered two major gas wells.
ONGC-Tripura Power Corporation (OTPC) is trying to install heavy equipments for the 726 MW mega thermal power plant at Palatana despite heavy rains and communication bottlenecks, sources said.
Two makeshift bridges, commonly known as bypass, which were built on the rivers Hawra in Agartala and Gomati in South Tripura district, were washed away due to heavy rains last week, creating bottlenecks for transportation of the turbines and heavy equipments to the project site.
Due to the collapse of the bridges, transportation of 280 tonne turbine has became difficult but ONGC is trying to rebuild the bridges before the monsoon sets in, in order to start generation by the end of December 2012, sources said.
The initially estimated project cost of nearly Rs 8,000 crore has already gone up to Rs 9,000 crore because of the delay, sources added. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone for the project in 2005.

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PM Hasina invites Khaleda Zia to help figure out caretaker issue

2011-06-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

UNB, Sangsad Bhaban, Dhaka, 8 June : In a significant political overture, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday in Parliament invited opposition leader Khaleda Zia to sit together and help figure out what is to be done to resolve the dispute over the system of caretaker government.
In a soul-searching retrospection, Hasina wanted to know from her arch political opponent as to why she is trying to heat up the political situation and at whose instance.
The Leader of the House was giving reply to the supplementary question of independent lawmaker Mohammad Fazlul Azim (Noakhali-6).
Making a flashback on the ordeal the opposition leader and she herself had to face including going to jail during the previous army-backed caretaker government, the Prime Minister asked Khaleda as to why she would give them a second chance taking advantage of the rule by the caretaker government.
“They (force behind the last caretaker government), came to the power on the pretext of the caretaker government. They will come to the power and label us as corrupt and thief, it cannot be acceptable. Let us sit together and do everything on our own,” she said.... READ MORE

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West Bengal government to recruit 46,000 primary teachers
Kolkata, 8 June : The West Bengal government today decided to recruit 46,000 primary teachers to improve the school education system, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
"We have decided to appoint 46,000 teachers in primary schools. This has been done with the approval of the finance department," Mamata told after a cabinet meeting. She said that 10% of the recruitment will be made from the state Primary Teachers Training Institutes and para-teachers.

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Economist Kumar appointed advisor for Human Dev Report
PTI, Gangtok, 8 June : Development economist A K Shiva Kumar has been appointed as an advisor by the Sikkim Government for formulating the second State Human Development Report.
Kumar, who is a development economist and adviser to the UNICEF- India, teaches economics and public policy at Harvard University''s Kennedy School of Government. He works on issues of poverty, health, nutrition, education along with women and children rights. He is also a founding member of the International Development Evaluation Association, officials said.

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"Int’l initiative could bring permanent solution to Rohingya"

UNB, Dhaka, 8 June : Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque Wednesday sought US support to permanent solution to the Rohinga issue, which has put burden on Bangladesh’s resources.

“It’s (Rohingya issue) now turned into an international problem. It has a political perspective too. An international-level proactive role could help bring permanent solution to the issue,” Razzaque told reporters at his ministry after meeting with US Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration Eric Schwartz.
US Deputy Under-Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration Kelly Clements and US Ambassador in Bangladesh James F Moriarty were present at the meeting.
Razzque said the western countriers should play more proactive role in resolving the Rohingya problems by sending them back to their homeland or through proper rehabilitation.
“Due to the presence of Rohingya, burden is gradually increasing on resources of Cox’s Bazar and it has been creating many social problems,” he said.
The Minister said though Bangladesh is a poor country with vast population, the government has been helping the refugees over the years.
There are some 24,000 registered Rohingyas while the number of unregistered Rohingyas is over 2 lakh living in different parts of the country.

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Darjeeling issue settled, claims chief minister Mamata Banerjee

2011-06-07T01:32:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 7 June : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the 15-year-old Darjeeling issue was “settled” but the GJM was mum on whether there was any decision on its original demand for a Gorkhaland state.

“Today is a historic day. The Darjeeling issue which has been lingering for a long period is settled at the official-level talks. I have informed Union Home Minister P Chidambaram,” Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the Writers’ Buildings.
Asked about the ‘magic formula’ that clinched the agreement, Mamata Banerjee, who had earlier stated that she would solve the Darjeeling problem within three months, said, “It is our heart and good intention. The magic formula for reaching this agreement is development.”
Noting that Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh would announce details of the nitty gritties, she said, “I have asked him to talk to the Centre so that the agreement can be formalised at Darjeeling where I will be present.” Asked if a financial package will be given to Darjeeling, she retorted, “Shall I attend a wedding without a gift? We love the people of Darjeeling.”
Later GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told reporters that transfer of ‘tauji’ or the right over tea gardens and resolution of the problem of casual employees of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council were reached at the meeting. Asked about the GJM’s original demand for Gorkhaland, Roshan Giri declined to comment. န File Photos : AFP, Avijit Mondal

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Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao calls on Dipu Moni
Dhaka, 7 June : Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao called on Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni at the Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tarek Karim, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Raji Mitter and high officials were present. Both the Foreign Secretaries explained to the Foreign Minister on the outcome of the consultations which covered the whole gamut of bilateral relations.

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Argentine Football superstar to play in Kolkata and Dhaka

Kolkata, 7 June : Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi and his teammates are playing a FIFA official international friendly against Venezuela at Salt Lake's Yuba Bharati Krirangan on 2 September. The official confirmation came on Monday when Celebrity Management Group along with the state government, All India Football Federation and Indian Football Association made an announcement.
“The Argentina Football Association had indeed signed a contract to bring in the full-strength squad including Messi and Carlos Tevez among others. So the contract guarantees their participation," said Bhaswar Goswami of CMG. The city-based sports management firm that had earlier brought football legend Diego Maradona in 2008 would also organise another international friendly match between Argentina and Nigeria in Dhaka on 6 September.
“We were given the match in condition that we have to buy another. We did not think twice and bought both the matches just to make Messi play in Kolkata," Bhaswar Goswami said. Giving brief details about the itinerary, he said Messi and Co. would stay here for four days, beginning 30 August. Tickets are to start from Rs 1,000. န File Photo : AFP

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Tripura' iconic Communist figure Baidyanath Majumder dies

IANS, Agartala, 7 June : Baidyanath Majumder, an iconic Communist father figure of Tripura, died here early Tuesday. He was 88. His death was condoled by politicians cutting across party lines.
The last of Tripura's first generation Left leaders, he breathed his last at the Gobinda Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital here, senior physician Pradip Bhowmik told reporters Tuesday. Majumder suffered multiple brain strokes, chronic liver disease and septicemia besides other old age ailments.
A bachelor, he had a simple lifestyle and perfect political career. Majumder was regarded by all, irrespective of their political ideology. 'With the death of this legendary Communist, we have lost a real guardian,' Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said.
'Majumder was a real political monk in India. He was a role model for present generation politicians for his supreme honesty and undemanding life,' said veteran Congress leader Tapas Dey.
Popularly known as Baidyanath Da and also Sital Da, he was elected to the state assembly five times between 1977 and 1998.
CPI(M) leader Badal Chaudhury, Bijon Dhar and leaders from various parties lines expressed grief over his death. It was in the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) that Majumder began his political career in 1942 and got the party membership the next year.
In 1993, Majumder, also a firebrand trade union leader, was inducted as the member of the CPI(M)'s central committee and became secretary of the party's Tripura unit in 1998. One of the founding members of the Communist movement in Left-ruled Tripura, Majumder supervised various portfolios in the state for several years and was the deputy chief minister of Tripura from 1993 to 1998.
Guided by legendary Communist leader and former Tripura chief minister Nripen Chakraborty, a maverick, he spent more than five years in different periods in different jails in India, including the Tihar jail in Delhi and the Hazaribagh jail in Jharkhand.
Baidyanath Babu was the fourth son of Bijoy Chandra Majumder and Sunitibala Devi. He was fluent in several languages, including Hindi and tribal language Kokborok.

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Ershad to support BD govt in abolition of caretaker system

UNB, Dhaka, 7 June : Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman H M Ershad would stand by the government in its venture to scrap the system of caretaker government but not oppose keeping it if the grand alliance wants.
The assurance from Ershad, a partner of the Awami League led grand alliance, came when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her parliament office this evening.
Sources close to the meeting said during the hour-long meeting from 7 pm (BDST) Hasina referred to Supreme Court verdict on the caretaker system. She told the JP chief that caretaker government system should not stay anymore.
About the observation of the court Hasina said the system could be kept for the next two elections, but the immediate past Chief Justice could not be made the chief adviser of the caretaker government.
The Prime Minister said alternative to the caretaker government system can be initiated by anyone in parliament.

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Four people killed and 10 injured in Tangail road accidents
UNB, Tangail, 7 June : Four people were killed and 10 others injured in three separate road accidents in the district early Tuesday.
Two people were killed and 10 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck at Kandila in sadar upazila on Dhaka-Tangail highway early in the morning.

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West Bengal minister visits Amlasole village for first time

PTI, Jhargram, 7 June : The Sabars and Bhumijs of Amlasole village, which hit the national headlines in 2004 following four starvation deaths, were surprised when a West Bengal minister dropped in for the first time in many years.
West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mullick found that the villagers did not have ration or BPL cards and no irrigation facilities were there for the small quantity of paddy grown.
Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mullick, who yesterday visited the village, surrounded by the Dalma range in remote and difficult terrain in West Midnapore district, told reporters that many of the villagers did not have ration or BPL cards.
The minister found that the nearest ration shop was three kilometre away and announced that a ration shop would be set up at Amlasole so that villagers did not have to trek three kilometre to Kankrajhore to buy essentials. န Photos : Mitul Das

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Monsoon may be delayed in West Bengal: Alipur Met office

Kolkata, 7 June : The monsoon which arrives in West Bengal between 8 June and 12 may be delayed this year with the temperature today hovering between 37 degrees and 39 degrees celsius.
The humid and sultry conditions, which have added to the discomfort, would continue for some more days since rainy conditions have not yet fully developed, an official of the Regional Meteorological Centre said.
To a question, the weatherman said thundery conditions with isolated rain might develop.
Meanwhile, eight students of the Bidya Bharati Institution here were hospitalised after they became unconscious while rehearsing for a programme in the heat outside.
Guardians alleged that students were made to rehearse in the open for at least four hours each day in the heat, however school authorities were unavailable for comment. န File Photo : Reuters

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Third new Air Conditioned rake of Kolkata Metro Rail arrives
Kolkata, 7 June : The third violet coloured air conditioned rake for the Kolkata Metro Rail arrived at Noapara car shed here today fulfilling a long standing demand.
Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur, the new AC rake was claimed to befree from any technicalsnag. According to Metro Rail sources, the new AC rake would be commissioned sometimes next monthafter thorough checkup and trial run. Two more new AC rakes were expected to arrive hereby the end of July, the sources said, addingof 13 rakes to be delivered by next year, two prototype AC rakes had beeninto commercial services since October, 2010.

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GM Ziaur Rahman shares fourth place in Indian chess meet

UNB, Dhaka, 7 June : Bangladeshi Grand Master Ziaur Rahman shared the 4th place in the International Grand Masters Chess Tournament that concluded on Monday in the Indian city of Bhubaneshwar.
He shared the 4th slot in the Indian chess meet along with 10 other players securing 7.5 points.
Two other Bangladeshi Grand Masters Niaz Murshed and Enamul Hossain Rajib shared the 5th place in the tournament along with 18 other players collecting seven points each.
Besides, Bangladeshi FM Mehedi Hasan bagged 6.5 points, FM Javed 6 points, IWM Rani Hamid, Siam and Sharif 5.5 points each, Hasan, Hafizul and Mokaddes bagged 5 points each, Joynal 4 points and Saif 3.5 points.
A total of 220 chess players, including 14 Grand Masters and 29 International Masters took part in the eleven-round Swiss League basis meet. န File Photo

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FB warns of parting company, CPI to stay in improved Left Front

2011-06-06T11:25:00.001-07:00

PTI, Kolkata, 6 June : Two Left Front partners today blamed major partner CPI(M) for the Assembly elections rout, with the All India Forward Bloc bluntly asking it for a change in leadership while the CPI stated that it would continue in the coalition but it has to improve.
Referring to the CPI(M) leadership, All India Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas told newsmen here, "Will this leadership which gives diktats and does not listen to dissenting voice be able to give a new approach? Their know-all ego will not do."
"They will have to bring about change in leadership and in the ways of functioning and if they don't we will have to think of charting our own way," Biswas warned. He said a new approach was required to recover from the huge loss suffered in the recent elections.
"A new orientation is required, change of approach, leadership and attitude has to be brought for a turnaround from this huge loss in West Bengal," Biswas said after a three-day meeting of the party's central committee and central secretariat to discuss the the Assembly election debacle.
Speaking in a similar vein, CPI state secretary Manju Kumar Majumder told a separate press conference, "This debacle was not the result of a day's lapse. There was gradual resentment among the masses. Our party projected the diversion, flaws, weaknesses and loss of ground before the CPI(M), which was not given any importance."

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Bangladesh-India Foreign Sec level consultations tomorrow
UNI, Dhaka, 6 June : Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao arrived here this (Monday) afternoon to lead the Indian side at the Foreign Secretary level consultations with Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes who will lead the Bangladesh side. The consultations will focus on entire range of bilateral relations as well as sub-regional issues. The two Foreign Secretaries will take stock of the progress of implementation of decisions taken during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in January last year and chart out the way forward.

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Alignment of Agartala-Akhaura via Bangladesh Rly line to be

Agartala, 6 June : The alignment of the railway line between Agartala with Akhaura via Gangasagar in Bangladesh would be finalised by an inter ministerial group during a visit here on 9 June.
The 8-member delegation would be headed by B N Rajsekhar, member Indian Railway Board, Tripura minister for Industries and Commerce, Jitendra Chowdhury told reporters here today.
The Railway Ministry has approved Rs 251 crore for laying 14 km of railway track to connect Agartala with Akhaura via Gangasagar in Bangladesh, he said. The Department of North Eastern region (DoNER) ministry would pay Rs 105 crore for construction the rail link on the Indian side and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Rs 146 crore for the project on the Bangladesh side, Chowdhury said. He said that another joint survey would be made next month to officially notify the proposed alignment.
Earlier, a joint team comprising representatives from both sides had made a joint survey in November last year. The Northeastern Frontier Railway (NFR) is likely to take up work for laying the tracks by October next year.
Sources in the NFR said, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was almost ready and would be submitted to the Rail Ministry and the Railway Board for final approval. The railway extension from Agartala to Udaipur in South Tripura district was expected to be completed by December 2012.
The conversion of the broad gauge line from Lumding to Badarpur in Assam has started after which it would be extended from Badarpur to Agartala. The NF railway was also conducting a survey to extend the railway up to Sabroom, the southern border town of Tripura for connectivity with the Chittagong Port in Bangladesh.

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Missing TMC worker's son lodges FIR against CPIM leaders

Midnapore, 6 June : The son of a missing Trinamool Congress worker today lodged an FIR against CPI(M) leader Sushanta Ghosh and two others alleging that they were responsible for his father's death.

The son of Ajay Acharya tonight lodged an FIR at Keshpur police station in West Midnapore district against Sushanta Ghosh, a former West Bengal minister and CPI(M) leaders Imtiaz Ali and Tarun Roy alleging that they were responsible for the death of Acharya, police said. Sushanta Ghosh is the CPI(M) MLA from Garbeta.
Ajay Acharya was missing since 22 September, 2002 after he was abducted allegedly by CPI(M) cadres following a clash between the CPI(M) and TMC. Yesterday Ajay Acharya''s son claimed one of the skeletons dug out from near the ancestral residence of Sushanta Ghosh''s, as that of his father''s. Skeletons, skulls and bones dug up on 4 June from near Sushanta's residence could be that of five to six persons.
A CID team led by SP Ashok Prasad Jain earlier in the day visited Piasala village to inquire about the persons missing since a clash on 22 September, 2002.
Trinamool Congress leader and MLA Mrigen Maity alleged that a number of his party supporters were attacked allegedly by CPI(M) men after a meeting in the village on that date. They were missing since then. န Photos : Mitul Das

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BJP dharna in Kolkata over crackdown on Ramdev's rally
Kolkata, 6 June : Protesting against the police crackdown on yoga guru Ramdev and his supporters at the Ramlila maidan in Delhi, BJP supporters today went on a day-long dharna here.
West Bengal party chief Rahul Sinha, secretary Ritesh Tiwari and others were present at the dharna at the Vidyasagar statue in College Square. Speakers condemned the Centre''s ''undemocratic action'' and said "the police crackdown reminds us of the dark days of Emergency in 1975 when people''s democratic and fundamental rights were drastically curbed.

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Chartered accountants recommend more Dir Tax in budget

BSS, Dhaka, 6 June : Chartered accountants have recommended imposing more direct tax in the upcoming national budget to eliminate economic disparity as they think it has been rising despite the recent economic growth and development.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), the main platform of the country's professional accountants, made this suggestion today in their 47-point recommendations for the national budget of 2011-12 fiscal, to be placed in the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday.
ICAB President Parveen Mahmud read out the recommendations at a press conference held at her office in the city's Karwan Bazar area. The government, she said, had initiated different programmes for poverty alleviation, but the economic disparity is still rising, which needs to be addressed in the upcoming national budget.
"To eliminate this economic inequality, the amount of the direct tax should be emphasized and increased instead of heavily depending on indirect tax," she said.
ICAB, however, observed that the tax process should be simplified with improving efficiency of tax administration to increase the collection of direct tax. The organisation suggested introducing a fee of Taka 2,500 for renewal of TIN (Tax Identification Number) for the person who does not declare any taxable income.

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Khaleda's 'Bangladesh Nationalist Party' calls for 2-day protests

2011-06-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Dhaka, 5 June : The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced a two-day protest on Sunday after police arrested 80 opposition activists during a countrywide general strike against the government attempts to change the voting system.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, said they will stage a rally in the capital on Monday and countrywide demonstrations the next day to protest "the attacks and mass arrests" of their men during the strike. The opposition party and its key ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami began the strike since 6:00 am (BDST) to demand the caretaker system must stay in place for holding parliamentary elections.
During Sunday's strike, three small bombs were exploded near the offices of the BNP. Police dispersed the protesters around 11:05 am (BDST) after two cocktails were exploded. Another bomb was exploded in front of a shopping complex, leaving a rickshaw-puller seriously injured. Police shot 15 rounds of bullets to bring the situation under control when activists ransacked five trucks in the town of Begumganj, while 10 people were injured when police hit protesters with batons in Dattarhat village. Almost 60 people were also injured in four other towns when police clashed with activists.
The announcement of the two-day protest comes as the government is planning to scrap the provision for caretaker government system in the constitution. Opposition leader Khaleda Zia told reporters Saturday her party would not contest future polls if the government scrapped the caretaker system, which has covered four successive elections. န Photo : AP

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One Crore sapplings to be planted across the West Bengal

Kolkata, 5 June : In a joint initiative with the state government for a greener West Bengal, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) Sunday announced that it will plant over 45,000 sapplings along river banks in the state. The government will also plant more than one crore sapplings across the state.
Speaking at a function marking the World Environment Day Sunday, KoPT chairman M.L. Meena said that over 45,000 mangrove and salt-tolerant sapplings will be planted along the river banks in the state.

"Under our green initiative, we have also started making paperless transactions which, by our estimates, will result in saving 30 trees annually," said Meena. The KoPT has also undertaken programmes on conservation.
"We have adopted several measures to reduce consumption of diesel by 10 percent annually. We are also developing our infrastructure for controlling oil spills which can be a major threat to environment and marine life," said Meena. He added that KoPT will spend about Rs.2 crore annually towards its green initiatives.
Public Works Department Minister Firhad Hakim said collaboration with KoPT was essential for implementing the government's plan to make the city green.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation will plant over one lakh sapplings in the city, while the state government will plant more than one crore sapplings across the state. Hakim, Meena and Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee also planted sapplings on the occasion. န Photos : AP

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Pop maestro and freedom fighter Azam Khan passes away
Dhaka, 5 June : Bangladesh's pop maestro and freedom fighter Azam Khan passed away at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Sunday morning.
The 62 year old Pop legend was declared dead at 10:20am (BDST). Azam Khan who had been suffering from oral cancer was on life support at the city's Square Hospital since March 27 and shifted to CMH on Wednesday...... READ MORE @ BBC Bangla

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Diarrhoea claims one, affects seventy in Howrah district
Howrah, 5 June : One person died today while seventy others, including six children, were hospitalised after diarrhoea broke out at Bagnan in the district.
While one died this evening, 32 more patients were admitted to different hospitals today, block medical officer Dr Binoy Roy told Bengal Newz. Those afflicted by the outbreak were drinking contaminated water for the past two days, he said, adding that 38 persons were yesterday admitted to various hospitals. Two medical teams have been formed to check the outbreak and water samples sent for tests, Dr Roy also said.

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CPI(M) to go back to the masses : Gen Sec Prakash Karat

Kolkata, 5 June : CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat today said that the party in West Bengal would have to re-establish connect with the people and to reorganise itself after the drubbing in the state Assembly elections at the hands of Trinamool Congress-Congress combine.
The CPI(M), which had evidently lost touch with the general masses and failed to assess what they wanted, today decided to "go back to the masses and to work among the people in a correct manner".
Karat, who attended a two-day West Bengal state committee meeting of CPI(M) as a special invitee to discuss the reasons of the dismal results of the CPI(M)-led Left Front, said, "We have to delve deeper to scrutinise the reasons for which people voted for a change."
CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose voiced similar sentiments.
The party is likely to discuss the issue threadbare in the Central Committee meeting at Hyderabad next week.

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WB election result clear verdict in favour of TMC : Somnath
Bolpur, 5 June : Former Indian Lok Sabha Speaker from CPI(M), Somnath Chatterjee described the recent Assembly election result in West Bengal as a "clear verdict" in favour of the Trinamool Congress.
"In Kerala, it is not so clear but in West Bengal the people have very clearly given the verdict. Now it is time for Mamata Banerjee to act for the welfare of the common people and the state as a whole," Somnath Chatterejee said last night at a get-together attended by Trinamool Congress MLAs of Birbhum district, including state panchayat and Rural Development minister Chandranath Sinha.

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Tripurs lad Manik tops HS examination in Commerce stream
Agartala, 5 June : Manik Chakraborty, student of Umakanta Academy of Agartala, has scripted history in 35-years-old Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE).
Manik secured the top position from Commerce stream in this year's higher secondary examination, the results of which was announced yesterday. Manik belongs to a BPL family and he did not have a single private tutor. According to the record, Manik is the first student from Commerce in the state who secured the first position in the exam.

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President urges developed countries to build peaceful world

BSS, Dhaka, 5 June : Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman today urged the wealthy and developed countries to come forward with a cooperative mindset for building a peaceful and prosperous world.
"There is no alternative to resolving international disputes peacefully through discussions," he said while addressing the closing ceremony of two-day Asia Pacific Peace Conference at a city hotel. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the conference Yesterday organized by the Bangladesh Peace council.

President of Bangladesh Peace Council Abdur Razzak, MP, presided over the closing ceremony while former prime minister of Nepal Madhav Kumar Nepal, Indian CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury, MP, executive secretary of World Peace Forum Iraklis Tasavdarids and General Secretary of Bangladesh Peace Council Dr M A Quassem also spoke.
Apart from host Bangladesh, representatives from different countries, including Palestine, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bhutan, India, Australia, Nepal, Brazil and Greece attended the conference.
In the present global perspective, President Rahman said, struggle is very important for establishing peace, and sustainable peace is a prerequisite for stability and development of a country. Now it is a demand of the time to continue advancement of peace movement through democratizing the society instead of arms race including developing nuclear weapons, the President said. "The movement and struggle for establishing peace will be meaningless if we fail to free the world from hunger and poverty," he said.
World's developing countries including Bangladesh are fighting against hunger, diseases and social disparity, he said, adding that achieving economic independence of least developed countries is a must along with stopping war and conflict to establish world peace.

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Ahead of BNP's 24-hours "Hartal", 100 arrested, 10 buses burnt

2011-06-04T11:29:00.001-07:00

Dhaka, 4 June : Former Bangladesh Home Secretary and BNP chairperson’s advisor Zahurul Huq and 49 Ward Commissioner Abul Khayer Bablu were among 150 people arrested from the capital and elsewhere of the country ahead of tomorrow’s dawn-to-dusk hartal.
At least 10 passenger buses were burnt in pre-hartal violence in different parts of the capital.
Opposition BNP and its allies Jamaat-e-Islami, BJP and Khelafat Majlis called the shutdown to protest the government move to scarp the provision of the non-party caretaker government. IOJ, JAGPA and others extended their support to the hartal.
BNP alleged that Zahurul Huq from Elephant Road and Bablu from Dhanmondi were arrested in the evening.
BNP office secretary Rizvi Ahmed claimed that Khulna City JCD general secretary Kamal Ahmed was arrested from Khulna city in the evening. He also claimed that at least 250 BNP activists were injured in police action on the hartal campaigners across the country.

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India to hosts this year's World Environment Day tomorrow

New Delhi, Kolkata, 4 June : India will host this year's World Environment Day tomorrow and the government has announced that the country will continue to play a very important role in defining the terms of environmental debate at the global level.
Each year a different country is chosen as the principal venue for the global celebration of World Environment Day which falls on 5 June and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has selected India as the global host of this year's programme.
The theme of this years celebration is "Forests: Nature at Your Service", which highlights the crucial environmental and economic roles played by the forests, particularly in India.
"The message is largely to the international community that India is willing and determined to play and is playing a very important role in defining the terms of environmental debate," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in his message to the world on the occasion.

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BNP to go non-stop movement to thwart annulment of CG
Dhaka, 4 June : Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia on Saturday said her party might be compelled to go for tough non-stop movement if the government does not refrain from annulling the system of caretaker government embodied in the Constitution.
She said authority of amending the Constitution lay with parliament, and not any court. Nor it is not mandatory for parliament to implement verdict of the court on amending the Constitution. Khaleda told a crowded press conference at her Gulshan office this evening that BNP would thwart the ill motive of government.

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GS Prakash Karat to review CPI(M) debacle in West Bengal

Kolkata, 4 June : CPI(M)'s West Bengal state committee met here today with party general secretary Prakash Karat as special invitee to finalise its review report on the end of the uninterrupted 34-year rule of the Left Front in the state.
Party sources said during the two-day session Karat is likely to discuss the factors responsible for the drubbing in the Assembly elections with the state leadership which took up district and block-level reports on the poll reverses.
The meeting is also expected to analyse the wrong estimate of the party's prospects in the election when the leadership forecast 199 seats for the Left Front to be able to form the eighth Front government in the state.
Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was present at the meeting, which will also take up the issue of post-poll violence by TMC.

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FM hopes Singapore would import more B'deshi Products
Dhaka, 4 June : Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni expressed hope that Singapore would import more Bangladeshi Products to reduce the trade gap between the two countries.
She told this during her meeting with new Singapore Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam at the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, said a press release.

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WB BJP state president Rahul Sinha offers party to resign

PTI, Lucknow, 4 June : BJP's review of its performance in the recently-held Assembly elections to five states saw its West Bengal unit chief Rahul Sinha offering to resign owning "moral responsibility" for the party's defeat, but it was shot down by the top leadership.
During the discussions on BJP's dismal poll performance in all the five states - West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, senior party leaders made efforts to know why their calculations went wrong.
Rahul Sinha, BJP state unit president of West Bengal, told party President Nitin Gadkari that he was owning responsibility for the party's poor showing in the state.

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CPI(M) leaders paraded, assaulted for alleged corruption
PTI, Burdwan, 4 June : Eight local CPI(M) leaders were today paraded by being pulled with the ropes tied around their waists before being beaten up by villagers at Saraighar in Burdwan district over alleged corruption.
The eight CPI(M) leaders - Achinta Mondal and Srikanta Ghosh, both local CPI(M) committee members, former secretary of the gram panchayat Jahar Ghosh, besides Ashwini Mondal, Sukumar Pramanik and Kartik Mondal, three gram panchayat members and Sunil Mullick, the secretary -- had called a meeting of the villagers in a field, local Trinamool Congress leader S K Jamal said.
The villagers had demanded an explanation on how Rs six lakh in development funds was spent about a fortnight ago and the CPI(M) leaders had said that an explanation would be given today, he said.

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Total and darkest "Lunar Eclipse" on the night of 15 June

PTI, Mumbai, 4 June : With the sun, earth and moon falling in a straight line on the night of 15 June, a celestial drama, showing the darkest lunar eclipse in the 21st century, will occur, an official spokesperson said here today.
The moon will pass through the shadow, cast by the earth, producing a beautiful spectacle in the sky. As the moon slips into the earth's umbra (dark shadow), it will slowly turn coppery red, Programme Coordinator (Scientific) at the Nehru Planetarium Suhas B Naik-Satam said.
This will be the darkest lunar eclipse visible over the skies of India in the 21st Century, after the last darkest lunar eclipse 40 years back on 6 August, 1971, he said.
The lunar eclipse will be visible throughout India and it will start at 23:53 pm(IST) and it will end at 03:32 am on 16 June, Satam said.

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WB Govt orders judicial probe into Mostafa Quasem's death
Kolkata, 4 June : The West Bengal government today ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of CPI(M) MLA Mostafa Bin Quasem at the MLA Hostel here in deference to the request of his son Masum.
"The Chief Secretary will decide the terms of reference of the one-member judicial commission," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters here.

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Asian Development Bank assures fund for big solar system

UNB, Dhaka, 4 June : Asian Development Bank (ADB) has in principal agreed to provide financial support to Bangladesh for implementing a solar system project for generation of 500 MW power.
The assurance came from the top executives of the multilateral lending agency at its 3-day Asia Solar Energy Forum’s Conference in Bangkok that ended on 1 June. A delegation led by PM’s Energy Adviser Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury attended the conference.

“Responding to our call, ADB has in principal agreed to provide the financial support to a 500 MW capacity solar energy project. Now, other things will be worked out to implement the proposed project and the amount of fund will be determined on that basis,” Tapos Kumar Roy, Additional Secretary of the Power Division, who attended the conference told UNB.
The ADB arranged the conference as part of its policy to promote renewable energy, particularly the solar-based power system in the Asian countries. The lending agency has planned to introduce 3,000 MW solar-based power system in the region by 2013.
Delegations from most of the Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Maldives participated in the conference.
Bangladesh delegation included Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Additional Secretary Tapos Kumar Roy, IDCOL chief executive office Islam Sharif and Rahimafrooz Renewable’s managing director Munawar Moin.
Officials attended the conference said Bangladesh proposed a plan for introducing 500 MW solar panel-based system that includes solar irrigation pump; solar roof top in urban areas; and mini grids solar plants in rural area.

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“We’re not rigid” on caretaker Government : PM Sheikh Hasina

2011-06-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

UNB, Dhaka, 3 June : Holding an olive branch for her opponents, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday urged the BNP to return to parliament and place their formula, if any, on caretaker government.
“We are not on a rigid position. Come to parliament and if you have any formula spell it out,” she said in her opening remarks at the Awami League central working committee meeting at Ganobhaban in the afternoon. Questioning the Sunday’s hartal called by the opposition, Hasina said why have you called hartal? For what, in whose interest and depending upon whom?”
Referring to the BNP’s call of boycotting next elections under party government, she again questioned: “Depending upon whom have you called for boycotting the elections? Most people in your party are champion turncoats.” Reiterating her commitment to run the country through constitutional means, the Prime Minister said the election commission will function independently and her government will not interfere in it.
“We want introduction of the electronic voting machine (EVM). We don’t know why BNP opposes it and what they want?”
Referring to those who defend the system of caretaker government, she said there is no guarantee that those who had not suffered during the past caretaker regime would not be the victims in the future. “We can’t allow the tiger to guard the goats time and again,” Hasina said, adding that many are taking preparations to stay in power for a long time by staging another 1/11.

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Paramilitary personnel to remain in West Bengal for now

PTI, New Delhi, 3 June : Nearly 15,000 central paramilitary personnel currently deployed in West Bengal are unlikely to be withdrawn soon as they are being engaged in the recovery of illegal arms and to check post-poll violence.
A large caches of illegal arms have been recovered from different parts of West Bengal by the state police with the help of the central forces and the new Mamata Banerjee-led government wants the exercise to continue, government officials said.
"Unless some major emergency occurs, the forces will remain in West Bengal as long as the state government desires.
They are engaged in maintaining law and order and recovering illegal arms," an official said.
Altogether 701 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (one companies comprises roughly 100 personnel) were deployed for the peaceful conduct of elections in West Bengal.

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'Rapid Action Battalion' again shoot a mother of Six in head

Dhaka, 3 June : Bangladesh's (RAB) have shot a mother of six point-blank in the head at a house in Bhairab.
Rahima Begum (40) took bullets during a RAB-11 drive against drugs in Panchabati of Bhairab municipality on Friday afternoon. She was taken to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in critical condition. RAB-11 camp commander Col Ahsan admitted to the incident which he termed as an 'accident'.

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Islam be scrapped as state religion : BD' religious minorities

Anisur Rahman, Dhaka, 3 June : Bangladesh's religious minorities, including Hindus, today demanded the scrapping of the provision that declares Islam as a state religion so as to restore the secular character of the 1972 constitution.
Rana Dasgupta, General Secretary of Hindu Boudhha Christian Oikya Parishad, a key organisation of religious minorities in Bangladesh, said the entire nation wanted the restoration of the spirit of secularism.
Rana Dasgupta said the country's nearly 2.5 crore minorities were "deeply concerned" as a parliamentary constitution amendment committee reportedly decided not to touch the provision that declared Islam as the state religion.
The Parisad warned of tough actions against plans to retain Islam as the state religion. It said Islam was incorporated as the state religion in 1988 when an autocratic regime was in power that wanted to divide the nation on religious lines.

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More Congress ministers join Mamata Banerjee's cabinet
Kolkata, 3 June : Five Congress MLAs were sworn-in today as ministers of state, taking the strength of the Mamata ministry in West Bengal to 43, one short of the sanctioned strength of 44.
The five, sworn-in by Governor M K Narayanan, were Pramathanath Roy, Manoj Chakraborti, Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury, Sunil Chandra Tirkey and Sabina Yasmin.

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Huge cache of arms seized from CPI(M) leader TG's house

Midnapore, 3 June : Huge cache of arms and ammunition were seized today by security forces from different places, including one from a CPI(M) leader's house in West Midnapore district, police said.
In Garbeta area, villagers attacked CPI(M) leader Tapan Ghosh's house and informed police, who found a small assembling unit for guns, they said.
1000 round of bullets, twelve .99 mm pistols, 2 rifles and a handmade pistol were among the recoveries, police said .
Four guns were found in Kotwali's Angua area, eight from a feild in Jhargram's Boita while another two guns were found in Keshpur's Charka area, they added.

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Teachers' recruitment to be streamlined : Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata, 3 June : The West Bengal government has decided to streamline recruitment of teachers and PTTI students by bringing them all under the school education department.
Selection of students for Primary Teachers Training Institutes, para-teachers, teachers working under the Madhyamik Siksha Kendra and Sarba Siksha Kendra will all be brought under the ambit of the school education department, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters here today.

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At least eight people killed in a road crash in Sylhet district

UNB, Sylhet, 3 June : At least eight people, including seven of a family, were killed when a bus and a private car collided head on at Fakirabad in Balaganj upazila on Friday.
The identity of the deceased, however, could not be known immediately. Police and local sources said the accident occurred at about 3:15pm when a Moulvibazar bound private car collided with a Sylhet bound passenger bus.

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Tourism key to development of North Bengal : Gautam Deb

Kolkata, 3 June : Tourism could be a key factor for the development of North Bengal, for which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a fund of Rs 200 crore.
"Tourism is a key factor for development of North Bengal and all steps will be taken for betterment of infrastructure," North Bengal Development minister Gautam Deb told newsmen at the state secretariat here today.
"Initially education, health and agriculture will be given priority, but we will ensure all around development of North Bengal with tourism being given due importance," he said.
Stating that the allocation for North Bengal has been increased from a mere Rs 60 crore granted by the previous government to Rs 200 crores, he said the Left Front government had given Rs 291 crores to it in the last ten years.
"I have briefed the chief minister about the problems in North Bengal. She knows what is affecting it," Gautam Deb said.

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Yechury to attend Dhaka conference on peace and security
PTI, New Delhi, 3 June : CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury today left for Dhaka to attend a crucial conference on peace and security in the region.
The conference will be inaugurated tomorrow by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Yechury would be addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Asian Peace Conference, being organised by the World Peace Council and the Bangladesh Peace Council, party sources said here.

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Indian American teen Sukanya wins US Spelling Bee crown

PTI, Washington, 3 June : Indian-origin students have made it four times in a row with teenager Sukanya Roy being crowned the new Spelling Bee champion of the US after she correctly spelled 'cymotrichous', which means wavy hair.
"My heart started pounding, I guess," Sukanya (14) said, after winning the championship, considered as a coveted prize for students in the US.
"I couldn't believe it...It's just amazing. It's hard to put into words," the Class 8 student of Pennsylvania's Abington Heights Middle School said. She was declared winner following the finals between 13 candidates last evening.
The teenager earlier participated in the 2009 and 2010 Scripps National Spelling Bees, tying for 12th place in 2009 and 20th place in 2010. န Photo : Reuters

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Govt to sign credit agreement with ADB for Padma Bridge
Dhaka, 3 June : Bangladesh government will sign a credit assistance agreement on Monday (6 June) under which the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide US$ 615 million for the construction of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge to help accelerate growth and reduce poverty in the country.
ADB is providing over 21 percent of the total investment cost of nearly US$ 2.92 billion for the bridge across the Padma River linking the country’s southwest to the northern and eastern regions.

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Ulfa' Paresh Baruah faction asks oil company to quit Assam
Guwahati, 3 June : The proscribed ULFA Paresh Baruah faction on Friday served a 'quit notice' to a private oil and gas company in Assam alleging that it was exploiting the state's natural resources against the local people's interest.
"We are giving them the notice to stop all their operations in the state and leave within one and half months from today," said an ULFA statement. The 'quit notice' was sent to Shiv-Vani Oil and Gas Exploration Services Ltd in Upper Assam.

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State-owned ONGC to commission 'power project' in Tripura

IANS, Agartala, 3 June : Despite transportation hiccups, state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will by year-end partially commission its first 726-MW gas-based thermal power project in Tripura, the largest in the northeast, a top official said.
"The generation of electricity would start from the (363 MW) first unit of the power project in December. The project would be fully operational by March next year," Sudhindra Kumar Dube, managing director of the ONGC Tripura Power Co Ltd (OTPC), told IANS.
ONGC, a Fortune 500 company, has formed OTPC to set up the Rs.9,000-crore project in Palatana, 60 km south of this Tripura capital, for which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone in 2005.
The oversized heavy turbines and other heavy machines for the project, carried on massive 132-wheeled trucks, had reached the site in April from Haldia port in West Bengal after being trans-shipped through Bangladesh. Some more turbines and big machines are on their way to Tripura.

The ONGC official said transporting the heavy equipment to Tripura over a few thousand kilometers of surface routes within India - through the mountainous northeastern states - was extremely difficult, and the Indian authorities were forced to carry the power plant's equipment through Bangladesh.
India developed a jetty at the Ashuganj river port, 45 km from Agartala, widened the roads in Bangladesh and developed around 25 bypasses across the border and inside Tripura to ferry the heavy equipment for the power project. The Bangladesh government had earlier agreed to allow India the use of its waterways to transport the equipment for the project.
Due to incessant rains and heavy showers in the past one week, some bypasses, built over Tripura's rivers, have either been washed away or badly damaged, putting the authorities in a tizzy for transporting the heavy machinery in the mountainous state. "We are talking to the BRO (Border Roads Organisation) and associated organisations to build alternate bypasses to carry the turbines and other machinery," Dube said.
On 19 April, one of the 280-tonne turbines was damaged when it fell off its transporter. After 41 days of frantic efforts, the engineers and workers again placed it on the transporter earlier this week. "Work on commissioning the power project is in full swing despite the transportation difficulties," Dube said. A consortium comprising US-based General Electric and India's state-run BHEL has been contracted to supply the all-important gas turbines for the thermal power project," ONGC officials added.
ONGC owns significant natural gas reserves in Tripura. However, these reserves are yet to be commercially exploited due to the low industrial demand in the northeastern region. The complexities of logistics and costs limit the economic viability of transporting gas to other deficit parts of the country. It is to optimally utilise the gas available in Tripura that ONGC proposes developing the 726- MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) thermal power plant close to its gas fields in the state to supply power to deficit areas of northeastern India.

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Rail connectivity between Agartala & Akhaura to be reality soon

2011-06-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Agartala, 2 June : The construction works for railway connectivity between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh would begin in the current financial year.
Officials sources said, to finalize the track routes and other ground feasibilities for this ambitious railway project, a delegation of eight members of Inter-Ministerial Group led by B N Rajshekar, Additional Member of Planning wing of Indian Railway Board, will arrive in the state on 9 June next.
The delegation will review the possible track of Agartala-Akhaura rail link on a stretch of 10 kilometers.
Sources added that after final report of the Inter-Ministerial team, the construction works would begin.
It may be recalled here that, earlier Union Railway Ministry had already sanctioned Rs 251 crore for construction of the project.
As per the survey of Agartala-Akhaura rail link, about 5 kilometers of tracks would be constructed into the Indian side and 5 kilometers more of tracks would also be set up in the Bangladesh side. The tracks would first reach Ganga Sagar railway station in Bangladesh and then it will connect the Akhaura station.

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Famous newscaster Debdulal Bandyopadhyay passes away
Kolkata, 2 June : All India Radio and Doordarshan newscaster Debdulal Bandyopadhyay passed away at his south Kolkata residence today after a prolonged illness, family members said.
He was 76 and is survived by his son and daughter. Locals gathered at his Southern Avenue residence as a pall of gloom descended over media fraternity following the death of Bandyopadhyay, a gifted elocutionist known for his clear diction.
His news commentary during the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971 on radio made him immensely popular on both sides of the border.

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BNP-Jamaat day-long "hartal" on Sunday to protest govt's move

2011-06-01T11:28:00.001-07:00

Dhaka, 1 June : Bangladesh's main opposition BNP and its ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami have called a daylong countrywide general strike on Sunday to protest the government move to discard the caretaker government provision for the next general elections in line with a court order.
BNP acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the dawn-to-dusk shutdown at a press conference at party's Naya Paltan-based headquarters on Wednesday.

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Govt signs accord with UN country team for US $ 1.8 billion
UNB, Dhaka, 1 June : Bangladesh government on Wednesday signed an agreement with the United Nations country team under which Bangladesh will receive US$ 1.8 billion grant assistance (around Tk 13,500 crore) over a period of five years under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2012-2016.
The assistance will help Bangladesh in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by focusing on seven priority areas. Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and UN resident coordinator Neal Walker signed the agreement in presence of Finance Minister AMA Muhith at the Finance Division conference room. Senior officials from the government and the UN agencies were present.
The seven areas, each led by one UN agency, as outlined in the UNDAF are: Democratic Governance and Human Rights (UNDP); Pro-poor Growth with Equity (UNDP); Social Services for Human Development (UNICEF); Food Security and Nutrition (WFP); Climate Change, Environment, Disaster Risk Reduction and Response (UNDP); Pro-poor Urban Development (UNDP); Gender Equality and Women's Advancement (UNFPA).
All UN system agencies will work together to achieve the goals and results set forth in the UNDAF 2012-2016.

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Panel formed to probe yesterday's Kamrup bus accident

Guwahati, 1 June : Assam government today constituted a one-man committee to probe into the causes and circumstances leading to the bus accident in Kamrup (Rural) district yesterday.
A notification issued by the Political (A) Department said the probe would be conducted by Lower Assam Division Commissioner Hemanga Kumar Sharma. The terms of reference shall be the circumstances leading to the deaths and injury of passengers in the accident and to find out lapses, if any, on the part of any authority, person causing the accident on Monday night.
The measures to be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future and any other matter which in the opinion of the enquiry authority is required to be looked into will be other area of reference, the notification added.

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Success brings melancholy for a meritorious Malda student

Malda, 1 June : The proverb ‘nothing succeeds like success’ is not applicable for him as success has brought a huge melancholy for Soubhagya Karmakar of Malda town. After cracking the IIT entrance examination perhaps as the only candidate from the district this year, Soubhagya has lost his slumber as he does not know if he would be able to pursue higher studies from any premier IITs of the country. His family is now entirely dependent of humanitarian approach of the society which can alone substantiate the name of this youngster.

Soubhagya Karmakar, a higher secondary examinee, has been indulged in an uneven battle against formidable poverty since his nursery days. With no private tuition ever, he kept on earning academic successes which drew the public attention when he stood second in the Madhyamik examination in 2009 in Malda securing 92% marks. A student of Malda Zilla School, Soubhagya secured 93% marks in class XI and 90% in the test examinations.
Soubhagya, understanding his financial cripples, did not dare to fill in the form of the IIT entrance examinations but, the alumni association of Malda Zilla School extended its cooperation including the requisite fees for the all India examinations. The 17 year old substantiated the faith of his sponsors by securing 1867th rank in all India IIT entrance examinations. With the dream of becoming a civil or a mechanical engineer Soubhagya is now cherishing the aspiration to get admitted to the IIT, Bhubaneswar or the IIT, Chennai. But it is a fierce battle again against the poverty that is grinning to crush his dreams.
Sitting in a dilapidated one-roomed house his parents Sukumar and Subhra said in chocked voices: “It is perhaps our offence to give birth to Soubhagya to our poverty stricken family. Being parents we could neither provide him neither a filling meal nor books.” “It was the god’s grace and our son’s determination that worked together to pave ways for his success,” the Karmakar couple said while trying to veil their tears. Their younger son Shubham is a student of class V and imitating the academic performance of this elder.
The local MLA said that he would look into the matter later, the minister has advised him to apply for education loan but all these are mere dry promises. What Soubhagya depends upon is the aid of the civil society. Already some former students of Malda Zilla School and few benefactors extended financial aid within their reach and what Soubhagya does not know if there would be a sustainable source to support him in his uneven battle between merit and poverty. “I can study only. I want your support,” urged Soubhagya yet unsure if the society would bring about true ‘Soubhagya’ (Good Luck) for him. န Photos : Suryya Dwipta Acharjee

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BNP to go for simultaneous movement, Hartal, called next week

2011-05-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

Dhaka, 31 May : BNP and its allies will launch simultaneous movement against Hasina government’s move to cancel the constitutional provision of non-party caretaker government to hold general elections.
Opposition sources said the opposition’s agitation may include countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal likely to be called next week.

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Thirty-six people killed in two road mishaps in Assam state
PTI, Guwahati, Golaghat, 31 May : Thirty-six people were killed and 17 others injured in two road mishaps in Assam where a bus carrying a marriage party fell into a pond and an oil tanker caught fire this morning. 31 passengers, including 12 women, were killed and six persons critically injured when a bus carrying a marriage party fell into a pond in Kamrup (Rural) district last night.

The bus travelling from Guwahati to Dihu in Rangia sub-division of the district, fell into the 40 ft deep pond at Rajabari when a wooden bridge it was crossing gave in.
Six passengers were rescued and admitted to Mukundo Kakoti Civil hospital in neighbouring Nalbari district, the police said. The condition of the patients was critical. The bus was taken out of the pond by the police with the help of locals and Army personnel.
In the second accident, five persons were charred to death and 12 others injured when an overturned oil tanker they were collecting oil from burst into flames in Badulipara in Golaghat district early this morning. The tanker going to Jorhat overturned at Badulipura and soon some nearby locals gathered at the spot to collect fuel. When they were taking out the oil, an overhead wire fell on the tanker which burst into flames, police said.
The locals collecting the fuel were trapped in the blaze, police said, adding five persons were charred to death. 12 of the injured have been admitted to separate hospitals in the district. န Photos : AFP

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Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee visits "disputed" Singur
Kolkata, 31 May : West Bengal Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee Tuesday visited the "disputed" Singur site and said he will submit a note to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about the present condition of the land there.
"Apart from identifying the land, we are also preparing a note sheet about the condition of land right now. We will submit that note sheet to the chief minister," Chatterjee told reporters after the visit.

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Rare Jamini Roy painting put up for sale by great grandson

PTI, New Delhi, 31 May : A rare unpublished painting done 70 years ago by Jamini Roy, one of the celebrated modern Indian artist, is now put up for sale his great grandson.

The 2.5 ft x 3.5 ft water colour on paper done in the traditional West Bengal folk art style Patua and depicting Lord Krishna and gopis was gifted by Roy to his cousin around 1908, according to his great grandson. "Jamini Roy was very fond of my great grandfather Provash Chandra Roy (my great grandfather) and considered him a venerable personality of his family. Roy gifted the painting to him on one of his birthdays," Subhra Ray,an additional private secretary to the Minister for Railways told PTI
Ray says due to certain compulsions and his inability to protect the artwork from the vagaries of nature he wants to sell the painting and is scouting for suitable buyers. "The work has been lying with our family in our ancestral home for many years in Beliatore, Bankura in West Bengal where the great painter was born," says Ray.
Born in 1887 Jamini Roy who received a Padma Bhushan in 1955, began his formal training in art at the Government School of Art in Kolkata in 1903. Roy began his career by painting in the Post- Impressionist genre of landscapes and portraits. However, by 1925, Roy abandoned the canvas and began experimenting on indigenous materials - lime coated surfaces made of cloth, wood and mats and also began using earth and vegetable hues.
The 1930s witnessed an upsurge in the artist''s career that spanned well into the 60s. Roy held several one-man exhibitions and numerous group shows. His works can be found in several private and public collections, institutions and museums all over the world, including the Lalit Kala Academy in Delhi and museums in Germany and the US.

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UN to provide $ 2 billion to Bangladesh under UNDAF '12-16

Dhaka, 31 May : The United Nations (UN) agencies will provide around US$ 1.8 billion as grants for Bangladesh over a period of five years under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2012-2016.
In this regard, an agreement will be signed between Bangladesh government and the UN country team at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday in presence of Finance Minister AMA Muhith.
Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and UN resident coordinator Neal Walker are expected to sign the agreement, said an ERD high official.
The agreement envisaged that the UN to work in seven interrelated and complementary areas and is based upon the MDGs Bangladesh Progress Report 2009, jointly prepared by the Government and the UN.

The ERD official said that the UNDAF 2012-2016 for Bangladesh has been prepared in line with the draft Sixth Five-year Plan (SFYP), Vision 2021, MDG Bangladesh Progress Report and Perspective Plan through consultations with the UN agencies, civil society members and think tanks.
The agreement, known as UNDAF 2012-2016 is the guiding development plan for the UN system in Bangladesh.
UNDAF 2012-16 aims to raise US$ 1.8 billion for Bangladesh in seven priority areas which are led by individual UN agencies.
These areas are Democratic Governance and Human Rights (UNDP); Pro-poor Growth with Equity (UNDP); Social Services for Human Development (UNICEF); Food Security and Nutrition (WFP); Climate Change, Environment, Disaster Risk Reduction and Response (UNDP); Pro-poor Urban Development (UNDP); Gender Equality and Women's Advancement (UNFPA).
The official said that the projects to be taken under this assistance would be executed following the rules and regulations of the government and the UN agencies.
A meeting on the (UNDAF) 2012-2016 will be held on 5 June at the ERD to advance the process.
Earlier UNDAF 2006-2010 was undertaken, which was later extended to till end of 2011 under close coordination and collaboration with the government.
Six national priorities identified jointly by the GoB and UN are being addressed under the Bangladesh UNDAF 2006-2010.
The UNDAF 2006-2010 was formally signed by the then government on 30 March, 2005.

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Bengal beat Manipur 2-1 to retain prestigious "Santosh Trophy"

2011-05-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Guwahati, 30 May : Bengal retained the Santosh Trophy with a 2-1 victory over Manipur in the summit clash to win their 31st title of the national championships on Monday.
Strikers Branco Cardozo (21st minute) and Budhiram Tudu (48th) scored for Bengal while Manipur pulled one back through Nabachandra Singh in the 75th minute at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. Manipur were playing in only their second final after winning the title in 2002.

Both the teams started on an aggressive note. While Manipur went all out for an early goal, Bengal preferred to play sensibly and gained in confidence as they played the waiting game. Branco put Bengal ahead in the 21st minute. He blasted a Francis Fernandes pass from the top of the box as Bengal went into the interval with a one-goal lead.
After changing ends, Bengal doubled the lead in the 48th minute. Midfielder Budhiram Tudu found the back of the net when he tapped in from close.
With no other option left, Manipur went all out. And it paid dividends when Nabachandra Singh reduced the margin in the 75th minute. Inspired by the goal, Manipur launched a series of attacks to restore parity but it all came a bit too late.
Bengal now have won their second consecutive title after a lull of 11 years since emerging champions in 1999. In the last edition, Bengal had beaten Punjab 2-0 in the final to regain the trophy. န Photos : Chinmoy Roy

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LF leaders to meet chief minister Mamata to protest attacks
Kolkata, 30 May : A delegation of Left Front leaders will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee 3 June to complain about the "ongoing atrocities" on Left activists across the state. "A Left Front delegation will meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 3 June at 5 pm and we will inform her about the ongoing atrocities on the Left activists across the state," Leader of Opposition Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra told mediapersons here.
Incidentally, this will be the first formal meeting between the two sides in about two years. Earlier during the Left Front regime, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had boycotted the state government since mid-2009 alleging that the government has blood on its hands.

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B'desh will immediately stop brick export to India : Faruk

Sangsad Bhaban, Dhaka, 30 May : Bangladesh Commerce Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan said Monday in Parliament that Bangladesh will immediately stop export of bricks to India.
Replying to a supplementary question from treasury bench lawmaker Shahiduzzman Sarkar, he said that before stopping the export, the World Trade Oraganisation rules would have to be followed. Faruk Khan said: “We have taken steps to stop export of bricks and it would be implemented immediately.” He said that in the past few years, Bangladesh exported a significant quantity of bricks to India but it gave rise to several problems.
Ruling party lawmaker Shahiduzzman said such export of bricks is causing serious harm to soil fertility as the top-soil of lands is used for making bricks.
He also mentioned that export of huge quantity of bricks had stalled local development and construction works as the price of bricks shoot up.

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Deep convection over Bay of Bengal, Signal No. 3 hoisted
Dhaka, 30 May : Deep convection is taking place over North Bay. Squally weather may affect North Bay and adjoining coastal area of Bangladesh.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three ® three. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to come close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice, Met Office said.

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GJM congratulates Mamata, says ray of hope after 34 years

Kolkata, 30 May : Pinning hopes in the new West Bengal government, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today appeared to soften its stand on Gorkhaland statehood, even as an official-level meeting to look into the Darjeeling issue was announced for 6 June.
"We want an early solution to the Darjeeling problem," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters after a meeting with GJM President Bimal Gurung, General Secretary Roshan Giri and four newly-elected Morcha MLAs at the Writers'' Building.
Apparently softening its demand for Gorkhaland, Gurung said after the meeting, "this is not the time to discuss the issue." Describing the meeting as "good and cordial", he said, "There is a ray of hope after 34 years."

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Bangladesh's Government drafts tougher Anti-Tobacco Law
Dhaka, 30 May : Bangladesh's ministry of health has drafted a 'stricter' tobacco control law amending the earlier one to curb the rising trend of tobacco users and related businesses, Deputy secretary Azam-e-Sadat says.
Smokeless tobacco products, like zarda, sada pata and gul, have been incorporated as 'tobacco products' in the draft law that suggests pictorial health warnings covering 50 percent of a cigarette packet to discourage smokers.

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West Bengal Government to fill up vacant posts in Police
Kolkata, 30 May : The West Bengal government will fill up 63,000 sanctioned vacant posts in the state police, state Industry and IT Minister Partha Chatterjee said.
"The strength of the police in the state is 26,000, but there are 89,000 sanctioned posts. The government will fill up these posts and modernise the force," Partha Chatterjee said last night. In an oblique reference to the armed CPI(M) cadre, he said, "I wonder whom the previous government called in to fill in the shortage of 63,000 personnel in the police."
Partha Chatterjee, who is deputy leader of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party, said that party supremo Mamata Banerjee has issued instructions to the rank and file not to seek revenge on political rivals following the party's landslide win in the elections.

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Bachandri Pal to lead an all women team to Mount Everest

PTI, New Delhi, 30 May : After inspiring the likes of 45-year-old Premlata Agarwal to scale the Mount Everest, Bachandri Pal is all set to lead a 10-member all women contingent to a mountain trekking in Bhutan.
The expedition, named Snowman Trek, begins from Paro-Drukgyel Dzong and travels to the remote Lunana district before concluding at Sephu. The expedition will cover 11 high mountain passes with the maximum elevation of 5,230 metres and is considered as one of the most challenging expeditions. There will be four amateur participants in the group.
The contingent, which has got representation from different parts of the country, also includes two women - Lalmati Birully and Payo Murmu - from the tribal areas of Jharkhand.

While both of them along with Radha Rana (23) and Naina Dhakar (21) will undertook such type of expedition for the first time, the troop will have some experienced members in Chaula Jagirdar (Gujarat), Vasumati Srinivasan (Karnataka) and Bimla Deoskar (Maharashtra) apart from Bachendri herself.
Asked what inspired her to formulate such an expedition, Bachendri said she had missed the stretch during her 1997 trans Himalayan journey and wanted to make it this time around.
"While undertaking the trans Himalayan journey in 1997 I missed on this (Snowman Trek) stretch, and since then I had in my mind to trek the distance," said the first Indian woman to scale the Mt Everest.
Talking about the challenge ahead, the veteran mountaineer said, "The most difficult part of this journey is that we will be constantly trekking above 14,000 feet and going up to an altitude of about 19,000 feet."
On the inclusion of some fresh legs in the team, Bachendri said she has complete faith in their ability and said that the journey has the potential to turn around their lives.
"It is not just an expedition, to be very honest women in India are still lagging behind, this is a journey of women empowerment. The expedition will open up new avenues for these people," the 57-year-old insisted.
Talking to the reporters on the occasion Murmu, a mother of three, said it is great opportunity to earn a name for herself and her family. "My family did not raise any objections, instead they told me to go and do your best," Murmu said. Asked how she was preparing herself for the cumbersome journey, Murmu said she walks 4km daily to keep herself abreast for the challenge.
The expedition which starts from Tuesday, with the contingent flying to Siliguri from here, is supported by Tata Steel and is estimated to incur a price of Rs 15 lakh. န File Photos

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Mamata Banerjee "invite" Ratan Tata to "invest" in West Bengal

2011-05-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 29 May : West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today invited Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata to invest in the state and help rebuild it, three years after she led an agitation that forced the conglomerate to relocate its low-cost car plant to Gujarat.
The letter to Tata, handwritten by the chief minister, was in response to Tata's message congratulating her on her election as chief minister. In a separate development, NRI stakeholder in Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL), Purnendu Chatterjee , chairman of the Chatterjee Group (TCG), met state industry minister Partha Chatterjee to discuss the fate of HPL. Partha Chatterjee told reporters after the meeting: "Let's not have any pain in our heart. We have a new beginning now. There is an openness in the new government and there has been a meeting of hearts.

What is important is that we have joy in our hearts now." Partha Chatterjee was engaged in a bitter tussle with the erstwhile Left Front government for the past few years over ownership and management control of HPL, which is now saddled with a nearly Rs 300-crore loss in the last fiscal and is desperate to return to profit. The case between Partha Chatterjee and West Bengal government is in the Supreme Court.
On the possibility of an outof-court settlement, the TCG chief said: "The new government is not aware of the nuances of the problems involved in HPL. They have to be briefed properly. We have been waiting for 6 years to sort out the issue legally. Supreme Court hearing is over and within a few months the judgement will be out."
Asked about TCG's stake in HPL, Chatterjee said: "We think we own 60% in HPL, but the government litigation says differently." According to the present official shareholding matrix, TCG & its associates hold 37.68% in HPL, the state 51.67%, while IOC and Tatas have 8.19% and 2.46%, respectively. He said there were plans to expand capacities at HPL. "New equity funds will not be required for expansion. There are enough equity funds." န Cartoon : Satish Achary

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Bangladesh's Pop legend Azam Khan remains unchanged
Dhaka, 29 May : The condition of Bangladesh's Pop legend Azam Khan remains unchanged at Square Hospital in Dhaka.
Famous cancer specialist Dr Qamruzzuman Chowdhury, who supervises Azam Khan's treatment, told Bengal Newz on Sunday, that "he has a little bit consciousness, but still on the life support system. We put him on drugs to maintain blood pressure."
A seven-member medical board earlier on Saturday feared that Khan's condition would turn from 'bad to worse' in the coming days as they could not treat his cancer spread in different parts of the body. He was detected with oral cancer in 2010 and underwent advanced treatment in Singapore twice that year.

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Rabindranath Tagore second most known figure in China

Zafri Mudasser Nofil, New Delhi, 29 May : The Chinese may have the highest regard for Goutam Buddha but apart from him, the Indian name best known to them is Rabindranath Tagore.
"In the background of over two millennia of China and India having been interconnecting, interacting, and learning from each other, the Nobel Laureate was closest to our times, real and intimate to us," says Wang Bangwei of Peking University.
"From Sakyamuni (as Buddha is referred to in China) we have enjoyed more of a reverent godliness, and from Tagore we have enjoyed a tangible humanness that was noble and admirable," writes Wang in "Tagore and China", arguably the first full account in English of the poet''s visit to China and related issues.
Along with Wang, the book, published by Sage, is co-edited by Tan Chung, Amiya Dev and Wei Liming.
The book charts Tagore''s ''grand visit'' in 1924 undertaken in response to China's ''Tagore fever'' and the series of talks he gave there, their antecedents as well as impact. During the visit, the Chinese celebrated Tagore''s 63rd birthday and conferred him the Chinese name of ''Zhu Zhendan''.
"Tagore and China" is a collection of articles by eminent academics and scholars including the likes of Amartya Sen, Prasenjit Duara, Uma Das Gupta and Patricia Uberoi. Supplemented by some rare photographs, it is a tribute to Tagore''s 150th birth anniversary. န Photo Courtesy : Paul Chung (President, The Indian Chinese Association)

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Maldives to withdraw import duty on 'Bangladeshi products'
Dhaka, 29 May : Maldives has decided to withdraw import duties on Bangladesh products including medicines effective by the end of the year and improve trade and investment cooperation between the two South Asian nations.
Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem conveyed his government decision during bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni at the Foreign Office Sunday afternoon.

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Kingfisher Airlines plane makes emergency landing Airport
Kolkata, 29 May : A Delhi-Bangkok Kingfisher Airlines flight made an emergency landing at the NSC Bose International Airport here today due to a technical snag, officials said.
The plane made a safe landing at around 4am, they said. The passengers will be accommodated in another plane of the airline as engineers are inspecting the aircraft to detect the problem, officials said.

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Wild mushrooms kill three at Trichna village in south Tripura
Agartala, 29 May : Three people, including a child and a woman, died and three others fell sick after consuming poisonous wild mushrooms in Tripura, officials said Sunday.
A district official said a few tribals at Trichna village in southern Tripura consume raw wild mushrooms Saturday night. The dead included a three-year-old child and a couple. Three more people were reported to be in critical condition.

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Mamata's surprise hospital visits are publicity stunts: CPI(M)

Kolkata, 29 May : CPI(M) Sunday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her surprise visits to state-run hospitals, terming them publicity stunts, adding these kind of activities bring out her 'whimsical and restless attitude'.
"Mamata Banerjee has started surprise visits to various state-run hospitals and her visits also includes a huge contingent of media persons. The presence of Mamata in the hospital campus creates ruckus both among the medical staffs and the patients, which in turn, hampers the health services in the hospitals. But she is not bothered about those problems that patient faces.... she is only bothered about the publicity of her visits," said an editorial published in CPI(M) mouthpiece Ganashakti.
After taking over the reigns of the state, Mamata Banerjee has paid several surprise visits to several state-run hospitals in city. Last week Mamata visited super-specialty hospitals SSKM hospital, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences (BIN) and Sambhunath Pandit Hospital. During her visit to these hospitals she had interacted with the doctors and the patients and enquired about the infrastructure of the hospitals.
Mamata Banerjee suspended BIN director Dr Shyamapada Ghorai for alleged misconduct and insubordination during her visit to the institute. The editorial also lambasted Mamta for suspending Ghorai and said that the suspension has created trouble for various patients lodged in the BIN.
'The only fault of Dr Ghorai was that she had asked her (Mamata) to come to the room and discuss the hospital issues rather than moving around with the contingent of the media persons which was creating problems for the patients. Many patients who were scheduled to be operated or treated by Dr Ghorai are facing life and death situation,' said the editorial, terming Dr Ghorai's suspension 'a sign of restlessness and whimsical attitude'.
'This kind of activities only projects the restless and whimsical attitude of Mamata. This government is only interested in threatening and pressurising others. It is not interested in an kind of logic but only in its whims and conditions,' it added.

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26 hurt in acid attack in North Tripura District, one held
Agartala, 29 May : At least 26 people were seriously injured, four of them critically, in an acid attack in Tripura, police said here Sunday. One person was arrested.
Police arrested jeweller Ratan Sarkar who threw acid on a vegetable vendor and others Saturday night in North Tripura district's Kailashahar town, 175 km from here. The jeweller had a quarrel with the vendor over the use of space in front of his shop. Following the argument, he threw nitric acid on the vendor and on the on-lookers who had gathered near the shop, a police spokesman said.

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Challenges for disaster, climate risk reduction formidable in Bangladesh, says Global Assessment Report

UNB, Dhaka, 29 May : Despite continued success in addressing the global climate change impacts, the challenges for disaster and climate risk reduction remain formidable in Bangladesh due to increasing the intensity and complexity of disasters.
The disclosure was made in the newly published 'Global Assessment Report 2011 on Disaster Risk Reduction'.
The report said some challenges are persistent and recurring and the others are emerging. Nonetheless the country reaffirms its resolve to reduce the disaster and climate risks.
Bangladesh reiterate its commitment to 'disaster proof' its investment in the country along with increased interaction and cooperation with global community in resources, knowledge and technology sharing for the risk reduction of the millions of the most vulnerable women, men and children.
Only bolder investments of the government, civil society and international community could materialise the resilience of the vulnerable communities, the report observed.
The report identified Bangladesh as one of the frontrunner counties in aligning itself with the global agenda on disaster and climate risk reduction.
The Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2011 on the Disaster Risk Reduction was unveiled at a ceremony organized by the Disaster Management and Relief Division in the city on Sunday.

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Dr K Basu pitches for FDI in Multi-Brand Retail to tame Inflation

2011-05-27T11:28:00.001-07:00

PTI, New Delhi, 27 May : Concerned over rising inflation in India, the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) today suggested opening up multi-brand retail to foreign investors and changes in agriculture marketing laws to check the rate of price rise.
"We are taking a clear position on FDI in multi-brand retail. Of course, it is a recommendation, not policy," Chief Economic Advisor and IMG Chairman Dr Kaushik Basu told reporters here.
The IMG, he added, favours formulation of a model Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) law, which could be adopted by the states to remove supply bottlenecks at the local level. "There is a need to revise the AMPC Act to reduce the price gap between farm gate and consumer prices. We need a model act to be adopted by states," he added.
Concerned over high inflation, the government in January had appointed a high-level inter-ministerial group to suggest steps to tame the rate of price rise.
Headline inflation stood at 8.66 per cent in April, much above the Reserve Bank''s comfort level of 5-6 per cent. Food inflation was 8.55 per cent for the week ended 14 May. Inflation continues to remain firm despite the host of steps taken by the government as well as the Reserve Bank of India over more than a year. န File Photo

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We have no indigenous population, Bangladesh tells UN

Dhaka, 27 May : Bangladesh has told a UN forum that it has "no indigenous population".
Dhaka has also objected to a study on the status of implementation of an accord the government signed in 1997 with the Buddhist tribals of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
The accord, signed by the Sheikh Hasina government to end years of insurgency, had "nothing to do with the indigenous issue", Bangladesh's representative told the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Bangladesh 'clarified' its stand over indigenous issues at the ongoing 10th session of the UN forum in New York 25 May, New Age newspaper said Friday quoting the International Jumma Organisation.

Buddhism is the third largest religion in Bangladesh with about 0.7 percent of population adhering to Theravada Buddhism. Most of the practitioners are from the southeastern district of Chittagong and CHT.
When the colonial British partitioned India before leaving in 1947, CHT was allotted to then East Pakistan even though the division was on religious lines.
The Buddhist tribals who live in CHT and surrounding areas have since faced discrimination from successive governments that have sought to settle Bengali Muslims to dilute the strength of the Buddhist population.
This policy has led to frequent clashes between the indigenous people and the settlers.
Many of the key provisions of the 1997 agreement remain unimplemented.
Iqbal Ahmed, first secretary in the mission to the UN, represented the country in the session especially marked for discussions on the report prepared by UN special rapporteur Lars Anders Baer.
A high-level delegation from Bangladesh, led by the state minister for CHT affairs, Dipankar Talukdar, cancelled its trip to New York at the last minute.
"Bangladesh does not have any 'indigenous' population… The accord has nothing to do with `indigenous issues and therefore, the government of Bangladesh reiterates its position that the forum, which is mandated to deal with `indigenous issues, does not have any locus standi in discussing the issues related to the CHT Peace Accord," the diplomat told the session.
"We urge the (UN) forum to dedicate its valuable time to discuss issues related to millions of indigenous people all over the world and not waste time on issues politically concocted by some enthusiastic quarters with questionable motives," he added. န File Photos : Arifur Rahman

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More time needed to study Tata-WB Govt's Singur pact : Partha

2011-05-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 26 May : Though it was announced that the Mamata Banerjee's government would make public the agreement between the former West Bengal government and Tata for its Nano project at Singur, Industry minister Partha Chatterjee today said more time was required to study the legal implications.

"We are examining the legal issues. There are many parties involved, not only the Tatas. There are 54 vendors which exist on paper.
More time is needed to study and to examine the legal implications," Partha Chatterjee, told reporters after a meeting with the principal industry secretary, WBIDC managing director and IT secretary.
He said it was fortunate that Anindya Mitra, tipped to be the new advocate general by the present government, was familiar with the issue.
The Calcutta High Court in September, 2008 had restrained the WBIDC from making the agreement public on a petition moved by the Tatas.

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SC ask Sourav Ganguly to return land to West Bengal govt

New Delhi, Kolkata, 26 May : Former India captain Sourav Ganguly received a serious set-back on Thursday after the Supreme Court quashed the land allotment to him by the West Bengal Government in 2000.
A bench headed by Justice A K Ganguly quashed the allotment of 63.04 'katha' land in the posh Salt Lake city and asked the cricketer to surrender the land within two weeks.
The court passed the order on a petition filed by a West Bengal-based NGO Humanity and others. The NGO challenged Calcutta High Court's order which had upheld the state government's decision of allotting the land to Ganguly.
The bench also directed the government to refund the money paid by Ganguly for the land.

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Court puts on trial three suspected northeast insurgents
PTI, New Delhi, 26 May : A Delhi court has ordered trial of three Manipuri youths, suspected to be the members of northeast-based banned insurgent outfit Kanjalipak Communist Party, for allegedly raising fund for terror activities.
Additional Sessions Judge S S Rathi ordered their trial while framing charges against them for allegedly committing offences under the anti-terror law UAPA.
"Prima facie offences punishable under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) are made out against the three accused persons," the judge said.

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Crime trail leads to illegal B'deshi immigrants, 140 deported

IANS, New Delhi, 26 May : 'I was born and brought up in Midnapore in West Bengal. I have come here to earn a living. I am not a Bangladeshi,' pleaded 30-year-old Zakir. However, the identity documents he produced were found to be fake by Delhi Police which wasted no time in deporting him.
Zakir is one of the so-called 140 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who have been deported from the capital, particularly northeast Delhi, in the past five months following a special drive by police.
The drive was launched after a spate of robberies and other crimes showed the involvement of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, police say. Not only that, police found out that some travel agents were bringing them here and helping them get Indian identity documents.
The agents also provide them a safe passage home after they commit a crime, and bring them back again after a cool-off period - of course, for a hefty sum, say police. 'A large number of Bangladeshi immigrants have illegally sneaked in and are staying in northeast Delhi. We have created special teams to identify and deport them,' Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Jain told IANS.

'In the last five months, our teams have arrested around 140 illegal immigrants and handed them over to the FRRO (Foreigner Regional Registration Offices), which then deported them,' said Jain. Police claim the drive has also led to a dip in the crime rate. 'We are now looking for the agents who bring Bangladeshi immigrants in the city,' he added.
Areas like Seelampur, New Usmanpur, Jafrabad, Khajoori Khas and Seemapuri in the city have many Bangladeshi ghettos, which provide a safe hideout to the criminal elements within the community.
During the course of investigation, police found that the immigrants enter India illegally by crossing the border near Rajshahi, a Bangladesh border town, and Boghkalam in West Bengal's Murshidabad district.
Jain said some of the immigrants even obtain ration cards, voter identity cards and Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards. 'They get all these documents by furnishing false documents. They also open accounts in various banks by furnishing these documents,' he added. 'Some of them have been staying in Delhi for several years. They have a wide network across the city. They work as non-skilled workers in small units and many are labourers and domestic helps,' said Jain.
He said the illegal immigrants frequently change their residence and move to different slum areas to avoid detection. 'Whenever the beat constables get suspicious, they change their houses,' said Jain.
As the immigrants speak Bengali fluently, police find it hard to distinguish them from people in West Bengal.
'An immigrant once convinced us that he is from West Bengal and had all the necessary documents to prove that,' said Jain. When this IANS correspondent spoke to Zakir, he said he had all the documents to prove he was an Indian. But not only were his papers fake, he was also found to be involved in a fraud case, police said.
Police also detained some illegal immigrants during a servant verification process. 'We are keeping an eye on them on a regular basis and have also intensified house-to-house verification as a preventive measure,' added Jain.

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Pre-Paid Mobiles allowed roaming facilities in Indian North-East

2011-05-25T11:28:00.001-07:00

IANS, Agartala, 25 May : Pre-paid mobile phone users in India's northeast have for the first time been allowed to use roaming facilities by the central government even as the ban will continue in Jammu and Kashmir, officials say.
'The union home ministry has lifted the bar on roaming facilities in pre-paid mobile phones in the northeastern region. The decision was enforced Tuesday,' Deb Kumar Chakraborty, general manager of the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, told IANS.
He said the decision would be applicable for BSNL and all private telephone operators and said it came in the wake of the improved security situation in the northeast region.
'Like other parts of India, pre-paid mobile phone customers in northeast India, who have been facing severe hassles without roaming facilities, can now enjoy them,' Chakraborty said.
He said the union home ministry took the decision following a proposal of BSNL and other telephone service providers after an improvement in the law and order situation and other pertinent aspects.
Mobile phones were introduced in the northeast in 2004. Post-paid mobile phones there have always had roaming facilities. According to the official, there are more than 20 lakh BSNL pre-paid mobile phone customers in the northeast, besides lakhs of pre-paid mobile phone users of other private operators.

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"BNP wants good relations with India on win-win situation"

UNB, Dhaka, 25 May : Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia, now in USA, Tuesday said her party BNP wants good relations with India on the basis of mutual benefits.
She made the remarks replying to a question how BNP considers Bangladesh’s relation with neighboring India at the Atlantic Council of USA in Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon.
Her entourage member BNP vice-chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told UNB over phone that Khaleda delivered a statement on democracy, governance and economic development of Bangladesh at the Atlantic Council, a think tank outfit.
The Council stimulates dialogue and discussion about critical international issues to enrich public debate and promote consensus on appropriate responses in the Administration, the Congress, the corporate and nonprofit sectors, and the media in the United States and among leaders in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The former Prime Minister said the unresolved issues between Dhaka and New Delhi will have to be resolved on a win-win situation respecting each other’s independence and sovereignty.
Khaleda said the outstanding issues will have to be worked out through discussions. She said if India wants durable solutions to the long running problems, they should discuss the issues with all the political parties of Bangladesh.

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Bangladeshi films to be showcased in India coming months
New Delhi, 25 May : In a first-of-its-kind initiative by the International Federation of Film Societies, a package of eight films representing the "new wave of Bangladeshi cinema" will be showcased across India and other parts of the world in the coming months.
The package comprising Morshedul Islam's 'Chaka' (Wheel), Tanvir Mokammel's 'Chitra Nadir Parey' (On the banks of river Chitra), Golam Rabbani Biplob's 'Swapnadanay'(On the wings of a dream), Abu Sayeed's 'Opekkha'(The Wait), Enamul Karim Nirjhar's 'Aha', Toukir Ahmed's 'Joyjatra' (Journey of Triumph), Murad Parvez's 'Chandragrahan' (Lunar Eclipse) and Mustafa Sarowar Faroqui's 'Third Person Singular Number', will be screened in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

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IIT-JEE results declared, over 13,000 successful in India
PTI, Kanpur, 25 May : Results of the Indian Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admissions into prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) were declared here today with 13,602 students passing the examination.
Announcing the results, Director of IIT-Kanpur Prof Sanjay Govind Dhande said that IIT-Madras zone aspirant Immadi Purudhavi Tej topped the prestigious examination followed by Shubham Mehta of IIT-Bombay zone who got the second rank.

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Arunachal CM, Governor congratulate Jamsenpa for record

PTI, Itanagar, 25 May : Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin and Governor Gen (Retd) J J Singh today congratulated Anshu Jamsenpa for creating a world record of scaling the Mt Everest twice in the same season.

In his congratulatory note, Gamlin said, "you have done it. I was elated by the news of you creating a world record of scaling the Mt. Everest twice in the same season in 10 days span."
Jamsenpa became the first mother in the world to make it to the summit twice in one climbing season.
"You have already become a role model for the youth of the state to emulate and I am sure, you will continue to put your best foot forward and bring many more laurels to our state. We are proud of you," Gamlin pointed out.
The Governor Singh, in a separate message, hailed Jamsenpa for carving a niche in the mountaineering history.

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WB Trinamool Congress government govt scraps water tax
Kolkata, 25 May : The Trinamool Congress government has decided to do away with water tax from the 127 municipalities in the state. Water tax had levied to comply with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
"None of the municipalities across the state will collect water tax from next month. Our government is against collection of water tax," said Firhad (Bobi) Hakim, urban development and municipal affairs minister, in the presence of Union minister of state for urban development Saugata Roy.

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Australia's Santos to drill for more gas offshore Bangladesh
Reuters, Dhaka, 25 May : Australia's Santos International (STO.AX) said on Wednesday it would invest more than $100 million on a three-well offshore drilling programme in Bangladesh.
"We will begin drilling work from October 2011, and if successful, will be able to provide some much needed relief to the present gas shortages," said John Chambers, president of Santos in Bangladesh.... READ FULL STORY

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Legendary singer Bob Dylan turns 70, Shillong celebrates

PTI, Shillong, 25 May : For the 39th consecutive year, Shillong yesterday celebrated legendary American singer Bob Dylan's birthday as the 'Tambourine Man' turned 70.
The birthday boy has never cut the cake here, but that has never stopped this rock capital from throwing a bash for the singer, thanks to his fan Lou Majaw who is also known as 'Shillong's Bob Dylan'.
Several bands from various north-eastern states belted out Dylan numbers at the Laban Sports Club and Cloud Nine to mark the occasion.
No other Indian city perhaps has been celebrating the birthday of the philosopher-musician without a break for 39 years now. Led by Lou, Dylan fans from all over the country and outside assemble here to observe the living legend's birth anniversary.
Lou goes on to narrate how Dylan captured his imagination in the prime of his youth.

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"Aila hit people" still live on embankments in Bangladesh

UNB, Khulna, 25 May : Though two years has passed after the cyclone “Aila” hit the southwest coastal belt of Bangladesh, many people still live in on embankment in an inhuman condition.
Some 190 people were killed, several thousand were injured and most of the houses were damaged when the ‘Aila’ hit on 25 May, 2009 11 coastal districts, of which Dacope and Koyra upazilas of Khulna district and Shyamnagar and Ashasuni upazilas of Satkhira district were worst affected.
Visiting Sutarkhali Union under Dacop upazila, UNB Correspondent M Jahangir Alam found that a number of people still live in makeshift huts on the embankment at Telir Kona.

Anisur Rahman, 43, of Gainpara under Sutarkhali union parishad said 50 affected families took shelter on the embankment. Besides some relief they were given Tk 20,000 in cheque as house building grant. “But I could not yet cash the cheque,” said Anis. He along and five other families of Gainpara have to stay on the embankment. Like Anisur, other inhabitants of the locality (Gainpara) did not get the government grant. But other Aila affected families got Tk 12,000 each as house building grant while remaining Tk 8,000 will be given later, said Dulal Bain, 55, of Sutarkhali.
The prime minister on 23 July last year announced Tk 20,000 as house building grant to each of the affected families.
District administrations said the aila affected families already got Tk 12,000 and the remaining Tk 8,000 is yet to be disbursed.
Jomsher Ahmed Khandakar, deputy commissioner of Khulna said repair and reconstruction of the damaged embankments have almost completed. He hoped that those living on the embankments will return home shortly.
Sources said the government had stopped food aid for the aila affected people from last January resulting in sufferings of the people, specially those lived live on the embankments.
Nearly 47% of the land was used for agriculture before the cyclone Aila hit the coastal belt. But the area has now reduced to 37% due to the salinity.
According to the recovery needs assessment report for Cyclone Aila launched in March by a consortium of international NGOs working in Aila, some 18,421 houses, out of the severely affected 42,250 were reconstructed by the affected people or with the help of NGOs. န Photos : UNB, Indrajit Dutta

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BD govt sign $140m loan agreement with IDB for Padma Bridge

2011-05-24T11:27:00.001-07:00

UNB, Dhaka, 24 May : After the World Bank and Japan, Bangladesh government signed another loan agreement of US$ 140 million with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Tuesday morning to finance the Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) Project.
The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Finance in presence of Finance Minister AMA Muhith and visiting IDB president Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali.

IDB will provide US$ 140 million to finance the construction of the PMB project with the approach roads and toll plaza.
Of the estimated cost of US$ 2.97 billion for the country’s longest 6.15 km Padma Bridge project, the government has already signed a US$ 1.12 billion credit agreement with the World Bank on 28 April and another US$ 415 million credit agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on 18 May.
The Padma Bridge will connect the southwestern region with the rest of the country.
IDB was the first among the co-financiers (Abu Dhabi Fund, ADB, JICA and World Bank) of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge to approve financing for this mega-project that will help to boost the economy of Bangladesh and improve road connectivity in the region. န Photo : Ashraful Alom tito

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Bangladesh National vitamin 'A' plus campaign on 29 May

Dhaka, 24 May : The Bangladesh national vitamin 'A' plus campaign will be observed across the country on 29 May with a view to preventing blindness including night-blindness among the children.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to open the Vitamin A plus campaign at Ganabahaban in the morning of 28 May.
On this day, all the children aged between 1-5 years will be given one high-powered vitamin A capsule (200000 IU) and all other children aged between 2-5 years to be fed with one anti-worm (Elbendazol-400mg) tablet.
Besides, for the first time all the children aged between 6-11 months in Satkhira, Barisal, Gopalganj, Comilla and Moulvibazar districts and Rajshahi and Barisal city corporation areas will be fed with one high powered blue coloured vitamin A capsule (100000 unit) on an experimental basis this year.

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Thunderstorm kills five including 4 children in Malda district
Malda, 24 May : Five persons including four children were killed and thousands of houses were damaged in Malda when a thunderstorm ravaged the district on Monday.
Harischandrapur II, Chanchal I, Kaliachak II & III, and Manikchak blocks were the worst affected.

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Bangladeshi singer regales with Rabindranath's songs...

Pallab Bhattacharya, New Delhi, 24 May : A "jugalbandi" of Rabindranath Tagore's songs and their recitation may sound simple but its innovative presentation here made it stand out in the midst of activities marking the poet's 150th birth anniversary.
Eminent Bangladeshi Rabindrasangeet singer Dr Chanchal Khan and leading recitation artist Dahlia Ahmed took the dais n Delhi for the first time and their rendition and recital of Tagore's songs for one and half hours in front of a packed audience recently made it a memorable one.
The programme was not directed at just Bengali- speaking people. A sizable presence of non-Bengali speaking people among the audience in the Maitree Hall of Bangladesh High Commission was also drawn into the event as both Dr Chanchal Khan rendered the English versions of Tagore's songs and explained the theme, background and context of the songs. He was ably supported by Dahlia. န File Photo : STAR

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Anindya Mitra to be new Advocate General of West Bengal
Kolkata, 24 May : Barrister Anindya Mitra is set to be the new Advocate General of West Bengal, while senior advocate Debasish Roy is to take over as Government Pleader.
Anindya Mitra will succeed Balai Roy as the new Advocate General of the state, officials said here. The file relating to his appointment has been sent to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her clearance, following which a gazette notification will be made, they said.

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Construction of school-cum-cyclone shelters to begin in June in Sidr hit areas, IDB President witnesses deals signed with contractors
Dhaka, 24 May : The construction of about 100 school-cum-cyclone shelters will begin next month in the countries Southwestern areas where the devastating cyclone Sidr hit in November 2007 leaving thousands of people dead.
Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will provide the fund from a donation made by an anonymous philanthropist soon after the Sidr hit the area.
The charity donor entrusted a total of US$ 130 million (about Tk 910 crore) to the IDB with a condition that his name will never be disclosed. The IDB sponsored a special programme titled “Fael Khair Programme for Relief of Cyclone Sidr Victims in Bangladesh to implement the project in two components. န Photo : UNB

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Lightning kills seven in Malda and South 24 Parganas dists
Malda, Kolkata, 24 May : Seven persons, including five teenagers, died and five others injured after being struck by lightning in separate incidents in Malda and South 24 Parganas districts, police said today.
Four of them, including a woman, died after being hit by thunderbolt in Baisnabnagar, Manikchak, Englishbazar and Kaliachak blocks of Malda yesterday, they said. Two others, from Gajole and Manickchak blocks of the district, who were admitted to hospital with serious burn injuries succumbed this morning, police said, adding that the injured were treated at different health centres.
In South 24 Parganas'' Dholakat area, 54-year-old farmer Bhim Haldar, who was working in his field, died on the spot after being hit by lightning.
The thunderstorm damaged mango orchards, spread over an area of 2,250 hectares in Malda, a horticulture officer said. The total loss in mango cultivation was estimated at Rs 2.41 crore, the officer added.

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USAID supports move to conserve Sundarbans Eco-System

UNB, Dhaka, 24 May : The Sundarbans is the jewel in the crown of Bangladesh’s protected area system, said Denise Rollins of USAID, at a workshop in the city today.
The Mission Director for United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was speaking at the workshop organized by the Government of Bangladesh to discuss ways the government, donor partners and the private sector can work together to conserve the wetlands and forests of Bangladesh, particularly in the Sundarbans.

In her remarks, Rollins said, “The Sundarbans is also the essence of ‘co-management,’ which brings together different government agencies, development partners, the NGO community, and more than one million Bangladeshis living on the Sundarbans borders striving to save their environment.”
As part of the USAID-funded Integrated Protected Area Co-Management (IPAC) program, the workshop was organized to create a platform for different stakeholders working in the Sundarbans to share their activities and experiences and to encourage collaboration and coordination in conserving nature where possible.
The US Government, through USAID, has supported co-management for conservation in Bangladesh for more than a decade, and currently provides $13 million through this program to conserve 25 protected forest areas and wetlands of Bangladesh through co-management - a concept that brings together the community and the government to promote transparency and accountability in conserving and managing these important natural resources.
The US Government, through USAID, administers programs in five key areas in Bangladesh: Improving health and pre-primary education; creating income opportunities for rural poor; supporting good governance; enhancing food security; and strengthening disaster preparedness and providing emergency assistance following natural disasters.
Since 1971, the U.S. Government has provided over $5.8 billion in assistance to Bangladesh, said a release of US Embassy in Dhaka.

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West Bengal Govt examining legal issues for Singur' land return

2011-05-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 23 May : The West Bengal government today started examining all legal issues involved for the return of 400 acre to farmers who unwillingly parted with their land in Singur for the abandoned Tata Nano project.
"All legal issues are being examined. A file will be handed to the Industries Minister (Partha Chatterjee) tomorrow," Industry Secretary Dipankar Mukherjee told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Industry Secretary asked the 'West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation' to prepare a file on Singur.
After his request, state Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh, Dipankar Mukherjee and WBIDC MD Dr Subrata Gupta met to discuss the issues involved.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday, immediately after assuming office, had said the government would return 400 of the 1000 acres acquired for the Nano project which subsequently shifted to Gujarat's Sanand.
She had said that the Tatas were welcome to set up a project on the remaining 600 acre of 1000 acre.
The Tatas were paying the annual rental till date for the land given on lease.
Mamata Banerjee had also sought to make public the agreement reached between the erstwhile Left Front government and the Tatas on the Nano project. န File Photo

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Substantial progress made in implementing Indo-Bangla joint communiqué : Dipu Moni
UNB, Dhaka, 23 May : Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni today claimed that substantial progress has been achieved in implementing the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Communiqué, particularly resolving Bangladesh’s concerns over sharing of the Teesta waters, border demarcation and trade imbalance.
Responding to a question at a regular press conference at the Foreign Ministry, she said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi in January last year has generated much expectations and many of the issues would be resolved through the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Bangladesh.
Although Dr Moni could not say about the date of Dr Manmohan Singh’s Dhaka visit, she said it would take place ‘soon.’
Asked about the service charge for giving transit to India, she said it is a very big issue involving many factors. She said the service charge would also depend on how much user countries like India, Bhutan and Nepal would benefit by using the transit offered by Bangladesh.
The Foreign Minister said the National Board of Revenue is working on it in a bid to ensure a win-win situation for the countries concerned.

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Border Security Force writes to govt on 'Dhruv' helicopters
New Delhi, 23 May : The Border Security Force (BSF) has written to the Government for replacing indigenous 'Dhruv' helicopters saying they did not fulfil its operational requirement. "The Advanced Light Helicopters- Dhruv-- are not helpful in our operations like casualty evacuation and troop reinforcements. They are useless for us. Most of the times these helicopters are under servicing and there are issues about its capabilities to fly beyond a certain height," BSF sources said.
The BSF air fleet at present has six ALH 'Dhruvs' and two more will soon be inducted.

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Agartala promotes puppetry through "Putul Yatra festival"

ANI, Agartala, 23 May : To promote and encourage the use of puppets, a daylong edition of the Putul Yatra or the Putla was recently held here.
Being organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi, Tripura Sanaskriti Samanya Kendra, Tripura Puppet Theatre and Department of Information and Culture Affairs of the state government, the festival saw puppeteers from across the country.
The festival aims to raise awareness about the ancient art of puppetry that is facing extinction due to the growing popularity of cinema, TV and other forms of modern entertainment. "The tradition of puppetry is in a state of decline, so we aim to preserve and promote it in each and every village of the state," said Gautam Kumar Das, organizer
The large number of people who turned up for the festival were thoroughly entertained by the interesting stories, endearing characters, colorful sets, lively music, songs and choreography.
"I liked the show. I hope such programme will be held in the future also, so that the children can see them," said Satarupa Karmakar. "I think such festivals will help the new generation learn about our culture and heritage of which puppetry is a part. Such festivals should be held more often. It can be a very good source of entertainment and I enjoyed the programme.," Manish Lodh.
Puppetry amalgamates drama, music and painting into an imaginative medium to put across social ideas and religious or mythological stories to its audience.

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Critic Chidananda Dasgupta dies

Kolkata, 23 May : Eminent film critic, academic and director Chidananda Dasgupta died at his home here late Sunday night following old-age complications. He was 89. Dasgupta was the father of actress-filmmaker Aparna Sen.
He was suffering from acute broncho pneumonia and Parkinson's disease, doctors said. Dasgupta was a multi-faceted talent, who started off as a college lecturer, then switched to advertising but made his name as a film critic and historian.
Alongside doyens like Satyajit Ray and Bansi Chandragupta, he founded the country's first film society dedicated to feature films - Calcutta Film Society - in 1947 soon after independence. The society was the harbinger of the new wave cinema in the country, playing an important role in making world cinema accessible to Indian viewers and also started the film society movement.
Later, Dasgupta played a leading role in setting up the Federation of Film Societies of India, which also contributed to enhancing the cinematic sense among budding directors, actors and film goers.
He wrote over 2,000 articles on cinema in several periodicals and magazines, and in 1980 authored "The Cinema of Satyajit Ray" which is regarded as one of the most authentic research on the film maestro.
Dasgupta directed seven films "The Stuff Of Steel" (1969), "The Dance of Shiva" (1968), "Portrait of a City" (1961), "Amodini" (1994), "Zaroorat Ki Purti" (1979), "Rakhto" (1973) and "Bilet Pherat" (1972). He was given the lifetime achievement award at the Osian Film Festival in 2004.

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25 killed, 82 injured in lightning strikes in B'desh 11 districts
Dhaka, 23 May : At least 25 people were killed and 82 others injured in separate lightning strikes in during storm in Chandpur, Chapainawabganj, Bhola, Pabna, Natore, Manikganj, Jamalpur, Khulna, Rajshahi, Bogra and Joypurhat districts Monday.

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Chief Minster Mamata to revive century-old 'Basumati press'
Kolkata, 23 May : West Bengal Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee today said that her government would revive the century-old Basumati Sahitya Mandir, which is now lying in a moribund state.
"I called Union Minister of State for Urban Development minister Saugata Roy and sought the expertise of his ministry in reviving and running press," Chief Minster told reporters here. The chief minister said she had urgedSaugata Roy to give a report to her within three months about how to revive the press.

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Teacher in cabinet, Pupils jubilant but 'worried' of learning

Malda, 23 May : Their teacher has successfully passed in her examination already and also received the reward today, but Subhrajit, Maman or Bulti are not quite sure of who would teach them from now onwards as their only teacher has already shouldered the heavier responsibility of a state cabinet minister from this afternoon.
Sabitri Mitra, the only cabinet member from Malda district, is not only the teacher-in-charge of Rajendra Dutta Primary School located at Sadarghat area under Sadar primary circle, but also the only teacher who has taught the students with her best might so far. Mitra joined the school as an assistant teacher in October, 1983 when she had at least four colleagues with whom she imparted education to the students.

With the passing of time, the primary school has faced not only dearth of students but also an acute crisis of staff. After the headmaster of the school retired few years back, there was no replacement. The senior teachers used to serve as the teacher in charge to run the school. As her only remaining colleague retired on 31 December, 2010, Sabitri Mitra is the only teacher of the institution having strength of 30 students presently. She is also the teacher in charge of the school now.
Hence, the students besides being jubilant of the success of their dear madam, are adequately pensive that she would not be teaching them any further. Subhrajit Saha, a student of class IV or Maman Das of class II have no distinct idea of the importance of the ministerial berth. They only said: “We are very happy that madam has become a minister. But who will take our classes then!” Bulti Das, a student of class III and another fond student of Mrs Mitra said innocently: “Madam will definitely give us more chocolates than she usually does.” But she is not very sure if their madam would teach them as before.
The district primary school council (DPSC) chairman Zahirul Islam did not have the any information about the scarce staff strength of the school of the new cabinet minister. Having the information from Bengal Newz correspondent for the first time, Islam said: “I would definitely look into the matter and something must be done so that innocent pupils are not deprived at any cost. ”The chairman informed that as the new government has assumed office today, he would discuss the matter with the district inspector of schools (primary) on a priority basis. န Photo : Uday Mandal

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Rs 251 Cr approved for railway track between Agartala-Akhaura

2011-05-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

PTI, Agartala, 21 May : Indian Railway Ministry has approved an outlay of Rs 251 crore for laying 14 km railway track to connect Agartala with Akhaura (via Gangasagar) in Bangladesh, official sources said today.
Northeastern Frontier Railway (NFR) is likely to undertake work for laying tracks by October next year, Kishore Ambuly, Special Secretary to Transport department said here. While the Department of North Eastern region (DoNER) ministry would pay Rs 105 crore for construction rail link on the Indian side, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will provide Rs 146 crore to carry out the project on the Bangladesh side.
He said that another round of joint survey would be conducted next month to officially notify the proposed alignment. Earlier, a joint team comprising representatives from both sides had conducted joint survey in November last year.
Sources in the NFR said, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was almost ready and would be submitted to the Ministry of Railways and Railway Board for final approval. The railway extension work from Agaratala to Udaipur in South Tripura district is expected to be completed by December 2012.
The conversion of Broad-Gauge (BG) line from Lumding to Badarpur in Assam has already started and after that BG line would be extended from Badarpur to Agartala. The NF railway is also conducting a survey to extend railways up to Sabroom, southern border town of Tripura for setting up connectivity with Chittagong Port in Bangladesh, which is just 70 k.m from there. န File Photo

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Midterm election public demand : BNP chairperson Khaled
UNB, London, 21 May : BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia said here Saturday the holding midterm election has now become people’s demand in the wake of the government’s ‘failures’ in all fronts.
Talking to reporters at Heathrow International Airport before flying for New York concluding her seven day visit in London, she said the government should quit power to hold the snap polls accepting the public demand to uphold democracy. Khaleda also said they had offered cooperation but the government did not respond to it; rather pushed them to street for movement.

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Practically no work was done by Left Front govt in WB : CM

PTI, Kolkata, 21 May : Taking stock of the functioning of various departments, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today attacked the Left Front rule in West Bengal, saying "practically no work" has been done.
On her second day in office, Mamata Banerjee said, "I called all the departments, particularly health, land and land reforms, power, agriculture and education. It has become clear after having detailed discussions with the secretaries of the departments that practically no work has been done over many years during the Left Front''s rule."
Getting down to business, the 56-year-old chief minister asked the battery of waiting cameramen not to follow her and allow her to work. "I have to do a lot of work. What is the use of taking so many pictures of me?" she asked lensmen while entering her office accompanied by city Mayor Sovan Chatterjee.
Arriving at the Writers'' Building at 12 noon, she held a series of meetings with the departments she holds to get a first-hand knowledge of the state of affairs in the administration. The chief minister will look after the portfolios of home, land and land reforms, power, agriculture, hill affairs and minority affairs.
Mamata Banerjee, who has stated that she will have a Chief Minister''s Office on the lines of the PMO, said the CM''s secretariat would be expanded to facilitate speedy work. The chief minister has convened a meeting of all DMs and SPs on Tuesday afternoon to review the overall law and order situation in the state..... READ FULL STORY @ www.westbengalelections2011.com

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Four UPDF activists shot dead in southeastern Bangladesh

UNI, Dhaka, 21 May : Four activists of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), including its central committee member Animesh Chakma, were gunned down in Bangladeshs southeastern hill district of Rangamati today.
UPDF has been opposing the peace accord with the government and demanding full autonomy of the tribal dominated Chittagong Hill Tracts comprising Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagracchari. The PCJSS led by Shantu Larma signed the peace accord with the Bangladesh government on 2 December, 1997 ending two decades bloody bush war in the countrys hilly region bordering India.
Police sources said the gunfight between the pro and the anti-peace accord occurred at Mitingacchari village in Borkol sub-district this morning.
Three other victims were identified as Pulak Juti Chakma, Krishna Bhusan Chakma and Sukrasen Chakma. Police recovered the body of Sukrasen Chakma. Police and army began operation in the area to recover the remaining bodies.

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Bangladesh's clothing sector upset with power & gas crisis
Fibre 2 Fashion, Dhaka : The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) leaders recently stated that, Bangladesh’s biggest export oriented garment industry is experiencing severe power and gas crunch, which is decelerating production.
Owing to the gas and power crisis, several factories have been lying inoperative for long, which may affect their growth prospects, the BGMEA leaders said.
The garment industry each day requires around 710 megawatt (MW) of power. However, units in the industry have been experiencing power outages of five hours per day.... READ FULL STORY

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Mamata Banerjee allocates portfolios to council of ministers

Kolkata, 21 May : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today allocated portfolios to her newly sworn-in council of ministers, keeping to herself nine departments, including Home, Land and Land Reforms.
Her other departments are Information and Cultural Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Agriculture, Hill Affairs, Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education, Personnel and Administrative Reforms and Power.
Besides Banerjee, 35 ministers from Trinamool Congress and two from the Congress took oath on Friday. While both the Congress MLAs Manas Bhuniya and Abu Hena, hold Cabinet ranks, four TMC legislators have been made Ministers of State.
Economist and former FICCI general secretary Dr Amit Mitra was allocated the departments of Finance and Excise, while Mamata Banerjee's close associate Partha Chatterjee was allocated Commerce and Industries, Public Enterprises, Industrial Reconstruction, Parliamentary Affairs and Information Technology.

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Election Commission to collect voters’ Phone No. in Tripura
Agartala, 21 May : State’s Election Commission in a unique idea will collect the phone numbers of all electors across the state to maintain contact, said an official here on Saturday.
"The Central Election Commission in the recent time has directed all the States' Election Commission to store the phone numbers of all voters", said the top official.
“Acting on it, State’s Commission has served a notice to all the Sub-Divisional Magistrates for collecting the mobile numbers”, he added.
“Booth Level Officers’ will be engaged in the process shortly", stated the official. The collected numbers, however, will be preserved in the safe custody of the State’s Election Commission’s data store instead of being published in the photo electoral roll’.

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3 bodies recovered, Narayanganj trawler capsize toll hits 5
UNB, Narayanganj, 21 May : Rescuers and fishermen recovered three more bodies from Meghna River in and around Bishnandi village in Bishnandi union under Araihazar upazila on Saturday.
With these death toll in Friday's trawler capsize rose to five till filing this report at 8pm(BDST) on Saturday. At least eight more trawler passengers were still missing and feared to have met watery grave. A Bishnandi-bound trawler capsized and sank in Meghna off Bishnandi Ghat with 35 passengers on board after a sand-loaded bulkhead (goods carrying vessel) hit it at 6pm(BDST) Friday.

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TMC chief Mamata Banerjee Friday breaks an '18-year vow'

PTI, Kolkata, 21 May : Eighteen years after she vowed never to set foot again in Writers' Building from where she was forcefully evicted while on dharna with a rape victim before Jyoti Basu's chamber, Mamata Banerjee today stepped in as Chief Minister.
Mamata, then a Union minister of state and a Congress leader, had sat on a three-hour long dharna before Jyoti Basu's chamber with a deaf and dumb rape victim from Nadia district, claiming the rapist had not been arrested because of his political affiliation.
"Jyoti Basu had on that day left Writers' without meeting Mamata," the then deputy commissioner of police (central) Abani Mohan Joardar, now a Trinamool Congress MLA told PTI. "Her appointment was cancelled and the CM showed no inclination to speak to a Union minister. This infuriated Mamata," he said.

He said Mamata Banerjee was physically removed from the state secretariat and the then DC DD Goutam Mohan Chakraborty had taken Mamata Banerjee to the police headquarters at Lalbazar, a short distance from the state secretariat and kept her in the lockup even though she was a Union minister.
"I do not know what procedure was followed. She refused to take bail. In such cases a person is produced in court the next day," Joardar said.
"Mamata was initially reluctant to leave the lockup. She did so only when I spoke to her. When I escorted her out of Lalbazar, Youth Congress supporters were teeming outside.
"They started brickbatting the police. Mamata personally intervened and stopped them. She was later driven home by the police. On the way, she spent some time alone at the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road crossing," he said.
Breaking her vow after 18 years, Mamata entered Writers'' Building as the new chief minister after orchestrating the demolition of the Left Front citadel of 34 years in the Assembly elections. န Photos : Rupak De Chowdhuri, Avijit Mondal

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Mamata Banerjee sworn in as 'first woman CM' of West Bengal

2011-05-20T01:24:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 20 May : Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee was on Friday sworn-in as the eighth West Bengal Chief Minister.

Mamata Banerjee, who set off from home after touching the feet of her mother Gayetri Devi, arrived at the Raj Bhavan in a black Santro car shortly before 1pm after visiting the Kalighat Temple close to her Kalighat's Harish Chatterjee Street residence en route.
Alighting at the North gate of the Raj Bhavan she walked in amidst cheers and slogans from the people waiting outside in thousands.
Union Ministers P. Chidambaram, A K Antony, Pranab Mukherjee, and the outgoing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose were present during the swearing-in ceremony.
43 ministers also taking oath today. Out of the total ministers, 36 will be from the Trinamool Congress and remaining seven from Congress.
Giant screens have been set up at various locations in Kolkata for live telecast of the ceremony for commoner to have the glimpse of the event.
The Trinamool Congress on Monday formally staked the claim to form the next government in West Bengal shortly after Mamata Banerjee was unanimously elected Leader of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party (TCLP).
The TMC-Congress combine had won 227 seats out of 294 in the legislative assembly, while the ruling Left Front, led by the CPI(M), only garnered 62 seats. န Photo : AFP, Avijit Mondal

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Deep convection taking place over Bay, maritime ports advised to hoist signal No. 3
Dhaka, 20 May : Bangladesh’s three maritime ports have been advised to hoist cautionary signal No. three as deep convection is taking place over the north Bay.
Squally weather may affect the north Bay and adjoining coastal areas of the county, said a special bulletin of Met Office.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal number three.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay have been advised to proceed with caution till further notice.

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Denmark court rejects Kim Davy's plea on expired warrant

PTI, New Delhi, 20 May : The Danish High Court, which is hearing the extradition case of Purulia arms drop case accused Kim Davy, has rejected his plea that since the warrant produced by the CBI was an old one it cannot not be the basis for handing over him to India.
Facing criticism for the blooper in the extradition case after it was pointed out that warrant issued by Kolkata court was an old one, the CBI managed to convince the high court with the help of local officials that as per Indian law a warrant issued by a competent court remains in force till it is executed or it is cancelled by the same court.
On Monday, advocate for the accused Niels Holck alias Kim Davy made a submission that the warrant against his client was old one after which the CBI got it extended from the special court in Kolkata.
As per section 70(2) of CrPC, a warrant issued by a competent court remains in force till it is executed or it is cancelled by the same court. There is no question of a warrant getting expired as reported in a section of media, CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra said in a statement.

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ADB to provide BD $23 Ml as fund to regional connectivity

UNB, Dhaka, 20 May : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to provide $23 million to Bangladesh as a technical assistance loan for theproposed Sub-regional Transport Project Preparatory Facility.
The proposed technical assistance loan will provide the facility to prepare a series of regional cooperation and integration (RCI) transport projects in roads and railways.
The facility will focus on priority transport corridors identified in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Regional Multimodal Transport Study, said officials at the resident mission of ADB.
Transport corridors linking with the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries-such as the Asian Highway Network and the Trans-Asia Rail Network-will also be targeted.
The facility will cover 8 percent of Bangladesh's major roads and 12 percent of its railways. Development of these corridors would complete the sub-regional land transport network, which will stimulate both sub-regional trade and the Bangladesh economy.
The facility is projected to cost $27.59 million, including taxes and duties, physical and price contingencies, and interest and other charges during implementation. န File Photo

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Orphan tiger cub moved from Assam to V Natl Park Bhopal
PTI, New Delhi, 20 May : A tiger cub, which was rescued in a critical condition in 2007 and hand-raised at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation in Assam, is now being moved to near-wild environment at the Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal.
The cub, named Vivek, was barely six months old when found poisoned in a tea estate in Assam in December 2007 by a team of veterinarians from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

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A bookshelf on entire range of Rabindranath Tagore's works

PTI, New Delhi, 20 May : Now, here is a chance to possess a bookshelf with the entire range of works of and on Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Penguin India has launched a special selection of 21 books by and on the poet, writer and philosopher and named it the Penguin Tagore Bookshelf as part of his 150th birth anniversary commemoration.
The prolific writer's works include some 60 collections of verse, nearly a hundred short stories, several novels, plays, dance dramas, essays on religion, society and literature, and over 2,500 songs, including the national anthems of India and Bangladesh.
Tagore was awarded the Nobel for Literature in 1913.
He reinvented the Bengali novel with "Farewell Song" and the translation by Radha Chakravarty is considered a must -read for those who love classics.
"Gora", also translated by Radha Chakravarty, is Tagore's most ambitious work.

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Trinamool Cong to have 36 ministers and 7 from Congress likely

2011-05-19T11:30:00.001-07:00

Kolkata, 19 May : There will be 36 Trinamool Congress ministers, while seven are likely to be from the Congress in the new West Bengal government to be headed by Mamata Banerjee.
A list of 36 names of MLAs from the Trinamool Congress, barring Banerjee, has been received by the chief secretary's office from the Raj Bhavan, secretariat sources said. "The Congress list of ministers has not yet been received," the sources said.
The Congress was likely to have seven ministers, they said.
The Trinamool Congress list of ministers include Dr Amit Mitra, Partha Chatterjee, Manish Gupta, Subrata Mukherjee, Abdul Karim Chowdhury, Sadhan Pandey, Dr Upen Biswas, Sabitri Mitra, Bratya Basu, Madan Mitra and Noore Alam Chowdhury.

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Buddha, Biman, LF leaders to attend Mamata's swearing-in
PTI, Kolkata, 19 May : Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose, who have been invited to the swearing-in of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, will attend the ceremony at Raj Bhavan tomorrow.
Trinamool Congress Legislature Party deputy leader Partha Chatterjee personally went to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's Palm Avenue residence to invite him and his wife Meera earlier in the day.

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2 Cong ministers to be sworn-in Friday in Mamata-led Govt
Kolkata, 19 May : The Congress late Thursday decided that two of its legislators would take oath as part of the Mamata Banerjee-led ministry in West Bengal Friday.
'It has been decided that two of the ministers will take oath. They are (Pradesh Congress president) Manas Bhuniya and newly-elected Congress legislature party leader Abu Hena,' state party spokesman Om Prakash Mishra told Bengal Newz over phone.

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Chittagong' ship breakers set for boom time in Bangladesh

Reuters, Chittagong, 19 May : Abul Hossen is preparing for the arrival of dozens of ships that promise to carry his family and hundreds, if not thousands, of other Bangladeshis out of a life of poverty.
Instead of sailing to another country, however, the 45-year-old father of four will help to torch, hammer and rip the fleet into pieces of money-making scrap metal, after a court ordered Bangladesh to free up its ship breaking industry.
Maritime recycling yards in the Indian subcontinent and China could see a boom that could run until 2013 as shipowners rush to get rid of ageing vessels, driven by an oversupplied freight market, low shipping rates and high steel prices.
“The restart of ship breaking has given me a new life,” Hossen told Reuters on an oil-besmirched beach in Chittagong, home to one of the world’s biggest ship recycling yards. “Had it not restarted I would have been compelled to stop sending my children to school.”
Hossen and other ship breakers earned a monthly average of 10,000 taka ($137), an income stream that vanished for the last year, forcing them to turn to other jobs such as unloading trucks and fixing cars.... READ FULL STORY

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Anna Hazare to address an anti-corruption rally tomorrow
Guwahati, 19 May : Gandhian leader and social crusader Anna Hazare will be visiting Guwahati tomorrow to address an anti-corruption rally here.
Several other prominent personalities, including Arvind Kejriwal, Swami Agnivesh and Kiran Bedi, are expected to participate in the rally. The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), which has organised the rally, said Hazare and other national-level leaders arrived here this evening. The rally has been organised at an educational institute’s field in Chandmari area of the city.

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CPI(M) dubs violence against Left workers as 'class war'

PTI, New Delhi, 19 May : The CPI(M) today termed the post-poll violence against workers of the Left parties in West Bengal as "class war" and said the "fascist" attacks were aimed at reversing land reform measures and the hard-earned rights enjoyed so far by the poor.
"Clearly, this is a class war that is aimed at weakening the CPI(M) and the Left Front, thus weaken the strength of the exploited classes who had immensely gained from the policies of land reforms and panchayati raj in Bengal over the last three decades and more," Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.
He alleged that the electoral defeat of the Left was being used by "the ruling classes to mount a class offensive to undo the gains made by the people during the Left Front rule. This is precisely what is being attempted through these assaults".

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TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee resigns as Railway Minister
Kolkata, 19 May : Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, set to take over as West Bengal Chief Minister tomorrow, resigned as Railway Minister today.
Railway sources said Mamata Banerjee sent her resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Mamata took over as Railway Minister of UPA-II government in May, 2009. She had also held the ministry for less than two years in the NDA government.... READ FULL STORY @ www.westbengalelections2011.com

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Fourteen Bru families return to Mizoram from Tripura camps
PTI, Aizawl, 19 May : Fourteen Bru families returned to Mizoram from Tripura's relief camps today in the ongoing repatriation of the refugees being conducted by the state government, a senior police official said today.
While 27 families were scheduled to be repatriated today as per the road map prepared by the Union Home Ministry and the state government, only 14 families returned and would be resettled in different villages of Mamit district, in Mizoram, SP of Mamit, H Sangawia said.

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Kolkata zoo to get Kangaroos
Kolkata, 19 May : Two pairs of kangaroos, the Australian national animal, will be housed soon in Alipore Zoological Garden here, Zoo director said. The four Kangaroos will be brought from a Czech Republic zoo under an inter-zoo exchange programme, he said.
"We were informed that some zoos in Europe have successfully carried out kangaroo breeding programme and have spares for exchange so we approached them. Later we got the clearance from the national zoo authority and also from the state government and we now are in the process of arranging the transportation of the Kangaroos," said Raju Das, director of Alipore Zoological Garden.
The Kangaroos will be arriving here possibly by May-end, he said. A separate enclosure has already been made for them in the zoo.
Some thirty years back Kangaroos were housed in Alipore zoo, but they could not survive for long.
This time we are hopeful that the special breed of kangaroos would be able to adapt to the environment. The Kangaroos would be kept under special observation for 10 days before they are relocated in the zoo, said Das.

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Total 31 Myanmarese prisoners set free from Kolkata's jail
Kolkata, 19 May : Indian government today released 31 of 34 Myanmarese pro-democracy activists who spent more than 13 years in Presidency jail.
'The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) granted them refugee status which they wanted and they were released,' Superintendent of Presidency Correctional Home Biplab Das said. The Indian Navy had on 13 February, 1998, intercepted a steamer in the Indian maritime zone and following a heavy exchange of fire arrested 34 people who turned out to be members of the National United Party of Arakan and Karen National Union which had been fighting the Burmese junta for decades. Six persons died in the encounter.

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Fake currencies of Rs 7 L Recovered at Indo-Bangla border
Malda, 19 May : The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel recovered fake currencies of Rs 7 lakh in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations from Chori Anantapur village under Kaliachak PS in Malda district yesterday. However, no one has been arrested yet. The BSF handed over the counterfeited currencies to the district police administration.
The district superintendent of police Bhuban Mandal told Bengal Newz, “a man threw a heavy bag from the other side of Indo-Bangladesh border . When another person stooped to pick up the bag the BSF personnel of 151 battalion noticed and chased the person who immediately ran away leaving the bag behind.”

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Gautam Ghosh plans documentary on Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, 19 May : Mamata Banerjee's journey from being a firebrand politician leading up to the chief minister's chair will be captured on celluloid by filmmaker Goutam Ghose.
Apart from chronicling the extraordinary tale of a simple middle class girl with a burning political ambition who unseated the 34-year-old Left Front government almost singlehandedly, the documentary would stress on the humane side of her personality, Gautam Ghose said.
"I will try to delve into the humane self of Mamata, the way she interacts with the masses, the way she conducts herself in the elite business circles and the way she pursues her interets at home like painting or Rabindrasangeet," Gautam told PTI here today.
"Remember how she was derided once by the urban class who made fun of her English accent, her sartorial tastes and earthy image at cocktail circuits. I was very shocked at this and tried to protest.
Gautam had also made a documentary on late CPI(M) patriarch and former chief minister Jyoti Basu.
Mamata Banerjee will be sworn in Friday as West Bengal's first woman chief minister. The Left Front's 34-year reign in the state ended in the April-May assembly elections after Trinamool Congress and Congress alliance won a thumping victory by winning 227 of the 294 seats.

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RBI to launch schemes for raising credit flow to North East

IANS, Agartala, 19 May : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks to introduce bankable schemes and open financial literacy and credit counselling centres in the northeast to improve the credit flows to the region, its governor D. Subbarao said Thursday.
"The RBI has intensified its efforts to enhance credit flow to the industry starved northeastern states," Subbarao told reporters after the first ever central board meeting of the apex bank here.
"For faster development of the region, it was equally important to raise its credit absorptive capacity. For this purpose, the RBI has been encouraging banks to introduce bankable and viable schemes, open financial literacy and credit counseling centres in northeast."
Subbarao, accompanied by four RBI deputy governors and top officials came to Agartala Wednesday and inaugurated a RBIs first sub-office in Tripura capital and addressed at a seminar on financial inclusion.
"To educate the people about the banking services and banking importance, 'financial literacy day' would be observed in one village in each blocks of northeast India," he said. "The RBI had announced a subvention scheme for opening new bank branches in the northeast. More and more credit to the agricultural and allied sectors must be increased in the region.
According to the RBI chief, the credit deposit ratio of the region is half of the national average which is 70. "The RBI has asked all the state governments to include finance in school curriculum to enhance fiscal literacy. It had developed material for this purpose which it would willingly share with the state governments," Subbarao said.
About the dubious activities of unauthorised and unincorporated bodies and financial companies, the RBI governor has asked the people not to make any deposit to these institutions. "People and media should be more vigilant about the unrecognised financial institutions." Subbarao said that RBI has decided to open its sub-offices in six more northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya - in a phased manner to improve the banking services to the region and to ensure banking access is made available to all people.
Currently, RBI has a regional office in Assams main city of Guwahati. န Photo : Reuters

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Tarun Gogoi sworn in as the Assam Chief Minister for third term

2011-05-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

PTI, Guwahati, 18 May : Congress leader Tarun Gogoi was today sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam for the third successive term by Governor J B Patnaik at the Raj Bhawan here.
The Governor administered the oath of office and secrecy to 75-year-old Gogoi in Assamese at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhawan.
Union DoNER Minister Bijoy Krishna Handique, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Assam Pradesh Congress President Bhubaneswar Kalita were among those who attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Gogoi, wearing white kurta and pyjama and a waistcoat, came with wife Dolly, son Gaurav and daughter Chandrima at the function.
He is scheduled to visit Delhi to get his list of ministers finalised by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
77 newly-elected Congress MLAs, 12 MLAs of ally Bodoland Peoples'' Front''s led by Hagrama Mohilary, senior civil, police and army officials attended the event.

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More banks in the North East soon, says RBI Gov Subbarao

Agartala, 18 May : Villages in the North East states, with population of more than 2000 would be covered under banking service soon, RBI Governor D Subbarao said here today.
Most of the rural areas in the country, especially the North East are out of the cover of banking service, he said, adding that the number of banks in the region was very less.
"Twenty five per cent of the banks in the country should be rural areas but only 5 per cent of rural habitations in the country come under the banking service, which is not good for the banks, for governments or people," he said at the inaugural programme of a RBI sub-office here.
"The banks in the country are facing a big challenge of financial inclusion without which banks cannot be stable.
Financial inclusion is necessary for poverty alleviation and financial stability. န Photo : Parthajit Dutta

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Justice M Muzammel Hossain sworn in as new Chief Justice
Dhaka, 18 May : Justice Md. Muzammel Hossain was sworn in today as new Chief Justice of Bangladesh. President Zillur Rahman administered the oath to newly appointed Chief Justice Md. Muzammel Hossain at a simple ceremony at Bangabhaban.
Earlier, President Zillur Rahman appointed Justice Md. Muzammel Hossain as the 20th Chief Justice of the country to replace Justice ABM Khairul Haque who went on retirement.

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'Bangla Tuli'- an exhibition by B'deshi artists opens in Delhi

ANI, New Delhi, 18 May : As part of the joint celebrations commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, an exhibition of paintings by eight artists from Bangladesh was inaugurated in New Delhi today at the Lalit Kala Akademi.
Secretary Culture, Government of India Jawhar Sarkar inaugurated the exhibition Bangla-Tuli in the presence of Mahbub Hassan Saleh, Deputy High Commissioner, Bangladesh High Commission.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarkar said, the whole idea of jointly celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore is that he is part of the common heritage between the two countries- India and Bangladesh.
"Tagore was the first non-white human being to get the coveted Nobel Prize from the sub-continent," he added.
Remembering Tagore as a voice against oppression, Sarkar said with a view to break free the bondage of alphabet, Tagore took up paintings at a later stage.
Describing Rabindranath as the greatest cultural icon in the world, Hassan Saleh said: "The cultural bondage between the two countries are inseparable as it was deeply rooted in our hearts that cannot be divided.
He thanked the Lalit Kala Akademi for holding such camp and hope more such camps would be held in future to bring the artists of Bangladesh and India closer.
The exhibition will continue till 23 May.

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Speaker Meira Kumar unveils Tagore's bronze bust in Seoul
PTI, Seoul , 18 May : Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar unveiled a bronze bust of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in Seoul today, marking the growing Indo-Korean relations.
Kumar, who is in Seoul for the G20 Speakers' Conference, conveyed India''s appreciation to President of Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak for the friendly gesture on the 150th anniversary of the poet-philosopher.

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B'desh, Bhutan signs air service modernization agreement
UNB, Dhaka, 18 May : Bangladesh and Bhutan Wednesday signed an agreement relating to the modernization of the air services between the two countries.
Chairman of the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority Air Commodore Mahmud Hossain and Director General of Bhutan’s Civil Aviation Phala Dorji signed the deal at the Civil Aviation Head Office here on behalf of their respective governments. Civil Aviation Minister GM Qader speaking on the occasion said so long Bhutan used to operate four flights a week from Paro to Bangkok via Dhaka. After the agreement Bhutan Airlines will enjoy the facilities to use any airport of Bangladesh. Similarly, Bangladesh will also enjoy the same facilities.

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Several top officials of Left Front regime resign their posts

Kolkata, 18 May : A number of top officials of the Left Front regime have resigned from their posts with the Trinamool Congress-led government coming into power in West Bengal.
Among those who have already put in their papers are Subrata Sen, vice-chairman of 'Nabadiganta Industrial township', Nikhil Ranjan Banerjee, 'WEBEL' chairman, Sanat Chattopadhyay, 'Bangla Academy' secretary, Tarun Majumder, advisor of 'Nandan' (West Bengal film centre) and Niranjan Saha, director of 'Calcutta State Transport Corporation'.
Besides, 'West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation' director Sudhangshu Sil, chairman of 'Calcutta Tramways Company' Rajdeo Goala and Director of 'Higher Secondary Council' Subimol Sen have also resigned, according to special secretary in the information and cultural affairs department Niloy Ghosh.
Niloy Babu said among those who have expressed their desire to resign include Satyajit Ray state archive' curator Partha Raha, and Director of 'Mass media Centre' Krishna Dhar.

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Sonia unlikely to attend Mamata''s swearing-in ceremony
PTI, New Delhi, 18 May : Congress President Sonia Gandhi is unlikely to attend the swearing-in of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as West Bengal Chief Minister in Kolkata on Friday, party sources said today.
Home Minister P Chidambaram is expected to represent the Congress at the function along with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and CWC member Shakeel Ahmed, who is in-charge of party affairs in West Bengal, the sources said. The decision on the issue of Congress participation in the government will be taken by tomorrow, they said, adding the indications are positive.

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Binayak gets Korean award, says he always "anti-violence"

PTI, New Delhi, 18 May : Civil rights activist Dr Binayak Sen today said he condemns violence by all agencies but opposes branding under the single category of Maoism the multi-hued resistance to "forced takeover of indigenous land" in India.
In his acceptance speech after receiving the 2011 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in South Korea, he also said he was "never disloyal" to the people of his country.
"I condemn, unequivocally, all violence by any and all individuals and agencies. I believe that violence is an invalid and unsustainable approach to achieving goals, whether these are the goals of the state or the goals of individuals operating outside the law," he said. "Because the state is sworn to uphold the Constitution, I believe we are entitled to hold agents of the state to a higher standard than we hold outlaws," Sen, recently freed on bail by the Supreme Court in a sedition case, said.
He said India is considered around the world as a rapidly developing country. But eight Indian provinces alone have more poor people than 26 African nations put together. "As a physician what concerns me is that such absolute poverty among such large numbers of people really translates into a major health disaster the proportions of which can only be called genocidal," he said.
Sen said the same section of people who are victims of poverty-induced malnutrition now face the threat as global finance capital embarks on its latest phase of expansion.
"The forced takeover of indigenous land is being met with resistance that is multi-hued, yet the state has chosen to brand it under the single category of Maoist, and has met it with brutality and human rights violations," he said.
Dr Sen also said he was determined to fight the case against him till it is finally established that his actions were always in the interest of justice with equity and were "never seditious in nature".
He also appealed to the people of South Korea to oppose the Posco steel project in Orissa, which he said, "threatens the livelihood of thousands of agriculturists, workers and small businesses in the area besides devastating the local environment and ecology."
The Gwangju prize, which carries a sum of USD 50,000, is awarded each year on May 18 - anniversary of the May 1980 Gwangju democratic uprising - to a person or organisation who has made significant contributions in the field of human rights and democracy. Among past awardees were Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. န File Photo : AP

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Qatar airways launch daily Kolkata-Doha flights from 27July
PTI, New Delhi, 18 May : Premier UAE airline Qatar Airways would launch daily flights between Kolkata and Doha from July this year, taking the number of Indian cities it operates to 12.
The daily flights to Kolkata would begin from 27 July, taking the total number of flights to 95 per week from the present 88 from 11 Indian cities, an airline spokesperson said. The airline''s decision to fly to Kolkata is part of its overall expansion plans for this year when it would launch services to several new routes.

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Ghai wants to work again with Rituparno after 'Noukadubi'

PTI, Kolkata, 18 May : After producing Rituparno Ghosh''s film on Rabindranath Tagore''s Noukadubi, to be released on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of the poet, Subhash Ghai said he would like to work with the filmmaker again.
"I am happy with the way Rituparno, undoubtedly one of the most talented filmmakers of the country, has weaved magic with Tagore''s story on celluloid. I also like the rich imagery the director employed," Ghai told PTI.

Speaking after the music launch of the Bengali version of the film aboard a boat in the Ganga ahead of its release next Friday, Ghai said as part of his endeavour to promote "culturally rich cinema" he would like to work with Rituparno again.
Ghai even hinted that talks were already on with the National Award winning director for another film.
"Yes, things can even start by the end of this year or in another year''s time, but I can''t shed more light on the subject or anything else. That will be too premature," said Ghai. He said he was ready to collaborate if approached with good scripts and work with the directorial talents of Bengal and encourage creative efforts. "I want to take good Bengali cinema to a global scale," Ghai, producer of acclaimed films like ''Iqbal'' by Nagesh Kukunoor, said.
Coming to ''Noukadubi'', Ghai recalled that he first saw the film after shooting was over at studio and the imagery, the execution of the complex tale of cross-wired lovers, the boatwreck and the haunting music impressed him immensely.
As for the Hindi version of the film ''Kashmakash'', Ghai said Gulzar had beautifully transliterated the Bengali lyrics of Tagore which he described as one of his best works till date.

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West Bengal Governor issues 'order' appointing Mamata as CM

2011-05-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 17 May : West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan today issued an order appointing Mamata Banerjee as the new chief minister of the state.
Even as she inaugurated a flurry of railway projects as Railway Minister, a ministry she will quit before being sworn in on 20 May.
"The Governor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Article 164 (1) of the Constitution of India has been pleased to issue the order appointing Mamata Banerjee the chief minister of the state of West Bengal," a Raj Bhavan release said.
Narayanan had yesterday sent a letter to Banerjee inviting her to form the government following her party's landslide victory in the Assembly elections.
Hinting that the Trinamool Congress will retain the Railway portfolio, Mamata Banerjee said her departure from the ministry would not restrict its development. န File Photo : Avijit Mondal

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Strengthen WHO : Sheikh Hasina
UNB, Geneva, 17 May : Bangladesh Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has called for strengthening the World Health Organisation (WHO) to improve global healthcare system.
She made the call at the inauguration of the 64th Session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday.
"Globally, when we debate on reforms of health systems and institutions as the WHO, we must seek reforms that strengthen the capacity of this important body, and allocate increased financial support to enable it to provide authoritative health service and technical support to countries," Hasina said.
She feared that if reforms do not deepen engagement of WHO in countries like Bangladesh, the endeavours of the countries to attain health-related MDGs may run the risk of being compromised.
WHO director general Margaret Chan received Hasina as she arrived at the venue, Palace The Nation. The prime minister said the country has achieved the MDG-6 target on tuberculosis, while malaria is under control.
"To deal with waterborne diseases like cholera, hepatitis A&E, typhoid, paratyphoid, we're working for greater regional collaboration. We have eliminated polio from our country," she told the assembly.
She urged the development partners to help design sub-regional and regional programmes to control and fight communicable diseases such as Avian and Swine flu. Hasina appreciated the assistance from the Global Fund and WHO in controlling diseases like Kala-azar and filariasis.
She conveyed her especial thanks to philanthropist Bill Gates for supporting a number of programmes in Bangladesh and requested him for expanding his presence in the country. န Photo : PID

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Railways to stay with Trinamool Congress, hopes Mamata

Howrah, Kolkata, 17 May : Hinting that the Trinamool Congress will retain the Railways portfolio, Mamata Banerjee today said her departure from the ministry would not affect its development.
"After my resignation, the Ministry of Railways will stay with the Trinamool Congress hopefully and I will help my colleague in its development," Mamata Banerjee, who will be resigning shortly to take over as West Bengal Chief Minister, told a railway programme.
"There is no reason to think that the Railways will suffer. West Bengal and the Railways will develop together. From today West Bengal and Railways have merged together," Mamata said at the programme to inagurate a number of projects in Howrah.
"I have made a 'Vision 20-20' and there will be no problem for my colleague who takes over as the Minister of Railways. He will only have to supervise the projects," she said. န Photo : PIB

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Bangladeshi companies launch Africa farm lease land plan
Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, Dhaka, 17 May : Bangladeshi companies say they have leased thousands of hectares of farmland in Africa as part of their efforts to avoid future food shortages.
Two Bangladeshi companies have already signed deals to lease unused cultivable land in Uganda, Tanzania and Gambia. Another agreement to lease around 30,000 hectares for 99 years will be signed with the Tanzanian government later this week.... READ FULL STORY

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Chidambaram urges WB governor to stop post-poll violence

Agartala, 17 May : Indian Home Minister, P Chidambaram today expressed grave concern over post-poll violence in West Bengal and asked the Governor to take all measures to stop it.

"It is a matter of concern. I do not know whom to blame for it. Last night I have spoken to West Bengal Governor to take all possible measures to stop violence there, because violence cannot be tolerated," Chidambaram told reporters here.
"There were three incidents after the election was over.
I have also spoken to Mamata Banerjee and Mukul Roy about the violence and appealed to all political parties to stop violence. I think they would respond to my appeal," he added.
The Union home minister also appealed to Maoists to abjure violence and start peace talks. န Photo : Parthajit Dutta, PTI

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Talks with ULFA leaders soon : Home min P Chidambaram
Agartala, 17 May : Indian home minister P Chidambaram today said ULFA leaders had expressed willingness to resume peace talks and they have been advised to prepare a document based on which dialogue with the government would take place soon.
"ULFA leaders met Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi and prime minister and expressed willingness to resume peacetalks. We advised them to prepare a document on the basis of which talks would start soon to reach an honourable solution to the problem," Chidamabaram told reporters here.

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Nine NLFT terrorists of Tripura flee Bangladesh, surrender
Agartala, 17 May : Nine guerrillas of a separatist outfit have fled their camps in Bangladesh and surrendered before Indian security forces in Tripura, police here said Tuesday.
"The NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura) guerrillas, led by their self-styled captain Patanjoy Tripura alias Prabhash, 30, crossed over to India last week and surrendered to the Assam Rifles officers late Monday night at Chawmanu (in north Tripura)," a police spokesperson told reporters. "The Bangladesh-trained tribal guerrillas also deposited some arms, ammunition, explosives and 1,463 takas (Bangladeshi currency)," he added. Around 60 militants of the NLFT and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) have surrendered in India this year.

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After poll lost, GNLF chief Ghising decides to write 'books'

Jalpaiguri, 17 May : After being routed in the assembly election in the Darjeeling hills, Gorkha National Liberation Front chief Subash Ghising today said he has decided to write books on diverse topics.
The books would be on topics like World War II, Buddhism and tourism, Ghising said in a press conference here hours after leaving the hills.
The former Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council chairman said he would soon visit Myanmar for doing research regarding his book on Buddhism.
When asked whether he would continue his political life, he avoided the question saying all was not well in the hill politics.
GNLF had fielded candidates in three constituencies in the hills - Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Kurseong - but failed to win any, losing to the Bimal Gurung led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).
Ghising, who left the hills last night said he would now stay at Jalpaiguri, the neighbouring district of Darjeeling.

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Gogoi invited to form govt in Assam, Swearing in tomorrow
Guwahati, 17 May : Tarun Gogoi, who was unanimously elected Leader of Congress Legislature Party in Assam, was today invited by Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik to take oath as Chief Minister tomorrow.
Gogoi, who will be taking over as Chief Minister for the third consecutive term, will be sworn in at 3 pm at the Raj Bhavan tomorrow, Raj Bhavan sources said. The governor gave the invitation to Gogoi when he called on Patnaik to formally stake claim to form the government. He was accompanied by senior party leaders Bhubaneswar Kalita, Paban Singh Ghatowar and Bijoy Krishna Handique.
The Congress swept the poll winning 78 seats in the 126-member house.

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CPI(M) pulls up Rezzak Mollah for criticising Buddhadeb
Kolkata, 17 May : The CPI(M) Tuesday publicly censured its legislator and former West Bengal minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah for his open criticism of top party leaders including outgoing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
'We don't approve of whatever he has said,' CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose told media persons here. The decision to publicly censure Mollah was taken at a meeting of the party's state committee during the day. Hours after the declaration of the assembly poll results that saw the LF being routed, Mollah lashed out at Bhattacharjee and Industries Minister Nirupam Sen.

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Miss India Kanishtha to replace Rani Mukherjee at Cannes

PTI, New Delhi, 17 May : Famous Bengali Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee who was set to walk the Cannes red carpet this year, has been replaced by Miss India Kanishtha Dhankar.
Rani was supposed to make an appearance on the French Riviera alongwith another Bengali designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and filmmaker Karan Johar, but has bowed out as her father is unwell. Now Dhankar will be walking the red carpet for Chivas in Indian ethnic wear.

"Kanishtha''s dress in red or nude gold will remind of the 60''s princesses. She will be wearing accessories from my personal jewellery line. I am not much of a fashionista so I will be wearing a bandhgala," said Sabyasachi. Rani was supposed to wear a Sabyasachi sari.
"I had designed the outfit for her, everything was ready. I feel sad that Rani will not be able to make it, but I am more concerned about her father," said the designer. Dhankar, who is the first Miss India going to Cannes, said she had no idea that she would be lucky enough to attend the prestigious film fest this year.
"I am very nervous but excited at the same time. I had many plans for this year but not even in my wildest dreams had I thought that I will be walking the Cannes red carpet. I feel lucky and blessed," she said.
The 22-year-old Mumbai girl, who is preparing for her Miss World pageant, said, "The global exposure I will get through this is definitely a plus point for my upcoming pageant. It will help me get the crown back."
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had worn a Sabyasachi creation at the premiere of ''Raavan'' at Cannes last year and the designer is surprised at the opportunity to physically present at the fest this time.
"I feel stupid, I don''t even know whether I deserve this or not. But it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am glad that I got it. It''s like my own personal fairytale," he said. န File Photos : AP

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TMC chief Mamata Banerjee to take over as WB's CM on Friday

2011-05-16T07:55:00.001-07:00

Mamata meets PM, Sonia invites for swearing-in-ceremony
PTI, New Delhi, 16 May : Set to take over as Chief Minister of West Bengal on Friday, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee today indicated that Congress will join her government in the state.

On her first visit to Delhi after a landslide win in the assembly polls on 13 May, the 56-year-old leader met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and invited them to attend the swearing-in ceremony of her ministry in Kolkata on 20 May.
Emerging from the meetings, Mamata said she had invited Congress to be part of the Trinamool-led government in West Bengal.
Asked whether whether Congress had agreed, she said, "Congress will be part of the government. I have invited them and they will let me know."
The Railway Minister also dropped enough hints that her portfolio in the Central government would be retained by her party. "I told him (the Prime Minister) that Railway is with Trinamool and the Prime Minister is a good man.
There is no problem," said Mamata, who will be quitting as Railway Minister on 19 May.
Asked why the oath-taking ceremony will take place on 20 May, she said "it is a Friday and a very auspicious day" .... READ FULL STORY @ www.westbengalelections2011.com

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Trinamool formally invited to form Government in W Bengal
Kolkata, 16 May : West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan Monday formally invited the Trinamool Congress to form the next government in the state. 'The governor has formally invited us to form the next government. Yesterday we had met him and had staked our claim,' said Partha Chatterjee, deputy leader of the Trinamool legislature party.
Chatterjee also said that veteran Congress leader and legislator Gyan Singh Sohanpal will be the protem speaker.

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Govt re-fix bus, minibus, auto fares, new fares effective 19

UNB, Dhaka, 16 May : Bangladesh government has re-fixed fares of bus, minibus and CNG auto-rickshaws in the wake of enhanced price of compressed natural gas (CNG) and fuel.
According to the re-fixed rate, bus fare per kilometer in Dhaka and Chittagong cities has been increased to Tk 1.55 from Tk 1.20, and of minibus to Tk 1.45 from Tk 1.10. Minimum bus fare has been increased to Tk 7 from Tk 5, which will be applicable for bus and minibus plying in adjacent districts of Dhaka and Chittagong.
Fare for inter-district and long distance bus and minibus has been increased to Tk 1.15 from Tk 0.94 per kilometer. This fare excludes ferry and toll charge. Per kilometer fare of CNG auto-rickshaws in Dhaka and Chittagong cities has been re-fixed at Tk 7.50 from Tk 7. Haltage charge has been raised to Tk 1.30 per minute from Tk 1.25.
Bus fare for Uttara-Azampur route in Dhaka city has not been changed. The new fares will come into force from 19 May after publication of the gazette notification.

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12 killed, 50 hurt in bus accident at Meghnath in Bankura
Bankura, 16 May : At least 12 people were killed and 50 injured when a private bus lost control and overturned on a road at Meghnath jungle in Bankura district today.
"Twelve passengers were killed and 50 were injured in the accident. The driver, who lost control of the bus, was among those killed," Bankura Superintendent of Police Pranab Kumar told Bengal Newz. The injured passengers were rushed to Sammilani Medical College in Bankura town, he said. The bus was going from Purulia to Kolkata.

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PC to lay foundation of Integrated Check Post in Tripura
Agartala, 16 May : Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram would lay the foundation stone for an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Akhaura near the Indo-Bangla border tomorrow, official sources said.
The Rs 60 crore ICP will have terminal buildings for passengers, modern facilities of immigration and weigh bridges, scanning equipment, currency exchange booths, cargo process building, banks, close circuit television cameras and other public utilities, the sources said.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Secretary of Border Management A E Ahmad and Bangladesh High Commissioner in Delhi T A Karim would be present at the programme.
Security has been beefed up in the entire capital town and Chief Secretary S K Panda and DGP Saleem Ali have visited the site to supervise security arrangement there.
After laying the ICP foundation stone, Chidambaram would review law and order situation and border management with the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and DGP at Rajbhavan. He will leave for Aizawl on 18 May, sources said.

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Those writing CPM's epitaph, Left will be proved wrong: GS

PTI, New Delhi, 16 May : After its severe electoral reverses in West Bengal, the CPI(M) today claimed it had garnered the support of 1.96 crore voters but accepted that people had "decisively voted for a change" after 34 years of Left rule.
But those writing "an epitaph for the CPI(M) and the Left will be mistaken and proved wrong", party General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters here after a day-long meeting of the Politburo.
"Despite the electoral reverses, the Left Front has got the support of 1.96 crore people which is over 41% of the votes polled," he said.
While the Left's vote share increased by 11 lakh between 2009 Lok Sabha polls and now, Trinamool Congress-Congress combine's votes increased by 34 lakh.
"It is evident that people have opted for a change and the circumstances that led to this mood among the people should be properly assessed," he said, adding the situation would be examined seriously and necessary steps taken to overcome shortcomings and "reconnect with the people who have been alienated."
Karat refuted speculation that former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had quit or had offered to resign from the Politburo, saying "nobody has resigned or even offered to resign."
He said Bhattacharjee did not attend today's meeting because of the "grim situation" in West Bengal where large- scale attacks were now being launched against the Left and CPI(M) functionaries and offices..... READ FULL STORY @ www.westbengalelections2011.com

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Left Front urges Bengal governor to stop post-poll violence

Kolkata, 16 May : A delegation of West Bengal's ousted Left Front headed by CPI(M) leader Mohammad Salim today met Governor MK Narayanan and urged him to stop post-poll violence 'purposefully' carried against Left Front workers and supporters.
'There have been several attacks on our party workers resulting in quite a few deaths while many have been injured. All across the state our representatives - be it in the students unions, village panchayats or zilla parishads - all are being threatened at gun-point to relinquish their positions,' Salim told media persons after the meeting.

He alleged that three CPI(M) workers were killed since the declaration of results.
'From North Bengal to Purulia, Midnapore and Bankura, there have been continuous incidents of attacks on people including rape, loot, arson, and house damage. There is a concerted effort on the part of goons backed by the Trinamool Congress to demoralise the Left workers and supporters,' he said.
Accusing the Maoists of being part of the conspiracy, he said : 'The Maoists have also colluded with the Trinamool goons. To extend their area of operation they are attacking the Left party offices, and the workers.
'There is a particular pattern in the attacks. They are all being done in a concerted manner and following a conspiracy. There is purpose behind the attacks.'
Salim said that after they briefed the governor, Narayanan replied that he was aware of the situation. 'He had apprehension of such a thing and already had a meeting with the DGP (director general of police).'
'The governor has assured us that things will change within 48 hours. He has already given suitable directions to the administration. He has asked the police to be more vigilant and ensure that such incidences do not recur. He also said that, if needed, he will take further steps,' Salim added.

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UNDP keen to support in eco-friendly green industrialization

UNB, Dhaka, 16 May : The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) on Sunday expressed eagerness to extend its support for alleviating poverty through environment-friendly green industrialization in the country.
UNDP will also lend its support in removing policy related barriers in industrial sector, ensuring gender-friendly work environment, technology transfer and help flourish the private sector in Bangladesh.
UNDP country director Stefan Priesner informed it to Industries Minister Dilip Barua at a workshop at the ministry conference room yesterday.
Minister Barua said that trained and efficient human resources are needed for building industrially-developed country. “UNDP can help Bangladesh in developing skilled human resources by setting up Training Institute.”
He drew attention of UNDP country director to help flourish environment-friendly shipbuilding, ship-breaking and ship-recycling industries in the country and help in setting up a shipbuilding institute.

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Cocoon bank set up in Nagaland villages to boost economy
ANI, Kohima, 16 May : Keen to promote the silk industry and boost the economy of Naga villages, authorities in Nagaland have opened a cocoon bank in the region.
Recently, the Department of Sericulture inaugurated the Cocoon Bank at Signal Angami Village in Dimapur, Nagaland. Launched by the Ministry of Textiles, the bank aims to improve silk production from the state to make it competitive in the country. Currently the bank provides for silk yarn production that employs several people.

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Remain united to pledge of safe and secure world : Hasina

UNB, Geneva, 16 May : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested the international community, particularly the developed countries, to reject all their shortsighted needs and remain united to the pledge of a safe, secure world for the future generations.
“We have no other alternative. Our only way is collective action,” PM Hasina said while addressing the 16th World Meteorological Congress at the Geneva International Conference Centre on Monday.
The report on the Global Framework for Climate Services was mandated in Geneva during the 3rd World Climate Conference in 2009.
The Prime MinisterHasina later signed the Honour Book of the WMO.
Addressing the opening session, Hasina reiterated her demand to the industrialized countries who are historically responsible for climate change, to generously invest funds for adaptation, and for easy access of green technology at an affordable price, to vulnerable economies.
She also said this climate fund must be made operational soon.
"Adequate allocation of fund for capacity building in vulnerable countries is vital. In fact, all countries should assume their due responsibility though it falls heavily on industrialized countries," she said.
The fund to be envisaged should be adequate, sustainable, and easily accessible to meet the full cost of adaptation, she said.

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Mamata elected TMCLP leader, says Cong will join her ministry

2011-05-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 15 May : Mamata Banerjee was today formally elected Trinamool Congress Legislature Party leader and said pre-poll ally Congress would be part of her "small" ministry.
Two days after her party stormed to power with three- fourths majority, ending 34 years of Left Front rule in West Bengal, the name of 56-year-old Mamata Banerjee as TCLP leader was proposed by Subrata Bakshi.

The formality of her election was completed at Maharashtra Niwas hall in south Kolkata where all the 184 newly-elected Trinamool Congress MLAs were present.
Addressing the meeting, Banerjee said she was happy that the Congress had submitted a letter of support to a Trinamool Congress-led ministry to Governor M K Narayanan.
"We will also submit a letter to the Governor (with the list of supporters)," she said.
She said that her ministry would be small in size and Congress and SUCI would take part in it. SUCI, which won one seat, has been requested to join the ministry, she said. "SUCI has said it will let us know," she said.
Partha Chatterjee was elected deputy leader and Sobhandev Chattopadhyay Chief Whip. Jyotipriya Mullick was elected Treasurer.
Railway Minister Banerjee, who is a member of Lok Sabha from a Kolkata constituency, will have to get herself elected to the state Assembly within six months. She is likely to contest from a constituency in south Kolkata, TMC sources said. န File Photos

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Governor Narayanan dissolves 14th West Bengal Assembly
Kolkata, 15 May : West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan has dissolved the 14th state legislative Assembly.
A Raj Bhavan statement said that in view of the Election Commission's notification, the Governor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sub-clause (b) of Clause (2) of Article 174 of the Constitution, has dissolved the House with effect from yesterday.

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Dhaka Supreme Court affirms Ershad’s rule unconstitutional

UNB, Dhaka, 15 May : The Supreme Court on Sunday affirmed the High Court ruling declaring void and unconstitutional the 7th amendment of the Constitution that legitimized usurpation of state power by Gen (retd) HM Ershad and his subsequent acts.
The six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque pronounced the order, allowing in part the appeal filed by Siddique Ahmed.
Twenty-nine years ago, on 24 March in 1982, army chief Lt Gen HM Ershad, now MP and Jatiya Party president, had usurped state power from the elected BNP government led by Justice Abdus Satter on the pretext of “bickering for power among the members of the ruling party ignoring the duty to the state jeopardizing national security and sovereignty.”
The apex court order, however, said all acts, things and deeds done and actions and proceedings taken during the period, and all transactions, which are past and closed, are hereby provisionally condoned.
But all international treaties made during the period are condoned, said the court order. In its short order, the SC also declared illegal and void Paragraph 19 of the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution (Transitional and temporary provisions) that ratified and confirmed the proclamation of 24 March, 1982, etc.
The Appellate Division further declared illegal and void the trial and conviction of Siddique Ahmed, a roadside vendor, who was sentenced to life term imprisonment in a murder case by martial law court at Chittagong Cantonment in 1986.

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Left Front alleges post-poll attacks by Trinamool Congress
IANS, Kolkata, 15 May : The CPI(M) on Sunday alleged "widespread attacks" on the offices and houses of its supporters in West Bengal following its election rout.
The CPI(M) accused Trinamool Congress members of killing Jiten Nandi, a member of its zonal committee in West Midnapore, after the Left Front was voted out on Friday. "This murder perpetrated by TMC men is the first death in the post-poll violence," it said. "Reports are pouring in of widespread attacks on party offices, houses of cadres and supporters in different parts of West Bengal.

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Bangladeshi youth killed by BSF along the Satkhira frontier
UNB, Satkhira, 15 May : Again a Bangladeshi cattle trader was hacked to death and three others were injured by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along Boikari border in Sadar upazila early today.
Police recovered the body of Milon Hossain, (20) of Shikori village in Sadar upazila and also an HSC examinee, from a paddy field near the border pillar no.7. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sources said, BSF Gaborda camp troops hacked Milon to death with a sharp weapon and severely tortured three others when they were returning home with cattle.

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C'garh govt protests Binayak Sen' nomination to Plan panel

PTI, New Delhi, 15 May : The nomination of rights activist Dr Binayak Sen as a member of the Indian Planning Commission''s Steering Committee on Health has not gone down well with the Chhattisgarh government, which today announced its ministers would "skip" all meetings of the panel to protest the move.
"Chief Minister Raman Singh and his cabinet colleagues have decided to skip all meetings of the Planning Commission over the nomination of convicted Dr Binayak Sen as a member of the plan panel committee on health," a terse statement of the Chhattisgarh government said.
Sen was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court which observed that no case of sedition was made out against the activist, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Chhattisgarh court for alleged links with Maoists. န File Photo

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Sharmishta Mukherjee enthralls audience with 'fusion danc'
PTI, Bhopal, 15 May : Noted Kathak dancer Sharmishtha Mukherjee, daughter of Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and her troupe enthralled the audience here with her fusion performance combining Rabindra Nath Tagore''s poems with PB Shelly''s work.
The performance, "Rainstorm and Autumn Leaves" was the fusion of Rabindra Sangeet and Western classical music composed by Jayati Ghosh that left the audience spellbound last night.

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Priyanshu wants to be part of 'meaningful' Bengali Cinema

PTI, Kolkata, 15 May : With films like Goutam Ghose''s ''Moner Manush'' and Aparna Sen's ''Iti Mrinalini'' in his kitty, actor Priyanshu Chatterjee says he is looking to create his own space in meaningful Bengali cinema.
"I want to consolidate my hold in meaningful Bengali cinema while at the same time I will work on creating my own space in Bollywood with substantial roles," Priyanshu told PTI.

With the adulation to his role as Rabindranath Tagore's elder brother Jyotirindranath in ''Moner Manush'' behind him, the 38-year-old actor is looking forward to ''Iti Mrinalini'', the yet to be released film by Sen.
"I play a young director Imtiaz, who has studied filmmaking at a renowned institute abroad and has a bit of an ego," said Priyanshu, who was in the city to promote Bengali film ''Bhorer Alo''. "My character comes into Mrinalini's life when she is past her prime, wanting to make a film with her and himself acts in the film. So here it is a film within a film format," he added.
The film also stars Sen, playing an actress past her prime with daughter Konkona Sen Sharma playing the younger Mrinalini. Priyanshu was approached by Sen before Goutam Ghose did for ''Moner Manush'', though the latter released months back.
"For me it was a great honour to be approached by directors like Rinadi (Aparna) and Goutamda back to back. I had read and heard so much about Jyotirindranath during my growing up years. But this time I had to research a lot.
"I found his jest for life, his literary bent of mind, his love for music as well as his administrative skills interesting. It was a challenge to project such a personality, a towering figure of the 19th century, interacting with a figure like baladeer Lalan Fakir," he said.
About his experiences to work with Sen and Ghosh, Priyanshu said, "While Rinadi (Sen) looks after every minutest aspect on the sets, about the look and costume of the characters, Goutamda leaves it to the natural instinct and is particular about the camera angle."

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Mamata tsunami sweeps away left front bastion in West Bengal

2011-05-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Kolkata, 13 May : Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress today toppled the world's longest-running Left Front government in West Bengal, securing three-fourths majority in the 294-member Assembly with ally Congress.

Set to take over the reins as the state's first woman chief minister, 56-year-old Mamata Banerjee steered Trinamool Congress to a resounding and historic victory by bulldozing the CPI(M)-led Left Front. Her party alone secured 182 seats, while ally Congress bagged 46 seats.
Of the total 290 results declared till tonight, the Trinamool Congress-Congress alliance snapped up 222 seats.
Election department sources said that Trinamool Congress candidates were ahead in three more seats.
Another Trinamool partner, SUCI, bagged the Joynagar seat in South 24 Parganas district. Three seats among six others were won by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in Darjeeling district.
On the other hand, the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which had secured 235 seats in the 2006 Assembly elections, suffered a meltdown managing only 60 seats. န Photos : Rupak De Chowdhuri, Reuters

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Results unexpected, we accept people's verdict : Left Front
Kolkata, 13 May : With Trinamool Congress-Congress combine scoring a landslide win in West Bengal, the CPI(M) today dubbed the result "unexpected" but said it humbly accepted the verdict of the people and assured of playing the role of a responsible and constructive opposition in the assembly.
"The results are unexpected. The Left Front humbly accepted the verdict of the people and promised to play the role of a responsible and constructive opposition in the assembly", a joint statement issued by outgoing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and LF chairman Biman Bose here said.

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84.8 % polling in sixth and last phase of West Bengal Elections

2011-05-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Jhargram, Kolkata, New Delhi, 10 May : An estimated 84.8 per cent turnout was recorded during the sixth and last phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections which covering 14 seats in the Maoist-affected Jangalmahal area spread over West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts, passed off peacefully, the Election Commission announced on Tuesday.
“The polls were held absolutely peaceful and totally incident free,” Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi told reporters at the end of polling in New Delhi.
Three helicopters were used and a special observer was deployed over and above general and expenditure observers to ensure peaceful polling in 14 Maoist-hit constituencies spread over three districts, he said. There was poll boycott in one booth because of local issues, he said.
Asked about reasons for the large turnout, Zutshi said this was because people came out without any fear and reached polling stations to exercise their franchise. The Commission has also been taking all possible measures ever since the announcement of the poll schedule to instill confidence among the people, he said.
Prominent candidates in this phase include CPI(M)'s Susanta Ghosh, the most controversial minister in Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee''s government contesting from Garbeta, the party''s nominee and Law Minister in the outgoing cabinet Rabilal Moitra contesting from Gopiballavpur and jailed PCPA leader Chhatradhar Mahato, contesting as an Independent from the Jhargram seat.
The DEC said one observer will be deployed in each assembly constituency during counting on 13 May. န Photos : Rupak De Chowdhuri, Sunipam Mahakul

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Mime artist Partha Pratim Majumder bags top French award

Dhaka, 10 May : Famous Bangladeshi mime performer Partha Pratim Majumder has received the highest cultural award of the French government.
It was made public on Tuesday. He is the first Bangladeshi to receive the Knight in the Order of Fine Arts and Humanities award. "I am very happy to get the award as it will improve the image of Bangladesh abroad," a jubilant Partha told BD News from Paris.
Cultural minister Frédéric Mitterrand informed the performer that he had received the award. The French ministry for cultural affairs and communication honours personalities either for their remarkable creation in literary or artistic field, or for their contribution to the culture in France as well as globally.
Partha was awarded the highest honour of Bangladesh "Ekushe Award 2010" recently. He is the man who introduced mime as an art form in Bangladesh in 1974. For the last 35 years, Partha is working for the improvement of mime performance in the country.
The artist also acted in a short French film called "Bhai Bhai", which has earned 26 international awards. He has performed in Paris, Frankfurt, New York and in a film for BBC Channel 4, among others.

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Ganguly shines on comeback as Pune won by Six wickets

PTI, Hyderabad, 10 May : Bengal Tiger Sourav Ganguly silenced his critics by marking his belated return to the Indian Premier League with a gutsy batting display as Pune Warriors notched up a comfortable six-wicket victory over Deccan Chargers here today.
The 38-year-old Ganguly remained unbeaten on 32 off as many balls as Pune, after being asked to bowl first, achieved the target with 10 balls to spare.
After Mitchell Marsh helped Warriors restrict the hosts to 136 for eight with impressive figures of four for 25, Manish Pandey was unlucky to miss a well-deserved half century by a run but did enough to pave the way for his team's victory.
Equally impressive was Pandey's opening partner Jesse Ryder, who made a hurricane 35 of 20 deliveries.
But it was Ganguly who stole the limelight with a fluent unbeaten knock which contained three boundaries and a six. န Photos : AP

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AL broke promise on Rapid Action Battalion : Rights Watch
Dhaka, 10 May : The Awami League is failing to deliver on its campaign pledge to end extrajudicial killings, torture, and other abuses by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and hold it accountable, says Human Rights Watch in a new report.
The New York-based NGO said two years into its term, the government seems to be allowing the British-trained paramilitary force to secretly detain, torture and kill hundreds of people with impunity. The 53-page report, 'Crossfire': Continued Human Rights Abuses by Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion', was released in Dhaka on Tuesday.

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300voters boycott poll at Taldangra constituency in Bankura
Bankura, 10 May : Over 300 people of Belgaria village under Taldangra constituency in the district today boycotted polling for the sixth and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, claiming they faced logistic problems in reaching the polling station.
"The polling station is located about 2.5km away from the village. It is very difficult to go there without a vehicle to cast votes because of the distance. For this reason we have decided to boycott the poll," a spokesman of the villagers Dilip Singha Mohatpatra said.
The Block Development Officer (BDO), Saugata Maity confirmed the villagers sentiment and said because of logistic problems, no vehicle could be arranged for the villagers.
According to Election Commission's Khatra control room, which is in-charge of polling in the locality, not a single vote was cast since polling began from 7am in the polling booth set up for Belgaria villagers.

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48 people fall sick after leakage of ammonia gas in Tripura
Agartala, 10 May : As many as 48 people have fallen ill, some of them critically, following leakage of ammonia gas inside a cold storage in Half-long flour mill and most of them had been hospitalised. Sub-divisional magistrate, who issued closure of the mill, said two workers of the cold storage were shifted to hospital in critical condition, while seven employees of the Tripura Fire Service also fell ill while trying to rescue the victims.
He said there was no oxygen cylinder and sulpher dust which are mandatory for preventing ammonia contamination in the atmosphere and as a result sudden leakage of the gas went out of control.

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Petrol prices may go up, Diesel and LPG rates may follow

PTI, New Delhi, 10 May : India government may hike diesel and domestic LPG rates next week while an increase in petrol prices may happen later this week.
"The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee (on fuel price hike) was to meet tomorrow evening. It has been put off," Oil Minister S Jaipal Reddy told reporters here.
EGoM was to meet tomorrow to consider raising the diesel price by Rs 3-4 a litre and domestic LPG rates by Rs 20-25 per cylinder.
"It has been postponed to accommodate some ministers...
It could be anytime on 17 or 18 (May)," he said. State-owned oil firms, however, are likely to get the go-ahead to raise the price of petrol, which they have not revised since January on informal 'advice' from the government in view of Assembly elections in five states.

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Dorjee Khandu cremated with full state honours in Tawang
ANI, Tawang, 10 May : Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who was killed in a chopper crash on 30 April, was cremated with full state honours at Shepedung near his native village in Tawang District.
Thousands of people turned up to attend the last rites of Khandu, who was cremated as per Buddhist traditions of the Monpa community. The bodies were retrieved from the crash site at Lobothang near the 13,700 feet Se La in Tawang district on 5 May after six days of intense search operations.

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Bangladesh' Supreme Court revokes caretaker govt system
Anisur Rahman, Dhaka, 10 May : An appellate division of the Supreme Court here today declared illegal a constitutional amendment that introduced the system of holding elections under caretaker governments in Bangladesh, but said the next two polls "might be" held under the provision to avoid chaos.
The Supreme Court bench said the 13th amendment that introduced the existing system of caretaker governments in 1996 was "ultra vires" or "beyond the powers" of constitution.
"The constitutional (13th Amendment Act, 1996) Act is prospectively declared void and ultra vires to the constitution," read verdict of the six-member apex court division headed by chief justice A B M Khairul Haque against a 2004 High Court judgement.

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BSF's DG Pranay Sahaya appointed to Cabinet Secretariat
Agartala, 10 May : Pranay Sahaya, a special director general in the Border Security Force (BSF) has been appointed secretary (security) in the cabinet secretariat in New Delhi, an official said Monday.
He will succeed B.K Dey, who retired recently, the official said. Sahaya, a 1975 batch Tripura-Manipur cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, is currently the special director general (east) of the Border Security Force (BSF) posted in Kolkata. He was previously Tripura’s police chief.

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One Person Killed in Bus, politics over dead body in Malda

Malda, 10 May : One person was killed and two others were injured as a group of goons attacked upon their rival camp in a bus near Shahabazpur under Kaliachak police astation this morning, which has staked claim over the dead man's political allegiance.

The district superintendent of police Bhuban Mandal informed Bengal Newz that the murder was organized as a consequence of longstanding rivalry between two influential persons of the locality over a piece of land. Sources said that there had been a dispute over the right of land that went to court 10 years back. Recently the trial began. Witnesses were going to appear in the trial . But on way to court such a witness, Haren Mandal (45), was killed. Such an incident took place at Mojampur under Kaliachak police station today.
However, some relatives of the victims like Shakuntala Mandal, Lakshmirani Mandal alleged that they belonged to Congress and the CPI(M) goons attacked them. CPI(M) district secretary Jiban Maitra denied the allegation and said, “As I know, deceased was our supporter.” Though Sujapur Congress MLA Abu Naser Khan Choudhury also could not ascertained if the deceased was a Congress supporter. န Photos : Uday Mandal

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Rabindranath Tagore's monumental works to go up on Net

Bengal Newz Desk : The works of Rabindranath Tagore will soon be uploaded on the internet in an online electronic variorum by a group of scholars from Kolkata's Jadavpur University.
The digital library project led by former Jadavpur University professors of translation studies and literature, Swapan Majumdar and Sukanta Chaudhuri, is overseen by noted scholar and writer Sankha Ghosh. Work has begun on Tagore's collection of poems "Manasi", his first anthology of poetry and essays published in 1890. It marks the beginning of his journey into literary maturity. "Manasi" contains some of his best poems, including many in verse forms new to Bengali literature, as well as some innovative satires.
The manuscripts, mostly in Bengali, will first be digitised and then uploaded on the internet in a special archive with the help of a new software.... READ MORE @ www.facebook.com/bengalnewz

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Mizoram government seeks closer trade tie with Bangladesh

UNI, Aizawl, 9 May : Mizoram industries minister S Hiato said here today that he hopes for closer trade ties with neighbouring Bangladesh.
Hiato, who had just arrived from Bangladesh capital Dhaka where he attended a two-day Indo-Bangla Trade Fair 2011, told reporters here that during the trade fair, the Mizoram government and the Government of Bangladesh sought partnership in supplying Mizoram’s bamboo chips, ginger and turmeric. With its vast bamboo resources, Mizoram could provide raw materials to paper mills in Syhlet and Chittagong.
Another strategy that is being followed is to set up a manufacturing hub in Mizoram to manufacture garment parts. "Button-making, sleeves and such items will be made by girls in Mizoram which we will import duty free to Bangladesh and assemble them there," Hiato said.

The Mizoram government and the government of Bangladesh have drawn up a scheme under which, the Bangladesh ‘garment assembly’ unit will be eligible to send the readymade garments back to Mizoram for sale and distribution in the northeastern regions of India. With this, Mizoram will help create job opportunities for its girls, and gradually help them develop skills that could be used to climb up the value chain in the future.
Hiato urged the Bangladesh government to take necessary steps for bringing the Demagiri Land Port Custom House into operation. "The opening of land custom at Demagiri would provide huge opportunities to North East states of India as well as Bangladesh for export and import of forest products and other goods," the minister added.
Inviting the Bangladeshi investors, S Hiato said Mizoram Government extends every possible co-operation to investors, interested to invest in the state. Official sources here said today, the investors were interested in Hiato’s speeches.
State industries director R L Rinawma said at the trade fair, Mizoram was looking forward towards the deep seaport in Chittagong for establishing greater connectivity with the region. He also called upon the Bangladeshi investors to invest in oil and gas exploration in their state.
Hiato said, in a follow-up to the trade fair, a North East Investment Meet would be held at Aizawl on 25 May, to be organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce and its Bangladesh counterpart.

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