။ Bangladesh is ’safe haven for British Islamic terrorists’

Security experts wrote on "The Independent"

London, 24 May : Security experts have warned that extremists training in Bangladesh could pose a major threat to Britain, adding that the south-Asian country has become a “safe haven” for terrorists. According to a report in The Independent, a rising number of British-born fundamentalists are travelling to Bangladesh for jihadist training, prompting authorities in Dhaka to launch a database to monitor the movements of suspected terrorists.
UK security services are also turning their attention to the country, fearing it may become a magnet for would-be terrorists as security forces ratchet up surveillance on Pakistan. More than 4,000 British Muslims are thought to have travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan for military training.
Senior Bangladeshi intelligence sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the paper that they were keen to crack down on growing fundamentalist activity. But they admitted that lack of technology limits the means they have to monitor suspected extremists. UK security sources confirmed they stepped up surveillance of Bangladesh after seeing spikes in travel to the country. ။ Photo : STAR and AFP

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3 workers die in gas leak at Haldia Petrochemicals
Haldia, 24 May : Three workers died when "poisonous" gas leaked at a unit of the Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) in East Midnapore district early Sunday. District Magistrate S D Chhoten Lama told Bengal Newz, the three contract workers, engaged in maintenance work of the plant, died when gas leaked in the small hours.
HPL sources said prima facie it appeared that the "poisonous" gas leak was caused due to flouting of standard safety norms by the contractor engaged in maintenance work. Local people said few others, present at the spot, also fell ill but there was no official confirmation. Some reports suggested the leak was caused by a rupture in the gas pipeline. Further details were awaited. ။ Photos : Raghu Nandan Mallick
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Bangladesh Govt seeks Mamata’s cooperation to improve rail network
Kolkata, 24 May : Bangladesh has sought cooperation of Mamata Banerjee, the new Indian Railway Minister, for improving rail links between the two neighbours andalso invited her to the country.
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Barisal : No JMB connection found with threatening
Of UNICEF, IFRC and WFP officials
UNB, Barisal, 24 May : The probe body, formed to inquire the threats given to the officials of the local offices of UNICEF, International Federation of Red Crescent (IFRC) and World Food Programme (WFP) by letters last month, has found no Jamaatul Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) connection with the threat.

Three letters written in English and signed in Bangla reached the offices of the UNICEF, IFRC and WFP in the police line area of the city by post on 30 April, 2009. In the letter, the sender, in the name of the banned Islamist outfit JMB, asked the chiefs of the three organisations to shut down their operations in the district and quit Bangladesh immediately.
Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) authority formed a three-member investigation committee, headed by its Deputy Commissioner Kazi Mortaz Ahmed, to probe the incident. The committee submitted their report to the authority. "We found no JMB connection with the incident. A section of people with ill motives has done this to create panic in the society. Police is trying to identify and nab them. We also beefed up security at the offices of the three international organisations," Hayat told the agency.
The organisations meanwhile limited their official activities as most of the officials left the station soon after receiving the threat. ။ Photos : AP

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Cong-TMC alliance to continue till 2011 Assembly poll

PTI, Kolkata, 24 May : Upbeat over their alliance with the Trinamool Congress which secured them victory in Lok Sabha elections, the West Bengal Pradesh Congress on Sunday said that the party would fight the 2011 Assembly elections along with the party to dislodge the Left Front from power.
"The alliance we formed with the Trinamool Congress for the Lok Sabha polls will continue till the next Assembly elections to defeat the CPI(M)-led Left Front," WBPCC General Secretary and CLP leader Manas Bhuinya said here.

။ Mamata Arrives Kolkata Airport With Rousing Reception

Kolkata, 23 May : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who has been appointed as the new Railway minister, arrived in Kolkata to a rousing reception today.
"I will work for the people of Bengal," Mamata told hundreds of Trinamool Congress workers and admirers who thronged the NSC Bose International Airport waiting for her to arrive. As Mamata, accompanied by newly elected MPs, emerged from the domestic lounge, party workers raised slogans in praise of their leader, fondly called 'Didi'.
The three general managers of Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway and the Metro Railway were present at the airport to receive her. န Photo : Reuters

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Bengal's Surya Sekhar Ganguly become Asia’s best
Kolkata, 23 May : Indian National champion and Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly clinched the Asian Continental Chess Championship with a draw against GM Zhou Jianchao of China at Subic, Olongapo City in the Philippines in the final round on Saturday.
Surya Sekhar, who scored eight points along with GM Zhou Weiqi of China, was declared champion on better tie-break. The top ten from the meet qualify for the World Cup scheduled to be held in Siberia in November.
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CPI(M) LC member shot dead in Purulia
Purulia, 23 May : In the fourth such instance in the last two months, alleged Maoists shot dead a CPI(M) member in Purulia district on Saturday. Police said Dinesh Mahato (43), a member of the CPI(M)’s Ghatbera local committee, was shot dead by a group of armed persons, who opened fire at him from a close range when he left his house around 6.30 pm. In protest, the CPI(M) has called a 12-hour bandh in Balarampur on Sunday.
While the police have not blamed the Maoists for the murder, CPI(M) state committee member from Purulia Munindra Gope said a section of tribals and the Maoists have been trying to create unrest in the area. “The Maoists killed Mahato,” Gope said.
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Gorkhaland ။ Jaswant vows to fight for statehood
Darjeeling, 23 May : Thanking people for voting for him in several ceremonies across Darjeeling, new BJP MP Jaswant Singh assured that the 100-year-old demand of the Gorkhas for a separate state would find a voice in Parliament.
Addressing a gathering at Chowrasta on Saturday, he said: "Before the election, I was only a candidate. But now, I am your representative. It will be my responsibility to achieve Gorkhaland for the deprived people of the Hills as the demand is justified." In his short speech, Singh denied the allegations raised by some parties that he would not be seen in the Hills once he won the election. "Rajasthan is my janmabhoomi' (birthplace), but Darjeeling is my karmabhoomi' (workplace). I will come to the Hills to fulfil my duties as an MP."
The new MP will go to Kurseong and then Mirik on Sunday to attend victory celebrations there. Though he was supposed to leave for Delhi on 25 May.

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Renowned singer Krishna Di passes away in N Delhi

Kolkata, 23 May : Krishna Chattopadhyay an exponent of songs of Atul Prasad, Dwijendralal and Rajanikanta died in Delhi on Saturday afternoon after prolonged illness. She was 74 and is survived by two sons, Anandajit Roy and Bikramjit Roy.
"She was a legend, a trendsetter. In my entire singing career till date, only once did I have the opportunity of releasing a CD consisting of Atul Prasad's songs. Before the recording, I made it a point to listen to the music of Krishna Chattopadhyay repeatedly to get the songs right," said singer Shraboni Sen. "It is indeed a great loss for the music fraternity," echoed Srikanta Acharya.
Born on October 1, 1935, Krishna was initiated into the world of music at an early age by her father Harendranath Chattopadhyay, a renowned singer himself. A disciple of Atul Prasad, he taught his daughter songs penned by his master. She was also trained by Dilip Kumar Roy, son of the legendary Dwijendralal Roy, in Dwijendrageeti. Later, Krishna learnt the songs of Rajanikanta, too. She was also known for her renditions of kabyageeti.

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Mamata favours cheap passes for unorganised labour
New Delhi, 23 May : New Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said her priority in the ministry would be to provide "economic freedom" to marginalised sections of the society to travel by rail and take up modernisation with"a human face".
Mamata said her ministry would contemplate providing monthly travel passes for unorganised labour, vendors, domestic workers and landless labourers besides students at a nominal cost and the technicalities would be worked out later. "It is a social obligation we have to fulfill for the humanity. We will try to give economy freedom to these sections for train travel," Banerjee told reporters hours after she was given the railway portfolio. "One cannot sacrifice the human face for commercial interest," she added.
Indicating that five more MPs from Trinamool Congress would be inducted in the government, Mamata said she would take charge of the ministry only after "other ministers" were sworn-in. "I am not taking charge right now as other members are yet to take oath. We are like family and I cannot dissociate from them," Banerjee said. ။ Photos : AP
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Indian elections and the Bangladesh perspective
M Serajul Islam, Dhaka, 23 May : There is a similarity in the just announced results of the Indian elections with Bangladesh's on December 29th. The winners in both cases were expected to win but the ultimate results were beyond their most optimistic expectations. In India's case, the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) overcame the anti-incumbency bug to return to power. READ MORE
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Budget '09 in due time : New FM Pranab Mukherjee
New Delhi, 23 May : Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday expressed the hope that government would be able to present the budget in due time to avoid uncertainties. However, he parried questions whether the government would go for a vote-on-account now. "Indian economy is resilient, strong and we shall have to build up and come back to the growth track as early as possible. We will be able to, I hope, present the budget in due time so that uncertainties can be avoided and time of spending can be renewed," he told reporters shortly after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh retained him in the finance ministry.
After being given the charge of finance ministry earlier this year, Mukherjee had presented the vote-on-account in view of the elections.
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International conference begins at JU tomorrow
BSS, Savar, 23 May : A two-day international conference on Latin American Literature under the auspices of English Department of Jahangirnagar University will begin at the senate hall of the university tomorrow.
Campus sources said Norman Thomas, Di Giovanni and Susan Ashe of the United Kingdom and Debesh Roy and Arun Sen of India will attend the conference. The conference will feature paper presentation, panel discussion, cultural programme and screening of films. Interested participants have been requested to collect registration cards from the department concerned.

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3 snow leopard cubs born in Darjeeling
Darjeeling, 23 May : News of the birth of three snow leopard cubs at the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling might bring some cheer to conservationists given the dwindling numbers of the animal in the wild.

“A female snow leopard gave birth to a litter of three cubs last month, marking yet another success in the snow leopard breeding programme in the zoo,” A.K. Jha, director of PNHZP, told Bengal Newz today. The 13-year-old female snow leopard, which gave birth to the cubs, was rescued from Ladakh in 1997 by the zoo authorities and has given birth four times since. Jha said the gender of the cubs could not be ascertained till now as they were now with their mother in a separate quarter to avoid human contact. The zoo already has 10 snow leopards; five male and five female.
The PNHZP is the only zoological park in the country that has successfully carried out the breeding programme of endangered snow leopards, in addition to red pandas and Tibetan wolves. Snow leopards are found in the upper ranges of the Himalayan range in Ladakh, Sikkim and Nepal. န Photos : Reuters

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Tension along Indo-Bangla border over barbed wire
Agartala, 23 May : Tension prevailed along the India-Bangladesh border on the outskirts of Akhwara region, in Tripura, over the construction of a barbed wire fencing by the Border Security Force (BSF).

The villagers are concerned as the newly constructed barbed wire fence will block free access to the graveyard, which would now fall on the other side of the fence. The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), the border guard of Bangladesh, has raised objection to the move of BSF saying that the treaty signed between the two nations prohibits construction of the fence within 150 yards from the border pillar on both sides. A mass protest against the BSF move and people demanded free access to their burial land. The local councilor gave assurances to the villagers that their grievances would be addressed with utmost priority. “It (Graveyard) will not be covered by the fencing. BSF will not erect fencing just in front of the graveyard. They will be able to use the graveyard freely,” said Ratan Das, local councilor.
A meeting at company commander level on Akhaura border has been organized by BSF and BDR to prevent further deterioration of the situation. Tension prevails in the area and the villagers on both sides of the border are reported to be moving to safer places. န Photo : Reuters

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Two hospitalized with suspected Swine flu in Kolkata
Kolkata, 23 May : Two Indian nationals were taken to hospital straight from the NSC Bose International Hospital in Kolkata for a check up of suspected swine flu after they landed here from Bangkok on Saturday.
The passengers, Ramen Banerjee (47) and Krishna Shaw (23), were admitted to the Beleghata Infectious Disease (ID) Hospital after symptoms of swine flu was found on them at the medical screening unit of the airport, Additional General Manager (Medical) Dr Sujit Bakshi said.

။ New Delhi, 22 May :
။ Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, takes oath as Prime Minister for a 2nd term from the President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi today. Patil, dressed in an elaborate white green and gold sari, administered the oath of office to Singh and his core Cabinet in a formal ceremony in New Delhi's imposing red-stone presidential palace. Seated front right to left are the ruling United Progressive Alliance leaders A.K Antony, P. Chidambaram and Mamata Banerjee, who were later sworn in as Cabinet Ministers. ။ Photo : AP

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Mamata Banerjee ။ West Bengal's stormy petrel returns to parliament
New Delhi, 22 May : For years the face of the opposition in communist-ruled West Bengal and now the architect of the Left debacle in the state, the feisty Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee makes a comeback to the union cabinet after five years.
A gutsy agitationist and leader with mass appeal known for her humble lifestyle, the 54-year-old 'didi' of Kalighat in south Kolkata, becomes union minister for the fourth time.
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S Korea offers to set up N-power plant in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 22 May : South Korea offered to set up a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh to meet the country’s growing demand for power. The visiting South Korean deputy foreign minister Lee Yong-Joon made the proposal when he called on state minister for foreign affairs Hasan Mahmud at the latter’s office.
‘As we have various proposals [for setting up of a nuclear power plant], we will examine which one suits the country best,’ Hasan Mahmud told reporters after the meeting. Yong-Joon told reporters that his country wanted to set up a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh as Korean Electric and Power Company had constructed such plants in some 20 countries and six more projects would be implemented overseas.
The deputy foreign minister of South Korea arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit.

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Tripura gets new chief secretary, Sudhir Sharma
Agartala, 22 May : Barely a week after the Lok Sabha election result, the Left Front government in Tripura Friday appointed a new chief secretary, officials here said. Tripura-Manipur cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1975 batch Sudhir Sharma will replace incumbent chief secretary Shashi Prakash, who will join as adviser of the inter-state council under the union home ministry.
A senior official told reporters here that Sharma, who at present is the secretary to the governor, would join his new assignment 1st June. Several other important administrative changes were also ordered.
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Mamata likely to settle for Rly ministry, 5 MoS berths
New Delhi, 22 May : Having arrived in Parliament with a bloc of 20 MPs, including one from SUCI tagging on, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has settled Mamata Banerjee for a single Cabinet berth, which she will keep for herself. Initially, the offer from Congress negotiators Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmed Patel was for two Cabinet and three minister of state portfolios, according to highly placed sources.

Unless there is a last moment twist, Congress has agreed to Banerjee's demand for the railway ministry, it is learnt. The offer to Banerjee, who met Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday and was in touch with Patel and Mukherjee over phone through Thursday, was made in two packages. The first offered two Cabinet and three MoS berths while the second package offered one Cabinet and five MoS slots. Banerjee decided to settle for the second offer since she saw a possibility of accommodating one more MP as minister.
The more important reason, however, is not unknown to those who have followed Banerjee's brand of politics. In a party that she runs single-handedly, she is apprehensive of allowing any other colleague to emerge at par with her or develop their independent relations with the higher-ups. The probables likely to make it as ministers of state from Trinamool Congress are Saugata Ray, Dinesh Tribedi, Sultan Ahmed, Sisir Adhikari and in all probability, TMC's Rajya Sabha member Mukul Roy. While Sultan Ahmed is the Muslim face of the party, Sudip Bandopadhyay missed the bus as the TMC chief is cut up with him for refusing to be chief whip of the party in Parliament. Gobinda Nashkar, an SC MP, has been made deputy leader of the parliamentary party. Two other members, including Chandra Mohan Jatua, are likely to be made chairmen of standing committees that will come the TMC's way.
Her idea for not going in for "attractive" ministries is also that there would be less chances of allegations of corruption against her team before assembly polls in Bengal.

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Wild elephant kills two in Darjeeling hills early today

Siliguri, 22 May : A wild elephant killed two people in Darjeeling district Friday, a forest department official said. Sobha Chetri, 60, and Pradip Kishan, 22 were killed by the animal in Garidhura area in Kurseong sub-division of the district early Friday.
“We’ve examined the foot marks of the elephant around both the accident spots. We came to the conclusion that it was the same elephant that killed both the locals. We’re now trying to find it and have increased patrolling in the entire forest area,” Kurseong divisional forest officer (DFO) Y.T. Adden said. He said the elephant seems to have fled into the forest after the incidents.

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B'desh Army sending 212 peacekeepers to Sudan

Dhaka, 22 May : Bangladesh Army send two contingents of 212 officers and soldiers to join the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sudan under the 'United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur'.
An ISPR press release said 107 army officers and soldiers left Dhaka on Wednesday night by an UN-chartered aircraft with major Md Emdad Ullah Bhuyan and major Md Mahfuzur Rahman as commanding officers. The contingents are Reserve Infantry Company and Movecon Platoon-1. Another 105 army personnel will start for Sudan on Friday.
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Two BSF jawans injured in encounter with NLFT
Agartala, 22 May : Two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were injured in an encounter with suspected insurgents of outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) at Omar, a remote tribal hamlet, about 60 km from Kanchanpur police station in North Tripura District, BSF sources said on Friday.
BSF said a contingent of 77 battalion was patrolling the area yesterday in a jeep and when it stopped near the hill top hamlet, the ultras hiding in a roadside bush showered bullets from automatic weapons injuring two jawans, identified as Sitaram and C.D. Das. The jawans also retaliated and the encounter lasted for about twenty minutes following which the insurgents managed to flee into the forest. There is no information of any insurgent being injured in the encounter. However, BSF said, the ultras could not loot any weapon. The injured jawans were airlifted and admitted to Agartala Medical College hospital where their condition was stated to be critical.
State police, paramilitary, Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and BSF have launched a massive combing operation in the area and alerted BDR so as to prevent the ultras from sneaking into Bangladesh.
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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar opposes TMC's early elections demand for WB
Patna, 22 May : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday slammed Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for demanding early assembly elections in West Bengal, saying it was "against the spirit of the Indian constitution".
"I am dead opposed to any move for dismissal of a democratically-elected government. The demand for central intervention in Left-ruled West Bengal is seriously against the spirit of the Indian constitution and an affront to the people's verdict," Kumar told reporters here.

Bangladesh to connect with Asian Highway Network
Dhaka, 21 May : The government has decided to connect Bangladesh with the proposed Asian Highway Network (AHN), Bangladesh Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain said today.
After a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network, Abul Hossain told reporters at his office that the decision would benefit the country. "We will present the summary in the next cabinet meeting for the government's approval. We would inform the government's decision to the UN-ESCAP after approval," the minister said. "The agreement would be signed as per the routes proposed by the UN-ESCAP. "If we can be connected with the Asian Highway Network, our communications and trade with Asian countries would be boosted. It would flourish our tourism industry," Abul Hossain added.
The proposed three routes are Benapole-Jessore-Kanchpur-Dhaka-Sylhet-Tamabil, Banglabandha-Hatikamrul-Dhaka-Kanchpur-Sylhet-Tamabil and Dhaka-Kanchpur-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar-Teknaf-Myanmar border.

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Trinamool demands President's rule in West Bengal
New Delhi, 21 May : The Trinamool Congress on Thursday demanded the imposition of president's rule in West Bengal, alleging there was complete breakdown of the constitutional machinery and people had lost confidence in the Left Front government there.
"The CPIM led Left Front government has to come to an end in West Bengal. There needs to be president's rule and there have to be elections because (of) the kind of killing which is taking place and the poor state of law and order machinery. There is (an) entire constitutional breakdown," Trinamool leader Dinesh Trivedi told a news channel in New Delhi.
"In democracy the last word is of the people and the people of West Bengal have spoken very loudly and clearly. There is no confidence in the West Bengal government," said Trivedi.

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W.Bengal looking for Bhutan's hydroelectricity power

Kolkata, 21 May : The West Bengal government is looking at hydel power projects in Bhutan. At present, only 3 per cent of the total power generated in the state came from hydroelectricity and the rest from thermal sources, primarily coal.
“We have approached the central government to allow us to execute hydel power projects in Bhutan,” said Sunil Mitra, additional chief secretary at the department of power in West Bengal. Mitra was addressing an interactive session organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce today. According to Mitra, West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WESEDCL) will be the nodal agency for the projects in Bhutan. “We are aiming for a project with a capacity of 600MW in Bhutan. We have already identified three to four river sites there,” said Mitra, who is also the government nominee on the board of the state’s power distribution company.
In the Eleventh Plan period (2007-2012), the state plans to add 3,262MW. Of this, 2,260MW has already been added. The target is 2470MW by this calendar year. At the end of March 2007, the state’s total generation capacity was 4,196MW.

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Six children rescued at Benapole, Two arrested
Benapole, 21 May : Police today rescued six children and arrested two alleged female traffickers after raiding a bus in the Benapole land port area.
The children were identified as Alim, 8, Jihad, 7, Milton, 9, Riaz, 8, Milon, 8, and Mohammad Ali, 9, of Rianda under Sharankhola upazila in Bagerhat while the arrestees are Hosne Ara and Renu Begum. The children were handed over to Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association.

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FH and BDA launches Rs 1,000-cr Health City project in Burdwan

New Delhi, Burdwan, 21 May : Faith Healthcare today announced the launch of Rs 1,000-crore Health City project in Burdwan, which will be developed as a public partnership project with the WB state government.
The project, to be executed in three phases over the next five years, will house a 500-bed hospital, specialised treatment centres for orthopaedics, obstetrics and ENT, pharmacy, telehealth institute, medical college and residency for staff and patient visitors. "The Health City project at Burdwan spreads over 60 acres. Land has already been bought and the next five years will see an overall investment of Rs 1,000 crore," Faith Healthcare Chairman SS Chakraborty told reporters in New Delhi today.
The project is being undertaken in partnership with Burdwan Development Authority and Bengal CES Infratech, he added, but declined to comment on investments to be made by the company.

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GJM resumes non-cooperative movement against WB Government
PTI, Siliguri, 21 May : The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on Thursday resumed its non-cooperation movement against the West Bengal Government, demanding Gorkhaland and denying payment of any tax to the State.
"Non-payment of the state taxes was a part of the non-cooperation movement based on Gandhian ideology aimed at achieving separate Gorkhaland state," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI.

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TMC says it is not bargaining for Ministerial berths
Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi. န Photo : PTI >
New Delhi, 21 May : Trinamool Congress on Thursday said it was not bargaining for ministerial berths in the new Government with a senior party leader Trinamool maintaining that the party forged electoral ties with Congress in West Bengal without any precondition.
"I know my leader (Mamata Banerjee) very well. She has already made it clear that she will not bargain for ministerial berths," leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Partho Chatterjeee said. "Our party has not set any conditions," he said. He parried a question on whether Banerjee herself would join the Cabinet, saying "I do not know because I am not part of the Trinamool Parliamentary party."
Asked whether Trinamool Congress would demand President's rule in West Bengal, Chatterjee evaded a direct reply but said the Left Front must go because the verdict has gone totally against them. "If they are bad in Delhi, they are bad in West Bengal also," he said. Referring to "political atrocities" in West Bengal, he said "if they go on their own it is all right, if not we will raise our voice."

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UPA must bring Northeast development : Tripura CPM
"We would observe the functioning of the new UPA government and its attitude towards northeast India for the time being and then we would take our course of action." - Tripura CM Manik Sarkar

Agartala, 21 May : The victorious Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) must initiate development and provide security in the northeast, the CPI(M) which is in power in Tripura said here.
“We are hopeful that the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh would not deprive the northeastern region of developmental programmes and suitably utilise the region’s untapped resources,” Gautam Das, CPI(M) spokesman in Tripura, told reporters. CPI(M) leads the state ruling Left Front. “Like before, the Left parties would initiate a bigger movement if the UPA government takes any steps detrimental to the interest of the seven northeastern states.”
“There is a friendly government in Bangladesh. The UPA government should further accelerate its initiative to fulfil the northeast’s long pending demands, including the transit issue,” the CPI(M) leader said.

န Kolkata boy shines on National scoreboard with 99.25%

Bengal's schools have done the best

< Ankita Mukherjee and Subhojit Ghosh >

Kolkata, Asansol, 20 May : The state may fail to retain the best brains but as long as they stay in Bengal, they are capable of outscoring their counterparts in other states. The ICSE and ISC results, which were declared on Wednesday, proved that some of the best brains are still bred in Bengal as the city schools matched the performances in cities like Mumbai and Bangalore.
Subhojit Ghosh of St Joseph’s College, a school on BB Ganguly Street, created history by scoring 99.25 per cent, an all-time ISC record. “I am happy with my performance. It is also good to learn that Calcutta schools have done much better this time,” said Subhojit, who attributed his success to his school and the academic infrastructure in Kolkata.
A girl from the Asansol branch of the Assembly of God Church School in Burdwan district, Ankita Mukherjee, scored the highest in the state and second highest in the country with a score of 98.6 per cent in ICSE 2009.
“Not just individual performances, the best thing about this year’s result is a collective improvement of performance by the Bengal's schools,” said Gerry Arathoon, the additional secretary and officiating chief executive and secretary of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination.

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Congress discusses issue of portfolio
allocation with Mamata Banerjee
New Delhi, 20 May : Congress on Wednesday discussed with Trinamool Congress the issue of Cabinet berths and portfolio allocation amid indications that Mamata Banerjee is staking claim for five ministerial slots.
Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee met Ahmed Patel, political secretary to the Congress president, to reach an understanding on the issue. Trinamool, which won 19 Lok Sabha seats, is believed to be seeking at least two Cabinet berths and three slots of ministers of state.
The new government will be sworn in on Friday.
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WC 2011 opening ceremony at Bangabandhu stadium
Dhaka, 20 May : The Bangladesh parliamentary standing committee on sports today announced that Bangabandhu National Stadium would host the opening ceremony of Cricket World Cup 2011.
Committee Chairman Zahid Ahsan Russel said this after a meeting with Bangladesh Cricket Board officials, held at the parliamentary complex this afternoon. But the decision is yet to be taken whether any match would be held at the stadium, Russel said. Bangladesh will stage eight world cup matches including two quarterfinals as well as the opening ceremony on 18 February, 2011.
India will host 29 of the 49 matches across eight venues including the final and a semifinal and Sri Lanka will host 12 matches in three venues.

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INTUC state secretary quits Congress, Joins CPI(M)
Agartala , 20 May : Secretary of the Tripura unit of INTUC and former vice-president of Congress led Agartala municipal council, Sadhan Das joined the ruling CPI(M).
Das today said he joined the ruling party at a meeting held yesterday and promised to work unconditionally for strengthening the party organisation. The state unit of INTUC today announced that Das was expelled from the party for indefinite period on charge of breach of discipline.
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Viswa Bharati Entrance Exams to be held in 8 centres

Kolkata, 20 May : In an attempt to bring students from different parts of the country under its fold, the Viswa Bharati University in Santiniketan will from now on hold admission tests at eight centers in different parts of the country for the fist time since its inception. Earlier, the admission tests for undergraduate courses used to be conducted only at Santiniketan in both Bengali and English. Now along with Kolkata, the students can take up the examination at Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi, Shillong, Nagpur, Hyderabad and New Delhi.
The examination in other states, which will be conducted on 21 June, will be held in English only. “We had a number of applicants from other states. But it was difficult for them to come down for the entrance test. Conducting admission tests in different parts of country will help more students to join our university,” said Amitava Choudhury, a spokesman for the Viswa Bharati University.
The university, which is known for its distinct approach to education and Tagore heritage, has also drawn many foreign students who either join the usual courses of the university or certain special courses designed for foreign casual students.

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Over 2,500 border guards arrested

since mutiny, says Bangladesh govt
Xinhua, Dhaka, 20 May : Over 2,500 border guard personnel have been arrested in connection with the 26 February mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), Commerce Minister Faruk Khan told Xinhua.
Khan, who was tasked with the inquiry into the incident, said : “At least 1,398 members of the BDR have been arrested in Dhaka, while 1,581 more were held in 29 other districts.” Khan said 585 accused have confessed to their involvements in the mutiny.

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5 sentenced to life for Khadim owner kidnapping case

Kolkata, 20 May : Mafia don Aftab Ansari and four others were sentenced to life imprisonment by a court here on Wednesday for the sensational 2001 kidnap of Partha Pratim Roy Burman, owner of the shoe manufacturing firm Khadim.

Delivering the verdict, Additional District Judge of Alipore Court Biswarup Bandyopadhyay acquitted 17 others chargesheeted in the case for lack of evidence. The four others others were jailed for life. Aftab, the prime accused in the case, was the brain behind the conspiracy hatched in Dubai to kidnap Roy Burman, the owner of Khadim Shoes. Aftab was arrested in Dubai and flown to India after the terrorist attack on the American Center here in 2002. He has already been given the death sentence in the American Center case.
According to the prosecution, Roy Burman was abducted on way to his company's factory 25 July, 2001 from the Tiljala area of east Kolkata and kept confined within a house in Pakuria village of neighbouring Howrah district. The injured Roy Burman was allowed to return home 2 August, 2001 after his family members paid a ransom of Rs.37.5 million.

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Bangladesh hopes to have headquarter of 'BIMSTEC'

Dhaka, 20 May : Bangladesh hopes to house the permanent secretariat of the sub-regional bloc, BIMSTEC, which was formed for rapid economic development and to accelerate social progress, officials have said.
Senior officials of the seven-nation Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) began their second scheduled meeting here Wednesday to discuss the issue of the permanent secretariat.
On 6 June, 1997, the sub-regional grouping was formed in Bangkok. It has Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand.

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Mamata can be next chief minister

of West Bengal : Pranab Mukherjee

< Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi Today morning. န Photo :PTI

New Delhi, 20 May : After the Congress-Trinamool alliance's body blow to West Bengal's ruling Left in the hustings, Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee Today said that Trinamool Congress supreme Mamata Banerjee could be the next chief minister of the state.

In an interview to a news channel, Mukherjee, the West Bengal state Congress president, said it was possible that Banerjee would emerge as the next head of the state after the electoral rout of the Left after three decades. "We (the Congress) have no problems with that (Banerjee as chief minister)," Pranab said, when asked what he thought of Banerjee becoming chief minister.
Mukherjee was instrumental in stitching the Congress-Trinamool alliance in West Bengal, which resulted in the Left Front winning just 15 of the 42 parliamentary seats. The Trinamool Congress and the Congress won 26 between them. Of these, the Trinamool claimed 19 and the Congress seven.

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Passenger quarantined for suspected Swine Flu at Kolkata Airport
Kolkata, 20 May : One Emirates passenger coming from Philippines via Dubai was quarantined on Wednesday at NSC Bose airport here for showing the suspected Swine Flu symptoms.
Shyamal Sarkar(35) of Ranaghat, who suffered from fever and some respiratory problems, was initially checked up by medical authorities at the airport and was taken for further examination, airport sources said. Additional general manager (Medical), Sujit Baksi, sent the patient to the Infectious Disease (ID) hospital at Beliaghata in the metropolis, they added.

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Rohingya rebels trained JMB men at border camps

RAB glean it from Boma Mizan, HUJI too received training from RSO

Chittagong, Dhaka, 20 May : Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had close links with Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), an insurgent group in the Arakan state of Myanmar, JMB's explosives expert 'Boma' Mizan revealed in interrogations.

Sources close to RAB interrogators said Mizan and some other JMB operatives received training from RSO arms experts in a camp near Myanmar border in 2002. Now executed JMB chief Shaekh Abdur Rahman sent them for the training. In exchange for the firearms lessons, JMB trained Rohingyas to improvise and set off bombs.Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (HUJI) Bangladesh, another outlawed Islamist outfit, too had strong connections with RSO.
Officials from the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and some intelligence agencies have been quizzing Mizan, who was captured by Rab on 14 May, and is now on a seven-day remand. The sources said JMB military wing's former chief Ataur Rahman Sunny and activist Galib are among those trained by the Rohingyan arms experts.
RSO had some make-shift camps for their shelter and training. A good number of RSO-trained Huji cadres, they added, went to Myanmar to fight for the Rohingyas, ethnic Muslims of northern Arakan. န Photos : AP

Another Language Martyrs day celebrated in Bengal
Agartala, Silchar, 19 May : Song and dance performances, seminars and discussions marked another Mother Tongue Day celebrated in northeast Indian states along the India-Bangladesh border today.
A large number of functions were held in Tripura, Assam and West Bengal to mark the Language Martyrs Day. On 19th May, 1961, in Silchar of South Assam in North East India witnessed another fight for the Bengali language and 11 people died in police firing to protest against the forcible imposition of Assamese on the Bangla speaking people there as a state policy. The martyrs of 19th May gave their everything for the language and later the Government had to back down.
On 21st July, 1986, in another momentous day in the struggle for the Bengali Language, two bengalis gave their life in Karimganj, a small town in Southern Assam, protesting against yet another attempt by the state government to impose Assamese on the local Bengali population. The two martyrs gave their life when police opened fire on unarmed protesters. This was the pivotal incident that forced the government to withdraw their unpopular legislation.
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E-passport, Visa from next April in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 19 May : The Bangladesh government will introduce machine-readable passport (MRP) and machine-readable visa (MRV) from next April, home ministry officials told reporters. The Department of Immigration and Passport, with the help of army, will start working on the project in July, for which the government has already sanctioned Tk 2.83 crore.
All Bangladesh passports issued from this July will be machine-readable and no one will be allowed to travel without such a document after next April. "Tender will be floated next month," director general of Immigration and Passport department Md Abdur Rab Howladar said.
Md Anwar Hossain, deputy secretary at the home ministry, said International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has stipulated that all countries introduce MRP and MRV by April 2010. However, due to lack of budget and equipment the e-passport could not be lunched, he added.
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Monsoon expected over (S) Andaman sea in 48 hrs

Reuters, Mumbai, 19 May : The south-west monsoon is expected to advance over south Andaman Sea and southeast Bay of Bengal in the next 48 hours, India's weather department said on Tuesday.
Rain and thundershowers are expected at many places over Andaman and Nicobar islands during next 48 hours and at most places thereafter, as per the India Meteorological Department's forecast for the coming five days. India's monsoon rains, crucial for crops such as sugarcane and rice, are expected to hit the southern coast on 26 May, five days ahead of the normal date, it said last week.
Last month, the weather department said the June-September monsoon was likely to be 96 percent of the long-term average.

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How America influenced the big election victory for the Congress Party

Is Indian democracy a slave under influence of CIA ?
Indiadaily.com/Editorial By Ratan Ratnagar, 18 May : There was no way Bush Administration could let India’s ruling party go out of business. India has a new name today, although very disgraceful but real. It is called a satellite nation of America just like Australia, Japan, UK, Mexico and many other central and South American countries. READ MORE

န Mamata Cry For Early Polls In West Bengal

Kolkata, 18 May : Mamata Banerjee today said would make all efforts to bring forward the Assembly polls in the state, scheduled for 2011.
“The CPM has lost its moral right to continue in power after being routed in the Lok Sabha elections. People have no faith in this government. The Assembly polls should be advanced taking into account the people’s mandate. I shall talk to others in Delhi to get their opinion on bringing the Assembly polls forward,” she told STAR Ananda Tv channel tonight.
When she goes to Delhi, Mamata said, she will produce evidence to prove the “corruption and inefficiency” of the LF government to convince the Congress to bring the state elections forward. “We know we should strike the iron when it is hot.”
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Kolkata Tamil's mixed feelings on Prabhakaran death
Kolkata, 18 May : Relief and frank disbelief - as news came in that Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran had actually been killed, some Tamil community in Kolkata said it was long in coming and others simply refused to believe it was true.
"If the news is true, the last hope of Tamils in Sri Lanka who once ruled that island nation, long before the Sinhalese, is lost forever. Whatever may have been his shortcomings, he will always be hero to us," Kumaran Sanmugathasan, a business executive told Bengal Newz.
Added a Tamil student from Garia : "Knowing Thambi (brother), the news is probably untrue as there are little chances of his being killed by the enemy. However, if the story is true... he has become a martyr. But Prabhakaran's death is not the end of Tamil Eelam. Tamils want autonomy in Sri Lanka. His death will only make the request to be stronger. The death will only make it more enduring for Tamils to want our freedom more in Sri Lanka. " While his mother, a homemaker R. Vasantha told Bengal Newz, "Terrorism has no space in a civil society. Whether it is Prabhakaran or Veerappan, both have to be eliminated."
The decades long conflict for a separate Tamil homeland left nearly 90,000 people dead in the island nation. န Photo : AFP
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Depressed Buddhadeb meets Jyoti Basu, But refused to speak media
Kolkata, 18 May : Amid speculation about his offering to resign, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Monday met Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) patriarch Jyoti Basu but refused to speak to the media.
The chief minister went to the state secretariat, Writers' Buildings in the morning and came out of it in the evening only, and left for Basu's house in the Salt Lake. He did not speak to media persons despite repeated questions.
Speculation is rife that Bhattacharjee offered to resign after the dismal performance of the party in the Lok Sabha elections, though Left Front chairman Biman Bose earlier Monday ruled out the possibility, terming it "gossip".

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Politicians,Media find Indian poll verdict encouraging
Dhaka, 18 May : The government, the opposition and the media of Bangladesh have reacted positively to the poll verdict in India with a leading newspaper calling it "encouraging news" for the South Asian region.
The Daily Star newspaper took note of the rout of "communalistic" Bharatiya Janata Party and of the Left parties, particularly in West Bengal with which Bangladesh shares a long border. In power in West Bengal for over three decades, the Left Front suffered from "incumbency fatigue", the newspaper said in an editorial Monday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia both called up Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the weekend to congratulate him. Hasina, who scored a stunning victory in last December's election, congratulated Singh on his Congress party's "emphatic victory". She said the people of Bangladesh "always recall with gratitude the assistance and support of India and its people during Bangladesh's Liberation War".
Bengali daily 'Prathom Alo' said: "For India's neighbours, especially for Bangladesh, the triumph of the Congress is surely encouraging news. With traditionally secular parties like the Awami League and the Pakistan Peoples Party in power in Dhaka and Islamabad (respectively), and now the Congress back for a second consecutive stint in office in Delhi, democracy and diplomacy should be getting a boost."
Bangladesh Today newspaper in an editorial said the poll outcome had "proved India's unshakable commitment to democracy and secularism". "By rejecting the Hindu fundamentalist BJP for the second consecutive time through ballot the Indian voters have sent an unmistakable message to all that it still stands by its basic principles and values."
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Fresh post-poll violence in West Bengal, 24 injured

Kolkata, 18 May : At least 24 people were injured as arson, attack on policemen and post-poll violence rocked three districts of West Bengal, a day after three persons were killed in political clashes in the state.
Over 30 houses were set on fire in Solbagha village under Jaipur police station in Howrah district last evening, policemen were attacked in East Midnapore while nine persons were injured in Trinamool Congress-CPI(M) clash in Birbhum district of the state which saw the Trinamool and Congress alliance sweep the Lok Sabha polls.
At least 15 Trinamool Congress activists were injured when police lathi-charged them after they damaged police vehicles and an outpost in Khejuri area near Nandigram. While eight persons were injured when rival political parties clashed with arms at Margram in Rampurhat sub-division, one person suffered splinter injuries when bombs were hurled during a clash at Nanoor.