Third 'brave Bengali' climbed to the top of the "Mount Everest"

Musa listed as Mt Everest conqueror
Dhaka, Kolkata, 26 May : Musa Ibrahim, who conquered the Mount Everest as the first Bangladeshi on Sunday, received an official certificate on Wednesday.
Tibet Mountaineering Association, the authorised issuing authority of Everest summiteers on the northern Tibetan side, handed over the certificate to brave Musa at base camp of the Mount Everest about 1:00pm (local time). Mahbuba Rahman, executive member of the North Alpine Club Bangladesh who is now in Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, confirmed the news to Daily Star.
Musa, the first Bangladeshi to climb the highest mountain, will return to Dhaka on 2 June. Musa, also a sub-editor at English news paper Daily Star, scaled the Everest at 6:00am(BDST) on 23 May.
Another two brave Bengali, Basanta Sinha Roy and Debashis Biswas, members of the first civilian expedition from West Bengal, reached the top of Mount Everest on 17th May !

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68 companies of central force for West Bengal civic polls

Kolkata, 26 May : A total 68 companies of central force will be move to West Bengal for 30 May civic polls in West Bengal, where security personnel have begun route march in sensitive areas to build confidence among the people.
"The Centre had assured the state government that 71 companies of central force would be sent as against its demand of 130 to 140 companies. But now we have come to know that the state will get only 68 companies of central force," state DGP Bhupinder Singh told reporters here. "Of the 68 companies, the metropolis will get nine companies and the rest will be sent to the districts," he said.
Apart from the central force, about 84,000 security personnel from state and city police would be deployed for the polls to 81 municipalities and municipal corporations, Singh said.

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Tension persists in Darjeeling hills
Darjeeling, 26 May : Tension continued in Darjeeling town Wednesday after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung threatened to retaliate if party workers were attacked in the wake of anti-GJM sentiments triggered by the killing of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang.
Gurung, who has demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing, will hold a rally in Kurseong during the day to demonstrate that he has not lost the people's mandate. Facing a public outcry over the brutal killing of Tamang, Gurung had yesterday claimed that he had not lost the "mandate" in the hills and threatened to retaliate if his party workers were attacked.
Prohibitory orders, clamped yesterday were withdrawn, and shops and markets reopened. In another development, the All India Gorkha League met last night and appointed Tamang's widow Bharati as the party's new chief.

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JMB's chief Maulana Saidur Rahman on six-day remand
Dhaka, 26 May : A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Maulana Saidur Rahman and two of his associates on a six-day remand each.
Two others are ehsar (full-time) member Abdullah Hel Kafi and his wife Ayesha Khatun. Metropolitan Magistrate Konika Bishwas granted the remand when Sheikh Mahbubur Rahman, the DB inspector also the investigation officer of the case, produced them before the court seeking a 10-day remand for each of them.

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Police station to exclusively deal with Kolkata's cyber crimes
Kolkata, 26 May : With cyber crimes on the rise, the Kolkata police is mulling setting up a police station exclusively to deal with such complaints.
"Apart from a cyber crime cell of the city police, which was set up a couple of years back, an exclusive cyber police station is in the process of being set up to handle the ever-rising cases," DC (Detective Department) Damayanti Sen said. The investigation into the new-age crimes required skill as it is different from a routine criminal inquiry, the senior official emphasised.
"There has been a phenomenal rise in obscene e-mails, credit card frauds, hacking of net surfers' profiles, identity theft and even child pornography," a senior official of the cyber cell told Bengal Newz.

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Maldives National Defence Forces delegation in Port Blair
PTI, New Delhi, 26 May : In the process of setting up joint services on the lines of India, a Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF) delegation is paying a three-day visit to Port Blair this week. "The aim of this visit is to understand the Indian tri-service setup at the Andaman and Nicobar Command and to take inputs as the Maldivian government is in the process of establishing a joint service on similar lines,"Navy officials said here.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command is the only operational tri-service command in India and has elements of Army, Navy and Air Force.

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Moni for unified South Asian identity

Dhaka, 26 May : Bangladesh Foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni said Wednesday that the security concerns in south Asia would bring deeper cooperation and closeness among the countries in the region.
While delivering her speech as chief guest at a discussion meeting on the just-concluded SAARC summit in Bhutan, the minister said the lack of institutional capacity at the national levels had been hindering the implementation of the SAARC decisions. "There are security perceptions in the region (South Asia). Perhaps, these security concerns will bring us closer to each other," Dr Dipu Moni told the meeting at the national press club, indicating the perceived security threats within the region. "I got such a feeling at the 16th SAARC summit in Thimhpu," she said.
Dr Dipu Moni expressed hope that the South Asian countries would be able to promote a unified South Asian identity in future. The foreign minister's comment is at variance with the widely-held perception that the eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) could not exploit its potential during its 25 years of existence due to Indo-Pak enmity. န Photo : Rasheduzzaman

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Maoists kill teenager at Pingboni in West Midnapore dist
Jhargram, 26 May : Maoists allegedly opened fire indiscriminately early Wednesday in West Midnapore district killing a teenaged boy, police said.According to police, the Maoists barged into a village near Pingboni and let loose a hail of bullets. Santosh Mal, a teenager, died on the spot.
“The Maoists entered the village and started firing indiscriminately. Santosh Mal was killed on the spot,” said Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Zulfiqar Hasan.

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Assam to initiate talks ULFA, with or without Paresh Barua

PTI, Guwahati, 26 May : The Assam government on Wednesday decided to initiate the process of talks with the banned ULFA, irrespective of whether the group’s ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua comes for negotiations or not.
In a meeting, the Cabinet agreed in principle to hold talks with the ULFA and the Centre was informed about it, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters here. On Tuesday, Home Minister P. Chidambaram had given Mr. Gogoi a free hand to decide on matters relating to talks with ULFA. “We have agreed only in principle to initiate talks with the ULFA and modalities are being worked out,” he said, adding the majority of ULFA’s 15-member central committee, six of whom are in judicial custody and two on bail, are in favour of talks.
“We wanted to include everybody in the talks, including Paresh Barua. We waited for sometime for him but we cannot wait indefinitely. If he comes well and good, but if he does not come we will proceed,” Gogoi said, adding security operations to maintain law and order in the state would, however, continue. န Photo : PTI

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Tripura gov to act against unauthorised non-banking bodies
Agartala, 26 May : The Tripura government Wednesday decided to take action against unrecognised non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) which are collecting deposits from people violating the Reseve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.
'The state government has undertaken an inquiry against the 84 NBFIs functioning in the northeastern state. The state government would also seek advice from the RBI and the finance ministry about the state government's possible steps,' State Finance Minister Badal Choudhury told reporters here.

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Seven, including two children die in Nadia dist car accident
PTI, Krishnagar, 26 May : Seven persons including two children were killed and eight injured today when their car collided with a speeding truck on NH-34 at Nakashipara in Nadia district.
"Six people died on the spot at Nagadi village where the accident took place at about 8 pm. One woman died in Bethuadahari Hospital later," Superintendent of Police Champak Bhattacharjee told PTI. The victims included four women, two children and the driver of the car, the police said. Bhattacharjee said the driver of the speeding car hit the truck coming from the opposite direction.
The car carrying 15 people of Rajwar clan was tossed on the side of the highway following the accident. After attending a family function, they were returning to Matiari Baraataki from Shantipur, the police said.

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50 Elephants go on rampage and kill one in W Midnapore
Midnapore, 26 May : A herd of 50 elephants went on a rampage, destroying standing crops and killing a farmer at Nayagram village in West Midnapore District on Tuesday.
The elephants came from the nearby Orissa border and killed a farmer when he was working in his field. Local people said that they tried to herd the elephants back where they came from.

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DLF seeks to revive its Kolkata 'Spl Economic Zone' project

PTI, New Delhi, 26 May : With improvement in the sentiment in the real estate sector, the country's largest developer DLF wants to revive its plan for a special economic zone in Kolkata.
The company which surrendered four SEZ projects last June due to demand shrinkage for commercial space has approached the commerce ministry for reviving the Kolkata project, an official said today. "The board of approval will take up the DLF request for re-notification of the SEZ in its next meeting on 8 June," the official said.
The tax-free enclave, meant for the IT and ITES units, was notified in June 2008 over 10.48 hectare and at the request of the developer it was de-notified this February.

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Sunderbans tigers frequently stray to nearby villages in WB

PTI, Kolkata, 25 May : Frequent straying of Sunderbans tigers to adjoining villages in the last two weeks has worried the authorities with some wildlife NGOs blaming the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve for it.

"It is a matter of concern to us. We are in the process of analysing the reasons behind it," Director of Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve (SBR), Pradip Vyas, told PTI here. He said that a number of steps were taken to prevent big cats from entering adjoining villages to kill cattle leading to frequent man-animal conflicts. "One important decision was to enhance the prey base in the Sunderbans and improve the habitat qualitatively. As per recommendation of the state wildlife board, 200 deer will be released in the Sunderbans after an elaborate process of examination to ensure that they are free from any disease. It may take 3 to 9 months to complete the process", he said.

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WB Sunderbans Aila victims seek grants, do hunger strike
Sunderbans, 25 May : A group of villagers of Gosaba bloc in the Sunderbans are on a hunger strike demanding grants for rebuilding their houses destroyed by Cyclone Aila on this day last year.
Coming from Lahiripur, Rangabelia, Radhanagar, Mollakhali and Bali villages, the people converged before the BDO's office yesterday and began the hunger strike. The BDO of Gosaba, Arijit Mitra, told Bengal Newz that out of the 58,000 affected families, only 20,750 families have received the house-building grants in phases.

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Kolkata's US Centre attack case : SC stays death sentence of Aftab Ansari
PTI, New Delhi, 25 May : The Supreme Court today stayed the death sentence awarded to underworld don Aftab Ahmed Ansari for the attack on the American Centre in Kolkata in 2002.
A vacation bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and C K Prasad asked the West Bengal government to respond within four months to a petition filed by Ansari challenging his conviction and death sentence in the case.

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B'desh arrests most wanted JMB chief
Dhaka, 25 May : Bangladesh's most wanted militant Saidur Rahman, chief of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), has been arrested. Rahman, who is believed to have taken over the outlawed organisation after its leader and five prominent commanders were executed in 2007, was arrested on Sunday from Kadamtali area of the city, The Daily Star reported.
The police immediately did not comment on the arrest as they were expected to make an announcement later, but sources described nabbing of Rahman as a "major success". His arrest came as police and elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) troops in the past two days intensified the anti-militant campaign after a several police officials were injured in gunfights with suspected JMB operatives.
The outlawed organisation has targeted politicians, intellectuals and all other things they have considered anti-Islamic.

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Meghalaya CM seeks Centre govt's intervention in dispute PTI, Shillong, 25 May : Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has moved Union Home Minister P Chidambaram seeking Centre's intervention in resolving the long-pending boundary dispute with Assam. In the wake of the firing incident at the disputed Langpih area on 14 May in which four people were killed, Sangma called on Chidambaram on Saturday last in New Delhi and discussed the issue, apprising him of the latest developments.

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Former CPI(M) leader wounded in Maoist firing in Jhargram Jhargram, 25 May : Suspected Maoists today shot at and injured two persons, one of them a former CPI(M) leader, at Jhargram in West Midnapore district where a bandh disrupted normal life for the second day. Police said Debashis Banerjee (50), who had publicly disassociated himself from the CPI(M) by issuing posters sometimes back, was shot at by three youths as he was helping relative and newspaper distributor Bablu Banerjee sort out morningers at Manikpara bazar. Bablu, who tried to shield Debashis Banerjee, also received bullet injuries and the two were rushed to Midnapore Sadar Hospital where the ex-CPI(M) leader's condition turned critical, police said.

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Bangladesh to attain complete food security soon through large-scale farming of flood tolerant Aman paddy : Scientists
BSS, Rangpur, 25 May : Bangladesh is going to achieve complete food security soon through large-scale countrywide farming of flash-flood tolerant Aman varieties from this season to ultimately produce an additional six million tonnes paddy annually.
The farmers became happy following release of seeds of Swarna Sub 1 as BRRI dhan 51 and BR 11 Sub 1 as BRRI dhan 52 last month by the technical committee of the National Seed Board enabling them large-scale farming and producing the seeds commercially. Rice scientists of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) successfully completed all field level experiments, researches and validation of these flash- flood tolerant variety paddies in recent years. The government went to the large-scale farming of these paddies from this season as the experiments showed that the varieties can sustain 10 to 17 days submergence paving the way of producing five tonnes paddy per hectare in the vast flash flood prone areas. The repeated successes in getting expected production of flood- tolerant paddies in Bangladesh and India in recent years have ushered in a new era in the disaster-prone agriculture sector of the country, sub- continent and other flood- prone countries. The success was achieved through farming Swarna Sub1, BR11 Sub1, IR64 Sub1 and Sambamasuri Sub1 flood-tolerant varieties paddy using Participatory Variety Selection Mother Trial and Developed Agronomical Management Method methods. In Bangladesh, scientists and farmers successfully cultivated the paddy in on-station Rangpur BRRI Regional Station and on-farm farmers' fields at Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Sirajganj and Nilphamari districts during the past two years.

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Bangladesh a role model for turning challenges into success :

An independent UN study said
Dhaka, 24 May : An independent United Nations study said Bangladesh emerged as a "role model" for "transforming challenges into success" with its electoral reform process leading up to the 2008 general elections.
"The electoral reform process in Bangladesh leading up to the 2008 national elections supported a number of important building blocks that are now better serving the needs and aspirations of the people of Bangladesh," a UNDP statement said today quoting the independent United Nations study on elections in the South Asian country.
The study entitled, "Elections in Bangladesh 2006-2009: Transforming Failure into Success", found as crucial the three-year period that saw proclamation of state of emergency, installation of an interim government with military supports amid a state of political anarchy and "collapsed electoral process". "The unique events of this period are a valuable reference tool for Bangladesh and other countries and provide important lessons for the future," the UNDP statement said referring to the study.

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West Bengal government against tripartite talks with GJM
Kolkata, 24 May : The West Bengal Government said it was not in favour of tripartite talks with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on the Gorkhaland issue, saying it has lost the people’s mandate after the public outcry against it over the killing of AIGL president Madan Tamang.
“After the massive turnout of common people yesterday for the candlelight march against Tamang’s killing and at his funeral today, it is clear that the GJM has lost the people’s mandate. So it is useless to hold talks with them,” Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharya told newsmen here. The minister, who met Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to brief him about the present situation in Darjeeling, said the latter too did not want the GJM in the talks, but had pointed that it was up to the Centre to take a decision on it.
“The Chief Minister told me that the culprits will not be spared. The administration and police are being strengthened. More police forces are being sent. The government will take full responsibility to ensure security of the people in the hills. In keeping with their demand, a high-level enquiry has also begun,” Bhattacharya said.
He, however, ruled out GNLF MLA Shanta Chhetri’s demand for a CBI enquiry, saying that it was not the sole high-level investigative agency.

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Sikkim Police on lookout for GL's Madan Tamang's killers
PTI, Gangtok, 24 May : Sikkim Police is on the lookout for suspects in the killing of All India Gorkha League chief Madan Tamang as they could have fled Darjeeling and entered the state, senior police officials said today.
The West Bengal Police has sent a list of names of suspects in Friday's killing, they said. Further details like physical descriptions and photographs have been sought, the officials said. Police were informed that some injured Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists could have been brought to neighbouring Sikkim for treatment, but they ascertained that no one came here, according to the officials.

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PM Sheikh Hasina greets Everest conqueror Musa Ibrahim

UNB, Dhaka, 24 May : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted mountaineer Musa Ibrahim for scaling Mount Everest as the first Bangladeshi.
In a message, the PM said Musa has glorified the image of Bangladesh in the world by hoisting red-green flag of the country on the world’s highest peak. She said, “By conquering Mount Everest Musa has proved that Bangalee is a brave nation, no obstruction is unconquerable to us.” She also wished him all success.

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Maoist-backed bandh hits normal life in W Bengal's 3 dists

Jhargram, 24 May : Life in parts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts was disrupted today due to the 48-hour bandh called by Maoist-backed People's Committee against Police Atrocities to protest the killing of three students by suspected CPI(M) activists.
Traffic was stalled on the roads in the area and shops and others business establishments downed their shutters in Jhargram town, police said. Government offices, schools, banks and post offices were either closed or running with a few staff during the bandh.
PCPA leader Manoj Mahato said the bandh was called to protest the murder of Sunil Murmu (16), Gokul Soren (22) and Bankim Mandi (17) by CPI-M activists at Belpal in Bankura district. Bankim and Gokul, residents of Burisal village in Lalgarh, were students of Ramgarh high school.

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Speedy tribunal sends back Ramna Batamul blast case

Dhaka, 24 May : A speedy trial tribunal on Monday sent the Ramna Batamul carnage case back to the previous court as it could not complete the trial within the stipulated 135 working days.
Judge Kaniz Akter Nafrina Khanom of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 returned the case to the Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge’s Court to dispose the trial. The case was transferred to the tribunal on 18 August, 2009 for its quick disposal. It recorded depositions of 50 out of 84 prosecution witnesses so far. In its order, the tribunal said most of the vital witnesses, including investigation officer, did not appear before the court to give statements within the time. So, the trial of the case transferred to the previous court for further investigation.
The other case filed under the explosive substances act is now pending in another Dhaka court.

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Tripura boy Somdev attains career-best 108th spot in ATP
PTI, New Delhi, 24 May : Tripura boy Somdev Devvarman rose a rung to career-best 108 while Yuki Bhambri returned to top-400 after a seven place jump to 397th spot in the latest ATP rankings.
Somdev yesterday lost his French Open first round match, a marathon five-setter, to Marco Chiudinelli of Switzerland. Vishnu Vardhan also jumped seven places to be at 355. In the doubles chart, Leander Paes (6) and Mahesh Bhupathi (7) remained unchanged. Meanwhile in the WTA list, Sania Mirza also had her singles ranking (91) intact but lost two positions in the doubles (75) chart.

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Indian held with 480 tortoises at Dhaka International airport

Dhaka, 24 May : Bangladesh immigration officials at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka seized a consignment of 480 rare tortoises and arrested a Malaysia-bound Indian passenger early Monday.
The officials detected the consignment at about 2:30am(BDST), said Rezaul Sikder, divisional forest officer of Wildlife Division, Dhaka. The wildlife offender was smuggling the rare species of tortoise popularly known as ‘Star Tortoise’ to Malaysia as this species is quite popular in the exotic pet trade across the Asian markets.
Later, the tortoises were brought to the Dhaka Forest office at Agargaon in the morning. န Photo : Anisur Rahman

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SBI to expand reach to 50000 unbanked villages in 2010-11
PTI, Kolkata, 24 May : India’s largest lender, State Bank of India plans to cover 50,000 unbanked villages during the current fiscal as part of financial inclusion drive.
“The bank under financial inclusion initiative has planned to cover 50,000 unbanked villages during 2010-11 which will take total reach to 1,50,000 villages,” a senior official of SBI told PTI. To achieve this, the bank plans to hire 15,000 business correspondents, who will help people in the rural areas to open bank accounts.
“In order to expand our presence in the unbanked areas, the bank intends to hire around 15,000 (business correspondents) in 2010-11,” the official said. It is not possible for banks to open branches in every village, so a business correspondent and business facilitator model would help in taking banking facilities to every part of the country, the official said.

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Andaman Island to get better healthcare, flight connectivity

IANS, New Delhi, 24 May : Acting on the recommendations of a parliamentary panel that criticised the government for its “indifference” to the healthcare needs of people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Indian home ministry has asked the health ministry to examine if a super speciality hospital can be set up in the Bay of Bengal islands.
The ministry is also seeking better air connectivity for the islands and is in touch with the civil aviation ministry for subsidised air fares on the national carrier’s flights linking the islands to other parts of the country. The home ministry move comes after a parliamentary committee directed it to apprise the two ministries of the problems faced by 3,56,265 residents of the islands, including central government officials. A senior home ministry official told IANS: “We have already forwarded the committee’s report to the ministries concerned and have asked them to examine the feasibility of implementing its recommendations.”
The ministry asked the health ministry to examine if a super speciality hospital could be set up, and approached the civil aviation ministry to improve air connectivity to the Islands and whether air fare on flights to and from the Islands could be subsidised.

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Naga student leaders asked to call off economic blockade
PTI, Imphal, 24 May : Manipur-based Naga leaders today appealed students from the community to call off the month- long indefinite economic blockade of the state's two national highways to end the suffering of common people.
In a joint statement, Naga Leaders Forum of Manipur (NLFM) convener A S Simreiyo and general secretary P A Thokho said common people were suffering due to acute shortage of essential commodities and other items of daily need on account of the economic blockade since 12 April.

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Shillong keeps date with legend Bob Dylan
PTI, Shillong, 24 May : The birthday boy never cut the cake here, but this ‘rock capital of India’ has never missed the celebrations of music legend Bob Dylan.

Shillong, perhaps, is the only city in the country celebrating Bob Dylan’s birthday without a break for the past 39 years. And today, it was no different. Hundreds of fans of the philosopher-musician, some from as far as Hyderabad, Goa, Bangalore, Kolkata and the neighbouring Guwahati descended in this music-savvy city and went agog with the 69th birthday celebrations of the legendary singer.
Shillong’s very own Bob Dylan - Lou Majaw and his colleagues rendered haunting Dylan numbers at two venues - at Pearly Dew School in the morning and at Khyndailad at the heart of the city in the evening. The programmes showcased Dylan’s songs and the artists own compositions. Among the bands that performed, was a curiously named band called ‘Bad Monkeys’.
“This year has been very good. Students from Pearly Dew School recited poems and sang songs composed by Dylan, while the city rocked and rolled in the evening,” Majaw said. He said the objective of this celebration is to take music as a part of education. “It’s because of the respect I have for Dylan. I respect him as a lyricist, as a writer of songs and poetry. His songs lit up my life and gave it a lot of meaning,” said the 63-year-old rocker.

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Musa Ibrahim conquers Mount Everest as first Bangladeshi

Dhaka, 23 May : Bangladesh boy Musa Ibrahim has scaled Mount Everest as the first Bangladeshi, said friends and family of the mountaineer.
He reached the summit at 6:00am Bangladesh time today, Musa's wife Sorabon Tahura Rimi told Daily Star. She was citing an e-mail sent by the manager of Himalayan Guide, the firm that arranged the expedition. The news came at around noon in Dhaka. Soon, greetings began pouring in on different blogs and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Musa, a sub-editor at The Daily Star, used the North Alpine route on the Tibetan side to conquer the top of the world, Anik Khan, a friend of the climber, told The Daily Star from Kathmandu in the evening. Iswari Paudel, managing director of Himalayan Guide, has confirmed the news, he added. “Iswari learned about Musa's feat when her brother Bhola Paudel, manager of the advanced base camp, called via satellite phone.”
All 26 members of the expedition including 14 Sherpas got to the summit (8,848 metres), Anik said quoting Iswari. Besides Musa, three Montenegrins, six Britons, one American and a Serb are in the team. Musa, founder of the North Alpine Club in Bangladesh, left Dhaka for Nepal on 8 April.

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Maoists, security forces fight gun battle in troubled Lalgarh
Jhargram, Kolkata, 23 May : Maoists and joint security forces exchanged heavy firing in trouble-torn Lalgarh of West Midnapore district Sunday.
“An encounter took place between the Maoists and the security forces near the Bakisol forest. There are no reports of casualties or arrests,” said West Midnapore Superintendent of Police Manoj Verma. The gun battle happened close to the spot between Ramgarh and Pingboni where the Leftwing guerrillas had triggered a landmine blast, killing five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers 19 May.
The joint forces have been deployed in the area for over 11 months to flush out Maoists, who had earlier turned Lalgarh into a virtual free zone by torching police camps and driving out the civil administration for about seven months.

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Assam's chief minister Tarun Gogoi says AGP is 'fascist'
Guwahati, 23 May : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Sunday launched a vicious attack on the main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) by saying the regional party had “ruled like Hitler” and functioned like the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
“The AGP is party of fascists and during their two previous tenures (1985 to 1999 and 1996 to 2001) they ruled like Hitler. I would say the AGP is like the ULFA,” the chief minister said. Gogoi was addressing a mammoth public rally here to mark the fourth anniversary of the second straight term in government.

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Bangladesh President for strengthening cooperation within SAARC to combat climate change

BSS, Dhaka, 23 May : Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman today laid emphasis on further strengthening regional cooperation among the member sates of SAARC in combating against natural calamities specially the adverse affects of climate change.
"We have to work collectively to handle natural calamities like flood, drought, earthquake, Tsunami along with environmental degradation through exchanging data of weather and climate as well as technological and IT- knowledge," he said while inaugurating the 9th Apex Body Meet of SAARC Diploma Engineers Forum (SDEF) at Institute of Diploma Engineers of Bangladesh (IDEB) here.
Mentioning that poverty is a curse of the people of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) region, consisting 1.5 billion people who are the one-fifth of total civilization, the President said it needs collective efforts to free the people from this suffering.

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1 Kg RDX, explosives recovered in Assam's Dibrugarh dist
PTI, Dibrugarh, 23 May : One kg RDX and other explosives, suspected to have been hidden by ULFA, was today recovered from Joypur Reserve Forest in this Assam district, officials said.
Acting on a tip-off, troops of 310 Field Regiment launched an operation in the reserve forest and found a bag containing the explosives. One kg of RDX, an improvised explosive device weighing 1.5 kg, five gelatine sticks, a remote antennae, a fused wire cap, a rubber stamp with ULFA logo and some track suits were found in the bag, which was handed over to police.

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Bangladesh govt to enact law to make jute use compulsory

IANS, Dhaka, 23 May : Bangladesh is set to enact a law to make use of jute compulsory in packaging certain commodities, taking a cue from a 1987 law enacted by India - also a major producer of the commodity - to raise domestic demand.The move is also intended to meet the rise in demand for jute packaging in the international market.

The intended law would stipulate that jute sacks should be used for grains such as rice, wheat and other commodities such as sugar, fertiliser and cement. Jute and Textile Secretary Ashraful Moqbul told New Age newspaper that the proposed law would be placed in parliament in the budget session next week. Bangladesh and India are leading producers of jute who have faced dwindling markets at home and abroad. Ministry officials examined India’s Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act 1987 to prepare the proposed law.
Sugar and grain producers in India have used jute sacks since the enactment of the law. Experts here say Indian jute farmers benefited from the law. India is now the No.1 jute-growing country ahead of Bangladesh, Bangladesh produces 5.5 million bales (1 bale equals 180 kg) of raw jute every year compared with 7 million bales produced a decade ago.

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At least 12 killed in Assam's Goalpara district road mishap
Guwahati, 23 May : At least twelve people have been killed and three others were injured when a speeding truck mowed them down in Assam's Goalpara district last night.
According to sources, the mishap occurred when the driver lost control of his vehicle and hit the people on a national highway in Dudhnoi town in Goalpara, about 90 km Guwahati. The victims were returning home after attending a cultural show held at a local field.

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West Bengal's Haripur nuclear power plant buffer zone reduced

Kolkata, 22 May : The Department of Atomic Energy, which is to set up a 10,000 MW light water nuclear power plant at Haripur in West Bengal's East Midnapore district, has decided to reduce its buffer zone.

"We have decided to reduce the exclusion zone (buffer zone) from 1.6 km to 1 km at Haripur with new technologies in place," DAE Secretary Srikumar Banerjee said today. The department will require a seafront of three km diametre and the buffer zone from the reactor will be 1 km where there will be limited activity, Banerjee said at a function where he received the Rammohan Puraskar 2010 on the occasion of the 238th birth anniversary of Raja Rammohan Roy.
He, however, said though Haripur has been selected, the exact area of the project has not yet been decided upon. Currently, the baseline study was been carried out.

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2 train passengers injured in firing by Maoists at Banstala
Jhargram, 22 May : Two persons, including a policeman, travelling on board the Tatanagar-bound Steel Express, were injured in a crossfire between Maoists and joint forces at Banstala station in West Midnapore district today.
Superintendent of Police Manoj Verma said an anti-Maoist operation was underway when bullets fired by Maoists hit a compartment of the train, injuring two. The injured were admitted to the Jhargram Sub-Divisional Hospital. Passengers of the train demonstrated when it reached the Jhargram station.

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GJM youth leader mastermind of Tamang killing : Police

PTI, Siliguri, 22 May : Forty-five people have been arrested in connection with the killing of All India Gorkha League President Madan Tamang even as a search is on to trace a Gorkha Janamukti Morcha youth leader, who is the alleged mastermind of the murder, police said today
"Dinesh Gurung, President of GJM yuba morcha town committee is the key planner of the killing of Tamang in Darjeeling yesterday," Inspector General of Police (north bengal), K L Tamta said. Police is trying to trace Gurung and a few of his associates, he said. Besides, police patrolling had been intensified to restore confidence among the hill people, Tamta said.
Tamang was yesterday stabbed to death by unidentified men during clashes by rival Gorkha groups in the hill town of Darjeeling. န Photo : AFP

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1000MW more electricity to added to Natl grid by yearend
Dhaka, 22 May : Bangladesh Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that another 1000MW of electricity would be added to the national grid by the yearend.
She made the announcement at the inauguration of Texbangla Fair at Sheraton Hotel organised by Bangladesh Textile Mills Association on Saturday. "Our government has put top priority on the power sector". She blamed the previous governments for the present power crisis. "We have not created the problem. "If our projects were implemented then power production would have reached 6,000 MW in 2009," she claimed.

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Capital dredging to be carried out in all Bangladesh rivers

BSS, Dhaka, 22 May : Capital dredging will be carried out soon in all rivers of Bangladesh to revive the lost waterways by returning navigability.
Many major and small rivers and tributaries are facing serious navigability problem as all the rivers got silted and there was no dredging to maintain navigability. Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Md Abdul Malek Mia said this while talking to BSS. The country had 24,000 km long waterways in the past, but silting of river-beds hampered navigability of the water ways. At present, the country has 5,968 km navigable waterways during the monsoon while 3,865 km during dry season.
To maintain the navigability of the rivers, a massive dredging of the rivers is required on yearly basis, Abdul Malek said adding that but due to paucity of funds and shortage of dredger BIWTA could not meet the dredging requirement in all routes.

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Meghalaya is transit zone for narcotics : Narcotics Control
Shillong, 22 May : Meghalaya has emerged as a major "transit route" for narcotics mainly originating from the north-eastern states of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said today.
"Though consumption (of narcotics) is comparably very low in Meghalaya, the state is a major transit zone for drugs and movements are made through roads to the demand areas in West Bengal, Guwahati and Bangladesh," NCB director general O P S Malik told told reporters here.

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154Bru refugee families taken back to Mizoram from Tripura
Agartala, 22 May : Following sustained pressure from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) the Mizoram government took back 154 families of Bru refugees yesterday.
The refugees had fled from Western Mizoram in November. Initially, the repatriation was postponed by a week owing to bad weather and some administrative difficulties in Mizoram but the latter arranged conveyance for 154 of the 564 families and the first batch went back yesterday.

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Tripura govt hosts a craft fair to promote Inter-state trade

Agartala, 22 May : Entrepreneurs from most parts of India now want to tap the business potential of Tripura as there is now a view that insurgency is on its last legs.

Entrepreneurs from Manipur, Assam, West Bengal, Delhi and Haryana recently gathered for a 15 day-long handloom fair in Agartalas's Children Park. They were not only able to do good business, but also establish links with businessmen from the region. "A fair means a place where people get together. Moreover, we get products of different states at very reasonable prices. We have met many people here and done some shopping at the exhibition," said Bani Dutta, a customer from West Bengal.
"This fair has been organized to give a boost to the handloom and handicraft sector. This place has become a hub for selling a variety of handmade products from different states. A customer has a choice of products at very reasonable prices," added Sudarsan Mandal, an organizer from Kolkata. Sponsored by the Union Textiles Ministry and organized by the Manipur Handlooms, the fair has been organized to boost inter-state trade.

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Gorkha League leader Madan Temang killed in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, Kolkata, 21 May : Gorkha leader MadanTamang, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL), was on Friday stabbed to death allegedly by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supporters in Darjeeling. News of the death led to a spontaneous shutdown in the region.

Tamang, who led the anti-GJM front in the Darjeeling hills, was hit with a kukri (long knife used by Nepalis) at around 9.30am, an official said. "He was critically injured in the attack and died in the Darjeeling District Hospital," Darjeeling police station inspector-in-charge Indrajit Thapa said. State municipal affairs minister Ashok Bhattacharya said in Kolkata that GJM supporters had carried out the attack on Tamang. "The GJM's goons have committed the murder. GJM is a fascist party, which does not want any opposition in the hills. They are opposed to a democratic atmosphere prevailing in the hills," he said.
As news of Tamang's killing spread, a spontaneous shutdown began in the three Darjeeling hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. Vehicles in Darjeeling went off the roads, while shops and markets were closed. Tamang, a vocal opponent of the GJM, had earlier levelled corruption charges against its chief Bimal Gurung. The GJM had then threatened to banish him from the hills. န Photos : AFP READ BBC STORY

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West Bengal Govt orders inquiry into M. Tamang's killing
Kolkata, 21 May : The West Bengal government today ordered an inquiry into the killing of All India Gorkha League president Madan Tamang in Darjeeling.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee held an urgent meeting with state Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen, Home Secretary Samar Ghosh, DGP Bhupinder Singh and Urban Development Minister Asok Bhattacharya and reviewed the situation in the hills. Tamang was killed by unidentified assailants in Darjeeling town this morning.

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Bangladesh signs deal with Moscow on nuclear power plant

BSS, Dhaka, 21 May : Bangladesh today signed a crucial framework agreement with Moscow on Russian cooperation for the country's maiden nuclear plant, officials said here today.
A foreign office statement issued here said State Minister for Science and ICT signed the Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes with Director General of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation or "Rosatom" Sergey Kirienko, who is a former Russian prime minister, at Moscow. Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, also on a visit to Moscow, witnessed the signing of the agreement which, officials here said would kick off the detailed discussion on Russian assistance for Bangladesh's proposed Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant.
Atomic energy commission officials earlier said Bangladesh expected to produce at least 20,000 megawatt electricity by 2010 from two units of the country's maiden nuclear power triggered plant in Pabna.

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Paresh Barua's arrest a misinformation campaign : ULFA
Kolkata, 21 May : The outlawed ULFA today dubbed as "misinformation campaign" reports of the arrest of its 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua in Bangladesh.
In an e-mail statement, ULFA 'publicity wing in-charge' Anu Borgohain alleged that the spread of such rumours was "conspiracy by the government to create confusion in the minds of the people. "Neither Paresh Barua nor any other leader of the group has been arrested in any country. They are safe in their respective places where they are currently staying and are discharging their duties accordingly," he said.

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BSF distinguished itself in guarding border in peace-time

UNI, New Delhi, 21 May : Lauding the valour of the Border Security Force (BSF), Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the country's premier border guarding force had distinguished itself in guarding the frontiers during peacetime.
Speaking at the BSF Investiture ceremony here, he said, ''Guarding a border is difficult in times of war. But it is even more difficult in times of peace and that is where the BSF has distinguished itself.'' ''India has a very long border. We share it with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. I receive reports everyday that tensions are building up with Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan. Guarding the border during peace is not easy,'' he added.
The Minister decorated several BSF personnel with gallantry medals for their acts of bravery.

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Tripura boy Somdev Devvarman qualifies for French Open
PTI, Paris, 21 May : Tripura boy Somdev Devvarman today became the first Indian in 13 years to qualify for the men's singles event of the French Open after scoring a 6-4 6-1 win over Adrian Mannarino here.
It took sixth seed Somdev one hour and 25 minutes to quell the challenge of his French rival in the third and final round and seal one of the 16 main draw spots up for grab. Kolkata boy Leander Paes was the last Indian to play in men's singles event of the French Open in 1997 when he made the second round of the clay court Grand Slam.

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Govt Opening up VoIP : 3,500 new licences in three months
Dhaka, 21 May : Bangladesh government has decided to issue more than 3,500 licences to the local entrepreneurs for handling international calls to and from Bangladesh through voice over internet protocol technology, which is still prohibited under the existing law.
“The licences will be issued to the new entrants within next three months after the Telecom Regulatory Act 2010 gets parliament's nod,” Telecom Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju said yesterday. The minister's disclosure is expected to bring all illegal VoIP operators under a legal framework.

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4 rhino poachers killed in gunfight in Kaziranga in Assam

IANS, Guwahati, 21 May : Four poachers were killed in a gunfight with wildlife rangers at the famed Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday, three days after seven poachers were arrested on the fringe of the sanctuary, officials said.
A wildlife warden said a group of six poachers entered the park early on Friday and fired at an adult rhino near the Mihimukh range, although they failed to hit the target. "A six-member team of forest guards upon hearing the gunshots gave the poachers a chase and soon there was a gunfight between the two sides." Park warden D. Gogoi said. The encounter continued for about 30 minutes in which four poachers were killed, while two more managed to escape taking cover of the thick undergrowths.
"A massive hunt is on with forest guards riding on elephant backs on the trail of the two poachers" the warden said. A rifle along with a large quantity of ammunition, jungle boots, food stuff, and raincoats, were recovered from the dead poachers. "We believe the two poachers who escaped might have fled with the weapons carried by their colleagues," the warden said.

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2 insurgents of ATTF & NLFT groups surrender in Tripura
Agartala, 21 May : Two insurgents of ATTF and NLFT today surrendered before the Assam Rifles in Tripura, police said.
Miren Debbarma of The All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) gave himself up before the Assam Rifles camp at Chakma Para in West Tripura district. National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) insurgent Devendra Reang surrendered before the Assam Rifles camp at Chhamanu in Dhalai district, police said.

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Malaria kills 167 in Khagrachhari hill dist in last Four years

Khagrachhari, 21 May : Malaria killed at least 167 people and attacked 55984 in eight upazilas of Khagrachhari hill district in the last four years. It was revealed at a roundtable discussion jointly organised by civil surgeon's office, Khagrachhari press club and non-government organisation Brac.
Held at the conference hall of Khagrachhari Hill District Council (KHDC) it was chaired by civil surgeon Dr Udoy Shankor Chakma while acting KHDC chairman Kujendra Lal Tripura attended as chief guest. Speakers said the actual figure of malarial death or attack might be two to three times higher as the figure has been compiled from various sources. They said, number of death and infection has declined in the recent years as Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) in collaboration with the Health Department started awareness campaign from early 2007 in Khagrachhari.
The international organisation is carrying out the programme through various activities to control malaria in the hill district.

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Next round of peace talks in Nagaland : NSCN leader Atem
PTI, Kohima, 21 May : The next round of peace talks between the Centre and the NSCN-IM will be held in Nagaland amid the ongoing stalemate over Naga leader T Muivah's resolve to visit his birthplace in Manipur.
Senior NSCN-IM functionary V S Atem said the Centre agreed to its proposal to have the next round of parleys in Nagaland but the exact venue and date are yet to be finalised.

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Govt will surely examine Tagore works auction : PM Manmohan

PTI, New Delhi, 20 May : Amid demands from several quarters to stop the auction of paintings of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in London, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday assured that the issue will be examined but said the government has no legal rights over the rare works.

Singh, who chaired the first meeting of National Committee for Commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Tagore, said the government will surely examine into the issue of bringing back the rare paintings. According to sources, Singh at the same time said the government didn't have legal rights over the paintings.
Twelve paintings of Tagore, including a portrait of a woman with a fan, will go the hammer at Sotheby's on 15 June. The paintings belong to the Dartington Hall estate in London's South Devon and have a combined pre-sale estimate of 250,000 pounds. Tagore visited Dartington a number of times. Apart from the paintings, it holds a huge archive of photographs, letters and other ephemera relating to Tagore.
Singh's comments come a day after West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee wrote to him requesting him to take measures to bring to India the 12 paintings. Several organisations in West Bengal and cultural centres across the country have also appealed to the government to take steps to bring the paintings back.

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B'desh replaces army contingent in UN Mission in Sudan

BSS, Dhaka, 20 May : Bangladesh Army is going to replace its contingents in UN Mission in Darfur in Sudan.
A total of 175 army personnel of Sector Reserve Infantry Company-2 will be replaced by Sector Reserve Company-1 in the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Under this programme, an army contingent, consisting of 50 officer and personnel, led by Lieutenant Colonel A K M Nazmul Hasan left Dhaka for Sudan by the first flight last night by a UN chartered plane. Remaining members are expected to leave Dhaka for Sudan by 28 May.

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At least eight killed in lightning, squall lashes Malda district
Malda, 20 May : At least eight persons were killed in lightning as a thunderstorm lashed different parts of Malda district this evening.
District Magistrate Sridhar Ghosh told Bengal Newz that while four persons were killed in Ratua block, three died in Old Malda and another in Harischandrapur. All the eight were out in the open when they were struck by the thunder bolt. Besides the three blocks, the squall, accompanied by rains and thunder, also struck Kaliachak, uprooting trees and snapping electric lines, plunging the areas into darkness.

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Indian PM Manmohan pitches for revival of Shanti Niketan

PTI, New Delhi, 20 May : Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today pitched for the revival of Shanti Niketan, the abode of Rabindranath Tagore, and asked the committee for commemoration of the Nobel Laureate's 150th anniversary to see how the historic institution can be restored to its original glory.
Singh also said the government should use the occasion to create cultural institutions and structures that honour the memory of the great poet, and which have lasting value. Noting that Tagore travelled to the farthest corners of the globe and is remembered with reverence and affection in many countries, Singh said embassies in different countries should be involved to rekindle interest in Tagore and to build on these historic cultural links.
Singh made the remarks at the first meeting of the National Committee for Commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. "We need to pay special attention to the university of his dreams, the Visva Bharati.

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"Bangladesh's third seaport at Kuakata on cards"

BSS, Patuakhali, 20 May : Bangladesh Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, who is now in Kuakata, will asses possibility of constructing the proposed seaport in the tourist destination.
State Minister for Water Resources Mahbubur Rahman Talukdar, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Shipping and Jatiya Sangsad Whip Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury accompanied the shipping minister. They are expected to visit estuaries of Ramnabad and Andhar Manik rivers.

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Mamata stoking panic amongst Muslims in West Bengal
PTI, New Delhi, 20 May : Accusing Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee of "stoking panic" amongst Muslims in West Bengal, the CPI(M) today asked the Government to take note of her statements and set at rest the apprehensions caused by them.
Seeking Home Minister P Chidambaram's intervention in the matter, CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury and Basudeb Acharia accused Banerjee of "deliberately stoking panic and terror amongst the Muslim minority population claiming that she has secret information that a section of the police will help the Left Front in unleashing communal violence in the state." In a letter to Chidambaram, they said if Banerjee genuinely possessed such "secret information", then Home Ministry should "obtain it and act on it in consultation with the state government".

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4 river rafter drowned as boat capsizes in terbulent Teesta
Siliguri, 20 May : Four members of a river rafting team were today drowned after their boat capsized in the turbulent Teesta in Darjeeling hills.
The bodies of three members were fished out while another was still missing, a police officer said. The 11-member team had set off in the morning to locate the mentally-challenged brother of one of its members who went missing from home earlier and was believed to have been spotted in the area, he said. The light boat, which was moving along the stream to track any movement near Rambhi, suddenly toppled around 10:30 am and those on board were swept by the swift current, the officer said.

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Indian goods trans-shipment via B'desh may start in July

IANS, Dhaka, 20 May : The trans-shipment of Indian cargo through Bangladesh is likely to begin in July, authorities said.
The customs department of the National Board of Revenue has drafted a circular regarding the trans-shipment and sent the proposal to the law and parliamentary affairs ministry for vetting, NBR sources told New Age newspaper. According to the proposal, Indian cargo can have a stopover at the Ashuganj land port before passing over to the northeastern states of India.
Bangladesh and India have designated land ports to facilitate faster goods movement along their 4,300 km border. The government is likely to issue a circular before 10 July to allow the trans-shipment of Indian cargo. An announcement in this regard is also expected in the annual budget next month. During the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January, Bangladesh designated Ashuganj as a 'port-of-call'.
"No weapons or ammunition will be allowed for trans-shipment through Bangladesh," shipping secretary Mohammad Abdul Mannan Howladar told New Age Wednesday. Bangladesh hopes to annually earn a revenue of Taka 32 billion ($46 million) from the trans-shipment. It would initially begin with transportation of heavy equipment to set up power plants in India's Tripura state.

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Maoists kill CPI(M) worker & retired primary school teacher
Jhargram, 20 May : Suspected Maoists killed a CPI(M) worker at a village in West Midnapore district, police said today.
65-year-old Gurucharan Mahato, a retired primary school teacher, was kidnapped by Maoists from his residence at Kaliam village in Jhargram area yesterday. His bullet-riddled body was found near a pond in the village today, they said.

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Water level continues rising, no monsoon flood situation in Bangladesh's N-region

BSS, Rangpur, 20 May : All of the major rivers and most of their tributaries marked further rises following continuous onrush of hilly waters from the upstream coupled with moderate to heavy rainfalls at places during the past 24 hours.

However, the rivers were flowing at least two metres to three metres or even more below their respective danger marks at all points in the region at 6 am this morning, official sources at the Water Development Board (WDB) said. Moderate to heavy rainfalls were also recorded at places with possibilities of heavy rains due to prevailing overcast sky almost everywhere including the whole Rangpur division today, officials said.
Sporadic incidents of river erosion were also reported from the char and riverside areas alongside with the Brahmaputra and Ganges basins with the rise in the water levels in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra and Sirajganj districts.
The Teesta marked a sharp rise by 59 cm during the past 24 hours and was flowing at 27.71 m, which was 229 cm below its danger mark, at Kawnia point in Rangpur at 6 am this morning, the WDB officials said.

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