Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina defends Indian credit

UNB, Dhaka, 10 August : Defending the one billion dollar loan from India, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the money would be used for much needed infrastructure to ensure development of the nation that caused burning of BNP-Jamaat alliance which had plundered the public wealth during its rule.
She rubbished the allegation of opposition leader Khaleda Zia who termed the Indian loan deal signed on Saturday as ‘pact of slavery’. Hasina was talking to executive committee of Rajshahi University Teachers’ Association that called on her at her office.
The Indian loan will be utilized for implementation of 14 projects, mostly related to development of railway infrastructure in Bangladesh, upgrading of Ashuganj river port, construction of roads and bridges to facilitate transit/transshipment of Indian goods to its North-Eastern region through Bangladesh, purchase of double-decker buses from India and connecting power gridline with India, PM’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said briefing the meeting.

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Why PM silent on Mamata's Lalgarh rally, asks BJP in RS

PTI, New Delhi, 10 August : Indian opposition BJP today created uproar in Rajya Sabha over Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee's rally at Lalgarh backed by Maoists and asked why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was silent on the Railway Minister's alleged hobnobbing with Maoists extremists.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said the Prime Minister has on several occasions termed the Maoists as the single greatest threat to internal security. He said all ministers are expected to follow the government policy as collective responsibility.
"What we find today is that the principle of collective responsibility is being breached and there is a disagreement on the policy of the government," he said, adding that foremost underground Maoist leaders like Kishenji and Manoj Mahato had given a call to make yesterday's rally a success. န Photo : AFP

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Five Bangladeshi JMB militants sentenced to life in jail
BBC News, Dhaka, 10 August : Bangladesh has in recent years arrested numerous JMB suspects A court in Bangladesh has sentenced five members of a banned Islamist militant group, Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh, to life imprisonment.
They were convicted in connection with a series of bombings in the northern district of Bogra in 2005. The bombings were part of a nationwide series of attacks. READ FULL STORY

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Kolkata Knight Riders sign 6′10 giant Pakistani fast bowler

ANI, Lahore, Kolkata, 10 August : Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has signed the 6′10 giant Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Irfan on the recommendation of team’s bowling coach Wasim Akram.
Addressing the media at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, Irfan said that he was signed after the IPL franchise held some trials.
"Since I’m a left-armer myself, Wasim has always been my hero. I couldn’t believe it when he came up to me and began to praise me. It felt quite surreal, almost dreamlike, but luckily for me it was really happening," Cricistan.com quoted Irfan, as saying.
"At first Wasim bhai gave me some advice about my game telling me that he thought I could improve on a few things. But then he suddenly told me that he wanted me to try out for the Kolkata Knight Riders, he didn’t promise anything. He just said that he thought I was good enough and if I impressed in the trials then I would be in with a good chance of getting signed by Kolkata," he added.

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ULFA call to boycott Independence Day
PTI, Guwahati, 10 August : The proscribed ULFA today called for a boycott of the Independence Day and a 15-hour general strike on that day accusing the security forces of creating a "war like situation in the state."
As it does every year, the ULFA in an e-mail to the local media called for the boycott and strike from 1.30 am to 5.30 pm. The message was sent by ULFA central publicity committee member Anu Buragohain. All essential services, including medical, water, electricity, fire brigade, have been exempted from the purview of the general strike.

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Tony Blair, Cherry Blair travel to Bangladesh on 20-22 Aug

UNB, Dhaka, 10 August : Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherry Blair will be visiting Bangladesh from 20-22 August at the invitation of Asian University for Women (AUW).
This is for the first time Tony Blair will be visiting Bangladesh. He was appointed as Middle East envoy working on behalf of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU after he stood down as UK Prime Minister in June 2007. Cherie Blair earlier came to Bangladesh on a four-day visit in January this year. She has been an ardent campaigner for the AUW globally. She launched the Cherie Blair Fellowship at the Asian University for Women in Chittagong where she is a Patron.
The AUW aims to graduate the next generation of leaders in Asia and the Middle East. Its first academic program opened in March 2008.

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Moderate 5.4-magnitude earthquake hits Andaman Islands
AFP, New Delhi, 10 August : A moderate 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Andaman Islands today, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage and a tsunami warning was not issued.
The quake hit 208km north of Port Blair, the capital of the islands, at 3.51am(IST) at a depth of 32km, the US Geological Survey said. The Andaman Sea area witnesses frequent earthquakes caused by the meeting of the Indian tectonic plate with the Burmese microplate along an area known as the Andaman trench.

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5 National Liberation Front of Tripura insurgents surrender
PTI, Agartala, 10 August : Five insurgents of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura have surrendered to the Assam Rifles at Manu in Dhalai district.
The police said the insurgents deposited a 7.62 LMG, six rounds of live cartridges, two sets of olive green dresses and two thousand Bangladeshi taka yesterday. Last Sunday, two insurgents of the same organisation surrendered to the Assam Rifles at Kanchanpur in North Tripura district and deposited a rifle, two detonators and two gelatine sticks.

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Sea turtle comes on Andama & Nicobar beach to lay eggs

PTI, Port Blair, 10 August : A large female leatherback turtle which came to lay eggs was found from a beach of Campbell Bay at Geat Nicobar island.
The 1.5-metre-long turtle came on the sandy beach in the evening of August 7 and laid about 150 eggs, forest officials said. Fishermen first spotted the leatherback turtle which is the largest turtle variety available.
A large number of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the turtle. A temporary fencing was erected to safeguard the eggs from stray dogs wandering on the beach, officials said.
After spending more than two hours on the beach, the turtle returned to the sea. န File Photo : AP

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