Dhaka, 5 June : The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced a two-day protest on Sunday after police arrested 80 opposition activists during a countrywide general strike against the government attempts to change the voting system.Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, said they will stage a rally in the capital on Monday and countrywide demonstrations the next day to protest "the attacks and mass arrests" of their men during the strike. The opposition party and its key ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami began the strike since 6:00 am (BDST) to demand the caretaker system must stay in place for holding parliamentary elections.
During Sunday's strike, three small bombs were exploded near the offices of the BNP. Police dispersed the protesters around 11:05 am (BDST) after two cocktails were exploded. Another bomb was exploded in front of a shopping complex, leaving a rickshaw-puller seriously injured. Police shot 15 rounds of bullets to bring the situation under control when activists ransacked five trucks in the town of Begumganj, while 10 people were injured when police hit protesters with batons in Dattarhat village. Almost 60 people were also injured in four other towns when police clashed with activists.
The announcement of the two-day protest comes as the government is planning to scrap the provision for caretaker government system in the constitution. Opposition leader Khaleda Zia told reporters Saturday her party would not contest future polls if the government scrapped the caretaker system, which has covered four successive elections. န Photo : AP
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One Crore sapplings to be planted across the West Bengal
Kolkata, 5 June : In a joint initiative with the state government for a greener West Bengal, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) Sunday announced that it will plant over 45,000 sapplings along river banks in the state. The government will also plant more than one crore sapplings across the state.Speaking at a function marking the World Environment Day Sunday, KoPT chairman M.L. Meena said that over 45,000 mangrove and salt-tolerant sapplings will be planted along the river banks in the state.
"Under our green initiative, we have also started making paperless transactions which, by our estimates, will result in saving 30 trees annually," said Meena. The KoPT has also undertaken programmes on conservation."We have adopted several measures to reduce consumption of diesel by 10 percent annually. We are also developing our infrastructure for controlling oil spills which can be a major threat to environment and marine life," said Meena. He added that KoPT will spend about Rs.2 crore annually towards its green initiatives.
Public Works Department Minister Firhad Hakim said collaboration with KoPT was essential for implementing the government's plan to make the city green.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation will plant over one lakh sapplings in the city, while the state government will plant more than one crore sapplings across the state. Hakim, Meena and Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee also planted sapplings on the occasion. န Photos : AP
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Pop maestro and freedom fighter Azam Khan passes away
Dhaka, 5 June : Bangladesh's pop maestro and freedom fighter Azam Khan passed away at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Sunday morning.
The 62 year old Pop legend was declared dead at 10:20am (BDST). Azam Khan who had been suffering from oral cancer was on life support at the city's Square Hospital since March 27 and shifted to CMH on Wednesday...... READ MORE @ BBC Bangla
Dhaka, 5 June : Bangladesh's pop maestro and freedom fighter Azam Khan passed away at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Sunday morning.
The 62 year old Pop legend was declared dead at 10:20am (BDST). Azam Khan who had been suffering from oral cancer was on life support at the city's Square Hospital since March 27 and shifted to CMH on Wednesday...... READ MORE @ BBC Bangla
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Diarrhoea claims one, affects seventy in Howrah district
Howrah, 5 June : One person died today while seventy others, including six children, were hospitalised after diarrhoea broke out at Bagnan in the district.
While one died this evening, 32 more patients were admitted to different hospitals today, block medical officer Dr Binoy Roy told Bengal Newz. Those afflicted by the outbreak were drinking contaminated water for the past two days, he said, adding that 38 persons were yesterday admitted to various hospitals. Two medical teams have been formed to check the outbreak and water samples sent for tests, Dr Roy also said.
Howrah, 5 June : One person died today while seventy others, including six children, were hospitalised after diarrhoea broke out at Bagnan in the district.
While one died this evening, 32 more patients were admitted to different hospitals today, block medical officer Dr Binoy Roy told Bengal Newz. Those afflicted by the outbreak were drinking contaminated water for the past two days, he said, adding that 38 persons were yesterday admitted to various hospitals. Two medical teams have been formed to check the outbreak and water samples sent for tests, Dr Roy also said.
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CPI(M) to go back to the masses : Gen Sec Prakash Karat
Kolkata, 5 June : CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat today said that the party in West Bengal would have to re-establish connect with the people and to reorganise itself after the drubbing in the state Assembly elections at the hands of Trinamool Congress-Congress combine.The CPI(M), which had evidently lost touch with the general masses and failed to assess what they wanted, today decided to "go back to the masses and to work among the people in a correct manner".
Karat, who attended a two-day West Bengal state committee meeting of CPI(M) as a special invitee to discuss the reasons of the dismal results of the CPI(M)-led Left Front, said, "We have to delve deeper to scrutinise the reasons for which people voted for a change."
CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose voiced similar sentiments.
The party is likely to discuss the issue threadbare in the Central Committee meeting at Hyderabad next week.
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WB election result clear verdict in favour of TMC : Somnath
Bolpur, 5 June : Former Indian Lok Sabha Speaker from CPI(M), Somnath Chatterjee described the recent Assembly election result in West Bengal as a "clear verdict" in favour of the Trinamool Congress.
"In Kerala, it is not so clear but in West Bengal the people have very clearly given the verdict. Now it is time for Mamata Banerjee to act for the welfare of the common people and the state as a whole," Somnath Chatterejee said last night at a get-together attended by Trinamool Congress MLAs of Birbhum district, including state panchayat and Rural Development minister Chandranath Sinha.
Bolpur, 5 June : Former Indian Lok Sabha Speaker from CPI(M), Somnath Chatterjee described the recent Assembly election result in West Bengal as a "clear verdict" in favour of the Trinamool Congress.
"In Kerala, it is not so clear but in West Bengal the people have very clearly given the verdict. Now it is time for Mamata Banerjee to act for the welfare of the common people and the state as a whole," Somnath Chatterejee said last night at a get-together attended by Trinamool Congress MLAs of Birbhum district, including state panchayat and Rural Development minister Chandranath Sinha.
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Tripurs lad Manik tops HS examination in Commerce stream
Agartala, 5 June : Manik Chakraborty, student of Umakanta Academy of Agartala, has scripted history in 35-years-old Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE).
Manik secured the top position from Commerce stream in this year's higher secondary examination, the results of which was announced yesterday. Manik belongs to a BPL family and he did not have a single private tutor. According to the record, Manik is the first student from Commerce in the state who secured the first position in the exam.
Agartala, 5 June : Manik Chakraborty, student of Umakanta Academy of Agartala, has scripted history in 35-years-old Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE).
Manik secured the top position from Commerce stream in this year's higher secondary examination, the results of which was announced yesterday. Manik belongs to a BPL family and he did not have a single private tutor. According to the record, Manik is the first student from Commerce in the state who secured the first position in the exam.
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President urges developed countries to build peaceful world
BSS, Dhaka, 5 June : Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman today urged the wealthy and developed countries to come forward with a cooperative mindset for building a peaceful and prosperous world."There is no alternative to resolving international disputes peacefully through discussions," he said while addressing the closing ceremony of two-day Asia Pacific Peace Conference at a city hotel. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the conference Yesterday organized by the Bangladesh Peace council.
President of Bangladesh Peace Council Abdur Razzak, MP, presided over the closing ceremony while former prime minister of Nepal Madhav Kumar Nepal, Indian CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury, MP, executive secretary of World Peace Forum Iraklis Tasavdarids and General Secretary of Bangladesh Peace Council Dr M A Quassem also spoke.Apart from host Bangladesh, representatives from different countries, including Palestine, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bhutan, India, Australia, Nepal, Brazil and Greece attended the conference.
In the present global perspective, President Rahman said, struggle is very important for establishing peace, and sustainable peace is a prerequisite for stability and development of a country. Now it is a demand of the time to continue advancement of peace movement through democratizing the society instead of arms race including developing nuclear weapons, the President said. "The movement and struggle for establishing peace will be meaningless if we fail to free the world from hunger and poverty," he said.
World's developing countries including Bangladesh are fighting against hunger, diseases and social disparity, he said, adding that achieving economic independence of least developed countries is a must along with stopping war and conflict to establish world peace.
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