Bijoya Dashami : Thousands Bengali bid farewell to Maa Durga

Kolkata, 17 October : To the strains of 'asche bachar abar hobe' (Once again, next year), thousands of people across the Bengal bade farewell to Goddess Durga today at the end of her four-day sojourn on earth.
It is Mahadashami, the final day of Durga Puja, and the goddess will go back to 'Kailash' once again. This year rain has continuously disrupted the mood of festivity and joy and Mahanavami was no exception.
The famous pujas in Kolkata like 'Suruchi Sangha', 'Shiv Mandir Durga Puja', 'Mohd. Ali Park', 'Bagbazar Sarbojonin Durga Puja', 'Mudiali Club Durga Puja', 'Barisha Club', continued to attract more and more devotees on the night of Mahanavami as well. People hopped pandals with umbrellas in their hands and by the evening the most popular puja 'pandals' were buzzing with devotees.On Mahadashami, the people are hoping for a dry day so that they can bid farewell to the goddess hassle-free.

The fifth day-Mahadashami- formally starts with special pujas, yagna and maha arti, followed by darpan bisarjan (ritually bidding adieu to Goddess Durga and her four children-Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesha; although idol-immersion started in the afternoon). The rituals rounds off with Aparajita Puja (special worship for eternal victory). As the day graduates, women crowd at the marquees (pandals) across the city to bid farewell to the Goddess and her four children with vermillion and sweets. Sindoor Khela or (Smearing of Vermilion) mark the day when women folk smeared each other with red vermilion.
After this, starts the frenzied immersion ceremony. Long processions with drums and trumpets are taken out through various cities of West Bengal and finally reaching various banks of river Ganga or other rivers where the idols are immersed.After the immersion ceremony is over, people start wishing each other 'Shubho Bijoya', a custom followed by the Bengalis all over the world. န Photos : AFP, Reuters

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Bangladesh seal 4-0 clean sweep against New Zealanders

BBC News, Dhaka, 17 October : Bangladesh completed a clean sweep over New Zealand with a three-run win in the final one-day international at Mirpur.
They took the series 4-0 - with one match washed out by rain - when Rubel Hossain, who claimed 4-25, bowled Kyle Mills (33) with three balls remaining. The home side had posted a modest total of 174 as Mills and skipper Daniel Vettori took three wickets each. But the Kiwis slumped to 20-5 in reply and a stand of 86 between Grant Elliott (59) and Vettori (43) was not enough.
When Elliott departed in the 44th over, caught by Rubel after attempting to sweep a ball from Suhrawadi Shuvo, the onus was on Mills to try and guide his side to a consolation victory. န Photos : Reuters READ FULL STORY

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Major fire in firecracker factory claims 3 lives in Kolaghat

Kolaghat, 17 October : Three persons died and several villagers injured as a major fire broke out in an illegal fireworks factory at Kolaghat town in East Midnapore district on Sunday.
The inferno occurred when the huge stockpile of crackers caught fire. Other investigative details were awaited till the time of filing this report. The firecrackers caused such a huge explosion that the roof of the factory was blown off. Soon, the fire spread to other settlements in the neighbourhood and led to many locals inhabiting these getting injured due to fire.

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Secularism is a must for building prosperous Bangladesh

BSS, Dhaka, 17 October : Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman today said upholding secularism is a must for building a prosperous Bangladesh.
"Secularism doesn't mean absence of religion," he said while speaking to journalists during hosting a reception for the members of the Hindu community at Bangabhaban, marking their largest religious festival- Durga Puja. The President said Bangladesh is a secular country where people from all religions and creeds can perform their respective rituals peacefully with due festive mood in a brotherly atmosphere.
Noting that Durga Puja is one of the most ancient festivals of the country, the President said people from all walks of life celebrate the festival since long. Zillur Rahman said members of the Hindu community have celebrated the Durga Puja across the country in a very peaceful and cheerful manner this year which is a success of the present government. န Photo : BSS

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Kamakhya temple's animal sacrifice draws protest in Assam
PTI, Guwahati, 17 October : Animal sacrifice in the world famous Kamakhya temple and other puja pandals on the occasion of Durga Puja may be a common practice, but prominent citizens and NGOs here have protested against such ritual.
Demanding a ban on such practices, the NGO, People for Animal, said there was no such concept of sacrificing animals in the name of gods and goddesses. "There are many temples across the country where 'bali' (sacrifice) is performed but there is no such concept of sacrificing any animal or bird in the name of god in Hinduism," People for Animal Assam unit chairperson Sangeeta Goswami said.

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Bangladeshi director Abu's film focuses on Eklavya's story

PTI, New Delhi, 17 October : What has the Eklavya-Dronacharya story from the Mahabharata got to do with a Santhal tribal village in a remote mountain of Bangladesh in modern times?

Well, a lot, as critically-acclaimed Bangladeshi director Abu Sayeed finds out in his award-winning feature film 'Rupantar' (Transformation) to be shown in the Third Eye Film Festival in Mumbai later this month. The film, the sole entry chosen from Bangladesh, will be screened in the "Spectrum" section of the Festival.

"Rupantar", Sayeed's fourth feature film after 'Nirontor', 'Sankhanad' and 'Banshi' follows film-in-a-film genre to transport the story of Dronacharya and his backward caste disciple Eklavya to a modern setting among the Santhals in Bangladesh.

Young filmmaker Arif played by Ferdaus, who is familiar with Tollywood films goes to a Santhal village to make a film titled "Gurudakkhina," based on the tragedy of Eklavya trying to view Eklavya's sacrifice for his guru in the contemporary perspective.

As Arif and his crew go for outdoor shooting in the Santhal village, the director, while shooting a scene of Ekalavya's archery practice, is surprised when locals tell him that as per the Santhal tradition, the thumb is useless in archery. The Santhals use the index and the middle fingers instead. Arif has always known that Dronacharya wanted Ekalavya to sacrifice the latter's thumb, considered essential in archery, as his 'gurudakkhina'. Arif makes major changes in the plot of his film and even changes the title of the film to "Rupantar."

Sayeed, who had won an award at the Rotterdam Film Festival 2007 for the script of this film, has right from his childhood been fascinated by the Eklavya story and wanted to make a film on the subject ever since he took to direction.

Impressive performances by veteran TV and film actor of Bangladesh Jayanta Chattopadhyay, Ferdaus Shakiba and Santal actor Jatem Tudu have helped Sayeed put together the film.

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Mahanavami : Kolkata enjoys the special last day of Durga Puja

Kolkata, 16 October : Festive spirit overflowed on the last day of Durga Puja on Mahanavami in Kolkata.
As the night of 'Mahastami' dawned into 'Mahanavami', a feeling of sadness beginning to set in but the people tried to make most of the last day of Durga Puja. 'Navami' is the fourth day of the puja and there are several rituals associated with this day as well,making it all the more special and important one. The fourth day-'Mahanavami'-formally starts with 'Sandhi Puja' at midnight. Sandhi Puja that marks the inter-linking of 'Ashtami' (the third day of Puja) and Navami (the fourth day of Puja).

In the morning, after 'Mahanavami puja' and 'pushpanjali', 'maha aarti' was done performed for Goddess Durga and her four children-Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh with lighted lamps, flowers, incense sticks, holy water and other ingredients.
The main attraction of this day is public feast. Whether it's a community or a residential Puja, on Mahanavami doors are opened for lunches for all. Mainly hotch-potch (khichuri), various vegetarian curries, 'payesams' and sweets are served as Devi Durga's 'bhog-prasad'. As night sets in people dressed up in the best possible attires and start hopping from one 'pandal' to the other, celebrating the last night of festivity at its fullest. From North to South, people have queued in front of the beautiful 'pandals' to catch a glimpse of the beautifully decorated pandals and the goddess.

The themes of all these pandals have been innovative as well as different from the other one. In South Kolkata, one of the most recognized festival is of course 'Babu Bagan Club'. This year they have decorated their 'pandal' beautifully with wrought iron, computer peripherals and other items, while the goddess have been decked in an 'adivasi look'. The famous BosePukur Sitala Mandir has, however, created their 'pandal', based on the theme of 'Chakradhara'-story of the stars. The theme of 'childhood' can be seen by the devotees if they visit the beautiful 'pandal' of 'Jodhpur Park'. In the famous 'College Square' one will be able to see the world renowned 'Louvre Museum of Paris' is being replicated as the 'pandal'. But at the end of the day if someone feels tired after visiting so many 'pandals' he can easily visit the famous 'Maddox Square' 'puja pandal' in South Kolkata and relax over there. Truly, the ambience and the long 'adda-sessions' make the pandal all the more famous and attractive.
But at the end of the day it is 'Mahanavami' on Saturday, so the devotes will aim at enjoying the last day at its fullest so that this years puja remains on the memorable one for everyone. န Photos : Dr Vivek M, Reuters, Arnab Dutta

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Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal named Wisden test player of the year

AFP, London, 15 October : Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal beat competition from established stars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Jacques Kallis to be named the Wisden Cricketer magazine's 'World Test Player of the Year'.
Tamim heads a field of exceptional performers, beating England offspinner Graeme Swann into second place and Sehwag into third.
The accolade completes a remarkable double success for Bangladesh which has now produced successive Test Players of the Year, with former captain Shakib-Al-Hassan taking the award in 2009.

Tamim scored 837 runs at 59.78 in seven Tests during 2010, despite his team failing to win a single one of them during the year.
"Batting with a bulldozer mentality that drew rightful comparisons with the mighty Virender Sehwag, Tamim took the attitude that all bowlers were there to be destroyed, irrespective of method or reputation. Though his highest score of 151 came against India at Dhaka back in January, his finest performances were reserved for an England attack that put all other opponents in their pockets during a remarkable and unbeaten 18 months," the magazine wrote in its citation for the batsman.
"England in 2010 was no place to be a visiting batsman. With the Dukes ball doing handstands in swing-friendly conditions, Tamim surged to a brace of glorious hundreds at Lord's and Old Trafford that scrambled England's gameplans and left them waiting for errors that rarely materialised," it added.
Wisden Cricketer Test Player of the Year : 1.Tamim Iqbal, 2.Graeme Swann, 3.Virender Sehwag, 4.Simon Katich, 5.Dale Steyn, 6.Morne Morkel, 7.Sachin Tendulkar, 8.Zaheer Khan, 9.Jacques Kallis, 10.James Anderson. န Photos : Reuters

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BA flight makes unscheduled landing at Kolkata NS airport
Kolkata, 15 October : A British Airways flight bound to Singapore from London, made an unscheduled landing at the NSC Bose International Airport here on Friday, after an on board passenger fell ill, airport sources said.
The pilot of the BA flight sought permission from the airport authorities to land, as a passenger in the flight was ill and needed immediate medical attention, the sources said. The aircraft landed at the airport at 11.27am and the passenger was immediately rushed to a private hospital, the sources added.

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Year of Biodiversity observes 'green' Durga Puja in Agartala

UNI, Agartala, 15 October : Even as magnificent replicas of temples, prominent buildings and Himalayan ice capped peaks are attracting enthusiastic spectators to the Durga Puja pandals this time, a small and inconspicuous club of Agartala has decided to organise Puja to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB).
The organisers - Chhatra Sangha Club - have modelled their pandal on the theme of conservation of natural resources. Hundreds of slogans concerning conservation of bio resources and spreading awareness against the increasing trend of car culture, burning of fossil fuels adorn the pandal.

''Durga Puja is the only festival where people participate at large with religious fervor and we can convey the message easily and that will remain in the visitors' mind for an exceptionally long time,'' said Dhiman Daschoudhury, organiser of the theme, adding that there were huge crowds on Mahasasthi night.
He pointed out that with the call of the UNO, the entire world was celebrating IYB this year in different forms but as a club, Durga Puja was the best option to vouch for eco-sustainability and launch campaign for conservation of natural resources.
The burning of fossil fuels, mostly in the transport sector, had been affecting the atmosphere by increasing the percentage of green house gases. The state had not yet formulated any strategy to control the increasing number of vehicles nor to maintain urban ecology, Mr Daschoudhury added.
There are about 2000 community pujas in the state this year, a slight increase from the last year's 1953, and out of them 1028 are in urban areas, including 277 in Agartala, while 962 are in rural areas.
More than 12,000 policemen have been deployed during Puja days while special measures with deployment of plainclothes security personnel, bomb and dog squads, besides installation of check gates in all the entry points of Agartala have been taken. န Photos : Parthajit Dutta

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Saptami : Festive mood overwhelms entire Kolkata and Bengal

Kolkata, 14 October : The colourful night of Mahasasthi finally faded out to give way to the dawn of Mahasaptami and with this the festive mood of Durga Puja has started to reach the crescendo from Thursday.

The entire state is bubbling with joy and enthusiasm; be it a child or an adult...everyone has zeroed on his/her plans to make Mahasaptami all the more special. But amidst all the celebrations, the true colour of the festival lies in the worship of Durga and the various rituals associated with it. The main ritual on Mahasaptami is Nabapatrika snan or Kolabou snan.
Thus, the fervour of Durga Puja-the biggest festival of Bengalis-started on Thursday amid beating of 'dhak' (local drums), pandalhopping and cultural functions at various marquees. န Photos : Soumik Kar, AFP

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Depression over Bay intensifies, ports asked to hoist sig - 3

Dhaka, 14 October : The depression over east-central Bay and adjoining North Bay moved northwestwards intensified into a deep depression over the same area.
It was centered at 6am on Thursday about 585 kms south-southwest of Chittagong port, 520 kms south-southwest of Cox’s Bazaar port and 510 kms south of Mongla port. It is likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly direction, said a special bulletin of Met office. Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 kms of the depression centre is about 50 kph rising to 60 kph in gusts or squalls. Sea will remain rough.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazaar and Mongla have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal number three ® three. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.

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Ninety corrupt Tripura officials suspended
IANS, Agartala, 14 October : A total of 90 Tripura government officials have been suspended since last year for corruption, a minister told reporters here Wednesday.
"Around 90 government officials, including four block development officers (BDOs) and 13 middle ranking bureaucrats, were placed under suspension for financial misdeeds," said Tripura Rural Development Minister Jitendra Choudhury. The suspended officials included 70 panchayat secretaries posted in the rural areas across Tripura. "For achieving the desired goal in implementation of central and state government schemes, the government has engaged all principal secretaries and commissioners in monitoring works at grass root levels," the minister said.
"Departmental vigilance and audits are also being further strengthen to deal with corruption," Choudhury added.

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Equations with PM and Sonia are good: Pranab Mukherjee
PTI, New Delhi, 14 October : Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said his working equation with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is "excellent" and there is no no "trust deficit" between him and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
He said even Rajiv Gandhi, with whom things were said to have "gone wrong", had said that "many things said about him (Mukherjee) I found weren't true". At one point in an interview to "India Today", Mukherjee says he was already 75 and "there is a limit beyond which you cannot go. How long do you expect me to stay. I have overstayed my wicket."

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Norway gov keen to invest in various sectors in Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka, 14 October : Norway is very keen to invest in various sectors of Bangladesh including power and energy, shipbuilding, communication, ICT and agriculture.
The interest of the Norwegian government was conveyed when outgoing Ambassador of Norway Ingebjorg Stofring paid a farewell call on President Zullur Rahman at Bangabhaban today. During the meeting, the ambassador said her country is very willing to further contribute to the social sector of Bangladesh through expanding the trade and commerce in the coming days.

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Kolkata Sex workers oppose traditional brothel soil practice

Kolkata, 14 October : Sex workers of Sonagachi, the largest red light district in the metropolis have once again opposed the ritual of collecting soil from their doorsteps for Durga puja, terming it as a "stigmatisation" of the community.
The 'ganikalay mitti' (soil from the doorstep of a brothel) is collected in the belief that a sex worker's client leaves behind his virtues and therefore the soil available there is fit for worshipping the Goddess and is much sought after before the pujas.
"We have been opposing the practice for the past three to four years. You label us as impure, but claim that the soil from our doorstep is required during puja," Sikha Gayen, a sex worker and an active member of Durbar Mahila Samannay Committee, the apex NGO of sex workers in West Bengal said. She said, "We don't care if this ritual is obliterated.

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Deep depression over Bengal' Bay, festive spirit may be marred

Kolkata, 13 October : A deep depression has formed over the Bay of Bengal holding out prospects of heavy rain here and the entire Gangetic belt in the next 24 hours, thereby threatening to spoil Durga Puja festivities which began today.
"A deep depression has formed in the Bay about 600 km from here and it is likely to intensify further by tomorrow afternoon near the Orissa coast," Regional Meteorological Centre Director G C Debnath told Bengal Newz. As a result scattered to heavy rain may occur in Kolkata and south Bengal districts tomorrow, he said.
Heavy rains were reported from Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas districts during the day.

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TPPS to launch movement against Agartala airport director
Agartala, 13 October : The Tripura Pratibandhi Punarbasan Samity (TPPS) has threatened to launch a movement against the Agartala airport's director unless the authority doesnt provide facilities to a physically challenged employee of Authority of India (AAI).
After holding meeting with airport director S Maiti, TPPS officials said they meet AAI director and deputy director general (Law) from Guwahati and authority assured to provide facilities to Swapan Dey, with 80 per cent disability. Officials here today said Chief Secretary of the state S K Panda had also expressed concern over the report against Mr Maiti, who was alleged by committing atrocities on Swapan Dey.

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SAARC Seed Bank to be established soon in the region

Dhaka, 13 October : The SAARC Seed Bank will soon be established in the region in order to negate the adverse effects of climate change.
The technical committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of SAARC in its sixth meeting held at Hotel Sheraton (11-12 Oct) has approved the proposal of establishing the SAARC Seed Bank. The structure of the SAARC Seed Bank will be finalized at a meeting of SAARC Agriculture Ministers which will be held in Dhaka in January next year. Additional secretary to the agricultural ministry Anowar Faroque presided over the two-day meeting where representatives from Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka participated.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed the setting up of such a bank during the sixteenth SAARC summit in Bhutan.

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Saha-Sharath claim gold, another bronze assured from TT

Diganta Biswas, New Delhi, 13 October : Olympian Achanta Sharath Kamal and former national champion Siliguri boy Subhajit Saha today ensured that table tennis contribute a gold to India's medal tally in Commonwealth Games, by overcoming Singaporeans Gao Ning and Yang Zi 3-2 in the men's doubles final here.
World number 40, Sharath, who lost to Yang in the singles semifinal earlier today, got the sweet revenge when he joined hands with the Bengal paddler to clinch the doubles title in front of a packed gallery at Yamuna Sports Complex.
However, the Indian combo did not get off to a good start in the summit clash as they fought hard but lost the opening game 9-11. But the duo showed great character to wrest the lead from their opponents, bagging two successive games 12-10 and 11-4. န Photo : Shankar Mondal

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'Petrobangla' proposes 'BERC' to increase the CNG price

UNB, Dhaka, 13 October : After introducing the daily 6-hour pump closure as partial gas rationing, the state-owned Petrobangla has now placed a proposal to Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) to increase the CNG price to Tk 25 from the present Tk 16.75 per unit (one cubic meter).
If approved by the BERC, the increase will be 49.25 percent over the current CNG price. According to official sources, Petrobangla placed the proposal to BERC on Tuesday after it received a go-ahead from the Energy Ministry. Petrobangla chairman Dr Hossain Mansur confirmed the submission of the proposal to the energy sector’s watchdog body. But he declined to make any comment on the matter.
In the proposal is approved, the price of the “feed gas” supplied to refueling stations, was proposed to be raised to Tk 18 from the present rate of Tk 9.75 per unit. As per the BERC law, the regulatory body will give its decision on the price escalation after holding a public hearing.
Earlier, the price of CNG was last raised to Tk 16.75 from Tk 8.50 per unit by the caretaker government in April 2008. The price hike was almost 100 percent.

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Two CPI(M) men killed by Maoists in West Midnapore dist

Jhargram, 13 October : Suspected Maoists today shot dead a worker and a supporter of the CPI(M) in separate incidents in West Midnapore district, police said.
While a local committee member Tapan Dolui (48) was killed in Lalgarh area, party supporter Salim Khan (45) was murdered in Binpur. Dolui, a member of CPI(M)'s Belatikri local committee, was shot several times by four men while he was working in the field, the sources said. A member of Binpur block Krishak Sabha, CPI(M)'s peasant wing, Douli died on the spot. The attackers fled in motorbikes, the sources said adding Dolui's house was ransacked by Maoists in June last year and he was in hiding for a month at that time.
In the other incident, Khan was accosted by motorcycle borne attackers at Betkundri in Binpur police station while he was returning home from Jhargram town on a cycle. န File Photo

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Six killed in a road crash in Cox's Bazaar-Chittagong HW
UNB, Cox's Bazaar, 13 October : At least six people were killed and 45 others injured in a road crash at Harbang on Cox's Bazaar-Chittagong highway in Chakaria upazila this afternoon.
Police and witnesses said a Cox`s Bazaar-bound passenger bus of `Subarna Paribahan` from Chittagong collided head on a jeep and a micro bus, leaving six dead on the spot and 48 others injured in the afternoon.

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Bengal tiger attacks turn honey collector into tiger protector

Supratik Sengupta, 13 October : He survived thrice from the vicious attacks by Royal Bengal Tigers of the Sunderbans, but ironically this experience turned Niranjan Raptan into a crusader for saving the animal and its habitat.
The short-statured forest guide, who is in the profession of a forest guide for more than 30 years now understands what the compulsion is for the tigers to attack humans or raid villages in search of preys which are dwindling in the Sunderbans.
Yet, Raptan, 60 a honey collector, did not wish to become a forest guide not having even the foggiest idea about the calling. It just happened when 42 years back the then forest field director Pranabesh Sanyal broached the idea. န File Photo

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Pirates abducted 48 fishermen for ransom in Sundarbans
UNB, Satkhira, 13 October : Forty eight fishermen were abducted by pirates for ransom while fishing in deep Sundarbans under Satkhira range on Monday.
Two fishermen who returned from the pirates, said members of pirate gang Motaleb Bahini kidnapped 50 fishermen, including them, while they were catching fish at different parts of Sundarbans at 10am Monday. Forty eight fishermen, who hailed from different areas of Shyamnagar upazila, could not be released till 7pm Wednesday. The pirates asked for Tk 20,000 as a condition of release of each fireman.

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3 ULFA insurgents, including a woman arrested in Assam
PTI, Guwahati, 13 October : Three ULFA insurgents, including a woman, were arrested today in upper Assam's Golaghat district.
They were nabbed on the basis of a tip-off, police said. Two of them were identified as Anima Bora and Prabhat Barua.

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Shibpur's BESU to start integrated BTech, MTech course

Howrah, 13 October : The Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), one of the oldest engineering colleges in India, has received the status of the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) and will now introduce integrated courses with dual degrees.
"We will offer integrated courses with dual degrees. The students will have to study for five years and will get both BTech and MTech degrees together," vice-chancellor Ajay Ray told a press conference here. The integrated courses would start from next academic year. To study in the institute now, students will have to appear in the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE), the VC said. Earlier students had to appear in the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) to study in the institute.
The Central government also wants to set up a regional research hub for solar energy in the institute's campus, Ray said.

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WB governor M K Narayanan calls for a halt to political violence

Kolkata, 12 October : In the backdrop of allegations by the Trinamool Congress and Congress about political violence in the state, West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan today expressed apprehension that it could mar the pujas and called for a halt to it.
"I cannot but remark that this unique festive season in our state is in danger of being marred by violence and the wail of grieving families who have lost near and dear ones to political clashes occurring in various corners of our state," the Governor said.
Noting that guns and bullets are 'anathema to a nation and people wedded to peace', he said, "Recent violent incidents have caused me and others like me a great deal of pain.

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Three more bodies found, Turag accident toll reaches to 11
Dhaka, 12 October : Three more bodies of the sunken bus have been found from the accident site in near Aminbazar, Dhaka taking the death toll at 11.
Meanwhile, traffic movement on the highway that was suspended for more than an hour resumed around 5:45pm(BDST) on Tuesday. The ill-fated bus has been drawn out of the river. The ill-fated bus had plunged into river Turag with around 50 passengers around 11.30am on Sunday.

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PM Sk Hasina felicitates Hindu community on Durga Puja

BSS, Dhaka, 12 October : Bangladsh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today felicitated members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja.
In her message, the Prime Minister said Durga Puja is being celebrated with a call of establishing world peace and welfare of the humanity. The main feature of Durga Utsob is not only for annihilation of evil forces and worshipping truth and beauty it is also related with non-communal spirit for thousand year of Bengali, she added. Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is an abode of all religion irrespective of caste and creed. Our constitution ensures rights of all people, the Prime Minister said.

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Climate change : local action speaks louder than global call
Guardian, Kelly Rigg, 12 October : International climate talks may be failing to make progress, but the grassroots movement around the world has never been stronger.
Post-Copenhagen gloom seems to be morphing in to pre-Cancún despondency. In the battle over how to combat climate change, world leaders have descended to the level of petty bickering. Progress at the latest round of talks in Tianjin last week was timid, and some pundits are already declaring December's COP16 summit in Mexico to be dead in the water. READ FULL STORY

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Soumyadeep Roy in Table Tennis men's singles semifinal
Diganta Biswas, New Delhi, 12 October : Bengal's Soumyadeep Roy quelled some stiff challenge before overcoming Singapore's Xiaoli Cai 4-1 to storm into the semifinals of the Commonwealth Games' table tennis men's singles competition here today.
The Bengal paddler started on a positive note in the quarterfinal and clinched the first set 11-7, but Cai clawed his way back into the match by winning the second set 11-5.

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9,500 unidentified people sued for Sirajganj Rly vandalism

UNB, Sirajganj, 12 October : Four separate cases were filed against 9,500 unidentified people on Monday night in connection with the vandalism during BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s public meeting here on Monday.
Six people were killed and 60 others injured being hit by a train when they came to attend the Khaleda Zia’s public meeting near Mulibari check-post rail line in western side of Bangabandhu Bridge in Sadar upazila Monday afternoon. Following the incident, agitated people set the train on fire, damaged it and other vehicles, beat up train driver and obstructed law enforcers in their official duties.
DAD of RAB-12 Abu Bakr Siddique filed a case with Bangabandhu Bridge West thana under the Special Power Act accusing over 2000 people for obstructing in their official duties and damaging their vehicles. Sub-inspector Aslam of same thana sued over 2000 others for obstructing in their activities and DAD of local fire service KM Saiful Islam filed another case against over 500 people under the Special Act for ransacking. န Photo : UNB

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ULFA's political advisor B Buragohain taken back to jail
PTI, Tezpur (Assam), 12 October : ULFA's political advisor Bhimakanta Buragohain could not be released on bail today as directed by a local court as two sureties to secure his bail were not deposited.
Granted bail by Judge Dinesh Chandra Choudhury on Friday, the ULFA ideologue was brought here from the Gauhati Central Jail, but bail petitioner, Buragohain's nephew Chandan Buragohain, could not deposit two sureties of Rs 25000 each, his lawyers said. The octogenarian insurgent leader was taken back to the Gauhati jail and would be produced in court again on October 26.

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KKR Fans all set to receive blessings of 'Goddess Durga'

Kolkata, 12 October : This Durga Puja, the Goddess will be seen adorned in a sari resembling the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) jersey, a unique idea which the team believes would help them receive her blessings in the next IPL tournament.

The SRK Fan Club of Kolkata has come up with a six-foot- tall idol of Durga, attired in a purple and golden-coloured sari inspired by the jersey of the Shahrukh Khan-owned team. One hand of the ten-armed Goddess is seen clutching the team's flag. KKR is owned by Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment in partnership with actress Juhi Chawla Mehta and her husband Jay Mehta.
On all four days of Durga Puja, around 400 members of the fan club would worship the deity, installed at the club's premises at Rajarhat on the north-eastern outskirts of the city, praying for their team's success. န File Photos

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6 killed under train while going to attend Khaleda Zia’s meeting

UNB, Sirajganj, 11 October : Six people were killed and 60 others injured being hit by a train when they came to attend Khaleda Zia’s meeting near Mulibari rail gate in sadar upazila on the west side of the Bangabandhu Multipurpose Bridge Monday afternoon.

Witnesses said the Dhaka bound train from Dinajpur, intercity ‘Drutajan’ ploughed through a crowed at about 3pm(BDST) when they gathered near Mulibari rail gate to attend a meeting of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s on the occasion of Shaheed Jehad Day, leaving six people dead. Twenty six of the injured were rushed to sadar hospital and various clinics. Condition of the 10 injured people was stated to be critical.
Agitated people set the whole train on fire soon after the incident but the passengers managed to get off the train before the arson. They also severely beat up the train drive and its guard. န Photos : Reuters, UNB

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IAF & British Air Force wargames from 18 Oct at Kalaikunda

PTI, New Delhi, 11 October : Indian Air Force's frontline Su-30 MKI fighter jets will engage the Eurofighter Typhoons of the British Royal Air Force during the 17-day wargames codenamed 'Ex-Indradhanush' at Kalaikunda air base in West Bengal starting 18 October.
This will be the first time when IAF's AWACS will fly in a joint air exercise with any country. During the exercise, the IAF will field its aircraft such as the Su-30 MKI, Mirage 2000s, MiG-27s and the Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft.
The RAF would also be deploying its AWACS (E-3D) and Air to Air refuellers (VC-10) along with its Typhoons. The Typhoon is also one of the contenders for IAF's deal for 126 multi-role combat aircraft along with five other companies.

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Bangladesh to hand over top Tripura insurgents : Sahay

Agartala, 11 October : The process for repatriation of top insurgent leaders from Tripura who had taken shelter on Bangladeshi soil was on, outgoing state police chief Pranay Sahay said today and praised "proactive" steps by the neighbouring country against the extremists.
"Now it is clear that two chiefs of two insurgent outfits -Ranjit Debbarma of All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and Biswamohan Debbarma of National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) are in Bangladesh. The process for handing them over to the security forces is on," Director General of Tripura Police said.
One of the main reasons for containment of insurgency in Tripura was the proactive actions taken by the Bangladesh security forces against the Indian insurgent outfits who have their base camps in the neighbouring country, he said. န File Photo : Parthajit Dutta

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Rail Minister flags off trains for Ajmer & Anandpur Shaheb
Kolkata, 11 October : Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today flagged off two long distance express trains connecting the city to Ajmer Sharief and Anandpur Shaheb. "We will connect the country through our work," she said at Sealdah station here.
The Kolkata-Ajmer Up 9605/ Dn 9606 Saare Jahan Se Achchha Weekly Express would run via Bhopal and leave Kolkata on Saturday and Ajmer every Wednesday. The Kolkata-Anandpur Shaheb-Nangal Dam 2325 Up/ 2326 Dn Gurmukhi Weekly Express would leave the city every Thursday and Nangal dam on Saturday.

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At least 11 injured in acid attack during bandh in Assam
PTI, Mangaldoi, Tezpur (Assam), 11 October : At least 11 people were injured today when protesters supporting a 12-hour bandh in Bodoland Territorial Council allegedly hurled an acid bomb at a bus near here, the police said.
The bandh call was given by All Assam Adivasi Students' Association, they said, adding the bandh enforcers threw a bomb at the vehicle in Lalbagh Orang at Udalguri district after which 11 passengers sustained burn injuries. The condition of seven of the injured was stated to be critical and five of them have been shifted to Guwahati Medical College Hospital and two to Kanaklata Civil Hospital in Tezpur, they added.

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Hasina greets cricket team for consecutive wins against NZ

UNB, Dhaka, 11 October : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated Bangladesh Cricket Team’s players, coach and coaching staffs, all BCB officials and sports-loving people as the Tigers notch two consecutive wins against New Zealand in the five-match ODI series.
In a message of felicitation, Hasina said the consecutive wins against a test playing nation like New Zealand has set up another milestone in the cricket history of the nation. In this regard, she recalled achieving the test status by Bangladesh in 2000 during the last regime of Awami League government. The Prime Minister said new achievement of the Tigers in cricket will inspire people of all walks of life to make their best efforts to turn Bangladesh into a modern digital country.
Hasina in her message reiterated the government’s strong commitment for extending all out support for further development of sports in the country. န Photo : Reuters

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Four cadres of banned PBCP(J'juddha) lynched in Kushtia
UNB, Kushtia, 11 October : Four cadres of banned outfit Purbo Bangla Communist Party (ML-Janajuddha) were lynched by mob at Nolkhola village in sadar upazila late Sunday night.
Informed sources said Purbo Bangla Communist party chief Mofakkar Chowdhury was killed in confrontation with RAB during the BNP led alliance government. Dada Tapan, leader of Janojuddha faction of PBCP(ML), was killed in encounter with RAB during the caretaker government. Death of leaders and subsequent arrest of their cadres have weakened the outfit.

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Mizoram govt to hold talks with underground "Hmar" outfit
PTI, Aizawl, 11 October : Mizoram government would soon hold talks with the underground Hmar People's Convention-Democrats (HPC-D), Home Secretary Lalmalsawma said here today.
Lalmalsawma said the HPC-D had approached the state government, which agreed to engage the outfit for negotiations. The HPC-D is a Hmar outfit, operating mainly in neighbouring Manipur and demanding a separate Hmar Autonomous District Council comprising Hmar-inhabited areas in the north eastern part of Mizoram.

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Workshop on 'Public Procurement' in Tangail on Tuesday
Dhaka, 11 October : A district-level advocacy workshop on issues related to public procurement begins Tuesday in Tangail.
Organized by the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), the workshop titled ‘Future Search Conference’ (FSC) will be conducted by the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP). The Deputy Commissioner of Tangail is expected to inaugurate the workshop, according to a press release.

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Aggrieved convict throws shoe at the Judge in Noakhali DC
UNB, Noakhali, 11 October : Angered by conviction a young man in the dock today threw shoe at the judge in the district court that missed the target.

With a sense of humiliation, Judge Kazi Abdul Hannan of the third joint judge’s court immediately returned to his chamber. But some Lawyers present in the court demonstrating too much loyalty to the judge badly roughed up Alauddin making him semi-conscious in the court room.
Alauddin, 28, a peasant of Char Amanullah in Hatiya upazila, was convicted in an arms case and sentenced to 12 years rigorous imprisonment in a verdict pronounced by the judge. “There was no valid witness against me. Why should I go to jail?” murmured Alauddin on hearing the verdict. Aggrieved and annoyed he pulled his sandal and threw at the judge that fell in front of his table.
His counsel Abdur Rahman expressed surprise at the verdict. “The case was filed by the police and none but police were prosecution witnesses. There was no convincing witness. Prudence of the court failed to see it was a cooked up case to harass the innocent poor peasants,” said the lawyer.
Police prosecutor said the three young men were held on suspicion at Naler Char Ghat on 29 November, 2008. On search, a firearm was recovered from Alauddin and some ammunition from Jasimuddin and Jahangir. They were prosecuted to the court for trial under the Arms Act.
After lengthy trial, the verdict was pronounced today. န File Cartoon

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