The Daily Star: Internet Edition Sun. March 14, 2004

Volume 4 Number 283

Sun. March 14, 2004


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Front Page	Dhaka to finally sign BIMST-EC trade deal Dhaka is finally going to sign the Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand -- Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC) Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
	Mannan faces rivals' rage Alleged activists of ruling BNP and its front organisations yesterday attacked the Gulshan house, forced the closure of eight businesses and stopped garments export of MA Mannan, member secretary of the
	Sonali Bank's default loan recovery mission Sonali Bank has assigned 14 of its top brass with specific tasks to recover a total of Tk 1,555 crore in outstanding loans from its top 40 loan defaulters.
	PM promises more farm subsidy Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday pledged increased budgetary allocation and subsidy for agriculture in the coming fiscal and announced a number of other measures aimed at a "new revolution" in the
	BNP's new bid for dialogue with AL The ruling BNP has again offered to hold dialogue with the Awami League (AL) to resolve the parliamentary stand-off due to the main opposition party's indefinite House boycott since June last year.
	BNP goes tough on disgruntled MPs Incensed by the defection of two lawmakers to the alternative political stream, the BNP has started threatening its disgruntled parliamentarians and planned to give the stream a hard time to stem itsflourish.
	Missing trader's limbs found, shop owners burst into fury Severed limbs of a city businessman missing since Tuesday last were recovered from several places under Srinagar and Sadar upazila of Munshiganj yesterday and the day before.
	Oikya Procheshta convention today The much-talked-about national convention of Gano Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain under the banner of Oikya Procheshta (unity efforts) is set to be held in Dhaka today from where the prominent jurist
	Cricket wins as India stop Pakistan in cliffhanger India overcame a blistering century by Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq to score a thrilling five-run victory in the first one-day international yesterday.
	Rejoinder and our reply The general secretary of ruling BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) yesterday protested a news The Daily Star ran the same day titled 'JCD out to 'punish' B Chy, his men'.
	6 including 4 SSC examinees killed in Ctg car crash A speeding bus killed six people including four Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinees in a road accident at Barabkunda in Sitakunda yesterday.
	The road near Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur...
	Four 'criminals' in Khulna lynched Four alleged criminals were lynched by mobs in separate incidents in the district last night. Police said two of the dead were outlaws and others abductors.
	Duty cut unlikely to lower rod prices soon The government's latest tax-duty cut on the import of MS (mild steel) rod raw materials and finished products may not be as positive in lowering prices as expected, said re-rollers, wholesalers and retailers.
	Blast kills two US soldiers in Iraq Two US soldiers were killed and four wounded in an explosion in northern Iraq yesterday, while the coalition worried about infiltrators into the Iraqi police after two civilians were gunned down.
	Severe fuel crisis cripples N-dists Eighteen diesel depots of Padma, Meghna and Jamuna oil companies in northern region has started to run dry due to scarce supplies, as lack of navigability forces oil tankers carry less fuel.
	Civil society rally wants ban on communal politics Sammilita Nagorik Samaj (SNS), a civil society platform, yesterday castigated the government for 'failure to rein in corruption and the sliding law and order'.
	Race on in BNP for nomination in vacant JS seats Although the ruling BNP policymakers have not yet taken up the issue of by-election to the vacant seats of two lawmakers who quit the party and their parliament seats on Wednesday, over a dozen partyleaders
	Kohinoor murder a sequel to feud over money The brutal murder of 25-year-old Fatema Khatun Kohinoor, raped and killed in the city's Pallabi area on Friday, was a sequel to a feud between her family and local resident Habibur Rahman over the money
	Passengers suffer for Daulatdia road blockade Over 1,000 people yesterday blocked the road from Daulatdia ferry ghat to Goalundo point, stranding hundreds of vehicles with passengers for five hours, as agitation demanding the proposed Padma bridge
	Bid to allow dist admin help banks in recovery The government has initiated a move to amend the Money Loan Court Law to allow banks seek the administration's help in recovering default loans through taking over and selling off properties mortgaged
	Al-Qaeda claim sends chill down world spine The purported claim from the al-Qaeda terror network that it carried out the atrocities in Madrid set the world back on edge as stock markets plunged, nations tightened security and fears of worse tocome
	Mar 27 declared public holiday As March 26, the Independence and National Day falls on Friday, the government has declared March 27 a public holiday, said an official handout yesterday.
	8-year old takes his life in city An eight-year-old schoolboy yesterday committed suicide at Demra in the capital apparently after his mother rebuked and beat him.
	Blasts wound 2 children An abandoned bomb went off and injured a five-year-old boy in Lalbagh yesterday.
	Azad shifted to VIP cabin from ICU Doctors attending writer Humayun Azad at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) yesterday shifted him from the ICU (intensive care unit) to a VIP cabin following his improved health.
	Blasts wound 2 children An abandoned bomb went off and injured a five-year-old boy in Lalbagh yesterday.
	Convicts' appeal petition dismissed The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday dismissed the petitions for leave to appeal against the High Court verdict that confirmed the death sentence of three cops in sensational Yasmin murder case of Dinajpur
	Housewife set on fire allegedly by husband A housewife was set on fire allegedly by her husband and his relatives at a village in Keraniganj Friday for her family's refusal to pay the dowry.
	JUTA asks chancellor to appoint new VC Jahangirnagar University Teachers' Association (JUTA) yesterday urged Chancellor of the university President Iajuddin Ahmed to immediately appoint a new vice-chancellor (VC) at the university from the
Business	Local internet exchange on the cards The private internet service providers (ISPs) have teamed up to establish an internet exchange for direct traffic of mails within the country in a bid to provide faster internet services.
	Extension of account trade deal with Myanmar sought An inter-ministerial meeting here yesterday decided to seek cabinet approval to extend Bangladesh-Myanmar agreement on account trade by one year.
	SEC lifts circuit breaker on Z category shares The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has decided to withdraw circuit breaker system on trading of Z category shares.
	EU experts to single out govts on planned reforms European Union governments may soon be singled out for specific failures to implement planned economic reforms that were designed to help Europe overtake the mighty US economy, EU diplomats said Friday.
	Opec divided on dealing with price surge Opec ministers on Saturday differed over how to deal with oil's price surge, as the UAE said Opec may have to rethink a deal to reduce production but Iran said it was sticking to the cuts.
	Gillette's new razor to be available by next month Gillette Bangladesh Pvt Ltd is going to introduce a new razor -- Mach3Turbo -- in local market by the middle of next month. Company officials disclosed this at a pre-launching ceremony in Dhaka yesterday.
	Europe should not be guaranteed IMF top job: Africa The IMF must open the selection of its next head to all its members instead of sticking to an unwritten rule of picking a European, African finance ministers and central bank governors said Friday.
	US Senate approves $2.36t budget The US Senate Friday approved a $2.
Sports	Cricket: Tigers' last shot Bangladesh will be sniffing a maiden series victory when Habibul Bashar's men take on Zimbabwe in the fifth and final one-day international at the Harare Sports Club ground today.
	Cricket: Under-23s suffer batting blues Bangladesh U-23 team were on the back foot after being bowled out for 157 against Zimbabwe A on the second day of three-day practice match at the Fatullah Stadium yesterday.
	Cricket: Sports befriends 'em Sitting amo-ng thousands of jubilant cricket fans at Karachi's Na-tional Sta-dium, it is hard to ima-gine that So-uth Asian neighbours India and Pakistan were on the brink of war less than two years ago.
	Cricket: Cricket wins in Karachi Rival captains Sourav Gang-uly and Inza-mamul Haq were unanimous in decla-ring cricket the winner after India pulled off a sensational five-run win over Pakistan here Saturday.
	Cricket: Kashmir taken over by ... Strife-weary people in Ka-shmir, at the heart of deca-des of enmity between India and Pakistan, sat glued to their TVs on Saturday to watch the two countries fight a different kind of battle -- a cricket
	Cricket: Tushar named A team skipper Middle-order batsman Tushar Imran will lead the Bangladesh A team, which was announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday, for the first four-day match against the visiting Zimbabwe A at Rajshahi
	Cricket: Kallis forces SA ahead Jacob Oram hit his maiden Test century as New Zealand scored 509, a first innings lead of 50, before South Africa checked their progress on the fourth day of the first Test on Saturday.
	Cricket: Day Two England's A record partnership between Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain helped England reach 154 for three at the end of a rain-hit second day of the first Test against West Indies.
	Cricket: All of it makes Warne When Shane Warne finished bowling in his maiden Test against India at home in 1992, there were few clues that he would become the first spinner to bag 500 wickets. His Test debut was a disaster.
	Football: Thai PM in Pool talks Billionaire Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is talking to Liverpool about taking a stake in the Premier League club after Fulham turned down his advances last year, an adviser says.
	Football: MU change gears Sir Alex Ferguson has told his players to take a leaf out of his own book, put their worries to one side and concentrate on finishing the season on a high note -- starting with Sunday's local derby with
	Football: Gaibandha in final Gaibandha Pourashava Dal moved into the DC Gold Cup football tournament final defeating Dinajpur Zila Dal 3-1 in the first semifinal at Gaibandha Stadium on Thursday.
	Cricket: Patuakhali cricket Kalikapur Eleven defeated Brothers Club by 90 runs in the First Division Cricket League at the Patuakhali Stadium yesterday. Winning the toss Kalikapur batted first and collected 135 runs in 40.
	Chess: Int'l Rating chess Khandkar Aminul Islam and Mohammad Javed earned 4 points each after the end of the fifth round games of the second Parsvnath International Rating Chess tournament in New Delhi on Friday.
	Football: Magura soccer Dariapur Jubo Sangha defeated Mayer Doa Sporting Club 2-1 in the Econo First Division Football League at the Magura Stadium yesterday.
	CPC sports The month long annual sports competition of Chittagong Press Club (CPC) began at the club premises on Friday. President of CPC Abu Sufian inaugurated the meet.
Metropolitan	Don't compare AL with BNP: Hasina Opposition Leader and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday came down heavily on those who drew a parallel between her party and the ruling BNP by saying that both the parties have failed togovern
	None arrested yet Different student organisations yesterday brought out separate processions and held rallies on the Dhaka University (DU) campus demanding immediate arrest and punishment of the culprits who attacked eminent
	Mir Nasir warns Ctg mayor State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin has warned the Chittagong city mayor without mentioning his name of 'serious consequences' if the latter does not refrain from making
	Tigers kill 58 people in Sundarbans last year Tigers of the Sundarbans forest killed 58 people in the Satkhira range last year. According to sources, 60 others have survived tiger attacks in the swampy jungles during the period.
	Sacked staffs refute attack on Adab meet A section of sacked Adab (Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh) employees yesterday refuted their involvement in the attack of its annual general meeting in the city on March 12.
	Handicrafts fair begins Mar 18 The University Women's Federation College is going to organise a two-day 'Handicrafts exhibition and fair' on March 18-19, says a press release.
	Over 1,200 arrested Police arrested 1,259 people, including a listed criminal, from different parts of the country in the last 24 hours ending at 6.00am yesterday.
	Dawn View School celebrates silver jubilee The Dawn View Grammar School celebrated its silver jubilee on the school premises at East Rampura in the city on Friday. The celebrations featured prize distribution, procession and cultural function.
	Sit-in in front of Ctg DC's office for third Karnaphuli bridge Greater Chittagong Development Action Committee staged a sit-in in front of the deputy commissioner's office for four hours yesterday demanding construction of a third Karnaphuli bridge.
	Qazi Faruque reelected Adab chairperson Qazi Faruque Ahmed has been reelected chairperson of the Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh (Adab) for a two-year term.
	12 shops gutted in Mirpur Twelve shops were gutted in a fire at Baghbari Barabazar in Mirpur in the early hours of yesterday. The blaze that started at around at 1:30am caused an estimated loss of Tk 3 lakh.
	5 robbers held with arms in city Police arrested five robbers with arms and ammunitions while preparing for a robbery at Badda in the early hours of yesterday.
	Buet convocation tomorrow The seventh convocation of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) will be held tomorrow. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, also chancellor of the university, will preside over the convocation.
National	Off-year for mangoes Horticulturists apprehended less fruiting this year though mango trees in Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj area are in full bloom with buds.
	IU students launch agitation for VC's resignation Students of Islamic University who had been demanding resumption of classes yesterday declared an indefinite strike on the campus and launched a 'one-point agitation' for resignation of Vice-chancellor
	Gaibandha PHE office locked for ninth day The Public Health Engineering (PHE) office at Gaibandha was locked for the ninth day yesterday. The employees are staying away from work.
	'Journalist Nabil murdered by in-laws' People of the father-in-law's family of journalist Nabil Abdul Latif alias Pappu were involved in his murder, Nabil's uncle has alleged. Nabil was a Dhaka-based journalist of national daily NewAge.
	Moneylenders take away their potato They had a bumper production of potato this year but can not reap the benefit. Moneylenders are taking away sackfools of potato from their fields after harvest to realise loans.
	Barisal people hail Padma bridge at Mawa People of Barisal are overwhelmed with joy after the declaration that the proposed Padma bridge would be built at Mawa.
	150 CU teachers on leave Education of about 16,000 students in Chittagong University (CU) is being hampered as many teachers are on leave. Shortage of employees has aggravated the situation.
	Repentant dog kills itself after biting master's son A pet dog killed itself out of repentance after biting its master's son.
	Manikganj Diabetic Assoc executives Election to Manikganj Diabetic Association was held at the association auditorium here recently .
	7 yr old snake charmer Rabiul is only seven. He lives amidst snakes as his parents are professional snake charmers. His parents want that he will also be a snake charmer like them.
	Life for trafficker in Bhola One person was sentenced to life term imprisonment by a court here on Thursday for trafficking four persons abroad. The convict is Alamgir of Charshipli village in Bhola upazila.
	Clash at ferry : Case filed against 150 PSTU students A criminal case has been filed with Nilchity thana in Jhalokathi against 150 students and four teachers of Patuakhali Science and technology University students.
Point-Counterpoint	Increasing women's representation in parliament The cabinet has recently decided to propose a constitutional amendment to increase the number of parliamentary seats from 330 to 345, of which 45 seats would be reserved for women for 10 years.
	Arresting unemployment It is rightly said that the future of a country belongs to the youth.
	On inter-faith dialogue I happened to come across a book titled 'Dialogue and Beyond: Christians and Muslims Together on the Way' -- a study published by Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Geneva.
Culture	Projecting an unknown culture Some of Shameem Hasan's photographs were like Impressionistic paintings: such was the composition of his colours.
	Theatrical group Brittopat observes its birthday On March 12, Brittopat, a theatre group, organised its third birthday anniversary at Nat Mondol, the theatre hall of Dhaka University.
	Biswabina's paean to spring Celebration of Basanta (spring), the Bangla year-ending season, always seems to remain incomplete without Rabindra Sangeet.
	Chhayanaut fund raising programme Chhayanaut has arranged a solo music recital and Monipuri dance performance at the National Museum auditorium on March 15, says a press release.
	Barbra Streisand returns to the big screen She may have given up singing in public, but Barbra Streisand hasn't bowed out of the limelight altogether.
International	Millions in Madrid protest terror attacks Millions of Spaniards poured into the streets Friday, chanting "Cowards!" and "Assassins!" in a protest of the bombings that killed 199 people.
	IAEA adopts resolution criticising Iran The United Nations nuclear watchdog yesterday approved a resolution that criticises Iran for withholding sensitive atomic information from the agency but stops short of referring Tehran to the UN Security
	US to introduce tighter border control for Iraq The US-led authority in Iraq will introduce a new border policy to try and keep out foreign insurgents, including closing off most of the official crossing points from Iran, a senior US official saidyesterday.
	US launches new Afghan operation against Laden US-led forces have launched a new operation across a broad area of the south and east of Afghanistan aimed at capturing top al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, the US military said yesterday.
	US warns DPRK to stop exporting arms or face world action The United States warned North Korea Friday that it would face action from the international community if it does not stop exporting dangerous weapons and other illegal activities.
	Kuwait scraps visas for 34 nations The Gulf Arab state of Kuwait, looking to open its doors after the fall of Saddam Hussein, yesterday scrapped prior visa requirements for citizens of 34 countries.
	ME peace process stalled, says Annan Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire early yesterday in the Gaza Strip, in continuing violence that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned stymied the search for peace in the Middle East.
Editorial	Editorial: Audit report on seven ministries The audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General's office has found seven ministries silent over an unspent amount of Tk 867 crore which was supposed to be returned to the exchequer.
	Editorial: Toxic fish Formaldehyde is typically used to preserve dead bodies in hospitals, laboratories, and morgues.
	Let's seek a common ground Bangladesh Constitution, though side-stepped either due to titanic presence of a leader or through extra-Constitutional measures in the past, has the general characteristics of a rigid Constitution.
	Who should get this year's Nobel Peace Prize? IT is not a tough question as it appears.
Letters to Editor	Khaleda and Hasina, can you tell us why? You placed a stunning photo on your front-page on 10 March, showing a farmer pulling a plough by himself because he can't afford to buy an ox.
	Saifur Rahman's comments I am an avid reader of your paper's Letters to the Editor section.
	After six decades.... I have read the Star report on the happenings at Muktangan, (what an appropriate name where everyone is allowed to speak freely) where former president Dr. B. Chouwdhury was to launch a new politicalplatform.
	Taiwanese office in Dhaka The news item published today (March 11) in The Daily Star shows incompetence of our senior level bureaucrats in handling simple matters.
	Dr. B Chowdhury We condemn the bombing of Dr. B. Chowdhury's office. He should be allowed to have free speech and have a political rally. We support Dr. B.
	Price spiral Though price spiral is a common news item in the newspapers, it is not a simple matter that can be ignored. The prices of the commodities are reaching new heights with every passing day.
Star Health	The essential knowledge to remain healthy Since birth we come in contact with many living and nonliving agents, size ranges from micro to macro; some of those are unfriendly.
Star City	Days of historic Chawkbazar mosque numbered ? A dispute over the construction of a multi-purpose market on the mosque property is heightening tension between the management committee of the Chawkbazar Shahi Jame Mosque and local devotees and shop
	Ageing water plants, growing need The output of three water treatment plants in Dhaka and Narayanganj has dropped 50 percent because of run-down equipment and severe pollution in the Buriganga.
	DCC to broaden some lanes and bylanes The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has decided to broaden some narrow lanes and by-lanes to reduce the ever-growing traffic congestion in the city.
	Dhaka will host its maiden furniture show next month Bangladesh will host its first International Furniture Fair next month to introduce local furniture to the global market and boost exports.
	A fair of great help It was time again to witness Dhaka Sheraton's Winter Garden bubbling with enthusiastic students and parents as they scrutinised literature of UK universities and colleges with flickers of hope gleaming
Star City in Frames	Pakhir Chokhey Dhaka “Bangladesh from Above" or "Pakhir Chokhey Bangladesh" is the first aerial photography exhibition of Bangladesh.