| Front Page | 
Cops seal off Hawa Bhaban area, AL HQ
Police yesterday sealed Gulistan, Bangabandhu Avenue and Banani areas off to traffic and opposition activists to scuttle their high-profile move to besiege Hawa Bhaban and clubbed scores of anti-government
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Suicide bombers kill 68 in Basra
Suicide bombers killed at least 68 people, some of them children, in co-ordinated strikes on four police stations that inflicted bloody chaos on Iraq's southern city of Basra yesterday, officials said.
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Bridge built 5 yrs ago, not roads
A bridge built way back in 1999 on the river Dakatia at Chowdhury Ghat in Chandpur at a cost of Tk 20 crore is yet to be opened to traffic due to lack of approach roads.
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BB turns to law ministry as money loan court fails
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has forwarded 4,800 cases to the law ministry for action, as money loan courts failed to resolve them within a timeframe of four months.
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Tarique, brother play cricket to play down siege plan
As Awami League activists were held off by a strict police vigilance, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, his younger brother Arafat Rahman and other young Turks of the party had theirday
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AL calls 3-day no-confidence demonstration from Apr 24
The main opposition Awami League (AL) and its left leaning ally Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu) yesterday simultaneously announced fresh agitation programmes including 'demonstrating no confidence'to
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Cop raid on AL leaders' houses for weapons comes blank
Police carried out pre-dawn raids on the houses of senior Awami League (AL) leaders in the city's Gulshan-Banani area from 1:00am to 4:00am ahead of the opposition's programme to besiege Hawa Bhaban yesterday.
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Battle for heartland states heats up as exit polls show BJP lead
India's top politicians hit the campaign trail in key northern heartland states yesterday after the first exit polls conducted by leading television news channels projected the ruling BJP-led NDA ahead
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Don't create artificial crisis of essentials
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday urged the traders to refrain from creating artificial crisis of essential commodities through illegal hoarding.
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Shahidur to file writ petition against removal
Protesting his innocence, Syed Shahidur Rahman will file a writ petition in two weeks to challenge his removal from the High Court as additional judge under a presidential order.
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AL workers barred for not having permission to assemble: Babar
State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, referring to the main opposition Awami League's (AL) siege programme yesterday, told the BBC Bengali Service last night besieging the office of a political
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5 vehicles set afire in city
Five vehicles were set afire at different parts of the city last night.Unknown miscreants set fire to a double-decker (Dhaka Metro Ba 11-1352) at Fulbaria overhead footbridge at 7:35pm.
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Anti-venom plant lies idle for fund crisis
The only plant for manufacturing antidote to snake poison in the country has been lying idle for over two decades due to fund constraints, allowing the importers to charge unreasonably for the antivenoms.
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Rajuk's drive against delinquent builders caught in lawsuits
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakhsha (Rajuk), the city planning authority of Dhaka, is in a dilemma with thousands of lawsuits that render its initiatives to contain building code violations ineffective.
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Work on high-tech traffic signal system starts in May
Installation works of computerised traffic signal in the capital begins next month in a bid to ease traffic congestion and control entire traffic system.
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Four more appointed sans advertisement
Four fresh appointments and attempts to recruit 35 section officers and doctors to Rajshahi University (RU) without proper procedure add to the ongoing stalemate over the controversial April 17 recruitment
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Sylhet flood situation unchanged
The overall flood situation in Sylhet region is yet to show any mark of development.
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Car bomb kills 10 in Saudi Arabia
At least 10 people were killed and dozens wounded when a car bomb destroyed a Saudi security service building in the capital Wednesday, witnesses said.
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JS body against cluster villages near Sundarbans
A parliamentary standing committee yesterday opposed setting up any cluster village in the adjacent areas of the Sundarbans.
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Tribunal set up to try Saddam
Iraqi leaders have set up a tribunal of judges and prosecutors to try ousted dictator Saddam Hussein and other members of his Baathist regime, a spokesman has announced.
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HC asks REB to explain dismissal of RPCL chief
The High Court has asked the Rural Electrification Board (REB) chairman and some other officials to explain by May 1 why the dismissal of the chief of Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL) will not be declared
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Magistrate violates law in sentencing arrestees
A magistrate yesterday violated a Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) ordinance by sentencing 62 women, arrested ahead of the Awami League's Hawa Bhaban siege programme, to three-day imprisonment before the
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BSF proceeds erecting fence
Tension mounted again between Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Border Security Force (BSF), as the BSF continued erecting a barbed wire fence yesterday morning.
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7 Palestinians killed in Israeli raid
Seven Palestinians were killed yesterday, raising to 11 the overall death toll from an Israeli incursion into the northern Gaza Strip that the army said was aimed at halting rocket attacks by Palestinian
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IO dropped, CID to probe
The OC of Karnaphuli Police Station has been dropped from the charge to probe the largest ever arms haul at Chittagong port, as the CID is most likely to take over.
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India plugs Bangladesh border
India sealed its eastern frontier with Bangladesh yesterday as the strife-torn border state of Tripura prepared for the second phase of voting in the world's largest democracy.
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| Business |
Ensure timely project implementation
As Japanese official development assistance (ODA) is witnessing a gradual decline, Japan Ambassador to Bangladesh yesterday urged the government to put emphasis on timely and speedier implementation of
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Ctg port can be used to boost regional trade
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri yesterday said Chittagong Port can be used to enhance tripartite trade involving India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
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Waive tax on dividend
Chittagong Stock Exchange Limited (CSE) has urged the government to waive tax on dividend distribution from the next fiscal.
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Exempt Vat, customs duty on spare parts import
Apparel industry, which earns the highest amount of foreign exchange for the national coffers, has sought full exemption of Vat and customs duty on the import of spare parts, pre-fabricated building materials,
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WTO reports drop in anti-dumping actions
Sharply fewer investigations into alleged dumping, a highly controversial area of trade practice, were launched by World Trade Organisation (WTO) states against fellow members last year, the WTO saidyesterday.
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Dhaka seeks Chinese aid in textile sector
Bangladesh has sought co-operation of China in overall development of the country's textile sector and setting up of industrial units in the sector under joint venture.
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Tk 335cr EEF grant so far
Bangladesh Bank has so far granted Tk 335 crore from Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund (EEF) in 83 projects since 2001-02.
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7-month chemical exports see 58pc rise
Exports of chemical products registered a record high during July 2003 to January 2004 from the corresponding period of the last fiscal.
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DHL, Vanik sign deal on credit card use
DHL Express Bangladesh and Vanik Bangladesh Limited have recently signed an agreement.
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Holcim Group operating profit rises 9.7pc
The results of Holcim Group performance for 2003 shows improved efficiency and significantly higher net income despite a weak dollar.
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EBL to collect CityCell bills thru' internet banking
Eastern Bank Limited (EBL) will collect CityCell mobile phone bills from its customers through its internet banking.
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Leasing cos assoc team off to Seoul
A delegation of Bangladesh Leasing & Finance Companies Association (BLFCA) left Dhaka to Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday.
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Emirates offers special benefits to NY-bound travellers
Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, is offering special benefits to passengers flying to New York to celebrate its launch of first-ever passenger service from Dubai to North America.
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Market access for farm products key to reviving WTO trade round
Market access for farming goods must be a priority for members of the World Trade Organisation to help relaunch troubled free trade talks within three months, a top agriculture negotiator said Tuesday.
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| Sports |
Cricket:
CCL comes alive
After an uninspiring start on Tuesday, the first-ever Gra-meenPhone Corporate Cri-cket League sprang to life yesterday.
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Football:
NFL in mid-June
The Bangladesh Football Federa-tion (BFF) has decided to start the 4th National Football League (NFL) in the third week of June.BFF's executive committee in a meeting yesterday evening made thedecision.
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Cricket:
McGrath back for Australia
Fast-medium bowler Glenn McGrath has been recalled to Australia's Test and one-day team for their tour of Zimbabwe that begins next month.
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Cricket:
Murali can't bowl doosra
Muttiah Muralitharan's controversial 'doosra' delivery could lead to the Sri Lanka spinner being banned for up to 12 months if he continues to bowl the ball.
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Football:
Long hospitalisation looms for Maradona
Argentine football idol Diego Maradona was recovering in hospital Tuesday, two days after suffering acute heart failure, but doctors said he faces a long hospitalisation.
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Cricket:
Lara defends his knock
West Indies captain Brian Lara has defended his world record innings of 400 not out after critical comments from Australian skipper Ricky Ponting.
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Cricket:
Morale doesn't allow him
Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has refused to take part in next month's tour of Zimbabwe.
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Tennis:
Hewitt struggles
Australia's Lleyton Hewitt staged a sensational comeback when he recovered from a set down and saved a match point to beat Argentina's Gaston Gaudio 1-6, 7-6, 6-1 to reach the third round of the Monte
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Cricket:
Forget captaincy
Zimbabwe's senior cricket administrator has said Heath Streak will not regain the national team captaincy as part of a peace deal with the country's 15 rebel white players.
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Football:
Monaco's 10-man masterclass
Fernando Morientes and Shabani Nonda hit two spectacular late goals to give ten-man Monaco a 3-1 victory over Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final here on Tuesday.
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Football:
Target Old Trafford?
Police continued to grill 10 terrorism suspects, a day after a Manchester United football match -- a feared target of attack -- passed without incident.
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Football:
Time to walk on moon again
Neil Armstrong was two months away from becoming the first man to walk on the moon when Newcastle last entered a European club semi-final and the present team will be hoping they go on and emulate their
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Football:
Only one Spanish to live
Villarreal have not conceded a goal at home in this season's UEFA Cup but it is a streak that Spanish league leaders Valencia are out to end when the local rivals meet in Thursday's semi-final first leg.
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Football:
United blank Charlton
Goal-shy Gary Neville scored his second goal in three games as Manchester United took another step towards securing the runners-up berth in the Premiership on Tuesday with an emphatic 2-0 victory over
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Football:
Beckham limps off
Tendinitis in his left knee forced freshly-cropped England skipper David Beckham to curtain a Real Madrid training session Tuesday, although he is set to be fit for Sunday's showdown with Barcelona at
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Football:
The quickest goal ever?
An amateur English footballer has claimed the fastest goal ever scored after shooting home from the halfway-line immediately after the kick-off in 2.5 seconds.
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Chess:
Parag on track
Defending champion Mehdi Hasan Parag stayed on course to retain his junior chess title when he maintained solo lead in the 25th National junior chess championships with maximum seven points yesterday.
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Hockey:
Malaysia crush Bangladesh
Bangladesh were handed a 3-0 defeat by Malaysia in their second match of the Under-21 Junior Asia Cup hockey championships yesterday in Karachi.
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Cricket:
CJKS-Ispahani cricket
Shaheed Shahjahan Sangha recorded a massive six-wicket victory over Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Sports Association in a CJKS-Ispahani Senior Division Premier Cricket League match at the MA Aziz Stadium
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Football:
Magura soccer
Narir Ahmed Degree College moved in to the final round of the inter-college football tournament defeating Mohammadpur Aminur Rahman Degree College by 4-2 at the Magura Stadium yesterday.
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| Metropolitan |
Political parties lack transparency, party chiefs don't follow democracy
The political parties lack transparency and accountability and the party chiefs always dictate terms without following any democratic norm, said the speakers at a roundtable yesterday.
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8 students injured in roof collapse at RU hall
At least eight students of Shaheed Habibur Rahman Hall at Rajshahi University (RU) were injured in sleep, one of them seriously, as the ceilings of three rooms there collapsed on Tuesday.
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JCD demands closure of Sudha Sadan
Ruling BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) staged a rally yesterday on the Dhaka University campus demanding closure of Sudha Sadan, residence of Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina.
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Put pressure on Gulf states to ban camel jockeying
Speakers at a discussion yesterday called for enforcement of laws and concerted pressure on the Gulf states to stop using children as camel jockeys.
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'Promote indigenous knowledge'
Speakers at a discussion yesterday called for promoting the use of indigenous knowledge to preserve the heritage and culture.
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Agreement on ICT with China to be signed
Bangladesh and China yesterday decided to sign an agreement on expanding cooperation in the science and ICT sector.
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HC rejects writ petition against PP appointment
The High Court (HC) yesterday summarily rejected a writ petition challenging appointment of Metropolitan Public Prosecutor, Dhaka, Abdullah Mahmud Hasan, as prosecution lawyer for conducting the jailkilling
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Helen Keller Int'l hands over Braille textbooks
Helen Keller International, a non-governmental organisation, yesterday handed over Braille textbooks to the government for visually challenged students.
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| National |
A gloomy picture of pry edn
About fifty per cent students who crossed the primary level failed in the newly introduced evaluation test in class six.
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Criminals say goodbye to crimes
Kisamat Dogachhi, known as a village of thieves, thugs and criminals for over 100 years, will now have a different identity.
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Challenging the disability
Physical disability is not a problem. The main problem is ignorance and superstitions about disability and creating confidence among the victims.
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Dacoits loot jewellery market in Uzirpur
Armed daoits numbering around 40 in a two-hour heist looted a jewellery market at Shikarpur Bandar in Uzirpur upazila in the district in the early hours of Wednesday.
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Anti-trafficking body formed in Kushtia
An anti-trafficking forum was formed here at a daylong workshop, held at the Kushtia Zila Parishad auditorium on Monday.
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Bidi workers on strike at Haragachh in Rangpur
About 50,000 bidi factory workers of Haragachh area here enforced their strike from 8 am to 12 noon on the second day of indefinite agitation programme yesterday.
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Farmers protest lease of railway lands to absentee landlord
Several thousand people of Pasda, Patuakandi and Hajirgol villages in Maijkapon union under Kishorganj Sadar upazila have been holding gatherings and processions in the area for the last three days for
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Girl rescued with help of taxi driver
A schoolgirl was rescued two hours after her abduction with the help of a taxi driver. According to Chuadanga police, schoolgirl Julekha Khatun, 15, was returning from Dingadi Girls High School onMonday.
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Dacoit lynched, 6 held in B'baria
Villagers lynched a dacoit and injured six others when a gang of around 17 were committing robbery at a house at Barikhula village in Nabinagar upazila in the early hours of Tuesday.
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Move to seize 6 'unfit' launches
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) here asked police to seize six passenger launches due to lack of fitness route permit or any valid document, according to the Patuakhali River Port
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BNP activists snatch cameras while being smuggled out
Some ruling party activists snatched 15 video cameras worth Tk 30 lakh from alleged smugglers while those were being taken to India on Monday through the border at Braja Baksa in Kalaroa upazila.
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Honesty costs him dearly
A fisherman is fighting for life at Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex after being beaten by forest department staff for resisting pilferage of timber from the Sunderbans by thieves.
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| Point-Counterpoint |
How much dent the Congress can make in the NDA citadel?
India, world's largest democracy, has gone into first phase of the voting for the constitution of the 14th Loksabha, lower house of parliament, in a five-phase staggered elections that will culminateon
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Empowering electorates to make informed choices
Polling in the Indian parliamentary elections has begun on April 20. Something unprecedented is happening in these elections.
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Prof Nurunnahar Fyzennessa
Today, heaven has one angel more in its midst. To many of you who didn't know my grandmother, the shock of hearing her parting us, will not sink in.
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| Culture |
'My Unknown Enemy' -- more than theatre
Alexander Stillmark, a visiting theatre director from Bonn, speaking about the workshop, My Unknown Enemy that he had conducted recently at the Goethe Institut (GI), said, 'This meeting is that
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Bangladesh National Culture and Heritage launched
The Centre for Social Science and Public Policy Research of Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), a leading private university, has published an introductory book-- Bangladesh National Culture and
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Scholastica holds its annual function
The junior and middle sections of Schoastica school held their annual function for this year on April 16 and 17 at the STM Hall at Uttara.
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Barota Beje Panch Minute to be aired today
Ntv will air drama Barota Beje Panch Minute by Suman Anwar at 8:50 pm today.Synopsis: Shamim and Neera's contented life hits a rough passage when a blackmailer demands Taka 2 lakhs from Shamim.
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| General |
Biman MD leaves after less than 3 months' service
Managing Director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Air Commodore Mohammad Liaqat Ali has left after serving the national flag carrier for less than three months only.
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Police informant shot dead, passport broker strangled in Mirpur
Unknown assailants gunned down a police informant and strangled a passport broker at Paikpara in the city's Mirpur area yesterday and a trader was shot by his cousins at Jhigatola in Hazaribagh.
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3 minor children accused
Sixteen members of a family, including three children, all accused of a criminal charge, appeared before a magistrate's court yesterday.
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India accepts Pak dates for nuke talks
India has agreed to Pakistan's proposal to hold talks on nuclear confidence-building measures on May 25 and 26, an Indian foreign ministry statement said yesterday.
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| International |
Tight security for today's 2nd round
Heavy security arrangements have been made for the next phase of India's marathon general elections today, when two seats in insurgency-hit northeastern Tripura state will be contested, officials said.
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Parties still reluctant to nominate women
India's major political parties may swear by giving adequate representation to women in Parliament. But when it comes to giving them nominations to fight the polls, they seem to be shying away.
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FBI warns of terror attacks in Asia
Asia must be vigilant against terrorist attacks, US Federal Bureau of Investigation chief Robert Mueller said yesterday, and warned Beijing that Islamic fundamentalists in China were also a threat.
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Islamic nations to rally opposition to US policies in ME, Iraq
The world's Islamic nations will try to rally international support against United States policies in the Middle East and Iraq at an emergency meeting here today, Malaysia's foreign minister said yesterday.
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June 30 not 'a magical date' for Iraq: US
The Bush administration Tuesday called the June 30th transfer of authority in Iraq just a step toward self-rule and not "a magical date" to hand over control of the country to Iraqis.
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Powell calls for delaying 'biometric' passports deadline
US Secretary of State Colin Powell was to urge Congress Wednesday to give countries exempt from travel visas to the United States more time to issue high-tech passports to their citizens.
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US renews easing of some Iran sanctions
The Bush administration has extended a temporary suspension of some US sanctions on Iran that were eased to speed relief supplies after a devastating earthquake last December.
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Israel frees nuclear whistleblower Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu was released from prison yesterday after serving 18 years for spilling Israel's nuclear secrets, saying he was proud of his actions and complaining he was treated cruelly by his jailers.
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9 killed as Pak building collapses
At least nine people were killed and 16 injured yesterday when a three-storey building was destroyed by an explosion in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi, police officials said.
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US top court takes hard look at Guantanamo detention
US Supreme Court justices Tuesday sharply questioned the administration's detention of enemy combatants at what their lawyer termed a "lawless enclave" at Guantanamo Bay without access to the courts,in
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| Editorial |
Editorial:
Judicial council verdict implemented
The removal of High Court Additional Judge Shahidur Rahman on the basis of the verdict delivered by the Supreme Judicial Council has been acclaimed widely as a triumph of the principle of judicial probity
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Editorial:
Taiwan trade office fracas
We are glad to see that the row which was brewing between Bangladesh and China over the Taipei trade representative office in Dhaka since March appears poised now for defusion.
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The fight for publicly-owned electricity in Bangladesh
About three weeks ago I received a letter signed by Christine I.
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'Reelection'-obsessed President Bush is not interested in justice!
President George W. Bush never talks about justice, because "justice" is the call of the weak and the oppressed, such as the hapless Palestinians. Instead, Mr.
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| Letters to Editor |
National University
I am a student of 1st year honours (Management) of a renowned college in Dhaka city under National University. I want to give a real picture of the condition of the National University.
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Piped water
The government's new initiative of supplying piped water to clusters of villages (press reports) is appreciated. It is big business for the private sector.
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Self immolation?
After going through the editor's commentary (April 9), some implications came to mind.
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Our triumph
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been adjudged the greatest Bengalee of all time by the BBC listeners. It is a great triumph for the Bengalee nation. Sheikh Mujib is the founding father of Bangladesh.
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