| Front Page | 
Basundhara first pvt firm to get licence
Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) yesterday decided to award Basundhara Communications Network Limited (BCNL) first licence to run fixed- line phone in the private sector BTRC
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Portfolios of eight ministers changed
The government last night reallocated the portfolios of six ministers and two state ministers and merged four ministries into two in a cabinet reshuffle ahead of the Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF)
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Sweat it out, scorchers ahead
A blistering heat wave baking Bangladesh further intensified yesterday on back of a brewing cyclone in the Arabian Sea, making life in Dhaka and elsewhere miserable.
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Empty pledges
A chunk of the commitments the government made on governance reforms to the donors at the Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF) meetings in 2002 and 2003 remain unfulfilled, according to the discussion notes
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BNP makes narrow gain over AL in second lap
The BNP yesterday made narrow gains over its arch-rival Bangladesh Awami League (AL) in the second stage of the six-lap municipal elections amid allegations of capture of polling booths and false voting
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5 killed in city
Armed assailants gunned down two youths at Ring Road in Mohammadpur and three others were killed in separate incidents elsewhere in the city yesterday.
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JS should be made more effective
The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh yesterday said the Jatiya Sangsad should be made more effective as 'the pivotal institution in this democracy', adding confrontational and violent
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Ailing agriculture needs $1b subsidy a year
Agriculture Minister MK Anwar yesterday projected a grim picture of farm sector and said the major contributor to the GDP (gross domestic product) has reached a crossroads requiring a subsidy of at least
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Pakistan to try to find solution to repatriation
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Reaz H Khokar yesterday said his government would try to find a solution to resolve what he called a "complex problem" of repatriating the stranded Pakistanis from Bangladesh.
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Niko, Bapex mulls gas output from rejected Feni well
The joint venture of Canadian Niko and state-run Bapex hopes to produce commercial quantity of gas from now-abandoned Feni gas field by mid-June, officials concerned said.
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Cabinet body for sector-wise PSCs
A cabinet committee yesterday decided to ask the prime minister to take steps to set up several public service commissions (PSCs), instead of the one at present, for sector-wise appointment of efficient
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Early warning vital to fight Monga
Distribution of government food grain at a lower price and early forecast can play a vital role in combating monga in the northern region, according to a study.
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More photos emerge, Bush scolds Rumsfeld
US President George W Bush admonished his Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld in private for failing to inform him about the photographs of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners amid emergence of more such photos,
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Planned constitution change aimed at rigging polls: Hasina
Awami League (AL) President and Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday alleged that the government was bringing the 14th amendment to the constitution in its bid to consolidate power and rig
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BJP gains in exit polls after fourth lap
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has met his key allies as exit polls after the penultimate round suggest a hung parliament.
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'Free anti-graft body to get its head in 2 days'
Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday said a chairman would be appointed to the Anti-corruption Commission in a day or two.The chairman would then select the other members.
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Cops urge people to help Bangla Bhai
Amidst reports of more deaths at the hands of Jagrota Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) police administration yesterday urged the northwesterners of the country to aid Bangla Bhai and his men in cleansing
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BNP meets Tuesday to finalise nominations
The BNP Parliamentary Board will sit on Tuesday to finalise nomination of party candidates for the June 6 parliamentary by-elections to Dhaka-10 and Munshiganj-1 constituencies.
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Bombings kill 3 GIs
The US-led force in Iraq named a new governor for the holy city of Najaf yesterday in an apparent bid to marginalize the radical Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr, while ten insurgents were killed by coalition
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Donors want 'innocent until proven guilty' policy on NGOs
In dealing with the NGOs, donors at the upcoming Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF) meeting are going to ask the government to follow the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'.
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Fire guts 500 shanties in Mirpur
Over 500 shanties were gutted in a fire at Jhut Patti slum in Mirpur last evening.Police said they have no report of casualty. But many victims were found looking for their near and dear ones.
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DCC bid to evict illegal structures at Gabtoli foiled
Transport workers and shop owners yesterday foiled a Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) drive to evict illegal structures at Gabtoli truck terminal.
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Murali on par with Walsh
Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan became the joint highest wicket-taker in Test history on Thursday by taking six wickets on the opening day of the first Test against Zimbabwe.
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NU VC ordered attack, allege student leaders
Representatives of the students of the National University (NU) yesterday alleged the NU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Aftab Ahmed himself directed the employees to attack the students' demonstration of May
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Cop 'rapes' 16-yr-old
A sub inspector (SI) allegedly violated a 16-year old girl on Wednesday night at Jorhagata Colony under Sonadanga Police Station.
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Dhaka slates Iraq prisoner abuse
Bangladesh has strongly condemned the sadistic and inhuman abuse of prisoners by some members of the occupying forces in Iraq and described it as a criminal act.
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Police attach shop of key suspect's father, 2 houses
Chittagong police yesterday attached an optical shop owned by the father of a key suspect of the April 2 arms cache at Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) jetty.
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| Business |
Donors worried over rising cost of doing business
Corruption and extortion increase the cost of doing business in Bangladesh and also retard domestic and foreign direct investment (FDI), donors observed as they sit in the Bangladesh Development Forum
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Fair distribution of resources needed to cut chronic poverty
Speakers at a seminar yesterday emphasised internal resources mobilisation and employment generation to lessen chronic poverty.
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Bourses see uptrend
As indices at both the bourses are once again showing an upward trend, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) has advised the investors to remain cautious in trading.
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Malaysia to tighten hiring rules of foreign workers
The country is bringing in more foreign workers than needed by industries and the Malaysian government wants to plug loopholes that cause the oversupply.
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Tetley launches Dana Fresh tea
Tetley yesterday launched a new product, Tetley Dana Fresh tea, in local market.
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Special Vat collection drive in Ctg from tomorrow
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) starts a special Vat collection drive tomorrow in Chittagong.
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Phoenix Ins declares 15pc cash dividend, 5pc bonus share
Phoenix Insurance Company Limited has declared a 15 percent cash dividend and a 5 percent bonus share for the shareholders for the year 2003.
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Standard Bank to trade shares thru' CDS
Standard Bank Limited has signed an agreement with Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL) to trade its shares through the central depository system (CDS).
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Rato makes debut as IMF chief as oil prices soaring
Rodrigo Rato, former Spanish economy minister, made his debut Wednsday as the new head of the International Monetary Fund warning of the impact of high oil prices on the world economy.
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Pakistan bans wheat export
Pakistan, facing a shortage of wheat to meet domestic demand, banned wheat exports Wednesday to check soaring informal grain trade with neighbouring Afghanistan, trade and government officials said.
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KLM swings into profit ahead of Air France takeover
The Dutch airline KLM, acquired by Air France on Tuesday, returned to profit in its last year and said Thursday it would expand electronic services with the aim of selling half its tickets this way by
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China urges EU to lift technology export restrictions
Premier Wen Jiabao urged the European Union Thursday to lift restrictions on technology exports to China -- an issue linked to an EU arms embargo imposed after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
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LDCs to make concessions to move trade talks forward
The world's least developed nations are prepared to make concessions on "sensitive" trade issues to ensure that global trade talks move forward, trade ministers have said after a two-day meeting in the
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Pakistan's trade deficit widens
Pakistan's trade deficit widened in April to $419.14 million from $384.25 million in March and $77.75 million a year earlier, the Federal Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday.Imports rose 7.
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| Sports |
Cricket:
Tigers fly to Lara's den
The Bangladesh cricket team left Dhaka on Thursday morning to embark on their maiden tour of West Indies.
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Cricket:
Murali touches Walsh
Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became cricket's joint highest wicket-taker on the first day of the first Test against Zimbabwe on Thursday.
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Chess:
IM Chess begins today
Mohammed Javed, Abu Sufian Shakil, Sheikh Nasir Ahmed and Khondokar Aminul Islam will eye an IM norm when the 7th United Insurance and United Leasing International Masters Chess tournament begins at the
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Cricket:
Sarwan ton goes awry
Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss hit half-centuries to lead England to a five-wicket victory in the seventh and final one-day international over the West Indies here on Wednesday as the series ended
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Cricket:
Mani blasts Blair
International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani on Wednesday launched a bitter attack on British Prime Minister Tony Blair accusing him of inaction and inconsistency on the thorny subject ofEngland's
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Cricket:
'Shoaib really injured’
The controversy surrounding cricketer Shoaib Akhtar's injury may come to an end in the coming days with Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Rameez Raja admitting that the fast bowler "is carrying an
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Cricket:
Weary Gibbs to take rest
South African opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs will not play for English county Durham this season after being told by South African cricket supremos to take a rest from all forms of cricket.
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Tennis:
Federer falters, Henman thru’
World number one Roger Federer crashed out of the Rome Masters here on Wednesday after throwing away a healthy advantage to lose his second round match to clay court specialist Albert Costa.
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Tennis:
Clijsters survives a scare
Kim Clijsters, playing her first tour match since early March, survived a tough challenge from Spain's Marta Marrero to reach the third round of the German Open with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory on Wednesday.
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Football:
Sher-e-Bangla Cup soccer
Dhaka University threw caution to the wind when the former national football champions brushed aside Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) 12-0 in the Educational Zone qualifier of
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Cricket:
Asim spins Aktel to victory
Asim Chowdhury grabbed five wickets to help Aktel brighten their chances to reach the Plate semifinals of the first-ever Grameen-Phone Corporate Cricket League (CCL) with a five-wicket win against BADC
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Cricket:
Sri Lanka 67 without loss
Master spinner Muttiah Mura-litharan equalled the world record for career Test wickets here on Thursday as Sri Lanka took full control of the first Test against a strife-torn Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports
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Football:
Monaco destroy Chelsea dream
Chelsea's lavishly financed aspirations to Champions League glory dissolved into tears as Monaco battled back from two goals down to book their place in the final.
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Football:
Marvellous Morientes
Fernando Morientes, the best-paid player in French football, is proving to be the bargain of the season for Monaco.
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Football:
Deschamps tips Porto instead
Monaco boss Didier Deschamps said his side had a good chance to win the Champions League final against FC Porto, though he believed Jose Mourinho's team were the favourites for the May 26 clash in Germany.
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Football:
The final whistle
After their tumultuous season ended in Champions League disappointment, Chelsea can expect more upheaval in the coming weeks with the likely departure of coach Claudio Ranieri and the arrival of morebig-name
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| Point-Counterpoint |
The globalisation wars: Cheerleaders, cynics and critics
The conventional wisdom is that globalisation is a benevolent process that links rich and poor nations primarily through unfettered flows of goods, services and capital and engenders shared prosperity.
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| Culture |
Capturing the essence of Tagore on T-shirts
Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure…Ages pass, and still thou pourest, and still there is room to fill'-- the verse is an excerpt from Tagore's Geetanjali.
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An enchanting evening of Tagore's songs
On the occasion of the 143rd birth anniversary of the illustrious poet Rabindranath Tagore, Bangladesh Tagore Singers' Association has organised a three-day festival at Bangladesh Shishu Academy.
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'I want to act in quality films'--Shahed
Today is Shahed Shareef Khan's birthday.The Culture Desk wishes him many happy returns of the day. Shilpi Mahalanobish (SM) talks to Shahed Shareef Khan (SSK)on this occasion.
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Instrumental album launched at the German Cultural Centre
An album titled A Touch of Love, a first ever instrumental theme musical album in the country, was launched recently at the German Cultural Centre.
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| General |
Bikalpo Dhara to contest by-polls
Bikalpo Dhara Jatiya Committee (BDJC) yesterday decided to take part in upcoming byelections at Dhaka-10 and Munshiganj-1 constituencies, says a press release.
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3 killed, 32 injured in Ctg road accident
Three people including a 10 -year-old boy were killed and 32 others injured in a road accident at Sitakundu in Chittagong yesterday.
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Order on charge-framing May 11
A Dhaka tribunal yesterday fixed May 11 for order on charge-framing against former Shyampur thana OC Jahangir Alam and four others in the sensational Mishel murder case.
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One gets death for killing nephew
A tribunal in Dhaka yesterday sentenced one person to death for killing his nephew on January 19,2002.
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Dhaka re-elected member of 3 Ecosoc bodies
Bangladesh was re-elected member of three subsidiary bodies of Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc) for a four-year term (2005-08) at its organisational session in New York on Tuesday.
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1146 more held
Police arrested 1,146 people including, four listed criminals during their countrywide drive in the last 24 hours ending at 6.00am yesterday.
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Bangladeshi team starts trekking May 10
For the first time, a seven-member Bangladeshi team is going to embark on the Everest Base Camp trekking adventure.
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Call for public-pvt partnership to cut maternal mortality rate
Public-private partnership is the key to reducing maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the country, said the speakers at a workshop yesterday.
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Special lunch for DMP
Special lunch was served to members of all police stations in the capital yesterday.
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CUP concerned over arrest of Proshika staff
The Coalition for the Urban Poor (CUP), a networking organisation of NGOs, yesterday expressed concern over the arrest of employees of Proshika, slum dwellers and poor people in the last week of April.
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Outlawed NBCP leader arrested
A ringleader of Mrinal faction of the outlawed New Biplobi Communist Party (NBCP) was arrested by police from a shallow machine room at Khalilnagar village under Tala upazila on Wednesday midnight.
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Two get death for murder
The Speedy Trial Tribunal of Sylhet division has awarded death penalty to two people in a sensational murder case in Habiganj district. The convicts are Kurush and Wasiur Rahman.
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Case against Betagi thana OC
A resident of Koruna village in Barguna lodged a case against the local officer-in-charge (OC) and accused the law enforcer of abetting terrorism in the area.
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Five remanded in Satkhira
Five people arrested in connection with BNP leader Altaf Hossain murder case were placed on a five-day remand each in Satkhira yesterday.
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Obituary
Dr Abu Ahmed, a noted educationist, died at his home at Lal-matia in the city yesterday at the age of 69, says a press release.
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| Editorial |
Editorial:
NU in trouble
The National University witnessed unprecedented clashes on Wednesday between its employees and students from affiliated colleges who were demonstrating to press home their five-point demands.
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Editorial:
Garment factory or deathtrap?
The tragic news of seven garment workers being crushed to death when they pressed the panic button after a small fire broke out in their factory in Mirpur poses a few questions -- for how long shouldwe
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Highway which way?
The Asian Highway was first conceived of in the late 1950s.
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Think about your life
Take some time and think about your life, which is woven like a story with the threads of your thoughts, built like a house with the bricks of your breaths, and drawn like a picture with the colors of
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Japan faces the problem of waste disposal
Waste is mostly a byproduct of development.
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| Letters to Editor |
Perversion
The level of perversion, demonstrated by the British and US soldiers upon the prisoners of Iraq, has astounded the millions of conscientious people across the world.
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Sadistic!
People all over the world lost their language of protest when they came to learn about the barbaric treatment meted out to the hapless Iraqis by their self-proclaimed liberators(!).
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Handloom industry
At long last the government has taken notice of the traditional handloom industry (still in the informal sector) by announcing a Tk 50 crore loan scheme.
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Primary education -- performance standard
Mr.
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Those marines
The US marines are generally less privileged then the army. They are trained to do the dirty work. Their motto is "Search and Kill". The words "Blind Killer" are painted arrogantly on their tanks.
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EU expansion
From May 01, EU has become a 25-member family. Ten new countries have joined the bloc with high ambition. The new members have joined it to energise their economies.
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Awami League's move
So much for Jalil's "deadline" and Tofail Ahmed's "mass uprising" against the government.
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Chittagong a city of terror?
Chittagong is the biggest city after Dhaka. It is famous for port, sea-beach, trade and for natural scenes. The mayor of Chittagong has already introduced Chittagong as a healthy city.
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US support for Sharon
I'm so disappointed and feeling betrayed after hearing US presidential candidate John Kerry's statement supporting the Israeli prime minister's ordering the killing of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
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RSF report
According to the latest finding of Reporters sans Frontiers, Bangladesh is a dangerous place for journalists.
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April 30 deadline
The AL is the oldest of the political parties of Bangladesh. It has seen a great leader like Sheikh Mujib, who played a vital role in our movement for independence.
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Our lawmakers
We were dismayed to learn about the passage of bills in the Jatiya Sangsad enhancing MPs' perks by 100 to 600 per cent.
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Upgrade the OC
The officer in charge (OC) in any police station (Thana) is a vital post for law and order implementation.
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Attitude towards private universities
A few years back , there were only a few public universities in Bangladesh. Now there are lots of private universities all over the country.
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Media presentation of reality
Reality is much more interesting and mysterious than fiction. This is a truth we haven't ever thought about but have to admit.
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The case of cake and mineral water
A newspaper reported that in Bandar upazila at NJ there is an acute shortage of drinking water in public taps.
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| Environment |
Environment, population and development of SAARC region
The concept of "environment" has evolved since it started to become a global issue in the early 1970s.
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| World |
'BJP may need new partners after polls'
Exit polls from India's ongoing elections show ruling Hindu nationalists within striking distance of a parliamentary majority but analysts said yesterday they may have to woo new partners to govern.
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BJP leaders meet to talk polls strategy
With the exit polls projecting the NDA nearing the half-way mark, just short of absolute majority in 14th Lok Sabha, top BJP leaders are meeting in New Delhi yesterday to review the last three phasesof
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India pushes economic pact with Lanka govt
India will pursue a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Sri Lanka's new government amid plans for an aid package to rebuild the island's embattled regions, a top envoy said yesterday.
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US awaits Israeli list of outposts to be dismantled
The United States is awaiting an Israeli list of Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank slated for evacuation, a US diplomatic source in Israel said yesterday.
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N Korea set to test new missile engines
The United States has stepped up surveillance over North Korea as the Stalinist country is set to test engines for a ballistic missile capable of hitting US territory, a newspaper reported here yesterday.
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EU tries to push forward ME peace at Dublin talks
Foreign ministers from the European Union, Israel and Arab states has gathered in Dublin yesterday for the concluding part of a two-day meeting dominated by the stalemate in the quest for Middle Eastpeace.
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Too late to stop 'criminals' contesting polls
India's Supreme Court rejected a lower court ruling yesterday banning people in jail from contesting national elections now under way, saying it was too late to implement such a decision, a report said.
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US set to offer written assurance to Jordan on ME peace
The United States will grant Jordan's request for written assurance on negotiations for an eventual Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, US officials said Wednesday, ahead of King Abdullah II's White House
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US fails to calm world dismay, disgust
As US President George W.
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Bush interviews are too little too late: Arabs
President Bush did too little too late when he told two Arabic-language television stations that he condemned the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners, Arab commentators and pundits said yesterday.
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Kerry calls on Bush to take responsibility for Iraqi prisoners' abuse
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Wednesday called on President George W. Bush to take "appropriate responsibility" for the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and issue a personal apology if warranted.
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Georgia's president takes control in Adjara after renegade leader flees
Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili made a triumphant arrival in the Black Sea region of Adjara yesterday after the province's renegade leader resigned and flew into exile in dramatic scenes overnight.
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Democrats blast Bush for $25b Iraq fund request
Democrats are lambasting President Bush for his $25 billion request for fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan next year, saying they will support the money but accusing him of low-balling the amount for
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Britain to send Royal Marines back to Iraq
Britain is to send 800 Royal Marine commandos, among other troops, back to Iraq to replace Spanish forces being withdrawn from the country, the Sun newspaper reported yesterday.
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US officer tells of violence, death
A former US military commander in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison described on Wednesday a chaotic atmosphere of disdain for Iraqi prisoners in which US guards killed at least four during two riots.
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