Vol. 5 Num 159 Sun. October 31, 2004       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Point-counterpoint Metropolitan National International Culture Views Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives Today's Index Front Page 200 hurt in RU clash About 200 students, teachers and journalists were injured in a daylong violence on the Rajshahi University (RU) campus yesterday prompting the authorities to close the university until November 21 and   Kidnappers keep mum, Morshed may fly to Iraq The foreign office yesterday said Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) has neither made any contact with Bangladeshi authorities nor claimed any responsibility for the abduction of Bangladeshi lorry driver, Abul   Ministries hobble on foreign fund use The Finance Division will not release domestic funds to ministries that do not utilise foreign aid after it was found that a number of key ministries performed poorly in utilising external assistance.   SC Bar asks HC judge to stand down The Supreme Court Bar Association yesterday in an unprecedented move asked an additional High Court judge to stand down immediately for what it was his tampering with the LLB certificate.   Laden warns of another 9/11 unless US stops threatening Muslims Osama bin Laden, in a statement directed to the American people days before the presidential election, says the United States must stop threatening the security of Muslims if it wants to avoid another   AL to press for talks on Rab, grenade attack The Jatiya Sangsad session resumes today with the main opposition Awami League (AL) set to force the treasury bench to hold discussions on some crucial issues including deaths in the Rapid Action Battalion   Bush, Kerry quick to cash in on threats A taped threat by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has thrust security to the top of the US campaign agenda, just three days before voters cast ballots in a presidential race polls show to be a dead heat.   8 Marines killed, 9 hurt in Iraq Eight US marines were killed and nine wounded in military operations yesterday in the restive western Al-Anbar province, said a US military statement, without providing further details.   The Daily Star receives e-mail threatening to kill Hasina An e-mail sent to The Daily Star yesterday threatened to kill Leader of the Opposition and Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina either in the US or in the country soon.   Ailing Arafat faces days of tests Yasser Arafat has undergone a battery of medical tests yesterday as French doctors try to discover whether the ailing Palestinian leader is suffering from leukemia or some other blood disorder.   Planned immunity to WB protested Speakers at a rally yesterday strongly protested the government's move to provide immunity to the World Bank for its activities in Bangladesh.   Dhaka, Kathmandu to team up Bangladesh and Nepal have decided to form a 'Joint Technical Study Team' and work together on flood mitigation and management programmes.   Strict steps mulled against errant ones The education ministry has proposed amendments to the Private University Act 2003 providing for stringent measures like cancellation of government approval of any universities for failure to meet thelaid   2 get 5 years' RI for threat to blow up PMO A Dhaka Court yesterday sentenced two youths to five years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) for threatening by email to blow up the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).   India calls push-in reports baseless India yesterday termed Bangladesh media reports on BSF (Border Security Force) bids to push Bangla-speaking Indian Muslims into Bangladesh incorrect and baseless.   18 Indians pushed in Indian Border Security Force (BSF) made three more push-in bids yesterday on Panchagarh and Nilphamari borders amid reports of Bangla-speaking Indian Muslims being herded along the Indian border to continue   ADB to raise support to $1b The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will raise its financial support to Bangladesh up to $1billion in the coming year.   Accused express no-confidence in judge All the seven accused including former state minister for planning Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir in the Janatar Mancha sedition case yesterday expressed no-confid- ence in a metropolitansessions   Morshed flies to Delhi with PM's invitation to Monmohan Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan today flies off to Delhi on a three-day visit to convey Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's invitation to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the upcoming 13th South Asian   A mockery of an ongoing drive...   Rab seizes arms after fight with outlaws Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized four firearms and ammunitions after a gunfight with outlawed cadres at village Kolabari in Mirpur upazila in the district early hours of yesterday.   Last CSP officer on LPR The era of CSP officers in the civil administration ends today with the leave prior to retirement (LPR) of Badiur Rahman, a member of the Planning Commission.   WFP president due today President-designate of the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Board Ambassador Poul Skytte Christoffersen arrives in Dhaka today on a five-day visit.   AL to observe Jail Killing Day The main opposition Awami League (AL) and its different front organisations have chalked out various programmes to observe the Jail Killing Day on November 3 paying homage to the four national leaders   Forests staff killed by illegal loggers A Forest Department staff and a mugger were killed in two separate incidents at Hathazari in the district and Karnaphuli Thana in the city in the last two days.   UZ polls in PM's mind Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday said elections to the upazila parishad are under consideration of the government.   Judge detained for wayside leak Law-enforcers Friday detained an additional judge of the High Court for a few hours on charges of urinating on the wall of an ambassador's residence in Gulshan.   Recruitment of class III, IV staff on hold The government has suspended all recruitment of class three and four employees at district and other lower levels in the wake of allegations of massive political interference, irregularities, nepotism Business SEC approves asset-backed securitised bonds With bank deposits being eroded through a sizeable bad loan portfolio pushing the cost of funds higher, a development financial institution has come up with an innovative idea of fund generation by selling   Indices drop heavily on both stock exchanges The indices on both the Dhaka and Chittagong bourses shed heavily yesterday triggered by sale pressure of blue-chip Lafarge Surma Cement.   DSE okays $2.28m system upgradation plan The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) has approved a US$ 2.28 million proposal to upgrade its six-year old automated trading system.   Foreign banks may be allowed to buy Indian bank stakes India will allow calibrated acquisition of stakes in domestic private banks by foreign banks.   Fighting poverty at local level About one of every two poor households gets through the day with nothing in the stomach.   World oil prices subdued World oil prices Friday hit the brakes on a two-day slump, clawing back some losses in nervous pre-election trade. A new Osama bin Laden videotaped threat loomed over the week ahead.   EC pushes exports of generic drugs to poor countries The European Commission has proposed a licensing system that would make it easier for European generic drug makers to provide treatments against killer diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosisto   China warns against resurgence of over-investment China's banking regulator said Saturday China must guard against a resurgence of investment in over-heated sectors and be vigilant against a financial crisis.   Top S’pore banks report double-digit Q3 profits Singapore's two largest banks on Friday reported double-digit profits in the third quarter to September as improved regional economic conditions encouraged demand for loans, but sluggish financial markets   Workshop on stock market for women entrepreneurs A daylong workshop on stock market investment for women entrepreneurs, organised by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), was held yesterday in Dhaka.   Citigroup named best internet bank Citigroup, the parent company of Citibank NA, has been awarded "World's Best Internet Bank" and "Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Bank" by Global Finance magazine on October 19.   Traders import onion, garlic, ginger ahead of Eid Traders of northern region are busy importing tonnes of onion, garlic, ginger and chili from India to meet the shortage in the domestic market ahead of Eid.   India's annual IT event draws 290 firms India's information technology showcase IT.com opens in the hi-tech hub Bangalore on Monday with some 290 foreign and domestic companies participating.   Firms lap up commerical space in India's high-tech hub Companies in India's high-tech city of Bangalore are lapping up commercial space with the country's only joint venture IT park almost fully occupied, an official said Saturday.   Indonesian telecoms co profits more than doubles Publicly listed PT Indosat, Indonesia's second largest telecommunications company, announced on Friday that net profit in the first nine months of this year more than doubled as compared to the same period Sports Cricket: Tigers look to ODIs Reeling from a Test series whitewash, Bangladesh were switching their attention to the first of the three-match one-day series against New Zealand.   Cricket: GP, Biman cruise along Sponsors Gra-meenPhone and Bangladesh Biman registered their second consecutive victory in the Cup competition of the Corporate Cricket League defeating their respective rivals at the Dhanmondi Cricket   Cricket: India shake up squad Indian selectors Saturday made a host of chan-ges for the four-th and final Test against Austra-lia after an ignominious defeat in the third Test here.   Cricket: Papers call 'em ruthless Australia's first series victory in India for 35 years was a ruthless performance, the country's newspapers said on Saturday.   Chess: Bangladesh men go down further Bangladesh men's team finished 41st in the 36th Chess Olympiad after they beat Lebanon 4-0 in the final round on Friday at Calvia in Spain.   Cricket: Sanath's counter-attack after big Pakistan lead Pakistan plundered Sri Lanka's bowling line-up on Saturday to secure a commanding 270-run lead after the first innings of their second Test, before Sanath Jayasuriya led a blistering counter-attack.   Football: Fergie blasts Wenger again Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has blasted rival Arsene Wenger, accusing him of having a "mental problem" with striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.   Football: Goal-happy Owen Michael Owen says scoring three goals in three games for Real Madrid has been the perfect way to help him settle at his new club.   Football: Serginho laid to rest Sao Caetano defender Serginho, who died on Wednesday after collapsing on the pitch during a Brazilian championship match, was buried on Friday while police launched an investigation into his death.   Boxing: Remembering the Rumble The action was set for 0400, two or three hours before the African dawn. That did not stop over 60,000 people crowding the Stade du 20 Mai for one of the landmark sporting occasions of the century.   Tennis: Agassi no Haas-been Top seed Andre Agassi solidified his bid for a spot in next month's ATP season final as he recorded a 7-6, 7-6 semifinal victory here on Saturday over Tommy Haas at the 632,750-euro Stockholm Open.   Soccer's Rahim passes away Former national footballer and coach Abdur Rahim died yesterday at his residence at Rokonpur in the old part of the capital. He was 72.   Hockey: Abahani last in final four Abahani confirmed their semifinal berth in the Club Cup hockey tournament with a 5-0 thrashing of Ajax Sporting Club at the Maulana Bhasani National Stadium yesterday.   Football: Feni reach final Feni DSA advanced to the final of the JFA Cup Under-16 football tournament with a 3-1 win over Rajshahi DSA in the second semifinal at the Birshrestha Shaheed Mostafa Stadium yesterday.   Football: Barca get shirty Spanish league leaders Barcelona are close to signing a shirt sponsorship deal worth between 13 and 17 million euros, the La Vanguardia newspaper reported on Friday.   Tennis: Federer skips Paris meet World number one Roger Federer confirmed on Friday that he will not take part in the 2.45-million-euro Paris Masters here next week after failing to recover from a thigh injury. Metropolitan DU selects 3 JCD leaders as section officers despite note of dissent Dhaka University (DU) authorities have finalised appointment of three Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders as section officers and recommended promoting three class three employees to section officers   4 get 18 years' RI A court here yesterday sentenced four people to 18 years' rigorous imprisonment in the sensational Farzana Afrin Rumi Suicide Case.   Monga has taken serious turn in N-region: CPB Monga, a near famine situation, has taken a serious turn in northwestern region of the country due to government's indifference, said the leaders of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) yesterday.   Producers blamed for vulgarity in films Leaders of the Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibitors' Association (BMPEA) yesterday blamed the key leaders of Film Producers and Distributors Association for growing vulgarity in films.   JPC media centre opens A modern media centre has been set up at Jatiya Press Club (JPC) to provide journalists with internet browsing and other IT facilities.   'Reconsider time bar on import of paddy seeds' Hybrid Paddy Group (HPG), a coalition of seed producers and importers, urged the government to reconsider the five-year time bar on import of hybrid paddy seeds to meet the growing demand for seeds in   3,575 more held, 33 firearms recovered Police arrested 3,575 people, including 2 listed criminals, on various charges during their countrywide drive in the last 48 hours ending 6.00am yesterday. National Politicians demand policy Nilphamari:The government should formulate a policy immediately to promote tea plantation in Panchagarh and Thakurgaon, keeping in view the interest of small farmers, leaders of political parties   Bumper Aman crop likely in 10 south-western districts Farmers in some areas unaffected by flood in 10 districts are expecting a bumper production of Transplanted (T-aman) paddy this season, according to a source in the Department of Agriculture Extension   Ploy to stop Dhaka-Barisal Biman flight again? Some vested quarters in Bangladesh Biman and Tourism Ministry, allegedly working at the behest of a private airline, are engaged in a ploy to stop Biman's flights in Dhaka-Barisal route.   Children on list of landless people A Union Parishad (UP) member in Galachipa upazila on Monday lodged a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Patuakhali against his chairman for his alleged nepotism in making a list of landlesspeople.   No move to repair rugged roads The recent floods damaged at least 80 per cent of the roads in the district but there is no move by the authorities to repair any of those.   4 outlaws arrested from Kushtia, Chuadanga Four outlaws were arrested from Kushtia and Chuadanga and two firearms and ammunition were recovered from their possession.   Relief distribution in N dists fair There is no corruption and anomaly in relief distribution in monga-affected northern districts as adequate precautionary measures have been taken, Deputy Minister for Relief and Disaster Management Ashadul   Acid victim in Manikganj rehabilitated An acid victim here was rehabilitated on Friday following a joint effort by the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) and the BRAC, a leading NGO.   Kidnapped girl rescued from Dhaka Modhupur police rescued abducted school girl Sheuli Akter, 14, from a house in Badda in Dhaka city Thursday night.   UP chairman faces no-confidence Shahjadpur Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Md Sirajul Islam Khadem faces no-confidence from nine UP members for his alleged corrupt practices during his tenure in the last few years.   Dealership cancelled for corruption Dealership of two Open Market Sale (OMS) rice dealers were cancelled for selling 1,000 kilogram of OMS rice secretly at Mugra union in Akhaura upazila on Thursday.   VGF rice seized from shop Kasba Thana police in collaboration with villagers seized 30 sacks of VGF rice from a shop at Chaubapur Bazaar in Kasba upazila on Thursday.   Rice mill machinery looted for toll Extortionists looted machinery from a rice mill at Thangai in Sadar upazila on Wednesday as its owner refused to pay them Tk 50,000 as toll.   9 hurt in clash over land At least nine persons including two women and a police officer were injured in a clash between the two groups of people, one led by Sheikh Shahjahan Ali and the other by Ataur Rahman, over disputed land Point-Counterpoint Crime and reward: Immunity to the World Bank It seems that the World Bank has become impatient to get complete immunity in Bangladesh. Culture Joyjatra likely to be released this Eid The director of Joyjatra, Tauquir Ahmed, is hopeful about the film's release this Eid-ul-Fitr. The premier show will soon be screened on ntv.   US Embassy and Pally Baul Samaj Unnayan Sangstha--a joint initiative The Cultural Centre of the American Embassy has initiated a project in collaboration with Pally Baul Samaj Unnayan Sangstha (PBS) in order to promote and preserve our folk tradition.   Splendours of an Italian display The Italian Ambassador's house, with its lush garden at the back and heavy pile of carpets, set off about one hundred books, mostly in Italian. The display was for three days, recently.   Penguin Book Fair at Etc. Thousands of books--fiction, poetry, travelogues, encyclopaedia, collections of essays and criticism, books on lifestyle and religion, books for children and many other genres, all from Penguin--are stacked International Kerry shifts focus from Iraq to American dream Democratic challenger John Kerry Friday changed tack after a week of savaging President George W. Bush over missing munitions in Iraq, preaching hope and the promise of the "American dream.   Bloody end to 9-day Nepali truce A nine-day truce between Maoist rebels and the Nepalese government has come to a bloody end, with 12 rebels killed in fierce clashes with security forces, an army source said yesterday.   PLO officials hold first meet without Arafat Palestinian officials gathered here Saturday for the first PLO meeting without their leader Yasser Arafat, who is undergoing emergency medical care in France.   Most Iraqis indifferent to Bush or Kerry The men gathered inside Hamid Khalil's barber shop meters from one of the entrances to Baghdad's fortified Green Zone would rather talk about the latest game shows on Arab satellite television channels   'Laden living in safe place in Afghanistan' al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is living in a safe place northeast of the Afghan capital under the protection of a tribe, Kuwait's Al-Rai Al-Aam newspaper quoted Islamic sources as saying yesterday.   Saarc members urged to liberalise visa regime for journalists A conference of editors and working journalists from Saarc countries has suggested liberalised visa regime for media professionals among them and cut in duty on newsprint and printing machinery.   Thai govt to prosecute 300 detained Muslims Hundreds of Muslims will be prosecuted over a demonstration that led to the deaths of 87 people in southern Thailand last week, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday in a move which could further   Taliban group threatens to kill UN hostages A breakaway Taliban group claiming to hold three UN workers said Saturday they would be killed unless the hostages' governments pull their troops out of Afghanistan and condemn its "invasion.   Bandit, villagers clash in India: 14 killed At least 14 people were killed on Friday in a fierce gunbattle between bandits and villagers in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, officials here said.   Nawaz Sharif seeks to return home to bury his father Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, exiled to Saudi Arabia four years ago after being deposed in a military coup, is seeking a brief return to Pakistan to bury his father, his spokesman told AFP yesterday. Editorial Editorial: Deaths in ice chamber Dead bodies of fourteen fishermen were found in the ice chamber of a fishing trawler that came under attack by pirates in the Bay last Wednesday.   Editorial: Ahmadiyya mosque in ruins The attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque in Brahmanbaria just minutes before the call to Juma prayer on Friday during the holy month of Ramadan must be considered the height of ungodliness.   Where are we on the local government front? Is decentralisation a fading political priority? Certainly the distressingly familiar political cycle in which incoming governments are initially enthusiastic on local governments but gradually settle   For America's sake, if not the world's, George Bush must go If John Kerry loses the November 2 US Presidential election he will regret not having held George Bush accountable for the 9/11 mayhem. Letters to Editor A second look at RAB My attention was drawn to a news item "RAB activities challenged in court" (DS, October 26th). I had conflicting reaction reading the news. And let me share with your readers why.   Poor health service and quacks According to the article entitled "Poor health service leads patients to quacks" (October 24, 2004), the Health and Population Sector Programme has found that more people are choosing to see "quacks"(unqualified   Summer said goodbye in September The warm summer days last for a long time from May to August. Summer begins at the end of May. In the summer morning, there are many birds. Star Health Are you willing enough for posthumous eye donation? Our eyes are the most valuable organ of our body to bring human life into light and blindness is indeed a curse in human life. In our country the number of all type of blind people is 14 lakh.   Indoor air pollution -- the killer in the kitchen The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) marked World Rural Women's Day on 15 October 2004 by drawing attention to indoor air pollution - one of the major   Surgical treatment can cure tubercular paralysis Of all the patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis nearly 1 to 3 per cent develops extra pulmonary involvement like the skeletal system.   Urinary incontinence can run in the family The risk of urinary incontinence appears to be one of the things mothers can pass on to their daughters.   Diabetic individuals may have triple normal bowel cancer risk Diabetics may have three times the normal risk of developing colorectal cancer, researchers said.   Health Tips Be aware of mastitis-- inflammation of breast tissue Mastitis, an inflammation of breast tissue, can afflict women of any age. But it is most common in breast-feeding women.   Worldwide 1.6 million diarrhoeal death due to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene Every year there are 1.6 million diarrhoeal deaths related to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene -- the vast majority among children under five. Star City Low quality food colours pose health hazard Adulterated and low-quality food colours are being used in the preparation of Iftar items, sweets and other foods posing a serious health hazard to consumers in the city.   Going short this Eid Short-length punjabi and kameez are becoming increasingly popular with shoppers two weeks ahead of Eid-ul Fitr.   Old shopping centres outstripped Old shopping centres in Dhaka are lagging far behind upmarket malls in sales ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr.   DCC's plan to construct 100 public toilets curtailed Land crisis and disputes forced the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) to curtail its plan to construct 100 public toilets in the city.   Water crisis dogging Rayerbazar residents Residents of Rayerbazar, Sultanganj and their environs in Bangla Sadak are struggling through a seven-month water crisis, which still persists during Ramadan.   Fighting pollution!!