Vol. 5 Num 473 Sat. September 24, 2005       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Point-counterpoint Metropolitan National International Culture Views Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections StarTech Literature Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives Today's Index Front Page Khulna 'mastermind' of Aug 17 blasts held Law enforcers yesterday discovered a den of banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operatives at Batiaghata in Khulna and claimed that the place had been used to make the bombs that were blasted   US Gulf Coast cities empty as Hurricane Rita approaches A mass exodus from the deadly threat of Hurricane Rita emptied towns along the Texas and Louisiana coastlines yesterday, amid frantic last-minute preparations for the second super-storm in a month.   Islam disapproves of terrorism Leading Islamic scholars and thinkers from South and Southeast Asia yesterday denounced terrorism and destruction of life in the name of Islam or any religion in a continued bid to clear the Muslims of   Hunt for Islamist militants at DU Intelligence agencies are hunting through dormitories of Dhaka University for a number of students involved with the Islamic outfit Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh and Islamist militant activities.   'I feel sorry for '71 atrocities' Former chief justice of Pakistan Dr Javid Iqbal yesterday expressed regret about Pakistani occupation forces' atrocities on the people of Bangladesh during the Liberation War in 1971.   'Don't harass Ahab men' The home ministry sent lists of Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab) members to various district police authorities, mostly in northern districts, with instructions "not to harass them".   Kidney diseases out to become a big killer Kidney diseases among urban, rural and disadvantaged people are increasing at an alarming rate, posing threats to reach epidemic proportion in a couple of decades, experts told The Daily Star.   WB chief calls for improving Dhaka's governance further World Bank (WB) President Dr Paul Wolfowitz has called for further improvement of governance for faster poverty reduction and economic growth in Bangladesh.   Lone fridge at DMCH mortuary dead The lone mortuary refrigerator at the morgue of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) has been out of order for over a month now, causing tremendous difficulties in conducting autopsies and practical   Frauds swallow up car taxes, fees A section of corrupt employees of the postal department and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) pocket a considerable amount of taxes paid by car owners and harass them afterwards, an investigation   Jamaat rejoinder and our reply Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh protested a news item headlined "Jamaat link to militants becomes evident" published in The Daily Star on 22 September.   Demonstration...   Two outlaws lynched in Pabna Two activists of an underground outfit were lynched by a mob at Aag Jaintapur village in Faridpur upazila of Pabna district early yesterday.   BDR, BSF hold talks in Delhi from Monday A six-day director general-level meeting between Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) begins in New Delhi on Monday.   Ride in a bowl...   80 fishermen held in India return home Eighty Bangladeshi fishermen, who were detained in an Indian jail for more than nine months, returned home on Thursday night.   Bus blaze kills 24 evacuees A bus carrying evacuees from Houston exploded into flames near Dallas killing at least 24 people yesterday, local television reported.   'Scrap accords with Niko, realise compensation' The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Natural Resources, Power and Port yesterday blamed Niko Resources Ltd for the Tengratila blowouts and demanded the government scrap all agreements with theCanadian   British Muslim jailed for 15 yrs for terrorism offences A British convert to Islam was jailed for 15 years after being convicted in London yesterday on two charges of possessing of articles for use in terrorism.   Ideologies of BNP, Jamaat almost same, says Saidee Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Delwar Hossain Saidee yesterday said the ideologies of BNP and Jamaat are very much similar as both the parties are dedicated to establishing the rule of Islam in the country.   HSC results likely on Sept 26 The results of Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) examinations and Alim, Fazil, Kamil, and Vocational HSC Business Management examinations are likely to be published on September 26.   10 more down with dengue Ten more people diagnosed with dengue fever, a viral disease transmitted by aedes mosquito, were admitted to hospitals and clinics in Dhaka in the last 24 hours ending at 6:00pm yesterday.   WB-IMF meet to review Dhaka's expenditure Corruption might be a major factor for Bangladesh this year in spite of receiving a good amount of financial assistance from World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), said a WB official yesterday.   Man held at UK airport after alert Terrorism jitters returned to Britain yesterday as sections of Manchester airport were evacuated and the bomb squad called in after police nabbed a man "acting suspiciously" on the tarmac.   JCD cadres oust 8 BCL activists from JU hall Cadres of ruling BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) assaulted and ousted eight Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists from Moulana Bhashani Hall of Jahangirnagar University (JU) on Thursday   Fake bomb found in car in front of Shahriar Kabir's house Police recovered a fake bomb from a car abandoned in front of eminent writer and journalist Shahriar Kabir's house at Mohakhali in the capital yesterday. Business Fix Tk 3,000 minimum wage for RMG workers Leaders of garment workers yesterday urged the government to fix Tk 3,000 minimum monthly wage for a garment worker.   Jamshedpur where industry, environment go together Usually, when one thinks of an industrial town, an image of mills and factories set up indiscriminately in a small congested area with long chimneys emitting smoke continuously flashes across the mind.   Republican Senator to co-sponsor TRADE bill US Senator John E. Sununu, a Republican from New Hampshire, has decided to co-sponsor the TRADE (Tariff Relief Assistance for the Developing Economics) Act 2005 bill.   Telecoms fair draws huge visitors A huge number of visitors thronged Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital yesterday, the second day of the Bangladesh International Telecom Fair '05.   Rich countries square up for WTO food aid fight The world's richest countries are squaring up for a fight over food aid to the poorest, threatening an unfortunate side show amid international talks that aim to open up trade in order to combat poverty.   Oil falls to $66 on hopes Rita misses US refineries Oil eased towards $66 a barrel and gasoline prices slid Friday as Hurricane Rita lost some intensity, while its direction may avert a direct hit on the heart of the Texas refining hub near Houston.   Tata Motors, Fiat sign MoU Global automobile giant Fiat SPA of Italy and Indian carmaker Tata Motors have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the feasibility of joint venture in manufacture and distribution of   400 richest in US worth $1.13 trillion: Forbes America's wealthiest people got even richer over the past year, with the top 400 now worth 1.13 trillion dollars, Forbes magazine reports.   Japan's national debt hits record high Japan's government debt, already the highest in the industrialised world, rose 1.7 percent to a record high of 795.8 trillion yen ($7.   Parjatan corporation opens booth in Tokyo trade show Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation opened a booth at the three-day World Trade Fair that began in Tokyo Thursday.   G7 to demand more reform of Asian currencies Finance ministers of the wealthy Group of Seven nations were to demand Friday that Asian countries relax further their currencies to remedy global economic imbalances, a German official said.   Lanka to benefit from $5b donor projects Over 100 development projects with a total project cost of Rs.400 billion now ongoing, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Dr. P B Jayasundera said.   Deutsche Bank set to open branches in India Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest bank, is to enter the Indian market and plans to open branches in five Indian cities this year, the head of the bank's private customer business said in a newspaper interview   China to spend $17b on 6 new hydro plants China will spend $17.3 billion to build six more hydroelectric power plants on the Yangtze River as it tries to reduce its reliance on smog-producing coal, the China Daily said Friday.   EU, US fail on subsidies deal The United States and the European Union, the world's two top providers of financial aid to their farmers, on Thursday failed to reach agreement on cutting the subsidies.   Africa takes centre stage at world oil congress Key players in the oil world gather in South Africa next week for a conference that will highlight the emerging clout of oil-producing nations in Africa, where petrodollars could help fight poverty.   US, EU clear way for next step in aircraft dispute at WTO The United States and European Union cleared the way on Friday for the next step in their World Trade Organisation battle over billions of dollars in public aid for aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus.   ADB approves billion dollar transport loans to China The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Friday it has approved two loans totalling one billion dollars to build roads and rail systems in China's western provinces.   Weekly Currency Roundup Sept 18-Sept 22, 2005Local FX Market Demand for US dollar remained steady in the market throughout the week. Sports Cricket: Mahmud ready to retire Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud has made up his mind to call it a day in international cricket. Mahmud told the Daily Star on Friday that his next home appearance in an ODI would be his last.   Cricket: It's either Ganguly or me: Chappell India's cricket coach Greg Chappell believes Sourav Ganguly is no longer fit to lead the side and has threatened to quit if the captain is not changed, a cricket board source told AFP on Friday.   Cricket: Lanka Diary As the sun was setting over the majestic Indian Ocean on Friday, homesick Bangladeshi cricketers were relieved knowing their wait was almost over.   Cricket: Inzy in Super Series Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq will replace Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar in the World squad to face Australia in a six-day Test match in Sydney next month, the International Cricket Council (ICC)   Cricket: A Hair-raising problem The appointment of Australian umpire Darrell Hair to next month's Super Series will revive memories of his calling Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for chucking in Melbourne almost 10 years ago.   Football: Better luck for Mohammedan Fortunes reversed for Mohammedan's as two regional Black and Whites confirmed their zonal final berths in the Nitol-Tata National Football yesterday.   Cricket: BCCI polls deferred Elections to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were postponed by two months after bitter in-fighting between the rival groups.   CCL nat'l pool revised A day after revealing the 20-member national pool for the upcoming Corporate Cricket League the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) brought two changes to the list yesterday.   Chess: Barman the solo leader Khokon Chandra Barman took a solo lead in the chess competition for the blind with maximum points after the fifth round at the BIAM Auditorium yesterday.   Motor rally ...   Football: Dolairpar keeps on winning Dolairpar High continued their winning spree in the final round of the Pran-Cola School Football Tournament when the holders defeated Segunbagicha High 3-1 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.   Football: Sheikh Russel soccer Shampur Thana thrashed Airport Thana 10-0 in the Sheikh Russel Under-14 Football Tournament at the Dhanmondi playground yesterday.   Football: Prime Asia cruise Prime Asia University earned a comfortable 3-0 win over Independent University of Bangladesh in the Stamford Inter-Private University Football Tournament at the Army Stadium yesterday.   Football: Real relief England defender Jonathan Woodgate endured a nightmare debut for Real Madrid on Thursday after his 17-month injury-enforced layoff.   Football: Scholes' concern Paul Scholes has warned that anything less than a victory over Blackburn on Saturday could be fatal to Manchester United's hopes of clawing the Premiership title back from Chelsea.   Football: Champs have worries The spotlight has been Real Madrid's troubles in recent weeks but fellow Spanish giants Barcelona have had problems of their own which the reigning champions hope to address at Real Betis on Sunday.   Tennis: Venus bids Beijing bye Venus Williams joined her sister Serena on the sidelines at the 585,000-dollar China Open Friday, withdrawing with a knee problem prior to her quarter-final match against Marta Domachowska.   Football: Palermo's striker-defender Serie A high-fliers Palermo will look once again to an unlikely source for their goals when they visit Lazio on Sunday.   Cricket: Martyn being realistic Axed batsman Damien Martyn said Friday it would take something extra special to get back into the Australian Test cricket team.   Football: Nedved firm on retirement Former Czech Republic captain Pavel Nedved has ruled out a comeback for the national team.   Cricket: Lawson cleared to bowl West Indies quick Jermaine Lawson has been cleared to carry on bowling after the International Cricket Council ruled that his bowling action complies with the laws of the game.   Hockey: Rajshahi dump Dinajpur Rajshahi routed Dinajpur 8-2 in the ABS National Hockey Championship at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium yesterday. The winners dominated the first half 3-1. Metropolitan Teenagers most vulnerable to Aids Teenagers are most vulnerable to Aids as the vast majority of them still have no idea on how the deadly disease is transmitted or how to protect themselves from it.   Take steps to rescue missing fishermen Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina yesterday strongly criticised the BNP-Jamaat alliance government for its 'failure' in rescuing the missing fishermen.   Formulate policy for haor development Speakers at a rally yesterday urged the government to formulate a national policy for sustainable development of haors in the country.   Modern shopping complex opened in Chittagong Keari Elysium, a modern shopping cum apartment complex of latest architectural design, was opened in the city's business centre of Chawk Bazar yesterday afternoon.   Madrasa student killed in Barisal A teenaged madrasa student was killed by his classmate during an altercation in Barisal on Thursday morning.   FM asks int'l community to help achieve MDGs Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan, currently leading a Bangladesh delegation to the UNGA session in New York, called on the international community to take urgent action on the development front to help   Bapa calls for basinwide approach Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) yesterday urged India to involve all riparian states in adopting a basinwide sustainable water management in the major rivers of the region.   Convicts threaten complainants Fourteen convicted criminals, who were released from the jail following an order of the High Court (HC), have been threatening their complainants with dire consequences.   BSF returns body of Bangladeshi farmer The Border Security Force (BSF) of India returned the body of a Bangladeshi farmer through Baliadangi border in Thakurgaon on Thursday night.   BNP leader robbed of Tk 2.5 lakh in Sylhet A BNP leader was robbed of Tk 2.5 lakh and a cellular phone in broad daylight on Sylhet-Jakiganj Road on Thursday.   600 opposition activists join BNP in Jessore About 600 leaders and workers of various political parties, including a group of 350 freedom fighters, led by former MP and Awami League leader Gazi Abdul Hai joined BNP at a simple ceremony here yesterday.   'Trial of army men under martial law was farcical' Speakers at a press briefing yesterday termed the trial of army men under martial law on September 23, 1981 "farcical" aiming to hide the real killers of former president Ziaur Rahman.   Two electrocuted in Sylhet Two people died as they came in touch with snapped electric cable at Ambarkhana area of the city on Thursday night.   BNP to finalise nominations today The ruling BNP will finalise its nominations for nine vacant seats reserved for women in the Jatiya Sangsad today. More than 50 women leaders of BNP have been lobbying to get the nominations.   'Ensure justice to establish peace' Speakers at a conference called for ensuring justice to establish peace.   Two killed in road accidents Two people including a child were killed in two separate road accidents in the city yesterday.   600 opposition activists join BNP in Jessore About 600 leaders and workers of various political parties, including a group of 350 freedom fighters, led by former MP and Awami League leader Gazi Abdul Hai joined BNP at a simple ceremony here yesterday. National Human chain, road barricade today, hartal tomorrow A fresh week-long agitation programme was launched in Rajshahi city yesterday demanding fair trial of nine year-old Mili rape and murder case.   23 die of diarrhoea in Dinajpur, Sirajganj At least 23 people died of diarrhoea in Dinajpur and Sirajganj in the last few days.   Protect indigenous people's rights Indigenous people at a gathering at Gunigram in Godagari upazila in Rajshahi district have demanded enactment of laws to protect their language and traditional culture.   Maulana held in Bandarban had 'links' with ARNO Police are interrogating Maolana Abdul Malek, arrested in Bandarban town on September 19 for his suspected involvement in the August 17 serial bomb blasts in the country.   Oust 'corrupt govt', Nasim tells Comilla public meeting Former home minister and Awami League (AL) leader Md.   Threat to cancel Rag Day at KU Khulna University Vice Chancellor Prof Mahbub Hasan, Emdadul Huq of English Department and Prof Aiyaz Hasan Chisty, Director of Student Affairs, have been threatened of 'dire consequences' if they donot   Flood improves in Moulvibazar The overall flood situation in Moulvibazar district marked improving yesterday as water levels of Monu and Dhalai rivers started falling. Point-Counterpoint Needed a truly independent food and drug regulatory commission From the beginnings of civilisation, people have been concerned about the quality and safety of foods and medicines.   The bitter economic pill For those who are starving, are without adequate shelter or potable water, living in absolute poverty and in unhygienic filthy conditions without necessary medical care, etc, "trickle-down" economicshas   Achieving MDGs and promoting gender equality In 2000, the 189 member states of the United Nations agreed to a broad set of goals setting international development priorities for the coming years.   Paulo Freire The legend in education arena Paulo Freire was born in 1921 on the 19th September. This year is his 84th birth anniversary. Culture Exhibition focusing Mahatma Gandhi's life Aphotographic exhibition titled The Life of Mahatma Gandhi opened at the Indian Cultural Centre, Dhanmandi on 22 September.   Passion for Nazrul songs Acclaimed Nazrul singer Rebeka Sultana was inspired by her mother to be a singer at the tender age of six.   Ghorsawarer Swapno to be aired on ntv As part of the Eid special programmes, ntv will air tele-film Ghorsawarer Swapno. Manik Manobik's tele-film depicts the story of friendship between a mysterious middle aged man and a teenager.   Bhawaiya Angan to honour folk artistes Nowadays, many folksong genres are on the verge of extinction. International Iraq is rapidly heading towards disintegration Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has been warning top US government officials that Iraq is rapidly heading towards disintegration and there is a risk of a regional war, the New York Timesreported   Rita may cause tens of billions in damage Hurricane Rita has the potential to flood an area almost twice the size of New Orleans when it reaches shore early today, causing tens of billions of dollars in damage to the Houston metropolitan area   Americans' attitudes changed after storm A 64-year-old Alabamian frets about frayed race relations.   Afghan officials look into vote rigging complaints Election officials said yesterday they had quarantined several boxes of votes cast in Afghanistan's landmark parliamentary polls last weekend to investigate complaints of rigging.   7 killed in militants' attacks in Thailand Seven people, including two police officers, have been killed in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, as violence flared in the wake of a deadly hostage-taking two days ago, police said yesterday.   Israeli forces gun down 3 suspected militants Israeli troops shot dead three suspected Islamic Jihad militants in a raid near the West Bank city of Tulkarm yesterday, Israeli military sources and Palestinian witnesses said.   Iran senses victory in nuclear battle Iran was yesterday sensing victory in a diplomatic battle over its nuclear programme, but regime officials nevertheless stepped up their bid to avoid even limited criticism from the UN atomic agency.   Bush vows not to repeat Katrina mistakes US President George W. Bush said Thursday that authorities were "preparing for the worst" of Hurricane Rita, as he tried to head off the kind of criticisms that dogged his response to Hurricane Katrina.   Thousands welcome Nepali king's first walkabout Nepal's King Gyanendra called on all Nepalese to join nation-building efforts as thousands turned out to welcome his first public walkabout in the Kathmandu valley since his power grab almost eight months   London bomb suspect charged with murder attempt A man extradited from Italy was charged on Thursday with possessing explosives and attempted murder as part of the botched attacks by four would-be bombers on the London transport system on July 21.   Lanka to stop tsunami victims voting from the grave Sri Lanka Friday announced measures to prevent voters impersonating the tsunami dead as well as special arrangements for those displaced by the calamity to vote in November's presidential elections. Editorial Editorial: Adulteration of food The parliament has incorporated many stringent provisions in the food ordinance with the objective of curbing production and sale of adulterated foods.   Editorial: Minister, advisor on prices Theorisation about higher prices by some top government functionaries appears to be taking new flights of imagination.   UN World Summit ends with a whimper Back in June this year, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan addressed the International Councillors of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and observed that the United Nations 60th Anniversary   Secondary education: Unitrack or not? The government decision to introduce from next January one common curricular content for all students in grades nine and ten has generated a spate of controversy. Letters to Editor Protect the mobile telephone industry The Bangladesh budget recently passed in the JS did not reduce the high tax (comparatively speaking, judging by the average mid-level earning power) on mobile telephones, which is showing exponentialgrowth   Adoption law I am very happy that KM Rasheduzzaman Raja, joint district judge, Sirajgonj has underscored the need for Adoption Law. This is indeed on outcome of humanitarian attitude as well as courage.   Bad effect of dowry system Now-a-days whenever we open the pages of newspapers, we see women are tortured by their husbands for the worst reason of dowry system.   Tornado in Kuakata We the expatriates living in New York, USA are extremely depressed and worried about the news of devastation by the tornado in Kuakata.   Fresh and healthy foods! Now-a-days a lots of steps have been taken to standardise the foods of the renowned fast food shops. StarTech Country's largest ICT showcase gaining pace HOW do you make a popular event more accessible? One answer is provided by Bangladesh Computer Samity(BCS), who coordinated the much-anticipated annual BCS Computer Show 2005 that started on September   Opera browser goes free to fight Firefox Norwegian group Opera Software said that it would offer its web browser Opera free and without advertising banners, in a bid to outdo rival Firefox and become the world's second most used browser.   Dell takes on iPod Shuffle with Ditty Dell Inc., the world's biggest personal computer maker, announced out six new products on Tuesday including two printers and a digital music player aimed at the iPod Shuffle.   Nokia sells its one billionth mobile phone Nokia, the world's leading mobile phone maker, said it had sold its one billionth portable phone since it began producing the devices at the beginning of the 1980s.   Next GEN SPACECRAFT This Nasa handout image released on September 19 shows an artist's concept of the crew capsule(R) docking with the lunar lander(C) and departure stage of the next generation spacecraft to be used in missions Literature Hands for sale There were heaps of hands in the shops, white, black and brown. Some beautiful, with long and slender fingers, others ugly, with thick fingers and horny nails.   Conference on Indigenous Women, Culture and Politics I just returned from a great conference at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.   An important resource for scholars of Bengal history The research undertaken by the author of this book bears a resemblance to Alex Hailey's famous search for his roots.   © thedailystar.net, 2005. All Rights Reserved.