Vol. 5 Num 518 Fri. November 11, 2005       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Point-counterpoint Metropolitan Culture Views Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections Urban World Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives Today's Index Front Page Safta tops agenda Saarc foreign secretaries yesterday decided to seek directions from the South Asian heads of state and government assembling here at the 13th Saarc summit on how to ensure full implementation of the South   FMs agree to make Kabul member Saarc foreign ministers (FMs) yesterday agreed in principle to award membership of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to Afghanistan but could not reach a consensus on the proposed observer   Regional power grid proposal to be placed at meet A proposal for setting up a regional power grid is likely to be adopted at the 13th Saarc Summit to be held in the capital on November 12-13.   Ceramic, dairy goods to get free access to India India has decided to grant duty-free access to Bangladeshi ceramic and dairy products, and also to remove some specific duties on 204 out of 271 tariff lines in textiles and garments under Safta, thedaily   Enayetullah Khan no more Veteran journalist Enayetullah Khan passed away yesterday at a hospital in Canada. He was 66.   Passing away of an icon He was by far the best among us; courageous, articulate, clear thinking, highly political and refreshingly outspoken. His was a life totally dedicated to journalism.   Saarc should turn into economic union Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister and BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan envisages Saarc becoming an effective economic alliance like the Asean or European Union (EU) if friendship   United efforts needed to fight terrorism Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil said South Asian countries should work together under the banner of Saarc to combat terrorism as it has become the common problem for all nations in the   Leaders should work to resolve common problems Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said the South Asian leaders will have to change their mindset and make Saarc a more effective and functional body to use the platform for the welfare of about   Foreign ministers start informal consultations Foreign ministers of the Saarc countries yesterday began informal consultations ahead of the two-day summit of the South Asian leaders on November 12-13.   Leaders start arriving today Dhaka is all set to welcome the Saarc leaders flying in today to join the 13th Saarc Summit. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will receive them at Zia International Airport (ZIA).   Consensus on liberalising visa regime The Saarc Standing Committee yesterday decided to further liberalise the visa regime for the citizens of member states and cover more categories, including journalists and businessmen.   Agencies give govt 5-day ultimatum Giving the government a five-day deadline for resolving the stalemate over Hajj flights, 363 Hajj agencies, responsible for arranging the religious journey to Makkah for 56,000 prospective pilgrims, yesterday   Pedestrians get back footpaths for a change Pavements in the capital have got back their original look with the eviction of illegal occupants as part of beautification as well as security on the occasion of the Saarc Summit that begins tomorrow.   Khan, Ahamed talk bilateral issues Indian State Minister for External Affairs E Ahamed yesterday met Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan and discussed bilateral issues as well as matters relating to Saarc.   Pak PM's wife to visit Holy Cross School tomorrow Rukhsana Aziz, the wife of Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, is due to visit the Holy Cross School tomorrow at 4:30pm, school authorities said.   Manmohan Singh India's fourteenth Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh is rightly acclaimed as a thinker and a scholar.   Shaukat Aziz Born in Karachi on March 6 in 1949, he did his early education at Saint Patrick's School in Karachi and Abbottabad Public School and graduate (B.Sc) in 1967 from Gordon College, Rawalpindi.   Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was born to one of Sri Lanka's most distinguished families on June 29 in 1945.   Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal was born on July 7 in 1947 Kathmandu, has been the King of Nepal since June 2001.   Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup is Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture in Bhutan. In Dzongkha word Lyonpo means "Minister". Sangay Ngedup was born in 1953 at Nobgang village in Punakha.   Maumoon Abdul Gayoom President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is, in both origin and style, very much a man of the people. He has been the president of the Republic of Maldives since November 11, 1978, having succeeded Ibrahim Nasir.   57 killed in Jordan suicide bombing The al-Qaeda group led by America's deadliest foe in Iraq yesterday claimed bombings that ripped through luxury hotels in Jordan's capital and killed 57 people.   BNP lawmaker's brother appears before wrong court for bail Maruf Nizam, one of the suspected masterminds behind the sensational abduction of business magnate Jamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, wrongly appeared before a Chittagong court yesterday to surrender and seek   Monga to go if AL voted to power Awami League (AL) President and Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged people to vote for the AL in the next general elections to save the country from corruption and terrorism.   Baghdad restaurant blast kills 35 A suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest blew himself up in a crowded Baghdad restaurant frequented by the security forces during breakfast yesterday, killing 35 people and wounding at least 25 more,   Heightened security measures...   Hiqma chief Kawsar held again Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) yesterday arrested Shahadat-e Al Hiqma chief Sayed Kawsar Hussain Siddiki Raja, considering him a 'potential threat to national security ahead of the Saarc summit'.   Charge sheets submitted linking Rahman, Bangla Bhai Charge sheets were submitted to courts in Natore, Bogra, Chapainawabganj, Chandpur and Cox's Bazar yesterday, accusing Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai and others in the August 17 serial bomb blasts across   Hannan put on remand again A Dhaka court yesterday directed the investigation officer (IO) to interrogate Mufti Abdul Hannan, operations commander of the banned Harkatul Jihad's Bangladesh chapter, with caution.   Seven powerful bombs found in Chuadanga Police last night recovered seven powerful bombs believed to have been planted to blow off the rail tracks in Alamdanga of Chuadanga. Business ADB to offer risk guarantee loans Asian Development Bank (ADB) under its commercial co-financing programme is going to offer risk guarantee loans to boost local and foreign private sector investment in Bangladesh.   Revenue from individual taxpayers up 50pc Revenue income from individual taxpayers rose by 50 percent in the current fiscal year. However, only 37 percent of the total individual taxpayers with Tax Identification Number (TIN) submitted tax returns.   Prof Yunus hails concept of South Asian poverty fund World's micro-credit doyen Professor Muhammad Yunus yesterday welcomed the concept of creating a South Asian Poverty Development Fund (SAPDF) under Saarc saying such fund would create a common platform   SEC issues show cause notices on 10 listed cos The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued show cause notices to some 10 listed companies as the companies failed to submit report on their capital and shareholding position to the commission   Govt urged to take strong stand to revive food aid Stakeholders at a meeting here yesterday asked the government to take a strong stand in the coming WTO ministerial conference in Hong Kong for reviving food aid to the least developed countries (LDCs)   Japan to offer Tk 40 crore for portable steel bridges project The Japanese government will provide Bangladesh with grant assistance of Tk 40 crore for a project to install portable steel bridges in rural areas.   Govt signing anti-state deal with Tata Speakers at a discussion yesterday alleged the government is trying to sign an anti-state agreement with India's industrial giant Tata Group, keeping the nation in dark.   China won't again adjust yuan China will not again adjust the yuan exchange rate as it did in July, and will instead let market forces play a main role in setting its value, deputy central bank chief Xiang Junbo was quoted Thursday.   Banks in Dhaka to remain closed on Nov 13 Bangladesh Bank and all the commercial banks in the capital will remain closed on Sunday (November 13) on the occasion of the 13th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit.   Ctg Women Entrepreneurs, State Bank of India sign MoU A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Chittagong Women Entrepreneurs and State Bank of India with a view to enhancing trade and bilateral relations between women entrepreneurs of thetwo   High demand in Asia Pacific boosts Holcim profits Swiss cement firm Holcim Ltd reported Wednesday a substantial improvement in its performance in the third quarter of 2005, noting that an increased demand in Asia Pacific has contributed to its overall   Shamima returns today from NY Shamima Khatun, one of the four winners of the Global Microentrepreneurship Awards (GMA) organised by Citigroup Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Citigroup, and United Nations capital development Fund   Knitwear expo Nov 15-16 in NY A two-day exposition of Bangladeshi knitwear products will be held at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York on November 15 and 16.   Oil near $58 Oil prices slid to a new 15-week low near $58 Thursday after a big increase in US crude stocks added pressure to a market already reeling from lacklustre demand growth and mild weather.   Japan moots non-farm tariff cap of 10pc for rich states Japan said Thursday it had proposed that developed nations reduce import tariffs on non-agricultural products to no more than 10 percent as the clock counts down to a key global trade conference.   India needs reforms to boost growth: Snow India needs to keep momentum for economic reforms going and try to boost growth if it is to come to grips with huge problems of poverty and joblessness, US Treasury Secretary John Snow said Thursday.   Singapore Telecom results beat forecasts Southeast Asia's biggest telecoms company, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), beat forecasts Thursday as its second quarter net profit rose 5. Sports Football: Abahani, Mohammedan drawn together Arch-rivals Abahani and Mohammedan were drawn in a 'Group of Death' along with last year's runners-up Muktijoddha Sangsad in the final round of the Nitol-Tata National Football League.   Cricket: Gazi Tanks, Epyllion almost through Gazi Tanks and Epyllion Group looked set to form the semifinal line-ups from Group B when they won their respective matches of the GrameenPhone Corporate Cricket League on Thursday.   Cricket: Security up in Multan Pakistan will deploy 3,000 policemen and a team of sniffer dogs to ensure tight security for England's cricketers during the first Test in Multan.   Cricket: Vaughan or no Vaughan England are hoping to bounce back from their woeful build-up to the first Test against Pakistan in Multan starting on Saturday -- whether or not injured skipper Michael Vaughan is playing.   Cricket: Wanna be a Flintoff Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi is keen to emulate Andrew Flintoff and play a decisive role for Pakistan in the Test series against England.   Cricket: Asghar accepts resignation Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Ali Asghar yesterday accepted the resignation of joint-secretary and media committee chairman Reazuddin Al Mamun.   Cricket: Bashar staying back at MSC Doubts over Habibul Bashar's switching teams for the coming Premier Cricket League was over when Mohammedan Sporting Club confirmed the services of the national cricket captain yesterday.   Cricket: Vaughan out of first Test Injured England captain Michael Vaughan has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan and opener Marcus Trescothick will lead the side, England cricket officials said Thursday.   BSJA condoles death of Enayetullah Khan The Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA) yesterday condoled the death of eminent journalist AZM Enayetullah Khan, who was also the founding president of BSJA.   Cricket: 7th Indo-Lanka ODI insured for Rs 7.45 cr The seventh and final one-day international of the current cricket series between India and Sri Lanka, scheduled to be held at the IPCL ground here on November 12, has been insured to the tune of 7.   Cricket: BCCI AGM Nov 29-30 The adjourned annual general meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be held in Kolkata on November 29 and 30, SK Nair, secretary of the board, announced in Thiruvananthapuram.   Football: Henry France's hero A magical backheel from Thierry Henry lifted France to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Costa Rica in an international friendly here on Wednesday.   Football: Where neutrality counts for nothing It may be being played in the impeccably neutral territory of Switzerland, but England's match against Argentina on Saturday will be a million miles from the anodyne exhibitions that have become habitual   Football: Win WC, get bonus! England's players will pocket a reported 300,000 pounds (525,000 dollars) each if they win the World Cup in Germany next summer.   Cricket: Options many for Woolmer Coach Bob Woolmer says Pakistan faces the best kind of selection nightmare for the first Test against England, which begins on Saturday.   Tennis: She's not ready as yet Teenager Maria Sharapova has put her plans for world domination on ice, the Russian saying she is not yet strong enough to carry if off.   Cricket: Symonds in for Katich Australia dropped struggling batsman Simon Katich and gave all-rounder Andrew Symonds a chance to revive his Test career Thursday as selectors named a 12-man squad for the second Test against the West   Football: Ronaldo a Spanish citizen Real Madrid's World Cup Brazilian star Ronaldo has taken out Spanish citizenship, the club said Thursday.   Football: Glazer targets Casillas Manchester United majority shareholder Malcolm Glazer is reported to have his eye on Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, according to Wednesday's edition of Marca.   Football: Germany's new strip World Cup hosts Germany are hoping to gain an advantage on their rivals at next year's competition with an all new strip unveiled in Cologne on Wednesday.   Athletics: Athletes' SA camp starts Nov 12 The Bangladesh Athletics Federation will begin a preparation camp for the SA Games on November 12 with 23 athletes including nine females. Metropolitan Police should be loyal to state The police administration should be loyal to the state instead of serving every successive government, said the speakers at a seminar yesterday.   Bapa criticises member states for not including river issues Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) yesterday criticised the South Asian nations for not including the issue of trans-boundary river management and Indian River Linking Project (IRLP) in the agenda ofSaarc   ‘Govt reluctant to implement CHT Peace Treaty’ The government is reluctant to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Treaty that ended a bush war of more than two decades in the region in1997, said the speakers at a meeting yesterday.   Arms, ammo seized in Khulna Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday recovered arms and ammunition from an abandoned house at Roosevelt Jetty in Khalishpur.   Six AL leaders arrested in Manikganj Police yesterday arrested six Awami League (AL) leaders from different upazilas in Manikganj.   Vow to resist move to destroy democracy Different political parties and student organisations yesterday marked the Shaheed Noor Hossain Day with a vow to resist any move to destroy the hard-earned democracy.   JS body for guidelines to stop misuse of CHT land The parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs yesterday suggested preparing a framework for leasing out lands properly and stopping misuse of lands in the hill   Two rapists get life Two youths were sentenced to life imprisonment here yesterday for raping a housewife at Chilarang Dangipara village in Thakurgaon about two years ago.   Nasaka frees 23 Bangladeshis The Myanmar authorities yesterday released 23 Bangladeshi woodcutters after a flag meeting between the border security forces of the two countries.   BFUJ to stage demonstrations today Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) will stage demonstrations in the capital and other parts of the country today to protest the 'fascist' behaviour of the government that forced the unionleaders   Govt clarifies The government yesterday said its attention has been drawn to press reports on the postponement of a convention organised by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ).   JPC postpones Shishu Anandamela The Jatiya Press Club (JPC) has postponed Shishu Anandamela programmes scheduled for today following the death of its life member and former president Enayetullah Khan.   Betar to air Saarc summit live Bangladesh Betar will broadcast live the inaugural and closing ceremony of the 13th Saarc summit-2005, a Betar press release said yesterday.   DU closed on Nov 12, 13 Dhaka University will remain closed on November 12 and 13 on the occasion of the 13th Saarc Summit, said a DU press release. Point-Counterpoint Saarc and the Gujral Doctrine As the 12th Indian Prime Minister, Mr.   Humanity ought to take lessons from every calamity Humanity has been victims of calamities both natural and man-made from time immemorial.   A history of the Iraq war, told entirely in lies Once again, we were defending both ourselves and the safety and survival of civilisation itself. September 11 signaled the arrival of an entirely different era. Culture Diverse facets of an actress Over the last decade, popular TV actress Afsana Mimi reigned supreme on the small-screen.   Entertainment industry looks for greener pastures TV plays, shot in foreign locales, are a major attraction for viewers.   Obaydul Haque Sarkar passes away Veteran actor, writer and columnist Obaydul Haque Sarkar died on November 9, at the Samorita Hospital, says a press release. He was born on October 21, 1930.   Guiding young theatre talents Anuradha Kapur is a Professor of Acting and Direction at the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi. She has written widely on theatre.   11th Kolkata Film Festival The eleventh International Film Festival began in Kolkata on November 10. About 140 films from 33 countries will be screened in eight movie theatres in the 8-day-long film festival.   Sharmin explores new possibilities Popular model-turned-host Sharmin Lucky has recently acted in a new TV commercial (TVC) of RAK Ceramics. This new TVC was first telecast on Eid day.   Chicken Little wins big at box office The sky is still falling in Hollywood, even though Chicken Little and the Marines have landed. Editorial Editorial: Regional energy cooperation THERE are innumerable issues that the gathered heads of state and government will need to address at the 13th Saarc summit set to begin in Dhaka tomorrow, so many, in fact, that two days will scarcely   Editorial: Vulnerable minorities in South Asia A US report has said that religious minorities are vulnerable in Bangladesh due to their "relatively limited influence with the political elite.   Internationalists and isolationists This is it.   Put the horse before the cart President Pervez Musharraf has made a significant proposal to India: 'Let's demilitarise Kashmir'. In principle one agrees with the idea.   Monga: Contemplating solutions Monga, a famine like situation, prevails for a certain period almost every year in the country's northern region. Letters to Editor Future of Saarc There is a huge euphoria in Dhaka about the Saarc meeting.   Help the earth quake victims The recent devastating earthquake in Pakistan has rendered 3 million people homeless, killed more than half a lakh and one lakh people were injured. This is a great humanitarian crisis.   President Bush Dr Richard said the Americans made a mistake voting for Bush, and he reasoned that lofty things could not be expected from a cowboy since they are more accosted to horse neighs and cow language to get   Deep sea port Being a seaman myself, I take keen interest in everything relating to the marine sector. I came across the article on the captioned subject published on 1 November in the DS .   Time for new leadership The leaders of the two major parties have proved their worth in leading the nation. It is time for them to step aside graciously and make room for new leadership.   Healthcare in Bangladesh I am writing this letter to you after all the experience I had in Bangladesh healthcare system. My mom broke her hip bone in Kushtia , and she was admitted to a Trauma Centre under a renowned surgeon.   Motorcycle on pavements Pavements are for pedestrians. But nowadays, whenever there is a traffic jam, we see motorcycle riders moving on to the pavements to save time.   Late Ambassador Rezaul Karim I just came to know, through your newspaper, about the death of Ambassador Rezaul Karim, and I wish to add my personal memories to the tributes expressed by all those who had the privilege of knowinghim.   Our politicians Often we compare our success with that of India and always have excuses for not achieving similar milestones of success.   Most corrupt country My country has achieved the award of No 1 corrupt country in the world, but our politicians are not anxious about that. They are busy to gather more and more wealth. Urban Losing out to down under Roads in Dhaka and for that matter at every other urban centre in the country are becoming increasingly congested.   Case study on parking space of some buildings in Dhaka City Hasney Tower Building type: Office Location: Karwan Bazar, Dhaka Total floor area: 7830 sft. Number of parking required: 43 Number of parking available: None.   Building Construction Rules 1996 (popular as Rajuk Rules) for parking Residential Building 1 car parking for 3230 sft Commercial Building 1 car parking for 2152 sft Shopping/ Restaurant 1 car parking for 1076 sft Hospital/clinic 1 car parking for 3230 sft Educational World South Asia: Tigers to let Tamils vote for Lankan president Sri Lanka's Tiger rebels will allow minority Tamils to vote in next week's presidential election, the guerrillas' proxies in parliament said yesterday.   South Asia: Rain in Pak quake zone heightens disease fears United Nations officials warned yesterday that widespread rain in Pakistan's quake zone could be disastrous for their struggle to contain an outbreak of acute diarrhoea in squalid tent camps.   South Asia: Taliban kill 2 civilians, 7 Afghan policemen Taliban militants killed seven policemen and beheaded two civilians, while an Afghan soldier was shot dead after he opened fire on US troops, government and army officials said yesterday.   South Asia: Azahari death deals serious blow to terrors: Analysts The death of Azahari Husin, a terrorist at the top of police most-wanted lists across Southeast Asia, would deal a serious but not fatal blow to terror networks in the region, analysts said.   South Asia: India delays new border opening along LoC India postponed the opening of a third crossing between Pakistani and Indian Kashmir aimed at helping survivors of last month's massive earthquake.   South Asia: Pakistan protests to India over abduction Pakistan has protested to India over the abduction of a son of a Pakistani embassy official in the Indian capital, saying he was forced to pose for photographs holding a knife next to three dead bodies.   South Asia: 16 killed in Afghan truck plunge Sixteen people were killed and another five hurt early yesterday when a truck they were travelling in swerved off a road and plunged into a river near Afghanistan's capital, police said.   South Asia: Students protest Nepal king's participation in Saarc summit Students protested in Kathmandu yesterday against King Gyanendra's planned participation in the South Asian regional summit in Dhaka this weekend, witnesses said.   French urban violence on the wane The violence that has wracked France's city suburbs for two weeks showed clear signs of being on the wane yesterday, as police reported another decrease in the number of overnight incidents.   Democrat wins signal trouble for Bush Democrats on Wednesday celebrated hard-fought wins in governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey that underlined the political troubles of President George W.   World slams Jordan blasts The deadly hotel blasts that rocked the Jordanian capital Wednesday drew international condemnation for being acts of "terror" that targeted innocent people, mostly Jordanians.   British ME policy 'key factor' in Muslim extremism British foreign policy, especially in the Middle East, is a "key contributory factor" in pushing some members of the country's Muslim population towards extremism, an official report concluded yesterday.   Critics assail US policy on terror torture Despite President George W.   Jordan's wedding joy turns into tragedy Minutes before a suicide bomber blew himself up in the grand ballroom of the luxury Radisson SAS in Amman a joyous wedding reception was in full swing.   Few surprises in Egypt polls results Partial results in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections produced few surprises yesterday, with Hosni Mubarak's ruling party firmly in control and opposition parties crying foul.   Blair authority in doubt Prime Minister Tony Blair's authority was thrown into doubt Wednesday after his attempt to toughen up Britain's anti-terror laws in the wake of the London bombings was roundly defeated in parliament.   Peres ousted as Israeli Labour Party chief Shimon Peres was ousted as leader of Israel's Labour Party yesterday in an upset victory for a trade union chief whose vow to end a ruling alliance with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could trigger early   © thedailystar.net, 2005. 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