Vol. 5 Num 533 Sat. November 26, 2005       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Point-counterpoint Metropolitan National International Culture General Views Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections StarTech Literature Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Biman at height of flight disarray The national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines has earned the bad name of erratic schedule manager by operating flights to as many as 26 international and six domestic destinations with a dwindling   Terror-financing NGOs remain unscathed Certain Middle East-based international non-governmental organisations operating in the country are still untouched despite months-old intelligence confirmation of their financing the Islamist militant   Opposition demands agenda, congenial atmosphere Apparently unconvinced by BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan's dialogue offer, the Awami League-led 14-party opposition yesterday asked the ruling party to come up with precise proposal and agenda   Time to unite against militancy: Oli Ahmed Stressing the need for being united like in 1971 to face the rise of militancy, BNP's standing committee member Col Retd Oli Ahmed yesterday said the whole nation is anxious about the recent trend ofbomb   8 JMB men held in 3 districts The police yesterday arrested eight suspected members of the banned Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Bhola, Rajshahi and Tangail districts.   2 top Janajuddha bombers killed Two of the 24 Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) operatives listed as potential bombers by the Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) were found dead with bullet marks at two different places in the cityearly   Speaker's role in House once again in question Running of the last session of parliament by Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, once again raised serious questions regarding maintaining the rules of procedure (RP) of the Jatiya Sangsad and how his rulingsleave   Spectrum Sweater bldg caved in for faulty foundation The Spectrum Sweater factory at Palashbari in Savar caved in due to improper concreting in three feet area of a foundation column, said a civil engineering expert who was in a team that investigated the   A sandy channel...   100 BNP leaders will speak out, says Hena Expelled from the BNP, lawmaker Abu Hena yesterday said about 100 lawmakers and leaders of the ruling party are with him, who will go public against the militants in time.   Excessive media coverage helps rise of militancy, says Nizami The media by giving excessive coverage of militants are in fact contributing to the rise of religious militancy in the country, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Matiur Rahman Nizami said yesterday in an interview   Dense fog disrupts ferry, launch services Dense fog disrupted ferry and launch services on different river routes on the Padma -Meghna yesterday for hours, stranding hundreds of vehicles on both sides of the rivers and causing sufferings to the   Advance Ad's protest and our reply Advance Ad, an advertising firm, has protested a news item published in The Daily Star on November 20 headlined 'Outdoor Ad business in mighty hands'.   Ashraf under fire at BNP meeting In the face of growing Islamist militancy driving a wedge between the ruling BNP leaders, the party policymakers have taken a hard line against anti-party statements in this context.   Hena's expulsion prompted by Jamaat, allies, says opposition Opposition political parties yesterday said expulsion of BNP lawmaker Abu Hena exposed the "clandestine entente" between the government and the Islamist militants responsible for the countrywide bombattacks   Bangla Bhai used govt vehicle Militant kingpin Bangla Bhai and his followers used a government vehicle during their operations against outlaws in the northern region in April last year, a JMB source said.   'Allow duty-free access of items from LDCs' A rally of several thousand women workers at Muktangaon in the capital yesterday called on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to allow duty-free access for the goods from least developed countries (LDC)   Terrorism a threat to all, says Queen Queen Elizabeth II opened a summit of the 53-nation Commonwealth yesterday with an appeal for determined action against challenges such as terrorism that she said posed a threat to all.   Lanka to amend truce to halt 'terrorism' New Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse said yesterday he would amend a ceasefire with rebels to halt "terrorist acts", saying he did not believe minority Tamils should have their own separate homeland.   'Criminal' killed in 'crossfire' in Comilla A top criminal and leader of an inter-district gang of robbers was killed in "crossfire" between the members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and his accomplices in Chouddagram upazila of Comilla early   Contractor, trader murdered, youth's body recovered Three persons were killed and one was injured in three separate incidents in the city yesterday.   AL to lay siege to dist admin offices Nov 30 The Awami League-led 14-party combine will lay a two-hour siege to the district administration offices across the country on November 30 to protest the price-hike of essentials.   Relatives of five crossfire victims term it cold blooded murder Relatives of five outlaws, who were killed in a 'shootout' with police at Baruria village in Kumarkhali upazila Wednesday night, termed the incident a cold blooded murder.   Death threat to 2 newsmen in Faridpur Two local newsmen received death threat from anonymous callers on Thursday night for launching a movement demanding trial of the killers of journalist Gautam Das.   Football legend best dead Former Manchester United winger George Best, one of the greatest players in soccer history, died on Friday after spending much of his adult life battling an alcohol problem. He was 59.   Road barricade to protest trader's death in accident An elderly trader was killed when a garbage collecting truck of Dhaka City Corporation ran over him at Posta Dhal in the old part of the city yesterday morning.   Smuggled salt, sugar seized, 52 arrested A patrol team of Bangladesh Navy arrested 52 members of a smuggling syndicate and seized seven cargo boats with over 1,400 tonnes of smuggled salt and sugar on Sandwip Channel of the Bay of Bengal Wednesday   Oceans, greenhouse gases rising faster Ocean and so-called greenhouse gas levels are rising faster than they have for thousands of years, according to two reports published on Thursday that are likely to fuel debate on global warming.   Cop arrested for mugging cattle trader Tk 3 lakh A policeman was arrested last night for mugging a cattle trader Tk 3 lakh in Mirpur in the capital. Business 20 ins companies likely to debut early next year Some 20 new insurance companies are likely to make debut by the first quarter of the next year.   Asian air traffic growth slows on high oil prices Air traffic growth for Asia-Pacific airlines slowed in October, when they carried 10.9 million international passengers, up 3.6 percent from a year earlier, a regional industry group said Friday.   Developers expanding to other cities With the real estate business growing rapidly, developers now are expanding to other cities to meet the increasing housing demand.   Thai RMG export may drop Thai garment exports this year could be flat or even drop as the industry struggles with the fallout from the end earlier this year of a global textile quota system, an industry group said Friday.   DSE to launch investors' awareness programme The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) will organise investors' awareness programmes in different parts of the country to encourage more participation of general public in the capital market.   GP customer centres now open everyday The GrameenPhone customer centres will remain open every day even on all public holidays. This will make GP's after-sales services more available for the subscribers, says a press release.   Former WB chief Wolfensohn to rejoin Citigroup Citigroup announced that James Wolfensohn, former president of World Bank Group, will become an advisor to senior management on global strategy and on international matters and in 2006 will become chairman   Australia eyes free trade deal with UAE by mid-2006 Australia said Friday it wants a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in place by mid-2006.   UK calls for EU signal on farm reform viewing WTO talk British finance minister Gordon Brown on Thursday challenged the EU to send a "signal" to help unblock WTO trade talks by reforming its own agricultural subsidies.   Asia's economy perking up A string of strong indicators throughout Asia is sending a clear message to the market: the regional economy is perking up.   StanChart opens cash booth at Sonargaon Hotel Standard Chartered Bank has opened a cash booth at the annexe building of the Pan Pacific Sonargan Hotel.   Oil prices fall World oil prices fell on Thursday as strong rises in US crude inventories helped offset concerns about high demand for heating fuel during the northern hemisphere winter, dealers said.   Weekly Currency Roundup Nov 20-Nov 24, 2005 Local FX Market Demand for US dollar remained steady. USD was stable against taka. Sports Best: Football's Van Gogh George Best, one of the most talented footballers to grace the 'beautiful game', dazzled all too briefly before a painful descent into alcoholism.   Cricket: Lara poised for record West Indian batsman Brian Lara silenced his critics with an unbeaten double-century in the third and final Test against Australia on Friday.   Cricket: NCL 2nd round begins today The visitors will desperately try to turn fortune in their favour when the second round of the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea Seventh National Cricket League begins today, at three different venues across the   Cricket: Proteas rule Eden South Africa took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series when they routed India by ten wickets at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the fourth match yesterday.   Tribute to the great George Best's family made an emotional statement outside the hospital, read out by Best's sister Barbara McNarry, after the football legend died here yesterday.   Football: Best of George Football legend George Best, who died aged 59 in a west London hospital on Friday, was well known for his quips and asides, especially on his party-going lifestyle.   Football: Army edge Kacharipara A 64th minute strike by Mizanur Rahman enabled Bangladesh Army to a solitary goal victory over Jamalpur Kacharipara Sporting Club in the Nitol-Tata Fifth National Football League final round at the Khulna   Cricket: BD U-19s end on high note Bangladesh outplayed South Africa by eight wickets, to finish their campaign in the Afro-Asian Under-19 cricket tournament with a high note at Vishakhapatnam yesterday.   Cricket: HP dominate Eng U-19 The Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) High Performance Squad completed a whitewash of the England Under-19s team, when the home boys scored a six-wicket victory over the visitors in the fifth and final   Cricket: Tendulkar most capped Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar became the most capped one-day player on Friday after making his 357th appearance in the fourth game against South Africa at Eden Gardens.   Football: BD in AFC U-17 soccer finals Bangladesh qualified for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-17 Championship finals despite losing 1-0 to Sri Lanka in the return-leg match yesterday.   Football: French pair through English Premiership side Middlesbrough, as well as French pair Marseille and Strasbourg, all booked their places in the UEFA Cup knockout round on Thursday.   Football: Portsmouth feel the heat Sacking your manager 48 hours before facing the best team in the country does not sound like a reliable recipe for success.   Football: Luxemburgo's last! Real Madrid coach Wanderley Luxemburgo will be playing for his professional life when the Spanish giants, who are currently fourth in the Spanish first division, visit Real Sociedad on Sunday.   Football: Milan giants delighted The return to form of Andriy Shevchenko and Adriano is good news for the two Milan clubs as they look to close the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus this weekend.   Football: Easy win for Gazi Tank Gazi Tank coasted to a comfortable six-wicket victory against Young Pegasus B in one of the three matches on the opening day of the First Division Cricket League yesterday.   Cricket: Woolmer warns of complacency Pakistan's coach Bob Woolmer has cautioned his players to be wary of an England backlash in the third and final Test in Lahore next week.   Hockey: Auspicious start for Barnak Barnak Samaj made a solid start in the Green Delta Insurance Second Division Hockey League with a 3-0 defeat of Rayer Bazar AC in the opening match at the Maulana Bhasani National Stadium yesterday.   Chess: Chess League from today The Dutch-Bangla Bank First Division Chess League will begin today at the Bangladesh Chess Federation hall-room. A total of 16 teams will take part in the round-robin league. Metropolitan Stop domestic violence, torture on women The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was observed yesterday with a call to stop domestic violence and resist repression on women.   One in six women suffers from domestic violence A new international study of domestic violence says it is the most common form of violence against women.   '12 lakh SSC candidates will face bleak future' Speakers at a meeting yesterday urged the government to cancel its decision of introducing unified education system in the country.   Donors urged to help develop water resources management Water Resources Minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmad yesterday urged the donors to help develop water management and flood control system in the country.   Pest-resistant aubergine in the offing Aubergine farmers usually spray insecticides on the standing crop 25 to 80 times to control the borers, worms that cause inner damage to the vegetables, causing a serious threat to human health and environment.   Chronic noise linked to heart attack risk Exposure to chronic noise on the street and at work can increase the risk of a heart attack, German researchers said on Thursday.   Jalil demands release of Khulna Jubo League leader Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil yesterday demanded release of Kamruzzaman Jamal, president of Khulna district Jubo League, and withdrawal of what he said was false case against him.   Rajshahi BNP hails move while AL sees sign of row in ruling party The expulsion of ruling BNP lawmaker Abu Hena from the party was the talk of the town here in Rajshahi yesterday.   Left-wing student bodies call strike at DU on Nov 30 Progressive Students' Alliance, a platform of left-leaning student organisations, has called a student strike at Dhaka University on November 30 to protest the university authorities' decision to introduce   Drug traders attack journo in Jessore Drug traders attacked journalist Krishna Basu, Nawapara correspondent of the daily Ajker Kagoj, near his house at Nawapara industrial town in Jessore yesterday afternoon.   Need for skilled English teachers stressed Speakers at a conference stressed the need for expansion of modern training facilities for the English language teachers.   Zia Ansari passes away TV personality Zia Ansari passed away at his Lalmatia residence in the city yesterday morning at the age of 63.   ‘No govt step to protect their rights’ Although the migrant workers are making significant contributions to the national economy through sending huge amount of remittance, the government is not taking any appropriate measures to protect their   ‘No alternative to independent EC secretariat’ For holding free and fair elections, there is no alternative to an independent Election Commission (EC) secretariat, Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali said yesterday.   Action to be taken against policemen, says DMP chief Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mizanur Rahman yesterday said that action would be taken against the policemen responsible for the attack on journalists. National Unite to topple protectors of bombers, killers Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain has called upon political leaders and workers to intensify the on going agitation to topple the government to free the county from those who are killing people and   Most ferries in Aricha in bad shape Ferry services in Paturia-Daulatdia and Paturia-Kazirhat routes are threatened with disruption because of dilapidated condition of most of the ferry boats and sorry state of pontoons.   New rule an obstacle for CHT students A new rule introduced by the Health Department has frustrated both the tribal and non-tribal students in three hill districts who intend to get admitted in different medical colleges of the country.   Abducted youth not rescued in 5 months Police are yet to make any clue regarding abduction of Sayed Miraj Ali, four and a half months after the incident.   Students give 7-day deadline to accept demand Students of Dinajpur Government Veterinary College on Thursday gave the government a seven-day ultimatum to merge the college with Hajee Danesh Science Technology University to the institution and the   Barisal grinds to a halt for half an hour today Life will halt in Barisal division for half an hour from 11 am to 11-30 am today to press a nine-point demand for development of the area.   Housewife violated by ruling party men A poor housewife, gangraped allegedly by a leader of ruling coalition partner and his six associates, is fighting for life at Nilphamari Sadar Hospital. Point-Counterpoint Investing in the children of the Islamic world SINCE the fall of Baghdad (1258) and the Battle of Lepanto (1571) there has been a lot of soul searching among the Muslims of the world for their backwardness, and several thought provoking suggestions   Rushdie's shattered utopia I have just finished reading "Shalimar the Clown" by Salman Rushdie (pub: Random House 2005) and I am still jet lagged from the experience.   Iraq quagmire: Bush's dilemma With the rise in number of deaths of American soldiers in Iraq, there has been mounting pressure on Bush administration to pull out troops from Iraq. The death toll passed 2000 mark early this month. Culture Nabanno Utshab ¿05 celebrated Jatiyo Nabanno Utshab Udjapon Porshad' held a day-long programme on the occasion of Nobanno (harvest) festival at the Bakultola, Institute of Fine Arts yesterday.   Three Bangladeshi plays to participate at NSD Festival For the first time three Bangladeshi stage plays are participating at the National School of Drama Festival (NSD) known as Bharat Rang Mahautsava, which is incidentally, the biggest theatre festival   Animation Film Festival '05 Dhaka University Film Society is all set to organise the Animation Film Festival 2005. Beginning from November 28, the four-day-long festival will screen popular contemporary animated films.   Taj Mahal shimmers... Attempting a historical film in these times is as rare as having thunder showers in January.   Chayanika Chowdhury Chayanika Chowdhury has a new offering -- a one-hour play titled Shonar Kathi Rupar Kathi. Scripted by Bipasha Hayat, the story of the play revolves around the endangered life of a young woman. General Indian parliament rocked for 2nd day India's opposition forced parliament to adjourn for a second straight day yesterday as it stepped up attacks on the government over allegations a minister got kickbacks in Iraq's oil-for-food programme.   Security fears as Nato readies Afghan push Nato allies are in intensive talks to allay security concerns among nations key to a plan to expand peacekeeping in Afghanistan amid growing violence there, alliance sources said yesterday.   House arrest for Suu Kyi likely to be extended Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will likely spend another year under house arrest, a source close to the military said yesterday as the country's pro-democracy party demanded the releaseof International 2nd China chemical plant blast kills one A chemical plant explosion in southwest China has killed one worker and forced thousands of people to be evacuated, state media reported yesterday, raising fears of a second environmental disaster intwo   Indonesia, Pakistan seal anti-terror pact Indonesia and Pakistan, the world's two largest Muslim nations, sealed a counter-terrorism pact on Thursday to fight Islamist militancy.   Abbas opens Gaza gateway to world The Rafah border, Gaza's only link to the outside world that bypasses Israel, was declared open by Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas yesterday after being shut for nearly three months.   UN warns against shifting quake focus in Pakistan The United Nations warned yesterday against shifting focus from urgent relief to reconstruction in Pakistani quake-ravaged areas where thousands of children are still struggling to stay alive.   'EU slams Israel's Jerusalem policy' European Union representatives have said Israel's policies in Arab East Jerusalem hurt the prospects of a final agreement on the city with the Palestinians, The New York Times said yesterday.   Iraq says troop pullout will lead to violence Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari urged Japan yesterday to keep its troops in southern Iraq, saying an early pullout of coalition forces would lead to more violence by insurgents.   German found guilty of supplying nuke tech to Pakistan A German businessman was on Thursday sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for illegally supplying Pakistan with equipment to build nuclear weapons.   30 die as flash floods sweep bus off bridge in Tamil Nadu Flash floods swept a bus off a bridge in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu yesterday, drowning at least 30 passengers, police said.   Key witness in Saddam case dies of cancer A key witness against Saddam Hussein has died of cancer, but his testimony has been recorded on audio and video tape for presentation in the trial scheduled to begin next week, the main prosecutor said   Poll predict Sharon win Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new centrist party would win a March election, altering Israel's political map by crushing rightists opposed to peacemaking with the Palestinians, surveys found on Friday. Editorial Editorial: Pressure to raise fuel price again It is not always possible not to give into the pressure of the donor agencies and development partners. More so if it has to do with increasing the prices of subsidised commodities like petroleum.   Editorial: Filling up of Gulshan/Badda lake Filling of our vital water bodies particularly those in and around the capital city has been going on unabated for quite some time despite periodic attempts by the Administration to stop this menace of   Bush and widespread anti-incumbent sentiment Recent results in the hard-fought Governor's races in the States of Virginia and New Jersey have underlined the political troubles of President George W Bush and other Republicans heading into next year's   Hail the mighty government think-tank! It never ceases to amaze: the level of intellectual capacity, the political acumen, and the perspicacity of the people who are leading us into this new millennium. Letters to Editor Bangla Academy dictionary English to Bengali dictionaries published by Bangla Academy are not available in the market for several months. Being a guardian of some students, I have been looking for such a dictionary.   Female garment workers It's pathetic that the poor young female garment workers are facing inequalities and other harassment and we the civil society [so called] just ignore it as they are not related with us -- they are women   Global village Today's young and vibrant generation is smarter in the global village environment, and pick up ideas and trends faster from the foreign and alien developed societies; thanks to IT short-cuts in time and   Terrorism: Hit them back It will be quite naïve to postulate that all the Islamic extremists/terrorists will cease to function and strike soon after the government has banned the outfits.   Uniform grading system for varsities University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken an initiative to introduce uniform grading system in all the universities (The Daily Star, 16 November 2005). StarTech Towards success in software Three months ago, I returned to Bangladesh after living abroad for 30 years.   City's latest online entertainment guide Are there any good concerts in the city today?" asked Shawkat to his friends. All five of them looked at each other, hoping to get a response. But apparently, nobody had heard of anything.   Documenta Cheque Management System released Documenta Ltd, a member of BRAC family that is involved in software development and digital archiving services, has recently released a new software named "Bank Cheque Management System", says a press   Biblio Roll Literature Penalty Scarcely a month ever went by without Alarakkhi having some fine deducted from her pay.   The Voices of Rebati's Sisters In 1898 the generally acknowledged father of modern Oriya fiction Fakir Mohan Senapati, in the first ever short story published in the Oriya language, created Rebati.   'Life changes in the instant' "Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends. The question of self-pity.   Like A Tree-Root, Alone The quiet fire in his head drove him mad Sits in a hole he dug thoughtful as a tree-root White wood-mites, other pretty, patterned insects Close by him--not human habitats-- They havegone   The stars were watched our shoes ate asphalt that night when the entire city stretched, like a cat on the roof   © thedailystar.net, 2005. All Rights Reserved.