Vol. 5 Num 596 Tue. January 31, 2006       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 WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Meandering tragedy Around one million people have been rendered homeless due to river erosion in the country over the last three decades as the mighty Brahmaputra-Jamuna continues to widen due to decrease in its depth for   Bid to dismantle running plant to set up new ones Under pressure from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the cash-strapped government is set to dismantle a functional 50 megawatt power plant to install in its place two 120 megawatt 'peaking' power units   Fuel crisis continues to cripple N-dists The ongoing fuel crisis continues to make life miserable particularly in the northern region as the authorities are still unable to supply petrol and octane.   Shyamoli traders feel relieved A number of businessmen and traders in the capital's Shyamoli area heaved a sigh of relief after the arrest of Motiur Rahman Pintu, younger brother of a BNP leader Barkatullah Bulu, on Sunday night.   Ramna blast accused recruited as police SI An accused in the Ramna Batmul bomb blast case has been recruited as a sub-inspector (SI) of police and is scheduled to be sworn in next month.   Cabinet okays tele-tapping The cabinet yesterday approved Bangladesh Telecommunications (Amendment) Act 2006, providing for control on the use of mobile phone as a measure to break crime networks.   ACC to file 45 graft cases in a week The Anti-Corruption Commission will file charge sheets in 45 corruption cases within a week, ACC Chairman Justice Sultan Hossain Khan said yesterday amid criticism that the commission is not functioning   Dollar price for LC reaches record high As dollar crisis deepened primarily for rising expenditure for petroleum import, greenback prices yesterday soared to a record high of Tk 69.25 in case of opening letters of credit (LC).   Time for preparing voter roll ends today The time limit for the field level work of the controversial fresh voter list expires today while the Election Commission (EC) remains undecided whether to continue the unfinished task.   Hili land port stalled as exporters, agents call strike The border trade at Hili land port in Dinajpur remained suspended from yesterday as local exporters and clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents called an indefinite strike protesting new rules of exportfrom   Fuel station owners blame BPC for crisis Petrol pump owners yesterday blamed Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) for its negligence and mismanagement in tackling the recent fuel crisis in the country.   Demonstration...   Hearing of Beximco case against Quader brothers today Hearing of the case filed by Beximco Holdings against three brothers of Salauddin Qader Chowdhury, parliamentary affairs adviser to the prime minister, on charges of misappropriating Tk 95 crore of QC   Charge framing date shifted for sixth time Charge framing against eight charge sheeted accused in the Jhalakati judges killing case was delayed again as the hearing date was shifted to February 5.   Another 16 become deputy secretary Another 16 senior assistant secretaries (AS) who are currently on leave or in training abroad, have been promoted to the post of Deputy Secretary (DS) yesterday.   Greens protest tree felling on abandoned property Environmentalists yesterday protested against the government move to cut down a large number of trees and shrubs, some of which are rare species, on the land of an abandoned house to build staff quarters.   Ekushey Book Fair begins tomorrow...   Teenager takes own life finding she was adopted A teenaged girl allegedly committed suicide on Sunday night after she came to know that she was adopted by her parents.   Paltan OC, 4 cops sued for 'helping robbers' A person yesterday filed a criminal case against the officer-in-charge (OC) of Paltan Police Station and four sub-inspectors (SI) on charge of assisting robbers.   US wants all to stop aid to Hamas govt The United States wants other nations to cut off aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian government, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said ahead of an international strategy session on Middle East peace prospects.   Europe urges Iran to backtrack on nukes Europe urged Iran to backtrack on its nuclear ambitions yesterday as EU nations and the United States sought to convince Russia and China to back UN action and Tehran asked for more time for a compromise.   AL MPs oppose pay increase of PSC members Awami League (AL) lawmakers yesterday opposed the proposed increase in salaries of the chairman and members of Public Service Commission (PSC) as, they said, the constitutional body has lost its integrity Business High lead time, fund cost stymie RMG High lead time, exorbitant cost of fund, outdated production technology, low-price image and weak marketing are some of the weaknesses facing Bangladesh apparel sector.   GP zeroes in on network quality in 2006 Bangladesh's leading cellphone service provider GrameenPhone (GP) Ltd plans to invest more in 2006 to provide smooth network services for its subscribers.   Chittagong Port gets four gantry cranes Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain yesterday inaugurated the commissioning of four gantry cranes at Chittagong Port.   Businesses urged to help economy grow Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan yesterday urged business houses to make contribution to the country's sustainable economic development.   Bimstec FTA to facilitate Delhi's trade flow A leading Indian trade body yesterday said Free Trade Agreement among Bimstec countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal will enable India to inch closer to Asean and Saarc countries and enhance   'Corporate Bazaar' receives good response As a three-day exhibition of corporate houses began in Dhaka yesterday, several hundreds of corporate visitors crowded Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre to know about corporate solutions offered   Oil prices higher in Asian trade on eve of Opec meet Oil prices rose sharply above 68 dollars a barrel in Asian trade Monday as Iran stirred turmoil on the eve of an Opec meeting by calling for a cut in production levels, dealers said.   Lanka plans to import more drugs from Beximco Pharma Sri Lanka plans to import more drug items from Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited.   DSE gets four new directors Shahed Abdul Khaleque, Md Azizul Haque, Sharif Ataur Rahman and Abdullah Bukhari were elected directors of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) yesterday.   New office bearers of JCI Bangladesh S Rumi Saifullah has been elected national president of JCI Bangladesh for the year 2006. He took over the charge from former president Safina Rahman at a function in Dhaka Sunday.   New ICMAB office bearers Satipati Moitra and Mohammed Salim have been elected president and secretary of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) for the year 2006.   MBA Club dialogue for creating business leadership A dialogue on leadership has stressed the need for creating business leadership in the country.   Sri Lanka tea exports hit record high Sri Lanka, one of the world's top exporters of tea, sold a record 308 million kilos (677 million pounds) of the commodity to overseas buyers last year, a brokering house said Monday.   Emirates refurbishes 7 aircraft In a bid to enhance passengers' in-flight comfort, Dubai-based airline Emirates has undertaken a project to refurbish its fleet of nine Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Sports Cricket: DOHS can celebrate now Old DOHS all but confirmed lifting their second successive Premier Cricket League title when the new powerhouse of local cricket buried Mohammedan Sporting Club under tons of runs in a Super Six match   Cricket: Al Shahriar keeps scoring A sparkling 63 by Al Shahriar and solid top-order batting kept Sonargaon Cricketers' slim title hopes alive with an exciting three-wicket victory over Brothers Union in the Aktel Premier Cricket League   Cricket: Pakistan edge ahead Pakistan's young guns outperformed India's star-studded tourists to help the hosts seize the advantage in the third and final cricket Test here on Monday.   Cricket: Crucial SA-SL tie today South Africa and Sri Lanka are bracing for a make-or-break encounter when they clash in Tuesday's triangular series limited-overs match in Perth with Australia already sewing-up one of the two finalsberths.   Cricket: PCB to ask for 6-day Tests during winter Pakistan cricket authorities will ask the International Cricket Council (ICC) to allow six-day Tests to be played in winter to reduce the impact of bad light and poor weather on play.   Cricket: Country gets two more Test venues Three more cricket grounds in the country got the nod of International Cricket Council (ICC) to host international matches.   Cricket: Rahim and co off to Lanka The Mushfiqur Rahim-led Bangladesh cricket team left Dhaka yesterday for Colombo to take part in the ICC Under-19 World Cup which starts from February 5.   Football: MSC football camp from tomorrow Mohammedan Sporting Club's football camp for the preparation of AFC Cup will start tomorrow under coach Shafiqul Islam Manik.   Cricket: Indira Road stay put Mashrafee-Bin-Mortuza inspired Indira Road Krira Chakra clinch an exciting six-run victory over Agrani Bank yesterday that kept them in the Premier Division Cricket League.   Chess: Mostafa lifts jr chess title Golam Mostafa clinched the title of the BASIC Bank 27th National Junior (Under-20) Chess Cha-mpionship beating Minhazuddin Sagar in the play-off at the federation hall room yesterday.   Cricket: Div I cricket Tajin smashed a century as Uttara Sporting Club scored a massive 145-run victory over Gazi Tank in the First Division Cricket League at the City Club ground yesterday.   Football: Contrasting fortunes for minnows Cameroon wrapped up their African Nations Cup Group B campaign with a perfect three wins from three here on Sunday beating 10-man Democratic Republic of Congo 2-0.   Football: Trezeguet treble keeps Juve clear David Trezeguet scored a hattrick inside the first 18 minutes as champions Juventus kept on course to retain the Serie A title with a comfortable 3-1 win at Ascoli on Sunday.   Football: Barcelona closer to league record Barcelona ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at Real Mallorca to extend their lead at the top of the Spanish first division to 12 points and notch up their 14th straight league victory.   Football: Romario still going strong Former World Cup winner Romario on Sunday celebrated his 40th birthday by scoring his 950th career goal and insisted that his driving ambition remains to score 50 more times to reach his career goal 1,000   Football: Media soccer The Meril Cup Fourth Media Football Tournament began yesterday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.   Cricket: Now Sri Lanka the target of racist taunts Racist crowd taunts at Australian grounds this summer have increased to include Sri Lanka, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.   Football: No money, no play Democratic Republic of Congo will not play their African Nations Cup quarterfinal against Egypt if bonuses are not paid in time, coach Claude Leroy said on Monday.   Football: L’pool, Man U handed FA Cup tie Bitter Premiership rivals Liverpool and Manchester United were drawn together in the tie of the FA Cup fifth round made on Monday at the English FA headquarters here.   Football: USA blank Norway Taylor Twellman recorded a hat trick as the United States cruised to a 5-0 victory Sunday over Norway in an international friendly at the Home Depot Center. Metropolitan Kibria murder case sent to Sylhet Speedy Tribunal The case of the killing of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria was sent to the Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal from the Habiganj District and Sessions Judge's court yesterday.   PM for global exchange of weather information Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday called for international cooperation in global exchange of weather information for worldwide disaster mitigation, as meteorological activities do not obey any political   Sunny, Awal on fresh remand Abdul Awal, son-in-law of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Abdur Rahman, was placed on a fresh seven-day remand in an August 17 blasts case yesterday.   Punishment to culprits demanded Leaders of Bangladesh Krishak Samity (BKS) and Angikar Bangladesh Foundation (ABF) yesterday in separate rallies demanded fair investigation and exemplary punishment of the people responsible for Kansat   Alliance govt does everything to rig election: Hasina Opposition Leader and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the BNP-Jamaat alliance government has done everything to rig the next parliamentary election.   4 killed in road mishaps Four people including two of a family were killed and 37 others injured in separate road accidents in Dhaka, Chittagong and Bogra yesterday.   Agri ministry has used 42pc of ADP allocation Agriculture Ministry has used 42 percent of Tk 600 crore allocation until December under the Annual Development Programme of 2005-06 fiscal.   Improve quality to protect intellectual property rights WIPO Sub-Regional Forum for Intellectual Property Cooperation among the Saarc member-states was inaugurated here yesterday to work out strategies for improving the quality of goods and services and protecting   Properties worth Tk 50 lakh damaged in Barisal A devastating fire gutted two bakeries in the city causing damage to properties worth Tk 50 lakh yesterday.   Holy Ashura on Feb 10 The Muharram moon was not sighted anywhere in Bangladesh yesterday.   PM to lay foundation today Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is expected to lay the foundation stone of Saidabad 450MW power plant at the western side of Jamuna Bridge during her visit to the district today.   833 applications under Gha unit cancelled Dhaka University authorities have cancelled 833 applications of the Gha unit, as the applicants did not fulfil the minimum criteria for appearing at the admission test.   Robbery at PP's house in Ctg A gang of robbers staged a daring robbery at the residence of a public prosecutor (PP) and BNP leader in the early hours of yesterday.   5 get death, one life A Narayanganj court yesterday sentenced five people to death and another person to life imprisonment for killing a teenage schoolboy in September 2004.   AIUB convocation on February 5 The sixth convocation of American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) will be held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre on February 5.   SCBA view exchange meet on election today The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) will hold a view exchange meeting on "Democracy and Free, Fair and Transparent Election: Present Situation and Future Action" at the SCBA's south hall at 4:00pm   Unite to realise demands The biennial general meeting of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) urged the journalists to get united to realise their demands.   Two get life for throwing acid on housewife A special tribunal here sentenced two people to life imprisonment on Sunday for throwing acid on a housewife.   One gets 25 yrs in arms case in Patuakhali A court here yesterday sentenced one person to 25 years' rigorous imprisonment in an arms case.   Rotary Club distributes blankets Dhaka Midtown Rotary Club has distributed 1400 blankets among the poor in the current winter season.   Hasina goes to Sylhet tomorrow Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina goes to Sylhet tomorrow to address a grand rally of the AL-led 14-party opposition combine there.   Contributions of 23 lawyers recalled The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) yesterday organised a meeting in memory of its 23 members who died recently.   Girl burnt alive, 87 houses gutted A girl was burnt alive and 87 houses were gutted in a fire near Sitakunda rail station on Sunday night. The dead was identified as Parveen Akther, 10, daughter of Sobhan Majee.   Betar to broadcast inaugural function of Ekushey Boimela Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will inaugurate the "Amar Ekushey Boimela" at the Bangla Academy at 2:30 pm tomorrow. Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the programme directly for its listeners. National JCD cadres assault principal,vandalise college in Rajshahi Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) cadres yesterday vandalised Rajshahi Government City College and assaulted its principal demanding admission of more party activists in HSC courses.   Grabbers in Cox's Bazar feast on govt land, forest Freestyle grabbing of government land and indiscriminate destruction of forests have become an order of the day in Cox's Bazar coastal areas, mainly for shrimp cultivation.   Panic grips Trishal Ahmaddiyas Panic has gripped the Ahmaddiya comunity at Dhanikhola village in Trishal upazila as the International Khatme Nabuat Movement, Bangladesh (IKNMB) threatened to 'capture' their mosque there on February   UNDP team reviews CHT development projects The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) delegation now on a four-day visit to Bandarban to review donor-assisted development programmes yesterday held three workshops, participated by stakeholders.   Hearing for charge framing deferred again The date for hearing of Jhalakathi judges murder case for framing charges was shifted for the sixth time yesterday. Point-Counterpoint Hamas replaces Fatah in Palestinian general election The inevitable has happened. With the departure of Yasser Arafat, legendary leader of Palestinian (Fatah) Movement, Fatah has lost its right to rule.   Art of the Skyscraper Dr. Fazlur Rahman Khan was one of the greatest structural engineers of the twentieth century. Culture A gamut of rhythms Dhaka dwellers usually have very few outlets for entertainment.   Joglul, the interpreter of sound, on a journey of silence I saw him first at the foyer of Mohila Samity, a quiet and dreamy looking young man with a scruffy beard. He would not talk much. The look said it all.   Sisimpur on the road Recently, the children from Sunbeams School, Sunny Dale School and Apparajeyo Bangla School were a pleased lot.   Commemorating the month of Language Movement To commemorate February, the month of the Language Movement, Dhonichitra Limited has arranged a 15-day film and TV drama festival, says a press release. International Sabotage blamed for Pak train plunge Pakistani investigators believe saboteurs tampered with a section of railway track, causing a train to plunge into a ravine and killing at least four people, a minister said yesterday.   Candidates stay out of Nepali polls campaign A candidate was shot while others stayed largely out of sight as campaigning officially began for controversial municipal polls called by Nepal's royal government, which Maoist rebels have threatenedto   India plans to abstain from Iran vote India plans to abstain from a vote on Iran's nuclear programme at a meeting of the UN's atomic watchdog this week, top Indian officials said yesterday.   New recruits bolster Tigers ahead of talks Tamil guerrillas have inducted scores more combatants to their "Sea Tiger" force ahead of crucial peace talks with the Sri Lankan government, a pro-rebel website said yesterday.   Tough new judge threatens to derail rocky Saddam trial The notoriously chaotic trial of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had a new judge on Sunday determined to shape the process up, but in the process lost half his defendants and all their lawyers.   India carries out third missile test in three days India Monday carried out its third test in three days of its surface-to-air Akash missile at an eastern coastal testing range, a defence official said.   Naga rebels sound warning to Delhi Separatist rebels from northeastern Nagaland warned Monday, ahead of another round of talks with the Indian government in Thailand, that they will let a ceasefire lapse unless they clinch concessions.   Ex-Pak PM Sharif arrives in London Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has arrived in London from Saudi Arabia where he has lived in exile since being thrown from power by the regime of Pervez Musharraf.   Muslim anger snowballs over cartoons on Prophet Four months after the fact, Muslim anger over the publication in Scandinavia of cartoons depicting the Prophet Hazrat Mohammed (SM) has snowballed into a diplomatic crisis threatening trade relationswith Editorial Editorial: Ensure good boro crop by all means Boro farming has been hit hard by an unanticipated scarcity of diesel persisting in the northern region during this peak time for planting this variety of paddy which accounts for 55 percent of our total   Editorial: Four more months It is with a sense of weary resignation that we learn of the government's plans to appeal to the Supreme Court for yet another extension to the deadline for the separation of the judiciary from the executive.   On state and markets In the realm of resource allocation, income distribution and poverty reduction in developing countries, the relative role of the state and the market continues to be a bone of contention among economists.   Grey area Whoever thought that the uses of adversity are sweet was never in Indian politics and must have been a Trappist monk of the more depressed sort. Letters to Editor Population control in BD The Daily Star has been covering many important social issues related to BD. Unfortunately, up until now, this paper has not widely covered one very important issue, which is population control in Bangladesh.   Our duties Every child born in this country has the right to get education. If we are democratic, then we must see every human being equally, which also includes children.   US intentions Brig. SA Khan's suspicion of US intentions is not unfounded.   Counter-terrorism bureau Counter-terrorism bureau is certainly a questionable proposition, as noted by your Defence and Strategic Affairs Editor, on Thursday 26 January, 2006.   US and Pakistan The US forced us to be with it when it needed our service. But the honeymoon is over.   © thedailystar.net, 2006. All Rights Reserved.