Vol. 5 Num 705 Wed. May 24, 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 Star Chittagong Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Black Tuesday for industry One person was killed and at least 100 people were injured while over 250 factories and 200 vehicles were ransacked yesterday, as garment workers in tens of thousands rampaged through the city and its   SC asks EC to update current voter roll The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday upheld the High Court (HC) directives and observations over the Election Commission's (EC) preparation of a voter list for the next general elections with modification   Angry factory owners take to the streets Leaders and members of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) yesterday took to the streets and blocked the VIP Road at Hotel Sonargaon roundabout in the capital, protesting   UAE to supply oil at low prices The United Arab Emirates (UAE) yesterday assured that it would recruit more Bangladeshi workers, provide development assistance and supply oil at concessional prices.   Trade bodies ask govt to deploy army, BDR, Rab Leaders of different trade bodies yesterday asked the government to deploy armed forces, along with Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and paramilitary BDR, in industrial belts, specially in textile and garment   No need for army, situation under control: Babar State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar yesterday claimed that the government has brought the garment factory violence under control and there is no need to deploy army.   Bhuiyan smells local, foreign conspiracies BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday said local and foreign conspiracies might be behind the sudden outbreak of violence in the garment industry, saying that the perpetrators must be detected.   Hasina slates govt for creating anarchy Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday accused the four-party alliance government of setting fire to garment factories in and around the capital to create anarchy in the Readymade Garment (RMG)   Tk 60 crore goes down the drain Most of the Tk 60 crore already spent from the public exchequer for preparing a fresh voter list seems to have been wasted as the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday upheld the High Court (HC) directives for   Jamaat leader accused of leading attack on indigenous community Over two hundred people, most of them of the Munda community, held a rally in Satkhira town today protesting an attack on the members of the indigenous community by a local leader of Jamat-e-IslaaamiBangladesh.   Iajuddin ill, admitted to CMH President Iajuddin Ahmed was admitted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka yesterday afternoon, said a press release issued from the Bangabhaban.   Local firm gets $50m water management job Asia Energy awarded its first contract of a $50 million water management programme at its Phulbari coal mine to a Bangladeshi company.   Involvement of Minu, Parveen in conspiracy not proved The counsel for convicts Minu and Parveen yesterday told the Death Reference Bench of the High Court in Shazneen murder case that the prosecution could not prove that the two were involved in the conspiracy   JS body recommends Biman hajj fare at $1,050 for all A parliamentary body yesterday suggested the government to fix the airfare of Bangladesh Biman for both ballottee (under government management) and non- ballottee hajj pilgrims at US $1050.   Malaysia lifts ban on Bangladeshi workers after 9yrs Malaysia has lifted the ban on recruiting Bangladeshi workers after nine years.   ACC to warn officials, politicians of poll-related graft Agreeing with the Nagorik Committee demand, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to warn the government officials and politicians of punishment if found guilty of election related corruption.   Wahiduddin for management review, Debapriya for quick control Expressing concern at the ongoing troubles in the Readymade Garment (RMG) sector, eminent economist Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud said it needs to be examined if mismanagement by some 'incompetent' garment owners   BD Foods chairman on fresh remand A Dhaka court yesterday placed BD Foods Chairman Badruddoza Chowdhury Momen, arrested on charge of smuggling heroin to the UK, on a fresh five-day remand.   ACC asks bank peon to explain wealth secret An office peon of a bank owns a skyscraper, two large houses in Dhaka city and other properties worth several crore taka.   14-party's Dhaka siege now on June 11 Awami League-led (AL) 14-party opposition combine in an emergency meeting yesterday decided to defer its June 5 Dhaka siege programme to June 11 as it coincides with the A level examinations.   Security upped in CEPZ, Ctg RMG units In the wake of widespread ransacking and arson attack on garment units in Dhaka for the last two days, precautionary measures and security were tightened in all the garment factories in the port cityincluding   India, Pakistan start talks on glacier troops cut Nuclear rivals India and Pakistan started a fresh round of talks yesterday over the Siachen glacier in Kashmir, where thousands of troops are holed up in freezing temperatures in a costly standoff.   Why cabinet secy won't be terminated The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule upon the government to explain why it should not be directed to terminate the contractual service of Cabinet Secretary ASM Abdul Halim for his "political links"   Correction In our yesterday's report headlined "EPZ workers go berserk: 2 RMG units set ablaze, 100 damaged, 1 killed," it was inadvertently mentioned that garment worker Rana killed in the violence was a worker Business High oil prices, power crisis may hurt growth High oil prices and power crisis may affect the country's growth prospects as well as hamper new employment opportunities, Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud said yesterday.   Allocate Tk 25cr in budget for women entrepreneurship development Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) yesterday demanded allocation of at least Tk 25 crore in the budget for 2006-07 for women entrepreneurship development.   Germans keen to invest more in Bangladesh German trade team yesterday showed keen interest to invest in different sectors in Bangladesh.   Gillette, P&G start combined operations in Bangladesh As part of the integration between the world's top two consumer goods companies, Gillette and Proctor and Gamble (P&G) formally started their combined operations in Bangladesh yesterday.   BGCCI arranges meet for German trade team Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI) arranged a meeting for the visiting German trade team at a hotel in Dhaka Sunday, says a press release.   Asian oil producers, consumers aim to boost cooperation Officials from 28 Asian countries meeting in Qatar Tuesday will discuss boosting energy cooperation and hear a call for oil producers to invest their petrodollars in the economies of the Asian consumers.   US hopes to sign Vietnam trade pact at Apec meet The United States hopes to sign a groundbreaking trade deal with Vietnam next week despite strong objections from some American manufacturers, a senior US official said Monday.   World economy punches towards 3.1pc growth this year: OECD Industrialised economies are growing at 3.1 percent this year, the OECD said Tuesday, warning that the United States may have to raise interest rates further but that the European Central Bank shouldwait.   S'pore moves to gain market share in Asia's growing cruise industry Singapore said Tuesday it has set up a 10 million Singapore-dollar (6.3 million US) fund to enable the city-state to capture a bigger share of Asia's growing leisure cruise industry.   Bank Asia, AKTEL sign deal on mobile phone banking TM International (Bangladesh) Ltd (AKTEL) will offer mobile phone banking services to clients of Bank Asia Ltd under the name 'THUMBPAY'.   China urges US to drop 'Cold War thinking' on high-tech exports China urged the United States Tuesday to abandon its "Cold War thinking" and loosen curbs on the export of high-technology products.   BA announces £620m pre-tax profit British Airways (BA) has announced a £620 million pre-tax profit for the year to March 31, 2006 (2005: £513 million profit).   Indian shares end three-day losing streak After three days of heavy losses, Indian shares closed more than three percent higher Tuesday as domestic mutual funds bought leading shares. Sports Football: Johan Cruyff: The King without a crown Very few players have earned the right to be mentioned in the same breath as Pele, Beckenbauer and Diego Maradona.   Football: Bits and Bobs No divisions Ap, Serbia-Montenegro Montenegrins will play for Serbia-Montenegro's World Cup team despite the tiny Balkan republic's secession from its larger neighbour.   Football: Tough ride for Africans Africa's best hope at this year's World Cup was drawn into the tournament's toughest group.   Football: Time to kill racism Nigerian Adebowale Ogungbure's dream of a professional soccer career in Germany has turned into a nightmare.   Football: Portugal duo in hot water Officials in Portugal are investigating Benfica duo Armando Petit and Nuno Gomes after they were seen in a television report taking what appeared to be counterfeit films to a World Cup training camp.   Chess: Better day for women There were reverse outcomes for Bangladesh in the second round of the 37th Chess Olympiad as the men's team lost their boards and women bounced back from their first round defeat at Turin, Italy on Monday.   Football: School soccer qtrs from Friday The quarterfinals of the banglalink tiger trophy National School Football Championship begin at Pabna and Comilla on Friday.   Cricket: Rajshahi progress Rajshahi completed the final round line-up of the Dhaka Bank Under-19 National Cricket Championship when they outplayed Thakurgaon by 118 runs to become group champions at the Bogra Stadium yesterday.   Cricket: Pacers' camp from May 27 A national pace bowlers' camp will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur from May 27. The selected pacemen have been asked to report to Shahidul Islam with their kits at 5pm on May 26 at thevenue.   Football: From beyond the boundary Like others who come to watch Iran's national soccer team prepare for the World Cup in July, they join in the chants and wave their flags.   Football: Raul dons forbidden colour! Spanish striker Raul was torn off a strip by coach Luis Aragones when the country's World Cup squad gathered to begin preparations for next month's finals after arriving in a yellow surfer-style t-shirt,   Football: Ljungberg might miss group stages Sweden midfielder Freddie Ljungberg would be better off resting during the group stage of the World Cup to fully recover from a foot injury, says national team doctor Anders Valentin.   Football: Ronaldo in shape Ronaldo is expected to be in good physical condition when Brazil begin their pre-World Cup training this week. "Ronaldo is not injured anymore," Brazilian team doctor Jose Luis Runco said.   Football: South Korea held by Senegal World Cup finalists South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw here Tuesday by Senegal, the gifted African side who failed to qualify for the finals starting next month in Germany.   Football: Smolarek to complete family double Euzebiusz Smolarek heads for the World Cup finals seeking to emerge from the shadow of his father Wlodzimierz, a hero of the Polish side which took third place in Spain in 1982.   Football: Shareef Ali takes the TV The readers of Dhaka ran away with top prizes of Round One of The Daily Star-Rangs Toshiba World Cup Quiz 2006 with MM Shareef Ali becoming the luckiest person.   Tennis: Federer best again Swiss tennis superstar Roger Federer was named Laureus World sportsman of the year for the second straight year here on Monday with the women's honour going to Croatian skier Janica Kostelic.   Cricket: 'Defeat was shattering' Yuvraj Singh has admitted that losing the second one-dayer at Jamaica, by a one-run margin, had been a "shattering" experience.   Cricket: Tendulkar ruled out Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series in the West Indies after failing to recover from shoulder surgery.   Football: Zidane screened at Cannes As World Cup fever mounts around the world, Cannes critics Monday got to see French player Zinedine Zidane as he's never been seen before: in a 'documentary' portrait of the Real Madrid star which trained   Football: Germans too soft for sport? Jan Ullrich, who won the Tour de France in 1997, and former world champion swimmer Franziska van Almsick say Germany's younger generation of athletes lack the courage and commitment to succeed in sport.   Football: Czech Rosicky joins Arsenal Czech Republic international Tomas Rosicky has joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund, the London club said on Tuesday.   Athletics: King Hicham bids adieu Moroccan athletics legend Hicham El Guerrouj announced his retirement from the sport here on Monday admitting that he would sleep easy over his decision.   Football: Beautiful game in danger Europe's politicians and football authorities must act quickly to stop the game falling into the wrong hands, an independent report said on Tuesday.   Football: It's Brazil to win -- or is it? Academics have pored over the form books, analysed the results of 4,500 international matches, ranked teams according to their attacking and defensive capabilities -- and come up with the not so startling   Football: Ruud fancies leaving United Dutch international striker Ruud van Nistelrooy said on Monday that it might be better if he were to leave English Premiership giants Manchester United after falling out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson.   Football: Rui Costa set for Benfica move AC Milan's Portuguese midfielder Rui Costa, who has one year left with the Italian side, is set to return to Lisbon-based Benfica, Portugal's sports media reported Tuesday.   Football: Berlusconi set for Milan presidency Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is to regain the presidency of Italian giants AC Milan he announced on Monday.   Cricket: Water-loss worries India Indian cricketers are going through a urine test before every match on the present Caribbean tour, an exercise which is intended to ensure that they do not suffer cramps or other injuries because of dehydration.   Cricket: Full-strength Pak side for friendlies Inzamamul Haq will lead a Test-strength Pakistan eleven against an Asian team for two exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia in an effort to promote the game there, organisers said on Tuesday.   Tennis: Coria pulls out of French Open Argentina's 2004 French Open finalist Guillermo Coria withdrew from this year's tournament because of a right elbow injury, organisers announced on Monday.   Cricket: Aravinda bats for Lasith & Sanath Former Sri Lanka star Aravinda de Silva says paceman Lasith Malinga and opener Sanath Jayasuriya should both play in the second Test against England.   Football: Toni unsure of Fiorentina stay Italy's top scorer Luca Toni said he was not certain to stay at Fiorentina next season unless certain things were resolved at the club.   Cricket: Boycott fears for Vaughan Geoff Boycott has expressed fears for Michael Vaughan's future because of the England captain's struggle to recover from recurring knee problems. Metropolitan Give befitting reply to anti-country campaign Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday urged the expatriate Bangladeshis to project the real picture of the country by giving appropriate reply to anti-Bangladesh activities and false campaigns.   Govt pushes country to the brink of ruin Leaders of Awami League-led 14-party opposition combine yesterday said the four-party alliance government has pushed the country to the brink of ruin through widespread corruption, politicisation, religious   SC verdict foils govt plot to win election Welcoming the verdict of the Supreme Court (SC) on new voter list, three opposition parties Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Gono Forum and Bangladesh Tarikat Federation yesterday demanded the resignation of   Exhibition of bronze and brass statues begins today A ten-day exhibition of statues made of bronze and brass begins at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts in the city today, aiming to promote the glorious heritage of Bengal.   Six pirates to die A court in Narayanganj yesterday sentenced six pirates to death in robbery with murder case and seven-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) to another with a fine of Tk1 lakh.   JS body for 100pc salary hike by June The Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances yesterday asked the government to increase the salary of the non-government teachers from present 90 per cent to 100 per cent within next month.   3 die in Ctg road mishaps Three people were killed and two others injured in two road accidents on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Sitakunda in the district yesterday.   'Citizens should carry out some duties of state' The citizens should carry out some of the duties and responsibilities of the state, rather than leaving all the responsibilities with the government, said The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam   Punishment to culprits demanded Awami Swechchhasebok League yesterday vowed to launch legal battle as well as street agitation to ensure immediate arrest and exemplary punishment to those responsible the killing of its three leaders   Hearing on acceptability of case June 5 A Dhaka court yesterday fixed June 5 for hearing on the acceptability of the case filed against state minister for home affairs and 52 others in connection with the death of Jubo League leader Masudur   Proshika observes 'Protest and Resistance Day' Proshika, a centre for human development, observed the 'Protest and resistance Day' on Monday to mark the second anniversary of the arrest of its President Dr Qazi Faruque Ahmed and a number of workers   US embassy team visits Kansat A three-member team of US embassy in Dhaka yesterday visited Kansat in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj. During the visit, the team met Golam Rabbani, leader of Kansat Palli Bidyut movement.   Beheaded body of man found in city Police recovered a decapitated body of a man from a ditch adjacent to his house in the city's Badda area yesterday. Neighbours found a body of a man and the victim's elder brother identified him.   Over Tk 2.11 cr received for cancer hospital in April Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital (AMCH) received Tk 2 crore 11 lakh and 80 thousand in cash donations in the last month while there were commitments for another Tk 2 crore and 15 lakh from two donors,says   BNP protest against unrest, violence today The ruling BNP will stage demonstrations across the country today protesting unrest and violence in the country.   CPD roundtable today The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) will organise a roundtable on 'The future challenges of development' at the Brac Centre Inn Auditorium at 9:00am today, says a press release.   Zakaria Milan passes away Senior journalist Zakaria Milan passed away at his Uttara residence early yesterday at the age of 58. Family members of Milan said he had been suffering from cardiac diseases and diabetic. National Lobby for nomination of 'clean' candidates Gono Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain has said the Election Commission should work independently, free from any political influence, for holding free, fair and credible elections.   Onslaught on coastal reserve forests Reserve forests in coastal areas of Patuakhali area are facing an onslaught by organised gangs of thieves who are stealing timber trees indiscriminately.   Khulna BNP bigwig to join Bikalpadhara? An influential BNP lawmaker in Khulna is likely to join Bikalpadhara soon along with a large number of party leaders and activists including former general secretary of now-dissolved city BNP Nazrul Islam   2 UP leaders abducted in Mohalchhari Tension mounted in Mohalchhari following abduction of Sadar Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Arkimidies Chakma along with a UP member and another indigenous man on Sunday.   Man takes life failing to repay NGO loans A poor rickshaw van puller has allegedly committed suicide night as he failed to pay loan installments of two NGOs. The victim has been identified as Abdus Sattar, 40 of Chelatati village in sadarupazila.   Pabna JMB 'commander' remanded Pabna regional commander of banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Nurul Haque alias Kawser was taken on two-day fresh remand, court sources said.   Sakhipur UNO withdrawn Sakhipur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mokabbir Hossain has been withdrawn in the face of agitation against him. Point-Counterpoint Galbraith and the decline of American liberalism JOHN Kenneth Galbraith was one of the more brilliant representatives of modern American liberalism.   Biman's dismal approach As I write this piece following up from my article published on May 9, 2006, a number of events have taken place surrounding our very own Biman Bangladesh Airlines.   A joke of the affluent In 2004, American private giving through foundations, corporations, voluntary organisations, universities, colleges, religious organisations, and immigrants sending money to families back home totalled Culture Celebrating the musical genius Bangla as a language had existed for many centuries, but with the genius of Nazrul, it was born again and assumed a new meaning.   TV highlights on Nazrul birth anniversary To mark the birth anniversary of our National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, TV channels will air special programmes on May 25.   Images on the move At the ongoing photography exhibition being held at Goethe-Institut Dhaka, images from four worlds, by four individuals are on display.   Two Bangladeshi plays go overseas Binodini, a Dhaka Theatre production, and Aleekbabu, a Nattyajan production, will be staged in Philippines and India respectively. International Amnesty blames war on terror for abuses in Asia Nations across Asia used terrorism to justify curtailing human rights last year, watchdog Amnesty International said yesterday in a new report outlining abuses in the region.   UN nuclear chief seeks compromise on Iran UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei may be carrying a message from the Iranians on his visit to Washington this week amidst the crisis over Tehran's atomic ambitions, diplomats told AFP.   Chaos dims Palestinian independence hopes As violence in Gaza spirals out of control amid an escalating power struggle between rival factions, Palestinians fear the prospect of realising their dream of independence is growing ever more distant.   Kashmir capital sealed off for PM's trip Indian troops sealed off large parts of Kashmir's summer capital following random grenade attacks and murders ahead of a visit today by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.   Nepali Maoists won't tolerate monarchy The chief negotiator for Nepal's rebel Maoists said yesterday there would be no early handover of weapons and set the stage for further political clashes over the role of the monarchy.   22 killed in Iraqi drive-by shootings, bombings At least 22 people were killed yesterday in attacks including a car bombing on a busy Baghdad street, marring the first week of Iraq's new cabinet which has set restoring security as top priority.   Norway worried about Lankan violence Peacebroker Norway is "extremely concerned" about the high level of violence in Sri Lanka, Oslo's ambassador said yesterday after meeting a top Tamil guerrilla leader.   19 more killed in fresh Afghan violence Angry villagers dug graves yesterday to bury dozens of suspected militants and civilians killed in one of the deadliest US airstrikes since the American-led invasion in 2001.   Pakistan seeks to boost nuke ties with China Pakistan is working to boost nuclear cooperation with long-time ally China to improve technology for power generation, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Monday.   US challenges Myanmar junta to release Suu Kyi this week The United States on Monday welcomed a rare meeting between a top UN envoy and Myanmar's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi but called on the Southeast Asian state's military junta to release Editorial Editorial: Violence cannot redress grievances The series of incidents that have shaken the garment sector in the last two days have been most unfortunate, regrettable, shocking and highly deplorable, to say the least.   Editorial: Strengthening the police Our police have been at the centre of considerable criticism for their role in society, so much so that when they do some good pieces of work these are likely to be obscured in an otherwise negative image.   Who failed in Bangladesh -- the people or the leadership? The Foreign Policy, a prestigious monthly of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Fund for Peace, an independent research organisation, both based in Washington DC, have once againranked   America is losing its influence on Latin America While the Bush administration focuses its policy on Iraq and war on terror, it has not been able to pay adequate attention to its backyard, Latin America.   Hold on and pause: Where are we headed? National polls are scheduled for 2007 -- err 2008. Many would approach them with hope and some with trepidation. Let's remember there are good uses and misuses of elections. Letters to Editor Dialogue, the only way out I am no lover of BNP or, for that matter, the various components of the opposition. Whether anyone likes it or not, the present government of Bangladesh is a coalition.   Aids Alert! I am writing about this recent trend at Dhaka, that in public places many people (especially women) are being injected with blood which have AIDS virus.   May Day We remember the sacrifices made by the workers all around the world to assert their rights to work with safety and dignity.   BSF atrocities I am totally outraged to read in newspapers that BSF members are frequently killing innocent Bangladeshi citizens and pulling their dead bodies inside their territory.   Rising fuel prices Globally, almost every country today is facing the fuel price crisis. Everyone is dealing with this actively. It's not surprising that the Bangladesh government is facing a similar crisis.   Jalil's trump cards Awami League General secretary Md. Abdul Jalil seems to be an asset to the party, he is also the co-ordinator of 14-party opposition alliance.   Shakespeare's birth anniversary William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 at Stratford. He is considered the greatest playwright who ever lived. The dramatist wrote 37 dramas in all, along with a good number of sonnets.   Private universities Spending almost two years in a private university in Dhaka, I ask this question today-- do private universities focus only on catering to the needs of the private sector of Bangladesh, or do they play   Rich & energy pricing The IMF official Thomas Rambaugh has observed that 'low' prices of diesel, gas etc. in Bangladesh are benefiting the rich only, not the poor. He is partially right.   Why no BCS exams in London ? The BCS examination has been postponed in London centre from the year 2005. This is a poor decision of the Bangladesh government .   Vehicle smashing Juba Sangram Parishad, a youth forum of the opposition, observed the besiege programme to protest against the power crisis. The agitated activists got very crazy to break vehicles.   Stop blame game! It's nothing new in our political culture! Both the parties -- the govt. Star Chittagong CU yet to have sports complex Chittagong University (CU) authorities could not start construction of the proposed sports complex even after 30 years of sanctioning budget for it. The government approved a project worth Tk 1.   Children deprived of proper education Around 1.50 lakh children in Khagrachhari are deprived of proper education as the primary schools here lie in a miserable state. Star City People run for cover amidst violent demo Khaleda Islam, a teacher of a government college in Nilphamari, arrived at Gabtoli bus terminal on Tuesday morning when thousands of garment workers were staging violent demonstrations on the roads against   Operative but ineffective University Grants Commission (UGC), the watchdog of higher education in the country, remains ineffective as it does not have executive authority to take action against private universities most of which   Beggars, vendors, sex workers rule most footbridges Almost all the 38 footbridges in the city remain uncared for and are occupied by sex workers, vendors and beggars making it difficult for the use of pedestrians.   Whimsical sales of Tk 50 prepaid mobile card City dwellers allege that the Tk 50 mobile pre-paid cards are sold at a price higher than fixed price, and mobile phone service operators are yet to control or monitor such retail sales even after many   They need love, not hate "They could not stand my sight, and shunned me from their midst, but I crave for love and understanding, not hatred," said a desolate 12-year old Tania Begum (not her real name) who discovered she was   Meditation: Refreshing body, mind and spirit Coaching centres offering academic courses are generally known, but nowhere would one have heard of a centre offering a course on meditation.   © thedailystar.net, 2006. 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