Vol. 5 Num 857 Sun. October 22, 2006       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 Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Hasan's security upped as eyes fixed on him Amid heightened anxiety in the people's minds with the ruling and opposition alliances preparing to face off in the streets, it now depends on Justice KM Hasan where the country's politics will be heading   9 killed in stampede during zakat clothes distribution At least nine people died and 35 others were injured in two incidents of stampede during handing out clothes of zakat among the destitute people in Mymensingh and Patuakhali yesterday.   Dissident BNP leaders may join new party of Oli, B Chy A group of dissident leaders of ruling BNP is trying to create a common platform soon under the leadership of former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury and BNP Standing Committee Member Col (retd) Oli   Govt bodies, Beximco among top defaulters In a bid to recover its bad loans, Sonali Bank has sued eight of its top 20 loan defaulters who owe 53 per cent of the bank's defaulted loans.   Alliance's last day at office likely today Ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers may attend their office at the ministries today for the last workday although the five-year tenure of the present four-party coalition government is scheduled   14-party to stage demonstrations today The 14-party opposition combine observes today "reform proposals implementation day" in a bid to put pressure on the government before the final round of talks between the ruling BNP and the Awami League   Bid on to capture DU halls ahead of power handover Tension has been mounting among the student wings of political organisations in Dhaka University (DU) over taking control of the campus as well as residential dormitories as the BNP-Jamaat led coalition   City abuzz with Eid shoppers Shopping centres as well as the footpath shops of the capital are buzzing with shoppers as Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest festival of the Muslims, is only one or two days ahead.   Jute mill workers block Dhaka-Ctg highway Thousands of people travelling to the port city and the capital ahead of Eid, faced untold sufferings yesterday as agitating jute mill workers blockaded the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway to press home their   Hindus fear repression as polls in sight Concerned about the security situation centring the next general elections, Hindu leaders yesterday warned of long march and Dhaka-siege programmes if repression of minority people occurs again as ithappened   Carrying on their malpractice...   Cell operators bemoan over-regulation With the exception in Bangladesh, no countries in the world shut down mobile phone services, says the GSM Association, the trade body of the world's 12 leading cellphone operators.   Family of abducted Ctg businessman accuse police, Rab of negligence The family of an abducted businessman accused the police and the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) of negligence in rescuing him while the law enforcers expressed suspicion that he might not have been kidnapped.   Jubo Dal leader stabbed to death, BNP leader shot A Jubo Dal leader was stabbed to death while a BNP leader was stabbed and shot by unidentified assailants at Kharkharia on the outskirts of Rajshahi city.   Raped garment worker chopped to death Garment worker Beauty, 17, was chopped into six pieces on Thursday as she warned her violators with legal measures.   I won't change Iraq strategy, says Bush President Bush conceded Friday that "right now it's tough" for American forces in Iraq, but the White House said he would not change US strategy in the face of pre-election polls that show voters areupset.   Australia see England off England were left facing an early exit from the Champions Trophy after a six-wicket hammering by Australia.   4 die after taking poisonous fish Four people died in Bancharampur upazila of the district on Friday after eating poisonous blowfish, locally known as 'potka' fish.   Possible danger...   Russia warns against Iran ‘regime change' thru' SC Russia would oppose any effort to use the UN Security Council to promote a change of regime in Iran, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published yesterday.   Iraqi Shia militias clash near Babylon Rival Shia militiamen battled near the ancient city of Babylon yesterday until American forces and helicopters rushed to separate the combatants.   Swadhinata Stambha...   Security men block road to Abbas house Members of the Palestinian security forces fired in the air in Gaza City's main shopping district and burned tires near President Mahmoud Abbas' home yesterday to press demands for payment of salaries. Business 788 defaulters owe Tk10,129cr to banks The amount of loans defaulted by 788 loanees, who are among the listed top 20 loan defaulters of as many as 48 banks, now stands at Tk 10,129 crore, which accounts for 43.   Shahjalal Bank gets SEC nod to float IPO Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked the Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd (SJIBL) to go ahead with floating primary shares worth Tk 93.   Indo-Pak trade may hit $2b this fiscal The trade volume between Pakistan and India is expected to hit the two billion dollar mark this fiscal following addition of 302 products in the positive list of items by Islamabad for imports.   Corporate India celebrates Tata-Corus deal Corporate India on Saturday celebrated Tata Steel's 8.1-billion-dollar planned takeover of top British steelmaker Corus Group, hailing it as a sign Indian companies have arrived on the world stage.   Billions earned online go unreported in Japan Japan's business operators that conduct online transactions failed to declare about 14.3 billion yen (US$121 million) in taxable income during the year ending in June, an increase of about 2.   Indian firm to make motorcycle in Indonesia The Indian third largest motorcycle maker, TVS Motor Company, is building a factory in Indonesia's West Java province, which will go into production next year, a local media reported here Saturday.   Caterpillar cuts forecast Caterpillar Inc.   Nissan, Suzuki studying joint production in Russia, Brazil Japanese carmakers Nissan and Suzuki are considering joint production in Russia and Brazil to expand their ties in emerging markets, a press report said Friday.   Putin reassures EU on energy, but at a price Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to assure EU leaders that Russia would be a reliable gas and oil supplier, although the Europeans are paying a heavy price for Russian energy.   'China auto parts row set to intensify at WTO' An uncompromising China is on collision course with the United States and other trading partners in a WTO row over auto parts, a US trade official said Friday.   Myanmar encourages pvt sector to mine gold Myanmar has been encouraging the country's private sector to mine gold, allowing more such engagement by them at many prospective small gold mining blocks across the country, said local media.   Australia, UNDP to promote micro-enterprise in Nepal With a view to improving the living standard of poor people in Nepal, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Australia have signed an agreement here Friday. Sports Cricket: Nothing beats Dhaka'98 Just a small crowd turned out to watch the crucial match between Australia and England in the ICC Champions Trophy at the Sawai Manhasingh Stadium yesterday.   Cricket: Both plead innocence Suspended Pakistani pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif appeared Saturday before a tribunal probing their doping case, and were asked to submit written statements, an official said.   Hockey: Jimmy's 4 in Abahani's 7 National star Russell Mahmood Jimmy scored four times to propel Abahani to a 7-0 drubbing of Mariner Youngs Club in the Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League at the Maulana Bhasani National   Cricket: Captains hail gluepot Rivals Sri Lanka and New Zealand nodded their approval of the artificial methods used to bind the dusty wicket for their Champions Trophy clash here on Friday.   Cricket: Flemo dreams of WC glory Stephen Fleming will surpass Arjuna Ranatunga's captaincy record for most one-day internationals next week and the New Zealand skipper hopes to emulate the former Sri Lankan leader by winning a WorldCup.   Cricket: CCL semis on Nov 2 and 4 Group A champions Acme Labora-tories take on Epyllion in the first semifinal of the GrameenPhone Corporate Cricket League on No-vember 2 at the Dhanmodi Cricket Stadium.   Football: Wigan invade City Wigan took advantage of a defensive horror-show to crush Manchester City 4-0 at the JJB Stadium on Saturday.   Football: Fergie sets 90 points barrier Sir Alex Ferguson admits that Manchester United may be forced to break the 90-point barrier if they are to beat Chelsea to this season's Premiership title.   Tennis: Tomas silences Madrid Tomas Berdych silenced 10,000 Spanish fans with a 6-3, 7-6 upset of defending champion Rafael Nadal in a bad-tempered quarterfinal at the Madrid Masters on Friday.   Tennis: Russians oust Swiss Svetlana Kuznetsova earned a 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Switzerland's Martina Hingis to reach the semifinals of the Zurich Open on Friday.   Tennis: David won't back down Argentine David Nalbandian defended his controversial outburst at "gentleman" Tim Henman as he set up a semifinal showdown with world No. 1 Roger Federer at the Madrid Masters here on Friday.   Tension sky high Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso wore increasingly tense expressions as they stalked the paddock at the Rio circuit on Friday, almost as if the penny had suddenly dropped that they faced the season's   Football: Platini for 3 UCL places France legend Michel Platini would aim to reduce each country's Champions League allocations if he is voted in as the next president of UEFA.   Alonso poised for double Fernando Alonso can take one of Michael Schumacher's many records on Sunday by becoming Formula One's youngest double world champion.   Football: McCarthy seeks UEFA action Benni McCarthy has asked European football's governing body UEFA to investigate racist abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of Polish side Wisla Krakow and their Serbian defender Nikola Mijailovic.   Football: Bring back Beckham: Henry Arsenal captain Thierry Henry believes England manager Steve McClaren should give midfielder David Beckham another chance in the England set-up.   Cricket: 'There shouldn't be religious pressure' Pakistan's cricketers have been told to avoid exhibiting their religious beliefs in public.   Cricket: Inzi not in WC plans? Inzamamul Haq's tenure as captain will come up for review after the home series against the West Indies, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf has said.   Cricket: Adam catches for 350th time Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist claimed his 350th catch in one-day internationals on Saturday in the Champions Trophy tie against England.   Cricket: Murali reaches Trophy apex Sri Lankan off spinning ace Muttiah Muralidaran, who took four wickets in the New Zealand innings on Friday in their Group B Champions Trophy league tie, set a new benchmark for the number of wicketstaken   Cricket: Ponting praises Pup Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, has praised Michael Clarke for the restraint he showed throughout the incident with Chris Gayle during Wednesday's match between Australia and West Indies in Mumbai.   Cricket: ICC shortlists the awardees Malcolm Speed, the International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive, will announce the shortlists for this year's ICC Awards in Mumbai this Sunday.   Cricket: WC warm-up ties changed Organisers of the 2007 World Cup have altered the warm-up schedule ahead of next year's tournament in the Caribbean.   Cricket: Taylor in for Styris Hit by injuries to a few of its key players, the New Zealand cricket team has asked rookie all-rounder Ross Taylor to join the squad for its remaining ICC Champions Trophy matches.   Football: Petkovic's career over? The playing career of former Australian international goalkeeper Jason Petkovic may be over after he broke his leg in Perth Glory's 2-1 loss to Central Coast in the A-League.   Toyota staff under attack Four Toyota team members escaped unhurt when gunmen ambushed their car after leaving the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix circuit on Friday night, a spokeswoman said.   Football: Price of fun A Bayer Leverkusen fan who goaded rival supporters by flashing his bum repeatedly during his team's UEFA Cup tie at Club Bruges on Thursday faces court action, a Belgian public prosecutor said.   Football: Essien comes of age Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien said he had learned valuable lessons from his debut Premier League campaign and was putting them to good effect with more consistent performances this season. Metropolitan DU sports activities on decline The Dhaka University (DU) campus once buzzed with cultural activities and sports; today it has lost its heritage and glory as sports activities have almost come to a halt due to indifferent attitude of   Death toll doubles in last 3 yrs Death toll from road accidents doubled in last three years. The number of road mishaps also increased alarmingly especially when over five million people commute during Eid festivals.   6 killed, 100 hurt in road mishaps At least six people were killed and 100 injured in separate road accidents in Savar, Tangail and Satkhira yesterday.   Tofail threatens vigorous movement Awami League (AL) leader Tofail Ahmed yesterday threatened of a vigorous movement to thwart election under Justice KM Hasan as chief adviser of the caretaker government and Justice MA Aziz as Chief Election   Release of RMG workers demanded Sramik Karmachari Sangram Parishad (SKSP), an alliance of the workers' associations, yesterday demanded release of the garment workers arrested in recent times and withdrawal of cases against 11,000 workers.   PM returns home Prime Minister Khaleda Zia returned home yesterday morning concluding her week-long visit to Saudi Arabia.   Mother, daughter killed in Rajshahi A mother and her daughter were brutally killed at Dhoa Joubanpara village of Godagari upazila on Friday night.   6 BNP cadres held with arms Rab arrested six young men with a revolver from Borhanuddin on Friday night.   DMP website launched Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) yesterday launched its website providing information about the DMP with easy access for lodging complaints anonymously, says a DMP press release. National 300 desert BNP protesting 'Jamaat-appeasing policy' About 300 BNP leaders and activists of Jaldhaka municipality have resigned from the party in protest against what they called its policy to appease Jamaat-e-Islami.   Party men call BNP MP names in Netrakona Lawmaker from Netrakona-1 (Kalmakanda and Durgapur upazila) and president of Netrakona district BNP MA Karim Abbasi left his constituency yesterday as party activists usec abusive language and demonstrated   Jamaat may face tough task to retain its stronghold Jamaat-e-Islami, a key partner in four-party alliance, may face a tough task to retain Satkhira-2 (Satkhira Sadar upazila) seat in the coming election as a large section of ruling BNP leaders and activists   Seven BNP men sued for beating judge court employee in Satkhira Seven BNP activists were sued yesterday for beating a Satkhira judge court employee for his alleged delay in reaching bail bond of the main accused in Journalist Belal Murder Case in due time on Wednesday.   Lightning kills mother, daughter A woman and her minor daughter were killed as a thunderbolt struck them during heavy rainfall accompanied by storm in Jaldhaka, Kishoreganj and Sadar upazilas Friday night. Point-Counterpoint The ripple effect Gender equality in the heterogeneous Muslim world is a work in progress.   Let us count the reasons The majority of people now believe that the dialogue is clinically dead. It has been kept alive by artificial respiration.   Women also need formal bank credit Professor Md Yunus and Grameen Bank won the Novel Peace Prize for their efforts to lift millions of women out of poverty.   Bridging the gap Bangladesh is basking in the glory of the Nobel Peace Prize for Dr Muhammad Yunus.   Can we risk waiting another five years? Yes -- I feel partially vindicated. Culture Eid Albums: Quality or quantity? After the rigours of Ramadan, the joyous festival of Eid-ul-Fitr is around the corner. The glitzy shopping malls and roadside vendors attract buyers with a range of home grown and imported ware.   Children's theatre movement makes strides The children's theatre movement is in full swing as exemplified by the regular theatre workshops and staging of plays.   Runa and Sabina team up for the first time Music Divas Runa Laila and Sabina Yasmin will appear on TV together for the first time in Antorotoro Aj Gaaner Bhubon to be aired on ntv at 8:15pm on the second day of Eid. General RU desperate to confirm jobs of controversial recruits Rajshahi University (RU) authorities, desperate to confirm jobs of 544 politically recruited employees, held an 'extraordinary' syndicate meeting violating provisions yesterday while two syndicate members   Nepal wants further expansion of trade Nepalese King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev assured full cooperation in further enhancing bilateral trade and relations with Bangladesh.   300 injured as villagers clash in Habiganj At least 300 people were injured in two separate clashes at Baniachang and Bahubal yesterday and on Friday night.   CPA detains 23 vessels At least 23 lighter vessels were detained and 30 lighter ships fined about Tk 10 lakh by the magistrate court of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) in separate drives last week.   A unique protest Hundreds of people here yesterday organised a rally and brought out a procession with replicas of the foundation stones of five projects to stage a unique protest against their non-implementation during   Present govt believes in deeds, not in words: Saifur Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday said the present government believes in deeds, not in words.   CD on 'Ekush Amar Ahangkar' released State Minister for Cultural Affairs Selima Rahman yesterday unveiled the cover of a CD titled "Ekush Amar Ahangkar (Ekush is my pride)" at the conference room of the Press Information Department (PID)   Hathazari Parishad to accord reception to Prof Yunus Hathazari Unnayan Sangram Parishad (HUSP) will accord a reception to Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.   Eid congregations on DU campus Two Eid congregations will be held at Dhaka University (DU) central mosque on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. International LTTE threatens govt with island-wide war Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers threatened yesterday to extend their battle against government troops across the island if Colombo "wants a war", as the navy said they killed 20 rebels in sea clashes.   US, Britain mull eight Iraq options London and Washington are discussing a range of eight options to tackle escalating violence in Iraq, the Guardian newspaper reported yesterday.   N Korea cools tension as Rice leaves region The North Korea crisis appeared to have come off the boil yesterday after reports that Pyongyang had backed away from conducting further nuclear tests.   ‘Makkah call for end to Iraq killing may go unheard’ The appeal from Islam's holiest city by Iraqi Sunni and Shia religious leaders for an end to sectarian killing in the strife-torn country risks going unheard, analysts believe.   ‘Pakistan facing terror threats from within’ Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said his country did not face any external threat but threats from within in the form of extremism and terrorism and was pursuing a holistic strategy to fight them.   7 rebels killed in fresh Kashmir gunbattles Indian troops killed seven suspected Islamic militants in an operation to seek out rebels in revolt-hit Kashmir, police said yesterday.   Somali, Ethiopian troops capture town from Islamists Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian forces yesterday captured a town near a government base in south central Somalia after heavy clashes with Islamic militia, residents and commanders said.   Hawking to divorce from second wife Acclaimed British physicist Stephen Hawking is to divorce his second wife after eleven years of marriage, The Daily Telegraph reported yesterday.   Scientists create cloak of invisibility Scientists are boldly going where only fiction has gone before to develop a Cloak of Invisibility.   'No decisions' yet on 2008 White House race, says Hillary US Senator Hillary Clinton says she has made "no decisions" as yet about running for the US presidency. Editorial Editorial: The monga problem Against the background of our consumerist culture that is clearly in evidence, the news that a large section of people in the northern area of the country are suffering an agonising near-famine situation   Editorial: Vulnerable businessmen The law enforcers have apparently failed to make any dent as far as the cases of kidnapping in the port city of Chittagong are concerned.   Should we call poor women fakirni, sir? Dear finance minister, we were appalled to hear you say: "Fakirnir hatey mobile diey ...   Prized inheritance Winning of Nobel Peace Prize by Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank has suddenly catapulted Bangladesh from a catalogue of disaster to a country brimming with self-confidence and pride.   Election bonanza for bureaucracy The civil service in Bangladesh has witnessed yet another mass promotion of officers on October 15, on the eve of the departure of the BNP-led alliance government. Letters to Editor Jatrabari-Gulistan flyover Yet another mammoth flyover, Jatrabari-Gulistan, is under construction at a cost of Tk 700 crore and expected to be complete within a couple of years.   Celebrating Durga Puja This has been a unique time for the Hindus in celebrating Durga Puja, as this, our most important festival, comes right before the most crucial election we have ever faced.   A big chunk left out The next national election is not far away. Our leaders are busy with the voters in their respective constituencies. The parties are trying to convince the people.   Our coal resources I would like to thank Mr.   Muslims held without trial December 06, the date the Indian history would remember forever as on that date in 1991 democracy was finally assassinated in India with the destruction of Babri Mosque and follow-up torture of the Muslims   South Talpatti There are so many contentious issues like border tension, terrorism, push-in, push-back etc. between Bangladesh and its big neighbouring country India. Star Health Be aware of stupefying agents at Eid journey In an Eid journey, businessman Ahmed Karim (not a real name) started his journey by launch from Sadarghat to Barishal. In the launch, he met an unknown person. Mr Karim was impressed by the person's conversation.   Facts about extensively drug resistant TB What is XDR-TB? XDR-TB is the abbreviation for extensively* drug resistant tuberculosis (TB). One in three people in the world is infected with dormant TB germs or bacteria.   How to prevent congenital anomaly of your child Congenital disorders are defined as those disease that are substantially determined before or at birth and which are in principle recognisable in early life.   Health concern of women after menopause One of the major physiological events in a women's life is menopause. Cessation of menses, which usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years, is universal and unavoidable.   Strong community-based nutrition counselling is necessary The 2004 baseline survey of the Bangladesh National Nutrition Programme examined nutritional status, knowledge and practices of unmarried adolescent girls (aged 13-19) living in rural Bangladesh.   Community Action Box may help to prevent drug abuse Bangladesh is rapidly advancing towards the epidemic situation of drug addiction and HIV/AIDS. Approximately 7.5 million people is considered to be seriously drug addicted.   Experts want to rename schizophrenia Mental health experts called for the term schizophrenia to be dropped, saying it has no scientific validity, is imprecise and stigmatising. Star City Risky, yet they must go Thousands of people, especially the working class are leaving Dhaka by trucks and lorries; risking their lives, just to be able to celebrate Eid with their families.   Photographers decry lack of service facilities As photography steps into the digital era, photographers are left in limbo as Bangladesh has not been able to produce skilled photography technicians and there is hardly any professional service centres.   Sonargaon Hotel: Walking away unpunished? Secretary-level intervention has put off the course of legal action against authorities of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel for starting construction without Rajdhani Unnyan Kartripakkha's (Rajuk) approval.   Save our wetlands, our environment With thousands of acres of wetlands in the eastern fringes of the city being filled up, the local people on Friday appealed to the authorities to take immediate measures to protect the wetlands and flood   A businessman's initiative to offer iftar A businessman in the city provides over 500 people with iftar everyday during the month of Ramadan.   When will they answer the phone? Most of the Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX) at government hospitals and other emergency phone services cannot be reached in emergencies, alleged city dwellers.   © thedailystar.net, 2006. All Rights Reserved.