Vol. 5 Num 1048 Mon. May 14, 2007       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Metropolitan National International Culture General Views Point-counterpoint Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Leaders jettison Khaleda on reforms question BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is becoming isolated within the party as more leaders, now articulating their views against her 'unilateral' decisions in running the party, are asking for reforms to bring   EC may not go door-to-door for voter list The Election Commission (EC) is emphasising the methodology of setting up camps across the country for preparing the voter list with photographs rather than visiting door-to-door.   Jalil for law to throw corrupt, criminals out of politics Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil yesterday said the corrupt politicians, black money holders and godfathers of criminals can be rooted out through legislation and consensus among the political   Joynal Hazari jailed over wealth report A Feni court yesterday sentenced former Awami League lawmaker Joynal Hazari to three years' imprisonment as he failed to submit his wealth statements to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), reports BSS.   Prof Yunus gets highest Venezuelan honour Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has decorated Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus with the highest national honour of the Latin American country for his trailblazing micro-finance innovation.   HC's first rule on bail under emergency After its recent ruling, the High Court for the first time yesterday exercised its power of hearing application seeking bail of a person facing corruption case under the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR) 2007.   Govt trying to bring back all criminals from abroad The caretaker government has taken initiatives to bring back all the dreaded criminals staying abroad.   Mother's Day Tragedy This newborn boy was left abandoned on top of a wooden box outside the premises of the out patient department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Mother's Day yesterday.   Migration to Malaysia still remains costly Although the present caretaker government has taken a number of steps to bring discipline to the overseas employment sector, the high cost of migration to Malaysia is yet to see a reduction.   Minimum capital requirement for banks raised The Bangladesh Bank (BB) yesterday decided to increase the amount of the required minimum capital for commercial banks to 10 percent of their risk-weighted assets from the existing requirement of nine   Honking prohibited...   Hannan Shah sued again Yet another case has been filed against Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah, adviser to the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with his son Rezaul Hannan on Saturday night.   Manpower export leaps Some 1,97,000 Bangladeshi workers have been sent abroad in the last four months, a 20 percent increase in manpower export compared to the corresponding period of last year.   ACC boss for local anti-graft bodies Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury yesterday stressed the need to form anti-corruption committees with neutral persons at the local level.   Muggers shoot trader to loot Tk 4 lakh Muggers shot a cooking oil trader in Shyampur in the capital taking his Tk 4 lakh while a group of criminals shot an hotelier in Karwan Bazar for refusing to pay toll.   Ashraful scare for Tigers Bangladesh vice-captain Mohammad Ashraful has been admitted to a private hospital on Saturday night after suffering from a high temperature.   Fake branding...   US envoy stresses freedom of press, free speech The outgoing US ambassador in Dhaka, Patricia A Butenis, yesterday said Bangladesh can return to democratic path and resume its development into a mature democracy only by safeguarding freedom of thepress   UP member sued after her extortion case against Ilyas Ali An extortion case was filed on Saturday night against a union parishad (UP) member who recently sued former lawmaker and Sylhet district BNP chief M Ilyas Ali on similar charges.   Militants threaten Barisal judge A militant organisation claiming itself as the Barisal divisional al-Qaeda yesterday threatened the second additional and district sessions judge asking him to stay away from the court.   BSF kills 1 Indian Border Security Force (BSF) killed a Bangladeshi trader near Kathuli border of the district on Saturday night.   Gridlock...   Musharraf rules out emergency The death toll in the clashes in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, triggered by rallies for and against suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, has touched 37.   35 killed in attack on Kurdish officials A suicide bomber killed at least 35 people yesterday when he ploughed his explosives-laden SUV into local administrative offices in the northern Iraqi town of Makhmur while 10 other Iraqis died in Baghdad   Iran 'agrees' to hold talks with US on Iraq Iran said on Sunday it has agreed to a request from the United States for talks on Iraq, just over a week after the two archfoes failed to have substantive contacts at a conference in Egypt.   Obama downplays campaign's racial factor Democrat Barack Obama said yesterday he was reluctant to ask for Secret Service protection this early in the 2008 presidential race. "I'm not an entourage guy.   Hillary promotes affordable tuition Hillary Rodham Clinton used a commencement address yesterday at a historically black university to single out racial progress, from her rival Barack Obama candidacy to the achievements of South Carolina's Business Minimum wage for workers in all RMG factories by June 30 The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has promised to implement fully the tripartite agreement on minimum wage for garment workers that was signed between the government,   Exports grow 20.21pc in nine months The country's exports grew by 20.21 percent to $ 9036.45 million in the first nine monthsThe country's exports grew by 20.21 percent to $ 9036.   Tk 70cr budgetary allocation demanded Country's women entrepreneurs have demanded a budgetary allocation of at least Tk 70 crore for the development of entrepreneurship of the womenfolk.   Dhaka to make updated list of goods for market access under WTO offer Dhaka will prepare an updated list of products for negotiations under WTO to get those included in the list of 97 percent goods eligible for duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access.   Govt urged to prioritise poverty alleviation Economists, trade body leaders, academics and entrepreneurs at a pre-budget discussion here on Saturday put emphasis on formulating the budget for the coming fiscal giving highest priority on povertyalleviation,   Reforming taxes in Bangladesh: A taxpayer's perspective Tax revenue as a share of GDP in Bangladesh is amongst the lowest in the world.   Record container handling in a day at Ctg port Chittagong Port has handled the highest-ever containers in a single day.   Arbitration body soon for rehab of sick industries The government will form an integrated arbitration committee for framing necessary laws to rehabilitate as many as 3,769 sick industries and also to resolve prevailing problems in this regard.   United Leasing okays dividend United Leasing Company Ltd has declared Tk 20 dividend per share for 2006, says a press release.   Citigroup puts Bangladesh resources in global network In its latest move to build and export its local talents to Asian countries, Citibank NA Bangladesh arranged the placement of two of its officials to its India and Malaysia franchise, in the Citi Markets   Fair at Suvastu shopping complex likely to continue The duration of the month-long fair at Suvastu Nazar Valley Shopping Complex in the capital's Gulshan area may be extended as the fair is getting huge response from visitors, says a press release.   China allows banks to invest in foreign stock China's cash-rich commercial banks have been allowed for the first time to invest in foreign stocks with funds managed on behalf of their clients.   WTO heavyweights to mount fresh bid to salvage Doha talks The world's leading trading powers are this week to mount yet another bid to salvage WTO negotiations aimed at reducing barriers to global commerce that have gone nowhere for the past six years.   Wolfowitz's tenure at World Bank hangs in balance The World Bank executive board is expected to deliver its verdict this week on the future of embattled bank president Paul Wolfowitz who faces demands to step down over nepotism allegations.   Currency Sports Cricket: Teams reach Chittagong Bad luck with injuries continues to hound the Bangladesh cricket team in this home series as they are all set to miss ace batsman Mohammad Ashraful for the third and final one-dayer against India at the   Football: MSC surge to top Mohammedan Sporting club finished their first leg campaign of the B. League with a flurry of goals when the Dhaka heavyweights brushed aside giant killers Khulna Abahani 6-1 yesterday.   Cricket: Abahani struggling as Super League resumes today Leaders Abahani will struggle to field 11 players when they take on basement side and two-time defending champions Old DOHS in the Kai-Altech Premier Cricket Super League opener today.   Cricket: Tigers to play three Tests in Lanka Test cricket returns to the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the venue famous for holding the world record Test total of 952 for 6 by Sri Lanka, when it hosts the first Test of the three-match series against   Cricket: Govt stops Aussie tour The federal government has ordered the Australian cricket team not to tour Zimbabwe later this year, Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday.   Cricket: Who wrote that final email? The investigation into the murder of Bob Woolmer has turned to his final email to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).   Cricket: Strauss skipper for now Michael Vaughan will miss England's first Test against the West Indies starting at Lord's on Thursday after failing to recover in time from a broken finger.   Cricket: Warne, Lara linked to T20 league Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and "more big names to follow" are being linked to a breakaway Twenty20 competition taking place in India this October, according to the latest issue of Spin magazine.   Cricket: Akram's camp commences Wasim Akram on Sunday started a two-week coaching stint with the Pakistan Cricket Board and asked his countrymen to be patient with the national team after the World Cup debacle.   Football: A Real escape Gonzalo Higuain got a winner for Real Madrid barely a minute from the whistle for a 4-3 win over Espanyol on Saturday, which sent the Spanish giants to the top of the table, at least overnight.   Football: Sochaux win French Cup Sochaux beat Marseille 5-4 on penalties to win the French Cup at the Stade de France here Saturday after a thrilling match that saw two goals in extra-time after regulation time had finished 1-1.   Football: Stuttgart steal pole Stuttgart went top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, with just one week left of the season, as their dramatic 3-2 win at VfL Bochum knocked Schalke 04 off first place.   Football: Fergie sees promise Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates a ninth Premiership title on Sunday with a stark warning for his club's closest rivals.   Football: Terry seeks revenge Chelsea captain John Terry wants to win the FA Cup so the Londoners can take some of the edge off losing their Premiership title to Manchester United.   Football: MU not for sale: Glazers The Glazer family on Sunday insisted that Manchester United was not for sale amid reports of an 850 million pound (1.7 billion dollar) bid from a Chinese consortium.   Tennis: Nadal guts out Davydenko Spanish second seed Rafael Nadal remains on course for a third consecutive Rome Masters title after he edged Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (8/10), 6-4 in a dramatic semifinal on Saturday.   Cricket: Clark, Harmison hit form Australia fast bowler Stuart Clark made a dent of a different kind by taking seven for 82 for Hampshire against Lancashire in the First Division County Championship clash at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.   Cricket: 'Fletcher right to quit' Ian Botham has said Duncan Fletcher was right to quit when he did as England coach, branding him "miserable" and "paranoid" when it came to dealing with the media.   Hockey: Australia lift Azlan Shah hockey trophy Olympic champions Australia overcame a spirited but disjointed Malaysia 3-1 to win the 16th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here today.   Football: Youth soccer finals from today Noakhali will take on fellow qualifiers BKSP in the opening round of the Western Union National Youth Football Championship finals at the Satkhira Stadium today.   Football: Canary Wharf football camp from May 24 The second session of the second year's football camp organised by Canary Wharf, UK, begins May 24 at BKSP.   Massa takes charge Brazilian Felipe Massa won Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix for Ferrari and lifted himself into the midst of a close four-way scrap for this year's drivers' world championship.   Table Tennis: DIV I TT results Nine matches were decided in the AB Bank First Division table tennis league yesterday. Metropolitan Dhaka to press for reducing economic disparity Bangladesh will press for reducing the rich-poor economic disparity in the Muslim world at the Islamabad conference of the foreign ministers of the OIC countries, beginning tomorrow.   Select eligible candidates for public admin President Iajuddin Ahmed asked the PSC to perform its duties more sincerely to select eligible, meritorious and brilliant candidates for government jobs so that country's public administration can face   Expedite overhauling of closed power generation units As the country is passing through electricity crisis, Power and Energy Adviser Tapan Chowdhury in a meeting with the power plant managers yesterday directed them to expedite the overhauling and maintenance   'Clampdown to have negative impact on manpower business' A delegation of overseas manpower recruiting agencies yesterday expressed grave concern over the 'unnecessary clampdown' on the manpower agencies, saying it will have negative impact on the manpower business.   Include provision for maternity allowance in coming budget The government should include the provision for maternity allowance in the forthcoming budget, said the speakers at a seminar yesterday.   '15m adults suffer from high blood pressure' Around 15 million adults in Bangladesh are suffering from high blood pressure covering 15 to 20 percent of the adult population, said the speakers at a press conference yesterday.   Cops confine journo for 4 hrs A reporter of an English daily was allegedly kept confined to Jatrabari Police Station in the city for about four hours yesterday over the assault of the driver of a CNG-run three-wheeler by a traffic   Removal of principal demanded Parents of a schoolboy yesterday demanded immediate removal of the principal of Rajshahi Adventists International Mission School as he physically tortured their son.   Falling ceiling fan injures 2 girls at HSC exam hall Two examinees were injured when a ceiling fan fell on them while they were appearing at the English 2nd paper exam of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination at Doniya University College Centre   CG aims to establish non-partisan civil service Law, Justice and Parliamentary Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein yesterday said the main objective of the present caretaker government is to establish an honest and non-partisan civil service, best suited   Depression forms at east central Bay The well-marked low, which dissipated in a low pressure yesterday in the east central Bay of Bengal, regained its strength and turned into a depression yesterday in the same area.   Arrest-panic grips RU Shibir, JCD leaders Leaders and activists of Islamic Chhatra Shibir (ICS) and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) of 11 halls of Rajshahi University (RU) are passing days amid arrest-panic.   DAG Adil resigns Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Adilur Rahman Khan has resigned from his post. When contacted last evening, Advocate Adil admitted that he submitted his resignation letter to the attorney general onThursday.   Shaukat Osman's anniversary of death today Today is the ninth death anniversary of writer Shaukat Osman. National Landless being rehabilitated by hindering afforestation Over 400 landless families are being rehabilitated by allowing destruction of forests in Char Majid in Noakhali.   Cry for repair of Karatoa dam Several thousand people from different villages in Polashbari upazila at a rally at Kishamat Cherenga village have appealed to the local administration and the Water Development Board (WDB) to renovate   Juicy lichee changes their lot in 14 Magura villages The villages are abuzz with farmers plucking and packing lichees and trucks loading the juicy red summer fruits.   Innovators for making Sono filter available at cheaper price Innovators of Sono filter, developed to remove arsenic from water, hope to reach the facility to affected poor people across the country.   30 bullet-hit as rival villagers clash in Sylhet At least 30 people including two women were bullet-hit in a clash between two rival groups at Sadipur village in Jagonnathpur upazila in Sunamganj district yesterday over construction of a culvert.   16 B'baria BNP men sued for 'extortion' An extortion case has been filed against 16 BNP leaders including Nasirnagar Upazila BNP secretary.   PDB official arrested for bribery Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday arrested an engineer of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) from the its local office while taking bribe from a private company owner, police   Death anniversary of journo Ayub observed Speakers at a meeting held here yesterday recalled the fond memory of noted journalist and Dainik Ittefaque Khulna bureau chief Ayub Hossain. Point-Counterpoint Time to do the not so popular Hopefully, no vehicle will be stalled this year in the streets of Dhaka, facing a procession for or against the announced national budget.   Comment on Umbrella Act The present caretaker government has taken an initiative to reform the Public University Act. The UGC is playing the lead role in making a draft of the proposed law.   People, power and perception Very often in the political discussions of Bangladesh we hear about the people. Culture An unforgettable evening of ghazals An eager audience silently awaited the artiste as the lights in Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre dimmed on the evening of May 12.   "Perhaps I am not so lucky as an artiste"--- Tomalika As an actress Tamalika Karmakar has come a long way. On stage, small screen or big screen, she has been equally active. Here she talks to the Cultural Correspondent of The Daily Star.   'Lilaboti': Upcoming production of Loko Natya Dal Many of us are acquainted with Khona: The lady from ancient times whose words of wisdom or adages for the welfare of mass, are still frequently uttered.   Rajshahi Theater stage 'Gambhira' on Bird Flu Using traditional theatre form Gambhira, Rajshahi Theatre staged an awareness building performance on the avian influenza well known as bird flu.   Coppola's "Youth" sets Rome world premiere Francis Ford Coppola will return to the old country for the world premiere of his first feature film in 10 years. General Inculcate patriotism, ethics in new generation Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka accorded a reception to fourteen successful mothers at its Ballroom in the city yesterday on the occasion of the International Mother's Day.   Four killed in road accidents At least four people were killed in separate road accidents in Comilla and Magura yesterday.   Walk with a call to end child hunger Several hundred people walked together in the city yesterday with a call for an end to child hunger. International Top Taliban commander Dadullah killed Mullah Dadullah, the Taliban's most prominent military commander, was killed in fighting in southern Afghanistan with Afghan and Nato troops, officials said yesterday.   Pak crisis may block Musharraf's bid for another term The worsening crisis in Pakistan over the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry could block President Pervez Musharraf's bid to seek a second term, a study by a Washington-based think   Thousands of Maoists surround Nepal parliament Thousands of Maoist supporters surrounded Nepal's parliament building yesterday to demand the government abolish the monarchy and declare a republic, threatening more such protests this month.   Lanka faces aid cut over HR abuse Sri Lanka's failure to share power with minority Tamils and put an end to extra-judicial killings have raised prospects of more aid cuts to the embattled island, officials and diplomats say.   Pak, Afghan forces trade fire: 8 killed Pakistani security forces and Afghan army soldiers exchanged gunfire at the border between the two countries yesterday, leaving at least five Afghan troops dead, a Pakistani military official said.   Mayawati takes oath as UP CM A low-caste woman who took office as leader of India's most populous state yesterday after a stunning victory promised to rid the lawless province of crime and corruption.   Thousands of secular Turks stage rally At least 100,000 secular Turks demonstrated in Turkey's third-largest city on Sunday, keeping up pressure on the Islamic-rooted government that they fear is working to raise the influence of religionon   Dalai Lama to reduce political role The Dalai Lama will keep his spiritual role but wants to lessen his political burden as he moves into "retirement," an official in the Tibetan spiritual leader's office said.   EU proposes monitoring radical mosques Security officials from Europe's largest countries backed a plan Saturday to profile mosques on the continent and identify radical Islamic clerics who raise the threat of homegrown terrorism. Editorial Editorial: Soul-searching in BNP welcome First it was former education minister Osman Faruq who took issue with Begum Khaleda Zia's appointing her brother Saeed Iskander Vice-President of the BNP executive committee.   Editorial: Violence in Karachi There is a clear need for President Pervez Musharraf to step back from the brink.   The ensuing race for White House The campaign for the 2008 US presidential election has begun. And it's going to be perhaps the longest campaign for the race to the White House in US history.   Some home truths on two ladies BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, surprising everybody, welcomed officially the homecoming of her arch political rival AL president Sheikh Hasina, setting a rare example in the country's   India's own "crony capitalism" Critics of India's growth model here have long argued that it's based on a collusive business-government relationship and has produced terrible social imbalances. Letters to Editor Next cricket coach After two magnificent victories in the World Cup, we are looking for a new coach for our cricket team. At the moment, some names are being heard. All of them are quite high profile coaches.   Hope fading away The unfortunate people of this nation saw a ray of light when the CTG of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed took over state power on 11 January 2007.   Better days ahead? We, the demoralised Bangladeshis, witnessed three almost miraculous happenings lately: - Nobel Peace Prize for a Bangladeshi, Professor Yunus. - Installation of an efficient caretaker government.   Contesting From Multiple Constituencies In the ideal practice of most parliamentary democracies, candidates are not permitted to contest from more than one constituency, and are required to be residents of the constituency they are contesting   Water crisis Since day before yesterday, there is no water in Tejkunipara.   General's comments The other day our army chief in an informal conversation with the editor of a daily and the journalist from a radio channel reportedly told that the army would in no way grab state power.   Private sector power generation It is time to let the private sector, foreign or local, to invest in Bangladesh's energy sector to fulfill market demands for gas and electricity.   Replacing the leadership In a round table discussion arranged by The daily Prothom Alo, Major General (Rtd.   Antagonism carried too far! A picture has recently been published in most of the daily newspapers showing the national leaders of two major parties seated together inside a prison van.   Corruption and punishment While it is praiseworthy to see the crackdown on corruption, I do not believe sending identified corrupt and guilty people abroad will solve the problem. The corrupt and guilty must face justice at home.   Hill people in trouble The Garo Hills of Mymensingh are well known. Though these are called "Garo Hills", most of the people living here are not indigenous.   Dr. Yunus' decision This is in reference with the report published in different newspapers that Nobel Prize winner Dr. Yunus announced that he had abandoned his plan to launch a political party.   Swindlers at work A group of female snake charmers have found out a new technique of extorting money from single female passengers travelling in rickshaw or CNG or any other open window vehicle.   PSC and 27th BCS A report titled "Telltale evidence of corruption at PSC" was published in The Daily Star on 4th July, 2007 with documentary information regarding corruption with the 27th BCS.   Autorickshaws in Sylhet Residents of Sylhet are suffering because autorickshaws here have no meter. The authorities concerned have to address the matter in order to rescue the commuters.   Passport seekers' woes A passport is an essential document. There are more than a crore people alone in the Dhaka city. The passport office in Dhaka not only serves them but also the people of the whole country.   Caretaker government Mountain high garbage of corruption in all spheres, illegal occupation of govt.   Relations with Afghanistan Afghanistan has now become a land of business. After the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan opened its door to the international community. We can capitalize on this situation.   Article 63 I would like to draw your attention to the article 63 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. It says-" 63.   Comments I whole-heartedly agree with Zafar Sobhan's Straight Talk "This isn't 1990" in DS May 11, 2007.   Doctor's insensitivity I am deeply moved by an incident in a city hospital. I barely could check my tears having read about the brutality of the doctors and staff of that hospital.   Foreign investment The present caretaker government is going to deal with some big investments. Investment is good, if both sides get benefit from it.   Bashar fails Habibul Bashar's stubbornness in hanging around the team while making zero contribution is really intolerable. Star City Owners' apathy over waste treatment plant In response to the government's ultimatum to set up Effluent Treatment Plants by October 31, only 24 textile industries in Dhaka have so far submitted their action plans on ETP to the Department of Environment   Govt seeks assistance from donors The Water Resources Ministry has requested the Economic Relations Division (ERD) to seek foreign financial assistance for the Dhaka Eastern Bypass Project, sources said.   Department of Archaeology sleeps over historical site Department of Archaeology (DoA) is yet to notify the Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office demanding cancellation of a lease order illegally issued by the Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADC) office   Underground cell markets flourish A shady trade of cellular phones is on the rise in the capital where cell phones are available at a bargain price.   "city express" The latest crop of quotes from the city's press -- words worth repeating, we feel, for their humour, insight or sheer outrageousness.   © thedailystar.net, 2007. 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