| Front Page |  Exploration okayed in 3 offshore blocks
The cabinet committee on economic affairs yesterday approved oil and gas exploration bids for three off-shore blocks under the condition that the explorers would not work in the internationally disputed maritime areas until the dispute is resolved.
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| | Prisoners of forest
No government has ever complied with the forest laws to recognise the land rights of the indigenous Garo or Mandi and Koch people, traditional inhabitants of the Madhupur Sal Forest, but rather used the forestland for non-forestry purposes.
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| | One more ends up with renal failure
One more child with paracetamol syrup-induced renal failure was admitted to Dhaka Shishu Hospital on Sunday.
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| | Food tender hijacked
Jubo League and Chhatra League cadres yesterday snatched tender schedules from a number of contractors inside the Khadya Bhaban office of food ministry in presence of police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel.
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| | PM asks to stop illegal parking
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the authorities to ensure vehicles are not parked haphazardly in the capital where illegal parking contributes to huge traffic snarl-ups every day.
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| | Smuggling surges
Essential commodities, including edible soybean oil, onion, garlic and rice, are being smuggled into Myanmar through at least 23 border points of Teknaf and Ukhia upazilas in the district, sources concerned said.
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| | Bureaucrats set for promotions
The government is set to give promotions to a large number of civil administration officials, prioritising those who were denied promotions by previous governments.
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| | Unfit vehicles rush to get fit at BRTA
As the government launched a drive to rid the capital of unfit vehicles and ease congestion, owners and drivers of such vehicles thronged the offices of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to get their papers in order.
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| | Bashundhara City catches fire again
A few fast food shops on Level-8 of Bashundhara City, a mega-shopping complex in the capital, were damaged in a fire that started from a stove early today.
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| | Rowdy protest at ZIA over Biman flight delay
Around 200 passengers, mostly migrant workers, staged demonstration at Zia International Airport (ZIA) in the city yesterday morning protesting delay of an Abu Dhabi-bound Biman flight.
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| | Ramadan sees low gas supply
Gas crisis in many areas across the capital intensified since Sunday, the first day of Ramadan, causing sufferings to thousands of city residents.
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| | Mobile court fine filling station, food factories
A mobile court yesterday penalised three factories and a filling station of Tk 4.5 lakh and awarded imprisonment to a factory owner on charges of illegal production and sale of food items and weight manipulation.
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| | 175 Bangladeshis back home
India yesterday handed over 175 Bangladeshi nationals rescued around eight months ago from sea near the Andaman Islands.
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| | SC hearing on Bangabandhu murder case set for Oct 5
The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday fixed October 5 for holding hearing on the appeals in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case.
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| | Another BDR camp pulled out from CHT
Another Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) camp was pulled out from Gumti area under Matiranga upazila in Khagrachhari district yesterday.
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| | SC hearing on reference today
The Supreme Court today holds hearing on the reference seeking its (SC) opinion on whether the people charged with mutiny and massacre at the BDR headquarters can be tried under the military law.
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| | Helpless father...
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| | Why bail in Aug 21 attack case won't be cancelled
A Dhaka court yesterday asked two Harkatul Jihad (Huji) operatives to explain by August 30 why their bails would not be cancelled in the August 21 grenade attack case.
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| | Deprived operator to sue Matin
Everest Enterprise, an aggrieved private berth operator, prepares to file a compensation suit of Tk 25 crore against former adviser to the last caretaker government Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin.
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| | Khaleda bail extended for a year
The High Court (HC) yesterday extended for one year its earlier order granting bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Gatco corruption case.
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| | 2 criminals killed in 'shootouts'
Two criminals were killed in "crossfire" and two police constables sustained injuries in separate incidents of gunfight with law enforcers in the capital and Pabna early yesterday.
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| | Abducted rubber garden staff freed at last
The abducted PHP Rubber garden supervisor Hefajetur Rahaman was released after eight days in the district yesterday.
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| | Parliament attack plot foiled in Pakistan
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that government forces had foiled a planned terrorist attack on parliament and buildings of the intelligence agency and other federal institutions last month.
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| | 200 to face trial for China riot
More than 200 people are expected to go on trial this week for their involvement in sectarian riots last month that killed nearly 200 people in China's eastern region of Xinjiang, a state-run newspaper reported yesterday.
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| Editorial | A fresh approach to combating extremism
THE government's decision to fight religious extremism on the social and political fronts, instead of relying solely on the law and order approach, has a lot in it that we concur in. The realisation that extremism is but a product of a number of socio-political shortcomings or failures, and as such not easy to uproot through application of force alone, is necessary to combat the evil effectively.
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| | Runaway price hike
THE media has been the whipping boy, particularly of government policy planners, for whatever failure they encounter. Recently, two very senior ministers of the government, the finance and commerce ministers, have criticised the media for what they termed as the excessive media focus on the subject that has contributed to the price spiral.
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| | Simple solutions for a complex problem
THE traffic problem in Dhaka is a veritable absurdity, a nuisance of ignoble proportion that the hordes of ministers, MPs, mayors, engineers and bureaucrats allowed to grow over the last fifteen years or so. They sat and talked and watched as the problem turned into a vicious monster and began to slowly eat up the capital to satiate its voracious hunger. They didn't have time to read the research reports that said that city roads were not long or wide enough to accommodate so many private cars, auto-rickshaws, trucks, covered vans and cycle-rickshaws.
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| Sports | Budget set to be approved
The opening ceremony of the ICC World Cup 2011, which is slated for February 18 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS), may be brought forward by a day to give the team's a one-day break before the start of the main event.
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| | Hockey needs soul back
Seven national hockey players left Dhaka for Germany yesterday to hone their skills for different clubs in the most modern domestic competition as part of their preparation for next year's South Asian Games.
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| | Freddie fire still burning
The morning after England's 2005 Ashes victory, Andrew Flintoff could barely stand, having enjoyed an all-night vigil at the bar which continued well into the following day. Fast-forward four years and it was a much more sober and mature Flintoff who reflected on his second series triumph over Australia and prepared himself for another long period of rehabilitation.
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| | Ponting down but not out
So acute is the pain of a second Ashes defeat that Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, has declared himself amenable to the idea of a fifth tour of England in 2013. Ponting, who on Sunday became the first Australian captain since Billy Murdoch to twice lead Australia to Ashes series defeats in England, said the prospect of atoning for losses in 2005 and 2009 could convince him to return for one final campaign at the age of 38.
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| | Roger takes Cincy title
World number one Roger Federer defeated fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic 6-1, 7-5 to win the Cincinnati Masters title Sunday and cement his status as favourite for the upcoming US Open.
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| | Mash returns home after surgery
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza returned home yesterday after successful operations on both his knees in Melbourne, Australia.
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| | Under-19 schedules released
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) released itineraries for the England Under-19s and Zimbabwe Under-19s tours to Bangladesh in October-November this year.
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| | Bari hold Inter
Defending champions Inter Milan were held to a surprise 1-1 draw at home to promoted Bari at the San Siro on Sunday in their first match of the new Serie A season.
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| | Hamburg stun Wolves
Defending champions VfL Wolfsburg slumped to a shock 4-2 defeat at home to Hamburg on Sunday to leave Leverkusen top of the Bundesliga, while German giants Bayern Munich were humbled by Mainz.
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| | Bekele leads the doubles
Ethiopian superstar Kenenisa Bekele and Americans LaShawn Merritt and Sanya Richards won their second gold medals on the final day of the world athletics championships here on Sunday.
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| | 'Aussie selectors erred'
Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch on Monday refused to blame his panel for Australia's shattering loss of the Ashes to England.
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| | Blues ease past Fulham
Chelsea maintained their perfect start to life under Carlo Ancelotti with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Fulham on Sunday.
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| | Bordeaux go top
Reigning champions Bordeaux raced two points clear in the French league on Sunday after a 4-0 thrashing of Nice which made it three wins out of three for Laurent Blanc's men.
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| | Harry eyes top four
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes his side are ready to nail down a place in the Premier League's top four after making their best start to a season for 49 years.
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| | Burnley scalp Everton
Burnley's fairytale start to life in the Premier League continued on Sunday as Wade Elliott's goal earned a 1-0 victory over Everton.
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| | Everton agree Lescott fee
Everton on Sunday confirmed they have agreed a fee with English Premier League rivals Manchester City for the sale of defender Joleon Lescott, bringing to an end a bitter, summer-long saga.
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| | Messi fires Barcelona
Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Spanish Super Cup second leg on Sunday for a 5-1 aggregate win.
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| | Football turns violent
A 19-year-old spectator was shot dead and a holiday resort set alight in India as furious supporters of a losing amateur football team went on the rampage, police said.
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| | Ghezzal unable to fast
Practising Muslim Abdelkader Ghezzal celebrated the start of Ramadan, his religion's holy month of fasting, with a goal in Siena's 2-1 home to defeat to AC Milan but then admitted he would not be able to fulfill his religious obligations.
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| | English press ecstatic
England cricket captain Andrew Strauss was hailed as a hero in the British press Monday after leading his team to victory, while questions were raised about Australian skipper Ricky Ponting's future.
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| | Unpaid booters seek wages
As many as 25 players including three foreign recruits sought the intervention of the Bangladesh Football Federation to clear their last season's unpaid wages from Muktijoddha Sangsad KC.
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| | Dementieva lifts Rogers Cup
Elena Dementieva won her third singles title of the year, snapping a run of poor showings against Maria Sharapova in an all-Russian showdown at the WTA Rogers Cup on Sunday.
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| | Australia fall in Test rankings
Australia's 2-1 Ashes defeat, confirmed with a heavy 197-run loss at The Oval on Sunday, has cost them their No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. They have slipped to fourth, with South Africa now the No. 1 Test team in the world, followed by Sri Lanka and India.
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| | Academy lose series
The GP-BCB National Cricket Academy (NCA) suffered a 93-run defeat in the third and final one-day match to lose the series by 1-2 against Standard Bank National Academy of South Africa (SBNA) in Johannesburg on Sunday.
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| | Reefat slips to third
Grand Master Reefat Bin Sattar slipped to third position at the close of fifth round of the 9th United Insurance & United Leasing Grandmasters Chess Tournament at the National Sports Council Tower Lounge yesterday.
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| | Duo bag gold for Bangladesh
Bangladesh bagged two gold medals in the 5th Korean Open International Taekwondo Championship that concluded on Friday in Incheon, Korea.
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| | MSC confirm Enamul
Mohammedan SC retained the services of midfielder Enamul Haque Sharif for the upcoming season as the Black and Whites yesterday signed up Sharif.
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| Business | MCCI backs fiscal steps to check inflation
The cause of concern is the average inflation rate, which takes the heat mainly from supply-side bottlenecks, said Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) yesterday.
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| | Mobile operators add 1.28m customers
Monthly mobile subscriber acquisition growth marked a 357 percent rise in July to 1.28 million compared to only 0.28 million the previous month, indicating a price war in the market against the backdrop of no SIM tax waiver in the 2009-10 budget.
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| | Banks look to fund PPP projects
Banks are considering financing public private partnership (PPP) projects actively in the wake of a sharp decline in domestic investment demand.
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| | Govt plans for drought-tolerant rice
The government has taken initiative to bring a drought-tolerant rice seed, Nerica, from Uganda in the face of mounting threat to food security amid looming climate change.
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| | Develop fashion schools
A specialised design school will help educate local women entrepreneurs to understand the latest in fashion trends around the world and export their products to developed nations, said the commerce minister yesterday.
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| | Fair to promote women entrepreneurs begins
In a bid to identify and promote deserving women entrepreneurs, a six-day international trade show targeting Eid began in Dhaka yesterday.
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| | China to give $1b in project funds
China plans to provide over $1 billion for funding three projects in Bangladesh as Dhaka and Beijing are negotiating the terms of the loan.
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| | Fairfax Media slumps to $315.4m loss
Australia's second-largest press group Fairfax Media on Monday reported an annual net loss of 380.0 million dollars (315.4 million US) as the global downturn and the Internet hit earnings.
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| | Local garment factory at CEPZ soon
A local manufacturing company, Modeste Limited, will set up a garment factory at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) at a cost of US$ 5.098 million.
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| | New GM for SA Bangladesh
Singapore Airlines (SA) announced Malcolm Leong as general manager for Bangladesh with effect from August 19,2009, according to a press statement.
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| | Microsoft, Yahoo brace for probe
Yahoo Inc and Microsoft Corp hope that by joining forces, they can tilt the balance of power in internet search away from Google Inc. First, however, Yahoo and Microsoft have to convince regulators that their plan won't hurt online advertisers and consumers.
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| | Financial brands: It's time to act
Just recently when I have gone through the latest Brand Finance report, it was found the global financial crisis has taken a heavy toll on banks' brand valuations.
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| | DSE closes slightly lower
Following a relatively volatility caused by investor shakiness, the Dhaka market finished slightly lower yesterday.
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| | Minister says Air India needs bailout
Air India needs a bailout of nearly 620 million dollars to keep flying, a minister said in remarks published Monday, in which he added he was certain the loss-making airline would survive.
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| | Thai economy shrinks by 4.9pc
Thailand's economy shrank by 4.9 percent year-on-year in the second quarter but is showing signs of recovery from the global slowdown, official figures showed Monday.
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| | Foreign business warns Philippines on labour bill
Overseas investors will flee the Philippines if Congress passes a bill making it harder to hire short-term workers or lay-off employees, foreign businesses warned on Monday.
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| | Taiwan jobless rate hits record high
Taiwan's unemployment rate in July hit a record high of 6.07 percent largely due to an increase in first-time jobseekers during the graduation season, the government said Monday.
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| | Russia to create auto holding to battle crisis
Russia is creating a new holding firm to bundle state-owned stakes in three of its top auto firms, in an apparent bid to help the embattled sector overcome the economic crisis, reports said on Monday.
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| | Oil prices edge higher
Oil prices rose slightly Monday on increased signs of economic recovery ahead, traders said.
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| | Vietnam says trade deficit fell 68pc in first eight months
Vietnam's trade deficit in the first eight months fell an estimated 68 percent year on year to 5.1 billion dollars due to a significant drop in imports, official figures showed Monday.
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| | Dollar, euro rise against 'safe' yen
The dollar and the euro climbed against the safe-haven yen on Monday as hopes grew that the world economy was heading towards a recovery following positive US data, dealers said.
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| | Warner Chilcott buys P&G drugs unit for $3.1b
Irish pharmaceuticals group Warner Chilcott has agreed to buy the prescription-drug unit of US consumer products giant Procter & Gamble for 3.1 billion dollars (2.2 billion euros), the two said on Monday.
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| | Eurozone factory orders rebound in June
Factories in the 16 nations using the euro single currency saw demand rebound by 3.1 percent in June compared to May, after two months of falls, according to official EU data released Monday.
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| Metropolitan | Dhaka for global treaty on use of int'l river water
Bangladesh moved a proposal at the World Water Forum Conference in Stockholm to strike an international framework treaty for proper use of water of international rivers and water bodies by the UN member-states, as disputes in this regard prevail in different corners of the globe.
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| | 'Impose restrictions on car to ease traffic jam'
Speakers at a sit-in programme yesterday urged the government to impose restrictions on private cars to reduce traffic congestion in the city.
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| | 'Implement Nat'l Women Dev Policy immediately'
Karmojibi Nari (KN) yesterday observed the Resistance to Violence Against Women Day or Yasmin Day 2009 with a call for implementing the National Women Development Policy 2008 immediately.
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| | Eleven killed in road accidents
Eleven people were killed in separate road accidents in Comilla, Chapainawabganj, Munshiganj, Chittagong and Bogra in last two days.
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| | Applications for British passports to be received in Sylhet
A pilot project for receiving applications for British passports in Sylhet was launched yesterday.
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| | Encroachment on canals blamed
Encroachment of canals and poor solid waste management are behind the chronic waterlogging problem in urban areas, especially in the capital city during the monsoon.
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| | Govt urged to take control of donor trust fund
Speakers at a citizens' meeting and protest rally yesterday urged the government to take control of the Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for climate change adaptation of Bangladesh eliminating the authoritarian role of the World Bank (WB).
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| | Few contractors hold R&H Dept to ransom
Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain yesterday said few contractors have been holding the Roads and Highways (R&H) Department to ransom.
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| | Five frauds held
The police yesterday arrested five members of a gang on charges of fraud as they supplied fake question papers of 29th BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) preliminary exams to some candidates in exchange for money.
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| | BNP to observe first anniversary of release of Khaleda, Tarique
BNP and its associate bodies will observe the first anniversary of the release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman from prison with rallies and discussions next month.
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| | BCL factions clash at DU: 10 injured
Ten activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were injured in a factional clash at Kobi Jasim Uddin Hall in Dhaka University yesterday evening.
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| | Two murdered in city
A middle-aged woman was strangled to death inside her Sutrapur house in the capital while Ashulia police recovered the decapitated body of a 50-year-old man from the area yesterday.
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| | 13 top cops transferred
Thirteen senior police officials were transferred in the latest reshuffle in the police administration yesterday.
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| | SC upholds HC order to allow Sayedee to go abroad
The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday upheld the High Court (HC) verdict that directed the government to allow Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee to go abroad.
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| | SC order on govt petition today
The Supreme Court (SC) will pass order today on the government's petition for turning down the High Court orders granting bail to former BNP minister Shahjahan Siraj and asking the authorities to release him from jail.
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| | UK High Commission, IOM ponder increasing TB test capacity
As a result of an unprecedented demand for TB examinations for visas for the United Kingdom in Bangladesh, especially for student visas, UK Border Agency (UKBA) at the British High Commission and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have looked at ways to increase the examination capacity of its Migration Health Assessment Clinics in Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong in order to meet that demand.
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| | Mirpur traders demand extension of shopping hour
Local traders yesterday put up a barricade on a road at Mirpur-10 in the city for an hour, demanding extension of time for keeping the shops open until 10:00pm.
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| | Flexing Muscles for Tender
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| | Parliament library needs modernisation
The Parliament Library Committee yesterday underscored the need for modernisation of the parliament library so that the members can use it with digital facility.
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| | Forum for Secular Bangladesh Canada unit formed
International Forum for Secular Bangladesh, Canada chapter emerged recently to spread the ideology and activities of Ekattorer Ghatok Dalal
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| | Biochemistry Olympiad in Dec-Jan
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Dhaka University is going to organise a Biochemistry Olympiad in the months of December and January with a view to encouraging students to study biology and do more researches on the subject, says a press release.
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| | Death anniversary of Ivy Rahman observed
The fifth death anniversary of Ivy Rahman, former women's affairs secretary of Awami League (AL) and wife of President Zillur Rahman, was observed yesterday.
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| | SC allows Moudud to operate account
The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday allowed former BNP minister Moudud Ahmed to withdraw money from a foreign currency bank account that had been frozen earlier.
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| | Swapan's death condoled
Different organisations yesterday condoled the death of Shafiqul Ghani Swapan, former minister and chairman of Bangladesh National Awami Party.
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| National | Flood situation worsens in Gaibandha, Faridpur
Though the flood situation has started improving in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Kurigram with recession of river waters, the situation further deteriorated in Gaibandha and Faridpur.
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| | Erosion adds to their misery
River erosion and flood in char areas of three upazilas of the district forced a large number of families to move to safer places yesterday.
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| | Arrest killers of Bithar by Sept 10
Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque yesterday said Khulna Awami League will give a call for tough movement if real killers of Jubo League leader Shahid Iqbal Bithar and their masterminds are not arrested by September 10.
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| | Goons again attack Narsingdi Press Club, 4 injured
Four journalists including Narsingdi Press Club general secretary Mazharul Parvez Monty were seriously injured when criminals ransacked and looted the club yesterday noon in second such attack in a week.
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| | 9 RU Shibir men arrested, sent to jail
Nine Shibir cadres of Rajshahi University (RU) unit were arrested yesterday on charge of stabbing two Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists on June 10.
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| | Jamaat leader sent to jail
A court yesterday sent Kamrul Hasan Milon, city ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami to jail after his surrender at noon.
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| | Bet costs his life
A student of Barisal BM College yesterday met his tragic end while swimming in the college pond in jeans pants upon a bet.
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| | Three to die for murder
Three people were sentenced to death while 10 others awarded life-term rigorous imprisonment (RI) yesterday for killing a man at village Harishpur in Shalikha upazila of the district. The Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court also fined each of life convicts Tk 1 lakh, in default, to suffer one more year RI. Those who got death penalty are Shamim, Abdus Salam and Kamal while those imprisoned for life are Md Bakuar, Abdul Latif, Nuru Biswas, Dukhu Mian, Kala Shahid, Abul Kashem, Abbas, Bablu, Shahidul and Amin. All the convicts hailed from village Harishpur. According to the prosecution story, one Iltutmish of Harishpur village was hacked injuring him critically in the early hours of May 26, 2000 while he was returning home from adjoining village Kazipara. He succumbed to his injuries at Jessore General Hospital.
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| | 3 unnatural deaths in a day
Two women and an adolescent boy allegedly committed suicide in a day in Dimla and Jaldhaka upazilas. Of them one drowned herself in the Teesta and the two others took poison. Sources said Ekramul,14, son of Mokbul Hossain of Nekbakth Basunia Para village of Jaldhaka upazila committed suicide on Sunday by taking poison as his mother rebuked him. He died on way to Jaldhaka Upazila Health Complex. On the same day, Shelly Begum, wife of Khudu Mamud of Molatari village under Jaldhaka municipality area committed suicide by taking poison. She killed herself after a quarrel with her husband. Housewife Saleha Khatoon, daughter of one Mokbul Hossain of Dohol Para village under Dimla upazila committed suicide by drowning herself in the Teesta River on Sunday evening. Recently she returned to her father's house with her two children due to unhappy relationship with husband.
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| | Pirates abduct 2 fishermen
Pirates abducted two fishermen from a canal in the Sundarbans early yesterday and demanded Tk one lakh ransom for their release. They are Bablu, 26, son of Omar Ali, and Abul Kashem, 19, son of Abu Bakkar Siddique of village Kalinchi in Shyamnagar upazila. A fisherman, who was released by the pirates, told police that the gang took Bablu and Kashem to deep forest and set a seven-day deadline for payment of the ransom. Otherwise, he said, the pirates threatened to kill the two.
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| International | UN supports probe into polls irregularities
The UN special envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide yesterday threw his full support behind the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) as the organisation investigates allegations of fraud during last week's polls.
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| | Shia groups form new alliance sans Iraqi PM
Major Shia groups have formed a new alliance that will exclude the Iraqi prime minister, lawmakers said Monday, a move likely to stoke fears of increasing Iranian influence and shake up the political landscape ahead of January parliamentary elections.
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| | Pak denies Mullah Omar operating from Baluchistan
Rejecting foreign media reports that Taliban supreme commander Mullah Omar and the central council of the terrorist organisation were present in Baluchistan, Frontier Corps Baluchistan Inspector General (IG) Major General Saleem Nawaz has said that they are not functioning from Quetta.
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| | Qaeda still 'capable' of attacking US
al-Qaeda remains "very capable" of attacking the United States, the top US military officer said as he tried to boost waning US support for the conflict in Afghanistan.
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| | US seeks Seoul's support for N Korea sanction
A senior US diplomat sought South Korea's support yesterday to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea despite a series of gestures by the communist nation to reduce tensions with the rival South.
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| | 'Minus-one' formula a ploy to weaken, dislodge PPP govt: Pak PM
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the 'minus-one' formula was just a ploy to weaken and dislodge the PPP government at the centre.
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| | Pak govt forms new team to probe Benazir killing
More than a year and half after she was assassinated, Pakistan government yesterday set up a fresh probe into the killing of former premier Benazir Bhutto.
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| | Fire crews scramble to tame Greek fires
Fire crews outside Athens scrambled Monday to exploit a lull in high winds, but the flames spread further and dozens of nuns had to be rescued from a convent threatened by one blaze, officials said.
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| | Iran urges world powers to stop countering nuclear drive
Iran told world powers yesterday they must stop working against its atomic drive and instead adopt a policy of interaction with the Islamic republic to resolve the nuclear crisis.
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| | US training more drone operators than fighter, bomber pilots
The US Air Force has said it is now training more drone operators than fighter and bomber pilots as part of an expanding programme battlefield automation, and signalled that the end of the era of the fighter pilot is in sight.
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| | Iran kills 26 Kurdish rebels
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have killed 26 Kurdish rebels in northwestern Iran, a commander of the guards was quoted as saying on Sunday by the Fars news agency.
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| | Fitter-looking Fidel in video
Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who is recovering from major intestinal surgery, appeared Sunday in the first new video of him in 14 months, joking and chatting with Venezuelan students.
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| | Nepal VP asked to retake oath
Nepal's supreme court has ordered the vice president to retake his oath of office in the Nepali language or be sacked, after he originally used Hindi when he was sworn in.
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| | Afghan journalist shot dead
Gunmen yesterday shot dead an Afghan journalist in northwest Pakistan's lawless tribal belt, branded one of the most dangerous spots in the world for media, an official said.
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| Arts & Entertainment | A lifelong devotion to Nazrul’s compositions
In the late 1960s, Shabnam Mushtari emerged as one of the most accomplished Nazrul singers. Shabnam's renditions of "Laili tomar eshechhey phiria," "Amaye nohego bhalobasho shudhu" and "Shobar kotha koiley kobi" have fetched her much acclaim among Nazrul Sangeet aficionados. Shabnam is also vocal about the lack of proper evaluation of Nazrul's timeless creations. The Daily Star had a chance to catch up with the artiste. Here are excerpts from the conversation:
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| | Consigned to the back pages of history
Memories of Baul MA Gafur, a renowned folk artist of the region, remain vibrant in the public memory. Gafur was not just a singer, but a devotee of music -- particularly folk and mystical songs. He was martyred during the Liberation War.
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| | Channel i Shera Kantho ‘09 tonight
A new round of Channel i's musical talent hunt "Shera Kantho '09" will start from tonight. Four renowned musical personalities -- Runa Laila, Sabina Yasmin, Subir Nandi and Alauddin Ali -- will be evaluating the contestants starting from this episode.
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| | Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar: The golden couple
She is an actor par excellence plus a dedicated political activist. He was a popular figure in the 1970s giving a stature to Indian screenwriting, Later he turned into an impeccable poet and lyricist. Meet talented husband wife duo Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar who despite the distances that often separate them, seem to have a highly successful marriage.
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| | An evening of classical music in Jhenidah
A cultural programme featuring classical music was held in Jhenidah Upazila Auditorium recently. The performer was classical vocalist Mohammad Mahmudul Hasan. The event was organised by the Bangladesh Gonoshilpi Shangstha's Jhenidah wing. A prominent personality at the function was Gonoshilpi Shangstha president Abdus Salam.
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| | Venezuela wins Miss Universe crown again
Miss Venezuela was the fairest of them all, again.
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| | First general assembly of Bangladesh Sangeet Sangathan Samonnay Parishad held
The first biennial general meeting of 'Bangladesh Sangeet Sangathan Samonnay Parishad' was held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on August 20, says a press release.
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| | Swani Zubayeer on tonight’s Gaanalap
Musical show "Gaanalap" will be aired on Banglavision tonight at 9:05 pm.
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| Point Counterpoint | Evolution of English
IT is all too common these days to see people around the world manipulating the English language, be it online or during text messaging on mobile phones, by using acronyms such as "PCM -- Please Call Me" and "TTYL -- Talk to You Later," etc. This trend developed to accommodate the needs of the users, who are more diverse and faster changing than the language itself. But this mustn't be stigmatised as blasphemous to the integrity of English because these abbreviations are not amendments to the language but only show the limitations of the mediums used for communication.
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| | What SRK should learn from Kalam
A celebrity is blessed with good fortune in many ways. A reporter, for instance, has to search for news. A celebrity merely has to look into the mirror. Such self-obsession requires sensational amorality and phenomenal lack of judgment. Ordinary, guilt-obsessed mortals do not possess these virtues.
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| | A star like him never dims
WE reached the Melaghar Muktijuddho training camp after a long arduous journey. "We" means eight of us from Kalabagan, Kathalbagan and Azimpur areas, who decided to join the armed struggle without letting our parents know. We were directed to the Baksha Nagar Youth Camp, where we went on a truck. One night we were told that Major Haider wanted us to return with him to Melaghar then and there.
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| Travel | A treat in wildlife
A bend in the river and a wooden pyre came into view. About 15 feet above the water, there was a nice round cubicle in the front and you climb directly on to it. This is Sutarkhali forest station.
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