Five-year-old son first to spot his lifeless parents; PM orders police to track down killers immediately; Khaleda decries slide in law and order

“Mummy and Papa have died.”

Rival factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League locked in fierce clashes at Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC) and Dhaka Dental College in the capital compelling the authorities to shut SSMC indefinitely.

A restoration by parliament of the nullified constitutional provision relating to the caretaker government system will be legal since the Supreme Court has said the system can be kept in place for two more terms.

Bangladesh government has expressed serious disappointment at the remarks made by U K Bansal, director general of Indian Border Security Force (BSF), during an interview on February 8.

The Daily Star yesterday revealed plans to hold a 16-day “Odommo Chattagram” festival to showcase the history, culture, heritage and prospects for the future of Chittagong.

Khwaja Nazimuddin's statement on the language question turned out to be incendiary and predictably led to swift and severe criticism all across East Bengal. Badruddin Umar, whose research on the Language Movement has been noted for its authenticity, has his account of the events following the governor general's speech. According to him, Nazimuddin's remarks had even Yusuf Ali Chowdhury, general secretary of the East Pakistan Muslim League, riled. Chowdhury echoed Nurul Amin's feeling that no one in the ruling party had any idea that the governor general would suddenly raise the language issue once again and in that manner.

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday ruled out a possible restoration of the caretaker government system on the ground that the Supreme Court had declared the provision illegal and unconstitutional.

In a significant development, the Bangladesh government has decided to allow India to ferry food grains and essentials for the mountainous northeastern states via its territory, Assam Tribune reported yesterday quoting a Tripura minister.

The money involved in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 tournament has come under the scanner of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday defended the government's policy on costly oil-based power projects as a short term solution to the country's energy crisis, saying this has helped overcome the crisis and boost industrial growth and exports.

Rakib Hossain, grandchild of the country's first prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed, was allegedly tortured by police on Friday.

A defiant Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed yesterday to inaugurate "important nuclear projects" within days and lashed out at Israel, saying the "story" of the Holocaust underpinning its existence had been "smashed".

A group of hackers, claiming to be Indians, has attacked websites of five ministries yesterday.

A Bangladeshi woman was chased, captured and tortured by Indian Border Security Force in Benapole border area yesterday.

The inaugural Spelling Bee took place in Monipur School in Mirpur yesterday.

Four people were arrested yesterday on suspicion of their involvement in the Friday's attack on a Moulvibazar tea estate.

A top US diplomat met leaders in the Maldives yesterday to assess a political crisis as the nation's new president agreed to international calls to investigate allegations of a military-backed coup.

One of the sons of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi yesterday threatened to lead an uprising against the country's transitional government.

A journalist was killed and his wife injured in a road accident on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Sadar upazila on Friday night.

Myanmar officials have freed a leading dissident Buddhist monk after a brief detention, his monastery said yesterday, following a call from the United States for his immediate release.

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.9 shook central Chile late Friday, US researchers reported.

An Uzbek man living in the United States pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in the southern state of Alabama to planning to kill US President Barack Obama.

We recall the Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram's emphatic assurances on a visit to Dhaka in July last that 'under no circumstances' would the Indian border security forces fire upon anyone trying to cross from Bangladesh to India. He even added, "The message has gone down to the last jawan." Against such a backdrop, we are appalled by the BSF chief's observations to the BBC on January 7, 2012 that it is not possible for them to stop firing at the border. Seeing the deliberate nature of his comment, we cannot but be shocked and surprised. We wonder how a border security chief who works under the home ministry could make such a statement that runs counter to the spirit and letter of the assurances given by his minister. We are confused and perturbed at this disconnect between the Indian home ministry and its subordinate apparatus, the BSF.

Pakistan's crisis of governance deepens a little more with the country's Supreme Court dismissing an appeal by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani against a summons in a contempt case. The prime minister's problems have been multiplying since the judiciary took serious exception to Gilani's reluctance to reopen old corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. Despite the prime minister's view that the president has immunity from legal prosecution by virtue of the office he holds, the Supreme Court has continued insisting that Zardari's corruption be reinvestigated.

Khulna Royal Bengals and Barisal Burners won their respective matches in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 in front of a cheering crowd at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

Mohammedan Sporting Club sprinted off the blocks as they scored a 25th second goal on way to registering a 2-1 win over Brothers Union in the Bangladesh Premier League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. The goal from Nigerian Basden Wilcox was cancelled by Brothers Union youngster Abdul Malek in the 72nd minute. But the Black and Whites had the last laugh as their winger Mobarak Hossain came off the bench to score a superlative goal which ensured them the full three points in their first match of the league and also brought cheer to the under-fire coach Emeka Euzegio.

Two timely big hits from Mohammed Al-Amin, The Daily Star Sport's editor, took Sport Stars into the final which they eventually won in the inter-department cricket tournament at the DU playground yesterday.

Siddikur Rahman dropped to 40th position in the leader board of the ICTSI Philippine Open after managing a three-over-par 75 in the third round yesterday. The 27-year old golfer took his aggregate to six-over 222 as he starts the last round, trailing the leader by 13 strokes at the wind-swept Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Manila. Siddikur failed to manage a single birdie in the day's play against three bogeys to endure another frustrating day on Saturday.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi took five wickets while Younis Khan and Imran Farhat both hit half-centuries as Pakistan beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the day-night international here on Friday.

The triangular series roadshow rolls into Adelaide on Sunday, when Australia and India meet for the second time. Already Australia have jumped clear on top of the table thanks to victories in their first two games, while India are on the board having beaten Sri Lanka in Perth.

Roger Federer slumped to his first Davis Cup defeat in nine years on Friday when he was shocked 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 by John Isner as the United States opened up a 2-0 lead over Switzerland.

Pakistan will once more depend on spin to maintain their dominance over England when the teams meet in a four-match one-day series starting here from Monday.

It seems that anybody even remotely close to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) wants a piece of its pie.

Martin Guptill's continued domination of the Zimbabwe bowling steered New Zealand to a seven-wicket win with 19 balls to spare in the opening Twenty20 match at Eden Park Saturday.

Wayne Rooney's double helped Manchester United down Liverpool 2-1 here Saturday as the ill-feeling remaining from the Luis Suarez racism controversy escalated.

Antonio Conte has worked under some of the best coaches in Italian football but the current Juventus boss admits to having regrets that former England manager Fabio Capello is not among that illustrious list.

The new look Ivory Coast are out to finally do justice to their reputation as the best team on the continent when they take on Zambia in an emotionally-charged Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.

Luis Suarez stirred controversy ahead of Liverpool's Premier League clash with Manchester United here Saturday after appearing to ignore Patrice Evra's offer of a handshake.

League leaders Juventus's match at Bologna on Sunday has been called off due to heavy snow while Fiorentina's trip to Parma has also fallen victim to the weather.

Bayern Munich defender Breno underwent surgery Thursday at a clinic in Augsburg after he suffered a recurrence of inflammation in his right knee, the Bundesliga outfit announced on Friday.

Shakhawat Hossain Sohel's first outing after becoming a full card winner at the Asian Tour ended abruptly after he failed to make the mid-way cut at the ICTSI Philippine Open on Friday. Sohel recently became the second Bangladeshi after Siddikur Rahman to earn a full card for the Asian Tour's 2012 season after he successfully qualified for the Tour in Thailand earlier this year.

Micah Richards has closed down his Twitter account after suffering racist abuse from fans on the social network site.

The telecom regulator has requested the telecom ministry to reconsider its decision to give 85 new licences for international call transferring gateways, internet gateways and interconnection exchanges.

Nitol Group, distributor of Tata Motors in Bangladesh, will start marketing the Nano car this month.

The country's current account balance returned to the black in December due to a slowdown in imports, after a month in the red.

Stocks gained 4.29 percent last week after falling 14.29 percent in the previous week as a result of a sudden move to cut lending and deposit rates.

Surging capital inflows, booming stock markets and a fast-appreciating currency suggest the India story is again shining after a dismal 2011.

A new report on bonded labour in Afghan brick kilns found more than half of the workers surveyed were children, with the majority of these workers under the age of 14.

Emirates upgraded its website allowing passengers to manage their own travel plans, the airline said in a statement yesterday.

India's top listed real estate developer DLF has reported quarterly profit plunged by an unexpectedly large 45 percent, hit by a drop in housing and commercial demand as the country's economy slows.

British banking giant Barclays slashed its bonus pool by a quarter on Friday amid a furious backlash over excessive bankers' pay, and revealed a 16-percent drop in annual net profits.

Standard and Poor's on Friday lowered the credit rating of 34 Italian banks in a move that follows the agency's two-notch downgrade of Italy on January 13.

The country's apparel exporters are not worried over the decision of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of providing duty-waiver benefit to 75 Pakistani products to the European Union.

Bangladesh can rely on high-quality wheat from Canada to ensure quality of end products to cater to the needs of the changing food habit of the young generation, said an official of Canadian Wheat Board (CWB).

Khandaker Sohel was unable to find something to console himself over the death of his former colleague Sagar Sarowar. Publisher of one of his books, Sohel thinks an unfulfilled desire will haunt him throughout his life.

Citizens from all walks of life and socio-political organisations yesterday strongly condemned the brutal murder of Sagar Sarowar, a news editor of private TV channel Maasranga Television, and his wife Meherun Runi, a senior reporter of ATN Bangla.

Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday stressed the need for establishing a sound and healthy political culture in the country to protect the people's rights and build a repression-free society.

Suicidal tendency is higher among women victimised by different forms of domestic violence than non-victims, experts said at a seminar yesterday.

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday urged the government to set up a "Civil Traffic Monitoring Committee" to reduce traffic congestion in the port city.

Section 144, imposed by the Hathazari upazila administration in Chittagong on Friday, remained effective for the second day yesterday to stop clashes between locals over a religious event.

The International Crimes Tribunal is scheduled today to hear a charge framing against Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami in connection with crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

India's Border Security Force (BSF) will go more desperate and border killing would increase for the recent remarks of the BSF chief that it would never be possible to totally stop firing along border, leaders of some left-leaning parties said at a human yesterday.

Speakers at a human chain programme yesterday demanded exemplary punishment of the drivers responsible for road mishaps.

Different political and socio-religious organisations yesterday demanded the arrest of the people involved in a series of clashes between two groups at Hathazari in Chittagong on Thursday and Friday centring a religious event.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said the government would be forced to step down from power through the party's March 12 grand rally.

Policymakers of the UK and Europe support the war crimes trial and opined that the government was under international obligation to hold the trial, said Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Executive President Shahriar Kabir.

Two people, including a journalist, were killed and two others injured in separate road accidents in Gazipur and Sirajganj early Friday and yesterday.

Pro-Awami League teachers of Jahangirnagar University (JU) yesterday announced a week-long counter programme to defend the university administration from the ongoing movement by a group of teachers, who are opposing the vice-chancellor (VC), to realise their seven-point demand.

White Panel, a pro-BNP-Jamaat backed teachers' panel of Chittagong University (CU), yesterday demanded exemplary punishment of those involved in the clash on the campus on Wednesday that led to the death of two students.

Three more bodies were recovered from the Surma yesterday afternoon as a boat capsized in the river in Dharmapasha upazila of Sunamganj.

The government will be forced to take action if the BNP creates anarchy in the name of rally on March 12, warned Railways Minister Suranjit Sengupta yesterday.

Central committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday suspended seven of its leaders and activists of Rajshahi University (RU) unit for assault on a journalist and other unruly activities on the campus.

Department For International Development (DFID) yesterday donated eight second-hand vehicles to Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP).

Qulkhwani of Sadik Ahmed Rumu, senior marketing manager of Eastland Insurance Company, will be held tomorrow at 66/B in Malibagh Chowdhury Para after the Maghrib prayers.

Dr Rokeya Begum, a former professor of Dhaka University (DU) and sole female clinical psychologist of Bangladesh, died of cancer at a hospital in the USA yesterday at the age of 67, says a university press release.

Alimun Nessa, mother of Md Ataur Rahman, senior vice president of public relations department of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, passed away on Friday. She was 97, says a press release.

Abdur Rahim Choudhury, eminent cultural personality of Bogra, passed away on February 9 at the age of 73.

Today is the third death anniversary of Prof SHK Yusufzai, a former dean of Civil Engineering faculty of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).

Two Bangladeshi scientists at an international seminar at Rajshahi University yesterday detailed their groundbreaking claim of reconstructing the 'theory of special relativity' as well as presenting an 'alternative relativity theory', both relating to faster than light speed.

School kids at an event on the premises of Rangpur Town Hall on Friday pledged to protect trees and save environment.

Grabbed land of a primary school in Pulhat area of Sadar upazila has been recovered after long 38 years.

Several thousand people of Purbo and Paschim Kamornai in Gaibandha Sadar upazila formed a human chain along GaibandhaSundarganj Road yesterday demanding a halt to the eviction of what they said legal landowners from the areas.

Coastguard members in fresh drive seized 80 more maunds of jatka (hilsa fry) from seven launches in Dhaleswari River in Sadar upazila early yesterday.

A Schoolboy was hacked to death allegedly by a young man at Jamira village in Bashchara union under Sadar upazila yesterday afternoon.

A young man belonging to an ethnic community was found dead in Birganj upazila yesterday.

A mobile court sentenced two drug peddlers to jail yesterday.

Police recovered a pistol and a magazine at Kharakpur village of Shibgonj upazila early yesterday. Sub inspector Nur Alam Siddiqui of Shibgonj police station said, on a tip-off, a police team went to Kharakpur village and recovered the arms from Kharakpur Primary School premises in an abandoned condition at about 4:00am.

A team of Detective Branch police arrested two alleged frauds with foreign currencies at Gorea village in sadar upazila yesterday. The arrestees are Tohiruddin, 45, son of late Mohimuddin of Gopalpur village under Sadar upazila and Nadira Hasan, 25, daughter of Abdul Barek of Kotbulpur village under Rajshahi Rajpara police station. Earlier, on information a police team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police AKM Shahin Ahmed raided the village and recovered 206 US dollars, 100 bahts and other currencies of different countries from Tohiruddin's house and arrested them.

Police recovered the decomposed body of a woman from Kathaltola canal in Sadar upazila yesterday morning. The identity of the woman, aged about 35, could not be known immediately. Mujibur Rahman, OC (investigation) of Sadar PS said, being informed by the locals, police recovered the body from the canal at about 10:30am.

Sudhijan Pathagar, one of the oldest libraries in the district, handed over '12th Hossain Jamal Memorial Award' to Mayan Uddin on Friday. Mayan has been serving as the honorary librarian at Nazrul Public Library in Gopalganj for over the last six decades. Fazle Rabbi, founder secretary of Sudhijan Pathagar handed over the certificate and a cheque for Tk 50,000 to Mayan Uddin. Library secretary Asjadul Kibria, Ishaque and Kasem Jamal, executive members of the library among others addressed the programme while director of the library presided it. Cultural secretary Afzal Hossain moderated the award giving ceremony. Sudhijan Pathagar will organise various programmes throughout the month to celebrate its 48th founding anniversary and 60 years of Language Movement.

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was greeted by cheering crowds yesterday as she hit the campaign trail in the constituency where she is standing for parliament for the first time.

Activists planned a day of civil disobedience in Egypt to mark exactly a year since they toppled Hosni Mubarak but left an increasingly unpopular but defiant military in charge.

The United Nations General Assembly is becoming the focus of attempts to apply pressure on the Syrian government over its continued crackdown on dissent.

Arab recognition of the opposition Syrian National Council is imminent, SNC member Ahmed Ramadan said in Qatar yesterday, ahead of key talks in the Egyptian capital on the crisis.

Argentina on Friday accused Britain of sending nuclear weapons to the disputed Falkland islands, while UN leader Ban Ki-moon appealed to both sides to avoid an "escalation" of their sovereignty battle.

Sticking to his stand on minorities, Congress leader Salman Khurshid has said he would ensure the rights of Pasmanda Muslim community even if the Election Commission “hangs” him.

Mitt Romney is looking to overcome his struggle to win his party's sceptical conservative wing and avoid a fourth consecutive defeat at the polls on the path to the Republican presidential nomination yesterday in Maine.

The website of the Central Intelligence Agency was briefly inaccessible on Friday after the hacker group Anonymous claimed to have knocked it offline.

US President Barack Obama on Monday will award the national medals of arts and humanities to actor Al Pacino and Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen of India, the White House announced.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan yesterday underwent a successful abdominal surgery at a hospital in Mumbai, said his son Abhishek Bachchan.

Thirty years earlier, at an evening show at Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka, some young musicians were covering classics from Rolling Stones, George Benson and Carlos Santana. They were singing just for fun, fame was not what they had on mind.

Samarjit Roy Chowdhury is one of the most renowned contemporary Bangladeshi artists. His immense contribution to Bangladeshi art particularly folk painting, has earned him national and international acclaim.

The Ekushey Book Fair began in Pabna on Friday night to acquaint the younger generation with the spirit of the Language Movement . Ekushey Book Fair Organising Parishad, Pabna has organised the month-long book fair at Pabna Town Hall premises.

Eminent actress and playwright Bipasha Hayat has released a new book of short stories at the Ekushey Book Fair, titled “Ghum Bhanga Manusher Golpo”. It was published by Shobdoshilpo.

Runaway (“Udhao”), a Bengali film directed by Amit Ashraf, premiered on February 4 and February 5 at the 2012 Goteburg International Film Festival in Sweden, the largest film festival in Scandinavia with over 400 films screened in 10 days. “Runaway,” also a recipient of the Goteburg Film Festival grant, was received warmly with two sold-out screenings.

A week-long National Drama Festival-2012 was held recently on the theme of “Our stage, our freedom movement” in Kurigram municipality hall. Local cultural organisation Prochchhad was the organiser of the festival.

A two-day long 'Shishu Mancho' theatre festival ended in Barisal on Thursday evening with staging of 'Ha-Ja-Ba-Ro-Lo' of Sukumar Roy at Barisal Aswani Kumar Hall calling for separate stage and facilities to promote children's theatre in the region.

Jhijhi Poka and GLaMgrl, two renowned online retail shops which have been operating for quite some time through their Facebook pages, have now come out with their exhibition to display their range of products for all to see. The exhibition is taking place at Drik Gallery, Dhanmondi, from February 9-12 from 3pm till 8pm everyday. The opening ceremony was graced by popular writer and director, Chayanika Chowdhury on the 9th.

British-born actress Naomi Watts is to portray Princess Diana in a new film believed to explore her relationship with the heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.

Last year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA celebrated 150 years of its birth. In these years, it had played the lead role in taking the US into the future.

Russia has been steadfast in its diplomatic support for the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, even as Assad becomes ever more isolated within the Arab League and the international community.

Sidratul Muntaha Paloma (9), a student of Class 2 of Monipur High School and College was crushed under the wheels of a speeding bus in front of the school as she, escorted by her mother, was waiting to cross the road. On that fateful morning, Muntaha pressed her mother to hurry up because she would not be allowed to enter if she reached after 7-25 a.m. Alas! Because of the indiscreet and haughty action of a bus driver that left her lifeless in a pool of blood on the road, the school gate was closed for her forever.

I have no idea what the word "Buriganga" actually means and who gave this name. If we take "Buri" to mean "Old" the Buriganga river, on the banks of which stands the city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has certainly now become old. The river has not only grown old, it has also turned grey, pale and sick, and lost all its colour and texture.

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing," said Kahlil Gibran. As did the ancient Dhrupad musicians of the subcontinent, who underscored the importance of silence in their musical renditions. According to them, the meditative pauses in the melodic patterns allow singers to create and improvise, since silence enables us to connect to our inner selves.

February 12