Vol. 5 Num 944 Wed. January 24, 2007       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Metropolitan National International Culture Views Point-counterpoint Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections Star Chittagong Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Be honest and neutral or face punishment Chief Adviser (CA) to the Caretaker Government Fakhruddin Ahmed in his first meeting with secretaries to the ministries yesterday warned them of severe punitive measures if they do not carry out their   Sangu drains out huge money from country The country's only offshore gas field Sangu has become a never-ending financial drainage system for the country, as the foreign developer Cairn's recoverable costs are increasing every year and gas production   Government aims for anti-graft body overhauling The caretaker government will amend the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act and is strongly considering reconstitution of the three-member anti-graft body that has remained non-functional since its formation   Long stay for ships takes toll on consumers Long delays at the Chittagong port cause huge financial losses to ship operators, which add to cost of business and raise prices for consumers.   Oriental Bank asked to sue Obaidul, ex-MD, 21 othersc Bangladesh Bank (BB) yesterday asked Oriental Bank to file criminal cases against Obaidul Karim, chief of the Orion Group, ex-managing director Koyes Sami and 21 other present and former officials ofthe   EU to send election observers again The European Commission (EC) will again deploy its poll observers for the next general election in Bangladesh and the mission's headquarters in Brussels will send a delegation next month to monitor the   2,500 more held Around 2,500 people were arrested on various charges in the ongoing countrywide anti-crime drive during the last 24 hours ending at 10:00pm yesterday.   BGMEA for steps against corrupt officials Garment industry owners have demanded stern actions against the corrupt government officials.   Rab seizes equipment from VoIP trader Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members arrested three people and seized a huge quantity of equipment used to run unauthorised voice over internet protocol (VoIP) business from an office at Purana Paltan   Acting CEC still waits for president's request Acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Mahfuzur Rahman yesterday said he would consider stepping down as the poll chief if the request comes from President Iajuddin Ahmed.   More demolition in city Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) authorities yesterday tore down different illegal establishments in the city under ongoing eviction drives.   Britain, India, Pakistan for early polls Britain, India and Pakistan yesterday hoped Bangladesh would have a free, fair and credible general election in the shortest possible time to meet the aspiration of the people.   Making customers aware   Eight hurt as chemical drum explodes at factory Eight workers of an electric fan factory in the city's Jatrabari area were severely injured when a drum full of chemical substances exploded last night.   UK offers help in fair polls, transparent ballot box The United Kingdom (UK) offered all help in holding a free and fair general election in Bangladesh, including supply of transparent ballot box.   Schoolteacher becomes victim of Rab official's vindictiveness Delwar Hossain Dilu, a primary school teacher who was claimed by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) to have been killed in a "crossfire" early Sunday, was rather a victim of a Rab official's vindictiveness,   3 JMB men to walk gallows A special tribunal in Naogaon yesterday sentenced three members of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to death for their role in August 17, 2005 serial bombings in the district.   Erasing...   Two time bombs, explosives found in ditch Police detectives recovered two powerful time bombs and some bomb-making materials from a ditch adjacent to Bara Aulia shrine near Taltola Bazar in the city's Khilgaon area late on Monday.   Top Republicans move against Bush's Iraq troop hike plan Top Republican senators Monday assailed President George W Bush's plan to increase US troops in Iraq, adding critical strength to the movement in Congress against his new war plan.   Zawahri taunts Bush over Iraq troops plan al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri mocked US President George W Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq, saying militants could wipe out the entire US army, according to an Internet video postedon   LDP favours national ID card for next polls Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Badruddoza Chowdhury yesterday told a four-member European Commission (EC) delegation that his party favours introduction of national identity cards in the next   Security alert for UN staff in Bangladesh withdrawn UN security alert imposed on its staff members in Bangladesh has been withdrawn following significant improvement of law and order in the country.   Judicial probe adjourned in defamation case against Jalil A Dhaka court yesterday adjourned judicial inquiry into a defamation suit filed against Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil until March 15 as the complainant BNP Senior Joint Secretary General   2 wounded as criminals spray bullets at shop A gang of criminals sprayed bullets into a metal sheet store in the Dholaikhal area yesterday leaving two people injured, one critically.   'US image around world worsens' The image of the United States has deteriorated around the world in the past year because of issues such as Iraq and prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, according to a poll by the BBC World Service releasedon   5 detained in Britain under anti-terror laws Five men were arrested in dawn raids in Britain yesterday under anti-terrorism laws, including two British Pakistanis, police and reports said.   Israel indicts president Katsav on rape charges Israel's attorney general Menachem Mazuz has decided to indict President Moshe Katsav on charges of raping four women, a justice ministry official said yesterday.   Ethiopian troops begin Mogadishu pullout Ethiopian troops began withdrawing from Mogadishu yesterday nearly four weeks after they helped oust Islamist forces from the Somali capital, officials said.   Thailand confirms 2nd bird flu outbreak Thai livestock officials yesterday confirmed the country's second outbreak of bird flu this year, saying they had detected the deadly H5N1 virus among chickens in the country's northeast. Business TRADE Bill needs to be reintroduced: Officials Local apparel exporters are in the dark about the latest position of the much-talked-about TRADE Bill 2005, although the Bangladesh embassy in Washington informed the government that the bill has to be   DSE turnover comes down to Tk 111.8cr After a four-day rally, turnover on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) yesterday dropped slightly, coming down to Tk 111.8 crore. Earlier on Monday, the turnover on the DSE was Tk 119.   Premier Bank, 2 other firms get nod to float IPOs Premier Bank and two other companies yesterday received approvals from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to raise a total of Tk 98 crore from the public through initial public offerings (IPOs).   Of trade syndicate, price hike and economic data integrity For quite some time, we have been hearing about various trade syndicates and how they are directly contributing to the unusual price hike of the essentials in the markets reportedly under various political   Delhi announces major import duty cuts Seeking to contain inflationary pressures on the economy and bring down cost of production, the Indian government has announced customs duty cuts on a range of products, including cement, steel, zincand   Saarc business leaders' meet from Feb 17 in Mumbai The two-day second Saarc Business Leaders Conclave will begin in India's Mumbai on February 17 aiming to focuses on developing new mindsets and changing attitude in the Saarc region to ensure economic   New two-taka note enters market Sunday Bangladesh Bank will circulate a new two-taka note with its present design and size from the bank's Motijheel office Sunday.   Lamy for stepping up WTO talks at Davos meet Top WTO trade ministers should agree to step up stalled multilateral trade talks at their upcoming meeting in the Swiss Alps, WTO director general Pascal Lamy said Tuesday.   StanChart signs financing agreement with Banglalink Standard Chartered Bank signed an agreement with Banglalink for a bridge financing facility of Tk 1.05 billion, says a press release.   UAE to expand investments in Pakistan UAE's investments in Pakistan will witness a major boost in 2007 in various sectors such as energy, investment, trade and manpower.   Oil prices slip in Asian trade Oil prices slipped slightly in Asian trade Tuesday as a buildup in US stockpiles eased concerns over heating fuel demand during the northern hemisphere winter, dealers said.   US investment accord with Indonesia ahead of FTA likely The United States is looking into signing an investment treaty with Indonesia this year to set the pace for a larger free trade pact that could boost bilateral trade by up to 40 percent.   Dollar holds steady The dollar held steady on Tuesday, hovering around a four-year high against the yen as investors continued to shun the Japanese currency due to its super-low interest rates, dealers said.   LG Electronics posts Q1 loss South Korea's LG Electronics said Tuesday it booked its first-ever quarterly loss in the three months to December due to year-end inventory controls and a weak performance by its display business.   Currency Sports Cricket: Victoria stop Sonargaon Sonargaon Cricketers tasted their first defeat in the Kai-Altech Premier Cricket League when they crashed to Victoria Sporting Club by six wickets in a low-scoring match at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National   Cricket: Mohammedan keep the chase Mohammedan Sporting Club shrugged off a challenge by Young Pegasus to stay on leaders Abahani's heels in the Kai-Altech Premier Cricket League yesterday but Bangladesh Biman further slumped when theywere   Football: Venues must be ready by Feb 5 After a positive session with Muktijoddha Sangsad footballers, the B. League officials will visit the other professional clubs to enlighten the players about the pros and cons of the new competition.   Cricket: Anxious hours for a few Few changes are on the cards when the national selectors meet today to decide the 15-member Bangladesh squad for next month's one-day international series in Zimbabwe.   Cricket: Women's meet starts on Jan 27 Dhaka will take on Ansar in the opening match of the first ever women's cricket championship to be held at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on January 27.   Tennis: Kyre, Max move on Chritopher and Kyre kept the Indian flag waving as they moved to the third round of the fifth BKSP International Junior Tennis Championships at the BKSP venue yesterday.   Cricket: WI sweat over Lara Off-spinner Ramesh Powar has been included instead of Suresh Raina for India's second one-dayer against West Indies at Cuttack.   Cricket: Kiwis off the mark Pace bowler James Franklin went from villain to hero as New Zealand kept their triangular series hopes alive with a 90-run win over England at the Adelaide Oval here on Tuesday.   Cricket: HC rules for DD The Delhi High Court on Tuesday provided some relief for millions of fans by ruling that public broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) can telecast the remaining three one-dayers between India and West Indies,and   Cricket: Gibbs trial today Herschelle Gibbs's appeal against a two Test match-ban imposed upon the South Africa batsman for "racially offensive" comments during the first Test against Pakistan, will be heard on Wednesday via teleconference,   Cricket: Inzy hails 'best' victory Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq hailed Monday's five-wicket win in the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park as the best of his captaincy career.   Cricket: Pak greats salute win Former cricket greats Tuesday hailed Pakistan's comeback win over South Africa, a victory described as the "best ever" by captain Inzamamul Haq.   Cricket: Bob puts England aside Bob Woolmer said Tuesday that Pakistan's success in the cricket World Cup is the only thing on his mind despite reports linking the South Asian team's coach to the England job.   Cricket: NY can't host cricket Contrary to reports at the weekend, it is highly unlikely that a planned one-day series between India and Australia in North America will be able to include matches in the USA.   Tennis: Men's semifinal humdinger The ultimate competitor Serena Williams upset the form book to blitz into the Australian Open semi-finals Tuesday as Roger Federer and Andy Roddick set up a showdown against each other.   Tennis: 'Federer gap closing' Andy Roddick may only have won one of his 13 matches with Roger Federer but he feels the gap with the supreme world number one player is closing.   Football: Is Premiership the best? Is English club football the best in the world? That was the debate in highly respected French sports newspaper L'Equipe on Tuesday, sparked by a pair of excuses from the bosses of underachieving teams.   Football: Lofty yet troubled Real Real Madrid are a club in crisis according to many observers, hellbent on selling their most famous players in the belief they are over the hill.   Cricket: First Div Cricket transfers today Players' transfers for this season's First Division Cricket League will begin at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today.   Cricket: Sidhu given reprieve India's Supreme Court decided Tuesday to stay the imprisonment of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, sentenced to three years in jail for killing a man in an outburst of road rage.   Cricket: Shabbir on way to South Africa Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq said Monday that fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed was on his way to South Africa as a replacement after serving a one-year ban for having an illegal bowling action.   Tennis: Forever a Czech Like Maria Sharapova, Nicole Vaidisova is a product of the Nick Bollettieri Academy in Florida and has developed an American accent, but she bristles at suggestions she is no longer a true Czech.   Tennis: Serena not egotistic Serena Williams is keeping her ego in check after making the Australian Open semi-finals, saying she doesn't want to be "like some of those celebrities walking around, just so full of themselves".   Tennis: Vaidisova sets up idol meet Australian Open 10th seed Nicole Vaidisova set up a semi-final clash with her childhood idol Serena Williams Tuesday after winning an all-Czech quarter-final against Lucie Safarova.   Tennis: Sinking feeling for Fish The subject of his abject straight sets defeat won't be a topic of discussion for Mardy Fish when he next bumps into Andy Roddick.   Football: Baros, Carew in swap deal Czech international forward Milan Baros left Aston Villa for Lyon on Monday with giant Norwegian forward John Carew heading in the other direction, the French champions said.   Football: Platini, Johansson face-off Michel Platini comes up against Lennart Johansson for the presidency of European football's governing body UEFA on Friday as Germany plays host once again to a major event, hot on the heels of the World   Football: Spurs up against history As if trying cope with a resurgent Arsenal wasn't hard enough, Tottenham will also have to defy history if they are to reach a cup final for the first time in five years.   Football: Nowotny calls it quits Former German international centre-back Jens Nowotny told the German press on Monday that he is ending his career due to a serious knee injury.   Football: Victory delights Cesc Cesc Fabregas believes Arsenal's season has been saved by a crisis meeting that followed the lowest point of their campaign.   Football: RvN reiterates Basten rejection Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has said he does not want to play for Holland again under coach Marco van Basten.   Football: Larsson shrugs off setback Manchester United striker Henrik Larsson has warned Chelsea that his side will not let the agonising defeat at Arsenal ruin their English Premiership title challenge.   Football: Blanco loaned to West Ham Spanish joint league leaders Sevilla said Monday they have loaned out Spanish under-21 international striker Kepa Blanco to English Premiership side West Ham until the end of the season, according tothe   Football: New statutes for Italian federation The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has adopted new statutes following an extraordinary general meeting on Monday. Metropolitan DFID, Unicef to help improve sanitation, hygiene for 3cr people The UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Unicef signed an agreement in the city yesterday to support Bangladesh government in implementing improved sanitation and hygiene programmesto   Tale of a dowry-free village Beside the river Gomoti in Comilla, Kahetara is a small village of around 100 families. Like other villages of the country, Kahetara has the same socio-economic scenarios with one great exception.   Girl burnt alive, slum dwellers live under open sky A 10-year-old girl was burnt alive in Monday's devastating fire at a slum in the city's Mohammadpur area. Around 250 shanties were also gutted in the fire that broke out at around 9:30pm.   'Resolve fertiliser crisis, oust Asia Energy' Five Left Party yesterday demanded immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency and restoration of the people's right to freedom of expression and political activities.   Acute crisis of transport in Rajshahi Govt College Acute crisis of buses is hampering study of around 23,775 students of Rajshahi Government College.   Quader protests Bhuiyan's remarks Awami League acting general secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday protested the statement of BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, saying that the BNP leaders are now criticising the AL as they have   Mass Upsurge Day today The nation observes the 38th historic Mass Upsurge Day today to commemorate the valiant sons of the soil who sacrificed their lives during the mass upsurge that culminated in independence.   Three killed in road accidents At least three people, including two children, were killed in separate road accidents in Sirajganj and Sylhet yesterday.   Concern over crossfire under CG Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) yesterday expressed concern over continuation of crossfire incidents under the caretaker government (CG) as such incidents of extra-judicial killing are violations   Bapa condemns Asia Energy's renewed bid Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) has condemned the renewed initiative of Asia Energy to take lease of Phulbari Coal Mine by renaming itself as Global Coal Management (GCM).   Commissioner Deepti gets bail A Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to a woman ward commissioner of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and Awami League (AL) leader, who was arrested on Monday during eviction drive in the city's Pallabi area.   AL leaders visit Puja mandaps Leaders of Awami League (AL) yesterday visited different Puja mandaps in the city and exchanged greetings with people of all walks of life who came to visit the mandaps on the occasion of Saraswati Puja.   'Make alternative shelters for slum dwellers,hawkers before eviction' Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) yesterday urged the government to arrange alternative shelters for the slum dwellers and hawkers before evicting them.   Top listed criminal held Police arrested one top listed criminal from Kafrul area in the city and recovered firearms and ammunitions on Monday night.   Cop attack on JN varsity students slated Convener of Bangladesh Students Federation (BSF) Samiul Alam and Joint Conveners Sohel Rana and Raju Ahmed in a joint statement blasted the police attack on students of Jagannath University terming it   Listed criminal arrested from court premises Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday arrested a listed criminal from the court premises of the district town.   Concern over demolition of city slums Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) yesterday expressed deep concern over demolition of slums in the city in the name of evicting illegal structures.   Arbitration condemned Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) has condemned the arbitration for resolving the rape case of a schoolgirl at Zakiganj upazila in Sylhet and demanded an immediate arrest and exemplary   Private security agency officer found dead in city hotel Police recovered the body of a security official from a residential hotel in the city yesterday.   4 shop owners fined for producing, marketing polybags A mobile court yesterday fined four shop owners Tk 40,000 on charges of producing and marketing polythene shopping bags, says a press release.   Hearing on Rokeya assault case on Jan 29 A Tangail court has fixed the next date for hearing on Rokeya assault case on January 29, says a press release. The last hearing on the case took place about four years ago.   Felling of trees condemned Save the Environment Movement yesterday condemned the incident of felling about 15 trees at Dhanmondi in the city, says a press release.   2 indigenous groups trade gunfire Two indigenous groups yesterday traded gunfire at the border area between Matiranga and Ramgour upazilas of the district leaving one injured critically.   Rob calls on Indian HC Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty and Juktafront leader ASM Abdur Rob held a meeting at Indian High Commission in the city yesterday, according to a press release.   Confce of Nobel laureates in July For the first time, young scientists of the country will have an opportunity to take part in a conference of Nobel Prize winners to be held in Germany in July, says a press release.   Appeal for help Parents of Jannatul Maowa Mouri, a student of class four, have sought financial assistance for her treatment as she has been suffering from complicated heart diseases. National Thousands more bags of illegal fertiliser seized Law enforcement agencies continued their country-wide drive to recover fake and illegally hoarded fertiliser and arrest the dishonest traders.   Century-old Shyamsundari canal to be excavated Two non-government organisations with the help of local municipality have taken up a scheme to excavate the century-old Shyamsundari Canal in Rangpur town.   Smuggled medicine, fake C Ds seized Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized huge quantity of smuggled Indian medicine from the city's Heraz Market and arrested one in this connection on Monday night.   Illegal structures demolished as eviction drive on The joint forces on Monday conducted eviction drives to demolish illegal structures in Kishoreganj, Khulna and Narsingdi districts.   Drug peddler dies in Khulna, torture during interrogation alleged Drug Pedller Mehedi Hasan, 25, arrested by DB Police on Wednesday in Dumuria upazila, died at 11:30 pm on Monday at the KMCH prison cell. He was shifted to KMCH on Saturday from Khulna Jail Hospital.   Arms reovered, BNP man held in Natore Joint forces led by army and police on Monday arrested Saiduzzaman Liton, 36, joint secretary of Gopalpur municipal BNP and Mahbub Alam Liton, 35, a resident of Dhupail area under Lalpur upazila.   Freedom fighter des in Chuadanga M Faizuddin, a valiant freedom fighter, died after prolonged illness at his residence hee on Friday He was 60. Point-Counterpoint Election and representative democracy The election scheduled for January 22, aborted by the president's action, raises issues about the legitimacy of the election if deferred beyond ninety days after dissolution of Parliament, the tenureof   Blankets and poverty Poverty talks about cold facts and the cold wave is one to reckon with.   Extra-judicial denial of right to life to continue? A central principle of a just society is that every person has an equal right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Culture Making headway in the dance firmament Among the few male dance artistes in Bangladesh is creative and folk dancer Anik Bose.   'Sisimpur': Taking a leaf from 'Apur Sansar' Sisimpur, the Bangladeshi adaptation of TV series Sesame Street is catching the interest of young ones.   Najma : A dynamic painter of semi-abstracts Najma Akhter, who had her recent solo at Shilpangan, did drawings and paintings as a child, as she belonged to a family where music, drawing and other cultural activities were the run of the mill incidents. International UN warns Iraq sliding into sectarian abyss A UN envoy said yesterday Iraq was sliding "into the abyss of sectarianism" and urged Iraqi political and religious leaders to halt the violence after two car bombs in a Baghdad market killed 88 people.   Nepal slaps curfews to halt anti-govt protests Authorities imposed day curfews in two southeastern Nepal towns yesterday after violent anti-government protests by ethnic Madhesis, which have clouded a peace process aimed at ending a decade of civil   Putin eyes arms, nuke reactor sales to India Russian President Vladimir Putin flies to India this week hoping to move Moscow closer to its long-term Asian partner and to seal lucrative new contracts for nuclear reactors and arms sales.   Suicide bomber kills 10 in Afghanistan A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a US military base in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, killing 10 people and wounding 14 others, an Afghan official said.   600 Sadr fighters captured in Iraq Iraqi and US forces have captured more than 600 fighters loyal to firebrand Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the US military said yesterday, after a day of carnage that left 100 dead in a string of bombings   Pakistan summons US, British envoys over border killing Pakistan yesterday said it had summoned the US and British envoys after coalition forces in Afghanistan killed a Pakistani soldier and wounded two others in cross-border fire.   Strike paralyses life in Lebanon Thousands of Lebanese protesters blocked main roads in Beirut and around the country with rubble and burning tyres yesterday at the start of a general strike called by the opposition to try to topplethe   ARF holds 1st operational security exercise Asia's leading security forum took a crucial step from talk to action this week, carrying out its first operational exercise aimed at shoring up defences against maritime security threats. Editorial Editorial: Political parties and CA's address The reactions of the major political parties or alliances to the recent address of the Chief Advisor are, in our view, positive.   Editorial: Deaths in custody At least 19 people were reportedly killed while in custody of the combined law enforcing agencies all over the country during last ten days from January 12 to 21.   Asad's martyrdom and January 1969 Shaheed Asad Day has come and gone. That is as it should be. That is as it has been all these years.   Why this apathy? The Daily Star (DS) of January 18 carried a front-page report which said that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was yet to initiate legal steps against corrupt ministers, lawmakers and leaders of the   Is politics the road to riches? Nobel Laureate Professor Mohammed Yunus's January 18 comments about political corruption could not have come at a more appropriate time. Letters to Editor Violence against women This has reference to the report "6054 women tortured, killed in 2006" (DS, January 12, 2007). I was shocked while reading the report.   Ershad factor We wonder why many people like to call HM Ershad an autocrat. A person is to be judged by his deeds. Ershad was an established 'doer'.   Dr. Yunus on politicians Both the major political parties (AL, BNP) have reacted sharply to the criticism of Dr.   US role Through 9/11 the US attained an unwritten licence to go on operations sabotaging humanity in the name of war against terrorism with the policy of 'Give the dog a bad name and then hang it'.   A hapless country I wonder if there is no man in this hapless country called Bangladesh to ask the AL leaders how they could hold the entire population hostage to their whims.   AL politics The Awami League succeeded in deceiving the middle class for long that it believed in secularism, non-communal politics and sustains the ideals of liberal humanism. Nothing is far from truth.   School books I have a one-year old child and am planning ahead to find a suitable school for my kid. Now the fashion is English medium school where books published abroad are used.   Monumental mistakes I summarise the mistakes committed by President Iajuddin Ahmed.   Shaheed Asad There was no front page news on Shaheed Asad on January 20. I think the great martyr deserves such coverage.   The caption says it all The photo caption in the 22 January issue of The Daily Star showing the BNP office left unharmed during demolition of illegal structures at Karwan Bazar speaks how deeply politics has been rooted even Star Chittagong Eviction drives make life easy in port city The port city wears a pleasant look with congestion-free streets and sidewalks, thanks to the joint drives launched on January 17 by Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP), Chittagong Development Authority   Lack of streetlights encourages anti-socials Many streets and alleys plunge into darkness as soon as dusk descends on the port city for lack of streetlights, creating fear among the pedestrians as well as passengers. Star City Mosque committee steals age-old trees, grabs land A local ward commissioner in Dhanmondi with connivance of mosque committee of Dhanmondi Eidgah chopped down at least 16 large trees over the last four days for what they said, the trees were making the   Schools face acute shortage of trained teachers Shortage of qualified, skilled and trained teachers is one of the major problems the educational institutions are facing now.   'Need a passport?' As soon as you arrive at the Passport Office Bhaban at Agargaon in the capital, be prepared to see a crowd come rushing to you. Make a guess. You are right -- they are the passport brokers.   Load shedding grips Dhaka again Due to inadequate power generation in several power plants load shedding started early this year.   Khilgaon lake still a dumping ground Efforts to revive the swampy and almost 'dead' lake in Khilgaon, one of the last remaining water bodies in the city, have ground to a halt due to lack of funds.   Unplanned urbanisation   © thedailystar.net, 2007. All Rights Reserved.