News in Brief

5 crude bombs go off  near BNP headquarters  
Staff Correspondent

Five crude bombs went off near BNP's headquarters in the capital's Nayapaltan yesterday noon.
Morshed Alam, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station, said activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, who were deprived of any post in the newly formed central committee of the pro-BNP student organisation, might have blasted the bombs.

BCL man stabbed by fellows
Staff Correspondent, Sylhet

A BCL man was stabbed by fellow activists following rivalry over collecting extortion money in Pathantola area of Sylhet city on Saturday.
Rubel Ahmed, 22, with head and leg injury was admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.
Eye witnesses said about 10 activists stabbed Rubel with sharp weapons and vandalised his motorcycle around 10:30pm.

Absconding accused in Banshkhali Carnage case arrested
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Police arrested an absconding accused in Banshkhali carnage case from Khankhanabad area of Banshkhali upazila in Chittagong on Saturday.
Jashim, 40, of the upazila, is also accused in two other cases, said police.
Mentionable, 11 people of a minority family of Tejendra Shil were burnt alive at Shilpara of Sadhanpur of the upazila on November 18, 2003.

Ctg transport strike ends halfway
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, East Zone Committee, reduced duration of its strike from 24 hours to 12 hours that ended at 6:00pm yesterday in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and three hill districts to realise its five-point demand, including stopping harassment of transport workers.
Mrinal Chowdhury, president of East Zone Committee, said they took the decision around 4:00pm after meeting with Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Abdul Jalil Mandal.

6 illegal bill-boards pulled down in Ctg
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

A mobile court yesterday pulled down six illegal billboards in Lalkhan Bazar and Wasa areas as part of their month-long drive in Chittagong city.
The court, led by a Chittagong City Corporation executive magistrate, was assisted by Chittagong Metropolitan Police.
Earlier, CCC identified 422 such billboards.

Madrasa teacher jailed for  2 years for aiding cheating in exams
Our Correspondent, Gazipur

A mobile court sentenced a madrasa teacher to two years' imprisonment on charge of supplying answer paper to a student during JDC examination at an examination centre in Kaliganj upazila of Gazipur yesterday.
The convict is Hadiur Rahman, a mathematics teacher of Narun Dakhil Madrasha of the upazila.

BNP extends support for today's Sylhet hartal
Staff Correspondent, Sylhet

Sylhet district and city BNP yesterday extended their support to the daylong hartal enforced today in the district protesting the recent indictment of three BNP leaders for the murder of former finance minister SAMS Kibria
Amra Sylhetbashi, a pro-BNP organisation, announced the shutdown on Saturday protesting inclusion of the names of Sylhet city Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's political secretary Harris Chowdhury, and Habiganj Municipality Mayor GK Gaus in the third supplementary charge sheet.

Eight fined for stealing electricity in Gazipur
Our Correspondent, Gazipur

A mobile fined Tk 14.47 lakh to eight consumers of Gazipur Palli Biddyut Samity for providing illegal electricity connections in exchange for money and meter tampering in Gazipur city yesterday.
The court led by an executive magistrate conducted the drive in Mirzapur, Salna, BK Bari and Nanduain area.

Six more waterbuses launched
Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation yesterday introduced six new waterbuses that will ply on Sadarghat-Gabtoli route in the capital raising the total number of this motorboat to 12.
Each vessel has a capacity of carrying around 46 passengers. Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan inaugurated the waterbusses at Sadarghat.

Workshop on Learning Route held
City Desk

A half-day follow up workshop on Learning Route, a method of capturing innovations and learning the best practices of development projects, was held at LGED Bhaban in the capital yesterday.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with INAFI Bangladesh and PROCASUR Corporation organised the programme at the Bhaban's seminar room, says a press release.