| Front Page | 
More telecoms tariff cuts okayed
The finance ministry yesterday approved reduced charges for the Nation Wide Dialling (NWD) and International Subscribers Dialling (ISD) calls to compete with the private cellphone operators and curb illegal
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Politics revolves on talks-deadline axis
Politics revolves on an axis between ruling BNP's repeated calls for talks with the Awami League (AL) and the main opposition party's looming threat to dislodge the coalition by April 30.
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Govt renews talks offer to AL
Ruling BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday renewed his offer for dialogue with the opposition on the prevailing political situation.
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Plunderers destroy Mahasthan Garh
The systematic plunder of the archaeological treasures of Mahasthan Garh, one of the world's ancient habitations that traces the roots of Bangladesh, has left the national heritage to slip to ruin, local
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PM okays removal of judge Shahidur
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday gave the nod for removal of a High Court judge for misconduct.
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Good harvest, exports keep economy growing
With a 4.1-percent rise in food grains production, the country very likely will achieve the projected 5.5-percent GDP growth in the current fiscal year, says the World Bank in its quarterly update.
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Schoolchildren beg in twister-torn Netrakona
Largely without food and water for five straight days after Wednesday's twin tornadoes in two northern districts, schoolchildren begged yesterday while most affected families continued to camp out intheir
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11 US troops, dozens of Iraqis killed
Five US Marines were killed in a day-long battle and six US soldiers died in other clashes during a weekend of bloodletting across Iraq, a US newspaper and the military said.
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RU to spend extra Tk 5.5 lakh every month
Rajshahi University (RU) is most likely to suffer an 'unnecessary' additional expenditure of about Tk 5.5 lakh every month following the 'controversial' appointment of 544 employees.
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AL to lay siege to Secretariat, PMO on Apr 21
Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil said yesterday they will lay siege to the capital including the PMO and the Secretariat after April 21 to overthrow Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's administration
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Parcel scares US embassy staff
The US embassy staff in Dhaka yesterday panicked mistaking a magazine parcel for a carrier of explosives.Alarmed at receiving the parcel weighing 7.
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Rising prices push govt to import sugar
The government has at last resorted to its own market instruments to control price spiral of essentials, allowing Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) to import sugar, the price of
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Tele-tapping to help cut crimes, minister says
The proposed amendment to the telecoms act allowing intelligence agencies to tap phone calls and bust e-mails will help cut rising crime, said Post and Telecommunications Minister Aminul Haque yesterday.
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Light rain...
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HC issues rule on govt
The High Court on Saturday issued a suo moto rule on the government asking it to explain by April 24 why the proceeding of the criminal case against 3-year old child Iman Ali should not be quashed.
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Kidnapper of businessman arrested
Kotwali police on Saturday night arrested a criminal in charge of abduction and attempt to blackmail a businessperson into paying Tk 5 lakh.
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Close down Taiwanese office in Dhaka
China yesterday requested Bangladesh again to immediately close down the Taiwanese office in Dhaka for the sake of 'long term interest' of the two countries.
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Telecoms minister says no foul play in vendor selection
Post and Telecommunications Minister M Aminul Haque yesterday denied the allegations of foul play in the selection of two vendors for the $76 million cellphone project of Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone
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Quit this month or face 'grim future'
Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday warned the BNP-led alliance government of a 'grim future' if it does not step down by April 30.
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Gunrunners had political immunity
The 10 truckloads of arms seized in Chittagong on April 2 could not have entered the country without some sort of guarantee of political and legal immunity, an arms expert said yesterday at an opinion
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Proshika HQ under Jubo Dal siege
The youth wing of ruling BNP yesterday besieged the Proshika headquarters in Mirpur and demanded cancellation of its registration as a non-government organisation (NGO), accusing its chief of acting as
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A cluster of houses built on stilts...
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Twisters kill 3 in Meherpur, Mymensingh
Tornadoes hit the capital, Meherpur, Natore and Mymensingh yesterday, killing three and injuring over 150 people yesterday.
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Suu Kyi to be freed in few days: UN
Myanmar's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is to be released in the "next several days," UN envoy Razali Ismail said yesterday.
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SUST students demand arrest of JCD man
Thousands of agitating students of the Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST) yesterday brought out a procession and held a rally in the campus demanding punitive actions against the JCDcadre
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Hasina can't meet wife of Rabbani
Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina was not allowed to meet the wife of the fatally-wounded Managing Director of Korean Export Processing Zone in Chittagong Golam Rabbani at their Navy Headquarters
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Ahmadiyyas urge govt to lift ban
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Bangladesh yesterday urged the government to withdraw the ban on its publications, terming the government move 'unjust'.
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An undercover policeman points a gun...
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India should consult Bangladesh before any action
Water Resources Minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed yesterday said India should not go ahead with its water diversion project through linking the common rivers without consulting Bangladesh.
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Unity a means to replace govt: says Dr Kamal
Conscientious people must unite to replace the ruling alliance with a government mandated through an election free of black money and muscle power, Dr Kamal Hossain said yesterday.
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Vehicles of Nanak, Azam come under gun attack
Ten Jubo League leaders including its Chairman Jahangir Kabir Nanak and General Secretary Mirza Azam MP were injured as unknown miscreants opened fire on and hurled bombs at their vehicles near Rajshahi
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| Business |
Banglabandha land port opens next month
The government is going to open a land port at Banglabandha in Panchagarh district aiming to boost export-import business with Nepal.
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HSBC eyes fast growing Islamic banking market in Bangladesh
Mohamed Ross Mohd Din has been in The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Ltd for more than three decades. He is currently the Head of Amanah Finance of HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad.
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Monitor activities of freight forwarders, shipping agents
Garment manufacturers have urged the government to closely monitor the activities of freight forwarders and shipping agents as they often 'impose various charges on exports in violation of rules', making
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Ecnec okays eight projects worth Tk 1,232cr
The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved eight development projects amounting to Tk 1,232 crore which include Tk 766 crore project assistance.
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S'pore on track to be one of region's best performers
Singapore is on track to be one of Asia's best economic performers this year after hacking its way out of an unfamiliar place in the regional cellar due to a severe recession, a global slowdown and Sars,
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BATB signs deal with CDBL to start electronic settlement
British American Tobacco Bangladesh yesterday signed an agreement with the Central Depository Bangladesh Ltd to pave way for starting electronic settlement of shares of the multinational company under
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Janata Bank receives Asian banking award
Janata Bank has received the Asian Banking Award 2004.The award was given at a ceremony held during the Asia Pacific Bankers Congress in Manila recently, says a press release.
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Siemens signs agreement with Otobi
Siemens Bangladesh Limited has signed a dealership agreement with Otobi Limited through its exclusive distributor Lipro Communications Limited.
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World tourism summit in Doha from May 1
A three-day fourth global summit of World Travel and Tourism Council will begin in Doha, Qatar from May 1.The summit is being hosted by Qatar Airways, says a press release.
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EBRD annual meet opens
The annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development opened in London on Sunday with attention focused on the European Union's choice of candidate to lead the International Monetary
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US-China trade talks to be overshadowed by election rhetoric
China's vice premier Wu Yi heads to Washington this week for talks with US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and Commerce Secretary Don Evans, and a slew of high-profile issues are on the agenda.
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| Sports |
Cricket:
Mehrab's 1-year ban
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday imposed a one-year ban on former national opener Mehrab Hossain from all cricket for dishonouring contract terms.
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Cricket:
Call that professionalism?
If anything the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to desperately achieve in recent times is professionalism across the board.
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Cricket:
Heroes home quietly
The Indian cricket team made a triumphant return home on Sa-turday eveni-ng after securing a historic maiden Test series victory in Pakistan.
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Cricket:
The peerless prince
'Tomar Tulana Toomi', wrote poet Rabindranath Tagore. Transported into the world of cricket, those words fit only one person and he is Brian Charles Lara, the West Indies captain.
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Cricket:
PCB delves into defeat
Pakistan cri-cket chief Shaharyar Kh-an launched a scathing atta-ck on the na-tional team here Sunday following the historic series defeat to India, lashing players guilty of "carefree unprofessionalism".
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Cricket:
Black players may join in
Up to three prominent black players could join the rebellion by 13 white players against the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), one of the rebels told Reuters on Sunday.
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Cricket:
SLC reports Broad
Sri Lanka's cricket authorities have raised concerns over the conduct of match referee Chris Broad after he reported controversial off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for a suspect bowling action.
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Tennis:
Hewitt beats his true love!
Lleyton Hewitt came out on top in a lovebirds' battle against his fiancee Kim Clijsters here on Saturday in their first ever face-to-face clash on a tennis court.
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Tennis:
Venus meets Conchita
Venus Williams defeated Croatia's Jelena Kostanic 6-4, 6-1 here Saturday to reach a final's date with Spain's Conchita Martinez at the 1.3 million-dollar WTA Family Circle Cup.
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Indian Express rolls again
Indian tennis stars Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will reunite in a bid to win a doubles medal at this year's Olympic Games in Athens.
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Athletics:
Kenyans rule London
It was Kenya's day at the London Marathon here Sunday with both men's champion Evans Rutto and women's winner Margaret Okayo finishing first on their debuts at the event.
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Cricket:
Razzak, Faisal picked for WI ODIs
Bangladesh will go into the one-day series against West Indies with three spinners.
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Cricket:
Ashraful on payroll
Mohammad Ashraful was rewarded for his recent performance in the tour of Zimbabwe as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to include him in its payroll.
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Football:
Where's Al Shabb?
The Bangladesh Football Fede-ration (BFF) officials were mystified yesterday over the arrival of Yemen's Al Shabb Ibb FC for an AFC Cup match against Mukti-joddha Sangsad Krira Chakra.
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Athletics:
BAAF goes to polls in Jan
The councillors of Bangladesh Amateur Athletics Federation (BAAF) decided yesterday to hold fresh elections in January for a new executive committee.
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Chess:
Nat'l jr chess
Mehdi Hasan Parag, Mohammad Ali and Obaidul Islam Shaheen jointly shared the lead with four points each after the end of the fourth round games in the 25th National Junior Chess Champion-ship at the federation
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Volleyball:
Nat'l v'ball
Satkhira District Sports Association clinched a 3-1 win over Gaibandha DSA in the City Bank national youth volleyball championship at the volleyball court next to Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
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Football:
Real respite
Ten-man Real Madrid got their title bid back on track after goals from Santiago Solari and Ivan Helguera gave them a battling 2-1 win at city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
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Football:
Kaka decides it
Brazilian midfielder Kaka headed AC Milan's winner 10 minutes from time as the deposed European champions edged closer to their 17th Serie A title with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Siena on Saturday.
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Football:
Portsmouth spoil MU plans
Relegation-haunted Portsmouth took an option on securing a second season of English Premiership football when they pulled off a 1-0 win over champions Manchester United at Fratton Park on Saturday.
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Football:
Sochaux Cup kings
French league minnows Sochaux won the French League Cup final here Saturday beating Nantes from the penalty spot to claim their first major trophy since 1938.
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Football:
Atletico feel robbed
Atletico Madrid coach Gregorio Manzano stopped short of saying that his local rivals Real were cheats but he made anger and unhappiness known in the wake of their 2-1 loss in the derby match on Saturday.
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Football:
Adu off the mark
Freddy Adu did not disappoint the crowd of more than 31,000 at Giants Stadium, scoring his first Major League Soccer goal for DC United in a 3-2 loss to the MetroStars.
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| Metropolitan |
Civil society against bridge on pillars
Civil society leaders at a meeting yesterday said that the third Karnaphuli bridge proposed to be constructed on pillars would cause siltation of the river and demanded a hanging bridge or tunnel.
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| National |
Flash floods damage 40 pc paddy in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar
Flash floods triggered by three days' rain and onrush of water from upper reaches across the border have inundated abut 40 per cent of IRRI-Boro croplands in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar districts.
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Kobadak dredging enlivens people
People, particularly farmers, are happy because their long-cherished desire is going to be fulfilled.
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Illegal extraction of stone stops in river bed, continues in shores
Illegal extraction of rocks and sand from the "risky area" of the Teesta river bed has been stopped but it is going on in shore areas and along the embankments.
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2 killed in truck plunge
Two persons were killed and 12 injured when a loaded truck on which they were travelling fell into a roadside ditch at Palashbari on the Gaibandha-Bogra highway yesterday.
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Single-deck launches asked not to ply at night
The single deck launch owners have been asked not to ply their vessels at night in the ongoing stormy season.
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'Unite to oust BNP-Jamaat govt'
Awami League (AL) presidium member Amir Hossain Amu announced that the movement for ouster of the BNP-Jamaat Government would be intensified in the coming days.
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| Point-Counterpoint |
Single currency in South Asia
Great visions can be translated into reality only if they capture the imagination of all concerned and inspire appropriate actions towards reaching the goals.
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Who attempts to murder whom?
The article I am penning is a result of my knee-jerk reaction to one short news story in The Daily Star on April 14, 2004.
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| Culture |
Baishakhi carnival at Sunbeams School
Shubho Noboborsho--the parents, children and teachers greeted each other for the Pahela Baishakh at Sunbeams School recently.
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New drama serial starts on Channel-i
Young director Aranya Anwar seems to have stepped further towards establishing his partnership with writer Pranab Bhatta.
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Renewed awareness of our past
In the present age of globalisation, it has become a necessity for our people, especially the younger generation, to be aware of our long history, rich culture and varied heritage.
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Shubhoshandhya is going to score triple century
Successful and popular magazine show Shubhoshandya, telecast on ntv every evening at 6:20 pm, is going to mark its 300th episode on April 29.
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| General |
Reform bureaucracy to ensure good governance
Speakers at a workshop yesterday laid emphasis on the reforms in bureaucracy and elimination of corruption to ensure good governance.
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Six abducted girls rescued at Patuakhali
Six girls, abducted from their school in Narayanganj on Saturday, were rescued by the local people while they were crossing a river at Patuakhali yesterday.
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SASEAP meet begins at Agra today
The three-day meeting of the officials of South Asian and South East Asian countries including Bangladesh begins in the Taj Mahal city of Agra today to identify a set of approaches to sustain and strengthen
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Plan to set upseismic observatory in div hqs
Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yousuf yesterday said the government has been planning to set up seismological observatory in all divisional headquarters to avoid complications
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JCD-BCL counter rallies at DU
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders yesterday at a rally on the Dhaka University (DU) campus demanded immediate closure of Sudha Sadan, residence of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Awami
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Prof Mohiuddin passes away
Prof Dr Golam Mohiuddin of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) died of cancer at his residence in the city yesterday at the age of 56, says a press release.
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'Hygiene fair' held at Haripur
A day-long "hygiene fair" with display of projection materials and documentaries on health issues was held here yesterday.
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9th Berger Young Painters' Art Competition
Berger Paints has announced its 9th Young Painters' Art Competition 2004 to promote young painters, says a press release.
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| International |
EU, ME slam Rantissi assassination
The White House Saturday defended Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantissi, while European and Middle Eastern governments slammed the killing as Israel vowed to continue "eliminating
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Iraq tense amid Najaf, Falluja standoffs
US forces waited outside Najaf yesterday with no sign of a breakthrough in efforts to avert a bloody confrontation with rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in an Iraqi city holy to the world's Shia Muslims.
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Sonia concedes Cong trailing in 2 key states
India's main opposition leader Sonia Gandhi acknowledged her Congress party was trailing in two crucial northern states ahead of the national election that begins Tuesday.
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Taliban attacks weakening: US
A spring offensive by Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas in Afghanistan's restive south is the weakest in two years, US officials say, but Taliban militants vowed yesterday to keep up their attacks.
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Bush pushes for renewal of Patriot Act
President Bush Saturday urged the US Congress to renew the Patriot Act, the post-Sept. 11, 2001 law that beefs up law enforcement powers, as he sought to highlight his national security credentials.
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'No need to name Vajpayee's successor'
Asserting that there was no need to name Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's successor at this stage, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said its focus at present was on the "success in polls and notthe
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Jesse Jackson asked to help free US captive
The Rev. Jesse Jackson will contact religious leaders in Iraq to seek the release of Thomas Hamill, the American civilian truck driver abducted in Iraq, Hamill's wife said Saturday.
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Blair is back to his domestic woes
Any cheer gained by British Prime Minister Tony Blair from an Easter holiday and a mutual back-slapping summit with US President George W.
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'Pro-incumbency factor beneficial for NDA'
A pro-incumbency factor is prevailing in the country which is beneficial for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government at the Centre as it is all set to increase its
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EU-Asia talks continue under shadow of Myanmar
The European Union and Asia were to wrap up annual talks yesterday overshadowed, not for the first time, by EU distaste over the military dictatorship ruling Myanmar.
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3 UN police die in Kosovo jail shootout
A Jordanian policeman opened fire on a group of international UN police in Kosovo Saturday, killing two Americans before he was killed when officers returned fire.
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| Editorial |
Editorial:
Private sector in education
The private sector can indeed play an important role in promotion of basic education as has been evidenced on some scale by successful NGOs in this area.
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Editorial:
Ahmadiyya mosque stormed, books seized
The government's looking the other way about the extremist elements within the ruling coalition in January, when it banned all Ahmadiyya publications, has begun to bear its poisonous fruit.
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Going gets tougher for Bush
With a hugely deficit budget the US' traditional world view since jettisoned, and multilaterism -- once fostered by his country -- itself trampled by him, President Bush couldn't but opt to run as a 'war
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Iraqis rise up against the Coalition
Bush Administration in collaboration with Blair government invaded Iraq a year ago on the assumption that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and had connection with Al-Qaeda which allegedly carried
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Do democracy and press freedom reduce corruption?
Are democratic societies less corrupt than non-democratic societies? Does a free press play any role in combating corruption? The purpose of this writing is to explore these two questions briefly by examining
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'State of disgrace'
The article 'State of Disgrace' written by Aravind Adiga and published in the 12 April 2004 issue of Time Asia magazine is a one-sided story devoid of any journalistic ethics.
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| Letters to Editor |
Law enforcers or violators?
I am a working woman and was on my way to the office on Friday morning at 10:00am on account of some urgent business.
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The greatest Bengalee
I did not vote for the poll. So the result does not bear my opinion. It might be same for many of 140 million Bengalees, who did not or could not vote in that poll.
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"Greatest Bengalee" : mysterious silence
Founding father of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been adjudged the "Greatest Bengalee" of all time" in a listeners' poll conducted by the Bengali Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation
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BBC poll
We passed our time in outmost anxiety for a quite a few days about our heroes -- who is the greatest! BBC Bangla Service (BBS) has given us an opportunity to think about our past.
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AL's siege plan
This refers to an article titled ' AL siege of Hawa Bhaban' written by Mr. Omar Khasru and printed in the 'Point Counterpoint' page.
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Who are the enemies?
I have noticed that the coalition forces led by the US-UK alliance which have occupied Iraq on a false pretext are referring to the Iraqis as the enemies.
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Our leaders
This is in response to Azad Miah's letter 'On the leaders' published in The Daily Star on April 16, 2004. I found it rather biased and disrespectful of the people's judgement.
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Bid for OIC Secretary General
The foreign minister has visited Turkey to gain support for Bangladesh's bid for Secretary General of OIC. I believe this whole enterprise is a wastage of public money.
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Arms haul
The entire nation is shocked by the largest arms haul till date. As expected, the blame game was played by the government as well as the opposition.
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National University exams
We, the students of NU, have appealed many times to the Vice Chancellor to publish the results of exams within three months .
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CAB having a siesta?
I have tried in the recent past, more than once, to push the grievances of the common consumers to the fore and desired that the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) would come to the rescue ofthe
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Zealots return
I have just gone through your news report on "Police allow zealots to storm Ahmadiysya Mosque," published on 17 April.
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Strange things!
Thank you for your editorial on the 3-year old accused.
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| Star City |
Pirated school textbooks flood market
Illegal secondary school textbooks continue to flood the market despite an appeal from the publishers to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to crackdown on unauthorised publication.
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Squatters rule Osmani Udyan
Osmani Udyan, a prominent public park in Dhaka, ends up in the hands of grabbers, adding to the crisis of green open spaces.
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Bamboo Sculpture Show
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They buy husband for security but dream remains elusive
Runia, a housemaid, earns more than her rickshawpuller husband. Yet, more often than never, the husband comes home late drunk and beats her up. She endures the violence.
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Leaving behind the gory past
Having put their gory past behind them, some street children who were once victims of sexual exploitation have found a new lease of life as florists.They exude an aura of self-reliance.
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Noise pollution hampers study at schools
Excessive noise pollution prevents 97 percent of the students from concentrating on their study, according to a recent survey on 33 educational institutions.
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