Vol. 5 Num 236 Thu. January 20, 2005       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Point-counterpoint Metropolitan National International Culture General Views Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives Today's Index Front Page Dhaka summit to focus on trade, terrorism The Dhaka Declaration at the 13th Saarc Summit is likely to include ways to increase regional trade through Safta and a greater focus on implementing regional projects and finding out potential areasof   Business climate betters, economic recovery on Business environment has improved in the last five years because of the government law and order improvement measures, a survey by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) confirms.   Anti-Islam hostility salted as Hajj ends Saudi Arabia's grand mufti yesterday denounced during a Hajj sermon what he said were hostile campaigns against Islam, and rejected any link between religion and terrorism.   Cattle prices go bullish With only a day left for the Eid-ul-Azha, sales and purchases of sacrificial animals at the 16 makeshift cattle markets in the capital started yesterday but the prices seemed to be higher this year compared   Cattle traders pay Tk 2,500 in toll for every truck Hired goons and some members of various law enforcement agencies are reportedly collecting tolls of more than Tk 2,500 per truck from cattle traders at ten points between Jamuna Bridge and Rajshahi.   65 robbed in four days thru' doping Incidents of mugging through doping have risen sharply at different cattle markets across the capital and adjoining areas in the run-up to the Eid-ul-Azha.   Iraq car bombs kill at least 26 Insurgents have detonated a suicide truck bomb outside Australia's embassy in Baghdad and have hit Iraqi security targets with at least three car bombs, killing 26 less than two weeks before January 30   Prof Miah threatened over phone An unidentified caller on Tuesday threatened Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Member Prof Maniruzzaman Miah and asked him to stop activities which the caller claimed "are hampering the commission'sfunctioning.   Rab seizes arms from Shibir cadre's house Notorious Islami Chhatra Shibir cadre Akhtar Hamid, who was arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Dhaka on Monday, has been handed over to Maheshkhali police after the Rab seized firearms from his   EC worried as Bhola admin flouts order The Election Commission (EC) is worried as the district administration of Bhola has ignored an EC judgement that had asked the administration to ensure security for the opposition candidates in the ensuing   Mad rush to home starts With the beginning of the four-day Eid vacation today, tens of thousands of homebound passengers started leaving the capital city by buses, trains and launches, paying more than double the regular prices   3 cops caught for extortion in Rab's guise Three police constables and four others were arrested by Abhoynagar thana police on allegations of falsely identifying themselves as members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in order to collect tolls   First one-day today Fresh after their maiden Test series triumph Bangladesh will turn their focus on the abridged version of the game when the first of five-match one-day internationals against Zimbabwe begins at the Bangabandhu   Clarification A K M Mosharraf Hossain, the state minister for energy, explained in a clarification his position regarding a news item published in The Daily Star under the headline 'free wheeling bigwigs' on January   Fertiliser still sells at high price despite subsidisation Fertiliser is still being sold at higher rates at every rural market in the northern districts even after the recent channelling of a government-provided Tk 271 crore subsidy in the sector.   Judiciary not sensitive to rape cases Attorney General AF Hassan Ariff yesterday suggested attaching more emphasis on rape cases, flawless investigation and victim-friendly prosecution.   Train barely averts accident An express train carrying more than a hundred passengers narrowly escaped an accident for a railway employee's prompt act early yesterday.   Rejoinder The Finance Division in a rejoinder yesterday protested a news item published in The Daily Star on Wednesday under the headline 'ADP suffers on judicial interference, Saifur says in meeting with CPD'.   Free Mongla Port from mafia group Khulna businessmen including importers and exporters have appealed to the government to take drastic action against 11 mafias who are hampering smooth operation and development of Mongla Port.   Khulna police hunt for suicide squad women Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) started special drive to nab members of women suicide squad from Tuesday night.   Tiger kills fisherman A Royal Bengal Tiger on Tuesday pounced on a band of fishermen, killing one and injuring five others in Madar Baria in the Sundarbans.   BDR pushes back 8 Indians The Border Security Force (BSF) of India pushed eight Bangla--speaking Indian Muslims into Bangladesh territory through Hatibandha border in Lalmonirhat district at midnight on Tuesday.   Tsunami toll tops 226,000 The global death toll from the Asian tsunami shot above 226,000 yesterday after Indonesia's Health Ministry confirmed the deaths of tens of thousands of people previously listed as missing.   BDR pushes back 8 Indians The Border Security Force (BSF) of India pushed eight Bangla--speaking Indian Muslims into Bangladesh territory through Hatibandha border in Lalmonirhat district at midnight on Tuesday.   Rice denies she is Bush yes-woman Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice denied yesterday she was a yes-woman for President George W Bush and pledged to argue her case vigorously if she disagreed with him on foreign policy. Business Heavy withdrawal ups call money rate to 50pc With the banks going on four-day vacation ahead of Eid, the call money rate yesterday hit 50 percent, a trend usually observed during the pre-Eid periods.   Tesco eyes $100m garments in '05 Britain's number one retailer -- Tesco that has 2,380 stores in 14 countries -- has set a target to buy garment products worth US$ 100 million from Bangladesh this year.   Expansion of industrial parks on the cards The industries minister yesterday said the government is now considering a proposal to expand industrial parks in the country.   Oil prices steady in Asian trade Crude oil prices were steady in Asian trade Wednesday ahead of the release of the US oil stocks report, dealers said. New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March, was at 48.   IDLC launches car loan scheme Industrial Development Leasing Company (IDLC) of Bangladesh, a multi-product financial institution, launched 'IDLC Car Loan' scheme at a function in Dhaka yesterday.   Bank of Japan sees continuing economic recovery The Bank of Japan on Wednesday said in a monthly report that the Japanese economy will continue recovering despite some soft patches, leaving its view unchanged from December.   India may import genetically modified oilseeds India, the world's largest importer of edible oils, may allow imports of genetically modified oilseeds (GMO) to meet a domestic shortfall, the country's food minister said on Tuesday.   AB Bank arranges Tk264m loan for Basic Dredging Co Arab Bangladesh (AB) Bank Limited has arranged a syndicated credit facility of Tk 264 million for Basic Dredging Co Ltd to support the land development work in Jhilmil residential project area, Keraniganj,   New MD of First Security Bank Mohiuddin Ahmed took over as managing director of First Security Bank recently. Earlier, he was working as acting managing director of the bank.   China mulls steps to free up yuan convertibility China is considering new steps to partially free-up its strictly controlled currency, state press said Wednesday in one of the clearest signs yet that a change in the system may be near.   Chairman of NCC Bank re-elected M Wazhiullah Bhuiyan has been re-elected chairman of National Credit and Commerce Bank Ltd. The board of directors of the bank also re-elected Khairul Alam Chaklader vice chairman.   EU upbeat in public as budget pact revamp starts EU finance ministers set aside differences to report positive preliminary talks on the European Union's budgetary rules on Tuesday, leaving the hard bargaining for later while keeping their sights ona   EU probes UK telecoms firms over state aid The European Commission said Wednesday it had launched an investigation into whether tax arrangements applied to two British telecommunications companies breach European Union state aid rules.   IBM quarterly profit up 12pc, to $3.04b Computer giant IBM said Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit rose 12.2 percent from a year ago to 2.7 billion dollars, topping most Wall Street forecasts. The earnings amounted 1. Sports Cricket: Time for fireworks After an absorbing five days of cricket in the drawn second Test, Bangla-desh and Zimbabwe turned up for some light practice at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday ahead of today's first one-day   Cricket: Pakistan walk past WI Pakistan's game plan paid off Wednesday when they defeated the West Indies by six wickets in their tri-series one-day cricket match at Brisbane's Gabba ground.   Tennis: Sania's date with Serena Serena Williams had a stroll in the sunshine at the Australian Open on Wednesday as teenage rival Maria Sharapova and second seed Amelie Mauresmo were made to sweat.   Cricket: Tsunami match at The Oval in June A one-off Twenty20 match between Asia and an International XI in aid of the Asian Tsunami disaster appeal will take place at Surrey's Oval ground on June 20, the English county announced Wednesday.   Tennis: Early scare for Federer World number one Roger Federer was pushed all out in a thrilling three-set battle with spirited Japanese qualifier Takao Suzuki before claiming his place in the third round at the Australian Open on Wednesday.   Cricket: 'I'm the donkey bowler' Despite his match-winning performance in the fourth Test against South Africa seamer Matthew Hoggard considers himself England's "donkey" bowler.   Cricket: NZ & World XI allowed to train on match pitch In a departure from international cricket regulations, the New Zealand and World XI teams will be allowed to practice on the match surface the day before their three one-day matches, the New Zealand Herald   Cricket: ICC makes rankings official The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Wednesday it was giving official status to the system of player, Test and one-day rankings devised by former England captain Ted Dexter.   Tennis: Elena on course for 3rd double Elena Tcherniakova of Russia has reached the girls' singles semifinal and the doubles final in the 19th GrameenPhone International Junior Tennis Tournament yesterday.   Cricket: GP Pacer Hunt final Jan 26 The national final of the GrameenPhone Pacer Hunt programme will be held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on January 26.   Cricket: Mumbai, Kolkata may miss Pak cricket Major Indian cities Mumbai and Kolkata are likely to miss out on hosting Pakistan's tour of the country.   United coming to China Manchester United will bring its all-star squad to China in July for a friendly against Chinese Super League team Beijing Hyundai.   Cricket: Kenyan cricket crisis deepens Kenya's cricket crisis escalated Tuesday when the sport's ex-ruling board, sacked by the country's sports minister last week for mismanagement, won a court order preventing the government from interfering   Cricket: Hafeez's bowling action reported Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been reported for a suspect bowling action, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday.   Cricket: SL season cut short Sri Lanka Cricket has cut short their domestic cricket season because of the tsunami disaster.   Cricket: Shoaib injured Pakistan were hoping for a swift recovery for paceman Shoaib Akhtar after scans Wednesday revealed a tear in his left hamstring which could rule him out for the remainder of the VB Series cricket competition.   Football: A who's who of superstars Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane are among more than 50 of the world's top players invited by FIFA for the "Football for Hope" benefit match to help victims of the Asian tsunami.   Football: Now the police is worried Police have called on feuding managers Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson to end their war of words ahead of next month's Arsenal-Manchester United match at Highbury, amidst worries the ongoing row could   Football: There's only one Maldini In these days of football mercenaries, when a player will kiss his club badge as a sign of loyalty one week then leave the next when a better offer comes along, Paolo Maldini is a rarity.   Football: It's over for Liverpool An own-goal by Djimi Traore handed Championship side Burnley a deserved 1-0 victory over Premiership giants Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup here on Tuesday.   Football: Figo feels bad for Jimenez Real Madrid midfielder Luis Figo has apologised for a challenge on Real Zaragoza defender Cesar Jimenez that will leave the player on the sidelines for between six and eight months.   Football: FIFA-Adidas sign mega deal Football's world ruling body FIFA finalised a seven-year, multi-million dollar deal on Wednesday with the German sportswear manufacturer Adidas.   Football: FA might go soft Liverpool are likely to go unpunished by the Football Association (FA) for fielding an under-strength side in Tuesday's 1-0 FA Cup defeat by Championship side Burnley. Metropolitan 14-pt proposal on ICT for Saarc summit agenda Bangladesh working group on World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) yesterday proposed a 14-point recommendation on ICT for inclusion into the 13th Saarc summit agenda.   Vow to bring war criminals to justice Activists of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee marked its 13th founding anniversary by taking a fresh vow to bring the war criminals of 1971 to justice at any cost.   Launch campaign against repression of women Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the leaders of the women's front of her party to launch a countrywide campaign against repression of women as part of the party's preparations forthe   Launch a new cultural movement :PM Prime Minister Khaleda Zia called for launching a new cultural movement imbued with the ideal of welfare, patriotism and righteousness in national life.   Shaheed Asad Day today Shaheed Asad Day will be observed across the country today commemorating the supreme sacrifice of the student leader and the days of mass uprising of 1969 that led the nation towards independence.   Homage paid to Zia The 69th birth anniversary of late President Ziaur Rahman, founder of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP), was celebrated yesterday.   'Protect Foy's Lake from pollution' Environmentalists at a rally yesterday demanded steps to protect the Foy's Lake from pollution.   Main Eid congregation to be held at National Eidgah The main congregation of the holy Eid-ul-Azha will be held at the National Eidgah in the city at 8:00am on Saturday, with separate arrangement made for women to say the Eid prayers aside.   PM visits different city spots Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday visited different roads and road islands to see for herself the on-going beautification activities in the capital city.   'Philanthropy and Law in South Asia' launched 'Philanthropy and Law in South Asia (Palisa)', a comprehensive study of the nonprofit legal systems in five South Asian countries, was formally launched in the city yesterday.   SSKOP meet Jan 25 An emergency meeting of the Sangbadik Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SSKOP) will be held at the National Press Club at 11.   DU Ga unit admission test results published The results of Ga unit (Commerce Group) admission test of Dhaka University (DU) was published yesterday. National The blind torchbearer Mymensingh: Blind Rafiqul Bari had a mission--to do something for physically handicapped people like him. His success has surprised all.   No fresh attack by 'unidentified' disease in Tangail since Saturday Netrakona: There has been no report of any fresh attack by the "unidentified" disease or death from it in Mirjapur and Bashail upazilas in Tangail district in the last 96 hours ending yesterday   Mother, son missing in trawler capsize, road mishaps kill 3 Three people were killed and 15 injured in accidents in Brahmanbaria and Patuakhali yesterday and in two previous days.   Schools with bad results to lose MPO: Milon State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Haq Milon has said political pressure for opening new high schools and lobbying for appointment of teachers are obstacles to improving standard of education.   Peaceful election held in Patiya Pourasabha Election to Patiya Pourasabha was held on Tuesday. By and large, the election was held peacefully barring a few incidents.   Jhenidah Jailor faces case for 'torture' of inmate A case was filed with Jhenidah District and Sessions Judge's court on Tuesday accusing the Jailer, one Havildar and two jail guards of Jhenidah district jail for physically torturing some jail inmate.   Two suspected members of 'woman suicide squad' sent to jail Two suspected members of a suicide squad consisting wives of nine outlaws were sent to Khulna District Jail on Tuesday.   Mass awareness against repression on women stressed Two NGOs organised a joint rally at Abader Hat football ground in Sadar Upazila here on Tuesday. The NGOs are Steps Towards Development and Sodes.   UP chairman faces 'no-confidence' in Moulvibazar A Union Parishad (UP) chairman faces 'no-confidence' by all the 12 members of the local body for neglecting his duty. He is Sahed Ahmed , chairman Mostafapur UP in Moulvibazar Sadar upazila.   Tk 2 lakh fish looted from farm Fish worth Tk two lakh were looted from an enclosure at Chhotoshiba village in Char Kazal union of Galachipa upazila on Monday. Point-Counterpoint End of MFA quota: New dimension of debate over the impact on RMG MFA quota regime is over, but not yet the debate over its impact on the economy of Bangladesh. Culture Eid thoughts of stars Eid is a good time to catch up with popular TV actress and model cum dancer, Bijori Barkatullah, TV actor Shahed Sharif Khan and pop singer Mehreen.   A bonanza for TV viewers on four channels Eid-ul-Azha is knocking at the door. And the city crowd is gearing up for this festive occasion with preparations for the age-old ritual of sacrificing cows and goats.   New filmfare at Star Cineplex Hollywood movie buffs can enjoy this Eid with 2004 blockbuster Collateral. General Call to accelerate prevention of pneumonia, meningitis Medical experts called on the policymakers to accelerate the prevention of pneumonia and meningitis that kill 16 lakh people in the developing countries a year.   Corruption discourages foreign investment Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Seong Ung Park yesterday called on Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina at her Sudha Sadan residence.   HC vacation bench constituted A one-member vacation bench of the High Court has been constituted with Justice SK Sinha who will hear and dispose petitions of urgent nature on January 19, 24, 25 and 26 during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.   US Embassy offices closed today US Embassy offices, including the American Centre, Information Resource Centre and the Student Advising Centre, will remain closed today and Sunday on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, says a US Embassy special   British HC closed on Jan 23, 24 British High Commission in Dhaka and its Sylhet office will remain closed to the public on Sunday and Monday (January 23 and 24) in lieu of Eid-up-Azha, says a High Commission release. International Global poll slams Bush leadership More than half of people surveyed in a BBC World Service poll say the re-election of US President George W Bush has made the world more dangerous.   Abbas seeks to secure ceasefire Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas was to hold talks with armed factions Wednesday in a bid to persuade them to end attacks on Israel, after the latest Hamas suicide bomb killed a Shin Beth security agent.   Bush celebrates second term in office President Bush launched his inaugural celebrations on Tuesday by thanking two groups that played major roles in his election to a second term the military that prosecuted the war in Iraq and his most   'We will not tolerate abuse' Prime Minister Tony Blair has made it clear that Britain "will not tolerate abuse of any kind", his spokesman said Wednesday as a court martial continued of three British soldiers accused of mistreating   Iran warns US over military action Iran accused the United States Wednesday of trying to disrupt its nuclear negotiations with the European Union by evoking the threat of a military strike, and warned Washington it would respond to any   International concert for tsunami aid A star-studded cast of US and Asian pop stars will perform in a concert to raise donations for Asian tsunami victims, music video broadcaster MTV Networks Asia said Wednesday.   India, Israel to strengthen military ties India and Israel have agreed to fulfil a number of bilateral equipment deals and conduct a joint air manoeuvres later this year as a mark of their burgeoning defence ties, a leading defence weekly has   IRA denies hand in N Ireland bank raid The IRA, Northern Ireland's main Roman Catholic paramilitary group, issued a formal statement on Tuesday denying it was responsible for carrying out one of Britain's biggest-ever bank robberies.   American pleads guilty in oil-for-food scam An Iraqi-American illegally acted as an agent for Iraq under Saddam Hussein and received millions of dollars worth of oil from the country's UN oil-for-food program, US court documents showed on Tuesday.   India, Pakistan cool tensions over cross border shelling Indian and Pakistani military commanders spoke by telephone hotline Wednesday to calm tensions after mortars fired from Pakistan crashed into Indian-held Kashmir, endangering a 14-month ceasefire between Editorial Editorial: New gas find It is good news that Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company (Bapex) has discovered a new gas field in Comilla, thus raising the total number of such fields in the country to 24.   Editorial: Unity for MPs' perks The parliamentarians cannot typically agree on anything else, from rules of procedure to formulating bipartisan legislation for the good of the country, but they apparently have little difficulty finding   Lessons of the tsunami disaster Survivors of the tsunami-affected areas are still trying to pick up the pieces of whatever little the killer waves left behind. Recovery from the mental trauma would perhaps take much longer.   What do crossfire deaths of key witnesses signify? The term "witness" in its general sense includes "all persons from whose lips testimony is extracted to be used in any judicial proceeding" and in its legal sense, means "one who gives evidence in a cause Letters to Editor Abbas for independent Palestine Heartiest congratulations to Mr. Mahmoud Abbas on his election as president of the Palestinian Authority.   Shifting of railway station Recently, I saw a news item on the government plan to shift Kamalapur railway station to Joydebpur.   Too pessimistic! Chintito (Star magazine) wants to say that we should stop dreaming because our dreams won't come true! One day we will have to die, but should we stop earning bread only because of that ? One day   An appeal to political parties In Bangladesh, winter is a very suitable season for agitation, procession, hartal and other political programmes.   Cricket triumph The boys have done really well. Winning the Test series must have been the dream of our lifetime. It came true! Cricket should from now onwards move ahead with great speed.   Great victory Congratulations, cricketers. You have done something really great for all of us. The first ever series victory will always be remembered by cricket fans .   Dear readers We have a new e-mail address for the Letters to the Editor page. Please send your letters to letters@thedailystar.