| Front Page | 
Hundreds line up in spontaneous protest
People of all walks of life took to streets yesterday protesting the killing of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria and demanded punishment of the killers.
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Govt trying to shift blame, says AL
Awami League (AL) yesterday accused the government of maligning the main opposition party through falsehood about the postponement of the 13th Saarc Summit, placing the blame on the AL.
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Security blanket around 10 dists of Khulna divn
Police threw a security blanket around the key installations in ten districts of Khulna division in the wake of 'threats' of sabotage by outlaws.
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34 more controversial recruitment at RU
Rajshahi University authorities approved the appointments of 24 teachers in five departments even though there is no need for such recruitment, and also took a director of accounts and nine section officers
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36-hr hartal starts today
The countrywide 36-hour shutdown called by the main opposition Awami League (AL) begins at 6:00am today to protest the killing of its leader and former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria and four others
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'Oust this govt to ensure trial of killers'
Thousands of people yesterday took to the city streets to join a mourning procession organised by the main opposition Awami League (AL) protesting the killing of former finance minister SAMS Kibria in
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JMJB attacked jatra, arrested activist says
Operatives of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) carried out bomb attacks on jatra (folk theatre) shows in Jamalpur last month, police said yesterday quoting an activist of the militant Islamist
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Book lovers crowd fair amid tight security
Book enthusiasts from across the city swarmed the Bangla Academy premises yesterday, the first weekend since the prime minister inaugurated the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2005 on Tuesday.
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Pre-emptive strike against Iran 'not on agenda now'
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here yesterday that a pre-emptive strike against Iran was "not on the agenda at this point in time".
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A perennial traffic jam remains unresolved
The road between Kanchpur bridge and Jatrabari, a major entry and exit route of the capital for people of eastern and northeastern regions, is almost always choked with traffic, causing lot of suffering
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Koirala urges people to take to streets against King
Former Nepal prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala called yesterday on the country's citizens to take to the streets to restore democracy in the wake of King Gyanendra's seizure of power.
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Nutrition project to remain 'separate entity' till 2010
The National Nutrition Project (NNP) will be included in the ongoing Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Programme (HNPSP) under a proposed nutrition directorate or be a sub-sector in the Directorate
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BRTA issuing route permits at will, bus owners allege
Failures on the part of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) are responsible for the low number of CNG-run buses on Dhaka roads, according to Bus Truck Owners Association (BTOA) and individual
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Afghan jet crashes with 104 on board
The wreckage of an Afghan airliner that went missing with 104 people on board has been found east of Kabul yesterday, a western security source told AFP.
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UP chairman gunned down in Satkania
A Union Parishad (UP) chairman was gunned down by unidentified assailants in Satkania upazila of the district last night.
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Top outlaw killed in 'crossfire'
A regional leader of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-red flag) was killed in 'crossfire' with police and his accomplices at Raghunathpur village in Santhia upazila of Pabna early yesterday.
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BDR-BSF border talks end without headway
The four-day border conference between Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Border Security Force of India (BSF) ended here yesterday without any fruitful results.
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It is fun to shoot some people
A senior US Marine Corps general who said it was "fun to shoot some people" should have chosen his words more carefully but will not be disciplined, military officials said on Thursday. Lt. Gen.
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Statement protested
One hundred and one professionals including engineers, agriculturists and doctors yesterday protested the statement of 97 former government officials about the grenade attack on Awami League rally inHabiganj.
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Snaps from yesterday...
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9 Iraqis, 2 GIs killed in attacks
Insurgent attacks in a region north of Baghdad left eight Iraq civilians and one rebel dead while two US soldiers killed in separate incidents, police said yesterday.
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Astronomers find 'hot spot' on Saturn
Astronomers using a giant telescope atop a volcano have discovered a hot spot at the tip of Saturn's south pole. The infrared images captured by the Keck I telescope at the W.M.
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JU resident student dies of cerebral malaria
A female student of geological science department of Jahangirnagar University (JU) died of cerebral malaria at a private hospital in the city yesterday.
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Police refuse to record GD for Bahauddin Nasim: AL
The Awami League (AL) yesterday said Dhanmondi police refused to record a general diary (GD) for issuing a threat to kill Bahauddin Nasim, president of Shech-chhasebok League, in crossfire.
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AL procession, rally attacked 23 injured
At least 23 people were injured in clashes between the activists of the ruling BNP and the Awami League (AL) in Barisal and Noakhali yesterday.
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Ghulam Azam blames RAW for attacks
Ghulam Azam, former ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, yesterday blamed Indian secret service Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for the grenade attacks on main opposition Awami League (AL) rallies in
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Sangskritik Jote vows to go ahead with programmes at Shaheed Minar
The country is in a grave situation, as the government has failed to unearth the grenade attacks and punish the perpetrators, leaders of Sammilito Sangskritik Jote said yesterday.
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England 267/8 against S Africa
Vikram Solanki led the way with 66 as England made 267-8 in the third one-day international against South Africa here Friday.
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| Business |
Aviation industry fails to take off as open sky policy still on paper
Bangladesh's aviation industry remains stagnant as the government puts all forms of red tape in allowing operation of new foreign airlines and maintains a strict policy in giving more flight frequency
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Global Ins IPO subscription extended further until Feb 9
The initial public offering (IPO) subscription time of the Global Insurance Ltd (GIL) has been extended for the second time mainly because of consecutive hartals, company onficials said.
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BFFEA goes into polls today
The biennial election to 15-member execu|ive body of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association will be held at its Chittagong office at Agrabad today.
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India expects $15b in FDI in current niscal
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India is expected to touch double digit for the first time by the end of current fiscal year.
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Economic boom must benefit all Indians, warn economists
Leading economists Friday warned that India's dream economic march forwards may not be sustainable unless the benefits of globalisation reach all sectors of its billion-plus population.
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ICB Securities opens branch in Barisal
ICB Securities Trading Company Limited (ISTCL), a subsidiary of Investment Corporation Of Bangladesh (ICB), has recently opened its branch in Barisal with online trading facilities.
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Defici|, debt impending Indian growth: IMF
The IMF warned Thursday that India's huge fiscal deficits and public debt were impeding the country's rapid economic growth, which it forecast to be around 6.5 percent in the year to March.
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Africa, global growth to top G7 meet agenda
Poverty in Africa, global economic growth and revaluation of China's currency were the issues expected to dominate a two-day meeting of top G7 finance ministers beginning here on Friday.
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Growing India heads to G7
An invitation to India to attend this week's meeting of the Group of Seven rich nations underlines the growing influence of an economy that has become too big and potentially too influential to ignore.
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US seeks tough steps on trade deficit with China
The US trade deficit with China is ballooning at a "clearly unsustainable" level, a senior US Commerce Department official said Thursday as a Congress-mandated commission sought tough steps to contain
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ROK market to be firm on hopes of recovery
South Korean shares are expected to trade firmer next week thanks to better internal and external conditions with sentiment boosted by hopes of an economic recovery, dealers said Friday.
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Khulna Newsprint to be privatised soon
Closed Khulna Newsprint Mill is likely to be privatised soon. The recent visit by a US team to the mill makes it more obvious.
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Oil prices edge higher
Oil prices edged higher on Friday, ending a three-day losing streak, as dealers weighed Opec's threat to cut production against healthy supplies of crude and gasoline in the United States, the world's
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Asia Pacific is engine of growth for DHL: CEO
The Asia-Pacific has emerged as the engine of growth for German express and logistics giant DHL, led by fast growing China and India, a senior company executive said Friday.
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JAL to buy 30 Boeing 737s
Japan Airlines Corp. (JAL), Asia's biggest airline, said on Friday it would buy 30 737 small passenger jets from Boeing Co., with an option to buy an additional 10.
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Vietnam suspends duck, quail breeding to fight bird flu spread
Vietnam said Friday it had suspended the breeding of ducks and quails to combat the deadly bird flu outbreak which has spread to 33 of the country's 64 cities and provinces.
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Nissan to re-enter Pakistan market
Japan's second biggest automaker Nissan said Friday it will return to the market in Pakistan after five years, saying the country had a fast-expanding appetite for cars.
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European airlines find profits after six-year flight: AEA
Leading European airlines overall turned in a profit last year for the first time since 1998, the Association of European Airlines estimated on Friday.
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Asian forex reserves total around $2.44t
Asian foreign exchange reserves total around $2.44 trillion and the indications are that they did not change much in January compared with the end of 2004.
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Weekly Currency Roundup
Jan 29-Feb 03, 2005Local FX Market
Local FX market was volatile throughout the week despite hartal. US dollar remained strong against Bangladeshi taka throughout the week.
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| Sports |
Cricket:
Russel inspires BD A
The Bangladesh A team took a 2-0 lead in the four-match series against the United Arab Emirates with a 64-run victory at the Sharjah Stadium on Thursday.
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Cricket:
Advantage Australia
Australia drew first blood in the opening tri-series final with Paki-stan on Friday after they recovered from a shaky start to win by 18 runs.
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Cricket:
Sunny for radical ODI rules
A radical set of rules to revamp the one-day game will be considered by the International Cricket Council, which began a meeting in Melbourne yesterday.
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Cricket:
Gilchrist backs poor Hayden
Australian vice-captain and one-day opener Adam Gilchrist threw his support behind deposed colleague Matthew Hayden following his team's 18-run win over Pakistan in the first tri-series final in Melbourne
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Cricket:
Lara unhappy over non-selection role
Brian Lara has said that he was upset about not being part of the selection panel that picked the 14-member squad for the VB Series.
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Cricket:
Kenyan accounts frozen
The Kenyan government on Friday froze bank accounts of trouble-ridden Kenya Cricket Association (KCA), effectively grounding all its activities amid a row over the management of the sport, officials said.
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Football:
Premiership's best
Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson claimed their 4-2 victory at Arsenal earlier this week was one of the best ever matches in the history of the Premiership.
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Tennis:
Sharapova races into semis
Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and world number one Lindsay Davenport have both powered into the Pan Pacific Open semifinals in resounding fashion.
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Football:
Atletico in Lion's den
Spain's runaway league leaders Barcelona have not been beaten in their Nou Camp stadium for more than a year and even Sunday's rivals Atletico Madrid admit they would be happy to settle for a point there.
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Football:
United can only hope
It is indicative of how radically Chelsea have transformed the English football landscape this season that Manchester United have been reduced to relying on a favour from Manchester City.
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Football:
Milan's Lazio test
Second-placed AC Milan host Lazio on Sunday looking to make further ground on leaders Juventus and keep alive their dream of retaining the Serie A title.
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Cricket:
Dyson to prepare Lankans for NZ tour
John Dyson will be back on March 1 to continue his role as the coach of the Sri Lankan team before their Test tour to New Zealand in April.
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Chess:
Parag takes solo lead
Mehdi Hasan Parag took a solo lead in the BASIC Bank 26th National Junior (Under-20 years) Chess Championship points table after five rounds when the defending champion defeated Mostafa at the BCF hall-room
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Cricket:
Gazi Tank collect full points
Gazi Tank were handed victory by virtue of better run-rate after their First Division Cricket League match against Partex SC ended in a tie at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
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Cricket:
'Twenty20 is rubbish'
West Indies great Michael Holding has branded Twenty20 cricket "rubbish" as its international future is debated.
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Football:
Becks wants to end here
England captain David Beckham has no intention of returning to the English Premiership and aims to finish his career at Real Madrid.
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Football:
Zidane to end in 2007
French soccer star Zinedine Zidane plans to hang up his boots when his current deal with Real Madrid runs out in 2007 when he will be 35.
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Cricket:
Gaibandha cricket
Ghagot Krira Chakra crushed Nabarun Krira Chakra by 121 runs in First Division Cricket League at Gaibandha Stadium yesterday.
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Football:
Van Basten drops Davids
Holland coach Marco Van Basten has overlooked Inter Milan midfielder Edgar Davids for next Wednesday's friendly international against England at Villa Park.
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Cricket:
Moody denies S Africa approach
Tom Moody, Worcestershire's director of cricket, has dismissed rumours linking him with South Africa's coaching position.
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Golf:
Square Golf held
The Sixth Square Golf Tournament, one of country's leading tournaments, concluded at the lush green course of the Kurmitola Golf Club yesterday. Around 400 golfers took part in the two-day event.
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Blues fancy Cole
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has fuelled speculation about a summer bid for Arsenal's Ashley Cole days after newspaper reports the Premier League leaders had made an illegal approach for the left-back.
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| Metropolitan |
Govt influencing judiciary not to grant bails
Family members of nine arrested Jubo Mohila League activists yesterday accused the government of influencing the judiciary not to grant bails to those picked up during the hartal on January 31.
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Husband throws acid on wife for filing dowry case
A victim of acid burn was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Thursday.
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BSEHR introduces HR Award
The Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR) has introduced 'Human Rights Award' for the organisations involved in beautification of Dhaka city.
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Cargo boat with salt worth Tk 35 lakh capsizes
A cargo boat laden with 560 metric tons of crude salt worth over Tk 35 lakh capsized in Kazibacha river near Batiaghata upazila in the district on Wednesday.
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Oli Ahad donates Swadhinata Award money to Bangla Academy
Language Movement veteran, politician and writer Oli Ahad has donated the total amount of his Muktijuddha and Swadhinata Award-2004 to Bangla Academy.
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| National |
Orchid as a forex earner
Locally produced orchids are now being exported to foreign countries resulting in foreign exchange earning.
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Intra-party feud in Netrakona AL hampers oust-govt agitation
The intra-party feud in Netrakona district Awami League (AL) has been hampering the oust-government agitation programme as well as the party's organisational activities.
Two factions are active here.
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IRRI-boro crops on 1,000 acres of land under Teesta Project flooded
IRRI-boro crops on about 1,000 acres of land have been flooded due to damage in embankment on Dinajpur main canal under Teesta Irrigation Project on Tuesday.
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'Gas pipeline thru' Lawachhara will be resisted'
Kamalganj Development Co-ordination Council (KDCC) on Thursday declared an action programme to resist installation of gas pipe lines through Lawachhara National Park (Reserve Forest) at Kamalganj upozila
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Another case filed against Mansur of AL
A general dairy (GD) was filed against Awami League (AL) Organising Secretary Sultan Mohammad Mansur and four others on Thursday for their alleged threat on the life of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
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Injunction on 15 Moulvibazar Press Club members
The Additional District and Sessions Judge of Moulvibazar Md Hussain Helal has issued injunction to 15 members of Moulvibazar Press Club and two others.
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| Point-Counterpoint |
Human rights and governance: Local and global perspectives
In our Constitution we have used the term 'governance' only once. Art.
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We will not rest until justice is done
Many people here and abroad are shattered at the assassination of my father Shah A.M.S. Kibria, M.P., in a grenade attack in his constituency of Hobiganj on 27 January. He was 73 years old.
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Iraq elections: Defiance to terror and desire for democracy?
The great enthusiasm, the strong will and the festive mood displayed by the Iraqi voters on the election day, despite the state of immense terror and fear, are extraordinary by any standard.
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Foreign aid and poverty reduction
Due to rethinking and changes in the contemporary development strategies governments are surrendering key areas of development and governance to transitional agencies and private sector.
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| Culture |
Plays for the seasons
Ashish Khondakar's passion for theatre goes a long way back in time. He recalls being attracted to the stage as a child and his family encouraging him, especially his mother.
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Nagorik Natyasampradaya produces Mahabharata trilogy
Nagorik Natyasampradaya is all set to stage a trilogy: Gandharir Abedon, Karna-Kunti Shangbad and Biday Obhishap from Rabindranath Tagore's Sanchoita.
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Rediscovering Sylhet
Lyrical beauty of the landscapes, miles of lush greenery of tea gardens, enchanting waterfalls--in other words, a complete package of scenic elegance: this is what comes to one's mind with the name of
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| General |
Convicted BNP man gets amnesty after 22 years
Mohiuddin Jintu, who was awarded death sentence 22 years ago in a double murder case, got presidential amnesty within 10 days of his surrender before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on January
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Attack on port labour leader protested
Chittagong Dock Bandar Sramik Karmochari Oikya Parishad held a rally on Bandar Bhaban premises yesterday to protest the attack on its leader.
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Nizami denies party's link with Islamic militants
Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh's Ameer and Industries Minister Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami yesterday denied his party's link with Islamic militant groups.
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Rheumatoid arthritis raises heart attack risk: Study
Rheumatoid arthritis seems to raise the risk of silent heart disease in patients -- even before they know they have the chronic condition, US researchers reported on Thursday.
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44 students get scholarship
As many as 28 students of East West University have received Full Tuition Merit Scholarships and 16 Medha Lalon Fund Scholarships under the Merit Award Scholarship Programme of the university.
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CMES to celebrate silver jubilee
The Centre for Mass Education in Science (CMES), a voluntary organisation, will celebrate its silver jubilee in the city on February 7 and 8.
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IU reschedules admission tests
The Islamic University (IU) has rescheduled the admission test for the first year honours courses (2004-2005 session) due to unavoidable circumstances.
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Metropolitan Bar Assoc executives
Advocate Arfan Uddin Khan and Advocate Quamrul Islam have been elected president and general secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan Bar Association for 2005-2006.
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| International |
'Pressure mounts on king to back down'
India is putting pressure on Nepal's King Gyanendra to back down from his "royal coup" but may be forced to back him, fearful of a Maoist rebel victory in the Himalayan nation, analysts and military officers
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Nepali army mulls tough action against rebels
Nepali security forces battling Maoist rebels will be told to uphold human rights but guerrillas face tough action if they refuse King Gyanendra's call for peace talks, the kingdom's army chief warned
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Annan vows action against UN staff
A probe into the UN oil-for-food programme for Iraq said the director of the operation got oil allocations for a firm run by a friend, and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan vowed to discipline him.
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Republicans express doubt on Bush's social security plan
Congressional Republicans are expressing doubt that President Bush's plan for personal accounts in Social Security can win approval, saying lawmakers fear the political consequences of voting major change
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Sadr belittles election, demands US pullout
Iraqi Shia rebel cleric Moqtada Sadr called yesterday on his community's senior religious leaders to insist on a timeline for a US troop withdrawal and belittled last week's historic vote.
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Chandrika for ethnic unity to rebuild Lanka
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga called yesterday for ethnic unity to rebuild the tsunami-hit nation as a modern, progressive state in an address to the nation during scaled-down freedom day
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Thaksin expected to win strong mandate for anti-poverty agenda
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will likely win a strong mandate this weekend to push his political agenda in a second term, especially if he is spared the succession of crises that marked hisfirst,
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Lankan tsunami survivors take to streets
Hundreds of tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka took to the streets in southern Matara district yesterday to protest corrupt aid distribution, police said.
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Britain, US still at odds over lifting China's arms embargo
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her British counterpart Jack Straw said yesterday their countries continued to disagree over whether the European Union should lift its ban on selling arms to
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Judge allows US govt to appeal
A federal judge on Thursday allowed the Bush administration to immediately appeal her ruling that Guantanamo Bay prisoners have constitutional rights and that the military tribunals to review their cases
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Rumsfeld says he offered to resign twice
Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld says he submitted his resignation twice to President Bush during last year's Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.
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4 officials found guilty of forced labour Myanmar
A Myanmar court has made an unprecedented ruling convicting four officials of forcing villagers to work on a road project, sentencing them to prison for up to 16 months, a UN official said yesterday.
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| Editorial |
Editorial:
A severe jolt to Saarc?
Looking at what the Saarc Summit in Dhaka was set to deliver by way of breaking fresh grounds with bold new initiatives for ushering in a substantive phase of cooperation in South Asia, one cannot help
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Editorial:
Rehabilitating rickshaw-pullers
It definitely is heartening to learn that initiatives are being taken to rehabilitate hundreds of rickshaw-pullers of Dhaka city whose livelihood was dealt a severe blow in the wake of recent rickshaw
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Enough is enough!
Shah ASM Kibria MP, former Finance Minister in the past Awami League government, past Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Under Secretary General of the United Nations and a freedom fighter had a dream.
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Dynastic leadership and fallout
In all fairness it can be said that in Bangladesh much of shaping the government as democratic depends on the two chief political parties -- the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Awami League
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| Letters to Editor |
No rickshaw at Bangla Motor
I would like to thank Ms. Sonia Ahmed for her excellent letter (29th January, "Are the roads only for the VIPs?").
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Mission accomplished
They chased, and they chased in a devastating fashion that completely shattered the iron wall of Zimbabwean defence.
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Democracy arrives in Iraq
The date 30.01.2005 is an immensely significant date in the calendar of Middle Eastern democracy.
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Saarc summit
India decided not to attend the Saarc summit at the eleventh hour, while Bangladesh completed all sorts of preparation.It was unwarranted and unexpected.
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They care?
This is a narration of an incident that occurred to me and a friend of mine a while back.
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| Literature |
Envy
The scene was the Bumbu restaurant in the pub-littered Jalan Sultan Road, Singapore. It used to be a shophouse in the sixties, and those which survive today aren't used as mama shops1 anymore.
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Jumping Ship: Three Bangladeshi Diaspora Novels in English
On the map of South Asian anglophone literature, Bangladesh is very much on the fringe, more so than Pakistan or Sri Lanka.
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