Vol. 5 Num 899 Thu. December 07, 2006       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Point-counterpoint Metropolitan National International Culture Views Editorial Write to Editor Sections Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Light finally seen at end of the tunnel In a major breakthrough in the near debilitating political crisis, the Election Commission (EC) yesterday decided to rearrange the entire election schedule including the polling date, following a tedious   Drastic changes in top level civil admin In a major policy shake-up, the government brought dramatic changes in the top level of civil administration yesterday evening.   14-party moving towards polls With the clouds on the political horizon running off following caretaker government's latest initiatives, the Awami League (AL) led 14-party alliance in a dramatic move decided to start making all-out   Judges skip work for second day The Supreme Court (SC) judges yesterday continued their unprecedented protest by abstaining from work for the second consecutive day to press home their demands.   4 jewellery shops in Uttara looted In a major gold heist yesterday burglars made off with stolen ornaments and cash worth about Tk 12.80 crore, breaking into four jewellery shops in Mascot Plaza at Uttara in the capital.   No scope for polls beyond 90 days BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday said there is no scope in the constitution to extend the 90-day limit for holding election and those who are speaking in favour of expanding the time   Rise above personal differences, protect constitution Leading jurists Dr Kamal Hossain, barrister M Amir-Ul Islam and barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud yesterday appealed to the judges and lawyers to rise above personal differences and act together to uphold and   Traffic system chokes as sit-in rolls into day 2 The 14-party combine's non-stop sit-in around the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat continued for the second day yesterday without any untoward incidents.   30 lakh forms sent out for voter roll correction The Election Commission (EC) yesterday started sending 20 lakh forms to be used to delete the same number of fake or duplicate names from the updated voter list amidst widespread allegations that it contains   Tax ombudsman gets into action The office of the tax ombudsman got off to a belated start, seeking yesterday complaints from taxpayers harassed by tax officials.   Abu Hena returning to BNP Former lawmaker Abu Hena, expelled from the BNP last year for his stance against Islamic militancy, is going back to the party to contest the upcoming general election as a BNP-led four-party nomineefrom   Inflation spirals up The inflation rate increased by 0.41 percentage point on a point-to-point basis in the month of October this year mainly due to a rise in the prices of essential commodities and petroleum.   President asks all to protect sanctity of highest court President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed has called upon all to protect the sanctity of the highest court, as function of the Supreme Court remained halted for the second day yesterday.   Aman harvesting season   Security beefed up as 5 bombs found near Bangabhaban Law enforcers tightened security around the Bangabhaban yesterday afternoon following recovery of five abandoned bombs at the south-eastern end of Paltan Maidan, some 200 yards off the president's house.   Yunus leaves for Oslo tomorrow to receive Nobel Peace Prize Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus leaves Dhaka tomorrow for Oslo to receive his prize at the official award-giving ceremony on December 10.   Khulna BNP top brass threaten to quit party Top BNP leaders of Khulna-4 constituency yesterday threatened to resign from the party if the party high command did not nominate Prof Majedul Islam for the next general election there.   Time running out fast to end deadlock Energy Adviser Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury yesterday cautioned that time is running out fast for the political parties to respond to the caretaker government's package proposal to end the deadlock over the   BDR man killed as train rams into truck A member of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) died and ten others were injured when a train rammed a truck carrying the paramilitary troops on a level crossing near Shaheed Mahbubur Rahman Cantonment at Kholahati   Delwar declared unwanted by party men A section of BNP leaders yesterday declared party's standing committee member and former chief whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain "unwanted" in Ghior-Daulatpur area.   Time for probe into bureaucrats' secret Uttara meet extended The government yesterday extended the time for investigating the November 24 secret meeting of in-service government officials in the city's Uttara and other such previous incidents.   Jubo Dal, JCD men charged with attack Police have submitted a charge sheet against 10 leaders of Jubo Dal and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) for ransacking the residence of former state minister Alamgir Kabir in the district town on October   At least 20 killed in Iraq attacks At least 20 people were killed across Iraq yesterday, including 10 in mortar attacks on a Baghdad market, security officials said.   Suicide attack on US firm kills 7 in Afghanistan A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a US private security firm's office in southern Afghanistan yesterday, killing two Americans and five Afghans, officials and the company said.   France for quick move on Iran sanctions France said yesterday world powers must agree quickly on sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programmeme or put the credibility of the United Nations at risk.   Saddam appears at genocide trial Saddam Hussein appeared at his genocide trial Wednesday, a day after writing the judge that he no longer wanted to attend.   Kabila sworn in as DR Congo president Joseph Kabila has been sworn in as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo in front of excited crowds and heads of state in the capital.   Hasina slates filing of cases against lawyers Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday protested the filing of cases on sedition charges against renowned lawyers, including Dr Kamal Hossain, M Amir-Ul Islam and Rokanuddin Mahmud, following Business WB sees modest prospect of Bangladesh market in India The prospect of expanding Bangladesh exports to India would remain modest even if Bangladesh sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with that country, said World Bank (WB).   ADB awards its best performing projects in Bangladesh The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has awarded three best performing teams of ADB-supported projects in Bangladesh for their success in project implementation.   BTMA goes for direct polls today Breaking the tradition of nominating directors through consensus, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) goes to polls today for the second time since its inception in 1983.   BEI seminar on corporate governance for students Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) yesterday organised a seminar on corporate governance in Bangladesh to raise awareness and enhance understanding about the issue among the students of the country.   Pizza Hut Gulshan celebrates 3rd anniversary Pizza Hut, the first-ever international restaurant chain in the country, celebrated its third anniversary at its Gulshan outlet in Dhaka yesterday.   World economy on track for strong 2007 Slowing activity in the US economy and a possible sudden cooling of overheated property markets are the main threats to the world economy in 2007 after vigorous recovery this year.   Lamy's bid to jumpstart stalled WTO talks World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy will meet with Southeast Asian leaders next week as part of efforts to jumpstart stalled global trade talks, an official said Wednesday.   Asian offshore oil reserves to meet energy needs: Expert Deep offshore waters in the Asia-Pacific region hold significant oil and gas reserves which can go a long way in meeting the region's future energy needs, an industry expert said Wednesday.   Subscription of Telekom Malaysia grows 63pc in Q3 Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), with operations in nine Asian countries, recorded a growth of 63 percent in regional cellphone subscriber numbers in its third quarter as of September 2006 to 26.   China rules on opening oil market China will implement new rules governing wholesale trade in oil products and the sale of crude oil on January 1, as part of efforts to open the petroleum market, the commerce ministry said Wednesday   Saudi okays first private airline Saudi authorities have authorised business travel specialist National Air Services (NAS) to launch the kingdom's first private domestic airline, the company said Wednesday.   Currency Sports Bangladesh win bronze Bangladesh kabaddi team finally pulled up their socks to produce a bronze medal in the 15th Asian Games in Doha when they defeated Iran 37-26 in the bronze medal play-off at the Aspire Hall yesterday.   Cricket: Sylhet win at last Sylhet picked up their first win of the season when they beat Dhaka by 90 runs in the fifth round of the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea 8th National Cricket League at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium yesterday.   Cricket: Rahim in, Imran out In a surprise move, the national selectors included a second wicketkeeper for a home series in the Bangladesh squad for the last two one-day internationals against Zimbabwe.   Cricket: Windies' WC starts here West Indies captain Brian Lara said his well-rested team were eager to launch their World Cup campaign in the one-day international against Pakistan here on Thursday.   Cricket: SL look to change record Sri Lanka's cricketers are talking confidently that they can snap an 11-year winless streak in New Zealand when their two-Test series starts here Thursday.   Cricket: Delving into the defeat Former England captains reacted with dismay at England's spectacular defeat to Australia in the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.   Cricket: Three years for Sidhu A court sentenced former Indian cricketer and opposition party MP Navjot Singh Sidhu to three years in jail Wednesday for killing a man in a road rage outburst but granted him bail pending appeal.   Cricket: WADA taking up Akhtar, Asif case The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is to take up the doping cases of Pakistani fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif with the International Cricket Council (ICC).   Cricket: Ricky enters top three Australia captain Ricky Ponting moved to joint-third on the all-time rankings for Test batsmen following his match-winning performances in the Adelaide Test that saw his side take a 2-0 lead in the Ashes.   Cricket: Vaughan fails to score Michael Vaughan continued his rehabilitation from a knee injury by making nine runs in an England Academy match in Perth on Wednesday.   China lengthen lead Another world record was demolished by a Chinese lifter Wednesday as swimmers from the sporting giant worked to claw back pride in the Asian Games pool after stinging criticism from coach Zhang Yadong,   Cricket: Pace awaits India India will have the benefit of playing on one of the best batting pitches in South Africa as they warm up for a Test series against the host nation -- but they will also have to deal with another battery   Cricket: Pak greats slam ban lift Former Pakistan cricket greats Wednesday said the decision to overturn a doping ban on fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif would be tough to explain to the cricketing world.   Cricket: British press gives up Just two Tests into the five-Test series, the British press on Wednesday largely conceded the Ashes to Australia after England crashed to a spectacular defeat at the Adelaide Oval.   Football: Barca show their class Barcelona and AS Roma made their own entries into the history books of the Champions League on Tuesday, although it was the defending champions who penned the most interesting reading.   Football: Chelsea clinch pole Andriy Shev-chenko ensured Chelsea finished top of Champions League Group A as his clinical strike set up a 2-0 win against Levski Sofia on Tuesday.   Football: Spoils shared at Allianz Bayern Munich will go into the last 16 of the Champions League as Group B winners after securing top spot with a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan here on Tuesday.   Cricket: Vermeulen trial adjourned The trial of former Test player Mark Vermeulen, charged with arson attacks on the Zimbabwe Cricket's boardroom and training academy, was adjourned Wednesday after the prosecution failed to produce vital   Cricket: Lara wants respect for the verdict West Indies captain Brian Lara urged respect on Wednesday for a decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board to clear bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif of doping and said he hoped there would not be a   Football: Hail Spartak Russian media have hailed Spartak Moscow after they finally snapped a record 22-match winless streak in the Champions League by beating Sporting 3-1 in their final Group B match on Tuesday.   Football: Nedved issues ultimatum Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved has threatened to quit football in protest at a five match ban he picked up in a Serie B match for Juventus this week.   Cricket: Alive And Kicking   Football: Ballack wary of Euro dream Chelsea mid-fielder Michael Ballack warned his teammates not to get carried away dreaming about winning the Champions League after the Blues cruised into the knockout stages.   Football: Panucci books Roma berth An early header from stand-in skipper Christian Panucci booked Roma's spot in the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Group D rivals Valencia   Football: L'pool go down in Istanbul Robbie Fowler's first-ever Cham-pions League goals failed to prevent Liverpool from sliding to a 3-2 defeat in their final game of Group C against Galatasaray on Tuesday.   Football: Dunga wants more from Ronnie Brazil coach Dunga made clear on Tuesday that he would not offer any special treatment to Ronaldinho or guarantee him a place in the national team.   Football: 'Juve will come back stronger' Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said he is "proud" his club were punished for their role in a match-fixing scandal which rocked Italian football prior to the World Cup.   Football: Spurs, Charlton grab late wins Robbie Keane grabbed a late winner as Tottenham Hotspur beat Middlesbrough 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday while Charlton Athletic moved off the bottom with an injury-time 1-0 victory over Blackburn Metropolitan Fight once again to protect democracy Speakers at a discussion yesterday called on the freedom fighters to fight once again to protect independence, sovereignty and democracy that are now at stake.   Sedition case against eminent lawyers condemned Ekattorer Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee and South Asian People's Union against Fundamentalism and Communalism yesterday condemned the filing of sedition case against country's eminent lawyers, a press   '80 pc indigenous people landless' A study of Adivashi Unnayan Sangstha (ASU) revealed that presently 80 per cent indigenous people of the country are landless while the percentage was about 15 to 20 in 1947.   Tk 30cr Japanese food aid for the poor Japan has provided over 8,000 tons of rice and 100 tons of canned fish worth 4.3 million US dollar (equivalent to Tk 30 crore) to Bangladesh to improve health status and community infrastructure of 2.   Students' strike in Rajshahi today Demanding punishment to four members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), who allegedly killed a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader, Rajshahi Chhatra Sangram Parisad and 14-party combine jointly laida   Pinak new Indian HC to Bangladesh The Government of India has appointment Pinak R Chakravarty as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.   BCL observes first day of strike at CU Academic activities of Chittagong University (CU) came to a halt as Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) CU unit enforced the first day of their indefinite student strike on the campus here yesterday.   Save the Children UK concerned Save the Children UK yesterday expressed concern over a media report that a 12-year-old boy was taken to police remand over an allegation of vandalising the Supreme Court.   'Foil conspiracy against polls' Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Manjurul Ahsan Khan yesterday called upon all to foil all kinds of national and international conspiracies centring the upcoming general election throughmovement.   Yunus leaves for Norway tomorrow Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus will leave for Oslo, Norway tomorrow to receive this year's Nobel Peace Prize, says a press release.   Osman Farruk chased at secretariat A group of class four employees tried to chase Dr M Osman Farruk, former education minister, and four former secretaries Khandaker Shahidul Islam, Mofazzal Karim, Syed Sujauddin and Abdul Halim at the   Ataur Rahman's 15th anniversary of death today Today is the 15th death anniversary of former prime minister Ataur Rahman Khan, says a press release. Ataur Rahman Khan, also a national leader, passed away on this day in 1991.   RU staffs threaten fast-unto-death from December 9 Rajshahi University (RU) officials and staffs under the banner of 'Officer and Karmochari Oikya Parishad', an apex body of 3000 officials and employees of the university, yesterday announced that they   Container falls on workers at CEPZ: 7 hurt Seven workers were injured in an accident at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) area yesterday.   Three container trailers fined A mobile court in separate drives here yesterday fined three container trailers, two cargo vessels and three commercial centres and realised around Tk 2 lakh against different allegations.   Dr Qudrat-i-Khuda Today is the 29th death anniversary of eminent scientist Dr Qudrat-i-Khuda.   RMG workers block highway for salary Hundreds of agitating workers staged a demonstration and blocked Kaliyakaur-Nabinagar highway for an hour demanding arrears and salaries.   Jute, textile workers' sit-in on Dec 12 Pat-Suta-Bastrakal Sramik Karmachari Sangram Parishad will stage a sit-in in front of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) head office in the city on December 12 demanding payment of arrears before   Betar exam postponed Tomorrow's written test for the post of radio technicians in Bangladesh Betar has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. Fresh date of the test will be announced later, said a press release. National Alliance strained as BNP seeks ticket in Jamaat stronghold Difference between BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami has widened in Satkhira-2 as a BNP aspirant submitted nomination paper to his party seeking alliance ticket from the constituency, a stronghold of Jamaat.   Top gang leader held, 13 firearms recovered Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in two days' anti-piracy drives in remote Sundarbans forests recovered 13 firearms, 355 bullets, four bags of ornaments and other valuables and arrested Jamal Sheikh, 'second-in-command'   Hartal observed in Rangamati, Khagrachhari A dawn to dusk hartal was observed in Rangamati and Khagrachhari yesterday protesting killing of a leader of Somo Odhikar Andolon (SOA), an organisation of Bengali settlers fighting for establishing equal   Showdown by Nazrul's men in Khulna for alliance ticket The BNP faction led by former lawmaker Nurul Islam staged a showdown in Khulna city yesterday demanding nomination of former secretary of city BNP Nazrul Islam Manju from Khulna-2 constituency in thecoming   Pirates kill fisherman loot trawler off Sonadia Pirates yesterday killed a fisherman, threw five others in the sea and looted their trawler near Sonadiya iIsland.   BSF abducts 4 cattle traders Indian Border Security Force (BSF) abducted four Bangladeshi cattle traders Tuesday night from Chapatala border village in Basirhat thana under 24 Parganas district in West Bengal India while they were   Bridge Construction stopped since 2001 Point-Counterpoint Time to pause and think There is an old saying: "Whenever you find yourself with the majority it is time to pause and think.   A 'psychological crisis' Harith Al-Dhari is a wanted man.   China leads the game in Africa The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), in the first week of November, attended by leaders and heads of states from 48 African countries, has left no shadow of doubt about   Will guns fall silent in South Asia? Two signatures -- that was all that was needed, Nepali activist Rupa Joshi wrote last month, "for Nepalis to promise to stop killing each other. Culture Impressive credentials in the theatre scene Theatre activist, director, playwright and actor Muhammad Bari's liaison with the art started quite early. Originally from Rangpur, Bari says, "I began writing plays in school.   " I clambered up easily and even changed my attire and touched up my appearance while precariously balanced on a rock!" -- Ferdous Ferdaus Ara has established herself as one of the notable Nazrul artistes in the country. A versatile singer, Ferdaus has also popularised some patriotic and adhunik songs.   Federico Fellini: The inimitable storyteller Life and dreams were inputs for famous Italian director Federico Fellini's films. His native Rimini, some characters and the Gambettola farmhouse of his paternal grandmother featured in several films.   New talk show 'Aktel Saaf Kotha' on Channel i Aktel Saaf Kotha, a new talk show, will be aired tonight at 7:50pm. Various topics put forth by the host will be discussed and debated by the guests. International Lanka revives tough anti-terror laws targeting Tigers Sri Lanka's government invoked tough anti-terror laws yesterday targeting Tamil Tiger rebels but stopped short of banning them to deal with spiralling violence, a top official source said.   Musharraf says he won't give up army job ahead of polls Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said in an interview broadcast yesterday that he will not give up his position as the chief of the army before polls next year.   Former Indian minister gets life for murder A court here awarded life imprisonment to former Federal Minister and leading tribal leader Shibu Soren convicted for the murder of his private secretary.   US not winning in Iraq, Gates says Defense Secretary designate Robert Gates said Tuesday the United States is not winning the war in Iraq and warned of the risk of a "regional conflagration" unless the situation improves.   Fiji coup leader tightens grip Fiji's new military ruler yesterday declared a state of emergency, dissolved parliament and warned he would crush any attempt at revolt, a day after leading a bloodless coup that sparked global outrage. Editorial Editorial: And now the judiciary? The recent sedition case filed against eminent lawyers Dr Kamal Hossain, Barrister Rokonuddin Mahmud, and Barrister Amir-Ul Islam, among some 200 others, has left us perplexed and incredulous.   Editorial: Better data to combat poverty effectively At a seminar on "What works for poor" held the other day in the city a number of local and international experts on poverty alleviation pointed out the need for proper and extensive data in order to be   Take note of the rumbling in the hills Every year since the CHT Accord was signed on 2 Dec 1997, the PCJSS led by Shantu Larma has been calling upon the government to fulfill its part of the deal.   The progenitor amongst the pompous In the course of the civic reception accorded to our Nobel hero a few days ago, some novel proposals were made by him with a view to overcoming the apparently intractable political problems facing the   Geo-political changes, again During the 19th century geo-political changes were to be expected every 50 years or so, during the 20th century it came down to about 25 years.   © thedailystar.net, 2006. 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