Vol. 5 Num 1023 Wed. April 18, 2007       Home  News Today's Index Front Page Business Sports Metropolitan National International Culture General Views Point-counterpoint Editorial Letters to Editor Write to Editor Sections Star Chittagong Others About Us Contact Advertisement Supplements Archives WWW thedailystar.net Today's Index Front Page Khaleda's departure likely in few days The military-backed caretaker government has initiated moves to complete the formalities necessary for sending former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia abroad.   Case against Tarique stayed for 6 months The High Court (HC) yesterday stayed for six months the proceedings of Tk 1 crore extortion case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia's son and BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman.   Who's to be blamed for huge gas loss? Around half a million dollars worth of natural gas is being wasted daily at the troubled third well of Titas Gas Field and the situation will remain unchanged for at least 45 more days even if a remedial   EC to talk reforms with civil society on April 26 The Election Commission (EC) will hold a dialogue with civil society groups on April 26 seeking opinions on the proposed electoral reforms.   BB proposes to sell out sponsor shares The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has proposed to sell out sponsor shares of the Oriental Bank through open tender after increasing the existing paid up capital.   Advisers still deny plan to pack off two leaders Two influential advisers to the caretaker government yesterday categorically denied any government plan to keep two former prime ministers -- BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League (AL) President   AL asks govt for security on Hasina's return Awami League (AL) has urged the caretaker government to ensure security for its President Sheikh Hasina, who, according to the party, will return on April 23.   All packed up, ready to fly anytime BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her family were almost done with their preparations for leaving the country, a member of the house staff said last night.   Gas burning at stunning rate Gas is continuing to leak from the third well of Titas Gas Field in Brahmanbaria at an alarming rate of 15 to 18 million cubic feet a day (mmcfd) maintaining the threat of a major blowout.   Strange PID advice for journalists The government yesterday sent a letter to all media outlets asking them not to publish or broadcast ill-motivated, harassing or misinformative reports about anybody.   13 JMB cadres held in Sherpur Police during raids early Tuesday arrested 13 active cadres of banned Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from different places in Sherpur Sadar upazila.   SA maul England, storm into semis South Africa rode on Andrew Hall's maiden five-wicket burst to storm into the World Cup semifinals with an emphatic nine-wicket win which humiliated England here on Tuesday.   33 die in worst US campus shooting A Virginia campus was rocked with grief yesterday after 33 people were killed in a shooting rampage that the university president said involved an Asian man.   Guarding water reservoir   Ex-Jamaat MP Nazrul sued for extortion A case was filed on Monday night against two local Jamaat leaders including detained former Jamaat lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam for their alleged involvement in extortion.   Alamgir Kabir sued for patronising JMB A schoolteacher of Atrai, who was tortured by JMB activists three years ago, yesterday filed a case with the district court accusing former state minister Alamgir Kabir, former MP Shamsul Alam Pramanik   Criminal held with AK47 rifle, bullets Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested a criminal and recovered an AK47 rifle and 172 bullets from his possession in Fatikchaari upazila of the district yesterday.   Jail gate...   Rakhains water fest begins in Cox's Bazar The three-day water festival of the indigenous communities in Cox's Bazar began yesterday with grand enthusiasm and festivities.   Joint forces raid Bashundhara office, seize documents The army-led joint forces seized files and documents raiding the corporate office of Bashundhara Group on Panthapath in the capital yesterday.   Cop jailed for not producing case evidence A sub-inspector (SI), Zahid Hossain, has been sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Taka 5,000 as he failed to produce required evidence in a case he filed against some Awami League(AL)   Daily Shamokal publisher sued for extortion Bangla daily Shamokal Publisher AK Azad was sued in a Tk 5 lakh extortion case on Monday.   3 govt officials held for bribery Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members arrested three government officials in two separate incidents of bribery yesterday.   Gates, Abdullah discuss Iraq, Iran, Mideast peace US Defence Secretary Robert Gates yesterday met Jordan's King Abdullah II for talks on Iraq, Iran and the Arab-Israeli peace process, on the first leg of a Middle East tour.   al-Qaeda-linked group making own rockets A voice purported to be of the leader of an al-Qaeda-linked group in Iraq claimed in an audiotape posted on the Internet Tuesday that the group had begun manufacturing its own rockets.   Car, motorbike seized from DCC commissioner's house The joint forces yesterday seized a car, a motorbike and valuables from the residence of a Dhaka City Corporation ward commissioner in the city's Shaympur area. Business Govt to privatise 17 firms The government yesterday approved a proposal to privatise 17 state-owned enterprises, 12 of them operating in the textiles and jute industries, aiming to complete the process in four months.   Import restrictions on salt to go in 2009 The government will lift import restrictions on salt in January 2009 to comply with World Trade Organisation rules, despite opposition from domestic salt producers who fear the impact on the local industry.   MCCI seeks more authority for tax ombudsman The Metropolitan Chamber of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has recommended for widening the authority of tax ombudsman.   Anglo-Bangla chamber to protest propaganda against RMG The Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce (BBCC) has assured Bangladesh's apparel sector leaders of providing assistance in extending readymade garments export to the UK and other European countriesthrough   WB team visits Ctg port to study handover of NCT to pvt sector A five-member World Bank delegation visited the Chittagong Port here yesterday to study different aspects of the possible handover of the operation of New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to the private   Indian Essar to buy Canadian steel firm for $1.58b After India-born LN Mittal and the leading industrial house Tatas, another Indian conglomerate the Essar Group has made a big move to buy a foreign steel company.   Thai auto sales drop 15pc in Mar Thai auto sales continued to plunge in March, dropping 15 percent from a year earlier on sluggish consumer confidence and rising oil prices, an industry group said Tuesday.   Appreciation of Indian rupee worries exporters The appreciation of Indian rupee is causing worries to Indian exporters and happiness to importers.   Japan mulls all-in-one super bourse Japan is considering a merger of its stock, commodity and other financial markets to boost their competitiveness in an increasingly fierce global environment, an official said Tuesday.   New MD of Shilpa Bank Md Amanullah has been made managing director of Bangladesh Shilpa Bank with effect from April 12, says a press release. Prior to this assignment, he was deputy managing director of Sonali Bank.   British pound breaks through $2 mark The British pound broke through the $2 mark on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 15 years after new data showed an unexpected surge in inflation, prompting speculation of interest rate increases.   Delhi to speed up duty cuts India has decided to put the process of bringing down duties on edible oil on the fast track to reach an early agreement with the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) for a free trade agreement   Japan, Asean resume trade talks Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Tuesday started a seventh round of talks aimed at sealing a comprehensive free trade deal this year, officials said.   Tesco posts record '06 profits British supermarket giant Tesco, the country's biggest retailer, said on Tuesday that net profits soared by a fifth in 2006 to a record 1.892 billion pounds (2.777 billion euros, 3.767 billion dollars).   Danone shares fall Shares in French group Danone dipped on Tuesday amid reports of escalating disputes with its Chinese and Indian partners. In late morning trading, the price of Danone stock had fallen by 2.   Currency Sports Cricket: Of fun and celebration From the country that gave you Riverdance, Ireland can now boast The Chicken and The Ferret.   Cricket: Lanka may do it again Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralidaran, who were controversially omitted for the crushing World Cup defeat by Australia, could also sit out Wednesday's clash against Ireland.   Football: Russel kept waiting Sheikh Russel will have to wait for another day to regain lead in the B. League table after their yesterday's match against Khulna Abahani was abandoned ten minutes from time due to lack of floodlight.   Cricket: BCB discusses major issues today The Dav Whatmore issue will get the priority in today's executive committee meeting of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to be held at a local hotel.   Cricket: Bangladesh looking ahead It was a bad, bad Bangladesh effort on Sunday and the players have felt the pain.   Cricket: Pak Academy bounce back to draw series Pakistan Academy levelled the four-day series 1-1 against their Bangladesh counterparts in style when they routed the home side by an innings and 12 runs in the second and final game at the Fatullah Cricket   Cricket: Tactics irk SL fans Sri Lankan cricket fans Tuesday expressed frustration and disappointment over their team's tactics in resting top players for the World Cup clash against Australia.   Cricket: Star absences puzzle Aussies Australia's Andrew Symonds admitted he was stunned to see Sri Lanka rest frontline bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralidaran from their World Cup Super Eights clash on Monday.   Cricket: Australia on a roll Australia captain Ricky Ponting scored an unbeaten 66 as the champions stretched their unbeaten run at the World Cup to 26 games and 20 consecutive wins with a seven-wicket Super Eights victory against   Cricket: 80 heads will roll in PCB The Pakistan Cricket Board said Tuesday it will sack 80 employees, including some senior management officials, in the wake of the national team's World Cup fiasco.   Cricket: Malik likely to be named Pak captain Shoaib Malik has emerged as the leading candidate for the Pakistan captaincy after discussions between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials over the weekend.   Cricket: Poison theory given impetus Speculation over the possibility that Bob Woolmer, the late Pakistan coach, was poisoned has increased following a report in a Jamaican paper, apparently quoting the toxicology report, to that effect.   Football: Hectic week for Chelsea Frank Lampard expects Chelsea to shrug off the strains of their gruelling schedule and come out with all guns blazing as they try to keep the pressure on Premiership leaders Manchester United.   Cricket: Ricky wants full NZ Australia captain Ricky Ponting expects to face a full-strength New Zealand side on Friday after his team cruised to a seven-wicket win against a Sri Lanka team missing two rested senior bowlers.   Cricket: King for changes West Indies coach Bennett King believes Caribbean cricket needs to introduce fundamental changes if there is to be a return to the team's glory days.   Cricket: Hogg delights Ponting Brad Hogg is bowling at the peak of his powers, according to Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is elated with the left-arm wrist spinner's form at the World Cup.   Olympics: 2010 Asiad to have cricket Cricket will be included as a new sport on a 2010 Asian Games card in Guangzhou that features more events than ever before, the head of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said Tuesday.   Cricket: Shoaib says he was dropped for injury Controversial Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar insisted he was dropped from Pakistan's World Cup team due to injury and not because he had flunked a private dope test in London.   Tennis: Murray out of Monte Carlo Masters Andy Murray on Tuesday withdrew before his opening match at the Monte Carlo Masters after suffering a back injury in doubles a day earlier.   Cricket: Ireland in the big league Ireland's World Cup wins over Pakistan and Bangladesh have earned them a place on the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI championship table.   Chess: Chess prize distribution The prize distribution ceremony of the Mercantile Bank 33rd National Championship, which concluded on Monday, was held at the National Sports Council conference room yesterday.   Cricket: Smith rubbishes drinking claims South Africa captain Graeme Smith on Monday played down reports of a heavy drinking session by some of his players on the night following their World Cup defeat against New Zealand.   Football: Inter a step away Inter Milan, who have dominated the Serie A this season, are one step away from being crowned champions for the second straight year against AS Roma on Wednesday.   Football: Crouch wants to stay a Red Peter Crouch has responded to speculation surrounding his Liverpool future by insisting he has no intention of quitting the Champions League semifinalists.   Football: Lyon's chance to wrap it up Lyon were set to clinch their sixth straight French league title on Wednesday when a win at home over Rennes would see them past the post.   Football: Italy bid for Euro 2012 Hooliganism seems set to play a role in the decision of who will host the 2012 European Champion-ships, ahead of the vote in Cardiff on Wednesday.   Football: Vieri set for comeback Veteran Italian striker Christian Vieri is set to end a year on the sidelines by playing for Atalanta against Empoli in a league match on Wednesday, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Tuesday.   Football: Real ref received death threats The referee in charge of Real Madrid's 2-1 weekend defeat by Racing Santander said Tuesday that he fears for his family's safety after receiving telephone death threats following the game.   Football: Borowski out indefinitely German and UEFA Cup title challengers Werder Bremen could be without influential midfielder Tim Borowski for the rest of the season, the player said Monday.   Football: Macala to coach Bahrain Czech coach Milan Macala has been named to take over at the helm of the Bahrain national side, the Dnes daily newspaper reported on Tuesday.   Football: Wenger expects Lehmann to stay Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said on Tuesday he expects German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to sign an extension to his contract to keep him at the English giants.   Football: Villa grant Angel wings Juan Pablo Angel was handed a footballing green card for the United States on Tuesday when Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill confirmed that he would let the Colombian striker leave for Major League Soccer Metropolitan State of emergency cannot remain for long US Ambassador in Dhaka Patricia A Butenis yesterday told Rajshahi businessmen that the state of emergency was necessary to tackle the chaotic political situations but it cannot remain for long.   'Restore Proclamation of Independence to Constitution' Speakers at a discussion yesterday demanded official observation of historic Mujibnagar Day commemorating the formation of Bangladesh's first government-in-exile at Baidyanathtola in Meherpur on April   UK to introduce new visa process from April 25 The UK government is going to introduce a new visa application procedure, including collection of biometric data of visa applicants from April 25 to curb fraud in immigration process.   Romania keen to support petroleum, energy sectors Romania is willing to provide training and technical support to petroleum and energy sectors as there is ample scope for increased cooperation between the two countries.   Road crashes kill four At least four people were killed in separate road accidents in Satkhira and Patuakhali yesterday and Monday.   'Bird flu spreads for lack of proper preventive measures' Bangladesh Bird Flu Protirodh Nagarik Committee, a citizen platform for creating awareness about bird flu, yesterday said Avian Influenza virus popularly known as bird flu spread out in 32 farms in eight   Govt seeks modification of HC order The government yesterday filed an application seeking modification of the High Court's interim order that directed Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to allocate state-run BTV's   12 acquitted of charges of being JMB militants The district judge's court yesterday acquitted 12 young men of the charges of being JMB cadres and their involvement in anti-state activities.   British envoy welcomes timeline for election British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury yesterday welcomed the timeline for election in the country, saying that the chief adviser's announcement that the election will be held by the end of 2008 is   Roads renamed after Abul Mansur Ahmad, Toaha Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka yesterday formally unveiled the plaques marking the renaming of two roads at Dhanmondi as 'Abul Mansur Ahmad Sarak' and 'Language Movement Veteran Toaha Sarak'.   18 army men injured in road accident At least 18 army personnel were injured, six of them seriously, in a road accident in Laldighi areas on the Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj highway yesterday.   People can eat chicken, eggs after safety measures Health and Family Welfare Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Dr ASM Matiur Rahman said people should continue having chicken and eggs by taking proper safety measures despite the outbreak of Avian Influenza (bird   Yunus leaves for China today Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus leaves Dhaka for China today to attend the annual summit meeting of Boao Forum for Asia.   Dhaka firm to bolster investment link with UK Bangladesh is firmly committed to bolstering trade and investment links between Bangladesh and Britain as the UK is the third largest export destination for Bangladesh.   Uneasy calm at Sylhet Agri University An uneasy calm has been prevailing on Sylhet Agricultural University campus as the authorities and students took hard stands on their respective positions over the newly introduced semester arrangement.   Train derails on Dhaka-Ctg route Train services on Dhaka-Chittagong route were disrupted for over three hours as two compartments of a goods train derailed yesterday. National ACC refuses to accept wealth statements of five sent by wives The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) in Jamalpur did not accept statements of assets of five Awami League and BNP leaders on Monday as they did not go to the office to submit statements.   25 AL, JSD men sued in Satkhira Patkelghata Rural Electrification Board (REB) authorities have filed a case against 25 local leaders and activists of Awami League (AL) and JSD including Satkhira JSD district secretary Obaidus Sultan   9 'corrupt' leaders of Pabna AL, BNP on detention The nine arrested front ranking leaders of Pabna Awami League and BNP including two former lawmakers were sent to jail Monday evening with 30 days' detention.   Shuja's Khulna residence raided by ACC men again A four-member Task Force of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) raided the Khulna residence of Awami League leader Mostafa Rashidi Shuja again yesterday.   Former Bogra MP Lalu faces another 'extortion' case Another case filed with a Magistrate court in Bogra against former BNP lawmaker Helaluzzman Talukder Lalu and 37 others yesterday charging them with extortion and other crimes.   40 hurt as jute mill workers clash with police At least 40 people persons including 10 policemen were injured in clashes between jute mill workers and security forces at Khalishpur yesterday. Point-Counterpoint Caretaker government should clear the clouds As the current interim administration steps into the fourth month of its assumption of office, it seems that it is getting more entangled with contentious issues relating to politics.   Debate over democracy Sir Winston Churchill once famously observed: "Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise.   Iraq's quiet exodus He sits in an unheated two-room apartment furnished with plastic chairs and begrimed here and there with mold. Culture Aglow in shades of Baishakh The Bengali New Year found Dhakaites adorned with the glowing colours of the season. Though these items are not expensive they are irresistible with their bursts of red, orange and white.   Nazrul artistes honours Sohrab Hossain and Sudhin Das Nazrul Sangeet Shilpi Parishad (NSSP), an organisation of Nazrul artistes, celebrated the 87th and 77th birth anniversaries of Nazrul exponents Sohrab Hossain and Sudhin Das respectively (both were born   Mega-serial 'Ei Shob Ondhokar' to be aired on Banglavision Society is an admixture of the amoral and the ethical. Though most people do not commit serious offences, a handful of evildoers gnaw away at the roots of a society.   Protesters in India burn Gere effigies Angry crowds in several Indian cities burned effigies of Richard Gere on Monday after he swept popular Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty into his arms and kissed her several times during an AIDS-awareness General Spousal violence makes women suicide-prone Spousal violence makes married women more prone to suicide than men, reveals a study.   Huge power pilferage unearthed in Ctg A mobile court here yesterday unearthed huge pilferage of electricity depriving PDB of several lakh taka at a high rise building and a steel mill in the city and district.   Body recovered Police recovered body of a rickshaw-puller from a paddy field at Sadardia Chak area at Mahmudpur union in Araihazar upazila yesterday. The victim was identified as Abdul Haq alias Hoqqa, 35, a rickshaw-puller.   Plastic trader dies in rooftop fall A plastic trader died after he fell from the roof of a seven-storey building in old part of the city yesterday. The dead was identified as Al Amin, 25, son of Saidul Haq.   Govt instructions to English medium schools The government has taken a special initiative to include the English medium schools in the registration process and given a 15-day time for registration, according to official decision of the Education International North Korea signals atomic shut down Intelligence officials reported increased activity yesterday around North Korea's main nuclear reactor, indicating the country may be preparing to uphold its agreement to shut down the plant.   World shocked at US university shooting Families in India and Israel yesterday mourned two professors among the 32 people killed in a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, while the leader of Australia slammed US gun culture.   World must do more for fleeing Iraqis UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday urged countries to keep their borders open to the growing flood of Iraqi refugees, amid warnings that hosts Jordan and Syria had reached their limits.   5 killed as blast hits UN vehicle in Afghanistan Five United Nations security guards including four Nepalese nationals were killed yesterday when a roadside bomb blast ripped through their vehicle in southern Afghanistan, police said.   Musharraf hails 'best ever' India ties Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said that relations with India have never been better amid three-year-old peace talks between the nuclear-armed rivals, an official statement said Tuesday.   6 killed as rival rebel groups clash in India Hundreds of security forces were deployed yesterday in India's restive northeast after six people were killed in gunfights between rival separatist groups, police said.   Nagasaki mayor shot The mayor of Nagasaki was shot and seriously wounded yesterday as he campaigned for re-election, officials said, in a rare gun crime in Japan reportedly linked to an underworld gang. Editorial Editorial: The governance issue The decision by the council of advisers to do away with the import of duty free vehicles for lawmakers raises anew the matter of corruption in high places.   Editorial: Hill flattened for housing plots District authorities of Cox's Bazar allegedly bypassing rules and despite protests by the forest department, demolished a hill near Cox's Bazar beach to create housing plots for bureaucrats.   The history our children must know A nation that teaches false history to its young is a society condemned to perdition, or worse.   After New Delhi The just-concluded New Delhi summit (April 3-4) appears to have injected a new dynamism in Saarc. This is evident from the speeches made by all the eight leaders of Saarc.   BJP plumbs the lower depths The Bharatiya Janata Party has resorted to foul communal means to win votes by producing a virulently anti-Muslim compact disc. Letters to Editor People, politics and democracy Politics is for the people or the people are for politics-- it has become a question in the changed circumstances in the country.   Ban on campus politics It is a very good initiative by the interim government that campus politics in the public institutions is being banned permanently.   Sheikh Hasina I am extremely surprised to read in your newspaper that Sheikh Hasina has been charge-sheeted in a murder case, even though no complaint was lodged against her by the Jamaat.   Misery of landless people In the big cities like Dhaka and Chittagong, we see many people living on the sides of railway tracks or streets just covering their heads with torn polythene.   No more corruption The recent arrests of a good number of politicians and businessmen by the joint forces point to an intensification of the drive against corruption launched by the caretaker government.   Undue fare increase The government has raised the oil prices to adjust the local prices of oil with the international prices.   Diplomats' role May I express my strong objection to Dr. Zaman's comments on foreign diplomats. I believe they performed admirably to help us overcome a national crisis.   PSC and corruption The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) is the only constitutionally guided apex body for selection of suitable candidates for recruitment in civil service of the country.   Bangladesh Medical College The recent inspection of the newly built college building of Bangladesh Medical College on its Dhanmondi campus by Rajuk reportedly revealed that it was built in total defiance of the building codes.   Storing potato It is good that the government is finally defining 'hoarding'. This will be an indication to the businessmen what they should and should not do.   Raising retirement age The genuineness and compulsion for raising the retiring age of government servants from the present 57 to 60 years is long overdue and can hardly be overemphasized.   Deep seaport We are amazed to note that a group of high level professionals in Dhaka demanded establishment of a deep seaport in the shallow sea of Chittagong.   Tax on consultancy Expertise and competency are increasing in consultancy jobs/assignments through open competition. These are in some cases fulltime jobs and stand as a single source of our income.   Govt servants getting dual citizenship Nowadays migration is a big issue. Not only people work abroad as temporary workers but there are also many Bangladeshis going abroad as immigrants.   Bring in honest people Thanks to the Internet, we can closely follow the ongoing activities in Bangladesh.   Don't worry, foreigners Foreigners, do not worry yourselves to death that we are without an elected government. We are quite satisfied with the caretaker government and their efforts to eradicate widespread corruption andcrime.   AL's defeat in 2002 It is true that the main reason behind Awami League's election defeat in 2002 was corruption and terrorism by its MPs like Hazari of Feni, Hasnat Abdullah of Barisal, Shameem Osman of Naraynaganj,although   Why Jaywalking? There is no overbridge in between Khilket and Kakoli overbridge. Ultimately, pedestrians are bound to jaywalk while crossing the road and it results in many mishaps. Star Chittagong Pahela Baishakh celebrated amid festivity The port city has its own style of celebrating different traditional festivals specially the Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla year.   Ctg Gets Back Scenic Beauty   CU sports complex is yet to see light Chittagong University (CU) authorities are yet to set up the proposed sports complex after 31 years of budget allocation, causing problems to the students under Physical Education Department. Star City Kids' playground bulldozed for shopping centre Over a thousand trees were chopped down on Monday in Block H of Mirpur Section 2 from a piece of land that had been designated as a 'green space' in the city master plan.   City buses plunge into further chaos Passengers of public transport in the capital have no way but to continue putting up with immense sufferings as no mechanism exists to plan, coordinate, administer and monitor transport operators in and   Bangshal Pond: An oasis polluted The last remaining public pond in the city, the Bangshal Pukur, where over 3,000 people bathe everyday is fast being polluted due to extensive fish farming by the pond committee.   Khilgaon Lake project put on ice Efforts to revive the swampy and almost 'dead' lake in Khilgaon remain buried under piles of files while the Public Works Department (PWD) awaits additional funds.   Announcement Discover some of Dhaka's finest buildings and sites in a three-part report called Dhaka's Hidden Pearls beginning from Sunday, April 22.   © thedailystar.net, 2007. 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