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Local News
Thursday,
July 18, 2002
Head Lines
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News Brief, Summary of
more than 20 leading Bangla & English Dailies, Source : News Garden |
Thursday, July
18, 2002
National
The Second Additional Metropolitan
Sessions Judge of Dhaka, Hossain Shahid Ahmad, yesterday sentenced four
persons to death in the sensational murder of school student Shihab. Two
of them are absconding Two other
persons were acquitted. Shihab, a grade seven student, was abducted and
killed for ransom. The murderers had cut his body into 12 pieces and
buried those in a club room. The murder took place on last February 7th.
This is one of the few instances of quick investigation and trial in
Bangladesh where cases remain pending for years. Police had submitted
charge-sheet in this case 65 days after the murder and the court delivered
its verdict within five and a half months. Home Minister Altaf Hossain and
Law Minister Moudud Ahmed expressed satisfaction at the quick conclusion
of the case.
A police officer was shot dead just
outside a police outpost in Bagerhat district yesterday. Criminals killed
Sub-Inspector of Police Altaf Hossain 200 yards away from Chulkathi
outpost yesterday afternoon when he went to a
tea-stall to take tea.
The flood situation took a bad turn
yesterday in Maulvibazar and Habiganj districts because the water level of
the rivers Manu and Khowai have again begun to flow above the danger
level. The situation improved at other river basins.
· Cable TV operators in Bangladesh have announced that they are going on
strike for an indefinite period. They said that would stop relaying TV
broadcasts from this noon to press their demand for reduction of taxes on
their services.
The government yesterday approved the $220 million Barapukuria coal-fired
project. It will be implemented with the help of a Chinese suppliers'
credit. The decision on the Barapukuria coal-based power project was taken
by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. The committee however
rejected proposals for setting up two fertiliser projects with suppliers'
credit from China and Japan. Finance Minister Saifur Rahman said that the
fertiliser plants' proposal could create a disastrous situation similar to
Kafco.
The Daily Star newspaper said that government has taken u-turn on its
supplier's credit policy. It a meeting of the Board of Investment
yesterday it was decided that the government would set up a number of
Bangladesh Trade Centres abroad. Two of these will be in Frankfurt and
Shanghai. Prinme Minister Khaleda Zia presided at the meeting.
Prepaid service of CitcyCell Digital, which has been named Aalap, was
launched yesterday. An exclusive feature of the prepaid mobile
phoneservice Aalap is that it can receive incoming calls from T&T's
phones. Faisal Morshed Khan, Managing Director of Bangladesh Pacific
Telecom Ltd,which owns CityCell, said at a press conference yesterday that
his company would bring all districts of Bangladesh within its mobile
phone network inthe next three years and planned to invest 70 million
dollars for this.
The next session of the Jatiya Sangsad may take place in August, earlier
than expected, says Daily Star. The paper said that this may happen
because many members of parliament wish to attend the Commonwealth
Conference in
Namibia in September.
· The 100 MW power plant at Baghabari is at present out of operation due
to mechanical problems. It had started production only eight months ago.
Ittefaq reports that it may take two months to set right the power plant.
· Police yesterday rescued two young men from the Shahidullah Hall of
Dhaka University and have arrested five kidnappers from a room meant
forresident students. The two victims were kidnapped on last July 14.
Kidnappers had demanded Taka one lakh as ransom.
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Neighbours
In India, the police killed four gunmen
in Bombay when they were allegedly going to heart-throb heroine Monisha
Koirala's house in a bid to kidnap her. Police said that they had prior
information about the kidnap attempt and had laid an ambush for the
criminals. They said that when the asked the gangsters to stop the car, a
blue Maruti, by which they were driving the latter opened fire on the
police. All four gunmen were killed in the encounter. The criminals are
suspected to belong to Abu Salem's gang. This gang had demanded money from
Monisha Koirala. Salem is suspected to be hiding in Dubai.
The Indian government stated in that country's parliament yesterdaythat
anti-Indian terrorist groups have established new bases in Bangladesh and
four other countries, namely, Britain, Netherlands, Myanmar and Bhutan.
Pakistan continues to host anti-Indian terrorists, India's junior minister
in the Foreign Affairs Ministry Digvijay Singh said. · Two human rights
groups have accused Myanmar's military junta of " systematic rape" to
terrorise ethnic minorities, reports the Financial Times of London. USA
has demanded that these allegations be investigated.
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International
The United States is at odds with the
United Nations, Europe and Russia on Palestinians leader Yasser Arafat's
future. USA wants to have Arafat removed but the others are backing
Arafat.
Afhanistan has appealed for
international assistance to cover its budget deficit of $257.2 million
.The giant telephone company WorldCom, which is facing charges of 3.85
million dollar accountancy fraud, has managed to line up two billion
dollars in loans to keep itself operating if present lenders force it
towards bankruptcy.
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Sports
Rahmatganj got off to a flying start in
the National Bank premier football league. They beat Farashgonj by 3-0 at
the Bangabandhu national stadium.
Sheikh Russel Sriti Sangsad beat Wari Club by 3-2 goals in the National
Bank first division football league at Sher-E-Bangla National Stadium.
Sri Lanka Academy is in driving seat in 3 day match against Bangladesh
national cricket team. The Academy side posted a massive 342 in reply of
Bangladesh`s first innings total of 195. At the end of the day Bangladesh
is 31 without loss.
Senegal's french coach Bruno Metsu left for good after signing a 10 month
contract with UAE club al-ain.
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