Local News on Bangladesh

Local News

Tuesday, July 30, 2002

Head Lines

News Brief, Summary of more than 20 leading Bangla & English Dailies, Source : News Garden

Tuesday, July 30, 2002

National

A general strike is taking place all over the country today inprotest at the recent police action against girl students at the Shamsunnahar Hall of Dhaka University and further police excesses committed in the days thereafter. Although a half-day general strike called by left-leaning students' alliance, Ganatantrik Chhatra Oikya, in Dhaka yesterday was not much of a success today's strike call is being heeded by the public.

About 100 students, three teachers and four journalists were wounded yesterday at the Dhaka University yesterday when police and activists of the ruling BNP's students' organisation Jatiayatabadi Chhatra Dal beat them. The students and teachers are demanding removal of VC Prof.Anowarullah Chowdhury and the immediate reopening of the university.

One of the assaulted teachers, Professor Anwar Hossain of bio-chemistry department, was beaten and trampled upon by policemen. He and the fourjournalists, all of them university correspondents have been admitted to hospitals. Students had broken through a police barricade to stage a sit-in protest in front of the Rokeya hall and VC's house. Earlier, a group of students near that National Museum showed shoes to the police when the latter stopped them from going towards the Arts Faculty of the university.

Three policemen have been suspended for beating the journalists. Two police officers, who were in charge of the shamsunnahar Hall operationlast July 23, have been transferred. · The secretary of the one-member judicial probe committee set up by the government to inquire why the Shamsunnahar Hall incident occurred and who were responsible for it has said that the inquiring judge will visit the shamsunnahar Hall to take evidence and for this purpose he may ask the DU authorities to reopen the hostel so that students may return and give evidence.

Military Ruler of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, has described the excesses that took place during the war of 1971 between Bangladesh and Pakistan as regrettable and urged the people of both countries to move forward in amity leaving those memories behind. He said this in a written remark in the visitor's book of the National Mausoleum, which he visited yesterday. General Pervez Musharraf arrived Dhaka yesterday afternoon on an
official visit to Bangladesh. Acting President Jamiruddin Sircar and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia received him at the airport. Official talks between Bangladesh and Pakistan will take place today.

The opposition Awami League has cancelled its meeting with visiting Pakistani President General Musharraf. While former foreign minister Abdus Samad Azad said in a letter to the Foreign Affairs Ministry that they would
not be able to meet Musharraf due to unavoidable reasons he told newsmen said that the general was they were unwilling to meet a military ruler of a country of the subcontinent. They said that they dislike Musharraf because
he overthrew an elected government.

Seven of the 54 candidates in the scuttled municipal elections of Sandwip met the Chief Election Commissioner yesterday defying threats by local BNP activists. The CEC has asked the government to arrest the BNP terrorists of
Sandwip. BNP, on the other hand, said that they want elections under a fresh schedule so that they too could take part in it.

The overall flood situation in the country worsened yesterday due to heavy rainfall. With the upstream water levels starting to fall in some of the major rivers the flood situation in some of the northern districts had marked a little improvement but at the same time the flood worsened in the districts located in the downstream of these rivers. Meanwhile, the water of the Ganges is rising fast.

Lt.Gen. (rtd.) M.Harun-ar-Rashid, who was removed from the position of Chief of Staff of the Army recently has been made Bangladesh's High Commissioner to Australia.

The government would privatise the operations of six oil marketing companies stating with Padma Oil Company, Privatisation Commission chairman Enam Ahmed Chowdhury announced yesterday.

An Awami League leader of Azimpur area, Zahirul Islam Zahir, was murdered in public by a gang at New Market. Another businessman was killed at Uttara. In Sylhet, A Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activist was shot dead in front of the Osmany Medical College hospital.

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Neighbours

The French news agency AFP reports from Riyadh that Osma-binLaden's eldest son Saad is now heading the secret Muslim militant group al-Qaeda. USA holds al-Qaeda as responsible for destroying the Twin Towers on Sept 11
last year and had bombed Afghanistan to kill Osama and to destroy al-Qaeda. AFP quoted the Arabic newspaper Ashraq Al-Awsat. This disclosure again raises doubts that Osama-bin-Laden is either seriously wounded or dead.
Only a few days ago German and US intelligence officials were saying that Osama was alive.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Foreign Minister Morshed Khan have signed the condolence book kept at the Indian High Commission for deceased Indian Vice-President Krishna Kant.

The flood situation has worsened in India's Assam and Bihar states. More than a 100 person have died in these floods. In Nepal 14 persons have been killed in floods in the southwestern district Morang.

Myanmar government is getting ready to answer human rightsviolation charges at an upcoming ASEAN meet, the country's foreign minister U Win Aung has said. Burma has been accused of sexual assault of ethnic minority
women by government troops.

Asean has urged India and Pakistan to defuse the military tension between the two countries. The appeal is contained in a draft joint communique of ASEAN foreign ministers.

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International

Israeli settlers have gunned down a Palestinian teenaged girl andwounded 12 others in Hebron. They retaliated the killing of an Israeli youth last Friday. An Israeli police official was also injured by Sunday's attack by Israeli settlers.
Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi and Uzbek President Islam Karismov signed a joint statement in Tokyo yesterday to boost relations between the two countries. Japan will continue to provide economic assistance to Uzbekistan.

An opinion poll showed support fading for German Chancellor Gerhard Schoreder's ruling Social Democrat Party. German elections are less than two months away. SDP is now in second position in the opinion polls while
conservative Christian Union has surged ahead.

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Sports

Sabrina and Fouzia got seventh position in the 17th Commonwealth Games Shooting. They took part in Women's 50 meter rifles three position pair. Rubel Rana will participate in the 50 meter back stroke swimming event to-day.

England beat India by 170 runs on the final day of the first Test of four here at Lord's Monday. Inida, set a mammoth 568 to win, were bowled out for 397 after starting the fifth and final day on 232 for six. Ajit Agarkar was a test best 109 not out.

Chamila Gamage, making his debut, turned in an excellent allround performance to put Sri Lanka in a commanding position in the second and final Test against Bangladesh here Monday. Meanwhile Bangladeshi batsman newcomer Tapos Kumar Baussa score brilliant 52 runs in his 1st innings.

Pakistan captain Waqar Younus has criticised fast bowler Shoaib Akther for withdrawing his name from the one- day squad. He said, Pakistan team is not a one- man show and if Shoaib or any one has any illusions that he is
indispensable, then he is mistaken.

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ARCHIVE CALENDAR - 2002 June
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ARCHIVE CALENDAR - 2002 July
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