All Hot and Latest News and articles Here

2009-05-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

Monitors

2009-02-10T00:56:00.000-08:00

NEED A MONITOR?

Smart Technologies, a computer selling company of Bangladesh is now giving you the opportunity to alter your monitor and have a new one.

Do you have a Samsung monitor? If it is you can just alter it and have a new flat or LCD monitor.

For more informations, just call

8112613 or 01730317750-62.

Car Business

2009-02-04T01:04:00.000-08:00

Have cars. Going to buy a car. Good news for you.The telecom watchdog has moved to introduce the vehicle-tracking system, good news for car owners, bad for thieves.

The system can locate any car of its owner or a third party if it installs a GPS (global positioning system) transponder.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) yesterday posted a guideline on its website to award licences for the vehicle-tracking system to mobile and WiMax operators.

The vehicle tracking system is a value-added service provided through a GPS transponder, which helps track the vehicle's movement and other activities while both in stationary and running modes.

The system is a convergence of an onboard automotive device, wireless communication and GPS to track vehicles via digital mapping application and reporting information system by using a web-interface, mobile phone and/or computer network.

GPS consists of 32 satellites in different orbits around the world. At any given time, a number of satellites are in view in any place on the earth. A GPS receiver receives information from these satellites and uses it to locate itself.

This service can also be provided through location-based service (LBS) on the mobile network's ability to locate the geographical position of the SIM subscriber identification module (SIM) or mobile device without employing GPS.

The service allows authorities to set rules against "speed violations" and "harsh braking" and helps implement discipline against the drivers. It reduces the possibilities of rough and dangerous driving and unauthorised vehicle use.

A GPS transponder means a portable device mounted on a vehicle, which acquires vehicle data (position and condition), and transmits data via wireless networks to a designated vehicle-tracking server.

In line with the licensing guideline, vehicle tracking service information is restricted by the subscriber's privacy and confidentiality, which means information can only be disseminated according to a subscription agreement.

In case of requests from law-enforcement agencies, tracking process will be followed. All the licensees will have to follow this privacy and confidentially with utmost priority, the guideline emphasises.

"The system could be minimise carjacking and help build customer confidence to own a car as well," said Abdul Haque, former president of Bangladesh Association of Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers.

Cancer Disease

2009-02-04T00:58:00.001-08:00

Need consciousness about Cancer.Today is World Cancer Day. Different organisations will observe the day in the country as elsewhere across the globe to raise awareness on cancer and its prevention.

Bangladesh Cancer Society will form a human chain and also launch a poster with theme of the day 'Avoid obesity in childhood which may increase the risk of cancer in later life'.

Diganta Memorial Cancer Foundation will take out a procession from in front of the National Press Club led by Chairman of the foundation Justice Mohammad Abdur Rouf.

A get-together of cancer survivors, a discussion and a cultural programme will also be held on the foundation premises at 4:00pm.

International Union Against Cancer (UICC) will launch 'I love my healthy active childhood", the second full-year theme in the 'Today's children, tomorrow's world' cancer prevention campaign.

UICC aims at raising awareness of the link between overweight, obesity and cancer.

Because healthy habits start early, the campaign calls on families, health professionals, educators and policymakers to help children eat a healthy diet and become physically active so that they can maintain a healthy body weight and set them on the right path to reduce their risk of cancer later in life.

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. WHO estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention. In 2007, there were 7.9 million deaths, around 13 percent of all deaths.

Movie

2009-02-04T00:56:00.000-08:00

New movies released. he romantic film 'Monpura' will be released on February 13 at Balaka and Star Cineplex cinema halls in the city.

It was announced at a press conference at Hotel Sheraton yesterday.

Gias Uddin Selim directed the film. Chanchal Chowdhury, Farhana Mili, Fazlur Rahman Babu, and Manunur Rashid performed in it.

Poet Lutfor Rahman Riton, Maasranga Productions Ltd Director Ajoy Kumar Kundu and Sabbir Ahmed from Radio Foorti were present at the press conference.

Heart Disease

2009-02-04T00:28:00.000-08:00

WANT TO PREVENT HEART DISEASE?

You need to abide by some rules and you can have a safe and sound life.Experts at a press conference in the city yesterday said excessive intake of salt increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, heart and kidney failure.

They underscored the need for reducing salt intake to possess a good health.

To create mass awareness, World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) observes World Salt Awareness Week this year with the theme 'Consume less salt and stay healthy'.

Hypertension Committee of National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh is observing the week from February 2 to 8 with various programmes, including a discussion on February 7 at the Heart Foundation auditorium and distribution of leaflets.

“It is proved that 80 percent of the population will not suffer from high blood pressure if the people consume less salt. On the other hand, high blood pressure breaks out like an epidemic in the countries like Japan for excessive salt consumption,” said National Prof Brig (retd) Abdul Malik, also founder secretary general of the foundation.

Half of the adult population in Japan are suffering from high blood pressure which is the risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, paralysis, blindness, he said, adding that it also leads to stomach cancer, obesity and symptoms of Asthma.

Salt is used most in the processed food. The fast food and Chinese food also contain excessive salt, the experts said suggesting not to take extra salt in diet and to remove salt from the dining table.

The suggestions include using minimum salt while cooking as the vegetables the people eat are already enriched with different types of mineral salts, using lemon juice, vinegar and garlic as preservatives instead of salt and avoiding restaurant foods, fast food, tinned and frozen food.

Hotels and restaurants should write 'No Extra Salt' as the cautionary message 'No Smoking Please' is written, they said, adding that human body needs very little amount of salt - less than a teaspoon or 5 grams every day.

Anti-terorrism act

2009-02-04T00:20:00.000-08:00

To prevent terrorism, India and Pakistan is now trying unitedly to prevent it. A good try indeed.India yesterday urged Pakistan to act with "sincerity and decisiveness" against the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage and said it was in the interests of the region if they were brought to book.

"The onus now is on the government of Pakistan to act with sincerity and decisiveness against the perpetrators and controllers of such attacks," Defence Minister AK Antony said while inaugurating the 11th Asian Security Conference in New Delhi.

"It is in the interest of this region and the rest of the world that such perpetrators of wanton violence are brought to justice and the infrastructure of terror is eliminated," the minister added.

India has blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba for the November 26-29, 2008 Mumbai mayhem that claimed the lives of more than 170 people, including 26 foreigners, and injured more than 300.

India January 5 submitted a detailed dossier to Pakistan pointing to the involvement of elements from its country in the Mumbai attacks.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Sunday its Federal Investigation Agency had examined the dossier and had submitted a report that would soon be shared with India through diplomatic channels.

Earlier contradicting National Security Adviser MK Narayanan's claim that Islamabad has reverted on Mumbai attacks dossier, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday asserted that India is yet to receive any official response from Pakistan.

"That he (Narayanan) has said in his own way. The fact of the matter is that after they (Pakistan) received material from us, we have not received any official communication about the progress of investigation conducted by them," Mukherjee told reporters here when referred to the NSA's comments.

Narayanan had in a TV interview two days back claimed that Pakistan had reverted on the Mumbai attacks dossier, asking questions to which answers were being given.Let them proceed.

Murali's Record

2009-02-04T00:16:00.000-08:00

MURALI'S RECORD TAKES SOME TIMES.

Murali could only touch Wasin Akram's record.

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralidaran on Tuesday equalled former Pakistani paceman Wasim Akram's world record of 502 wickets during the third one-day international against India here.

The off-spin genius achieved the feat in his eighth over when he had Yuvraj Singh (117) caught by Chamara Kapugedera at point.

Muralidaran, 36, holds the world record in Test cricket with 769 wickets in 125 matches.

The Sri Lankan was playing his 327th one-dayer, while Akram figured in 356 games before quitting in 2003.

Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is the only player to hold two major world marks -- highest scorer in both Tests (12,429) and one-day internationals (16,440).

India takes Series

2009-02-04T00:09:00.001-08:00

No, Srilanka could not survive. India won the series.

It was India's second successive one-day series triumph in Sri Lanka, having won 3-2 on their last tour in August 2008.

Sri Lanka never looked like achieving a stiff target under lights despite a fighting 83 from wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara and cameos from Tillakaratne Dilshan (31) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene (30).

The hosts suffered a setback in the second over when hard-hitting opener Sanath Jayasuriya was bowled for no score, chopping paceman Praveen Kumar's delivery on to his stumps.

Sangakkara hardly received support from the other end as Kumar (2-41) and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha struck just when the hosts looked like building a partnership. Ojha finished with 4-38, his best in eight one-dayers.

Sangakkara was the seventh batsman out after hitting nine fours in his 82-ball knock.

The afternoon session belonged to Yuvraj and Sehwag, who added 221 runs -- India's highest stand for the third wicket against Sri Lanka. The previous best was 175 between Navjot Sidhu and Mohammad Azharuddin in Sharjah in 1995.

Muralitharan equalled former Pakistani paceman Wasim Akram's one-day record of 502 wickets in his 327th match when he had Yuvraj caught by Chamara Kapugedera at point in his eighth over.

But the Sri Lankan, the world's leading bowler in Tests with 769 victims, failed to grab the record-breaking wicket in his last two overs and will look to reach the milestone in the fourth one-dayer on Thursday.

Yuvraj and Sehwag flayed the Sri Lankan attack with a magnificent display of hard and clean hitting after their team had lost Sachin Tendulkar (seven) and Gautam Gambhir (10) in the opening four overs for 24 runs.

Left-handed Yuvraj, who raced to his half-century off just 40 deliveries, took 42 more balls to complete his 11th hundred in one-dayers. He cracked one six and 17 fours in his 95-ball knock.

Opener Sehwag celebrated his century a few overs later, steering unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis to third-man for two runs. He smashed 17 fours in his 90-ball knock for his 10th hundred in one-dayers.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene used six bowlers, but none could stop the flow of runs as Yuvraj and Sehwag were quick to punish errors in line and length on a slow pitch.

Yusuf Pathan also feasted on an inconsistent Sri Lankan attack, hitting three sixes and four boundaries in his 38-ball 59 not out for his second half-century.

He added 85 for the unfinished sixth wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35 not out). The duo helped their side plunder 83 in the last 10 overs.

Book Fair

2009-02-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

Ekushe Book fair is being held in Bangladesh. Its the fair , that is for the memory of the "Vasha Shaheed", who gave their life just for their mother tongue.

** Numerous books are there.

** As this is the starting, the crowd is not so rich but soon it will fill with visitors and buyers.

** All are invited to attend the fair .

**Fair will continue till 21th February. the "INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY" OF THE WORLD.

Laptop Computer

2009-02-03T02:03:00.000-08:00

Need a laptop computer? Join.

A three-day laptop fair will begin tomorrow at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.

Maker Communication will organise the show styled 'Zoom Laptop Fair 2009' where top laptop brands like HP, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Hasee, Gigabyte, Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, Great Wall, BenQ and Apple will be available.

Special discounts will be on offer at the fair, which will remain open from 10am to 9pm.

A total of 10 pavilions and 6 stalls will be at the fair. The entry fee will be Tk 20 per person but students up to the regular post-graduate level will enjoy free entry by showing their ID cards.

A part of the money generated from ticket sales will be donated, while the remaining will be used to develop a welfare fund for the ICT journalists of the country, the organisers said.

Mobile phone operator Citycell is the title sponsor of the exposition, while Acer, Asus, Hasee and Toshiba are co-sponsors.

The organisers at a press conference yesterday said laptops are gradually taking over desktop computers in Bangladesh.

With around 5,000 laptop sales taking place every month, the current growth rate of laptop users in the country is around 8 to 10 percent, they said.

Muhammad Khan, strategic planner for Maker Communication, said more than 600 laptops were sold at the last year's fair, the first of its kind in the country.

“Last year's show received an overwhelming response. Hopefully sales will increase this year,” he added.

Khan also said students and young professionals are the main target groups of the fair.

Fashion show, puppet show, raffle draw and quiz competition will be held on the sidelines of the fair, Khan said.

Trade and export

2009-02-03T02:01:00.000-08:00

To increase trade among each other they are doing it.

South Asian leaders should reach a consensus on downsizing tariffs to boost intra-regional trade, which will ultimately help cut poverty, now running deep in the region, says a trade analyst.

But it is not an easy task, Saman Kelegama, executive director of Colombo-based Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in Sri Lanka, says in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star.

Consensus-building comes from hard work and continuous negotiations, but the task is not impossible, he says. Many loggerhead trade issues were resolved through negotiations among leaders worldwide, according to Kelegama.

Kelegama, a policy pundit, visited Dhaka to attend the two-day seminar on "Mainstreaming Inter-national Trade into National Development and A Southern Agenda on Global Trade Governance", organised by the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (SANEM) and CUTS International at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.

Kelegama refers to a consensus reached in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which is not far away.

Kelegama says Asean took some important decisions to boost trade within member nations through negotiations, although four members are directly recognised as the least developed countries (LDCs).

He suggests the South Asian leaders come forward to remove all barriers to increase trade volume for poverty reduction, as a significant number of people in this region still live under the poverty line.

The South Asian region can hardly reap the benefits of global trade, as the countries have limited negotiating skills, he says.

Since the South Asian leaders could not reach a consensus on different issues, they have failed to demonstrate a unified strength in global trade negotiations such as at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Kelegama says.

The analyst is all for fair trade, not for free trade, to benefit from the global trade practices.

"We need fair trade, not free trade," Kelegama says. He backs restricted movement of capital, not free movement of capital.

Foreign entrepreneurs tend to invest in some rosy sectors such as power and telecoms if governments allow free movement of capital out of their countries. "The investors are interested to invest in those sectors as they get easy returns,” he says.

Asked to comment on a failed plan by Indian industrial conglomerate TATA to invest in power, fertiliser and steel sectors, Kelegama declines to comment.

Kelegama says some countries in South Asian face problems with an unfair tariff structure of the global trading system, as it has not been addressed efficiently until now.

"We need a regional consensus to address the unfair tariff structure in the WTO," Kelegama says.

Bangladesh paid the same amount of tariff as France, for exporting goods to the EU, even though Bangladesh is one of the LDCs.

"It's just unfair."

Bangladesh paid $510 million in tariff for exporting goods to the EU, while France also paid the same amount to the EU in fiscal 2007-08, but the volume of trade between Bangladesh and the EU, compared to France, is insignificant.

It is the time to rethink the export of human resources from South Asian nations, as remittance is one of the pillars of the economies in this region, he says.

"Capital can move freely worldwide, so can human resources," Kelegama says. The leaders of this region should address the issues in the WTO.

According to Kelegama, developed countries always prefer to recruit skilled workers from the LDCs and developing countries, which is not always right.

Urging leaders of this region to expedite the discussion of the WTO's MODE-4, Kelegama says the developed countries should also come forward to recruit unskilled workers.

He says although the movement of "natural persons" (MODE-4) under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) ensures the movement of human resources for trade in services worldwide, the South Asian leaders are not utilising such potentials.

Women's right

2009-02-03T00:55:00.001-08:00

Wow! Thats amazing. Can you imagine that a girl of only 14 year can take protection against child marriage? This had happened in Bangladesh.

The girl, Nur Jahan Nahar Sathi, 14, is the daughter of Nur Islam of village Basudevpur in Chirirbandar upazila and a class nine student of Janani Adarsha Girls High School.

Sathi told The Daily Star that her parents and relatives arranged her marriage with Ronju Miah, a 25-year-old rickshaw puller, of the same village.

On January 22 midnight she was wakened by her mother to see a number of guests and decoration.

When Md Nazrul Islam, a Muslim cleric started administering the marriage ritual, Sathi rejected it outright.

Then her parents and relatives beat her up and confined her with Ronju inside a room where she resisted the man's attempt for physical relation.

On January 27 she fled from her home and went to Youth Forum in Chirirbandar, a project of CARE Bangladesh, and informed them of the matter.

Project director of Care Bangladesh, Saida Nourin, who took steps for her safe custody, said her organisation will provide for her smooth growing up including her study.

Chirirbandar UNO Anarkoli Mahbub, who officially handed over Sathi to the safe custody of Care Bangladesh, told The Daily Star that she instructed police to ensure her safety.

Sathi demanded punishment of the persons who arranged her premature marriage against her will.

Sathi's father Nur Islam, 40, said he had decided to marry her daughter off due to poverty.

Let's help the girl and her parents so that they can live and get what ever needed.

Vote for

2009-02-03T00:48:00.000-08:00

Now cast your vote. Choice is yours.

Iraqis voted heavily for secular parties in last weekend's provincial polls, in a show of disaffection with the religious parties that lead the central government, early indications showed yesterday.

In a further sign of voter disillusionment, turnout in the country's first elections since 2005 was little more than 50 percent, and even lower among the Shia majority community.

The Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC), the Shia religious party that won control of seven out of the 11 mainly Shia provinces four years ago, looked set to lose at least five of them, according to early results from the electoral commission.

The outcome was a serious blow for the party's aspirations to establish a Shia autonomous region in the centre and south like the Kurdish one in the far north.

The big winners were secular parties, including not only the list of former prime minister Iyad Allawi but also several new formations, some with links to the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein.

"According to the preliminary estimates, new parties will advance, which will make significant changes in the political map and the nature of alliances in the future," the state-run Al-Sabah newspaper said in an editorial.

The rout of the religious parties looked set to extend even to the Shia clerical centre of Najaf, where SIIC was poised to lose control of the provincial council. Now decide.

African Union

2009-02-03T00:27:00.000-08:00

Gaddafi the strong man was elected .

Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi was yesterday elected chairman of the African Union at a summit of the 53-nation bloc in the Ethiopian capital.

Gaddafi was elected "by the heads of state in a closed-door session, for a one-year period," AU spokeswoman Habiba Mejri-Sheikh told AFP.

"He is currently addressing the assembly as president, to outline his programme and his intentions," she said.

Gaddafi has been a keen supporter of the notion of forming a continent wide government to create a "United States of Africa", but the idea failed to get backing in a closed door debate at the summit on Monday.

Leaders decided instead to consider ways of expanding the mandate of the existing AU Commission, which will be renamed the AU Authority. What will be the US reaction?

English Premiere League

2009-02-03T00:23:00.000-08:00

Challenging referee?

Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted referee Mike Riley was to blame for Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday after Frank Lampard was sent off for a foul on Xabi Alonso.

A tight game swung Liverpool's way in the 60th minute when Riley ruled that Lampard's sliding tackle on Alonso, which won the ball but also caught the player, was worthy of a straight red card.

Chelsea almost held out for a draw despite their numerical disadvantage but Fernando Torres scored twice in the final moments to leave Chelsea five points behind leaders Manchester United.

Scolari was furious with Riley's decision and called on the official to rescind the card, which would stop Lampard being banned for three matches.

"After what happened with Lampard it is normal that we lose because they had more possession and chances but before this, no," Scolari told Sky Sports.

"If the referee looks at it on the television maybe he changes the red card for Lampard. As I looked at it, it was a foul by the other player, not Lampard.

"I don't understand (the decision) but maybe now after he looks at it again, if he understands what is wrong, he will change the red card and Lampard can play in the next game."

Scolari conceded that Chelsea had been poor for much of the match but he was adamant they would still have held out for a draw if Lampard had stayed on.

"We were not good. I think Liverpool were better than us for all of the game. But after the red card they are the only team and they scored the goals," he said.

"We are behind two clubs, Manchester and Liverpool so it is more difficult than before. We have many games and need to fight until the last game," he added.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez hopes his side's first win in four matches, which moved them within two points of United, will provide the morale boost that gets the Reds back on track after a stuttering spell.

Benitez said: "We were better than them through the game. The question was to create more clear chances to win the game.

"We had to wait until the end even though they were playing with 10 men but I thought we were better than them. What else to do then?

ICL vs Pakistan

2009-02-03T00:19:00.000-08:00

Regarding the fate of the players of ICL, Pakistan court suspends the ban.So its a bit critical situation for the players.

A court in Pakistan on Monday suspended a ban imposed by the country's cricket board barring players from domestic matches after they agreed to join the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Around 19 Pakistani players featured in the ICL, bankrolled by the country's largest media group, Zee Television, but not recognised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or the International Cricket Council (ICC).

In 2007, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) barred the players, who included former Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq and star batsman Mohammad Yousuf, from playing at all levels in the country.

The ICL players challenged the ban in the provincial Sindh High Court last month. Their lawyer Zahid Fakhruddin Ibrahim said justice had been done.

"Judge Amir Hani Muslim has suspended the PCB ban imposed on the ICL players and they are now free to play," Ibrahim told AFP.

Asked if the players could now play for Pakistan, Ibrahim said: "The ban was only on domestic cricket, it's up to the PCB to select a player for an international match or not and that cannot be challenged."

The players lined up for the Lahore Badshahs in the ICL season and were a major attraction, winning the Twenty20 league last year.

Their coach Moin Khan, a former Pakistan captain, said the suspension of the ban was good for Pakistani cricket.

"Some of the ICL players can still play for Pakistan and when they play in domestic cricket, youngsters will learn from them," Moin told AFP.

"The ban had hurt the players financially as well as cricket-wise, so it's a great decision," he said.

The court has summoned PCB officials to its next hearing on February 10 to hear their explanation for the ban.

The PCB has a strict policy of banning all players who have joined the ICL.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said last week that the matter would be taken up at the ICC board meeting in Perth, Australia, after they received a legal notice from the ICL players.

Meeting at the weekend, the ICC delayed a decision on an ICL application for recognition, saying that further discussions would be held.

Butt, who took charge last October, hinted that the BCCI and ICC would be on weaker ground if the ICL or the ICL players legally contested the ban.

Former captain Inzamam and opener Imran Farhat welcomed the court's decision.

"The injustice done to the ICL players seems to be over," said Inzamam.

"Not allowing the players to play cricket in Pakistan was unjust and I hope these players will play for Pakistan very soon," he added.

Farhat, one of the 19 players reinstated by Monday's decision, said he still hopes to play for Pakistan.

India Srilanka Cricket

2009-02-03T00:14:00.000-08:00

India is nearing the series win, where as Srilanka needs this match to win to avoid series loss.

It is a must-win tie after the home team lost the first two games of the five-match series but Jayawardene said his side were capable of raising their performance.

"We have been in this situation before. You don't have to tell the boys (to raise performance) because they understand the situation. They understand the mistakes they had made," Jayawardene told reporters on Monday.

"We have to be a bit more consistent with our all-round game. That's one area we have to focus on, especially when you are playing against a good team. You can't keep making mistakes."

The Sri Lankan captain said his team needed to put more pressure on in-form India who had won their last seven one-dayers, including five against England at home last year.

"Their confidence is pretty high because they have been consistent in the last six months. That's something probably where we lack. If we put more pressure on them, I think we can ask them a few questions," he said.

"We know that if we lose this match, we lose the series. The next three games are very crucial for us."

Jayawardene hoped his openers would give a solid start, especially Tillakaratne Dilshan who had managed just eight runs in two matches.

"Both the openers (Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilshan) are capable of batting according to the situation," he said.

"Dilshan went for a few shots which did not come off, but at the same time he can bat for a long period and can get a big hundred which he showed in Pakistan. We know the talent they have got."

Dilshan smashed a career-best 137 not out in Lahore last month to help his side win a three-match series.

India coach Gary Kirsten said his team were keen to clinch the series with a victory on Tuesday.

"Yes, it would be nice if we could finish off the series as quickly as possible," said Kirsten.

"We know we have a lot of work to do but the momentum is with us at the moment. We just have to focus on what we have been doing and give us the best chance of winning the next match."

India made one change to their 15-man squad, with paceman Lakshmipathy Balaji replacing injured Munaf Patel.

Balaji, who played his last one-dayer in August 2005, has taken 34 wickets in 29 matches.

So wait for the day.

Rehab Fair

2009-02-02T01:54:00.000-08:00

Rehab fair held in Chittagong.

A three-day housing fair organised by REHAB concluded here in the port city on Saturday making a business of Tk 200 crore, with the organisers and participants expecting an additional Tk 100 crore from the intended customers.

“Amid the global financial crisis and immediate after assuming power by a political government, this amount of business is quite satisfactory and a good signal for this sector,” said Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) President Tanveerul Haque Probal at the concluding ceremony yesterday.

“Although the fair was of a short span, around 13,000 visitors came to the exposition in three days,” he said.

A total of 69 firms, including three financial institutions, from the capital and Chittagong took part in the fair with their plots, ready and under construction projects of apartments.

Visitors said the prices of flats and plots are yet to come down since the prices of the construction materials are on the decline.

However REHAB president said among the construction materials only the prices of rods declined, but the prices of lands are on an upward trend that pushed the prices to that stage.

“The prices are now stable and almost near to the prices in the previous fair,” he said.

Sanmar Properties Ltd, a real estate firm in Chittagong, participated in the fair with 16 apartments and two commercial buildings in the port city.

Sizes of its apartments ranged from 940 square feet (sft) to 3,025 sft and cost Tk 3,200 to Tk 7,000 per sft depending on location.

Sales Executive of the company Mohammad Ayub said they sold six flats and two shops at the fair and the turnover was satisfactory.

“We offered LCD television, laptop, air-conditioner and refrigerator on booking of the flats, while those who paid the total amount against flats in cash also got Tk 1 lakh discount,” Ayub said.

Amin Mohammad Lands Development Company sold four flats of its two projects in the city's Nasirabad area.

“Demand for flats in Chittagong is very high and we have achieved 80 percent of our target at the fair,” said Mohammad Shamim Miah, assistant manager (Marketing) of the company.

Building Technology and Ideas Ltd Assistant Manager (Sales and Marketing) Naziul Islam Shamim said they were quite happy with the turnout.

“We came to the fair with 26 ready projects in the capital and four projects in Chittagong. Two flats in Dhaka and six flats in the port city were sold at the fair. Sizes of our flats in Chittagong range from 1,100 to 1,400 sft with the price tags of Tk 3,500 to Tk 5,500 per sft,” Shamim said.

“After comparing the prices of flats and other related facilities given by the companies I will select the company for buying a flat,” said an intended buyer, Mohammad Saiful Islam, a businessman of the city's Agrabad area.

He said: "This is a great opportunity for the buyers from Chittagong to select a suitable location and price from a wide range of offers under one roof at a very short time."

Heart Disease

2009-02-02T01:34:00.001-08:00

Patients of heart disease suffers a lot.

Parkway Health, which owns and operates Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles and East Shore Hospital in Singapore, organised a seminar on 'Heart disease and neck and back pain' at Hotel Lake Shore in the city on Saturday.

Singapore High Commissioner at Dhaka Varghese Mathews chaired the seminar as the chief guest while Consul Tan Kok Nam was present as special guest.

Two eminent doctors from Mount Elizabeth and Gleneagles Hospital spoke at the seminar.

Senior Consultant and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Saw Huat Seong chiefly discussed on the angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery while Senior Consultant and neuro-spinal surgeon Dr Timothy Lee presented the causes and solutions of neck and back pain.

Chiranjit Kumar Shori, group vice president of Parkway Health, delivered the inaugural speech while Zahid Hassan Khan, director, Parkway Health Dhaka office, was also present.

The seminar was held with a view to keeping the audience updated with better treatment modality.

Jobs for you

2009-02-02T01:31:00.000-08:00

Looking for a job? It is now an alarming need of the nation.

Leaders of the Youth Gono Forum yesterday urged the government to take immediate steps to ensure employment for youth as per electoral manifesto.

The leaders also urged to announce specific plan for building Digital Bangladesh for the sake of public welfare, says a press release.

Leaders came up with the demand at the extended central committee meeting of the forum.

Gonoforum presidium member ASM Altaf Hossain, acting general secretary Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, and law secretary Advocate Jaglul Haider spoke at the meeting.

Youth leaders Sagir Anwar, Shafiqul Islam Babul, Advocate Sheikh Aktarul Islam, Mostak Chowdhury and Shariful Islam Sajal also spoke at the meeting.

Housewife Killed

2009-02-02T01:30:00.001-08:00

Again the same thing happening here.

A young housewife was killed for dowry allegedly by her husband at village Chaltartol in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila yesterday, police said.

Misty Begum,24, was killed by her husband Babul Ahmed,30, after being hit by an iron rod at their village home at noon. Later, police arrested the killer and sent body of the deceased to Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Most often Babul used to torture Misty since their marriage about a year ago, police and locals said. He demanded Tk 50,000 as dowry from her. But she could not meet up his unjust demand. On the fateful day, Babul developed a quarrel with his wife over some pretext and started beating her with an iron rod. At one stage of torture, she died. The killer tried to flee but local people caught him and handed over to police.

Potatoes

2009-02-02T00:58:00.002-08:00

Last year there were a bumper grow of potatoes in Bangladesh. But ...

Spread of 'leaf blight' disease, locally known as patamora rog, has put potato farmers in five upazilas of Thakurgaon district in a difficult siatuation.

As the affected farmers are reaping potato before its attaining maturity, production target in the current season now seems unattainable.

Farmers are also fearing losses as spraying medicine to save potato from the disease is adding to the production cost.

“The leaf blight disease that attacked the potato crops is a kind of fungal disease, which is locally known as 'patamora rog' in the district. This has been caused by cold and foggy weather, fluctuation in temperature that helped the disease to spread on potato plants soon, said Abul Hayat, deputy director of Agriculture Extension Department (AED) in Thakurgaon.

Claiming that the situation is still under control, he said field workers and officials are advising farmers about what to do.

Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Monsur Alam told The Daily Star, “We are advising farmers to spray 2gram of 'Mencozeb' or 'Metalexyl' groups medicine mixed with one litre water on their potato fields at regular intervals to combat the disease.

During a recent visit at Borunagaon, Salondar, Farabari, Bhully, Balia and Nargun villages under Sadar upazila, this correspondent saw attack of massive leaf blight attack on potato fields.

“I spent about Tk 37,000 to cultivate potato on 2.5 bigha of leased land but the disease damaged all the crops. I made futile attempts to save the crops by spraying medicine several times,” said Shasin Barman of Salondar village under Sadar upazila.

“I cultivated potato crops on 3-bigha [one acre] of land. The disease has attacked the crops. At first leaves fell and then the plants died soon. Nobody identified the disease and suggested any remedy,” Ahsanur Rahman, a farmer of Balia village, said.

Many other farmers in different areas said the disease damaged huge tract of potato crops. They worried about its drastic fall of production in the current season and would incur huge loss.

About 23,270 hectares of land have been brought under potato cultivation against the target 23,000 hectares with production target of 3-lakh 68-thousand tonnes in the current season.

International mother language day

2009-02-02T00:42:00.000-08:00

21th February is the INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY OF THE WORLD.

In this day in 1952 numerous people of Bangladesh had to give their life for their own language. Former Pakistani government forcefully tried to abolish this language and pushed to learn Urdu, the another language. So people of Bangladesh came forward and began to protest it in a very peaceful manner but the nonsense Pakistani government killed a lot of people, specially the students of the University of Dhaka.

The friendly people of the neighbouring country India and Bangladeshis will observe the International Mother Language Day at zero point on Benapole border this year.

The enthusiastic people of both the countries also celebrated the day in a festive mood last year.

Several hundred Bangla-speaking people from both the countries embraced each other with deep emotion.

The day heralded with playing the national anthems of both the countries, singing Ekushey songs and releasing balloons in the sky.

Indian Lokshova member Amitav Nandi and Bangladesh lawmaker from Jessore-1 constituency Sheikh Afiluddin yesterday held a meeting in this regard.

They decided to observe the day at India-Bangladesh zero point at Benapole through a colourful programme.

Member of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Motiar Rahman set up a temporary Shaheed Minar at the point at his own cost.

This time the day will be observed with more grandeur at state level on the spot.

Sania Mirza won

2009-02-02T00:34:00.000-08:00

It was the time for Indians to celebrate.

Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza say their historic Australian Open mixed doubles success on Sunday will give the sport a huge boost back home in cricket-obsessed India.

Bhupathi and Mirza became the first Indian pair to win a Grand Slam mixed doubles title when they crushed Andy Ram of Israel and Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy 6-3, 6-1.

It rounded off a successful tournament for India after 16-year-old Yuki Bhambri won the boys' junior championship on Saturday, while Bhupathi also made the final of the men's doubles alongside Mark Knowles of the Bahamas.

"You know, it's great, I don't remember the last time when we had so many -- I mean, he (Bhupathi) played the finals, we won today, Yuki won. It's been a great two weeks," Mirza said.

"Let's hope a lot more people play, and tennis grows. It's been growing -- it might take it to another level."

Bhupathi said the fact that Mirza, India's most popular sportswoman, had won added to the impact.

"I know for a fact the whole country's excited now," Bhupathi said.

"It's her first slam -- she's been in the news for the last four years."

While Mirza was celebrating her first success at this level, Bhupathi's victory was his 11th Grand Slam title.

"It's been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me this weekend," he said.

"I want to thank all the Indians -- we are very lucky that there are so many millions supporting us, not just here but back at home."

The unseeded Bhupathi and Mirza, who were granted a wildcard to the Open, were in great touch all tournament from the moment they beat sixth seeded Czech pair Pavel Vizner and Kveta Peschke in the first round.

They started well against Ram and Dechy, breaking Dechy early in the first set.

Ram and Dechy broke back but the Indians attacked Dechy's serve later in the set and broke again to take the first set in 28 minutes.

It took two minutes less to wrap up the second set and with it the match as they outplayed their opponents with some perfect doubles.

"We wanted to stay out there and make it longer but they were just too good for us," Ram admitted.

Bhupathi said there may be more Indian success to come later this year.

"Well, you know, for us, it's always four slams where we have the opportunity to play mixed," he said.

ICC Champions trophy

2009-02-02T00:31:00.000-08:00

ICC is to change his venue for ICC champions trophy from Pakistan to anywhere else.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Sunday decided to relocate the 2009 Champions Trophy from Pakistan due to lingering fears over the security situation in the troubled nation.

Following a meeting of the ICC board here, chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the "safety and security environment" in Pakistan had forced a relocation of the eight-nation event.

The second-biggest one-day tournament in world cricket behind the World Cup, the Champions Trophy had already been delayed 12 months to September this year because of concerns over player safety.

"The board was seeking some sort of certainty sooner rather than later, and as a result has decided it won't be staged in Pakistan," Lorgat said.

"We all know what is transpiring in Pakistan and India has now got a government directive not to tour, which adds some weight to the countries who had previously indicated they were not keen to tour Pakistan," he added.

"It is unfortunate the Champions Trophy will not take place in Pakistan due to circumstances completely beyond the control of the PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board]," Lorgat said.

Despite the change of venue, Pakistan will still earn a hosting fee, the ICC said.

Sri Lanka is the alternative venue and Lorgat said a final decision would be made on the tournament before the next ICC board meeting in April.

"The alternate nominee is Sri Lanka," Lorgat said. "There are just a few things we want to iron out before we confirm that particular as the alternate host."

Sri Lankan officials have repeatedly said they are ready to host the tournament.

The ICC's postponement of the Champions Trophy in September over security concerns was the same reason given by Australia for not playing a Test series there last March.

The Indian cricket board in December cancelled a tour of Pakistan scheduled for January and February on instructions from the government in the wake of November's Mumbai attacks.

Lorgat said the ICC was committed to helping the PCB organise future cricket tours, with the country struggling to attract foreign teams since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

"It (security) is completely outside the control of the PCB, and we have offered to work with them to try and get a task team to ascertain how best and when we can get international cricket back into Pakistan," Lorgat said.

Pakistan went through 2008 without playing a Test match as teams refused to tour the country, citing security fears.

Meanwhile, England have once again been awarded the controversial 2006 Oval Test against Pakistan, the ICC announced.

The match was originally awarded to England when the umpires ruled that Pakistan had forfeited the match by refusing to take the field after tea on the fourth day following accusations of ball tampering.

But pressure from the PCB saw the result of the match changed from an England win to a draw by "match abandoned" by the ICC in July.

Australian Open Tennis

2009-02-02T00:24:00.000-08:00

At last he did it. Rafael Nadal bet Roger Federer and won the trophy.

Rafael Nadal held off Roger Federer in another momentum-swinging, five-set final to win the Australian Open on Sunday, keeping the Grand Slam singles record safe for now.

After coming through the longest match in the tournament's history to reach the championship match, Nadal needed 4 hours, 23 minutes Sunday to win 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2.

Federer, who was trying to equal Pete Sampras' 14 major titles, has lost to Nadal the last three times they've met in Grand Slam finals.

The 27-year-old Swiss star couldn't hold back tears at the presentation.

“Maybe I'll try later. God, it's killing me,” Federer said, sobbing. He returned to congratulate Nadal within minutes, saying: “You deserved it. You played a fantastic final.”

Nadal collected the trophy and put his arm around Federer.

“Roger, sorry for today. I really know how you feel right now,” Nadal said. “Remember, you're a great champion, you're one of the best in history.”

He accepted the cup from Rod Laver, who was in Australia to mark the start of the 40th anniversary of the last Grand Slam season.

“To receive this trophy from Rod Laver is a dream for me,” Nadal said.

Federer, so dominant when he won three of the four majors in 2006 and 2007, has now lost finals on three different surfaces to Nadal.

Now it's the 22-year-old Nadal who seems more likely to be the first since Laver to complete a Grand Slam with wins in one year in all four majors.

Nadal, who has four consecutive titles on clay at Roland Garros and beat Federer on grass in a five-set epic at Wimbledon last year, became the first Spaniard to win the Australian title.

He has now won five of the seven Grand Slam finals he's played against Federer and is 13-6 overall against him.

Nadal beat Federer in the last French Open and Wimbledon finals and replaced him at No. 1 last August after winning the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Federer, who turned around that season with a U.S. Open title, saved two championship points from 15-40 in the eighth game of the fifth set but sent a forehand long on the third match point.

Nadal flopped onto his back, then got up and raced to shake hands.

The players put their arms around the other's shoulders at the net as they walked off the court.

Drenched in sweat, Nadal raised his fist, applauded the crowd's standing ovation, then went over to shake hands with his coach and other supporters.

Although Federer actually won one more point174-173his serve let him down all too frequently. He connected on only 51 percent of his first serves, and it seemed as if all of his six double-faults came at critical times.

And as the pressure ratcheted up in the fifth set, it was Federer who wilted, not Nadal. Federer had six winners and 14 unforced errors in the set, while Nadal had just two unforced errors and dropped only three points in four service games.

With more Swiss flags than Spanish national colors, the crowd was buzzing even during warmups.

Despite flashes of brilliance, what they got wasn't always great tennis early, but there was no shortage of drama.

Both players started tight, committing uncharacteristic errors. Knowing that weak shots would be punished, they were pushing the limits.

They exchanged service breaks in the first two games. Normally calm on court, Federer pumped his fist after breaking for a 4-2 lead only to double-fault when facing break point in the next game.

Nadal got the key break with Federer serving at 5-5. The crowd was stunned when he smacked a forehand wide on an easy short ball to make it 15-40, and Nadal followed with a forehand passing shot winner, then held for the set.

With Nadal seemingly getting to everything and ripping winners, Federer was looking tentative and hesitating to charge the net.

But he started putting winners together and cutting his mistakes in the second set. After Nadal broke for a 4-3 lead, Federer broke the Spaniard's next two service games, taking a 5-3 lead after converting his fifth break point of the game. He then held to take the set.

Then the match intensified. One fan shouted: “Make him work, Roger!” referring to Nadal's 5-hour, 14-minute semifinal win over Fernando Verdasco on Friday, which could have left him tired. But Nadal showed few signs of fatigue.

Amid a series of rallies lasting more than 20 shots, Nadal saved six break points in his last two service games in the third set, and Federer fended off a set point while serving at 5-6.

A lunging backhand volley winner gave Nadal a 6-3 lead in the tiebreaker, earning him chants of “Rafa!” and Federer double-faulted.

Federer saved five break points while serving at 2-2 in the fourth set, then broke Nadal in the next game for a 4-2 edge.

He closed with a service winner to even it at two sets apiece.

Nadal broke Federer for a 3-1 lead and the clock ticked past midnight in the next game, taking the tournament into a third week.

Digital Camera

2009-02-01T06:39:00.000-08:00

Canon brought Eos 5D Mark 2 digital camera last December. Along with that, they brought a lot of other models too.

** Last Saturday, there was a seminar on Canon in Dhaka.

** Eos 5D Mark 2 digital camera has ---

@ Full Frame.

@ Simms censor.

@ 21-1 Mega pixel camera.

@ 1920*1080 rezulation video editing capacity. etc.

** More over they brought cord less printer and camera.

Anti Tobacco Activist

2009-02-01T02:05:00.000-08:00

A good news for us. There was a anti tobacco proposal and it is new.

Anti-tobacco activists at a discussion yesterday called on the government to bring changes to Tobacco Control Act and make it mandatory to print pictorial warning on each cigarette stick to discourage smoking.

They said printed health warning on the cigarette packets is not useful for illiterate people.

Save the Environment Movement in cooperation with Pratyasha, an anti-drug club, WBB Trust and Manobik organised the discussion at the National Press Club.

Pointing out a number of loopholes in the Act, lawyer Kanij Kanta said many people consume Sadapata, Zarda and Gul, which causes cancer, but there is no mention of these items in the definition of tobacco products.

She also suggested increasing penalty fee for violation of the Act, repealing article 2 of the Act and raising tax on tobacco products.

Dr Mostafa Zaman of World Health Organisation said, "Tobacco is not an economic crop. Rather, it damages our economy." In 2004, Bangladesh earned Tk 400 crore from tobacco products but spent Tk 5000 crore on treatment for tobacco-related diseases and the gap is widening gradually, he substantiated.

Dr Rashid-e-Mahbub said the National Board of Revenue should take initiative to make the people aware about the effects of tobacco consumption.

Quoting from the latest study, Dr Arup Ratan Chowdhury said, "Smoking is the cause of all diseases and breast cancer is the result of indirect smoking."

Chairman of Save the Environment Movement Abu Naser Khan chaired the programme.

New Medicine

2009-02-01T02:01:00.000-08:00

There was a seminar for that medicine.

Speakers at a seminar on management of hypertension said the newly developed 'Lacipidine' medicine provides better tolerability than conventionally used 'Amlopidine' in controlling hypertension.

Aristopharma Ltd, a pharmaceutical company in the country, organised the scientific seminar marking the launching of their new product Lacicard (Lacidipine) at Sonargaon Hotel yesterday, says a press release.

Prof (Emeritus) Dr Sufia Rahman, former adviser to a caretaker government and chief adviser and consultant of Euro-Bangla Heart Hospital Ltd, presented the keynote speech.

She showed that Lacicard provides better tolerability than conventionally used Amlodipine in management of hypertension.

Prof Dr AKM Rafique Uddin, former head of Department of Medicine, Dhaka Medical College and currently head of Department of Medicine, Enam Medical College and Hospital, presided over the seminar.

M A Hassan, chairman and managing director of Aristopharma Ltd, and other officials of the pharmaceutical company were also present.

Photo exhibition

2009-02-01T01:58:00.000-08:00

hoto exhibition of Nepal titled 'A people war' began at Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts in the city yesterday.

The New Age Editor Nurul Kabir inaugurated the exhibition as special guest.

A total of 44 photographs will be displayed at the exhibition which will remain open till February 9.

Ladies right

2009-02-01T01:53:00.000-08:00

Now a poor father had to die. A father can't protest to stop criminals from forceful marrying with his daughter.

Madhab Chandra Bagani has committed suicide in remote Badarkhali village. Neighb-ours say he failed to endure the indignation and harassment by a group of people for refusing to marry off his minor girl to a notorious man.

Anju Rani, his widow, complained in writing that her eldest daughter Shyamoli Rani is student of class VII in Phuljhuri High School. Matchmaker Tapan Kumar Roy of the same village pressed them to marry off her to Milon Gomasta of Kalomegha village in Patharghata upazila.

However, Madhab went to Kalomegha where residents informed him that Milon is a notorious man who recently divorced his first wife.

On return home, he informed the matchmaker of his decision to cancel the marriage proposal. But under influence of money, the matchmaker brought Milon and others as bridal party on December 15.

He mobilised the village elders and an arbitration meeting fined Madhab Tk 10,000, of which Tk 3,000 was extracted on the spot for breaking the match.

Matchmaker Tapan did not stop at that. He declared that he would spread rumours across villages and see the girl is never married.

The same night defamed and distressed Madhab swallowed poison. He was rushed to Barguna General Hospital where he died the following day.

The death of Madhab had unnerved the arbitrators. Apprehensive of murder charge, they went to UP chairman Ziaul Ahsan Hiru to settle the matter outside the court.

It was decided that the matchmaker and arbitrators will pay Tk 1 lakh as compensation to the widow of Madhav and an accord was signed on Tk 150 stamp. But the compensation has not been paid.

UP chairman acknowledged the compensation accord and UP woman member Parveen also admitted that she was present in the arbitration meeting that fined poor Madhab.

Barguna police said they would proceed with the case after receiving the autopsy report of Madhab from the hospital.

Anju Rani and her four minor children are now facing threats from matchmaker Tapan Roy and the village arbitrators.

USA war

2009-02-01T01:47:00.000-08:00

Now they could realize that trusting them is a job for the fools.Should not Parvez Musharraf be punished?

Pakistan's prime minister warned President Barack Obama on Friday that US attacks on Islamic militants in Pakistani territory are inflaming tensions and undermining efforts to quell the insurgency in Afghanistan.

Under the Bush administration, US officials complained the Pakistani government wasn't doing enough to confront militants that are allied with the Taliban and al-Qaeda. US forces have staged a number of missile strikes, and at least one ground attack, aimed at extremists based in Pakistan.

"As far as Pakistan is concerned, we are successfully isolating the militants from the local tribes, and we are keeping the tribes on the right side," Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said during an event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Obama has pledged to shift the US military's focus away from Iraq and on to Afghanistan and Pakistan, which he calls the central front in the struggle against terrorist groups.

Gilani said Richard Holbrooke, the new US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, will visit Pakistan on Feb. 9.

"The focus of President Obama and our forces and our resolve is the same to fight against extremism and terrorism," he said.

But Gilani said US attacks inside Pakistan are inflaming anti-American sentiment. "Therefore that would not be useful. It would be counterproductive," he said.

Meanwhile, a roadside bomb hit a Pakistani army convoy near a Taliban stronghold, killing three soldiers and wounding another six, the army said yesterday.

Assailants detonated the bomb Friday evening as the convoy rolled through a village near the Swat valley, an army spokesman said. He requested anonymity, citing policy.

Pakistan's military has vowed to reinvigorate the efforts of thousands of soldiers stationed in Swat, a formerly peaceful region where Taliban militants have gained ground during 18 months of fighting.

The valley is separate from the tribal regions along the Afghan border where Taliban and al-Qaeda sanctuaries are under attack from Pakistani troops and unmanned US aircraft.

Anti Malarial Kit

2009-02-01T01:41:00.001-08:00

To protect people from mosquitoes and its harmful effect, recently used anti mosquito nets are widely used.

Hundreds of millions of mosquito nets and anti-malaria kits are to be distributed by 2010, officials behind a campaign to halt about one million malaria deaths a year said yesterday.

But they urged donors not to ditch the campaign because of the economic crisis, saying there was a real chance the malaria epidemic could be eliminated in coming years.

"The resources to attack this problem -- to eliminate malaria deaths -- is there. We can achieve universal distribution of bed nets, of malaria medicine, of indoor spraying within 2010," said Rajat Kumar Gupta, who chairs the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

In sub-Saharan Africa alone, some 600 million people are said to be at risk from the disease. Scott Case, a campaigner, said this means 300 million bed nets are required in the region.

Corporate leaders from Standard Chartered Bank, ExxonMobil and News Corporation have come together to launch a 100-million-dollar (78-million-euro) fund-raising campaign.

"We had a good start ... 40 million dollars of the 100 million dollars has been committed," said Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil chairman and chief executive officer.

He said he thinks funding can be found despite the economic crisis, if the campaign can "demonstrate to donors that their investment for eradication has a return."

Anti Malarial Kit

2009-02-01T01:41:00.000-08:00

To protect people from mosquitoes and its harmfull effect,

Revolusion

2009-02-01T01:38:00.000-08:00

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that Iran's Islamic revolution was not limited to its borders, as the country paid tribute to the man who led the overthrow of the shah 30 years ago.

"The revolution is lively and alive after 30 years," Ahmadinejad said at a ceremony marking the anniversary of the return from exile of the father of the revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

"We are still at the beginning of the path and greater changes are ahead. This thunderous revolution will continue until justice is implemented," the firebrand president said.

"Although the Islamic revolution happened in Iran it is not limited to Iranian borders."

Ahmadinejad was joined at the ceremony at Khomeini's mausoleum in southern Tehran by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as members of the government and military commanders.

Low Salary

2009-02-01T01:37:00.000-08:00

Is low salary ,the only cause for resign?

A Pakistan newspaper has reported that Javed Miandad resigned from his position as director-general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) because of an insufficient salary. The News, a Karachi-based daily, has carried a handwritten letter from Wasim Bari, the director of HR and administration, to Saleem Altaf, the PCB's chief operating officer, after discussing the contract with Miandad.

The report said Miandad was offered Rs 500,000 (US$6,300) per month in the contract which the former Test captain and coach refused last Wednesday, resigning from the position he had held since November.

"He [Miandad] earns 75,000 rupees/50,000 rupees for a one hour program on TV," Bari's letter read. "As he is a renowned international cricketer therefore he should be paid accordingly as [former India coach] Greg Chappell and [former Pakistan coach] Geoff Lawson."

The letter also said that Miandad wanted to take full charge of all cricketing affairs so that he could bring the desired results.

Indian Premiere League

2009-02-01T01:34:00.000-08:00

Pakistan gave permission to the players to participate in the IPL matches. If it is , why not in ICL?

Pakistan's cricketers have been given the green light to participate in this year's IPL by the country's sports ministry, but they were told that their security would be their own and their IPL franchise's responsibility.

"The players can individually decide what they want to do and we have no objections to them going to India for the IPL matches," sports minister Pir Aftab Shah Jillani said. "The [Pakistan Cricket] Board has asked for our comments for individual players and not a national team so we have given our NOC [no objection certificate] and sent it to the President's Secretariat for further action."

He explained that the ministry did not allow the national hockey and squash teams to travel to India for international tournaments earlier because they had to take into consideration the tense relations between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The Pakistan players stood to lose all their money from their lucrative IPL contracts if their government had blocked them from participating in the tournament. Some IPL franchises had also expressed uncertainty over the future of Pakistan players on their books, mostly because the current political climate could lead to extended visa restrictions.

Australian Open Tennis

2009-02-01T00:58:00.000-08:00

Ya , she got the honor back. Again it is the reign of Williams.

Serena Williams thrashed Russia's Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 to win her fourth Australian Open title Saturday, bringing up her 10th Grand Slam and reclaiming the world number one ranking on the way.

In one of the most lop-sided deciders ever, the American utterly dominated third seed Safina, allowing her opponent to win only eight points in the first set and claiming the championship in less than an hour.

"I'm so excited ... I clearly love playing here and I get great support here. I don't get that every place I go," Williams said, after winning the first women's night final played in the Rod Laver Arena.

Williams, the second seed, emphatically backed up her pre-tournament comments that she was the best women's tennis player in the world and will now officially reclaim the top ranking from Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.

She also became the highest ever prize money winner in women's sport during the tournament and took the women's doubles title with her sister Venus on Friday.

Williams said she was thrilled to join the likes of Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova in the elite group of women with 10 or more Grand Slams.

"I idolised Steffi Graf," she said. "When I played her I was like 'Oh My God, it's Steffi Graf' and Martina Navratilova was someone who was my role model, so when I think of these greats I don't really think of my name, I think of them.

"I think people are starting to think of me (in those terms), which is uber-cool, I can't even get my mind around that."

Safina, whose brother Marat Safin won the men's title in 2005, had aimed to enter the history books as the part of the only brother-sister combination to hold Grand Slam titles.

Instead, she narrowly avoided entering the record books as being on the wrong end of the worst drubbing in a final in the tournament's history, saying Williams left her feeling like "a ball boy on the court today."

"She played exactly the way she had to play and she was much more aggressive and she was just taking time away from me," the 22-year-old said. "She didn't let me come into the match."

Only Graf in 1994 and Margaret Smith in 1962 have posted more comprehensive victories in the decider, both winning 6-0, 6-2.

Safina put the loss down to stage fright, saying Williams' experience proved a crucial factor, but vowed to dust herself off and come back better than ever.

The Russian also lost her only previous Grand Slam final at the French Open last year, but Williams was full of praise after the match.

"Dinara has a good future," she said. "She's hitting the ball so hard I just had to go for broke.

"Thanks to her for putting on a great show for women's tennis," added the American, who continued a sequence of winning the Australian Open title in odd-numbered years, with her previous wins coming in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

Safina may take some comfort from compatriot Maria Sharapova, who also managed to take just three games off Williams when she was humbled 6-1, 6-2 in the 2007 final but came back to take the title the following year.

Williams showed no signs of the service problems that dogged her early in the tournament and aggressively took the match to Safina from the outset.

It was Safina's serve, with its trademark high ball toss, which fell apart as she coughed up three double faults in her opening service game to gift Williams an easy break.

She continued to break Safina at will, while the Russian could only manage two points off Williams' serve in a first set that was over in 22 minutes.

"I saw that it was so fast and I thought, 'OK, I've got to stay focused,'" Williams said.

"I thought 'Safina, she's a warrior, she never gives up, she's been down a couple of match points already in the tournament, so I've got to stay focused."

Safina desperately tried to regroup and broke Williams in the first game of the second set but could not stop the rout and conceded the match when she hit a drop shot wide after 59 minutes.

Cell Phones

2009-01-31T00:53:00.000-08:00

Cell phones are now giving more options to please you.

According to a report by Priya Ganapati of Wired Dot Com, buttons on Cell Phones are pretty much on their way out. Five years from now, it is likely that the mobile phone you will be holding will be a smooth, sleek brick a piece of metal and plastic with a few grooves in it and little more.

Like Apple's iPhone, it will be mostly display; unlike the iPhone, it will be much more than just a touchscreen - it will respond to voice commands and gestures as well as touch.

Specialists predict that Mobile interface design has to mimic the touch, sight, gesture and auditory feeds that we use to interact with our environment. That means speaking to your phone rather than typing, pointing with your finger instead of clicking on buttons, and gesturing instead of touching. You could listen to music, access the internet, use the camera and shop for gadgets by just telling your phone what you want to do, by waving your fingers at it, or by aiming its camera at an object you're interested in buying.

Over the last few years, advances in display technology and processing power have turned smartphones into capable and smaller versions of computers. As a result, phones have gone beyond traditional audio communication and texting to support a wide range of multimedia and office applications.

The one thing that hasn't changed, until recently, is the tiny keypad. Sure, there have been some tweaks, such as T9 predictive text input that cuts down on the time it takes to type, a QWERTY keyboard instead of a 12-key one, or the touchscreen version of a keyboard found on the iPhone. But basically, the act of telling your phone what to do still involves the use of your fingers, specially your thumbs!

Experts say the industry needs a new wave of interface technologies to transform how we relate to our phones. The traditional keypads and scroll wheels will give way to advanced speech recognition and motion sensors.

In the future, instead of a single large screen that is fragile and smudged by fingerprints, phone designers could create products with multiple touch screens.

Users could also interact with their phone by simply speaking to it using technology from companies such as Massachusetts (USA) based Vlingo.

Vlingo's application allows users to command their phones by voice. That could enable you to speak the URLs for web pages or dictate e-mail messages!

Natural speech recognition has long been a challenging affair for human-computer interface researchers. Most devices with speech-recognition capabilities require users to speak commands in an artificially clear way. They also tend to have high error rates, leading to unpopularity.

Unlike conventional voice-recognition technologies, which require specific applications built to recognize selected language commands, Vlingo uses a more open-ended approach.

User voice commands are captured as audio files and transferred over the wireless connection to a server, where they're processed. The technology personalizes itself for each individual user, recognizing and training itself based on the individual user's speech patterns.

"If you say Boston and it shows up as Austin you can correct it on screen," says Vlingo CEO Dave Grannan. "And when you make the correction you are training the system."

Trade and export

2009-01-31T00:48:00.000-08:00

Due to some nasty laws, India did not allow us to export goods there.Now...

India is ready to cut down more items from its negative list with regard to Bangladesh to expand trade with the neighbouring country,

said a senior commerce ministry official yesterday.

Last year, India shortened its sensitive list from 744 to 480.

"We are open, we are prepared to review our negative list and take it further down," Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce Rajeev Kher said at a CII function.

He said Bangladesh, how ever, should ensure that Indian investments are facilitated in Bangladesh besides providing better transit facilities.

"...it cannot be a situation where India goes on doing things and does not see appropriate response from the other side," he added.

India became the biggest exporter to Bangladesh (3.27 billion US dollars), overtaking China in 2007-08. Trade between the two countries stood at 3.6 billion US dollars.

India has already scrapped import duty on all items other than those in the negative list for LDCs of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) with effect from 1 January this year.

The LDCs in the region are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal.

An investment promotion agreement between India and Bangladesh is expected to be inked during External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's forthcoming visit to Bangladesh.

The sensitive list of goods refers to the list of products where no tariff benefits would be offered.

University of Dhaka

2009-01-31T00:43:00.000-08:00

University of Dhaka, the best Bangladeshi University is now trying to reform again.

Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique yesterday said the authorities would ensure a congenial academic atmosphere on the campus for the sake of students.

He was talking to newsmen after attending the ‘Third Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture 2009’ organised by Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the RC Majumder auditorium on the campus as the chief guest.

“The ideals and values of Mahatma Gandhi are very relevant to today’s society and there is no alternative to his philosophy that can resolve the existing conflict and pandemonium in our society and attain ultimate development and peace,” Prof Arefin added.

In his keynote paper, Prof Syed Anwar Husain discussed on Gandhi’s life, values and practices.

Deputy High Commissioner of India in Dhaka Mukta D Tomar said Gandhi’s moral values continue to be relevant in the context of menace of terrorism facing the world today and no cause or religion either justifies or sanctifies resource to acts of terror.

“Mahatma Gandhi will always be an inspiration in the troubled world we live in,” she added.

Pro-VC Harun-or-Rashid, Prof Dalim Chandra Barman and Prof Rafiqul Islam also spoke at the programme.

The department has been organising the lectures to commemorate the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30 for the last two years.

Helpless Teachers

2009-01-31T00:36:00.000-08:00

From the political conflicts, teachers are not also safe here.

Awami League (AL) activists have allegedly forced a schoolteacher in Sharsha upazila in the district to sign a resignation letter at gunpoint.

The victim, Saheb Ali, a teacher of Sharsha Dhanyokhola High School, also a local BNP leader, said he faced the situation due to political reasons.

He was taking class at the school at about 11:00am on Wednesday when a group of armed men led by Awami League's Bahadurpur union unit General Secretary Mofizur Rahman Mofiz appeared and asked him to sign on a resignation letter prepared by them. They also brought his son Shibli Sadik Tushar, a class nine student of the school, to confine him in a bathroom. At this stage, Shaheb signed the letter, he said.

Later, BNP leaders informed Jessore deputy commissioner of the matter.

However, local AL leaders denied the allegations and said Shaheb was appointed a teacher at the school through political influence during the BNP-led four-party alliance rule.

When contacted, Benapole Port Police Station officer-in-charge Nurul Amin expressed his ignorance about the incident.

Mustard

2009-01-31T00:34:00.000-08:00

They grow mustard but it was huge this year.

Farmers and Agriculture Extension Department (AED) officials are hopeful to get bumper production of mustard in the district this year following good yield of the crop.

Good yield of mustard in last year inspired Pabna farmers to cultivate the crop in a large scale this year, AED sources said.

This year farmers have cultivated mustard on over 30 thousand hectares of land in the district, which is a little more than the cultivation target fixed by the AED while filed reports show that the rate of production will be much higher than expectation.

“Earlier we expected production of 30 thousand 65 tonnes of mustard in the district this year as there was target of one tonne production per hectare of land. Following the recent field report, we are hopeful to get bumper production of mustard. Now we are hopeful to get 1.2 tonnes of mustard in each hectare of land and the total amount of production in the district would be over 36 thousand tonnes,” said Agriculture Official Shahin.

Of the 30 thousand 65 hectares of lands that was brought under mustard cultivation in the district this year, 5600 hectares are in Pabna Sadar upazila, 2355 hectares in Atghoria upazila, 800 hectares in Ishwardi upazila, 5400 hectares in Chatmohar upazila, 5520 hectares in Vangura upazila, 5740 hectares in Faridpur upazila, 2500 hectares in Bera upazila, 1300 hectares in Santhia upazila and 850 hectares in Sujanagar upazila, AED sources said.

“Although untimely rain hampered mustard farming in the beginning of the cultivation season, farmers in the district braved all the obstacles and cultivated mustard on 30.06 thousand hectares of land in the district,” Md Shahin, a development officer of Pabna AED office, told The Daily Star yesterday.

The area of cultivation would be more if untimely rain during the cultivation period of the crop did not hamper mustard cultivation at the primary stage, AED officials said.

During this correspondent's visit to a few mustard fields, farmers also expressed hope to get bumper production of mustard this year.

Aeroplane

2009-01-31T00:29:00.000-08:00

India is trying to save planes from attach.

The Indian government has warned authorities in western Maharashtra state to step up security against a possible hijack attempt on a civilian aircraft, a government minister said Thursday.

State home minister Jayant Patil said he received the federal "advisory" Wednesday, asking security agencies to tighten security at airports in state capital Mumbai.

The "advisory received by Maharashtra government directs authorities to keep a watch on private aircraft at Mumbai airport," the Press Trust of India quoted Patil as saying.

Federal home ministry officials confirmed that an alert had been sent to Mumbai, the site of the massacre of 165 people last November by 10 gunmen, who India says came from Pakistan.

The national government also put federal troops guarding civilian airports across Maharashtra on high alert, the official who did not wish to be named, told AFP in New Delhi.

IPL

2009-01-31T00:26:00.000-08:00

IPL is in second auction now .

The IPL has announced an exhaustive list of 110 overseas players who will be considered for the second auction in Goa on February 6. Not surprisingly, Australians dominate the list (27) while the big difference from last year's edition is the addition of 21 England players.

Twelve Bangladeshi players have also been included in the list; up from the two that were selected last time. Last year, skipper Mohammad Ashraful and vice captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza were placed on an open bid but failed to break into a team. However, this year the IPL organizing committee have confirmed that the twelve Tigers will be featuring in the second auction. Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak was the sole Bangladeshi representative in last year's tournament, but is now barred from international matches due to a suspect bowling action. He played for the Vijay Mallya owned Bangalore Royal Challengers although he was signed externally without being slated in the auctions.

Each franchise has a maximum of US$2m to spend on their overseas signings in the auction, which gets underway on February 6, and it is likely that only about 16 players - or two per franchise - will be chosen out of the 110.

The England players will be available for a three-week window in the tournament for the next two years, with Kevin Pietersen the star attraction. Pietersen's base price has been pegged at $1.35m, and it is expected that he will top Mahendra Singh Dhoni's $1.5m salary, currently the highest in the league. Veterans like Dominic Cork and Darren Gough also figure in the list.

"We are extremely happy with the interest the league has garnered globally," said Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, "and look forward to the action at the second player auction in Goa".

"I think it's important for world cricket and for the IPL that the English players are participating," he told Sky Sports News. "I think that they are all very, very good players. Some are batting players and some are players who have great experience behind them and I think it will be very good for the second edition of the IPL".

"The prices are based upon the 14 league games. If they play 10 of the 14 games they get paid according to ratio. If they play seven they get half."

Modi said the demand for England's top stars would be high. "If you look at the base price it's close to 250,000 and 350,000 dollars a week for each week he [Pietersen] plays, which is comparable to the top soccer players around the world," he told Setanta Sports News. "Andrew Flintoff has a minimum base price of 950,000 dollars, but he'll probably go for a higher figure. It'll be quite competitive. All the teams can afford it. Everyone's trying to get England's top players in their team."

Golf

2009-01-31T00:22:00.000-08:00

Bangladesh open golf has been started.

Nineteen-year-old amateur Jamal Hossain Mollah, extended his lead to two strokes in the third round of the City Bank - Dhaka Bank Bangladesh Open 2009. Leading the pack overnight, Jamal shot a 4 under 68 on Friday to take his total to 13 under 203. The local lad now looks increasingly likely to sew up his maiden triumph in a professional event.

His main challenge comes in the form of Delhi-based professional Shamim Khan who trails behind with 11 under par, 205. Lucknow-based Sanjay Kumar brings up the rear in a top three with a score of 7 under 209.

The rest of the chasing pack are bought up by Gaganjeet Bhullar, Vijay Kumar and Harmeet Kahlon who all share fourth position at five under 211.

Harendra Gupta's total of four under 212 places him seventh. Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman and Shahid Khan share eighth place along with Kolkata's Rahil Gangjee at three under 213.

Australian Open Tennis

2009-01-31T00:15:00.000-08:00

Its the day for win and get the slam.

With nine Grand Slams already in the trophy cabinet, US veteran Serena Williams says all the pressure will be on Russia's Dinara Safina when the pair clash in the Australian Open final Saturday.

The American is the bookies' red-hot favourite to win her fourth Australian title in the Rod Laver Arena, while Safina acknowledges she is the underdog in her search for a first Grand Slam crown.

Adding spice to the match, the winner will replace Serb Jelena Jankovic as the number one ranked player in the world.

Williams said she was keen to "leave her mark" and enter the elite group of players with 10 or more majors but felt relaxed going into the 13th Grand Slam decider of her career.

The 27-year-old has struggled with poor form in the tournament but still did enough to reach the final, becoming the biggest prizewinner in the history of women's sport on the way.

"I feel like I have nothing to lose," the reigning US Open champion said.

"If I win, that would be great. If I lose, I'll just leave with the confidence that I can get far in a tournament when I'm not playing my best and go home and work even harder for the next time."

Williams, who came into the tournament as second seed, said she was desperate to win a fourth title in Melbourne, where she has triumphed in every final she has contested.

The American has a 5-1 winning record over Safina, seeded third here, whose only previous appearance in a Grand Slam final was a straight sets loss to Ana Ivanovic in last year's French Open.

But Williams was wary of Safina, who she said had transformed into an intense, tenacious and incredibly fit player whose loss at Roland Garros would spur her on in Saturday's final.

"She's going to be way more hungry for it and want it even more. That's going to be definitely going for her," she said.

For Safina, a win in the final would allow her to finally energe from elder brother Marat Safin's shadow.

It would also create a piece of history, with the siblings becoming the first brother-sister combination to each hold the number one ranking.

The 22-year-old, who admits her combustible temperament sometimes means she is her own worst enemy on the court, expected her French Open experience would help settle any big-match nerves during Saturday's final.

"I hope all the experience, all the pressure, I went through in that match will help me for my next match on Saturday," she said.

She has shed seven kilograms (15.5 pounds) in the past six months and will contest the final in the best physical shape of her life, also crediting coach Zeljko Krajan with adding mental steel to her game.

Her new attitude was on display when she defeated Australia's Jelena Dokic in front of a fiercely parochial crowd in the quarter-finals, a win she said would not have happened 12 months ago.

"I stayed very tough mentally there, I didn't panic," she said. It made me stronger now.

"I hope (the crowd) are going to be behind me, as I'm underdog coming into the final."

While some players concede they feel intimidated against Williams, Safina said she was eager to test herself against the American.

"I can't talk about the other players, how they feel when they play against her, just myself," she said.

"We played three times last year and I beat her once. I'm looking forward to playing against her this time."

Shakib Still on top

2009-01-30T07:04:00.000-08:00

Friends , Shakib Al Hasan, the best Bangladeshi cricket player is still No. 1 ODI all-rounder of the world.

Thanks Shakib.

Broiler Hen

2009-01-30T01:37:00.001-08:00

Real ones in ground;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;Alone>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Broilers Home

Lets have a look....................................................................................................................

Semesters In Univercity

2009-01-30T01:33:00.000-08:00

Now a days semester system is a common and modern system. But.

Students of social welfare institute at Dhaka University (DU) yesterday made their teachers hostage inside the institute building by locking the main gate to press home their demand for cancelling the decision of introducing semester system at masters level.

They locked the gate at around 4:30pm after getting a news that the academic committee meeting failed to take any decision regarding their demand.

The meeting was held to solve the problem after the students locked the institute building for about three and a half hours demanding the same on Wednesday.

Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddque rushed to the institute and assured the students of getting a solution by Sunday about their demand.

The students then unlocked the gate at around 5:30pm.

They said they have passed the honours examination under traditional system, and if the semester system is now imposed on them at the masters level they will have to suffer a lot.

The institute authorities said they have introduced the semester system considering the future of the students.

They said the students need to show results under grading system to get admission in foreign renowned universities.

Tigers

2009-01-30T01:21:00.000-08:00

Royal Bengal Tiger, the national animal of Bangladesh is of course a beautiful one.

A Royal Bengal tiger killed a man in Khukumari area of the Sundarbans yesterday, police said.

The victim is Khokon Sana, 35, son of Abdul Bari Sana of village Kashimari in Shyamnagar upazila. Khokon went to the Sundarbans to collect reeds (goalpata) on January 27. While collecting leaves in Khukumari area, a tiger swooped on him and dragged him into deep forest. Later, locals recovered the body from deep forest.

When contacted, Shyamnagar Police Station officer-in-charge Abdur Razzak confirmed the incident.

Fertilizers

2009-01-30T01:16:00.000-08:00

When Govt is trying to reduce the price of fertilizers , stockpiling is going on .

About 3.46 lakh sacks of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) and Murate of Potash (MoP) fertiliser kept in Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) godown in Bogra cannot be distributed to the dealers due to lack of allocation from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Private importers are creating pressure on the ministry officials not to allocate BADC authorities to supply fertiliser from the godown, said several BADC officials.

The dealers would get the government subsidy money when the fertiliser imported by private importers reaches the dealers, said a high official of BADC.

Agriculture ministry Deputy Secretary Mosharraf Hossain who deals with fertiliser marketing, told The Daily Star correspondent over telephone that following a fax message sent by Bogra Deputy Commissioner (DC) Humayun Kabir on Tuesday, high officials in the agriculture ministry have been informed about the matter of undistributed fertiliser in godown.

BADC Chairman Abdur Razzak told this correspondent over cell phone that the allocation necessary from the ministry to distribute imported high quality TSP and MoP fertiliser to the dealers was given only once last year against the demand for July to November. After that no allocation was made.

Joint Director (fertilizer) Md Abdullah Kafi said the 6,000 metric ton capacity government godown at Santhahar, from where supplied to Bogra, Joypurhat and Naogaon districts, had a stock of 3,46,209 sacks of TSP and MoP till yesterday.

Fertiliser from Santhahar godown is supplied to Bogra, Joypurhat and Naogaon districts, he said.

Fertiliser from the godown is also sent to different areas in the northern region if there is requirement, Abdullah Kafi said.

However, fertiliser could not be supplied after November as no allocation was available.

Rockets/Tunnels

2009-01-30T01:11:00.000-08:00

Ya, some media told about it. But truth is to be exposed.

Father Manuel Musallam is the Catholic Priest of more than 3500 Christians in Gaza. He voted for Al Fatah in 2006 election but today he is a big supporter of Hamas, which was declared terrorist by USA many years ago.

I came to know from a Palestinian journalist in Gaza that Father Manuel is trying to bridge gaps between Al Fatah and Hamas. It was a surprising news for me and I decided to meet him.

I met him in his church from where he is looking after the Holy Family School of Gaza, which has more than 1200 students. Over 1,000 students of Holy Family School are Muslims and the rest are Christians. His school is a glittering example of Muslim-Christian harmony in Gaza.

Father Manuel very proudly informed me that "many Hamas leaders are also sending their children to my school because I am not preaching Christianity in Gaza, I am rather spreading the light of knowledge in my nation". He declared him first an Arab, then a Palestinian and then a Christian.

Father Manuel said that Hamas is not terrorist. Hamas represents a very big number of Palestinians. He was disappointed from the peace process initiated by US many years ago in Oslo. He said that "its not only me who is disappointed from Oslo talks, majority of Palestinians are disappointed and Hamas is the reaction of this disappointment and Israel cannot wipe out Hamas through the bombing of F-16 planes, this bombing will provide more strength to Hamas".

When I asked him that new US President Barak Obama condemned the rockets fired by Hamas and not condemned the Israeli bombing on mosques, schools and hospitals, Father Manuel was irritated. He aggressively said that Hamas was not firing any rockets before 2002 then why Israelis bombed Palestinians before 2002? He asked that if Israel will not allow us to live peacefully and honorably then how can we stop our angry boys to fire toy rockets on Israelis?

He declared that "Israel in not serious in resolving the Palestinian problem, Israel want us to become their slave, they have turned Gaza into the biggest jail in the world, today Palestinians have to choose between death and slavery and we are ready to die for our liberation if this is terrorism, let Barak Obama declare me a terrorist".

Its not only the Father Manuel Musallam who rejected the Israeli-US justification of bombing Palestinians but majority of the Western journalists and aid workers in Gaza also believe that Hamas rockets were not creating any big problem for Israel. They are sure that main aim of Israeli attack was to win votes for coming elections in Israel. Immediately after starting attacks Israel claimed that main objective of bombing was to wipe out Hamas and destroy tunnels along Palestine-Egypt border.

But the fact is that Hamas has gained more power and popularity after Israeli attacks and Palestinians are now digging more tunnels from their side of Rafah Crossing to Egypt. Many journalists including myself visited the area famous for tunnels. It was interesting to watch that Palestinians were busy in digging more and more tunnels with drilling machines and bulldozers. They were not Hamas fighters. They were local Palestinians belong to the families of Abu Samhadana and Abu Rish. This is their family business from many years. They dig approximately 15 meters deep and 800 to 3000 meters long tunnels from inside their houses. They smuggle food items mainly vegetables, meat, cigarettes, cooking oil, petrol, gas canisters and sometimes weapons for Hamas.

I counted myself 187 destroyed tunnels and I also counted more than 300 new under construction tunnels .One tunnel owner told me "I make 2000 US dollars a week by transporting food items from Egypt to Palestine. We don't work for Hamas because it is very difficult to buy weapons for Hamas in Egypt, nobody can smuggle weapons from Egypt, it's a lie". When I tried to confront with some Palestinians that digging tunnels is violation of international law and smuggling from these tunnels is a crime. They started laughing. They said what international law? Israel is violating international law from 1947, Israel is killing Palestinians ruthlessly for more than 62 years, and Israel has blocked the delivery of food, oil, gas and even medicines to Gaza. Israel bombed our schools, hospitals and even the parliament. What action was taken by international community against Israel? If Israel is not accountable for the holocaust of Palestinians then we are not accountable for any smuggling of food items.

UN spokesman in Gaza Adnan Abu Hasna told me that the tunnels are now the only source of daily food supplies to Palestinians. He accepted that tunnels are illegal but he was forced to ask that "do you think that Israelis had any legal cover killing more than 1350 people in three weeks?" Adnan Abu Hasna said that the whole infrastructure of Gaza was destroyed and now Israel has blocked the transportation of building material inside Gaza. He estimated that Gaza will take at least 10 years to rebuild but the peace process will take at least 20 years to rebuild now.

Hamas leader Ehab Alghusian said that now he has no hope from the so-called peace process. He accepted that "Palestinians need unity today and Hamas meeting with Al Fatah leaders in Cairo was very good but we will not support any peace talks with Israel because majority of Palestinians are now ready to die for their liberation". Ehab was talking the language of Catholic priest Father Manuel Mussalam or may be Catholic priest was talking the language of Hamas or may be both of them were talking the language of majority of Palestinians.

ICL India

2009-01-30T01:01:00.000-08:00

At last they are in a meeting about the approval. It should be. Cricket needs ICL.

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) board meets in Perth on Saturday with the key item on its agenda being an application for recognition from the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

However, the issue is unlikely to reach a resolution over the weekend; it is learnt the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will once again dig in its heels and continue to back a ban on the unauthorised Twenty20 venture.

The board members will also discuss preparations for the Champions Trophy to be held in September, an internal report on Zimbabwe and international fixtures after 2012.

The ICL issue, however, may not dominate discussions as previously expected, considering the BCCI's hardline position. "Our position on ICL remains the same," a top BCCI official told Cricinfo. "We see no reason for that to change."

Debate over the ICL gathered pace this week after the Pakistan Cricket Board received a legal notice against a domestic ban it had imposed on players associated with the private league. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had, under the previous administration last year, allowed five of its ICL-linked players to participate in a domestic tournament.

The ICL's request for recognition is based on an ICC rule that allows matches of an 'exhibition/testimonial' nature to be granted approval directly by the world body. However, the BCCI and other national boards are firm that such permission cannot be granted in this case without the home board's approval.

The ICC subsequently formed a five-member working group to study the rules that govern official and unofficial cricket. This group, including Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, and Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, has since prepared a set of draft regulations that includes stricter norms, especially on unofficial cricket.

The ICC board members will also discuss the way forward for international cricket after the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) gets over in three years. India and England have already opposed a proposal from Australia that the Future Tours Programme (FTP) be replaced by a Test Championship.

Preparations for the Champions Trophy this year will be the other key subject of discussion over the weekend. The tournament is scheduled to be held from September 24 to October 5 in Pakistan, subject to a security clearance. The event was originally scheduled to be held last year in the same country but was postponed after ICC members expressed concerns about the then security situation there.

The executive will also consider a report from an ICC panel, headed by Julian Hunte, the West Indies cricket board chief, on Zimbabwe following his visit last November which was conducted against the background of the cholera outbreak and the continuing breakdown of the economy. Peter Chingoka, the Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, won't be at the meeting after he refused to apply for a visa to enter Australia.

Indian Cricket League(IPL)

2009-01-30T00:55:00.000-08:00

IPL, the Indian Cricket League gives a rich amount of money to the players. So, most of the players do not try to loose the opportunity. but here?

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has turned down the chance to take part in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 22-year-old is England's highest-ranked one-day bowler and could have earned a six-figure sum if signed by one of the eight franchise teams.

But he has decided not to enter his name in the auction which takes place in Goa on February 6.

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff head a list of 13 England players hoping to land IPL deals.

Hugh Morris, the managing director of the England team, said: "We've got a very important summer ahead of us with the Twenty20 and the Ashes and this is a decision Stuart has made and we must respect that.

"Players will prepare in different ways for this summer. Stuart has chosen one way and others have chosen another way."

Broad's county coach at Nottinghamshire, Mick Newell, added: "Stuart's main aim is to play a part in the Ashes Tests and he feels that the best preparation for that lies away from the IPL.

"He's a young player and he'll have an opportunity to play in the IPL in the future but he wants a break and turning his back on quick cash for the benefit of his career is a very mature decision."

Broad is not the only England player to decide to give the IPL a miss, with captain Andrew Strauss, former skipper Michael Vaughan, batsman Alastair Cook, as well as wicketkeepers Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose also opting out.

But Pietersen and Flintoff are expected to be two of the highest-paid signings for the second IPL season.

James Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar and Ryan Sidebottom are the other centrally contracted players hoping to take part.

Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Owais Shah, Luke Wright and Graeme Swann are the players on incremental contracts, who will be up for auction.

Former England players Darren Gough and Shaun Udal, as well as Kent captain Rob Key and Essex wicketkeeper James Foster, are also reported to be on an unofficial list of players who could take part in this year's competition, along with around 70 players from other countries.

Gough, 38, retired from first-class cricket with Yorkshire in September but should find out on Thursday whether he is on the final list of 50 names for the player auction.

The IPL will run from April 10 to May 29, although the ECB will only allow centrally contracted players to go for three weeks, so they will be back in time for the Lord's Test against the West Indies on May 6.

Players who are unlikely to be part of the Test squad, such as Patel and Wright, would be allowed to stay in India for four weeks.

With a limited amount of franchise places available for overseas players in the IPL auction, it is unlikely all the England players will be picked up.

But Morris is confident that for those who do secure a spot in the IPL it will prove to be a positive experience: "It's very much down to the players. It's their choice, the IPL is a fantastic opportunity.

"With the Twenty20 world championship happening in England at the beginning of the summer, it's nice to have the opportunity for some our players to play Twenty20 cricket.

"The players who are going there are going to be playing with and against some of the best players in the world in what we see as a very high-profile and very important tournament."

Best of luck for him.

Cricket

2009-01-30T00:53:00.000-08:00

Did they thrash or crush?

Zimbabwe beat Kenya by 151 runs in the second one-day international match here on Thursday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

SCORES ::

ZIMBABWE: 351-7 off 50 overs (Matsikenyeri 90, Chigum-bura 68, Waller 63)

KENYA: 200 all out off 45.1 overs (Tikolo 56; Dabengwa 2-21, Cremer 2-40)

Cricket Australia

2009-01-30T00:49:00.000-08:00

Previously it was the habit of the Australians to tease and use slang in the field .They gave it a good name "Slagging" They also spoke in favor of it and told that slagging is a part of game!!!

But now ?

Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds has been fined 4,000 Australian dollars by Cricket Australia over a remark he made in a radio interview.

He swore while making a disparaging comment about New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.

Symonds pleaded guilty to a breach of Cricket Australia's code of conduct and was punished at a disciplinary commission hearing.

The 33-year-old had already issued an apology to McCullum for the comment.

Symonds was ruled out of the current one-day series against South Africa after having knee surgery.

He is set to return to action for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield on Friday, with the hope of being included for Australia's tour to South Africa, which comprises three Tests, two Twenty20 internationals and five one-day internationals, and starts in February.

Symonds, who has played in 26 Tests and 193 one-day internationals, has a history of off-field disciplinary problems.

He was dropped for two ODIs on Australia's tour of England in 2005 after a high-profile drinking session.

In August 2008, he was sent home from a one-day squad after missing a team meeting to go fishing.

Then in November he had to issue an apology after he went out drinking with members of the Australian rugby league side and was involved in an incident at a Brisbane hotel.

Test Reviews

2009-01-30T00:41:00.001-08:00

ICC introduced a good options of reviewing umpires decision .It was only 3 per innings . But why are they not satisfied with it?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reduced the number of reviews available to a team from three unsuccessful reviews per innings to two during the Test series between England and West Indies in February.

Earlier, each team was allowed three unsuccessful reviews per innings and the reduction was based on feedback from players and match officials. If the modification works successfully in the Caribbean, it will also be trialled in the Tests between Australia and South Africa later in February.

Once the two series are finished, the review system will be appraised, and the merits of using or discarding it will be debated by the ICC's cricket committee in May.

"That is why we have made this refinement to it," Lorgat said. "It has become clear during the trial so far that three unsuccessful reviews per innings are too many as there is potential for frivolous or unnecessary reviews to be made by one side or the other. We are testing different playing conditions so that we can find the best one and give the trial every chance of succeeding. We listen to feedback and we have been hearing that two is a preferred option."

Music

2009-01-29T07:58:00.000-08:00

A.R. Rahman, the best music director in India is well known to all.

In a previous blog, I informed that he was qualified for 2 Oscars this year.

**Now , another honor is waiting for him.

** He was invited to regulate music in the OSCAR PRIZE GIVING CEREMONY.

** He already has started it.

** Really a great honor for India.

Eggs

2009-01-29T01:59:00.000-08:00

Dress

2009-01-29T01:56:00.000-08:00

Looks beautiful with the dress.

Garments

2009-01-29T01:03:00.001-08:00

The EPB will send letters to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) soon so the apparel manufacturers make the best use of the opportunity.

Bangladesh could export only three million RMG pieces to India under the quota in 2008.

"Of the last year's eight million quota, Bangladesh so far exported three million pieces of RMG and the rest remained unutilised," said Shahab Ullah, EPB vice chairman.

He said India may also import this year the rest five million pieces allocated for 2008 as the EPB earlier sent letter to the Indian side in this connection.

"So Bangladesh may have the opportunity to export a total of 13 million

Egg price

2009-01-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

The price of Egg and broiler , which rose earlier, may be going to fall but what about the profit from selling them ?

In a bid to bring down the prices of egg and broiler for consumers, the government yesterday formed a seven-member committee to reduce the price gap between producer and wholesaler levels.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas yesterday told this to newsmen after a meeting held at the conference room of the ministry with the business leaders of the poultry sector.

A piece of egg is selling at Tk 7.50 in retail market, which is Tk 5.52 in production level, while the price of per kilogram broiler is now Tk 128 to Tk 130 in retail market, which is Tk 107 in production level, Latif said, adding that it happens mainly due to the middlemen.

The rate from producer to retailer level should be increased by as high as Tk 0.60 for each egg and Tk 10 for per kg broiler, he said.

"Deputy Secretary of Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Anisur Rahman will head the committee comprising the representatives of Bangladesh Poultry Industry Association and Egg Producer Association, and the committee will fix the rates every day," he said.

Latif said the committee, which will start its works from today, will fix both the production and retail prices everyday and will send the price index to the media on regular basis.

The minister also defended the price hike by the producers of both egg and broiler.

"The prices of egg and broiler increased due to a demand drive, reduced number of farms on bird flu scare, and price hike of poultry feed and medicine," he said.

"We have asked the poultry businessmen to submit short- and long-term plans identifying the problems of the poultry sector by seven days, and after scrutiny we will take decision about it," Latif said.

He said they also called upon people concerned to open showroom in every big poultry farm to reduce the price gap.

The decision of selling broiler and egg in BDR outlets is also being taken and Dhaka City Corporation has been requested to provide space to the producers for selling eggs at every DCC market, the minister added.

Khandoker Md Mohsin, adviser to Bangladesh Poultry Industry Association, said for the last two years the poultry sector has been facing a huge loss due to the avian influenza.

The number of poultry farms came down to 78,000 from 1.60 lakh because of bird flu, he said.

Wife killed

2009-01-29T00:59:00.001-08:00

Again killing of a lady in Bangladesh.

A housewife who is a mother of two was allegedly tortured to death over dowry at Char Keoar village in the district on Tuesday.

The victim was identified as Shefali Begum, 22.

Her family alleged that her in-laws used to torture her regularly demanding dowry.

Shefali was forced to bring Tk 50,000 from her father a few days ago. Later, instead of returning the money they tortured her to bring more from her family.

On Tuesday night when Shefali refused to bring more from her father, her husband Yakub, 40, father-in-law Mona Sarker, brothers-in-law Yunus and Arif beat her mercilessly.

When Shefali died, her in-laws poured poison in her mouth and fled the scene.

However, their relatives have claimed that Shefali took poison after quarrelling with her husband.

Oil

2009-01-29T00:54:00.000-08:00

Some days ago, when oil price came top, people had to suffer a lot. The economic condition of the whole world changed.

But then it again starts rising.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday as the market awaited the latest weekly update on energy inventories in the United States -- the world's biggest consumer of crude.

New York's main futures contract, light sweet crude for March delivery, gained 10 cents to 41.68 dollars a barrel.

Net result will be again rise of price of food and other materials and poor will not be able to survive at all.

Yahoo news

2009-01-29T00:53:00.000-08:00

Yahoo Inc won't be consummating any deals with its jilted suitor Microsoft Corp. any time soon if Carol Bartz, the beleaguered Internet company's new chief executive, has any say in the matter.

Left on its own, Yahoo may be headed for its fourth consecutive year of lower profit even as Bartz pledges to engineer a turnaround.

The first quarter almost certainly will bring more misery. In a forecast released late Tuesday with its fourth-quarter results, Yahoo predicted its revenue for the three months ending March may plunge by as much as 16 percent from last year. The rest of the year looks so murky that Bartz didn't even bother to look beyond the first quarter, breaking from Yahoo tradition.

Despite the dour outlook, investors seemed relieved that Yahoo withstood the recession better than analysts had anticipated at the end of 2008.

Although the Sunnyvale-based company sustained a $303 million loss in the period, the performance surpassed analyst estimates after factoring out about $600 million in charges to account for 1,500 recent layoffs, office closures and the eroding value of Yahoo's European operations.

Singapore Airlines

2009-01-29T00:51:00.000-08:00

New announcement by Singapore airlines,

Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Wednesday it will suspend some international flights as the worsening global economy takes its toll on travel demand.

Flights to India, Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe will be affected, SIA said in a statement.

"Singapore Airlines is making further adjustments to its route network to better match capacity with demand," it said.

"Where demand falls, capacity adjustments will be made and this process will continue going forward."

It said the changes will be implemented progressively and will apply until the end of March.

Flights between Singapore and the Indian city of Hyderabad will be cut to three times weekly from four, the airline said.

Service between Singapore and New Delhi will be trimmed to five times a week from six, while Mumbai-Singapore service will be cut to four times a week from five.

teasing & Punishment

2009-01-29T00:49:00.000-08:00

Nice to see in Bangladesh.

Three young men were given 50 lashes each for teasing a schoolgirl at Char Kumuria in Vederganj upazila yesterday.

The village elders at a meeting found Shipon, Bulbul and Rana guilty.

Shipon had offered love to Jamila (not the real name), a student of class ten in Islamia Senior Aleem Madrasa but was bluntly refused.

Angered, Shipon in connivance with Bulbul and Rana held Jamila on way back home from the madrasa on January 18. The locals however rescued the girl and kept her in a neighbouring house as they tried to violate her.

In a desperate bid to catch the girl, the young men raided the house and wounded three women who tried to protect the girl. One of them Nasima, 30, was admitted to Vederganj Health Complex.

Later, the issue rolled to upazila nirbahi officer who ordered police to take action.

Meanwhile, the village elders at the behest of parents of the culprits met at 11 am yesterday and settled the case.

Jamila, a meritorious student, said she came from Kachikata union across the river Padma and used to stay in a house to continue her study.

Modern Education

2009-01-29T00:47:00.000-08:00

Modern Education is a key for a nation. It is now been modified here.

The government will formulate the National Education Policy within three to four months based on the Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission report of 1974.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said this at a meeting with 30 renowned academicians at the secretariat yesterday.

He said the entire education system from primary to tertiary level would be re-designed according to the education policy.

"There is no need to form a new education commission. Considering recommendations from the academicians, we have decided to prepare a National Education Policy based on the Qudrat-e-Khuda Commission's report," the education minister said.

He hoped that government will able to complete the education policy by three to four months adding the policy will guide us to free the country from illiteracy.

Nahid also said government will also try to introduce an unified primary education system across the country merging the existing 11-kind of primary education system to end the discriminations in primary education.

Repay

2009-01-29T00:39:00.000-08:00

Is it a repay or else? now see.

US commanders on Tuesday traveled to a poor Afghan village and distributed $40,000 to relatives of 15 people killed in a US raid, including a known militant commander. The Americans also apologised for any civilians killed in the operation.

The issue of civilian deaths is increasingly sensitive in Afghanistan, with President Hamid Karzai accusing the US of killing civilians in three separate cases over the last month. Karzai has repeatedly warned the US and NATO, saying such deaths undermine his government and the international mission.

In Washington, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates echoed Karzai's concerns, telling a Senate committee that "civilian casualties are doing us enormous harm in Afghanistan."

As US commanders paid villagers near 15 newly dug graves, Karzai met Tuesday in the capital with relatives of some of those killed. He told the villagers he has given the US and Nato one month to respond to a draft agreement calling for increased Afghan participation in military operations.

Karzai said if he does not receive a response within that time, he would ask Afghans what he should do about international military operations.

The statement from the presidential palace describing the meeting did not elaborate.

The US is doubling its troop presence in Afghanistan this year to take on the Taliban militia; the Taliban and other militants now control wide swaths of territory. Last year, 151 US troops died in Afghanistan, the most in any year since the US invaded the Taliban-ruled country in late 2001 for sheltering Osama bin Laden.

Col Greg Julian, the top US spokesman in Afghanistan, led Tuesday's delegation into the village of Inzeri, a small collection of stone and mud homes set high in a steep, rocky valley. Insurgents have a strong presence in the region just 50 kilometres north of Kabul.

A raid the night of Jan 19 killed 15 people in Inzeri, including a targeted militant commander named Mullah Patang.

Afghan officials admit that Patang was killed, but villagers say civilians also died and have pressed their complaints with US officials and Karzai.

The US regularly makes payments to Afghan relatives of those killed in operations, but the payments are rarely publicized.

After killing a lot of people in Afghanistan, isn't it a joke? Rather if they could live alone, it would be a bit better. Laden is not in anywhere , if he really is , he is in deep shelter by large powers of the world.

Australian Open

2009-01-29T00:36:00.000-08:00

The latest condition of US star Serena Williams is stated here.Serena Williams clawed back from a set down in searing heat to keep her dreams alive.

The world number one fought off a determined rear-guard action by battling French six seed Gilles Simon to win 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 as he goes in search of his first title here.

The victory earns him a crack at Verdasco for a place in the final against Roger Federer or Andy Roddick after the left-hander sent French fifth seed and last year's runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga packing 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

"For Spain it is incredible to have two of us in the semifinals. It means at least one Spaniard will be in the final and we have to happy for that," said Nadal.

"But I know it will be a tough match against Fernando."

Verdasco, previously best known as Ana Ivanovic's boyfriend, has shot from nowhere to join a long line of players to make a name for themselves at the year's opening Grand Slam, powering into his first Major semi in 23 attempts.

"What I'm thinking right now is that I'm playing good, I'm feeling good," said Verdasco. "I just think that I can beat anyone.

"I don't put a limit in this tournament. I'm in the semifinals right now and I think that I can lose in the semifinals but also be in the final or win the tournament."

In contrast to Verdasco's seven-year wait to make the business end of a Grand Slam, Williams booked her 15th Grand Slam semifinal as temperatures soared to 41 degrees Celsius (106 F).

The roof was finally closed on the Rod Laver Arena and Williams was a beneficiary.

The three-time champion was a set down to Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova at the time but recovered her composure against the fuming eighth seed to run out a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 winner.

It earned the experienced American a shot at ice-cool Russian Elena Dementieva, who powered past unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-2.

The other semifinal sees third seed Dinara Safina play her Russian compatriot Vera Zvonareva.

Williams looked in serious trouble as she struggled in the first set of her match but was granted a reprieve when the stadium roof was closed early in the second set under the tournament's extreme heat policy.

The 28-year-old admitted the move made a huge difference.

"I was in a lot of trouble today but I just relaxed and I really wanted to fight and at least go three sets," she said.

"I said 'Serena you can do it' -- it's when I play my best."

Despite making the last four, she said she was yet to hit top form.

"It's really encouraging (to win) because this whole tournament I felt I've been off and I haven't been playing my best," she said.

Kuznetsova handled the heat better but could not cope with the pressure generated by the nine-time Grand Slam champion, failing at crucial moments in the match.

The Russian was angry that they were ordered off court for the roof to be shut while she had a grip on the match.

"Yeah, I was definitely angry. Why should I not be? The game was going my way," said the 2004 US Open champion.

Dementieva, who is now on a 15-match unbeaten streak, was untroubled by giantkiller Suarez Navarro, who knocked out Venus Williams in the second round.

But she was not happy after playing her entire match, which preceded the Williams-Kuznetsova clash, with the roof open.

"Why not close the roof? Not only for the players, but for the spectators, as well," she said.

"I think if you have a roof, why not use it?"

She was nevertheless relieved to overcome the dangerous Suarez Navarro and set up a showdown with Williams.

"You don't know what to expect from her. All the matches that we play, all the last three matches, were completely different games," she said of Williams.

Imran Khan

2009-01-29T00:24:00.000-08:00

At a very vulnerable condition of Pakistan cricket board it is to be taken in good responsibility to rebuild it. That is the thing what he is trying to do or wish.

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan Wednesday urged President Asif Ali Zardari to reform the national game of cricket, which he said was in as much of a mess as the country.

"If Zardari really wants to help Pakistan cricket then he must allow it to be an institution. It should be constitution-based and have an elected chairman with elected representatives," Imran told AFP.

Pakistan's cricketing woes saw Shoaib Malik replaced as captain by Younis Khan following the team's humiliating 234-run loss -- their worst one-day defeat -- handing visitors Sri Lanka a 2-1 series win last week.

The change was the third major reshuffle in as many months. In October Zadari appointed Ijaz Butt chairman of the cricket board, following Nasim Ashraf's resignation. Butt then sacked Australian coach Geoff Lawson for poor team performance.

"Our cricket is as much in the mess as is the country," said Imran.

Imran, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup triumph, in Australia in 1992, and is now in politics, said the country's head of state appointing the cricket board chairman was the bane of Pakistan cricket.

"No way should the president of the country appoint the cricket chief," said Imran. The president of Pakistan is patron of the cricket board and appoints its chairman, unlike in countries abroad in which the chairman is elected.

Imran said cricket needed to be organised properly in a country obsessed with the game.

"Why can't Pakistan cricket be based on successful models like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, where the talent is concentrated in six regional teams set up by nurseries below?" said Imran, who played 88 Tests for Pakistan.

Imran, who retired from cricket in 1992, now heads his own political party -- Movement for Justice (Tehrik-e-Insaaf) -- and has never held a post on the cricket board.

Imran ridiculed a suggestion from Zardari to host a round-table conference to resolve cricketing matters.

"Cricket is run on an ad hoc basis in the country, so the president is now suggesting a round-table conference without knowing that the previous regime of Nasim Ashraf wasted millions on such conferences to no avail."

Imran said the saddest aspect was that the team was going from bad to worse.

"Ever since the 1992 World Cup win and the 1999 runner-up finish, the performance graph is having a downhill trajectory. In 2003 and 2007, we were ousted in the first rounds," he said.

Imran, regarded as one of the top four all-rounders of his time, said the country's entire cricket structure needed an overhaul.

"Our domestic cricket is incapable of polishing a talented youngster, so it needs an overhaul and we should do it quickly otherwise time will run out."

Pak Coach Resigns

2009-01-29T00:18:00.002-08:00

Possibly this is the 3rd time , when Miyadad resigns.

There is no consistent condition in Pakistan cricket.

Batting legend Javed Miandad quit his post as Pakistan Cricket Board director general Wednesday following disagreements within the crisis-hit governing body of the country's national sport.

"The PCB wanted to restrict me to domestic affairs and I don't want any interference in my work. I have therefore resigned," Miandad told AFP.

His resignation comes just a day after the PCB replaced Shoaib Malik with Younis Khan as captain of the Pakistan team following a humiliating defeat to Sri Lanka that sparked huge criticism in the cricket-mad country.

Press reports suggested Miandad had not been in favour of sacking Malik.

Miandad said he was not consulted over Malik's removal.

"Nobody consulted me," he said. "How could you remove someone on the basis of just one poor performance?"

"I have earned respect through my record, through my cricket and I convinced Sri Lanka to tour Pakistan, so positions are very small things for me. I will be available, voluntarily, whenever I am asked for help."

Three times a former Pakistan coach, Miandad was appointed director general in November 2008. The job, which effectively made him number three in the PCB pecking order, was created for him.

His decision to quit comes two days after the PCB offered him a contract and a salary of 500,000 rupees (6,328 dollars) a month.

"I thought about it (the contract) last night before deciding it's better to quit. I never asked for a contract. I have not taken any money from the PCB but confining me to domestic issues was not acceptable to me," said Miandad.

He criticised Pakistan team's strategies during their 2-1 loss against Sri Lanka last week.

"Pakistan lost the series because of poor strategy. Why did they play three spinners on a fast track in Lahore? No one asked me."

Miandad said he would remain on the PCB's governing board.

"I have the double honour of also being a member of the governing board and I will continue in that position because I want to serve cricket," he said.

Each coaching stint for the 51-year-old has ended in acrimony. He twice fell out with the players and once was sacked following Pakistan's home defeat against archrivals India in 2004.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt made no immediate comment on Miandad's resignation.

"I am hearing this news from the media. I am in transit and until I talk to him I have nothing to say," Butt told AFP by telephone from Dubai.

Miandad played 124 Tests for Pakistan, scoring a national record of 8,832 runs. He also played 233 one-day internationals, scoring 7,381 runs.

Butt will return home on February 6 after attending an International Cricket Council executive board meeting in Perth, Australia.

Lets see, what attempt the PCB takes .

Television

2009-01-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

Our TV channels are now broadcasting current news from the International Trade Fair.

"Teletalk Banijyo Mela Protidin", a special programme on the ongoing International Trade Fair, will be aired today at 5:10 pm on ATN Bangla. The programme is aired live from the fair premises everyday.

Directed by Abdus Sattar, the show is hosted by Khandakar Ismail. Held every year in the month of January, the fair generates much interest and enthusiasm among the Dhakaiites. Along with local brands and products, the fair also includes stalls featuring international brands. "Banijyo Mela Protidin" features detailed information on the stalls, public opinion, interviews with the traders and the consumers, and day-to-day events at the fair.

Digital Bangladesh

2009-01-28T06:58:00.001-08:00

Possibly Bangladesh Govt is now trying to make it a digital one. The effort is really nice.

Stakeholders of the ICT industry breathed a sigh of relief, as government high-ups yesterday reiterated their commitment to do whatever needed for the development of the sector.

Two ministers and one state minister promised before the sector people to develop the industry by any means and execute their election pledge of creating a 'Digital Bangladesh'. The guests, attending the inauguration of the BASIS Softexpo-2009, lauded the announcement.

The major promises made by the ministers included introduction of the e-payment system, e-governance, along with introducing the ICT curriculum at the secondary level of education.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said all government purchases should go through online payment or e-commerce to ensure transparency.

Speaking as the chief guest at the launch of the five-day exposition, he said: "I think all government purchases should go through the online system so that transparency can be ensured and corruption be checked."

Bangladesh has huge legal and infrastructure hurdles to pass before an e-payment system can be introduced. The ICT sector's pleas to set up an e-payment network and introduce digital signatures were not translated into reality.

'Softexpo' is a yearly event of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) that aims to showcase products and services by local and foreign software developers. The US, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Russia are also showcasing their products and IT enabled services at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre.

The finance minister hinted at introducing e-governance soon, saying the administration system should be automated and the government should utilise the innovations of the local software industry.

He advised the industry people to go for ICT (information and communication technology) product manufacturing. "We have the talent. What prevents us from producing micro-processors?" Muhith asked.

Bangladesh's software industry has a less than 1 percent market share in the $300 billion global market. The country exported software and IT enabled services worth $25 million in 2008.

The export target of IT-enabled services of $30 million by 2009 did not satisfy Commerce Minister Faruk Khan. He said the export target could not be set higher due to a lack of government support.

In line with government plans, ICT will be introduced in the educational curriculum at the secondary level by 2013 and primary level by 2021.

"The government must value the commitments made, especially to the country's 32 percent youth, during the election campaign to create a Digital Bangladesh by 2021," he said.

"We are working to identify the sector's problems and how to overcome these at the same time," said Yeafesh Osman, state minister for the science and ICT ministry.

BASIS President Habibullah N Karim said Nepal and Bhutan have already introduced e-commerce while Bangladesh lags behind.

He urged the government to allocate 5 percent of the total annual development programme towards the ICT sector, if the government intends to achieve the target of making a digital Bangladesh.

Bangladesh stock vs Asian stock

2009-01-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

Asian stock market rises now. Its a good news for us.

Asian stocks rose in quiet trade Tuesday as dealers took a lead from a jump on Wall Street and some rare positive economic data from the United States amid a slew of grim employment news.

With half the region's markets still closed for the Chinese New Year holiday and many traders staying away for the same reason, there was some bargain hunting as investors took advantage of a poor end to the previous week.

Tokyo jumped nearly five percent after hitting a three-year low Monday.

The Nikkei was helped by a weaker yen, which boosted exporters, as well as an announcement from the government that it will inject public money into companies other than banks to help them through the global economic meltdown.

The news cheered investors who are tentatively awaiting a raft of miserable corporate news over the coming days and weeks.

The dollar traded at 89.56 yen in Tokyo, up from 89.07 in New York late Monday. The euro firmed to 118.31 yen from 117.46.

Sydney added three percent due to stronger resources stocks, while Mumbai gained 3.8 percent despite the central bank lowering the country's growth forecast for this financial year to March.

The markets were helped by a 0.48 percent rise in New York, which had rallied on hopes for a stimulus plan from US President Barack Obama that is going through Congress.

Markets also took confidence from news of a surprise jump in existing US home sales in December, while an index of leading economic indicators rose 0.3 percent, defying expectations of a drop.

However, tens of thousands of job losses from firms including Caterpillar, IBM, Pfizer and General Motors highlighted the depth of the financial crisis.

New Zealand advanced 1.11 percent, Bangkok 1.85 percent and Manila 0.6 percent, while Jakarta added 1.6 percent.

But you see, in Bangladesh it falls.

Dhaka stocks slid for a second day in what market analysts said was irrational behaviour.

"There's no reason for the market to trade bearish," an analyst said. "No fundamentals are working in the market."

The market remained volatile over the past few days and the trading pattern indicated that it lost direction, an asset management firm said in an analysis.

The benchmark index, DSE General Index (DGEN), fell 25 points, or 0.93 percent, to 2,637.03 points. The DSE All Share Price Index also declined 20.78 points, or 0.94 percent, to 2,181.93 points.

“Liquidity is declining continuously as institutional and individual investors are following a wait-and-see policy. Lack of policy direction from the new government has frustrated market players,” the firm said.

Sharif Ataur Rahman, managing director of SAR Securities, said: “The investors should now go for long-term investment instead of short-term gains."

The investors should also not make investment decisions, influenced by rumours, he suggested.

The market opened rather steadily. In the opening 20 minutes, DGEN gained about 5 points. But the market found itself on the downward curve.

Of the 248 traded securities on the DSE, 74 advanced, 167 declined and seven remained unchanged.

A total of 2,10,68,892 shares worth Tk 254.39 crore changed hands on the premier bourse.

Beximco Pharma topped the turnover leaders on the DSE with 22,48,250 traded shares worth Tk 37.06 crore. The other turnover leaders were Shinepukur Ceramics, Beximco, Summit Power, Titas Gas, Aftab Automobiles, Quasem Drycells, Eastern Housing, S Alam Cold Rolled Steel and Grameen Mutual Fund One: Scheme Two.

Chittagong stocks also posted a fall. The CSE Selective Categories Index dropped 33.92 points, or 0.63 percent, to 5,286.28 points. The CSE All Share Price Index also slid 42.37 points, or 0.51 percent, to 8,138.67 points.

A total of 35,77,105 shares worth Tk 32.69 crore changed hands on the Chittagong Stock Exchange. Of the 145 traded scrips on the port city bourse, 35 advanced, 102 declined and nine remain unchanged.

Beximco Pharma topped the turnover leaders on the CSE with 2,34,400 traded shares worth Tk 3.87 crore. The other turnover leaders were Shinepukur Ceramics, Beximco, Eastern Housing, AIMS 1st Mutual Fund, BSRM Steels, Grameen Mutual Fund One: Scheme Two, Meghna Petroleum, Bextex and Jamuna Oil.

Do you think that Bangladesh is out of Asia?????????

Lowering food price

2009-01-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

Bangladesh Govt. is trying to lower the food price in Bangladesh . This is a new effort to reduce sugar price.

The government cut down the price of sugar at dealer level by Tk 3,000 per tonne for nine days “in public interest”.

In an official announcement yesterday, the government said the cut price would also apply to distribution under the quota system.

According to the reset rate, the ex-mill price of sugar will be Tk 30,000 coming down from the present price of Tk 33,000 a tonne.

“The new price will remain effective for nine days from January 28,” it said.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Industries Minister Dilip Barua.

As the cut-down price will now come down to Tk 30 per kg at dealer level, the government hoped that the measure would also help reduce sugar prices at consumer level.

Double pressure

2009-01-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

Now USA is creating double pressure on them . Lets see what they do.......

The US has deducted $55 million out of the $156 million bill set by Pakistan for rendering its military services to fight against Taliban and al-Qaeda in volatile bordering tribal areas adjacent to war-torn Afghanistan.

Shaukat Tarin, a financial adviser in the prime minister's office, said the US had "changed the format" for money released under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Islamabad, resulting in a "massive" deduction.

Pakistan, a key US ally in the fight terrorism, has mobilised its more than 100,000 troops in tribal areas to contain Islamic militants launching cross-border attacks on international forces in Afghanistan, and bills US for the expenditure.

The cut in its reimbursements is a setback to the civilian government led by President Asif Ali Zardari, widower of assassinated former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto.

Tarin said Islamabad had taken the matter of the deducted money with Washington.

Pakistan joined the US-led international alliance against terrorism after the Sep 11, 2001 attacks on the US, with Islamabad getting some $297 million every year since 2003, in the form of Foreign Military Grants to quell the Taliban militancy.

But the authorities in Washington have said repeatedly that Islamabad was not doing enough to control Islamic insurgency in its ungoverned tribal region.

The new US government, led by President Barack Obama, has vowed to focus more on Pakistan in its policy to defeat Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. In its efforts, the new administration would link Pakistan's aid with the security in the border region in Afghanistan, the White House said in a policy statement last week.

Pakistan, which has recently avoided default by obtaining a $7.6 billion loan package from the IMF, is relying heavily on US to revive its economy.

The US has so far provided between $10 and $11 billion of aid for social development as well as in form of military aid. But Pakistan says it has suffered financial losses many times more than it has collectively received aid from American and its western allies after becoming front line state in the ongoing war against terrorism.

Food site

2009-01-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

FOOD LOVERS? GOOD NEWS FOR YOU.

Recently a new web portal has been created, which gives you the informations about foods , its locations, price, as well as it will give you the opportunity for booking restaurants of Bangladesh as well as abroad.

It will also collect news about recent food lists of different restaurants of the world.

So choose now which food and where you wish to have your dinner or lunch or even breakfast.

Join now banglarestora.com

Software

2009-01-28T00:48:00.000-08:00

Now a days we are using a lot of softwares.

There is a recently added software for Bangla writing. Previously the other softwares were too difficult to use and also a bit time consuming.

To solve the problem "Avru Software " came to you . It is a UNICODE Software .

You can write it , using mouse also. The interesting thing is that its fonts and letters are adjusted with english letters.

Example : If you write in English " Sarkar "you will find that in Bangali it is "সারকার"।

If you write " Ami Bangladeshi" in Bangali it will show " আমি বাংলাদেশি"

Very funny , isn't it ?

Its free and download now from. omicronlab.com .

New Pak Captain

2009-01-28T00:43:00.001-08:00

Pakistan has changed their captain and set a new captain.

May be they needed it.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday replaced Shoaib Malik with Younis Khan as captain of the national cricket team after a humiliating defeat against Sri Lanka, its chairman said.

Malik led Pakistan to their worst one-day defeat -- by 234 runs -- in the third and final one-day international in Lahore on Saturday to give Sri Lanka a 2-1 series win.

"Malik has accepted to step down after the Sri Lanka defeat and we have appointed Younis as the new captain for an indefinite period," PCB chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters.

"We haven't sacked Malik. In fact, I met Malik and told him about the situation, as the whole nation felt disappointed over the team's poor performance and a lot of people wanted a change," said Butt.

"That is why I requested Malik to step down and he gracefully accepted."

Malik was appointed captain after Pakistan's first round exit from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. His tenure as captain was extended for an indefinite period earlier this month.

However, the 2-1 series defeat against Sri Lanka sparked furious reaction in cricket-mad Pakistan.

The sports committee of the Senate also summoned Malik, coach Intikhab Alam and chief selector Abdul Qadir on February 9 to explain the defeat.

Butt said coach Alam and team manager Yawar Saeed were also asked to submit a detailed report on the team's loss.

Asked about Younis refusing the captaincy on two previous occasions, Butt said the player must have had his reasons.

"He (Younis) must have some reasons for not taking the captaincy," said Butt, referring to when Younis refused to lead Pakistan after the team's exit from the 2007 World Cup citing personal reasons.

Younis also refused to lead the team in the Champions Trophy held in India in October 2006, just a day after he was appointed skipper, saying he did not want to be a dummy captain.

He was reinstated captain, however, for the Trophy after Nasim Ashraf replaced Shaharyar Khan as PCB chairman.

Malik led Pakistan in 36 one-day internationals -- 12 defeats and 24 wins -- including a Pakistan record 12-match winning streak.

Malik also led Pakistan in three Tests, losing two and drawing one.

In contrast, the 31-year-old Younis has led Pakistan in six one-day matches, winning two and losing four.

Younis will resume duties in the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka next month.

History for Murali

2009-01-28T00:38:00.000-08:00

Today may be the day for Murali. He is just a bit away from recording a history.

Lets have a look.............

Sri Lankan ace spinner Muttiah Muralidaran, who is already the world's leading taker of Test wickets, is poised to become the leading bowler in one-day internationals.

Barring injury or a spectacular sudden loss of form for the 36-year-old, that new record is likely to come in the five-match one-day series against India, starting here on Wednesday.

Already the world's leading wicket-taker in Tests with 769 scalps in 125 matches, the off-spinner needs just three wickets to surpass former Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram's mark of 502 in one-day internationals.

"We will be very happy when he gets the record. It is another milestone for him and another one for Sri Lankan cricket," Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene told reporters on Tuesday.

"Everyone knows the amount of hard work he has put in over the last 16 years, going through a lot of hardship. Now, after a few games, or even tomorrow, he might hold the records in both Tests and one-dayers.

"That's an amazing effort for a guy who started as a fast bowler and then turned into an off-spinner."

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he was sure the "champion" Sri Lankan spinner would complete a bowling double in the series, but his team would make him work hard for the record.

"He is a brilliant bowler and has been very consistent. He is a champion bowler," said Dhoni.

Jayawardene said his team was keen to clinch a fourth successive one-day series after beating Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

"India are a very competitive side. They pose a tough challenge for us and we are looking forward to that," he said.

"Their batting looks better this time, with Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag returning to the one-day squad. I think batting will be their strength. They also have two good pacemen (Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma)."

India won the last one-day series 3-2 in Sri Lanka without Tendulkar, Sehwag and Sharma, who were injured.

The Sri Lankan captain, without a half-century in his last 12 one-dayers, said he had been working hard on his batting and hoped to regain form.

"I'd like to get more runs and contribute more to the team's totals. This is something I have been working really hard. I hope I get it right against the Indians," said Jayawardene.

Indian captain Dhoni said his team had to adapt to the conditions early.

"We have two experienced players (Tendulkar and Sehwag) with us this time. A lot depends on the conditions here and we have to adapt quickly."

ICL vs PCB

2009-01-28T00:33:00.000-08:00

Basically if there are 2 countries who lost good players due to ICL cricket tournaments, are

PAKISTAN

BANGLADESH

So, there should be some negotiation indeed.

Pakistan's Indian Cricket League (ICL) recruits have finally restarted a legal process to fight the bans imposed on them by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from playing domestic and international cricket.

A letter has been sent by the legal firm of retired judge Fakhruddin G Ebrahim to the PCB on Tuesday on behalf of the players. Currently, however, the communication is not "a legal notice", a board official said.

"No legal action is being taken just yet but we have received a letter from the firm," the official told Cricinfo. "The letter asks us why we have banned them and under what rules."

The board has not responded yet, though it is understood the issue will be brought up at the ICC executive board meeting due to take place in Perth on January 31. Only after a clearer picture emerges from there will they respond to the queries.

The move comes more than a year after a group of ICL players, led by Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar, first attempted to take the matter to court. They started the process towards the end of 2007 but it then petered out. The process has started again, said a prominent ICL player, because the environment is ripe for it.

"We tried doing it in 2007 but Nasim Ashraf [the then PCB chairman] had too many connections in the government of the time," the player told Cricinfo. "Whenever we did something or tried, it would come up against a dead end because Ashraf would use his friends in power to stop proceedings. So we decided to just wait it out till the government changed. Now it has and so has the administration and we feel, from the comments they have made, that we can progress this time."

The current board administration under Ijaz Butt has been far more ambiguous about the ban on the players than the one under Ashraf and seems far more willing to look for ways out of the situation. Pakistan has 19 players in the ICL -- some of them, like Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Yousuf, still good enough to play for the country.

Javed Miandad, the PCB's director-general, has openly called for the bans to be removed claiming they hurt Pakistan and are only in place to appease BCCI interests. Butt, however, has been vague and often confused over the stance. He insists it is up to the ICC to resolve the matter and that the PCB does not want to ban the players.

"We don't want our players to be banned because they have contracts with the ICL," Butt said on a TV show two weeks ago. "But unfortunately we can't do anything unless the ICC changes its stance on this issue.

"The PCB has not directly banned the players, We have banned them under the ICC rules," he said. "The rules state that no tournament can be held without the home board's permission and, in the case of the ICL, the Indian board [BCCI] does not recognise it as it runs its own league, the IPL."

We now hope its end.

Now football vs alcohol

2009-01-28T00:29:00.000-08:00

Last day I reported that there was a cricket player who had to go to the rehabilitation centre for the 2nd time and now choose either cricket or alcohol.

Today another player had to pay for drinking.

Chelsea and Nigeria's John Obi Mikel has been charged with drinking and driving, police confirmed Monday.

The 21-year-old was stopped by police at 5.30am (0530GMT) on Saturday, after being seen driving his Range Rover "erratically" near his club's ground in London's Fulham Road.

Mikel was not a member of the Chelsea team which beat Ipswich 3-1 at home in the FA Cup fourth round later Saturday.

He is due to appear at West London Magistrates' Court on April 3.

Cricket vs Alcohol

2009-01-27T01:25:00.000-08:00

Andrew Symonds, an Australian cricketer will now have to choose either he wishes to take cricket or alcohol . He possibly can't cut it out . Really a bad news for cricket.

Andrew Symonds will be sent to rehab for a second time in five months and not be considered for the Test tour to South Africa after his radio diatribe against Brendon McCullum.

Symonds's drinking woes and penchant for getting himself in trouble has CA power-brokers at breaking point, but they also have serious concerns about his state of mind, the 'Herald sun' reported.

During a rambling and alcohol-fuelled radio outburst on Friday, Symonds called New Zealand batsman McCullum a "lump of …." after New South Wales signed him for the final of the domestic Twenty20 competition.

Who is for Whom

2009-01-27T01:16:00.000-08:00

Did Who did try to do that for our help or else? Think about it . Here what happened.......

Adviser to Prime Minister Syed Modasser Ali stressed the need for ensuring quality, safety and efficacy of medicines to protect public health, says a press release.

The country will continue to participate in World Health Organisation (WHO) initiatives to address the public health problems posed by sub-standard, spurious and falsely labelled medical products, he added.

The adviser made these points while addressing the ongoing 124th Session of the Executive Board Meeting of WHO in Geneva.

Modasser said it would be unacceptable to Bangladesh to introduce issues relating to intellectual property infringements or trademark violations under the pretext of combating “counterfeit” medical products.

Such misplaced attempts, going beyond the mandates of WHO, would affect the supply of generic drugs in developing countries and harm their pharmaceutical industries.

The adviser's firm position in this regard led to the rejection of the WHO report and draft resolution on the issue of 'counterfeit medical products' placed for the board's consideration.

Bangladesh is a member on the 34-member WHO Executive Board for 2008-11.

It was widely apprehended that the controversial draft resolution would have had adverse implications for the growth of pharmaceutical industries in the country.

The debate over the WHO report on 'counterfeit' medical products was generated by the activities and recommendations made by the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeit Taskforce (IMPACT) within the WHO Secretariat.

Syed Modasser Ali questioned the legitimacy of IMPACT as it was not duly endorsed by WHO members, saying that the IMPACT definition of 'counterfeits' could also include legally produced generic drugs.
How nice!!!!!!!!!!!

Corrupted politics

2009-01-27T01:09:00.000-08:00

The most common political violence is the violence by the govt. party against opposition party members in Bangladesh.

Now we are to observe it . Another example is here. Possibly will last for 5 more years.

Awami League cadres allegedly kidnapped a BNP man at Naldanga of Natore yesterday and demanded ransom for his release.

Some AL cadres, including Dulal and Mamtaz, went to the house of BNP supporter Abdur Rahman at Hapania Basbhag village in a motorbike at around 11:00 am and picked him up.

Before leaving the scene, the AL cadres told Rahman's son Abdul Mannan to send them Tk 10,000 for release of his father.

Mannan complained to police who refused to record any case in this regard.

When contacted, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Naldanga Police Station said Rahman borrowed money from Dulal and Mamtaz. They are his relatives and he was refusing to pay them off.

“How can it be an abduction case if his relatives took him to their house for getting back the money?” the OC posed.

In another incident, at least ten people were injured as AL men attacked the house of Natore sadar BNP's acting general secretary Akhtaruzzaman Hares at Laxmipur Kholabaria village on Sunday night.

Earlier in the evening, the villagers caught AL activist Roky Mia and beat him up when he along with a gang of masked men attempted to kidnap Aktaruzzaman's nephew Jahirul Islam.

AL men later attacked Aktaruzzaman's house, beat up his family members and ransacked his house.

Aktaruzzaman was admitted to Natore Sadar Hospital. A case has been lodged.

The question is that ,will the guilty get punishment or reward from govt? We are awaiting their movement.

New here

2009-01-27T00:50:00.000-08:00

Yea ,this is to be happened.
Awami League lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi has made himself controversial in less than a month of his election from Cox's Bazar-4 (Ukhia-Teknaf).

Aggrieved with his atrocities in the area, many locals have started calling him another 'Joynal Hazari'.

At an election rally of his favourite chairman candidate Shafique Miah at Sabrang School ground on January 18, Bodi threatened of an 'earthquake' in Teknaf if the chairman and vice chairman candidates backed by him are not elected in January 22 election, said witnesses and a few candidates for the posts.

Gias Uddin, assistant presiding officer of Sufia Community School centre at Hnila Phoolerdail village, on January 22 night filed a case with Teknaf Police Station accusing Bodi of beating election officials.

“In the face of death threat given by Bodi, I fled to Cox's Bazar town from Teknaf under police escort on Friday morning,” Awami League rebel chairman candidate Sona Ali said at a press conference at Cox's Bazar town on Saturday.

“Bodi entered at least 10 polling centres and put seal on ballot papers in favour of his chosen candidates. He also beat assistant presiding officer at Sufia Community School Centre Banshiram Dey, presiding officer of Naikhhongchhari centre Abu Ahmed and assistant presiding officer of Natun Pallan Para centre Mohammad Ayub,” Sona Ali said.

Three other chairman and vice chairman candidates who lost Teknaf upazila polls- BNP leader Mohammad Abdullah, vice chairman candidates Md Afsar Uddin and Tahera Begum at a press conference at Cox's Bazar Press Club Saturday afternoon demanded cancellation of the results of Teknaf upazila polls and re-election. Earlier they also submitted appeal to the Election Commission with the same demand.

“After being elected lawmaker, Abdur Rahman Bodi started torturing the opposition workers and supporters in a medieval style,” chairman candidate Mohammad Abdullah said.

Denying all the allegations against him, Bodi said an anti-Awami League quarter got the case filed against him to tarnish the image of the government.

Bodi, who was detained after the declaration of emergency in January 2007, got release in November last year.

With grand alliance ticket, Abdur Rahman Bodi was elected lawmaker in December 29 election defeating his nearest rival four-party alliance candidate Shahjahan Chowdhury.

Hopeless

2009-01-27T00:45:00.000-08:00

This year, people wished that there will be a massive change in politics in Bangladesh. But from the very beginning, Al(Awami League) and its other organizations started several crime through out the whole country. Possibly people will now remember , what did they do during 1996-2001.

After Awami League-led grand alliance came to the power, the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Rajshahi University unit have involved themselves in criminal activities like toll collection and kidnapping on the campus

Many teachers and general students of the university expressed concern at such illegal activities of the BCL men.

Some BCL leaders, residing at different dormitories have also exerted their influence on the general students and halls administration.

Many shop owners on the campus have alleged the BCL activists collect toll from them regularly and commit crimes on the campus exercising their political influence.

Sources said, some BCL activists, who are not students of the university, are also involved in kidnapping and snatching on the campus.

Earlier on January 22, a group of BCL activists picked up an admission seeker from the campus, took him to a nearby students' mess and snatched Tk 5,000 from him.

'After six hours' confinement, the BCL activists released me', the victim, Yasin Arafat, told newsman on the campus.

On January 21, a group of BCL men collected Tk 500 in toll from each shops at stadium market on the campus.

On January 16, some BCL cadres beat up two journalists in front of the folklore department during their professional duties.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and some left-leaning student organisations have criticised the role of police administration and the university authorities, saying that they are patronising the unruly BCL men.

They also alleged that police are yet to take any legal action against the BCL men involved in criminal activities.

When contacted, BCL RU unit president Ibrahim Hossain Moon said they will take actions against the BCL men involved in criminal acts.

Jahangir Hossain, assistant commissioner of police Motiher zone, said,"We will investigate the allegations against BCL actvists before taking any legal action.”

All are same in USA

2009-01-27T00:37:00.000-08:00

People thought that Barack Obama would be a bit polite with the terrorist issue , so that the terrorists can realize their deed and get the chance to recover. But in vain man . All US authorities are same. Instead of gatting the help form Pakistan, USA is now ready to attack Pakistan.

Possibly Pakistan is going to be the next Afghanistan and will be destroyed soon.

US Vice President Joseph R Biden has reiterated President Barack Obama's campaign stand that US would not hesitate to attack actionable targets "of high-level al-Qaeda personnel" inside Pakistan.

Appearing on CBS's 'Face the Nation' programme Sunday, he also declined to respond to a question whether the US would notify Pakistan before any cross-border movements for action in its territory.

"I can't speak to any particular attack. I can't speak to any particular action. It's not appropriate for me to do that," Biden said when asked whether last week's reported attack by an American drone on an al-Qaeda force in Pakistan indicated a continuation of former President George Bush's policy.

"But I can say that the president of the United States said during his campaign and in the debates that if there is an actionable target, of a high-level al-Qaeda personnel, that he would not hesitate to use action to deal with that.

When asked if the US would notify Islamabad before any such cross- border movements, he said: "I always try to be completely candid with you, but I can't respond to that question. I'm not going to respond to that question."

Biden, who recently visited Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq as a senator before being sworn in, said the good news from his last trip was that there is a great deal more cooperation going on now between the Pakistan military in its tribal area that has been ungovernable for the Pakistani government.

Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) -- "Waziristan, North Waziristan -- all that area we hear about, that is really sort of ungovernable. Not sort of, it's been ungovernable for the Pakistani government," Biden said.

"That's where the bad guys are hiding. That's where the al-Qaeda folks are, and some other malcontents."

"And so what we're doing is we're in the process of working with the Pakistanis to help train up their counterinsurgency capability of their military, and we're getting new agreements with them about how to deal with cross-border movements of these folks, so we're making progress."

In Afghanistan too "things are going to get tougher before they get better," Biden said.

What's happened, he said, is that because of a "failure to provide sufficient resources, economic, political and military," the situation has deteriorated a great deal and "Taliban is in effective control of significant parts of the country they were not before."

Pak vs Taliban

2009-01-27T00:33:00.000-08:00

Now Pakistan has started a war with Taliban .

Pakistan's military is battling extremists loyal to radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah who have launched a violent campaign to introduce Islamic Sharia law.

The authorities placed several towns under indefinite curfew late Sunday and issued a warning that "anybody violating the curfew will be shot at sight."

The move came after Fazlullah, in a speech over his FM radio station, released the names of 40 people including ministers, MPs and local government officials "wanted" by the Taliban.

Troops shot dead a civilian for violating the curfew in Chaharbagh town, a police official said.

Three others, including a woman, were killed when security forces pounded suspected militant hideouts in the same area, the official said, requesting anonymity.

A military spokesman confirmed that an anti-militant operation was underway in the northwestern valley.

"Troops launched an operation against miscreants in Chaharbagh and Manglore areas and (are) targeting their hideouts with artillery, mortars and small arms," major Nasir Khan said.

In his radio speech, Fazlullah said: "These people encouraged military operations in the area and are responsible for the killings of Taliban and civilians," adding that they would be tried in Taliban courts.

Authorities downplayed the threat. "The government will not bow before these miscreants," provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told AFP.

Militants meanwhile blew up a boys school on the outskirts of the valley's main town of Mingora and also attacked a girls school in the city, security officials said, adding that "troops repulsed the attack."

Swat, once a popular destination for Pakistani and foreign holidaymakers, has descended into chaos in recent months, with pitched battles between militants and security forces.

Meanwhile, paramilitary troops were deployed on the streets of Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta Monday to quell violent protests against the killing of a Shia Muslim politician, police said.

Gunmen riding on a motorbike shot dead Ghulam Hassan Yousufi, a prominent Shia figure, in an attack claimed by a banned Sunni extremist group.

"The Frontier Corps (FC) has been called to assist local police control the law and order situation," senior police official Wazir Khan Nasir told AFP.

He said police were questioning at least 18 people arrested for suspected links to the assassins.

Chess

2009-01-27T00:29:00.000-08:00

Bangladeshi grand Master , has drawn.

Grand Master Niaz Murshed slipped to second position in the First Gurgaon Open International Chess tournament after the end of sixth round in Haryana yesterday.

Niaz dropped another half-a-point when he drew with Ukrainian GM Yuriy Kozobov to secure five points to share the second spot along with thirteen other players.

FIDE Master Mohammad Javed and Debaraj Chatterjee have four points each while Mohammad Ali and Monir Hossain bagged 3.5 points each.

In the sixth round, Debaraj drew with IM Akshayraj Kore of India, Monir beat Joydeep Sharma of India, Javed lost against IM R.R. Laxman of India and Ali lost against IM Himanshu Sharma of India.

Congrats Murali

2009-01-27T00:22:00.000-08:00

Congratulation to Mutiah Muralidharan. You gained it and going to create history.

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralidaran is poised to complete a record bowling double during the one-day series against India starting on Wednesday.

The off-spinner is just three wickets short of surpassing former Pakistani paceman Wasim Akram's world record of 502 one-day scalps, having grabbed 500 in 324 matches so far.

Muralidaran, already the world's leading bowler in Tests with 769 wickets in 125 matches, will become only the second player after Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar to hold two major cricketing records.

Tendulkar is the top run-getter in both Tests (12,429) and one-day internationals (16,422).

Muralidaran will once again be the focus during the five-match series against India as Sri Lanka pin their hopes on him to avenge their 3-2 defeat against Mahendra Dhoni's men at home last August.

The off-spinner appeared in good form in a recent series in Pakistan, taking six wickets in three matches which Sri Lanka 2-1.

The spinner said he was focused more on winning matches for his team than the world record.

"The milestones are not that important for me. Winning as a team is far more important. If these milestones come along, I am happy," Muralidaran said in a recent interview.

India will have to deal with a pair of quality spinners as Ajantha Mendis has formed a formidable combination with Muralidaran since making his one-day debut in the West Indies last year.

Unorthodox spinner Mendis played a major role in his team's 2-1 Test series victory over India at home last year when he claimed 26 wickets -- the highest by a debutant in a three-match series.

India opener Gautam Gambhir, one of the few batsmen to keep Mendis at bay in the Test series, said the team were better prepared this time to counter the Sri Lankan.

"We did not know what was coming out of his hand and how much variations he had," said Gambhir.

"But when you play constantly against the same bowler, tackling him becomes easier. This time, we will start on an even platform against him."

Mendis recently became the fastest to complete 50 wickets in one-dayers, achieving the feat in only 19 matches. He has also claimed 19 wickets in six one-dayers against India.

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene was happy his team's faltering batting line-up came good in Pakistan where they posted 309-5 in the deciding match in Lahore on Saturday.

"The batting has started to click again and this is a good sign before we take on India," said Jayawardene.

India's batting will be boosted by the return of Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar, who both missed the last one-day series in Sri Lanka due to injuries.

The tourists also hold an edge in pace bowling with Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan in impressive form. The duo were instrumental in India's recent home Test series wins against Australia and England.

"India is shaping well in both forms of the game," said Jayawardene. "We beat them in the Tests, but lost the one-day series. Hopefully, we will turn things around this time.

The Sri Lankan captain is himself searching for form with 28 being his top score in the last 12 one-dayers.

Claim of Asif

2009-01-27T00:13:00.000-08:00

Pakistani bowler, Md. Asif, Who was accused for taking forbidden drugs has now claimed that he is innocent and denies about his involvement in drug intake.

Suspended fast bowler Mohammad Asif on Monday claimed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) Drugs Tribunal has accepted his argument that the banned substance found in his urine sample was due to the herbal eye drops he had used.

"The IPL drug tribunal has accepted my argument that it were the eye drops which I used that contained nandrolone," Asif said on his return from Mumbai after his IPL hearing.

The hearing into the doping charges against him was adjourned on Saturday to a later date and he said he would be cleared.

"I am quite hopeful that I will be cleared. It's up to the tribunal now, but my doctors and lawyers have strongly pleaded the case," Asif said.

The tribunal, which included former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, lawyer Shirish Gupte and Dr. Ravi Bapat, heard the Pakistan paceman's case for more than four hours on Saturday before deciding to meet again.

Asif, who has denied any wrongdoing at the hearing, was granted a release from his IPL contract with the Daredevils last Monday, and he said he requested for it as he wanted to devote tome to play for Pakistan.

"I just want to focus on playing for Pakistan and that was the only reason I quit my IPL contract," Asif said.

ICC Top 10 Bowlers

2009-01-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

WOW,2 BANGLADESHIES ARE NOW IN TOP 10 ICC BOWLERS.

** Its a great news for us that, not only Shakib is now the 1st all-rounder in the world but also he is the 6th ODI bowler of the world .Besides, Mashrafee Bin Mortaza , another Bangladeshi Bowler is now on 9th .

** Lets have a look at the ODI bowlers ranking...................

D.L. Vettori
K.M.D.N Kulasekara
N.W. Bracken
M. Muralidaran
K.D. Mills
Shakib Al Hasan ........................................
M.G. Johnson
S.C.J. Broad
Mashrafe Mortaza
A. Flintoff

War against war

2009-01-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

Yeh there is model of protesting war.It has now been started.A good style indeed.

Students of Dhaka University (DU) at a rally yesterday condemned the ongoing wars all over the world and demanded an end to the bloodshed.

A total of 18 organisations, including Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan, Odhikar, Jago Nari Foundation, Bangladesh Math Foundation, ICT Journalists' Forum, Bangladesh Photographers, Prabhatferi and Banglar Mukh participated at the programme, jointly organised by Slogan' 71 and World March for Peace and Non-violence, at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla on Dhaka University campus.

DU teachers Prof Dalem Chandra Barman, Dr M Wahiduzzaman and Dr Zenat Huda, singers Andrew Kishor, Fahmida Nabi and human rights activist Dilruba Sharmin joined the programme.

After the rally, students posted the declaration paper of the rally addressing the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the university's post office.

Meanwhile, Prabhatferi, an organisation formed by a group of DU students, brought out a procession and held a cultural programme on Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) premises demanding trial of the war criminals.

Thanks

2009-01-26T00:40:00.000-08:00

Basically we need the help to prevent maternal death specially for the rural areas.

Health and Family Welfare Minister AFM Ruhal Haque yesterday urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to extend its support to the developing countries to reduce maternal and reproductive health-related deaths.

They have also sought necessary help from WHO and other development partners to implement e-health programme to make a digital Bangladesh by 2021, he added.

Ruhal said they have taken an initiative to restart community clinics throughout the country, the initiative was taken in the earlier regime of AL, and sought assistance from the organisation for its effective implementation.

The minister said this at a press briefing at the conference room of the ministry after attending at the 124th session of its executive board in Geneva.

He further said that they have already got the clearance of appointing over 6000 health assistances and they will be trained after their appointments.

Ruhal said they have also sought assistance of WHO to set up drug testing laboratory to increase the strength of exporting essential drugs.

"If we are able to set up a drug testing laboratory, it will be possible to export a huge number of essential drugs to other countries," he added.

Replying to a question, the minister said a health policy will be formulated after discussing with all stakeholders.

Apart from the WHO session, he also held a meeting with its South-east Asian director and bilateral talks with the health ministers of China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and Mali.

The director appreciated the Vision 2021 programme of the Bangladesh government and gave assurance of providing their all-out supports to implement different targets, he mentioned.

Nation Plz wake up

2009-01-26T00:37:00.000-08:00

We need to wake up friends and stop those what we did yet in corruption.

The function titled 'Desher Jonno' (for the country) was organised by advertising firm 'de coordinator' at Sultana Kamal Sports Complex at Dhanmondi in the city where around 8000 students vowed to work to this end, says a press release.

“Corruption is the main reason behind social erosion. We hope that the youths will not engage in corruption. We must resist corruption together,” said M Hafizuddin Khan of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

Deputy Editor of the daily Prothom Alo and novelist Anisul Hoque said, “This country is our mother saved by the freedom fighters in 1971. Now is the time for the youths to work for the wellbeing of our motherland.”

Calling upon the youths to establish a culture of going by law, eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain said respect for law and unity among youths is very important for building the nation.

Ain O Salish Kendra Executive Director Advocate Sultana Kamal said repression on women and throwing acid on them are the most coward-like acts and it is the youths who can promise not to resort to any such works.

The students in the huge gathering harmonised with her, saying “No” to these violent actions.

Organisers said this is the first time they have organised such a programme to create social awareness among the youths and they will continue to do so in future.

Singers Mahmuduzzaman Babu, Milon Mahmud, Tapash, Topu and Dipta performed at the function.

The gathering stood up for a minute to pay respect to the motherland.

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, newly elected lawmaker Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapash, novelist Selina Hossain, Janata Bank Director Dr Fahmida Khatun, dramatist Mostafa Sarwar Farouqi, advertisement maker Amitav Reza, journalists Saiduzzaman Rawshan and Ferdous Faisal, Scholars Bangladesh Chief Executive ME Chowdhury Shamim, film director Giasuddin Selim, Daffodil Group Chairman Sabur Khan, REHAB President Tanveerul Hoque Probal, Mutual Trust Bank Ltd Managing Director Kazi Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman, Asset Development Managing Director FR Khan, Otobi Ltd Managing Director Animesh Kundu, Panjeree Publications Director Kamrul Hasan Shayok, Emirates Airlines Country Manager Hanif Zakaria, Hotel Sonargaon Director Quazi Rakibuddin Ahmed and HSBC Bangladesh CSR Manager M Sami Hafiz were also present.

Fight for life in Bangladesh

2009-01-26T00:32:00.000-08:00

Fight for life in Bangladesh?

With serious acid injuries inflicted by husband, a housewife of Safderpur village in Kotchandpur Upazila is fighting for life at the local health complex.

Police quoted the victim, Josna Khatun, as saying that her husband Helal Khan beat up her before pouring acid on her face on Friday noon. Helal used to torture her for dowry since marriage in 2000, she said.

Hearing screams of Joshna, neighbours rushed to the spot, rescued the victim and sent her to Kotchandpur Health Complex where she was undergoing treatment as of filing of the report yesterday afternoon.

When contacted, victim's father Amin Uddin said he had given Tk 10,000 to his son-in-law as dowry. But he wanted more money and tortured her daughter regularly.

The officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotchandpur Police Station said they are trying to arrest the culprit.