Bengal News Archive OCTOBER: 2008

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Durga Puja to spark off as Eid winds down

<< Preparations for Durga Puja are almost complete.Photo was taken from Dakeshary Mondir on Saturday. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Dhaka, 4 October : Durga Puja, the largest religious festival for Hindus in Bangladesh, begins Sunday as Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, the major religious event for Muslims, wind down.
The five-day festivities are formally launched with 'Devi Bodhon', when the goddess Durga, wife of Shiva, is invited to visit earth.
Durga Puja is officially recognised as a government holiday, with festivals organised in every district centre, as well as in the thanas and villages. In 2007, over 20,000 separate Puja festivals were held in Bangladesh.
Puja preparations over the weekend included erecting pavilions or pandals for worship, and artists giving the final decorating touches to idols of the goddess Durga in Old Dhaka among many other places in the capital and countrywide.Spectacular pandals have been erected in a line from Shakaribazar to Tatibazar and Laxmibazar in the old city. Puja preparations were also completed over the weekend in the festival hotspots of Dhakeswari and Ramna Kali temples as well as Dhaka University's Jagannath Hall.
Durga Puja, one of the most important events in the Bengali Hindu calendar.
The Puja is more than just a religious festival, however, it is a cultural event in Bangladesh and West Bengal.
Eden College, Banani playground, Sri Sri Ram Sita Temple in the old city, Shiva Temple in Thatari Bazar, Bhagabati Temple, Pranab Moth, Northbruck Hall Jamidar Bari, Banagram Tarun Sangsad, North and South Mesindi, Narendra Basak Lane, Madan Mohon Temple in Hamanto Das Lane, Rupchan Das Lane, Sri Sri Jamuna Mi Ashram and Siddheswari Kali Temple are among the major festival spots of Durga Puja in Dhaka.

Tripura Jail torture to be probed

Agartala, 25 October : The Tripura Women’s Commission has taken suo moto cognisance of allegations of torture on a woman jailed for life for murder, by sub-jailer Bela Dutta inside Agartala Central Jail.

Jail commissioner B.K. Roy has ordered a probe against Dutta, who allegedly beat up Doli Nama-Das severely on 16 October for refusing to do her personal work without pay. Roy told the media this morning that he would make a statement only after receiving a report from jailer Gopal Chakraborty who has been entrusted with the probe.

The report will be submitted by Monday. The chairperson of the Tripura women’s commission, Tapati Chakraborty, said: “A team of the commission headed by me will visit the jail tomorrow to meet Doli and other women inmates to know about their condition.”

Roy alleged that a section of Tripura jail staff was indulging in corrupt practices.

According to him, the jail staff pilfer the inmates’ food, too. He alleged that a section of prisoners regularly get liquor and cigarettes from outside. Some jail inmates even have access to mobile phones, Roy alleged.

Rain could triggers mosquito disease

Kolkata, 26 October : The out-of-season rain could worsen the microbial siege of Kolkata, experts warned today as malaria killed a woman and a double dengue-malaria strike left a child seriously ill.Saraswati Biswas, 53, of Chetla is probably the 11th Kolkatan killed by mosquito-borne infections in October. Today 23 trainee nurse of Kolkata's LDV Hospital have been reported with Dengue infections.

The city is facing a simultaneous outbreak of malaria, dengue, encephalitis and chikungunya ; although civic and state health officials could not provide incidence figures — and must brace for worse.

“The rainfall will cause fresh water to accumulate, helping the breeding of mosquito larvae. This can lead to further spread of diseases,” said Amitabha Nandi, director, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Parasitology.

Met officials forecast heavy rain till Monday and possibly on Tuesday too.

“We have asked our vector-control teams to work overtime,” said Deb Dwaipayan Chattopadhyay, Kolkata's chief municipal health officer.

The city reported three more patients yesterday, with Isha Ghosh, 7, of Mominpur testing positive for dengue and malaria. Biswarup Dutta, in his 20s, of Behala has dengue and Biren Singh, 60, a shanty-dweller from near the FB block market, became Salt Lake’s first confirmed chikungunya patient.

“The Kolkata civic body hardly ever sprays mosquito repellents here,” said a neighbour in Behala. The outbreaks have highlighted several lapses by civic and state health officials are :

> Spraying of repellents irregular in large city areas

> No surveillance of any type of fever

> Deaf ear to World Health Organisation warning of mosquito-borne diseases because of late onset of monsoon

> Hardly any awareness drive against water accumulation

> Dengue test-kit shortage in state-run hospitals

A health official passed the buck : “The civic authorities should have acted faster.”

11 cases of chikungunya in Hooghly

Chunchura, 26 October : Eleven cases of chikungunya have been detected in Hooghly district. The affected blocks are Singur, Chanditala and Khanakul. Those afflicted are being treated at home.

“We sent 30 blood samples for tests to the School of Tropical Medicine in Kolkata. Eleven tested positive for chikungunya. This is the first time chikungunya has been detected in Hooghly,” said Bhusan Chakraborty, the chief medical officer of health.

District health officials said 104 residents of Chanditala, 187 of Singur and 133 of Khanakul had high fever. Doctors in the three blocks said the patients were being treated for fever, joint pains, rashes, nausea and vomiting — all symptoms of the viral infection.

Purulia, 26 October : Two persons in Purulia were detected with suspected dengue today.

Cyclone "Rashmi" brings rain rage

Cyclone may cross Khulna-Barisal coast tomorrow

Kolkata/Dhaka, 26 October : A cyclone called Rashmi is inching towards coastal Bengal, carrying with it the threat of heavy rain in Kolkata though the city does not fall in the storm’s path projected till late this evening.

The deep depression, hanging over the northwest Bay of Bengal since noon moved away to the north Bay and its adjoining area at 3 pm today and was likely to sail over the Khulna-Barisal coast tomorrow morning or noon, and headed for the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast near Sagar Island.a met bulletin said.

“The cyclone now lies about 350km south of Kolkata and 550km west-south west of Chittagong port and expected to hit the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast on Monday morning. The cyclone has been named Rashmi,” said G.C. Debnath, the director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore, Kolkata. The maximum sustained wind speed within 48km of the depression centre is about 50 KMPH rising to 60 KMPH in gusts or squalls making the sea rough.The district magistrates of East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas and West Midnapore have been asked to take precautionary measures, West-Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta said. The WB state officials, however, held out the hope that the weather might improve on Kali Puja on Tuesday. “We expect sea waves to surge as high as two metres along the coast of South 24-Parganas and adjoining East Midnapore,” a Kolkata met official said.

In Bangladesh the maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three. All fishing boats and trawlers in the north Bay have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice, the Bangladesh met message said.Under its influence, squally weather shall prevail over the coastal areas and wind driven sea surges rising 3-5 feet above normal astronomical tides may inundate low-lying areas in the coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Luxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Bhola, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars.
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WCFFC submits objections to Jamaat electoral registration

Dhaka, 27 October : The War Crimes Facts Finding Committee, formed to probe atrocities during the 1971 liberation war, has stated formal objections to the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami as a party.

Copies of the statement have been submitted to the Election Commission and personally handed to the chief election commissioner, the committee's convenor Dr MA Hasan told reporters Monday.

The WCFFC in its written statement said that the party had been pursuing politics over a long period illegally and unconstitutionally as a branch of a foreign party and organisation, Dr Hasan told reporters after a meeting with CEC ATM Shamsul Huda.

A number of significant leaders of the party were involved in inhuman actions, war crimes and genocide during the liberation war through loyalty to Pakistan, They did not admit that they committed wrongdoing by opposing the liberation war. They did not seek apology he quoted the statement as saying.

At least 5 dead, many missing in Cyclon Storm Rashmi

Dhaka, 27 October : At least four people were killed in southern districts, and fisherman reported missing, in the wake of Cyclonic Storm Rashmi, which crossed the Khulna-Barisal coast in the early hours of Monday morning bringing torrential overnight rain and driving winds.

Bangladesh Coastal areas suffered damage to houses and crops due to severe winds, launch movements were halted on inland routes and many thousands took cover in cyclone shelters through the night as the storm neared the coast.

Moving northeast, Rashmi weakened into a land depression over Faridpur, Madaripur, Chandpur, Dhaka and adjoining areas, heading further inland, the weather office said in a special bulletin.The storm front began crossing the coast near Patharghata, with wind speeds of 60-80 KMPH, in the early hours of Monday. Mongla seaport and adjoining coastal areas were advised to hoist danger signal 7 in an early morning weather bulletin. As the storm weakened, moving inland, they were advised to lower the danger signal and hoist local cautionary signal 3.Chittagong and Cox's Bazar seaports were also advised to lower their earlier danger signal 6, and hoist cautionary signal 3. Chittagong port resumed operations from Monday morning.Four people were reported dead as the storm hit Bhola, Barisal and Shariatpur, local officials said.

In Bhola heavy rainfalls twinned with gusty winds continued till the early morning, with intermittent rainfall after 10am. Two deaths were reported, as the storm hit Sunday night, local officials said.

Patuakahli saw driving rain with cold winds, with ferry movements on all inland routes cancelled, As many as 6,000 houses were damaged in several upazilas and a number of fishermen were missing. Many people were seen to head for cyclone centres.

In Barisal, strong winds caused damage to homes, and one storm victim's body was recovered Monday morning, said bdnews24.com's correspondent. Thousands took cover in cyclone shelters overnight. The storm damaged 30 percent Aman crops in the district, one agricultural officer estimated.

In Shariatpur one person dead and many people injured after the cyclone hit on Monday morning. Some 80% crops were damaged during the time, an official said.

In Chittagong authorities allowed ship movement in the port after the danger signal was lowered to local cautionary signal 3. The district was experiencing sporadic rain since morning.

In Munshiganj ferry movement remained halted for 11 hours, and resuming from 11 am on Monday.

In Chandpur and Khulna thousands of homes and trees were damaged by the storm.

Out on bail, Czech insect dealer flees without passport

Darjeeling, 27 October : The Czech national, who had been sentenced to three years of imprisonment for collecting beetles from a national park, has fled the country without his passport.

A court order prevents him from leaving even Darjeeling district till the case is disposed off. Emil Kucera, who was out on bail so that he could appeal to a higher court, told Bengal News over the phone from the Czech Republic that the “absurdity” of the case had prompted him to flee.

“Yes, I am in the Czech Republic now,” the Czech forester said after he was tracked down on one of his close friend’s cellphone. “Why (I fled)…is an interesting question. There are no human rights there. The case was absurd. How could two people involved in the same case get two different judgments?”

Questions have arisen as how the Czech forester crossed the border as his passport is still in the court’s possession. There is a possibility that he had probably used the Nepal route, as the border there is porous. Earlier, it had come to light that he had used three different passports to enter India during his five visits between 1999 and 2008.Along with entomologist Petr Svacha, Kucera had been arrested on June 22 for collecting beetles from Singalila National Park, about 90km from here, without valid documents. While Svacha was let off with a fine of Rs 20,000 and was described as a “victim of circumstances” by the chief judicial magistrate, Kucera was awarded three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 60,000.Kucera’s lawyer T.K. Pandit said he was unaware of the development. “If he has already left the country, it is most unfair. Two of my juniors who were his guarantors will now have to pay Rs 6,000 to the court as fine. They had last met Kucera on 16 October….”

Vladislav Maly, the president of Czech Entomological Society, also emailed a letter to Bengal News confirming that Kucera had reached Czech Republic. A statement from Kucera, on the lines of what he said over the phone, has been attached to the mail. “With regard to the fact that I have had the feeling of not getting right for just court in Darjeeling I have decided to solve that difficult situation by my leaving. Nowadays I am in the Czech Republic,” the statement reads.Kucera has also apologised to the ministry of foreign affairs of his country and the Czech Embassy in India for the problems they might face because of his decision.The hotel will file a general dairy with the Sadar police station, stating that Kucera has not yet returned. Kucera had cleared his hotel bills till 23 October.

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At least 5 dead, many missing in Cyclon Rashmi
Dhaka, 28 October : At least six people were killed in southern districts, and dozens of fisherman reported missing, in the wake of Cyclonic Storm Rashmi, which crossed the Khulna-Barisal coast in the early hours of Monday morning bringing torrential overnight rain and driving winds.

Moving northeast, Rashmi weakened into a land depression over Faridpur, Madaripur, Chandpur, Dhaka and adjoining areas by yesterday morning, heading further inland, the weather office said in a special bulletin.In its wake, coastal areas suffered damage to houses and crops, launch movements were halted on inland routes and many thousands took cover in cyclone shelters through the last 2 nights as the storm neared the Bangladesh coast. The storm front began crossing the coast near Patharghata , with wind speeds of 60-80 kmph, in the early hours of Monday. Mongla seaport and adjoining coastal areas were advised to hoist danger signal 7 in an early morning weather bulletin yesterday. As the storm weakened, moving inland, they were advised to lower the danger signal and hoist local cautionary signal 3.
Chittagong and Cox's Bazar seaports were also advised to lower their earlier danger signal 6, and hoist cautionary signal 3. Chittagong port resumed operations from yesterday morning.
Six storm-victims were reported dead in Bhola, Barisal, Laxmipur and Shariatpur, local officials said. Thousands of homes and trees were damaged by the storm.
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Assam Drenched in blood, 10 Blast, 75 Killed
Ulfa denies hand, state not convinced
PTI, Guwahati, 30 October : Nine explosions shook Guwahati and three western Assam towns this morning, leaving 75 dead and over 300 injured in the worst bombings in the militancy-hit Indian state's history.Assam police suspect that Islamic militant groups, Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (Huji) carried out the day's blasts, with state's chief separatist insurgent outfit,Ulfa playing a possible role.
There have been reports of the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul Jehadi Islami (Huji) militants sneaking into the state in recent times.Besides, several Islamic fundamentalist outfits in the state, like the Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam, have come into the equation.
Sources said there were also intelligence reports that the 709 battalion of Ulfa, active in Lower Assam, might attempt a big strike in the wake of moves by the government to bring some of its members overground.
Government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma, too, admitted that there were such reports of possible strikes by Ulfa's 709 battalion.On its part, Ulfa promptly denied as before its hand in the blast blaming the "Indian occupation forces" in the state instead, as the latter, according to the outfit, wanted to derail any effort for an amicable solution to the long-drawn insurgency problem in Assam.
The Ulfa denial notwithstanding, Sarma was convinced that it was the handiwork of the outfit. He even went to the extent of clubbing the outfit with the ones calling themselves jehadis.
"They are all united and are working at the behest of the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan," he said. He said that Guwahati was the priority target in the lists of both Ulfa and the jehadis."For quite sometime, the fundamentalist groups have been using the state as a transit route to the main- land and their activities in the state were restricted to providing logistic support to militant outfits like Ulfa", he said."They have been supplying ammunition and explosives to outfits like Ulfa, besides providing the latter training and shelter in some part of Bangladesh," Sarma said."Of late, the Huji has become proactive in the state," he said. >
Alert in WB in wake of serial blasts in Assam
Howrah, 30 October: The serial blasts in Assam on Thursday led to an alert being sounded in neighbouring West Bengal districts that have common borders with that state."Special alert has been sounded in north Bengal districts of Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar, which have common borders with Assam," WB Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told PTI in Kolkata.
In the metropolis, security was tightened in Sealdah station, Howrah station and Kolkata railway stations as also at Metro rail stations.The police have been specifically asked to keep watch on shopping complexes, parking lots and markets.Additional policemen were also deployed in public places.
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Bangladesh government condemns Assam blasts
Dhaka, 30 October : Bangladesh government has strongly condemned a deadly serial bomb attack in the Indian state of Assam.Eleven bomb blasts in quick succession tore through Guwahati and three other towns in Assam on Thursday, killing at least 65 people and wounding 335, police said. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts so far.Bangladesh foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, in an immediate reaction Thursday night, termed the bomb attack an act of "cowardly terrorism".
"We strongly condemn the bomb blast in the North Eastern India that led to so many deaths and injuries."The adviser told, "It is a cowardly act of terrorism. Violence cannot be a tool for achievement of political objectives."He said that Bangladeshis stand solidly behind their Indian neighbours in opposition to such wanton terrorism.
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World Chess Champ Anand & The Bengal connection

Kolkata, 30 October : They were the unsung heroes of the World Chess Championship at Bonn. Amongst Anand's team of seconds was Indian National Champion GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly of Kolkata, who has worked with Anand since 2006.The seconds, Peter Heine Nielsen, Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Radoslav Wojtaszek, apart from Surya himself, literally burned the midnight oil on a line or a variation, which Anand intended to employ."We were well prepared in the sense that our team could surprise Kramnik in the choice of opening," disclosed Surya when contacted over the phone on Thursday. "We would work together through the variations with a fine comb and apprise Anand about the next position, after breakfast."Anand's understanding of the position was so good that he could come up with an idea which even the computer had given the go," Surya added.

"It was a tough task working as his second as we worked all night and tried to grab 40 winks when the game was on, but it was worth the grind. You learn a lot from him and I have undoubtedly benefited from the experience. In fact, you learn a lot from Anand even without a chessboard," Surya quipped."After the match yesterday (Wednesday) Anand took the whole team out for dinner to an Indian restaurant. The other seconds have developed a taste for Indian food and love desserts like Lassi and Kulfi" revealed the Bengal Grandmaster.
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SINGUR : Looking for alternative industryTata will return NANO land, But not lease money : Buddha

Kolkata , 30 October : Tata Motors will return the land leased out for the Nano project, WB chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told his allies at a Left Front meeting today.

Bhattacharjee clarified that the Tatas had never insisted on retaining the land after shifting the small-car plant out of Singur. "Despite the fact that 85 per cent of the work had been completed, Ratan Tata expressed his desire to return the land the day he announced the pullout. But we have to follow the procedures of taking back the land," a front leader quoted him as telling the closed-door meeting.

A section of leaders from the CPM and its partners has been insisting on taking the land back so that it can be used for another project."The land was acquired for setting up industry and the front today asked the government to take effective steps to ensure that alternative industry comes up in Singur," Biman Bose, the Left front chairman and state CPM secretary, said.

Legal provisions allow a leaseholder to retain the land for three years, after which the government can take it back if it has not been used for the purpose cited in the agreement. The chief minister told the meeting that the Tatas had not paid the lease money for the 997 acres acquired for the Nano project but had taken a soft loan of Rs 200 crore from the government. Both Bhattacharjee and Bose ruled out returning the acquired land to "unwilling farmers" as Trinamul has demanded. "The government is looking at possibilities of alternative industries in Singur but no specific proposal was discussed today,'' Bose said.Bhattacharjee distanced himself from transport minister Subhas Chakraborty's claim that a deal had almost been finalised for Singur.

"Maybe one of my over-enthusiastic colleagues has said so, but nothing has been finalised. We are considering various proposals, including clusters of several industries and an industrial park for small-scale industries,'' he was quoted as saying.

After 'Palace on Wheels', now a 'Village on Wheels'

PTI, Kolkata, 31 October : Riding on the success of its 'Palace on Wheels' in north India, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Development Corporation (IRCTC) is launching the country's first "Village on Wheels" in the eastern zone to woo budget tourists.As part of the scheme, a 10-coach train will start from Kharagpur on 15 November on a nine-day 'Bharat Darshan' tour in the Howrah-Gaya-Agra-Mathura-Delhi-Hardwar-Varanasi-Howrah circuit, IRCTC's Eastern Zone General Manager Vivek Srivastav said."This will be its maiden commercial run. It is the first time in the country that a Village-on-Wheels is being launched," he said, adding that 350 passengers would be accommodated in the seven sleeper class coaches for the tour.

Beginning the journey either from Balasore in Orissa or from the bordering station of Kharagpur to accommodate passengers from that state, the train will also stop at Burdwan, Durgapur and Asansol enroute to board passengers, he said."Passengers would have to pay Rs 4,900 for the tour. This includes, train fare, all meals starting from morning tea to dinner, bus fares and night accommodation where applicable and group guide charges," Srivastav said.Pointing out that IRCTC had done a pilot run of the 'Village on Wheels' earlier this month, he said that its response had been highly encouraging. "The ubiquitous presence of Bengali travel buffs across Indian destinations have prompted us to launch the train from the East of India," he said.The booking, which began on Wednesday, for the tour will be done from the IRCTC office in Kolkata.
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3 More deaths in Kolkata, Vector victim toll 17
Kolkata, 31 October : Vector-borne diseases have claimed three more lives in the Kolkata, pushing the death toll up to 17 in three weeks.Naresh Singh, 47, and Anil Chandra Das, 43, died of malaria, while the blood test results for Tarun Sen, 62, confirmed that he had succumbed to viral encephalitis.With the death toll rising alarmingly, WB State director of health services, Sanchita Bakshi, issued a clean-up circular on Friday.

All state-run hospitals in the city, the public works department's wings at these hospitals and the Kalcutta Municipal Corporation (KMC) were directed to clear garbage and accumulated water on the premises. "We have received the circular and work has started," said a KMC official.Naresh Singh, a security guard, died on Thursday with malaria .

And Anil Chandra Das, died on Thursday and his death certificate said the cause was malaria.Tarun Sen, a retired lawyer of the city civil court died at Medical College and Hospital on Friday after a five-day fever. He lived alone in Brajanath Dutta Lane, off College Street.

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