Archive for December 15th, 2007
Saturday, December 15th, 2007The national power grid failed across the country today due to gridline fault in Ashuganj Power Station that triggered the power plant to trip.The countries power supply collapsed at about 11:45am.Earlier on November 16, such blackout took place due to the devastating effect of tropical Cyclone Sidr.
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007Amid a growing demand for punishment for war criminals the nation observed Martyred Intellectuals Day yesterday paying rich tribute to the illustrious citizens who had been brutally killed on the eve of victory in the Liberation War of 1971.Thousands of people gathered at the Memorial for Martyred Intellectuals at Mirpur in the capital to pay their tributes to the intellectuals and professionals killed during the war of independence. Many wore black ribbons, while many people and a number of organisations also carried banners with slogans inscribed on them demanding immediate trial of the war criminals.With defeat looming large, ...
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) flouted its own codes in demolishing the upper floors of Rangs Bhaban in the capital, instead of being extra alert since it had no prior experience of such a large scale demolition.While it is a matter of investigation whether Rujuk's non-compliance with Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) led to the partial collapse of the building around 10:00pm on August 8 -- violation of the demolition code by the very government agency that is supposed to ensure strict adherence to it, is surely not acceptable, experts said.Four bodies were recovered from beneath the rubbles of the ...
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007Riding CNG-run vehicles has become quite dangerous these days.Cylinder blasts in vehicles converted to CNG mode have lately claimed a number of lives. Three people died and several others were injured in Manikganj when part of a CNG-run bus went up in flames last week.Earlier, similar explosions in a private car and bus left one killed and many injured in Joykali Mandir area in Dhaka and Gazipur.Unauthorised conversion works, use of substandard cylinders and absence of an effective monitoring system--all contribute to leaving thousands of commuters in danger of falling victim to cylinder blasts.The Daily Star in an investigation ...
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007Fishermen in the chars of the Sundarbans region anticipate insufficient catch this year as many have not returned to the trade following the devastation of cyclone Sidr.They fear this will ultimately leave them unable to pay their loans taken from local fish traders on high interest.Cyclone Sidr washed away almost everything, including houses, nets, boats and other necessary belongings, of these fishermen on nine islands. But they are beginning life afresh, building houses and repairing boats and nets.Talking to The Daily Star, fishermen and fish traders demanded that the government build permanent houses for the fishermen and at least 50 ...
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007It was love that parted schoolteacher Mahbuba Khanam from her parents. With high hopes disregarding her parents' opinions she got married to a man six years ago, and they had a happy conjugal life until recently.Now she lies on a hospital bed in the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) with third degree burns on a quarter of her body, inflicted by the very man she had tied the knot with so lovingly."Mahbuba will have to undergo treatment here for a long time," according to Project Director of the Burn Unit of DMCH Dr Samata Sen. ...
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007Paharpur Bihar of Naogaon or the Somapura Mahavihara, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, has been in ruins for a long time due to poor maintenance and fund constraint, said officials at the Department of Archaeology.Apart from that, high salinity in the soil and poor drainage system cause decay to the ornamental terracotta plaques, the walls and embellishments of this ancient Buddhist monastery, among the best-known and second largest vihara in South Asia, they added.Built by Dharmapala (770-810 AD), the 2nd emperor of the Pala Dynasty, the Paharpur Bihar, one of the most important archaeological sites in ...
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007Rescuers yesterday could not recover any more body from inside the debris of the collapsed Rangs Bhaban where at least eight more persons are still thought to have been trapped to death.Fire fighters stopped their rescue operation yesterday afternoon.Meanwhile, relatives refused to receive the three bodies of labourers from Faridpur recovered on Thursday, saying they want to take the bodies of all 10 labourers together. They demanded immediate recovery of the trapped bodies.Selim Newaz Bhuiyan, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Service, told The Daily Star, "The fire fighters continued searching all the floors above the fourth floor until ...
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007A Sylhet court has issued fresh summons on four prosecution witnesses (PWs), including a deputy secretary, for recording depositions in the sensational case for grenade attack on British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury here in 2004.In absence of the judge of Sylhet Division Speedy Trial Tribunal, District and Sessions Judge Abdul Gafur issued the summons on Thursday. He fixed December 18 for deposition of PWs including these four. Deposition of 44 PWs out of 57 in the case has already been recorded.The PWs summoned afresh are deputy secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' welfare Shafique Anwar (former metropolitan magistrate of ...
(read more) Saturday, December 15th, 2007At the call of the Sector Commanders' Forum, people from all walks of life yesterday observed a two-minute silence at Rayer Bazar Martyred Intellectuals' Mausoleum and those in different parts of the country to pay tributes to the martyred intellectuals.They also formed human chains demanding trial of the war criminals.Leaders of the Sector Commanders Forum, a platform of the sector commanders of the Liberation War, came to the Rayer Bazar Martyred Intellectuals' Mausoleum at 4:00pm and placed wreaths there.People, who came to Rayer Bazar to pay homage to the martyred intellectuals, formed a human chain for two minutes ...
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