South Asian News Service (SANS)

Go to Pakistan: Bangladesh PM asks to Khaleda

2013-03-28T02:50:00.004+06:00

SANS News Service: March 27, 2013, Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched into a tirade against BNP chief Khaleda Zia on Wednesday and again advised her to move to Pakistan.

She launched a blistering attack on her arch political rival over the arson attacks by opposition activists on the nation’s Independence Day.

“Your true face has come out. Bangladesh does not have room for those who do not believe in its independence and who try to save collaborators (of Pakisanis) who opposed its freedom”, said the Prime Minister.

“Stop annoying people of Bangladesh. Do not burn them to death. Go to your beloved Pakistan”, she remarked.

“Go there (Pakistan). You will be happy there. Please do not give us more pain.”

The Prime Minister was speaking at a discussion marking the nation’s 42nd independence anniversary at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

Khaleda had said at a rally in Joydebpur that Hasina would not even be able to flee the country once she was pushed from power.

Hasina shot back, “She has spoken of my escape. I will remain here. This is my homeland.”

“She was born in India. She does not have any sentiments for this country.”

The Awami Leagyue President even mocked Khaleda by speaking in amateur Urdu to say, “Take the love you have for Pakistan and go there.”

She claimed the opposition chief had an escapist attitude and said, “Why did she escape before the BDR mutiny? Did she know about it before? Where did she hide? … These are my questions.”

Hasina termed the BNP chief “the leader of liberation struggle’s defeated forces”, and said “She knows very well that people of Bangladesh will not vote for her.”

About the BNP Chairperson’s purported warning of an intervention by the army into the country’s political scenario, Hasina said, “She (Khaleda Zia) no longer likes democracy. So she is provoking the army. She is fully invested in destroying democracy.”

Hasina warned her, saying, “Do not think this is 1975. Its 2013 and the world has changed a lot.”

Without being specific, Hasina alleged Khaleda was working on some vested quarters’ advice to ‘destroy democracy’. She warned that such conspiracies would not work as the people were more conscious.

The Awami League chief said the opposition leader had again resorted to killing people. “It seems she doesn’t feel good without spilling blood ... Her bloodthirsty face has become apparent.”

Hasina also criticised her chief adversary for enforcing Mar 27-28 shutdowns, saying the BNP claimed that its founder and Khaleda’s husband Ziaur Rahman had proclaimed independence on this day.

2013-03-28T02:15:00.001+06:00

Anwarul Karim Raju

No alternative to EVM in holding polls properly in Bangladesh

2011-04-16T21:16:00.000+06:00

SANS Correspondent, DHAKA: Dispelling doubts, Election Commissioner Brigadier-General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said there is no alternative to Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) for holding disturbance-free elections.

“The system is very effective in averting disturbance, including violence, during and post-voting period,” he told SANS in a recent interview.

The ex-army officer said the election commission would focus the advantages of the EVM system before the political parties during consultation in May.

Main opposition BNP recently expressed doubts about government motives behind its plan for introducing e-voting system.

Citing experience of the ongoing union parishad polls and municipal elections of January he said the troubles were very little in those elections.

“But there were attempts of snatching ballot box during vote count. EVM is the only system to hold disturbance-free polls,” he emphatically said.

The election commissioner also observed that the scope for casting fake vote or vote rigging would be stopped after introducing the system.

He said the presiding officer would control the main switch of EVM. Nobody could vote until the switch comes to the neutral point after one casts his/her vote once.

“Nobody can cast vote again and again at their sweet will. Besides, nobody can see the results until the vote ends,” he added.

Referring to the use of EVM for voting in a ward in Chittagong City Corporation as a pilot project he said results could be announced within an hour after voting.

The Election Commission collected over 400 EVMs in October last year spending over Tk 1.17 crore.

“But, in the next parliamentary election, a total of 200,000 EVMs would be needed. The EC is trying to get the machine made with the help of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory,” he said.

BDST: 1857 HRS, APR 16, 2011

Indian Govt threatens to scrap 85 telecom licences

2010-11-30T17:50:00.000+06:00

SANS Correspondent, November 30, 2010:

New Delhi: Under unrelenting pressure to act against corruption, the government on Monday swung into action. It said it would slap show-cause notices on 85 licence holders asking why their licences should not be cancelled for violating eligibility norms. It will also ask the ministry of corporate affairs to check if Swan Telecom acted as a front, as alleged by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
The companies facing show-cause include Uninor, Etisalat DB, Videocon, Loop Telecom and S Tel. If CAG's observation that they failed to meet the eligibility criteria is found to be correct, these players stand to lose their licence.
At a press conference, telecom minister Kapil Sibal listed action on four fronts: the show-cause notices, Swan's reference to MCA, notices to 119 licence holders who have not rolled out services, and proper calculation of the value of spectrum given to these companies to assess whether the country loses thousands of crores, as has been alleged.
In addition, in an apparent effort to blunt the Opposition's continuing demand for a JPC probe into 2G scam, the minister clarified that government was not averse to the SC monitoring the probe.
"As we function in a democratic set-up, we must ensure transparency in the functioning of the government and justice and equity in formulating and implementing policy. We have looked at the CAG report and Trai recommendations and we believe it is time we issued notices to those who may have suppressed facts to gain an undue advantage in the award of 2G licences", Sibal said.
Notices to 119 licence holders, including 38 who got the go-ahead in 2006, is aimed to financially penalize these players for not rolling out services as prescribed in licence agreement.

A P Singh appointed new CBI Director

2010-11-30T17:43:00.001+06:00

SANS Correspondent, New Delhi, November 30, 2010:

IPS or Indian Police Service officer Amar Pratap Singh was on Tuesday appointed the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for two years succeeding Ashwani Kumar.
The Appointments' Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the name of 58-year-old Singh, a 1974 batch IPS officer from Jharkhand cadre, for the post of the new chief of the elite investigating agency.
Singh was serving as Special Director of the agency. He has also held the post of additional Director General in the Border Security Force (BSF) and is a recipient of Indian Police Medal and President's Police Medal.

Bangladesh PM voices support for nuclear-free world

2010-11-30T15:07:00.000+06:00

SANS Correspondent, Hiroshima, November 30, 2010:

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed her country’s unwavering support for Japan in building a nuclear-free world.

“Our peace-loving people deeply respects the Hiroshima peace process, gathering under `Mayors for Peace Cities’, to consolidate Bangladesh’s unwavering support for Japan in building a nuclear-free world,” she said.

The prime minister was addressing a reception, arranged by Japan Bangladesh Friendship Association and Hiroshima Peace and Culture Foundation, at the International Conference Center of Hiroshima (ICCH) in the afternoon.

This was Hasina’s second visit to the historic city of Hiroshima.

Earlier, the prime minister and her delegation arrived at Hiroshima airport at 11:20am (local time). Then the Bangladesh delegation was taken to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Parkin in a colorful motorcade.

Hasina went round the museum that houses exhibits on the catastrophic event of the atomic bombing, with the objective of contributing to the abolition of nuclear weapons throughout the world, and of promoting world peace.

The prime minister signed the visitors’ book kept at the Museum, where she expressed her deep sympathy for the innocent victims of the tragic atomic bombing during the 2nd World War and reiterated Bangladesh’s stand for world peace. She also placed wreath at the Cenotaph at the Peace Memorial Park.

Hasina then listened to a testimony given by an atomic bomb survivor at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Hall.

Speaking at the reception function, she said Bangladesh is always ready to work with Japan towards reducing nuclear stockpiles, within respective regions, aiming ultimately for a denuclearised world.

“We also support Japan on the issues of human rights, democracy and socioeconomic development, neglect of which could easily ignite conflicts and wars,” she said.

Recalling her first visit here in 1997, Hasina said she felt the same sense of humility and sadness for those hundreds of thousands who had perished on that fateful day of 6th August 1945.

“It was a day never to be erased from human history. It was a day when from the peaceful blue skies descended a cataclysm that changed the course of human destiny,” she said.

The prime minister said Hiroshima Day is remembered today with remorse and anguish by all peace-loving people of the world. “I salute the thousands for their sacrifice and pray for the eternal peace of their departed souls.”

She remarked that she also observes with an immense sense of human pride and marvel at the rebirth of the shining city of Hiroshima, out of its rubble and ashes.

“The same is my feeling for Nagasaki that saw an identical fate, soon after Hiroshima,” Hasina said.

She said the first ever use of the two nuclear devices heralded a new era of destructive weapons with a capacity to end human civilizations and the planet, dear Mother Earth.

“Indeed, the sacrifice of those who have perished did not go in vain, for this sacrifice has flagged the imperative need of restraint of the use of such destructive power for the resolution of conflicts.”

The prime minister said the horror of Hiroshima is a constant reminder to urge for the pursuit of peace.

Thus, the Hiroshima Day is observed all over the world, including in Bangladesh.

Hasina said that in their efforts for global peace and stability, both Bangladesh and Japan have always worked closely to respect the provisions of the NPT.

She remembered the NPT provisions which in 1970 made a solemn pledge “to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.”

“As we do, I remember “The Russell-Einstein Manifesto” of 9 July 1955 in London… the last line read, “Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise; if you can not, there lies before you the risk of universal death.”

The prime minister said the leaders of the world, especially those in charge of those deadly nuclear devices, need to remind themselves of the thought-provoking words of two of the wisest.

“Truly, they need to stand at least for once before the Hiroshima Memorial to fully absorb the implications of what they yield - the ability to obliterate the world and all it nourishes.”

Hasina said she bows her head once again in humble honor of those who perished in Hiroshima. “I also wish that those who live and stand here as well as those around the world recognize their ultimate sacrifice, by pursuing the path of love and peace.”

She said as Bangladesh was born out of the blood of as many as three million people in 1971, its experience could not be different.

“Moved by the magnitude of our tragedy, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman enunciated his doctrine of `Friendship towards all and Malice towards none’,” the Prime Minister said.

She said Bangabandhu abhorred the use of force to settle any international and bilateral dispute, and rejected the idea of interference in the internal affairs of other states.

“Thereafter, Bangladesh began a series of commitments to the UN Charter, to all protocols related to disarmament, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to human rights and anti-terrorism,” Hasina said.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Mashiur Rahman and Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, among others, accompanied the Prime Minister during her Hiroshima visit.

Top 100 Women on the Web

2010-11-30T14:54:00.001+06:00

SANS News Desk, November 30, 2010 :

Why the top searched-for women on the Web? You've seen the other Web sites' top 100 hottest women lists, which are either based on editorial discretion or notoriously inaccurate Internet balloting. But we think how many times the general public types a woman's name into the search box when they don't know they're being surveyed renders the truest indication of how much heat she's really bringing. This makes Asylum hotness scientists or, at the very least, hotness statisticians ...

100. Ashley Judd
99. Mischa Barton
98. Marilyn Monroe
97. Olivia Wilde
96. Danica Patrick
95. Eva Mendes
94. Ashlee Simpson
93. Demi Moore
92. Nicole Kidman
91. Kelly Ripa
90. Hayden Panettiere
89. Denise Richards
88. Leititia Casta
87. Alyssa Milano
86. Carmen Electra
85. Anne Hathaway
84. Cameron Diaz
83. Gisele Bundchan
82. Julianne Hough
81. Hillary Duff
80. Brooke Hogan
79. Fergie
78. Drew Barrymore
77. Charlize Theron
76. Rachel Bilson
75. Cindy Crawford
74. Sandra Bullock
73. Jessica Biel
72. Penelope Cruz
71. Jennifer Love Hewitt
70. Kate Hudson
69. Ashley Tisdale
68. Kate Winslet
67. Leighton Meester
66. Victoria Beckham
65. Stephanie Seymour
64. Tila Tequila
63. Reese Witherspoon
62. Tori Spelling
61. Eva Longeria
60. Janet Jackson
59. Jenna Jameson
58. Shania Twain
57. Miranda Kerr
56. Kate Moss
55. Mariah Carey
54. Pamela Anderson
53. Pink
52. Alessandro Ambrosio
51. Mariska Hargitay
50. Katy Perry
49. Halle Berry
48. Anna Paquin
47. Marisa Miller
46. Sharon Stone
45. Emma Watson
45. Bar Rafaeli
43. Rebecca Romijn
42. Heidi Montag
41. Jennifer Garner
40. Sarah Jessica Parker
39. Paris Hilton
38. Paula Abdul
37. Tyra Banks
36. Blake Lively
35. Carrie Underwood
34. Salma Hayek
33. Jillian Michael
32. Holly Madison
31. Nicole Richie
30. Adrian Lima
29. Kendra Wilkinson
28. Jessica Alba
27. Shawn Johnson
26. Jennifer Lopez
25. Lindsay Lohan
24. Katie Holmes
23. Michelle Obama
22. Madonna
21. Rachael Ray
20. Lauren Conrad
19. Carrie Prejean
18. Beyonce
17. Kelly Clarkson
16. Vanessa Hudgens
15. Taylor Swift
14. Kate Gosselin
13. Jennifer Aniston
12. Angelina Jolie
11. Lady Gaga
10. Kristen Stewart
9. Jessica Simpson
8. Heidi Klum
7. Britney Spears
6. Miley Cyrus
5. Megan Fox
4. Kim Karadashian
3. Farrah Fawcett
2. Rihanna
1. Mandy Moore

BDST: 0255 PM, November 30, 2010

Bangladesh Fifth census on 15-19 March

2010-10-05T00:42:00.000+06:00

Dhaka, SANS Correspondent, October 04: The fifth census and household count in the country will be held in March 2011, the Cabinet decided in its weekly meeting Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad in a briefing told journalists that the head and household counts will begin on March 15 next year and complete by March 19.

He informed that 12 O'clock midnight of 14th March will be counted zero hour to mark the base time for determining the latest figure of population.

Azad said the period from 12:00 to 06:00 am will be considered census night and all floating people of the country will be counted in those hours.

Later on March 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, every individual from each house will be brought under the reckoning.

'The census will be completed in three phases in accordance with the framework of the United Nations. The steps are: main census, PEC and sample census,' said the press secretary.

The census will be completed through active participation and monitoring by the local administration and representatives, Abul Kalam Azad told reporters.

Census committees at district, upazila, union, city corporation and municipality level will be formed for doing this gigantic job, he informed.

Malaysia to hire 5,000 fishermen

2010-09-22T21:35:00.001+06:00

SANS Correspondent, Dhaka (September 22): Malaysia has shown its eagerness to hire around 5,000 fishermen from Bangladesh, which the government thinks could be the first step towards reopening door to the Southeast Asian country for the Bangladeshi workers.

"Having received offers from the Malaysian side, our high commissioner in Kuala Lumpur inquired if we could send fishermen," Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan, secretary to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, told The SANS on Wednesday.

They would be hired for catching fish in the sea, he said. With some training, Bangladeshi fishermen could easily become skilled and professional, the secretary said. "We are now assessing the proposal and hope we can send fishermen to Malaysia," Zafar said.

Referring to Bangladesh's high commissioner in Malaysia, he said their monthly salary would be equivalent to Tk 15,000 and the hiring fishing companies would provide them airfares. The secretary said Malaysia also has demands for workers in the manufacturing and plantation sector. Malaysia imposed a ban on hiring Bangladeshi workers in March last year, citing economic recession and instantly cancelled job visas of 55,000 Bangladeshis.

However, labour migration experts said a lot of malpractices in the recruitment process prompted the Malaysian government to impose the ban. "We hope, the reopening process would start with the hiring of the fishermen," he noted

1st Bangladeshi on Mount Everest

2010-05-23T20:54:00.000+06:00

Nepal, May 23, 2010 (SANS Correspondent) :

Musa Ibrahim, climbed the Himalayan mountain highest peak ‘Mount Everest’ in Nepal, as first Bangladdeshi. ‘Today morning the news came from the Everest base camp to tour operator, who organized Musa's tour, informed The Bangladesh Embassy, Katmandu’ told Nasrin Jahan Lipi, Head of Chancery, Embassy of Bangladesh, Katmandu, to SANS on Sunday evening.

‘Mr. Kamal Aryal, CEO of Muktinath Travels, and organizer of Musa’s journey have confirmed the news from the Everest Base Camp’ said Nasin Jahan Lipi. She added, ‘We hope Musa will come back Katmandu by a week.’

Musa Ibrahim, President of North Apline Club, Dhaka started his journey to Everest on 12 April this year.

The Embassy of Bangladesh in Kathmandu congratulates Musa Ibrahim on this great victory for the country. This remarkable event will be celebrated by the Embassy after Musa's arrival in Kathmandu.

Dhaka-Moscow signed Nuke Co-operation Agreement

2010-05-21T21:36:00.000+06:00

Dhaka, May 21, 2010 (SANS Correspondet):

Bangladesh and Russia signed a 5-years Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of the use of Nuclear Energy for ‘Peaceful Purposes’ Friday.

‘Architect Yeafesh Osman, State Minister for Science and ICT, on behalf of the Bangladesh government signed ‘Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes’ for a five-year term with possible tacit extension every five years, while Sergey Kiriyenko, signed on behalf of the Russian government.’ A release sent by of Ministry of Foreign affairs, (MoFA) Bangladesh mentioned.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, who held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, witnessed the signing ceremony. Lavrov expressed his government’s full support for establishing nuclear power plants in Bangladesh. Both the Foreign Ministers expressed satisfaction over the signing of the agreement.

‘Both the countries agreed that the signing of the ‘Agreement’ would be followed by the subsequent ‘inter-governmental agreements’ on technical and financial aspects,’ said the release of MoFA.

After signing the deal, Sergey Kiriyenko, Director General of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) told, ‘by signing the agreement, now Russia is ready to help Bangladesh to make use of nuclear technologies for peaceful purpose, as well as in the field of generating electricity.’ He added, both the countries will establish a Joint Coordination Committee to control the implementation of this agreement. The committee will hold its meetings on an ‘as-needed basis’in Russia and Bangladesh alternately, said Sergey Kiriyenko.

‘According to the agreement, the Parties shall assure the transfer of materials, technologies, equipment and services for implementation of joint programs in the field of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.’ said in the release. It added, ‘the agreement also provides for cooperation in the areas of prospecting and developing uranium and thorium deposits, nuclear fuel cycle services, including supplies of nuclear fuel to power and research reactors.’

The document regulates issues of disposal of Russian nuclear fuel waste, handling radioactive waste and maintaining nuclear and radiation safety. MoFA release said, ‘the Russia and Bangladesh will cooperate in the area of physical protection of nuclear materials and will take joint emergency actions.’

Chief of Rosatom, Sergey Kiriyenko, who is also the former Prime Minister of Russia (March 23 to August 23, 1998 under President Boris Yeltsin), expressed Russia’s ‘full support and commitment’ for establishing nuclear power plants in Bangladesh. He added, ‘A high-level delegation from Russia will visit Bangladesh soon to take forward next steps in implementing the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project.’

The release said, As per the agreement, the future cooperation between the two countries would include, among others, (i) design, construction and operation of nuclear power and research reactors; (ii) Nuclear fuel supply, taking back the spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste management; (iii) personnel training and capacity building for operation and maintenance of the Plants; (iv) Research, education and training of personnel in the Russian Federation in the field of the use of nuclear energy; (v) development of innovative reactor technologies in accordance with IAEA safety requirements, nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and environmental protection; and (vi) exploration and mining of uranium and thorium deposits.

Dr. SM Saiful Hoque, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Md. Abdur Rob Howlader, Secretary, Ministry of Science and ICT, AFM Gousal Azam Sarker, Director General (Europe and EU), Dr. Farid Uddin Ahmed, Member, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, and Dr. Mohammad Shawkat Akbar, Project Director of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project, were present at the signing ceremony.

Bangladesh side requested the Russian authorities to assist in establishing two Nuclear Reactors with the capacity of 1000 MW each.

BDST: 2035, May 21, 2010

AKR/

Bangladesh, UK reject Huji 'torture' claims

2010-05-15T13:25:00.000+06:00

SANS News Desk:

The British government had no involvement in the 'serious mistreatment' of Gholam Moustafa, an alleged leader of the banned Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), a British High Commission spokesman tells bdnews24.com The Bangladesh foreign ministry also told bdnews24.com that it had not received any information that Moustafa, a Briton, had been mistreated by his own law-enforcement officers.
Saida Muna Tasneem, a director general from the foreign ministry, said that the government would investigate any allegation passed to it by the British mission. An article in Wednesday's edition of the UK's Guardian newspaper claimed that Bangladesh authorities had seriously mistreated Moustafa in detention and that officials of MI5, the UK's counter-intelligence agency, may have been complicit.
The newspaper said that according to his family, "Moustafa appeared to have a swollen face when he was paraded before television cameras shortly after his arrest." It goes on to say: "When he appeared in court 11 days later [on 27 April] a journalist working for the Guardian could see that he was unable to stand throughout the proceedings, at one point sinking to his knees."
It stated that he had told a British consular official that "he had been forced to assume stressful positions for long periods during questioning at a detention centre known as the Taskforce for Interrogation Cell, where the use of torture is alleged to be common." The newspaper did not set out any actual evidence of british government complicity in the alleged torture.
A spokesman for the British High Commission told this correspondent on Thursday that the High Commission first came to know about Moustafa's arrest through a newspaper report on 16 April, the day after he was detained. "This was a Friday. On Sunday, 18th April, the next working day, we sent a formal request for consular access to the foreign ministry and we followed this up with phone calls," he said. The High Commission spokesperson said it usually takes about six to eight weeks for the Bangladesh government to give consular access.
However, he said on April 29, two weeks after his arrest, the British mission received a letter from Moustafa's UK solicitors containing allegations that he was being mistreated. On that day, he said that the High Commission sent an "urgent access request" to the foreign ministry and two days later, on May 1, it received permission to see him. The next day, consular officials met Moustafa at Dhaka Central Jail. The spokesperson declined to comment on what Moustafa had told the officials when they had met. "Anything that was said in that conversation is confidential," he said. The spokesperson told bdnews24.com that prior to this meeting, no British government official had any contact or conversations with either Moustafa or the law-enforcing officers that were involved in his detention.
"On the question of allegation of torture, we take any such allegations very seriously. The UK government's position on torture is clear. We condemn it wholeheartedly. We do not torture people and we do not ask others to do so on our behalf," he said. He added that a further application for consular access had been sought from the Bangladesh authorities. We will continue to offer Moustafa appropriate help and support in accordance with our consular responsibilities," he stated.
Moustafa was arrested in Sylhet for trying to organise and strengthen HuJI. The alleged militant was earlier arrested on Dec 2, 2007 from a house in the capital's Bashundhara residential area, where allegedly a pistol and five books calling for holy war were found in his possession. For this offence, Mostafa was sentenced to 17 years in prison in Bangladesh but secured bail from the High Court.

7 Things to Stop Doing Now on Facebook

2010-05-14T22:22:00.000+06:00

SANS News Desk:

Using a Weak Password

Avoid simple names or words you can find in a dictionary, even with numbers tacked on the end. Instead, mix upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. A password should have at least eight characters. One good technique is to insert numbers or symbols in the middle of a word, such as this variant on the word "houses": hO27usEs!

Leaving Your Full Birth Date in Your Profile

It's an ideal target for identity thieves, who could use it to obtain more information about you and potentially gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you've already entered a birth date, go to your profile page and click on the Info tab, then on Edit Information. Under the Basic Information section, choose to show only the month and day or no birthday at all.

Overlooking Useful Privacy Controls

For almost everything in your Facebook profile, you can limit access to only your friends, friends of friends, or yourself. Restrict access to photos, birth date, religious views, and family information, among other things. You can give only certain people or groups access to items such as photos, or block particular people from seeing them. Consider leaving out contact info, such as phone number and address, since you probably don't want anyone to have access to that information anyway.

Posting Your Child's Name in a Caption

Don't use a child's name in photo tags or captions. If someone else does, delete it by clicking on Remove Tag. If your child isn't on Facebook and someone includes his or her name in a caption, ask that person to remove the name.

Mentioning That You'll Be Away From Home

That's like putting a "no one's home" sign on your door. Wait until you get home to tell everyone how awesome your vacation was and be vague about the date of any trip.

Letting Search Engines Find You

To help prevent strangers from accessing your page, go to the Search section of Facebook's privacy controls and select Only Friends for Facebook search results. Be sure the box for public search results isn't checked.

Permitting Youngsters to Use Facebook Unsupervised

Facebook limits its members to ages 13 and over, but children younger than that do use it. If you have a young child or teenager on Facebook, the best way to provide oversight is to become one of their online friends. Use your e-mail address as the contact for their account so that you receive their notifications and monitor their activities. "What they think is nothing can actually be pretty serious," says Charles Pavelites, a supervisory special agent at the Internet Crime Complaint Center. For example, a child who posts the comment "Mom will be home soon, I need to do the dishes" every day at the same time is revealing too much about the parents' regular comings and goings.

(Source: Consumer Reports Magazine, Wednesday, May 12, 2010)

Bangladesh: Air and Sea ports hit by launch workers strike

2010-05-12T16:24:00.001+06:00

Dhaka, May 12, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

The ongoing strike by a section of water transport workers is seriously impacting both sea and air ports. Unloading at the Mongla port is almost at a halt and least 23 ships are waiting at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong port for unloading. Shahjalal International Airport had notified all operators that it would not be possible to refuel aircraft after midnight Tuesday given their low stock.
However on the fifth day of the strike most of the passenger launches scheduled to leave Sadarghat terminal have already left.
Kazi Abdus Salam, assistant manager (Traffic) of the Mongla port said that although five ships carrying food, and one ship carrying fertilizer have anchored at the port, they are not being unloaded as work at the mooring has been suspended for the last five days. Unloading from a container ship is going ahead as it anchored at the jetty, he told. Nearly 200 cargo ships, coasters and barges are sitting idle in and around the Mongla port.
Syed Forhad Uddin Ahmed, secretary of the Chittagong port authority told that there are 23 ships waiting at the outer anchorage of the port and failing to unload as the lighter vessels used for this purpose are not available due to the strike.
The strike is also threatening airline operations in Dhaka's international airport.
Shahjalal International Airport had notified all operators that it would not be possible to refuel aircraft after midnight Tuesday given their low stock. On Tuesday, the director of the airport, Wing Commander Sayeedul Hasan Khan, told bdnews24.com citing a notice dated May 9 from Padma Oil, the main supplier of jet fuel, that the strike has prevented oil transportation and unloading from tankers.
In Sadarghat seven out of ten launches scheduled to leave the terminal had left by 11am. A total of 16 launches arrived at the terminal, said the traffic inspector of Sadarghat Mahtab Uddin.
The strike started on Friday midnight as the Noujan Sramik Federation rejected a government announcement of a new pay scale increasing wages by between 50 to100 percent against a demand from them of a 300-350 percent rise. Some unions have already agreed to the pay hike.
Shipping minister Shahjahan Khan, however, had termed the strike 'irrational' as it was called even after declaring the new pay scale. On Sunday the minister called for the workers to call off the strike and to sit in a meeting. The workers rejected the call and demanded the resignation of the minister.
On Monday, the federation's acting president Shah Alam was arrested on Monday in a case for vandalising the office of the pro-government Noujan Sramik League which had filed a case on Sunday against 125 federation members.
Abul Kashem Master, joint secretary of the Noujan Sramik Federation told that they will continue the strike until their leader Shah Alam is released and their demands are met.

UK coalition government sets to work

2010-05-12T16:18:00.002+06:00

London, May 12, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

New UK Prime Minister David Cameron is beginning to shape his government, after the Conservatives agreed to form a historic coalition with the Lib Dems. Mr Cameron, 43, was installed as PM on a dramatic day that saw Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg announced as his deputy.Mr Clegg has arrived at 10 Downing Street where he and Mr Cameron shook hands and waved to photographers.

Four other Lib Dems will take cabinet posts in what is the first coalition government in the UK for 70 years.Mr Cameron vowed to set aside party differences and Mr Clegg urged doubting Lib Dem voters to "keep faith with us".The coalition is the first time the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have had a power-sharing deal at Westminster and the first coalition in the UK of any type since the Second World War.

Brown resignation:

Mr Cameron's arrival in Downing Street marks the end of 13 years of Labour rule.

The Tory leader, who is six months younger than Tony Blair was when he entered Downing Street in 1997, is the youngest prime minister since 1812 and the first Old Etonian to hold the office since the early 1960s.

The Conservatives won the most seats in last week's general election, but not enough to secure an overall Commons majority, resulting in a hung Parliament. Following days of talks between the Tories and Lib Dems - and also the Lib Dems and Labour - on forming a new government, a deal was reached on Tuesday that resulted in Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown resigning.

Mr Cameron has begun appointing his first cabinet, with the Tories' George Osborne as Chancellor, William Hague as Foreign Secretary, Liam Fox as Defence Secretary and Andrew Lansley as Health Secretary.

Mr Clegg's chief of staff, Danny Alexander, who was part of the party's negotiating team, is to be Scottish Secretary, the BBC understands. Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable has been given responsibility for "business and banks" but it is not known if his title will be chief secretary to the Treasury, a senior Lib Dem source said.There are expected to be about 20 Lib Dems in government jobs in total.

Meanwhile, details have been emerging from Conservative sources about the new government's programme, including:

There will be a "significant acceleration" of efforts to reduce the budget deficit - including £6bn of spending reductions this year. An emergency Budget will take place within 50 days
Plans for five-year, fixed-term parliaments, meaning the next election would not take place until May 2015
The Lib Dems have agreed to drop plans for a "mansion tax" on properties costing more than £2m, while the Conservatives have ditched their pledge to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £1m
The new administration will scrap part of Labour's planned rise in National Insurance and will work towards raising income tax thresholds for lower earners
A pledge to have a referendum on any further transfer of powers to the EU and a commitment from the Lib Dems not to adopt the euro for the lifetime of the next Parliament
The Lib Dems have agreed to Tory proposals for a cap on non-EU migration
The Conservatives will recognise marriage in the tax system, but Lib Dems will abstain in Commons vote
The Lib Dems will drop opposition to a replacement for Britain's Trident nuclear missiles but the programme will be scrutinised for value for money
There will be a referendum on moving to the Alternative Vote system and enhanced "pupil premium" for deprived children as Lib Dems demanded

The Lib Dem parliamentary party and its federal executive endorsed the coalition agreement by the required three-quarters majority shortly after midnight.

Mr Clegg said: "I hope this is the start of the new politics I have always believed in - diverse, plural, where politicians of different persuasions come together, overcome their differences in order to deliver good government for the sake of the whole country."

He acknowledged there would be "glitches" and acknowledged Lib Dem voters would have "many questions, maybe many doubts".

"But I want to assure you that I wouldn't have entered into this agreement unless I was genuinely convinced that it offers a unique opportunity to deliver the kind of changes you and I believe in."

Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the two parties had dealt with an "unprecedented situation" in a "great atmosphere" and said the coalition amounted to "an important realignment of politics with a practical programme".

Asked whether it could provide stable government, he said it had required some "new ideas" - including a five year fixed term parliament.

"We have done everything possible to lock ourselves together to avoid the dangers of instability and haggling that are of course present in any hung parliament."

Illegal VoIP : Bangladesh Authority to scrap licenses of 5 PSTN operators

2010-05-12T16:08:00.000+06:00

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SANS News Desk:

Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has decided to cancel licenses of five landline operators, whose services it switched off in March for their involvement in illegal international call termination through VoIP technology. BTRC Chairman Zia Ahmed declined to comment on the matter. The operators are RanksTel, Dhaka Phone, National Telecom, Peoples Tel, and WorldTel. The decision was taken at a BTRC meeting on Tuesday May 11, 2010.These telephone companies were serving around six lakh clients, with RanksTel alone serving a half of them.

"We have decided to cancel the licenses of five private landline operators who were charged with involvement in illegal VoIP business," said a top official of the commission who attended the meeting. "The decision has been taken following a court order," the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that he is not the right person to make the decision public.

Earlier in the day, in response to writ petitions filed by RanksTel and National Telecom Ltd, the High Court directed BTRC to decide within seven days whether it would cancel the licenses of the two operators. The court also ordered BTRC to appoint an administrator to each of the two companies for running their operations in the interest of their subscribers, if the commission cancels their licenses. The court also said the administrators will be appointed for six months or till disposal of the pending criminal cases filed against the companies. The cases are pending with a magistrate court in Dhaka. The administrators will place details about the subscribers of the two operators to BTRC for further action, the verdict added.

With the help of law enforcers, BTRC raided establishments of the five operators headquarters, and found hard evidence of their VoIP related operations, including equipment that are used for VoIP operation. Using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), a section of telecom operators have been involved in international call termination, channelling at least Tk 1,500 crore a year away from the legal telephone call market.

The Rapid Action Battalion drives against illegal VoIP operations exposed that a large number of operators have been in the business since 2007.

In a recent drive, BTRC nailed several such telecom companies, and suspended their regular operations. After the move, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the authorities concerned to fine telephone operators involved in "illegal" VoIP business, instead of shutting them down. The issue however went to the court as some operators sought a court decision.

Chief Operating Officer of Rankstel AK Shamsuddin told Tuesday that BTRC chose to cancel the licenses, although it had the option of fining the companies.

Among the private landline operators, RanksTel is the market leader with more than 3 lakh subscribers followed by Peoples Tel's 1.6 lakh, and National Telecom's 1.38 lakh. Dhaka Phone has 77,000 subscribers while WorldTel has 14,000. (Source: The Daily Star, Dhaka)

Many Naxals killed in a major encounter in Orissa

2010-05-09T15:32:00.000+06:00

SANS News Desk:

There's a major encounter going on between security forces and Naxals near Narayanpatna in Koraput district of Orissa. Reports say at least 10 Naxals could have been killed in the joint operation by Orissa police and elite anti-Naxal force Greyhounds. "Chances of casualties from the Maoist side are high, though we are yet to recover anybody after the intense gunbattle that took place since last night," Koraput District Superintendent of Police Anup Kumar Sahoo said.
However, there are indications of a couple of bodies having been dragged from the site of the encounter by the ultras while fleeing, he said. A massive combing operation was underway in the forest, he added. Police say they have found some 12 kit bags and seen marks of the Naxals' bodies dragged away, which indicates heavy casualties.
The Orissa encounter comes just a day after Naxals dealt another deadly blow to the security forces in Chhattisgarh. (Source: NDTV)

New Bangla paper in Kolkata

2010-05-08T00:48:00.000+06:00

SANS News Desk:

Bengal Khabar Press Private Limited, the joint venture between Eden City and Tower Group, is expected to launch its Bangla daily by the end of this month. The JV plans to invest Rs 50 crore in the new initiave. Arup Kali, director of the company, said, "We hope to launch the paper by the end of this month." He, however, declined to talk about the exact date of launching the paper. Industry sources informed that 25 April could be date of the launch.

Kali had informed Business Standard last month that the paper would target the youth and would be an upmarket paper. Initially, the paper is expected to be printed from an outside printing facility. This paper will be edited by Ashish Ghosh, formerly with Dainik Statesman.

However, it's not that the business has been rosy for all upstart media ventures. Bengali newspapaper, Ekdin, was launched about three years back and had to be shut down soon after, but was relaunched about six months ago with a new name: iCore Ekdin since it became a part of the iCore Group. This paper is being edited by Suman Chattopadhyay, former executive editor of market leader Ananda Bazar Patrika.

Industry watchers suggest that this newspaper is making headway in terms of circulation though without much success in the advertising revenue front. In January 2010, Yug Paribartan, another Bengali daily, was launched under the editorship of Tathagata Dutta, a former partner of Kolkata TV, a Bengali news channel. On the ad-revenue front, this daily also could not taste much success till date.

(Source: Business Standards/Goutam Ghosh, Kolkata April 15, 2010)

UK gets first Bangladeshi MP

2010-05-08T00:29:00.000+06:00

London, May 7, 2010, (SANS Correspondent):

Rushanara Ali made history on Friday when she became the first Bangladeshi to make it to the British parliament. The Labour Party candidate took Bethnal Green and Bow, the seat previously held by George Galloway. In the east London constituency, all of the main parties had put forward Bangladeshi-Muslim candidates.

The 35-year-old Oxford graduate won with 21,784 votes, an 11,574 majority over Liberal Democrat Ajmal Masroor, who got 10,210 votes. Respect Party's Abjol Miah got 8,532 votes. To tumultuous applause, Ali, who has been subjected to attacks by Galloway, said: "You, the voters, decided it was time to pay our final respect to Respect. This is a victory for people here who chose hope over fear, unity over division. "To millions of Bangladeshis around the world, it will mean so much to them that somebody of their background has been elected to the mother of all parliaments." She told journalists "We've to shun the politics of division and be engaged in mainstream politics." Ali said her first tasks would be to create employment for the youths in the constituency, work for their better future, and help the people solve their residence problem.
Masroor congratulated Ali, calling it an "historical moment" and admitted he had only found out a few days before that she was his cousin.
Born in 1975 in Burki village under Biswanath of Sylhet, Ali came to London with his parents when she was seven. She studied politics, economics and philosophy at Oxford University.

Facebook is friendlier in Bangladesh

2010-05-07T17:10:00.000+06:00

SANS News Desk:

When Facebook was launched seven years ago, no one had any idea that it would reshape human interactions. The social networking site has quickly outshone previous modes of communication and attempts to create copycat websites have failed miserably. The use of Facebook has become so widespread that two people who wish to stay in contact are more likely to exchange Facebook account names rather than telephone numbers.

For some, the website has almost become a complete substitute for face-to-face contact. But for many of the site's 400 million users, Facebook simply provides a sense of community and friendship with those whom we're not necessarily physically close to. It's a site that encourages warm and fuzzy feelings, which is no doubt why we keep coming back for more. This has all happened so quickly that the Microsoft Word dictionary I'm using still underlines the word "Facebook" in red. In 2009 the cruel verb "unfriend" was named Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary.
In Bangladesh, more than half a million people use the internet, and every one in five has a Facebook account. The number of internet users has quadrupled since 2003. Since arriving here last October, the number of friends I have on Facebook has grown exponentially, as has the amount of time I spend on the site. In Bangladesh, two or three minutes of real life conversation is enough to create an online friendship. Etiquette does not require a certain reticence about forging these digital connections. And why should there be? Life's too short.
Globally, the average Facebook user has 130 friends, but I'm sure that figure would be higher in Bangladesh. I have many Bangladeshi friends who have over a thousand friends - a few hundred seems to be the norm. Once I sneakily peered over a friend's shoulder and discovered that he has over a thousand friend requests pending. I couldn't help but ask why he hasn't accepted them. For the time being he says he's content with having 750 friends that he "knows."
Not only are Bangladeshis quick to seize new friendships, but the site itself is also being used with undeniable enthusiasm. A single photo from a party can generate more than 20 comments in less than 20 minutes. Following the commentary between those who did and didn't attend can be almost as fun as the party itself.
Status updates also tend to have a more personal quality. People here are not afraid to post a cry from the heart, a romantic yearning, or to air their insecurities. There's none of that bland, "How about the weather" type of stuff that you get elsewhere. Here's a sweet status update posted by a male friend of mine, "The best feelings are those that have no words to describe them." If someone announces on Facebook that they are ill or that a relative has died, commiserations flood in. Bangladeshis respond to their friends' news updates with a warmth and attentiveness that was previously unknown to me. The flurry of activity can be mind-boggling, but it's always entertaining.
Does this frenzy of online activity suggest that Bangladeshis are friendlier in general? Possibly, but it's impossible to assess. However I certainly believe that if the politicians can implement a "digital Bangladesh", the people will know exactly what to do with it. (Edited by: Anwarul Karim Raju)

India to ease visa rules for Bangladeshi visitors

2010-05-06T14:05:00.000+06:00

New Delhi, May 06, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

Building on improved relations with Bangladesh, India today said it proposes to ease visa rules for visitors from the neighbouring country. "There is a proposal to relax the procedure relating to grant of conference visa to Bangladeshi citizens. The matter is under consideration," home minister P Chidambaram said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Answering questions, he said the categories of visitors for whom visas may be relaxed include professionals regularly visiting India and requiring longer stay than one year in rare and exceptional cases. Visa on medical grounds including for those accompanying attendants and relatives, may also be eased, Chidambaram said.As for Indians visiting Bangladesh, he said the visa regime is reciprocal.

To a question from Sushila Tiriya (Congress) whether India was working on a plan to declare a unilateral no-fire zone along the Bangladesh border, the home minister said, "No" While relations with Bangladesh have improved over the last few years, "I agree there are several undemarcated areas on both the sides."He said discussions are on. "There is progress and we would be able to resolve the matter," he said. Some Indian areas are in their jurisdiction and some Bangladesh land is with India, he said.

The home minister agreed that the issue of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh "is a grave problem. But we are addressing it." He said policies of several successive governments had been the same over the years on the matter. He said as per provisions under the Foreigners Act and Tribunal order, over one lakh illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have been deported and pushed back between 2000 and 2008.

Regarding those who had illegally migrated before 1971 to India, the home minister said the provisions to deal with the issue are addressed in the provisions of Assam Accord.

Mecca, Ajmer blasts: Were wrong men prosecuted?

2010-05-05T00:38:00.003+06:00

SANS News Desk, Tuesday May 4, 2010:

When blasts took place first at the Ajmer Dargah near Jaipur and then at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, the police and the government immediately blamed Pakistani-based terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJi). The attacks in Ajmer and Hyderabad took place nearly five months apart in 2007. Three people were killed in the Ajmer attack; another nine died in the Hyderabad explosion. Immediately after them, young Muslims were arrested in Hyderabad for Mecca Masjid blasts.
Three years later, new evidence suggests that the investigating agencies and the government got it all wrong. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says it believes that radical Hindu groups planned those blasts. What's led to this new theory is the arrests last week of three men by the Rajasthan Anti-Terror Squad. They were tracked down because they were using SIM cards found in the debris after the attack at Ajmer. The men arrested are all Hindus, and are believed to be associated to Abhinav Bharat, a Hindu radical group that India confronted for the first time in 2006.
In September 2006, a series of blasts in Malegaon in Maharashtra left 37 people dead and another 25 injured. Almost two years later, Mumbai Police Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Sadhvi Pragya Thakur on October 10, 2008 and then serving army officer, Lieutenant Colonel S P Purohit, believed to be the leaders of Abhinav Bharat. Their alleged agenda: to target Muslim crowds. Purohit, in recent interrogation, has allegedly said that a man named Sunil Joshi was behind the Ajmer blast. That's what the Rajasthan police also suspects. Sunil Joshi, who was an RSS pracharak in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow area, had links with Devendra Gupta, the first suspect arrested in the Ajmer Dargah case. Joshi, a resident of Indore, was killed in Dewas in December 2007. The call details of Gupta indicate that both were in touch. "Colonel Purohit, arrested for Malgaon blast, has confessed that Sunil Joshi had organised the Dargah operation with the help of Devendra Gupta," Rajasthan Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal told the Hindu newspaper on May 2.
The CBI says that in both the Ajmer and Hyderabad blasts, identical explosives were used. Cellphones triggered both bombs. So in two different cities, Pakistani groups were held responsible, and young Muslims paid the price. Muslims like Ibrahim Junaid, who, along with 25 others, was picked up from the Old City of Hyderabad and accused of terror links. They were reportedly tortured in illegal custody. There was no chargesheet accusing them of links to the Mecca Masjid attack. Instead they were accused of conspiring to wage war against the state, of preparing and playing out CDs of the Gujarat communal riots of 2002 to create communal tension. Junaid was at that time was a Unani doctor; he was finally acquitted after 2 years. "Without proof, they arrested our children. They didn't even inform us. We didn't know their whereabouts for 7-8 days," said Arifunnisa, Junaid's mother.
All 26 men were later acquitted but they say the stigma never goes away. Junaid says, "When there is a blast, youth of a particular community are targeted. They are playing with our lives. That happened to me. I lost a year in college. I was not able to do my MD because of this.''
Junaid and some of the other Muslims who were arrested have gone to court seeking compensation. "We are demanding compensation from the police officers who tortured us. That they should be made to pay compensation from their salary, says Rayeesuddin. (Source: NDTV)

Family questioned in India journalist death

2010-05-04T18:23:00.000+06:00

SANS News Desk, May 04, 2010:

Police in India are questioning the father and brother of a Delhi-based journalist found dead last week in a suspected "honour killing" case. Nirupama Pathak was found dead in her parents' home in Jharkhand state. An autopsy revealed that she was pregnant. She was reportedly in a relationship with a man from a different caste.

On Monday Miss Pathak's mother was arrested in connection with her murder. Her family deny all the allegations and say she committed suicide.Miss Pathak's family reported her death last Thursday. They said she was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her room and produced two suicide notes.But an autopsy report showed the death was "a clear case of murder... caused by asphyxia as a result of smothering," the AFP news agency quoted senior Jharkhand police officer MS Bhatia as saying.The autopsy also showed that Pathak was pregnant, fuelling suspicions that this was a case of honour killing, police said.

Miss Pathak, 22, was a high-caste Hindu Brahmin living in Delhi and reportedly in a relationship with another journalist, Priyabhanshu Ranjan, who was from a lower caste. Police say that her parents had opposed the idea of their daughter "marrying someone from outside their caste".

Correspondents say that honour killings in the villages of northern India have long been reported. But if Miss Pathak's case is found to be an instance of honour killing, it would be rare given her education and her urban background. (Edited by: Anwarul Karim Raju)

Death sentence for Kasab?

2010-05-04T18:15:00.000+06:00

Mumbai, May 04, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

Will it be death for Ajmal Kasab or a life term in prison? The 26/11 trial court will share its decision on Thursday. Will it be death for Ajmal Kasab or a life term in prison? The public prosecutor, Ujjwal Nikam, made strong arguments in the Arthur Road Jail special court for two hours demanding the death sentence for Kasab on the grounds of the "cold-bloodedness and motivation" of Kasab.
Like Monday, when he was declared guilty of waging war and murder, Kasab, dressed once again in a white kurta-pyjama and unshaven, kept his head bowed throughout Nikam's arguments. Kasab was found guilty on more than 80 of the 86 charges brought against him for planning and executing the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Nikam also said that Kasab wanted to inspire others to take part in fidayeen or suicide attacks.
As an example of why Kasab should get the death penalty, Nikam said that the terrorist had expressed disappointment that he landed at Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) after rush hour on 26/11/2008. Kasab had anticipated a busier station, based on CDs he had been shown of CST before the attack, Nikam said. The prosecutor also said that in his confession to the Mumbai police, Kasab said that he was upset that he could not kill more people at the station. At CST, Kasab killed close to 60 people in an hour with his partner, Abu Ismail.

Photographs taken by newspaper photographers of Kasab, taken in action while firing at CST's passengers and shopkeepers, showed that "he enjoyed the acts of murder," said Nikam. The terrorist "was happy to see people in pain and anguish as a result of his firing," the prosecutor stressed.

Deutsche Welle expands FM reach in Bangladesh

2010-05-01T17:40:00.000+06:00

Dhaka, May 1, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle begins the second test phase of its radio service in Bangladesh on May 1. In the second phase, DW-RADIO will be broadcasting two times every day in Khulna, Rajshahi and Rangpur, it vsaid in a press release on Friday. The first phase started on Apr 14 with DW testing radio transmissions on Bangladesh Betar's FM network. They are testing transmissions on 97.6 MHz in Dhaka, 105.4 MHz in Chittagong and 105.0 MHz in Sylhet at the same time.
DW-RADIO will be broadcasting daily on 102.0 MHz in Khulna, 105.0 MHz in Rajshahi and 105.4 MHz in Rangpur from 8.00am to 8.30am as well as 8.00pm to 8.30pm. This is the second part of the planned test roll-out, which comprises six major cities in Bangladesh, the company said. Deutsche Welle is planning several accompanying marketing campaigns, including a road show that will take place later this year. The agreement between Deutsche Welle and Bangladesh Betar was signed into effect on March 9, 2010 in Bangladesh.