Polnews24: Jul 11, 2011

Monday

47 demonstrators arrested in Ctg

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com) ? Law enforcers have arrested 47 supporters of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) from different parts of the port city.

They were arrested from Dewanhaat, Bahaddarhat and EPZ areas between 5:30am and 9:30am on Sunday, the first day of the 30-hour countrywide shutdown, police said.

Party general secretary Jannatul Islam, however, put the number of arrestees at 118.

Twelve Islamic parties, including the IAB, enforced the hartal demanding restoration of 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah' in the constitution and dropping of secularism from it.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Tanvir Arafat told bdnews24.com that eight supporters were picked up from Dewanhaat intersection around 5:30am as they tried to take out a procession.

Eight more were arrested around 9:30am as they brought out a procession. Police also cordoned off its party office at Azma Complex.

Chandgaon police sub-inspector Mohamamd Monir said 15 hartal supporters were arrested when they took out a procession carrying sticks.

Sixteen activists of the party were arrested from Chittagong EPZ area around 8:30am.

The IAB general secretary threatened to announce harsher programmes if the arrestees were not released immediately.

Hartal was observed in a relaxed manner in the city as a larger number of vehicles plied the roads.

Activities at Chittagong Port were as usual, said port secretary Syed Farhad Uddin.

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Police go tough on hartal supporters

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com)?Police have continued their clampdown on the activists of 12 parties, mostly Islamist who are enforcing a 30-hour countrywide lockdown.

Two of the 12 parties claimed that police arrested over 550 of their supporters around the country since the beginning of the hartal at 6am on Sunday.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB), which at the last moment backed away from the alliance of the 12 parties, alone claimed that over 500 of its activists have been arrested while Khelafat-e-Majlish put their figure at 50.

The shutdown is being enforced to push for restoration of 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah' in and dropping of secularism from the constitution.

The other parties are Sammilita Olama Mashayekh Parishad, National Democratic Party, Islami Oikya Andolon, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesh NAP, NAP Bhasani, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party, Islamic Party and Nezam-e- Islami Party.

Opposition BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami extended their support to the general strike.

The IAB office at Purana Paltan was cordoned off by police since morning, who also obstructed its supporters on several occasions from parading down the streets.

The bdnews24.com correspondent reported from the spot that whenever the IAB supporters were trying to come out, they were facing arrest.

Lawmen obstructed IAB processions at many parts of the city and elsewhere in the country, party leaders said.

IAB publicity secretary Ahmad Abdul Qaiyum claimed that police had arrested over 500 of its supporters from across the country since morning.

Police earlier on Saturday had detained 56 of their activists, he added.

The outfit's Dhaka city unit chief A T M Hemayetuddin alleged that they were barred to exercise their democratic right. "The police role proves that the country is ruled by an autocratic government. But our movement will continue," he told bdnews24.com.

Meanwhile, pickets of Khlefat-e-Majlish were not seen on the streets after 10 people, including its secretary-general Nezam Uddin, were arrested in the early hours of the hartal.

Police picked up 50 supporters of Khelafat from across the country as they tried to bring out processions in support of the hartal, its publicity secretary Jalal Uddin told bdnews24.com.

Although opposition BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, which had enforced a 48-hour countrywide general strike from 6am on Wednesday, extended their support to the blockade, they were not seen on the streets.

The BNP headquarters at Naya Paltan had been cordoned and locked by police since morning. Several hundred law enforcers were deployed there.

In Panchabati and Kanchpur of Narayanganj, over 50 people including 10 policemen were injured in clashes.

Apart from fighting pickets on the streets, reinforced lawmen kept offices of several parties in the city besieged since morning.

A good number of buses alongside CNG-driven auto-rickshaws were seen on the capital streets.

Even then, rickshaws dominated the streets like other hartal days.

Ten mobile courts are also in force in the city to hold summary trials.

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Shahara wants more cops in suburbs

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com) ?The home minister has ordered an increase in the number of policemen at the district level.

Her order came following a remark from the inspector general that law enforcers fall victims to picketers in suburban areas.

Shahara Khatun visited Square Hospital to see additional superintendent of police Saidur Rahman who was injured in a clash with hartal supporters at Fatullah on Sunday.

Twelve parties, mostly Islamist, enforced a 30-hour countrywide lockdown, to push for restoration of 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah' in and dropping of secularism from the constitution.

Inspector general Hasan Mahmud Khandaker told Shahara after the visit that picketers were concentrating on suburban areas and policemen were getting outnumbered and beaten up.

Shahara instructed him to increase the number of policemen in those areas.

"We also observed hartal. We used to get beaten up by the police. But now the picketers attack the police with large canes," she said.

She also praised the police for their patience during the Fatullah clash.

Asked about civilians seen aiding the police in battling the picketers, she said, "People do not support hartal. So they resisted it."

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England win final ODI

Manchester, July 10 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) ? A patient 72 from Jonathan Trott helped England to a 16-run win over Sri Lanka in the final one-dayer at Old Trafford on Saturday, giving the hosts a 3-2 series win which allowed them to gain some revenge for their 10-wicket World Cup quarter-final humiliation.

A century sixth-wicket partnership between Angelo Mathews (62) and Jeevan Mendis (48), which rescued Sri Lanka from 131-5, threatened to upset England but some assured catches at the end and fine bowling put paid to the tourists' chances.

Young paceman Jade Dernbach finished with two wickets off the final two balls, while James Anderson also picked up two victims and Tim Bresnan was the pick of the attack with 3-49.

Earlier the rocksteady Trott notched up 72 off 87 deliveries to guide England to 268-9 off their 50 overs, the hosts having started strongly with captain Alastair Cook (31) and Craig Kieswetter (43).

Eoin Morgan (57) combined with Trott while Anderson struck a crucial late 12 runs, Suraj Randiv leading the Sri Lankan attack taking 5-42.

England dropped Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad before the match, while Cook, who replaced Andrew Strauss as one-day skipper following the World Cup, led from the front to steer his team to a series victory.

He smashed an unbeaten 95 in the fourth match to hand England a 10-wicket win, and finished with 298 runs at an average of 74.50.

Cook was not in the World Cup squad, where England were demolished by eventual runners-up Sri Lanka.

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Argentina in semis, Serbia and France poised

London, July 9 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) ? Argentina cruised into the semi-finals of the Davis Cup and looked poised for a clash with defending champions Serbia, who moved into a 2-0 first-day lead away to Sweden on Friday.

France were also well placed going into Saturday's doubles after Richard Gasquet clawed back a two-set deficit against Germany's Florian Mayer in Stuttgart as last year's runners-up also won both opening singles.

Spain, despite missing deposed world number one Rafa Nadal, took a commanding 2-0 lead over hosts the United States in Austin, Texas and elsewhere there were rare Davis Cup outings for Roger Federer and Andy Murray in lower-tier ties.

Federer, the 16-times grand slam champion, returned to the competition after a near two-year absence to help Switzerland take a 2-0 lead over Portugal in a European Zone tie with an error-strewn four-set win against Rui Machado in Berne.

Murray made up for his recent Wimbledon semi-finals defeat in brutal fashion, thrashing Luxembourg's hapless Laurent Bram 6-0 6-0 6-0 for a rare "triple bagel" to level the Euro/Africa Zone 2 second-round tie at one apiece in Scotland.

While Federer and Murray went about their business, the serious action was taking place in the World Group, although Serbia's clash with Sweden was also something of a mismatch.

Even with newly-crowned Wimbledon champion and world number one Novak Djokovic pulling out of the singles with a knee niggle, Serbia made short work of the lowly-ranked Swedes who are without their powerhouse world number five Robin Soderling.

Viktor Troicki beat world number 297 Michael Ryderstedt 6-3 6-1 6-7 7-5 before Janko Tipsarevic saw off Ervin Eleskovic in quick time when his opponent retired hurt with a knee injury trailing 6-2 1-0.

"First of all I am very happy I brought the point to my country," said Tipsarevic. "But I am feeling really bad for Ervin and I couldn't imagine this day would finish this way."

Victory for Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic on Saturday against the decent Swedish doubles duo of Robert Lindstedt and Simon Aspelin will put the Serbians through to a mouth-watering home tie with Argentina in September.

EARLY START

Argentina began Friday already 2-0 ahead against Kazakhstan after their tie in Buenos Aires started a day earlier because of municipal elections on Sunday and the south Americans took a decisive lead when Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo Schwank beat Evgeny Korolev and Yuriy Schukin in straight sets.

Argentina, for whom Juan Martin del Potro returned to action, did not drop a set in the three rubbers.

"At the end of the day everything was easier than expected," Argentina captain Tito Vazquez said after Argentina reached their seventh semi-final in 10 years.

"Definitely we're looking forward to playing in the semi-finals. I think it will be against last year's champions, Serbia, and we'll see if we can give a surprise and get closer to what we want, that is to win the Davis Cup one day."

The performance of the day was from Frenchman Gasquet.

He trailed by two sets against Mayer but hit back to win 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-3 before Gael Monfils then beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 7-6 6-4.

Mayer, ranked 20 in the world, suffered from cramps as Gasquet turned the match around.

"I've never had cramps in my life, and I'd drunk enough, both before and after the match, so it must have been the tension," he said. "I could barely move in the fourth and fifth sets. It's a very bitter defeat."

In Austin, Feliciano Lopez gave Spain a winning start when he battled past American Mardy Fish 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-7 8-6 before world number six David Ferrer followed suit with a gutsy 7-6 7-5 6-3 victory over hometown favourite Andy Roddick.

"This win means a lot for me," the 31st-ranked Lopez said after beating world number eight Fish for the first time in their last four meetings. "I've been playing good the last couple of months.

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the world's top-ranked team, are scheduled to meet Lopez and Fernando Verdasco in Saturday's doubles in the best-of-five tie.

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Court accepts BNP case against cops

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com)?A Dhaka court has accepted the attempt to murder case against 30 policemen for the 'attack' on opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque during the hartal hours on July 6.

A B M Ashrafuddin Nizan, a BNP MP, filed the case with the Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Sunday morning against additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Harun-or-Rashid, Mohammadpur zone assistant commissioner Biplob Sarker and 28 others of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Nizan's counsel Joynal Abedin Mejbah told bdnews24.com.

Magistrate M A K Azad took the case into cognisance after hearing.

He also ordered the DMP commissioner to look into the matter and submit a report on its progress by August 10.

A government-formed three-member police team, headed by an additional inspector general, has already started investigation into the matter.

The opposition chief whip, currently being treated at United Hospital, came under 'police attack' when he was leading a procession of some 25 opposition MPs from Farmgate to the parliament building on the first day of the BNP-led alliance's 48-hour hartal that began at 6am on July 6.

Police filed a case against Farroque, Syeda Asifa Ashrafee Papiya MP and some 10 other unnamed people the same night, but "declined" the following day to let the BNP sue two of their senior colleagues on charge of assaulting Farroque.

When Nizan went to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station he was told that police themselves had filed a case over the incident and investigation was ongoing.

Witnesses said Farroque had fiercely argued with ADC Harun at the time and the two swore at each other. A scuffle followed and the MP was beaten and kicked by the law-enforcers.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday regretted the 'accident' and told parliament that she was keeping a tab on his condition.

She, however, went on to add, "None expects a parliamentarian to pelt brickbats at vehicles or assault police. People expect amicable and polite behaviour from an MP."

Home minister Shahara Khatun, described the injury as 'unexpected and sad', but said "any kind of demonstration around the parliament complex during its session is banned".

ADC Harun told reporters that Farroque did not stop the procession despite his call and rather, with party activists, threw brickbats at buses on the Manik Mia Avenue.

He also claimed that the opposition chief whip hurled abuses at police.

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11-party hartal not to protect Islam: IAB

Dhaka, July 9 (bdnews24.com) ? Chief of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) Syed Rezaul Karim has said the 11 pro-Islamic parties called the 30-hour nationwide general strike to serve their own political interests, not to protect Islam.

"Although those parties are Islamic, they do not properly abide by Islamic principles... It won't be wise for us to observe any programme with them. So, we'll observe Sunday's hartal on our own," Karim, known as Peer of Chormonai, said on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference at its Purana Paltan headquarters, Karim threatened to launch harsher programmes if the government obstructed their hartal.

At another press conference, Abdur Rob Yusufi, a senior leader of Khelafat-e-Majlish, said, "We all do politics and we should have a purpose. But now our objective is to have Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah reinstated in the constitution."

He said they would observe the hartal to defend their faith in Allah as His soldiers. "We'll wage tougher programmes in case of any obstruction during the hartal. The hartal will be extended, if necessary," he warned.

The Hindu community on Friday called for postponing the general strike considering their 'Ulta Rath', popularly known as Bahuda Yatra, and the festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannath, on Monday.

The like-minded 11 parties, known as close allies of the main position BNP, on June 30 called the countrywide 30-hour general strike from July 10, demanding restoration of 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah' in the constitution.

The parties are Khelafat-e-Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Sammilito Olama Mashayekh Parishad, National Democratic Party, Islami Oikya Andolon, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesh NAP, NAP Bhasani, Jatiya Gonatantrik Party, Islamic Party and Nezam-e- Islami Party.

IAB on June 29 called the countrywide dawn-to-dusk general strike on July 10 (Sunday) to press for its demands.

The main opposition BNP and its key ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Friday extended their support to their shutdown.

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DSE turnover hits 10bn at midday

Dhaka, July 11 (bdnewws24.com)?The Dhaka stocks experienced exchange of shares worth over Tk 10 billion in about two and a half hours of trading on Monday, despite a hartal until noon.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) general index also gained 59.30 points to 6,496.81 at 13:26pm.

Of the 256 issued traded, 192 gained, 54 declined and 10 remained unchanged.

The turnover, which touched Tk 16.46 billion-mark to reach the six-month high on Sunday, stood at 10.20 billion at 13:26pm. It was Tk 16.83 billion on Jan 12.

The premier bourse posted Tk 13.48 billion turnover on Thursday, Tk 11.59 billion the day before and Tk 11.40 billion on July 3?all hartal days.

On Dec 5, 2010, the DSE trading peaked to Tk 32.49 billion before nose-diving to Tk 2.96 billion on May 26.

Meanwhile, the premier bourse started the day's business as per the schedule as the required number of brokerage houses lined up despite the 30-hour general strike that ends at noon.

Of the 217 listed brokerage houses, 215 logged in to trade within 11am. The minimum requirement to go for the trading is the participation of at least one-third of the listed houses.

The prime minister in a recent meeting with businessmen had emphasised keeping the index within the 6,500 mark.

FBCCI president A K Azad had told reporters after the meeting that the prime minister had emphasised on keeping the index within 6,500 for the sake of market stability.

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Stop politics with money of 'corrupt': Hasina

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com)?The prime minister has launched a passionate appeal to the supporters of the Islamist parties that enforced the 30-hour shutdown to stop pursuing politics funded by the money of the 'corrupt' people.

Sheikh Hasina made the call when inaugurating the 27th council of pro-Awami League student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League on Sunday.

"Why do you (Islamist parties) do politics in the name of Islam with the money of corrupt people who take bribes?"

"Didn't you find Allah in Bismillah? Have you found Allah in hartal?" asked Hasina, the president of Awami League.

Eleven Islamist parties called the general strike in protest against the removal of the words "Absolute Faith and Trust in Almighty Allah" from the constitution through the 15th Amendment.

Hasina said, "We believe in politics of vote. We believe in what we've done for the people. We're here to give them something, not to take from them."

She reaffirmed the government's commitment to try suspected war criminals and urged the BCL activists to have patience about the trial.

"There are many jobs that cannot be done hurriedly. They need time. No work can be done with magic. Many complain that this or that has yet to be done.

"I say that those in charge know the situation," the prime minister said.

She thanked the BCL activists for coming to the capital from far and wide of the country to attend the council defying the blockade and urged them to be alert to the threat from the force that had opposed that nation's independence.

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Labour issue blocking TICFA deal: Faruk

Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com)?Disagreement on the issue of workers' union in EPZs is standing in the way of Bangladesh signing the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) with the US, according to the commerce minister.

"We want to sign the agreement to have a platform where both the countries can discuss and expand their trade but labour issue is yet to be resolved," M Faruk Khan told bdnews24.com on Sunday.

There were some thorny issues including environment, corruption and intellectual property rights but those have been resolved, he said.

"We have to keep this in mind that we cannot allow trade union in the export processing zones and I hope the US understand the ground reality," he added.

The US wants to mention labour union rights clause in all areas in the agreement.

The commerce and foreign secretaries went to the US to negotiate on TICFA in the last week of June and it can be said 95 percent of the agreement has been agreed upon by the parties, Faruk said.

The negotiation is likely to conclude after the visit of assistant US trade representative for South Asia Michael J Delaney in Dhaka 'soon', the minister said.

Delaney had come to Dhaka in April and discussed the TICFA issue with the commerce minister. "Bangladesh has submitted an outline and we are considering it," Delaney said.

The idea of the forum was floated after the government declined to sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) amid controversies in 2009.

DUTY-FREE MARKET ACCESS

Bangladesh is pursuing to enter the US market with duty-free facility, Faruk said

"Economic diplomacy is going on and our embassy in Washington is working hard to get the facility."

"Average tariff rate on readymade garment products is 16 percent and US importers have to pay $500 million for their imports from Bangladesh."

Exports from Bangladesh will increase if the country receives duty-free access to the US market, he added.

Being a least developed country, Bangladesh should get the facility from the rich countries including the US, Faruk observed.

Bangladesh exported goods worth about $5 billion to the US in the last fiscal year and overall export to other countries including US hit a record $22.9 billion, according to the minister.

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Vettel fastest in final British GP practice

Silverstone, July 9 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) ? World champion Sebastian Vettel lapped fastest in final British Grand Prix practice Saturday while Red Bull team bosses spent most of the session arguing with officials over yet another rule revision.

After rain washed out much of Friday's running, the German made the most of drier conditions to set a best time of one minute 31.401 seconds.

Ferrari's double world champion Fernando Alonso was second on the timesheets, 0.063 slower, with Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber -- last year's race winner -- in third place.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was 13th and team mate Jenson Button, who has never stood on his home podium as an F1 driver, sixth.

At the slow end, Australian debutant Daniel Ricciardo lapped faster than Italian team mate Vitantonio Liuzzi in the Hispania.

Vettel will be chasing his third successive British Grand Prix pole in qualifying later Saturday and his eighth in nine races this year.

The Red Bull's continuing speed was some consolation for team boss Christian Horner, who spent the best part of an hour with technical head Adrian Newey locked in talks with race director Charlie Whiting.

The meeting followed yet another directive from the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) about the engine regulations and sent to all the teams Saturday morning.

In it, according to a copy pinned on the notice board next to race control, the FIA effectively backtracked on one sent out the previous day which had drawn complaints from Mercedes-powered McLaren.

Horner and Newey refused to comment after the meeting, leaving stony-faced and stalking back down the paddock to the Red Bull garages.

The FIA is clamping down on the use of exhaust gases for performance gain through engine maps that keep the throttle open even when a driver is braking to ensure a steady flow through the rear of the car.

Friday's directive had allowed Renault to keep the engine throttle 50 percent open, on grounds of reliability, while Mercedes were allowed to retain other characteristics of their engine.

However, sources said the FIA had decided Saturday to revert to a previous position and reduce Renault's allowance to 10 percent at 12,000 revs and 20 percent at the maximum 18,000 revs.

The French manufacturer also supplies Renault and Team Lotus as well as Red Bull.

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'BCL gave both heroes and traitors'

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com)?The Awami League general secretary has said the party's student wing played a unique role during the military-backed regime that took over Jan 11, 2007.

"Chhatra League has given birth to both heroes and traitors," Syed Ashraful Islam said at Bangladesh Chhatra League's two-day 27th national council on Sunday.

"Chhatra League's role after Sheikh Hasina's arrest was unique. Some culprits posing as Chhatra League supporters had tried to foil that movement. Our president had heard everything from the court," Ashraf said.

The local government minister said there were some 'unpleasant incidents' to sabotage the movement to free Hasina, at Dhaka's Shahbag.

Ashraf outlined the contributions of Chhatra League in politics. "We are now here, me, the prime minister ? we all started from this organisation. Chhatra League has led every democratic movement in our history," he said.

He said that artists, writers, scientists and even justices of the higher courts had come form Chhatra League.

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50 hurt in N'ganj police-pickets clashes

Narayanganj, July 10 (bdnews24.com)?At least 50 people, including 10 policemen, have been injured in a series of clashes between the hartal supporters and lawmen at Fatullah in Narayanganj.

Pro- and anti-hartal activists also clashed at Kanchpur in the district in the early hours of the 30-hour countrywide lockdown, being enforced by 12 parties, mostly Islamist, from 6am on Sunday.

The parties are demanding that 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah' be restored in and secularism dropped from the constitution.

Police said pickets had locked into clashes with them at Panchabati of Fatullah since 6:30am as they stopped them taking out processions.

The Kanchpur trouble erupted when shutdown supporters blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Kanchpur bridge point around 8:30am and anti-hartal activists, mainly transport workers, chased them, police said.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at Panchabati, while they fired rubber bullets and charged batons on pickets at Kanchpur to bring the situations under control, superintendent of police (SP) Sheikh Nazmul Alam told reporters.

Three people were also arrested in Panchabati, he added.

A pistol and a shotgun of police also went missing during the clashes, some police officers claimed.

Ten policemen were also injured and about 10 vehicles vandalised during the skirmishes, they added.

Of the injured, additional SP Saidur Rahman Khan and assistant sub-inspector 'Anwar' were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition, they said.

At Kanchpur, hartal supporters, who blocked the highway around 8:30am, clashed with a group of people who had brought out an anti-hartal procession around 9am.

Siddhirganj police officer-in-charge Kamrul Islam Molla said police fired rubber bullets and charged batons to disperse them.

Locals said one 'Tofael', 22, who works at a tailoring shop, was shot in police firing. Kamrul, however, denied to have fired from their weapons.

The road was cleared to traffic at 12:30am.

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Obama faces new obstacles in high-stakes debt talks

WASHINGTON, July 10 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - President Barack Obama will seek "the biggest deal possible" in talks on Sunday aimed at averting a debt default after Republicans shied away from a $4 trillion deficit-reduction deal because it would raise taxes.

Obama and the top U.S. Republican, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, are to meet with other congressional leaders at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT) at the White House for high-stakes deliberations with an August 2 deadline looming larger.

Failure to seal a deal by August 2 could mean the first-ever default on the nation's financial obligations, which the White House and private economists warn could push the United States back into recession and trigger global financial chaos.

Boehner, facing stiff opposition from fellow Republicans over the prospects of higher taxes as part of a large-scale $4 trillion budget deal, told the Democratic president on Saturday he would only pursue a smaller, $2 trillion package.

The move threatened to throw Sunday's meeting into disarray. It followed Democratic complaints to Obama -- whose 2012 re-election prospects are tightly linked to U.S. economic health -- that he should not agree to any reforms of popular entitlement programs that would lead to benefit cuts.

Calling it a "grave moment for the country," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told NBC's "Meet the Press" that Obama and the Democrats would try to get the "biggest deal possible" and that failure to act could lead to catastrophic damage to the fragile U.S. economy.

"It's going to require both sides to compromise. The president's bringing both sides together again at the White House this evening to try to figure out how to move forward," he said.

White House chief of staff William Daley told ABC's "This Week With Christiane Amanpour" that "there's no question in my mind" that a default will be avoided. "I'm confident of that."

Daley said the White House believed a deal of around $4 trillion was needed to "send a statement to the world that the U.S. has gotten hold of their ... fiscal problems."

Aides to Obama and Boehner had been working on a far-reaching package of spending cuts and new revenue that would have reduced deficits by $4 trillion over 10 years and cleared the way for lifting the $14.3 trillion cap on the government's borrowing capacity.

DAMPENED HOPES

But Boehner's move dampened hopes of any immediate compromise and raised doubts about the chances that Sunday's talks would start moving the budget debate toward an end-game.

"Despite good-faith efforts to find common ground, the White House will not pursue a bigger debt reduction agreement without tax hikes," Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, said in a statement. "I believe the best approach may be to focus on producing a smaller measure."

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, appearing on "Fox News Sunday," said, "Nobody's talking about not raising the debt ceiling," and said he was "for the biggest deal possible too. It's just that we're not going to raise taxes in the middle of this horrible economic situation."

McConnell said he believed the sweeping $4 trillion package was off the table and suggested Republicans have an alternative idea to avoid a default up their sleeves.

Asked if there was a contingency plan to avoid a default, McConnell said with a smile: "There's always a contingency plan."

Conservatives believe deep spending cuts are needed to get the budget under control and are urging congressional Republicans not to bow to pressure for tax increases on the wealthy from Democrats, who want to shield popular domestic programs from huge cuts.

"This debt ceiling debate is the perfect time to do what must be done. We must cut," said former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008.

Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen, on CNN's "State of the Union," accused Republicans of taking an uncompromising stance -- "essentially providing a form of extortion, 'if you don't agree to deficit reduction the way we want it.'"

Republicans -- under pressure from Tea Party conservatives -- reject any increased taxes and want curbs on popular benefit programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Republican Senator Jim DeMint, a Tea Party favorite, told Fox he believed Geithner was "playing Chicken Little here" with the default deadline. "The fact is, we will pay our debts if it's the last dollar we have."

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Swift is Tigers' fielding coach

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com) ? Jason Swift, currently working with the Lancashire County Cricket Club, has been appointed the fielding coach of Bangladesh cricket team.

Swift, 40, is expected to join the Tigers ahead of their Zimbabwe tour later this month.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed the Australian born, who replaces Julien Fountain, for two years, an official statement said on Sunday.

The latter left BCB as his contract expired after the World Cup, which Bangladesh co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka in Feb-March.

The Board did not renew the contracts with head coach Jamie Siddons and bowling coach Ian Pont, expiring around the same time. Stuart Law has replaced Siddons.

Tigers skipper Shakib Al Hasan is currently playing for Worcestershire, while his deputy Tamim Iqbal in Nottinghamshire.

Swift is a Level-4 qualified coach certified by the English Cricket Board and has been with Lancashire for six seasons as a coach and performance analyst.

A former Australian league cricketer, Swift is also the head coach of the county's Colts Team and assistant coach of its Academy, the BCB media and communications department statement added.

He had played for Canberra Comets between 1997 and 2000 and captained Queanbeyan CC (Canberra) for three years.

A left-handed batsman, Swift broke the Bolton League record for most runs in a season with 1,797 runs which included the league's highest individual innings record when he made 226 not out, BCB said.

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POWER PLANTCops foil green groups' Bagerhat demo

Bagerhat, July 9 (bdnews24.com) ? Police have foiled the demonstration of green groups at Rampal, eight kilometres away the Sundarbans, opposition the government plan to set up a coal-fired power plant in the area.

Two protestors -- Hemayetul Islam, 60, and Parvez Hossain, 40, -- were also picked up by police around 10am on Saturday as they were gathering to take out a citizens' rally and a human chain.

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), Save the Sundarbans, Centre for Human Rights Movement (CHRM), Sundarbans Tourists Club and Rampal Krishijami Rakkha Sangram Parishad took part in the programme at Foila Bazar of the upazila.

The demonstrators alleged that a police team, led by officer in charge of Rampal Police Station Shahidul Islam, charged batons and dispersed them twice, first at Foila Bazar and then near Bhotte Bridge.

Later, representatives of the organisations held a press conference at Khulna Press Club around 12pm, where CHRM secretary-general Mujahidul Islam read out a written statement.

Shahidul later told bdnews24.com that the protestors were intercepted fearing that they could cause law and order problem in the area through their violent programmes "against the government's development activities".

"Two people were detained, but were released later," he added.

The 1300 megawatt plant, a joint venture project with an Indian government-run power company NPTC, is planned to be set up at Satmari Katakhali of the upazila by 2015.

NTPC recently submitted its draft feasibility report on the project.

A High Court bench on March 1 asked the government why the construction of the plant should not be declared illegal.

On October 10 last year, another bench ruled against the government plan to set up another 1300MW plant at Anwara in Chittagong.

The government plans to acquire 1,834 acres of arable land beside the Pashur River for the Bagerhat plant.

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Webber beats Vettel for British GP pole

Silverstone, England, July 10 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) -- Bull's Australian Mark Webber roared back to form and denied world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel a third successive British Grand Prix pole position at a damp Silverstone on Saturday.

It was the team's ninth pole from nine races this season and Webber's second in a year in which he has yet to beat Vettel on a Sunday or even lead a race for so much as a lap.

The German, 77 points clear of McLaren's Jenson Button and Webber with 10 races remaining after Silverstone, extended his run of successive front-row starts to 14 with second place on the grid.

Webber was keen to put the racing back into the limelight after a morning dominated by team meetings, arcane argument about engine regulations, and whether Red Bull had been disadvantaged by a fresh directive before final practice.

"Seb and I just concentrate on the driving," said the Australian, who won last year's race after Vettel took pole, of all the technical polemic on a grey and wet day at Silverstone.

"Every year we have a new thing to talk about, this last few weeks has been about this (the engine and exhaust regulations), so let's hope everyone can find their common ground.

"It's incredibly boring also for the fans. I think they cannot understand 0.1 percent of what is going on. Even for us it is sometimes difficult. Let's get on with the racing and keep the rules as simple as possible.

"From my perspective for tomorrow, I'm in great shape and have prepared well."

CHASING MIRACLES

Vettel, winner of six of the eight races so far, was also quietly confident.

"Tomorrow, anything can happen. I think this circuit is quite tough on tyres, so we see what we get tomorrow," said the 24-year-old German.

Ferrari filled the second row, with double world champion Fernando Alonso qualifying third and Felipe Massa fourth ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button, hoping for his first home podium finish in Formula One.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, dominant winner of his home race in 2008, qualified only 10th on an afternoon of changing conditions and with the risk of sudden showers complicating strategy decisions.

"I don't think the position is too bad but the pace is," said Button.

Hamilton was equally disappointed but determined to do his best to put on a show for the fans.

"Of course, for the fans and the public here, we would love to be sitting on the front row," he said. "That is not the case. We will pull back, regroup. Obviously tomorrow anything can happen with the conditions that have been here today.

"Who knows? A miracle might happen tomorrow and we might still get our one-two.

"I don't know about you Jenson, but I'm game," added the 2008 champion, looking across at his team mate.

"Miracles do happen," smiled Button, who won in Canada last month after carving his way through the field from last place and forcing Vettel to make a mistake on the final lap.

One Briton who was delighted with his afternoon was Force India's Paul di Resta, qualifying an impressive sixth for his first British GP.

Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado did a good job for struggling Williams with seventh place on the grid, ahead of Japan's Kamui Kobayashi in a Sauber and Germany's Nico Rosberg for Mercedes.

Further back, Finland's Heikki Kovalainen took his Team Lotus through to the second phase of qualifying and lines up 17th in a big positive for the team.

Australian debutant Daniel Ricciardo will be bringing up the rear with Hispania (HRT) in his first Formula One race.

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10 mobile courts to patrol Dhaka

Dhaka, July 9 (bdnews24.com) ? Ten mobile courts will go around the city roads during the 11-party-called 30-hour general strike to punish trouble-mongers on the spot.

The courts, however, did not punish anyone on Saturday, the first day of their four-day operation, Dhaka additional magistrate S M Mahbubur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

"The courts have been assigned the task to monitor law and order situation in the capital city, not to foil hartal. They'll try crimes in line with the relevant act," he said.

The mobile courts would run from 10am until evening, he added.

Twelve Islamist parties have called a 30-hour shutdown from Sunday protesting the removal of the words 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Almighty Allah' from the constitution through the 15th Amendment.

BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami on Friday also expressed their support for the strike.

Around 100 supporters of the two parties were awarded sentences during a 36-hour shutdown staged by the two parties last while 34 pro-hartal activists were jailed during the 48-hour general strike starting on Wednesday last.

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Agassi inducted into Hall of Fame

New York, July 10 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) ? Andre Agassi was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, almost five years after he retired from the game.

A former world number one who captured eight grand slam singles titles, Agassi was enshrined at a ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, along with Fern Lee 'Peachy' Kellmeyer, a trailblazing administrator in women's professional tennis.

Agassi's achievements on the court ensured he would be remembered as one of the sport's greats but he tarnished his legacy with an admission in his autobiography that he used recreational drugs and once lied to escape a positive test.

Now 41, the American was in a reflective mood at his induction, admitting he made mistakes but was grateful for everything the sport gave him.

"I fell in love with tennis far too late in my life. But the reason I have everything I hold dear is because tennis has loved me back," he said.

"If we're lucky in life, we get a few moments where we don't have to wonder if we made our parents proud. I want to thank tennis for giving me those moments."

Agassi won his first grand slam title at Wimbledon in 1992 and his last in Australia in 2003.

He won the Australian Open four times, the U.S. Open twice and Wimbledon and the French Open once, and is one of just seven men to complete the full set of grand slam events. He also won an Olympic gold medal at Atlanta in 1996.

In a long career in which his ranking and form fluctuated, Agassi won more than 60 ATP titles, including 17 Masters events, and held the number one ranking six times between 1995 and 2003 for a total of 101 weeks.

In 2001, he married fellow tennis Hall of Famer Steffi Graf of Germany. The couple have two children and live in Las Vegas.

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6 powerful bombs found in Ctg, 3 held

Chitagong, July 10 (bdnews24.com) ? Six bombs have been recovered from the port city's Hundulpara area.

"The powerful bombs were found wrapped with a polythene sheet in a bathroom on the third floor of Aziz Building in the area around 2pm," assistant commissioner Emran Hossain Bhuyian said.

The police officer said 300grams of sulphur, along with a piece of paper with a message inscribed on it, was found in the polythene sheet.

Bhuyian said the police were suspecting that the bombs belonged to some militant organisation.

"Three people have been arrested in connection with the recovery," the police officer said.

Those arrested are Shafiqul Islam Monir, 30, Raju Shikder alias Raju Hujur, 21, and Mujibur Rahman, 37.

Monir, his wife Runa and Raju, all from Barisal, worked in a garments factory of Yang Wan Corporation. They shared a room of a flat in the building that Mujibur owns. Three other rooms of the flat are occupied by three families of ethnic groups.

Bhuyian said the trio had moved into the room seven months ago.

DEACTIVATION AFTER COURT ORDER

Metropolitan police deputy commissioner Kusum Dewan told bdnews24.com that five of the bombs were made with tin cans, while the other looked like a walky-talky.

Referring to the bomb squad, he said the bombs were very powerful.

Bomb deactivation team chief sub-inspector Fazlul Quader Chowdhury said, "The six bombs were made in Improvised Explosive Device (IID) fashion."

"The circuits of the bombs are incomplete. But they'll burst loud if thrown. The walky-talky like bomb has six batteries inside? They'll be deactivated after the court order arrives," he added.

'HUJUR HAS GOTTEN THE AK 47'

Emran said the message with no sender's name suggested that several parts of the city were on target.

He said the message reads, "Hujur has gotten the AK 47 [rifle]. Operations will be conducted in Bandar, Chandgaon and Khulshi areas. Use NCT, ST, if needed."

"NCT is written on five bombs and ST on the walky-talky like bomb," he added.

Kusum said the message was a 'big clue'.

He also expressed hope that Monir and Raju would give important information.

Asked whether the bombs were to be used during a general strike called by 12 Islamist parties, he said they were crosschecking the information given by the duo and 16 pro-hartal arrested from Bandartila Bazar.

The shutdown was called in protest against the removal of words 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Almighty Allah' from the constitution through the 15th Anmendment.

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5 secys face contempt charges

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com) -- Five secretaries and six other senior government officials face contempt charges for defying court directives on setting up boundary pillars on the banks of four major rivers around capital Dhaka.

The defendants were also charged with defying court orders to demolish unauthorised structures along the Buriganga, Balu, Turag and Shitalakhya rivers.

Lawyer Manzill Murshid filed the case with the Supreme Court on Sunday for rights group Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

The case was filed against the shipping, planning, finance, communications and water resources secretaries, and the chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), directors general of land survey and environment directorates, and deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj.

Manzill Murshid said the High Court on June 25, 2009 served a number of directives on the government in a bid to protect the ecologically threatened Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakhya and Balu rivers, which run around the capital.

It ordered the government to accurately demarcate the river boundaries to prevent encroachment, continue the demolition of illegal structures encroaching on the rivers, construct pavements on the banks and dredge the rivers to remove wastes from the riverbeds.

The court also ordered the environment secretary to declare the four rivers 'ecologically critical areas'.

"The government was given two years to complete the tasks that expired on Nov 30. Upon a plea, the court extended the time by six months, which ended on May 30," Manzill said.

"On July 2, the defendants were given a legal notice with one week's time to reply," he said.

He added that the environment secretary was excluded from the contempt charge because he had responded to legal notice.

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'Abducted villagers kept in Bangladesh'

Agartala, July 9 (bdnews24.com) ? Police chief of the India's northeastern state of Tripura has said six tribal men kidnapped by the banned NLFT militants from a bordering village in South Tripura district have been kept across the border in Bangladesh.

"They are across the border; we know that they are very close to the BDR camp. We have given all the details where they are kept and requested the BSF to hold a flag meeting the Bangladesh Border Guards, so that this point could be raised and necessary action taken," said Director General of Tripura police K Salim Ali.

He was speaking to media persons during a press conference in the police headquarters here.

On July 1, some NLFT militants had kidnapped six tribals ? five Reangs and one Chakma ? from a remote South Tripura village. The militants sneaked into India from Bangladesh to carry out the abduction.

Ali added, "Taking advantage of the absence of border fencing over an eight-kilometre stretch on the India-Bangladesh border in the Raishyabari area under Nutanbazar police station, the militants kidnapped and took the tribal people across the border."

However, the DGP assured that very soon the entire border that Tripura shares whith Bangladesh would be fenced. Initiative had also been taken to illuminate it, so that BSF men could manage it better, he added.

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