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CLOUDS OF DOUBT OVER SAARC SUMMIT
Indo-US strategic deal will
thwart South Asian peace
M. Shahidul Islam
The Colombo SAARC summit took place in the backdrop of growing uncertainties within many member countries and amidst deteriorating bilateral relations between major nation-states of the region. That is what makes observers wary of its not making any substantive success despite frantic efforts by foreign secretaries in the run-up to the summit to map out a grandiose agenda for the summiteers...[ FULL STORY ]
GEN. KAPOOR'S BANGLADESH TOUR
India wants a friend here if war
breaks out in the north
Sadeq Khan
The Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor is leaving Bangladesh today after a warm and successful 6-day visit. It is a prompt return visit by the Indian army chief after 6-day visit of Bangladesh Army Chief General Moeen U. Ahmed in India last February. Dr. S. Kapila, a geo-strategic analyst belonging to South Asia Analysis Group and presumably linked with the Research and Analysis Wing (intelligence body RAW) under the Prime Minister of India, characterised the promptness of the return visit to Bangladesh by the Indian army chief as a diplomatic message. ..[ FULL STORY ]
W.T.O. MEET COLLAPSES
Bangladesh victim of key global
players' manoeuvring
Faruque Ahmed
The WTO mini-ministerial in Geneva ended last week sending the fate of the Doha Development Round uncertain until the next US administration takes office in Washington after the November election. The sources here in Dhaka, however, said the mini-ministerial has produced partial results of 'achieving a commercially meaningful market access' for 97 per cent of LDCs' exports under the duty-free and quota-free status, including that of Bangladesh to the market of the developed nation...[ FULL STORY ]
LONDON DEAL SEEN AS CONSPIRACY
CG backs AL-JP, delays Khaleda Zia's release
Amanullah Kabir
Supposing that the national elections will be held according to the announced roadmap, things have started moving overtly and covertly giving a definite shape to political scenario ahead of the schedule in December. And what could be the scenario is not too difficult for the politically conscious people to understand. Although all the political parties have not formally declared their participation in the local body elections going to be held, but it has created in politics a dimension that will ultimately determine the future polarisation. Not only the political parties, the Caretaker Government (CG) and its strategists behind the scenes also have become active rather in a clandestine way in the on-going polarisation process to manipulate it to their advantage...[ FULL STORY ]
PRESSURE MOUNTS
Process to release Khaleda on: CA
Abdur Rahman Khan
Where there is a will there is a way, the popular saying suggests that the government lacks the will to fulfil its commitment for treating all political parties with equality. Otherwise, they could find the way to release former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and her son Tareq Rahman as they did in case of Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina, Jamaat Chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and reformist leader Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan...[ FULL STORY ]
ISI HAS LINKS WITH TALEBANS: CIA
Disclosure follows Pak PM's
meeting with Bush
Fazle Rashid in New York
Barely 24 hours after President George Bush effusively praised Pakistan for its aggressive role against the Talebans on the periphery of Pak-Afghan border came the CIA disclosure that ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) of Pakistan has close links with the Taleban insurgents. ..[ FULL STORY ]
LOCAL GOVT. POLLS
CG's spring board to
reach its goals
Our Correspondent in New York
Sirajul Alam Khan and Haider Akbar Khan Rano, the well- known politicians, felt that the CG's intention to hold the local government election first is to use it as spring board to achieve its goals of streamlining politics in the country. They were talking to Holiday while in New York recently...[ FULL STORY ]
RAHUL GANDHI'S VISIT
India looks into Bangladesh with renewed interest
Special Correspondent
Coinciding with the high-profile visit of Indian Army Chief Deepak Kappor, a high security politician from the Gandhi dynasty, Rahul Ghandi has arrived Bangladesh on a five-day "private" visit to see the development projects of BRAC and Grmeen Bank. ..[ FULL STORY ]
GLOBAL ECONOMY IN TOTAL DISORDER
Bush leaves $482b deficit
from $ trillion surplus
Fazle Rashid in New York
President George Bush will leave a record budget deficit of $482 billion for his successor. He inherited a trillion dollar surplus when he assumed the office of the President of the United States in 2001 in a controversial election whose fate was decided not by the people but by the Supreme Court in a hair split 3-2 decision...[ FULL STORY ]
GLIMPSES OF GREAT
Indira Gandhi
K. Z. Islam
On the morning of 25 June 1975 Chief Minister of West Bengal Siddhartha Shankar Ray, who happened to be in New Delhi rather than at home in Calcutta was in bed when the phone rang. It was Indira's secretary R.K. Dhawan summoning Ray to the Prime Minister's house. For two hours Indira discussed with Ray the situation that was engulfing India...[ FULL STORY ]
10 AIRCRAFT BOUGHT WITHOUT TENDER
Biman's US$ 2.5b Boeing
deal raises eyebrows
Shahabuddin Ahmad
Hasty conversion of Biman corporation into a limited company, buying as many as 10 aircraft for Tk.17,000 crore without floating tender in two months and financial involvement of US$ 2.50 billion including principal and interest at current prices have raised eyebrows of experts, economists and knowledgeable circles. What is more is the huge financial involvement in the deal which was completed in record time...[ FULL STORY ]
Nepali Congress, UML gang up to thwart Maoists
Shamsuddin Ahmed
Political uncertainty continues in neighbouring Nepal where national election was held nearly four months ago but CPN (Maoist), the largest party in the Constituent Assembly, could not form government. The reason is, Nepali Congress has ganged up with UML (Maxist-Leninist) and MPRF, a combine of Madhesi parties, which are known to be closer to India to thwart the Maoists to govern the landlocked Nepal...[ FULL STORY ]
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