Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Dhaka, June 19 : Bangladesh's political parties continue to spar over a river valley project India is planning in its northeastern region as New Delhi awaits a parliamentary team accompanied by experts to visit the project site. Finance Minister A.M.A. Muhith Friday urged "all to be aware" of any movement against the Tipaimukh dam project "by a certain quarter to gain its political interest," Star Online web site said. Muhith criticised the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for not protesting against the Indian plans although the latter had completed the design and detailed studies and floated an international tender during the BNP-Jamaat rule (2001-06). Addressing the "National Tipaimukh Dam Conference 2009", the finance minister, among the most experienced ministers in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, said public opinion could have been mobilised earlier. India is planning to build the dam over the Barak river in Manipur sta...

Imphal, June 16 : As in previous years, decks have been cleared for the observance of the Great June Uprising and to pay homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the sake of safeguarding territorial integrity of Manipur at the Kekrupat Memorial complex on June 18 . In all 18 persons lost their lives in the spontaneous public uprising on June 18, 2001 against the extension of the ceasefire without territorial limits signed between the Government of India and Naga rebel group NSCN (I-M). United Committee Manipur (UCM) which came into being to spearhead the public movement has made necessary preparation for organising the 8th anniversary of the June 18, 2001 Uprising at Kekrupat where the mortal remains of the martyrs have been laid to rest on coming Thursday. Talking to mediapersons at Kekrupat Memorial complex, president of UCM and convenor of The Great June Uprising Observation Committee Yumnamcha Dilipkumar informed that as in previous years the State Government has given i...

Centre had provided intelligence to Assam: Chidambaram Guwahati, Jan 2: Refusing to blame intelligence failure for the serial blasts in Guwahati, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said that Assam police had acted "swiftly and decisively" on the inputs provided by the Centre but was "unlucky" to have missed the culprits. "Assam police nearly apprehended him (one of the blast suspects). A little bit of luck evaded Assam Police. I am sure next time Assam Police will be lucky," Chidambarm told reporters here. Chidambaram said the Centre had intelligence inputs which were passed on swiftly to the state. He disagreed that the blast occurred due to intelligence failure. "Assam police acted swiftly and decisively" but were unlucky not to apprehend the culprits, Chidambaram said in reply to a question. Chidambaram said riverine police should be set up in Assam along Brahmaputra. Asked whether the blasts were the result of intelligence failure, Assam Chief...

Press Council issues guidelines: New Delhi, Apr 30: The Press Council of India (PCI) has issued fresh guidelines following threats to the mediapersons in the North-east particularly in Assam and Manipur. Concerned over the threats to newspersons in the two States, the PCI constituted an Assessment Committee for Assam, whose scope was later enlarged to include Manipur. The Council has issued guidelines based on the Committee’s report. The Council’s action came after NE Television owned by Positive Television Private Limited moved it, complaining of threats being received by the print and electronic media representatives in the North-east, said Information and Broadcasting Minister, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi in a Rajya Sabha reply to a question by Kumar Deepak Das. The complaint was referred to the Chief Minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 29 last year requesting all possible measures to ensure security of the print and electronic mediapersons, especially of the NE Television...