The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The central part of the country including the capital city is out of threat in the 2nd spell of flooding although several surrounding small rivers are flowing above their respective danger levels.

According to a press release of flood forecasting and warning centre here on Friday, the water levels started receding in those rivers, which were still flowing above the danger marks.

The recession of their flows will continue significantly over the next 72 hours from 6 pm on Friday, it said adding, the overall flood situation of the country has improved and the trend will continue in near future.

Meanwhile, the overall flood situation in the South-central part of the country including Nawabganj and Dohar of Dhaka, Rajbari, Faridpur, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Gopalganj and Chandpur districts is likely to improve further as the Ganges-Padma is also falling further.

The Brahmaputra-Jamuna is also continuing to fall and will farther fall during the next 72 hours. The prevailing flood situation in the districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj is improving slowly and is likely to improve further in the next 72 hours.

AFP, Islamabad

President Pervez Musharraf appointed a new head of Pakistan's main spy agency on Friday, in a move seen as seting up the likely succession should Musharraf quit as army chief as promised next month.

Musharraf, a key US-ally, appointed Nadeem Taj as the chief of the Inter Services Intelligence, or ISI, which is engaged in the hunt for Al- Qaeda militants as well as providing internal security, a military statement said.

Taj, who served as Musharraf's military secretary after he seized power in a coup in 1999, replaces Ashfaq Kiyani, who is a strong contender for the top army post should Musharraf step down.

The embatled military ruler said this week that he will relinquish his post as head of the powerful army if he wins his virtually assured re-election in a presidential poll due on October 6.

Musharraf said he would be sworn in as a civilian before his current term as president ends on November 15. Officials say privately that he is likely to quit the army within days of the vote.

Taj was one of six generals elevated from major general to lieutenant general by Musharraf in a batch of promotions that are seen as crucial for his own plans.

Military sources said either Kiyani or former Rawalpindi corps commander Tariq Majeed could replace Musharraf as army chief next month.

Analysts say Musharraf is keen to appoint a loyalist as his successor to ensure that he himself does not fall victim to military intervention when he becomes a civilian leader.

BSS, Rangpur

Detective Branch (DB) of Rangpur police recovered a sophisticated pistol, three cocktails, bomb making materials, phensidyl and arrested three persons in this connection from Pirganj on Thursday night

Sources said, acting on secret information, a special team of DB police led raided the Chatra Bazaar under Pirganj upazila at around 8:15 PM on Thursday.

They recovered the pistol and other objects from the riverbank behind the house of one Farman Ali in an abandoned state.

DB police arrested local UP member Abdur Rahim, 35, of village Kangurpara, Harunur Rashid, 35, of village Zolamahol and Farman Ali, 50, of village Eklimpur Chatra of the upazila.

A case was filed in this connection against the arrested persons.

BSS, Rangpur

Police arrested four members of an organised gang of cow-lifters from Ekbarpur village under Pirganj upazila on Wednesday night

Sources said, acting on a tip-off, a team of police from Pirganj thana conducted the drive and arrested the cow-lifters while they were preparing for commiting the crime.

The arrested cow lifters were identified as Ziaur Rahman alias Zia, 25, son of Tofael Hossain, Alamgir Hossain, 30, son of Esahaq Mia, 22, son of Amjad Hossain and Mofizul Islam, 28, son of Noya Mia of Ekbarpur Dakkhin Para under Pirganj upazila.

During interrogation, they admited that the 20-member cow- lifters gang stole over 70 cows from different areas of the upazila during the last one-year.

After filing a case against them, Pirganj police produced them before a Rangpur court from where they were sent to jail hajat on Thursday.

BSS, Dhaka

The retail prices of essentials including rice and vegetables remained almost stable in the city markets, according to a market report of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on Friday.

The price of coarse rice in different markets, including Kamalapur, New Market, Karwanbazar, Kalyanpur, Kachukhet and Mohammadpur, ranged between Taka 22 and Taka 23 per kg on Thursday.

Rice was being sold at Taka 23 at BDR-run open markets and Taka 19 at BDR-run sales centers on Thursday while in Kolkata per kg coarse rice is being sold at a price equivalent to Bangladesh Taka 21.42.

Onion (imported) was sold at Taka 32 to Taka 35 per kg in ordinary city markets while its price in Kolkata was Taka 26.78. Onion at Taka 38 per kg in BDR-run open markets and Taka 28 at BDR-run sales centres.

The price of one-kg packet of flour was between Taka 31 and Taka 33 in ordinary markets on Thursday while the price of the item was Taka 31 in BDR-run open markets and Taka 29 at BDR-run sales centres. In Kolkata, the flour is being sold for Taka 25 per kg, the report said.

The price of imported lentil (mashur) is between Taka 60 and Taka 65 per kg in ordinary markets, while it is being sold at Taka 63 in BDR-run open markets and Taka 58 at BDR-run sales centres. In Kolkata, the price of the lentil is Taka 58.92 per kg.

The price of imported gram (Chhola) was between Taka 62 and Taka 64 per kg in different retail markets on Thursday while in Kolkata, the item is being sold at Taka 57.14.

The item is being sold at Taka 65 in BDR-run open markets and Taka 52 at BDR-run sales centres.

Sugar is being sold at Taka 28 per kg in ordinary markets compared to Taka 32.14 in Kolkata and Taka 28 in BDR-run open markets.

The price of green chili, however, is ranging from Taka 70 to Taka 80 per kg in ordinary city markets. The item is sold at Taka 140 at BDR-run open markets. The price of green chili in Kolkata is equivalent to Taka 62.50.

The potato is being sold at Taka 19 to Taka 20 per kg in all the ordinary markets. The price of potato in BDR-run open market is Taka 23 and at BDR sales centers Taka 14. In Kolkata, the price of the item is equivalent to Taka 16.96.

Soyabean oil is being sold at Taka 78 to Taka 80 per litre in ordinary markets, while it is available at Taka 80 in BDR-run open markets and Taka 73 at BDR-run sales centres. In Kolkata, the price of soyabean oil is Taka 108.92 per litre.

Palm oil is being sold at Taka 72 to 75 per litre in ordinary markets. In Kolkata, the price of palm oil is Taka 101.78 per litre. The item is being sold at Taka 78 per kg in BDR-run open markets and Taka 73 at BDR-run sales centres, the report added.

BSS, Dhaka

The prize distribution ceremony of the inter-area Qirat and Azan competion- 2007 of Bangladesh Army was held at the Army Central Mosque at Dhaka Cantonment after the Juma prayers on Friday.

In the competition, the 14 Independent Engineer Brigade team has won the title obtaining 400 points while 6 Independent ADA Brigade team became runner-up with 394 points, said an ISPR press release.

In Qirat competition, Sainik Md. Abul Hossain of Rangpur area won the first prize while Sergeant Md. Emdadul Islam of 14 Independent Engineer Brigade team got the second prize.

In Azan competition, UP Lance Corporal Md. Sahab Uddin of Savar Area team became first while Warrent Officer Md. Babul Akhter Mollik of Army Signal Brigade received the second prize.

The top two prize winners recited from the Quran and rendered Azan respectively on the occasion.

The Qurater Master General (QMG) Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury atended the ceremony as the chief guest and distributed prizes among the winners.

BSS, Dhaka

Dr Sadrel Amin Latifur Reza, an eminent economist, died of cardiac arrest at his apartment in Almati, Kazakhstan yesterday, according to a message received here.

Dr Reza, a longtime professor of Dhaka University Economics Department, was working as Professor of Economics at Kazakhstan University at the time of his death.

He was 64.

He leaves behind two daughters, brothers and sisters and friends and well-wishers to mourn his death. His eldest brother Mahbubul Alam is the Editor of English daily The Independent and a former adviser of the Caretaker government His youngest brother is director general of Export Promotion Bureau.

Dr Reza had a distinguished career. He began his career as a Fellow of the then Pakistan Institute of Development Studies in Karachi. He served as a Lecturer, Assistant Professor and Professor and head of the Department of Economics of Dhaka University.

Prof Reza was also Director General of BIDS. He also held the position of a Senior Fellow of Asian Development Bank Research Institute in Tokyo, Japan.

He joined as Professor of the Department of Economics at the University of Kazakhstan last year.

Before going to Kazakhstan, he was a Professor of Economics in the Independent University of Bangladesh.

He has authored books and many research papers.

Dr Reza got first class MA degree in Economics from Dhaka University. Later, he received an MA from the University of Manchester, UK and PhD in development economics from UK.

Arrangements are being made to bring his body to Dhaka. All his friends and relatives are requested to pray for the departed soul.

UNB, Dhaka

The government has proscribed the Eid Issue of Saptahik 2000 and confiscated all its copies for publishing an autobiographical write-up hurting religious sentiments of the public. "The government has banned circulation, sale, full or partial reprint, publishing or preservation of all copies of Saptahik 2000(year 10, edition 19, Eid Issue 2007) under section 99-Ka of Criminal Act-1898", a government announcement said Friday. At the same time, the government has issued directive for the seizure of all copies of the weekly magazine which ran an autobiographical write up titled 'Sutanti Somachar'.

Poet Daud Haider, who lives in Germany, has writen this piece which allegedly contains some remarks that may hurt people's religious sentiments.

Meanwhile, the management of the weekly has apologized for publishing this article "inadvertently".