Indian Woman diplomat was spying for Pakistan

New Delhi, April 28, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

The damning basics of Madhuri Gupta's story are the must-haves of any spy story. Which is what this is. For real. 

The 53-year-old was posted at the Islamabad High Commission. The Indian Foreign Services B-Cadre diplomat was the Second Secretary for Press and Information at the highly-sensitive Islamabad embassy. She allegedly fell in love with Rana, her Pakistani handler, and began selling secrets to him. Sources say that in her confession to the police, she said she also wanted revenge - she had been overlooked for promotion, and was unhappy with her service conditions. In other words, she did it for love and money. She was arrested in Delhi on Tuesday, after being summoned from Pakistan on the pretext that she was needed for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meet, now underway in Thimphu.
Eight months ago, Gupta's colleagues at the mission became suspicious of her motives, and alerted her seniors. "We have reason to believe an official of  the Indian High Commission in Islamabad had been passing info to Pakistan intelligence agencies. The matter is currently under investigation. The officer is cooperating with us," said Vishnu Prakash, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.
Officials confirm that as a second secretary, Gupta's access to classified information may have been limited. Gupta, who was known for her proficiency in Urdu, is accused of having shared the identity of undercover Indian officers, and of sharing details of their assignments. To the Pakistanis who she worked for, however, she bragged that she had intimate access to the station chief of India's intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in Islamabad. RAW has investigated emails she sent, but say much of the information she gave, quoting or citing the RAW chief, is incorrect.  So far, RAW has no evidence against him.
When asked about Gupta's arrest, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is at the SAARC meet in Thimphu said, "My information is as good as yours because it is based on media reports."

Indian diplomat-turned-spy: 

'Serious matter'- says Indian Foreign Minister

          The Indian government is trying to unravel why and how an Indian diplomat posted to Islamabad began selling secrets to Pakistan, says External Affairs Minister SM Krishna. Intelligence sources say that while Madhuri Gupta did not have access to crucial information, she outed several Indian undercover agents within the Indian High Commission to the Pakistanis she was in touch with. Speaking to NDTV, SM Krishna explained, "The investigations are going on...we will have to wait till the investigations are complete. And then you know, find out what was the motive, what was the modus operandi." The minister added that Gupta was recalled to Delhi because of "the seriousness of the issues involved."
No access to key plans:

• She had no access to any sensitive documents or plans

How Gupta became a Pak spy

• She may have been recruited by the Pakistanis during her Kuala Lumpur stint
• Her former colleagues recalled her keenness to be posted to Pakistan

Damage done by spy

• Revealed India's undercover operatives inside High Commission
• She passed on conversations with Indian staffers through email

Gupta, posted as Second Secretary to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, has been arrested for spying for Pakistan. She has allegedly confessed that she was in love with her Pakistani handler and was also upset because she had been overlooked for promotion. She was a translator who handled press at the High Commission.
When asked if he would bring this up with the Pakistani government, Krishna said, "Well, let us first get through with the investigation that we have initiated...the Home Ministry is doing it...then once we get a report on the investigations, then perhaps whatever there needs to be done, will be done by the Government of India."However, the government stresses that her position was too junior to allow her access to any critical information. She sent emails sharing conversations she overheard at the High Commission.
Gupta allegedly told the Pakistanis she was working with that she had access to information from the Islamabad chief of Indian intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Emails from her, however, allegedly show that the facts she attributed to the RAW state chief were incorrect.

Mata Hari to Madhuri Gupta:  

            ---------The league of women spies

           Arrested IFS officer Madhuri Gupta may not be in the league of famous women spies Mata Hari and Virginia Hall, but the allegations that she was passing on sensitive information to ISI agents is a rude shock to the Indian establishment. India's external Intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), like any other snooping organisation of the world, has a history of agents who had switched their loyalties towards countries where they were working.
Mata Hari's name became synonymous with espionage and the Dutch dancer, whose real name was Gertrud Margarete Zelle, was executed by a French firing squad in 1917 on charges of being a spy. Virginia Hall was an American spy during the Second World War and the Gestapo (Nazi political police) considered her the most dangerous of all allied spies.
The most infamous case which shook RAW out of reverie was of Rabinder Singh who became a mole of American intelligence agency CIA and flew to the US despite being under RAW surveillance. Singh, who initially worked with the Indian Army, held a very senior position with RAW handling Southeast Asia. By the time the agency sensed his affiliations, Singh too smelled a rat and escaped to the US through Nepal. In 2007, RAW had to call back its 1975 batch officer Ravi Nair from Colombo because of his alleged "involvement" with a woman agent of Chinese intelligence acting as honey trap for him. According to reports, after the Rabinder Singh incident, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had sought details of RAW officials who have either gone missing or changed their loyalties.
A list of about nine such officials was presented before him who deserted the organisation since it was formed in late 60s to serve Indian intelligence purposes. Official sources say a personal assistant to a very senior RAW official disappeared in London in the early 90s.
Ashok Sathe, another official was also believed to have defected to the US after his mysterious disappearance. Sathe was said to be behind burning down of RAW office in Khurramshahr, Iran. In the early 1980s a senior field officer disappeared in London. As attache in Kathmandu, he was alleged to be liaisoning with foreign intelligence agencies. (Edited by: Anwarul Karim Raju)

Bangladesh gets new land

''Study reveals 1,790sq km landmass emerges out of 

Bay of Bengal for incredible rate of sedimentation''

SANS News Desk, 23 April: 

Even as many worry Bangladesh will shrink in size because of global warming, a new study shows that the country has actually grown in landmass equal to five times the size of Dhaka city. The new land has emerged in the Meghna estuary, where sediments flow down from the Himlayas and collect into charlands. The study found that the 8.5-magnitude 1950 Assam Earthquake increased the sediment flow and has added a net increase of 1,790 square kilometers to the country's land mass.

“More charlands have emerged than we have lost due to river erosion over the years,” said Dr. Maminul Haq Sarker, a geo-morphologist who conducted the study at the Center for Environment and Geographical Information System (CEGIS).

The new land, which emerged mostly in Noakhali, was discovered when Sarker and his research team analyzed satellite pictures and other data from 1943 to 2008 tracking sediments coming from the Himalayas and flowing down the Padma (Ganges in India) and Jamuna (Brahmaputra) rivers. The rivers deliver about one billion tons of silt a year from India, Nepal, China , and Bhutan to the Megnha estuary within the Bay of Bengal.

The study found that the 1950 earthquake accelerated the sediment flow by causing huge landslides in the Himalayas, dumping an estimate 45 billion cubic meters of earth into the rivers. Within a few years after the 1950 earthquake, silt and clay began to rapidly accumulate in the estuary. In all, the sediment added 2970 square kilometers in new charland while 1180 square kilometers were erodeda net gain of nearly 1800 square kilometers. Beside Noakhali, new land has accumulated at the Patuakhali, Shariatpur, Barisal and Chittagong districts.

The findings, formally released yesterday, shines a ray of hope on otherwise dire predictions by groups such as the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that Bangladesh will lose about 17 percent of its land area because melting polar ice daps will increase sea levels. But Sarker cautioned more research is needed. “This is an indicative study,” he said. “We need to continue our research to say something concrete.” “Now we might think to battle the climate change challenge in different way if we can use the sediment in planned way,” he said. “We can recover certain amount of our land mass from the aggression of rising sea level.”

Citing a recent study of two American scientists, Sarker said that the research suggests that one-third of this sediment is deposited on the floodplain and tidal plain of Bangladesh, thus continuously raising the land. One-third of the sediment is deposited on the estuary thus building new islands. The final third is lost in the deep ocean, he said.

The research also found the main reason behind the erosion of 230 square kilometers at Bhola Island, which many regard as an victim of rising sea levels due to climate change, was instead caused by the shifting flow of the Meghna channel. The shift also eroded a total of 195 square kilometers of land from Sandwip and Hatiya islands. 

(Source: The Daily Star, Dhaka on 23 April 2010)

Trial of war criminals to be decided through political process in Bangladesh: US Minister

Dhaka, Apr 22, (SANS Correspondent):

US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg on Thursday said some questions like trial of war criminals have to be decided through political process in Bangladesh. Steinberg, who arrived here on a two-day visit, told a crowded press conference that it is important to have accountability and fairness in any proceeding or process but how it would be carried out in a specific circumstance is to be decided by the people of this country.

On political differences between the two major parties, he said it is important that all political parties work together and create an environment for open and tolerant debates on issues for common good.

Steinberg said the general election held in 2008 was an extremely positive step forward to strengthen democracy in the country and it is important to recognize the ‘give and take’ among the parties and find out a common ground through healthy debates.

He said the US would continue support to strengthening democracy and the capacity of the institutions to provide services to the people and create environment so democracy here can take a deep root.

Asked if he feels Bangladesh and India need closer cooperation in countering terrorism, Steinberg who came here from India said Bangladesh and India have cooperation in many sectors and obviously, the issue of counter-terrorism is critical for India.

Referring to his talks with senior officials of the Indian government, he said India is very appreciative of the Bangladesh government’s efforts in building cooperation in countering terrorism. “It’s a tremendous confidence built between Bangladesh and India,” the US State Department official said, adding “threat of terrorism knows know boundary and it’s a common enemy, common challenge, and we all need to work together.” He said a deepening cooperation between Bangladesh and India will provide greater security for citizens and “we are appreciative of the efforts Bangladesh and India have made as we can do more together.”

Asked about US support to help Bangladesh resolve its nagging power crisis, Steinberg said the US is eager to invest in the energy sector as power is one of the key challenges Bangladesh is now facing to meet the basic needs of its citizens and to make environment for investment and industry. However, he suggested creation of an appropriate environment and decision-making process to attract foreign investment as the energy sectors needs long-term significant amount of investment. Steinberg expressed his confidence about the right kind of investment climate where a number US companies will be willing to put their money in this sector.

Asked about a bill pending with the US Congress seeking duty-free access of Bangladesh products to American market, he said irrespective of what might happen in the US Congress, Bangladesh and USA can increase trade and investment bilaterally and also can see whether it could make progress through multilateral trade negotiations particularly in Doha Round. He said it would not only be of benefit for Bangladesh but also for the international community to continue the process of negotiation in the context of Doha Round for more open trade for benefit of all countries.

On US-Bangladesh cooperation on climate change, Steinberg appreciated Bangladesh’s concern and priority to the impact of the climate change and praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s strong leadership to reach Copenhagen protocol on climate change.

He said this is an enormous global challenge that requires global solution as an individual country cannot solve this problem. Both developed and developing countries need to work together to develop strategy on mitigation and adaptation. The State Department official said it is important to implement the commitment made by the global leaders at Copenhagen summit to reduce the emission level by maintaining transparency than legally binding agreement.

Asked about a common security system by SAARC countries, he said US believes in regional cooperation in the fields of security, water, energy and economy by building strong ties among the countries in the region.

About US reaction to Bangladesh’s proposal seeking Chinese assistance to build a deep sea port in Chittagong, Steinberg appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s efforts to build strong economic and political ties with all her neighbors including India and China. “We’ve also strong ties with China,” he added.

Asked about President Obama’s visit to Bangladesh, he would not comment on the schedules of such high level visit but mentioned President Obama’s meeting with Hasina in Copenhagen and Secretary Clinton’s strong and personal commitment to Bangladesh. He said both Obama and Clinton are interested in building strong ties and cooperation with Bangladesh.

In his opening remarks at the press conference at Sonargaon Hotel, Steinberg said the world is now facing different challenges and it requires global cooperation to deal with the changing climate, food security, global public health and countering terrorism. He said Bangladesh is a key partner that shares common interest with the United States.

IPL Controversy: Who's Who

SANS News Desk, 22 April : 

Season Three of the Indian Premier League might have been kicked off on March 12 but the real IPL, that the BJP has christened the ‘Indian Corruption League' began on April 12, and that too, with a tweet.  Here's a look at how a tweet snowballed into a heavy duty IPL controversy and the key players in the saga.

Lalit Modi, the Commissioner of the Indian Premier League, tweeted details of the stakeholders in the new Kochi IPL team that was sold on March 21 for Rs 1530 crores.
Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of the then Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, owned 18 per cent free equity of the franchise. Shashi Tharoor, however, insisted all along that any link with the Kochi team from his home state is just that of "a mentor.”

On April 18, Tharoor put in his papers and Sunanda gave up stake in the Kochi IPL team. The verdict on Lalit Modi, for now, remains undecided. The controversy continues to unfold as key players in the ‘corruption league' continue to surface.

Best international politician: Mohamed Nasheed

SANS News Desk: 

In a catastrophic year for the climate crisis, were there any heroes? At Copenhagen, world leaders gathered to peer at the swelling evidence that we are close to irreparably trashing the planet's biosphere – and they offered a glib shrug. From the US to the EU to China, nobody offered to cut carbon emissions by the levels scientists say are necessary to stay this side of the climate's Point of No Return. Since then, there has been a regression into denialism across the world. The search for wise leaders in this is difficult, but a handful of politicians will be remembered for trying to do the right thing.

The most inspiring leader was Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives. He has bled and nearly died for his island nation in the Indian Ocean. In his peaceful resistance against the islands' dictatorship, he was jailed and tortured – only to become its first democratic president in 2008. Yet it looked like it could become a sunken victory: the low-lying Maldives are drowning as sea-levels rise. By the end of this century, at current rates, they will be an Atlantis. "We are on the world's front line," he says. "And, in a sense, its only hope." To alert the world, he even staged a cabinet meeting underwater in scuba gear.

Nasheed has not only offered a warning, however; he has offered an alternative. Within 10 years, his country will become the first ever carbon-free country, running entirely on renewable energy sources. He warns that we all have to make this transition – and fast. "The last generation of humans went to the moon," he says. "This generation of humans needs to decide if it wants to stay alive on planet earth.

(Source: The Independent-UK on 17 April, Chosen by Johann Hari)

Sri Lanka president Appoints Jayaratne as PM

Colombo, 22 April, (SANS Correspondent):

 

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed one of his party's elder statesmen as prime minister. DM Jayaratne, a former teacher in his 70s, was sworn in on Wednesday. MPs will choose a new Speaker on Thursday. Mr Rajapaksa is working out who will be in his new cabinet after final official results confirmed his alliance had won a landslide in parliamentary elections. The result was delayed for nearly two weeks because of repolls in some areas hit by violence the first time round.

The newly appointed Mr Jayaratne says he does not intend to serve much longer in politics. There is speculation that the president may appoint one of his own brothers as prime minister later this year.

Mr Jayaratne recently said that "everyone" wanted him to be the next premier and that people in Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques and churches all over the island were invoking divine blessings to secure the post for him. He has even said he has a specially tailored suit ready for doing the job.

Political analyst in Colombo says the prime minister's post is not a strong one in present-day Sri Lanka. President Rajapaksa is now all-powerful, boosted by a huge majority in parliament and in office until 2016 or possibly longer if he seeks to change the constitution.

On Thursday the 225 elected legislators will choose a Speaker and then be sworn in. One of their number is Gen Sarath Fonseka, the former army chief who made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in January. He is expected to be in parliament although the government has locked him up and brought him before a military court on charges of improper behaviour - indictments which he rejects and says are politically motivated.

 

India sex scandal guru arrested

SANS News Desk, April 22, 2010: 

Police in India say a controversial Hindu holy man facing charges of obscenity has been arrested. Nithyananda Swami was detained in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh where police said he had been hiding. The guru stepped down last month as head of a religious organisation based in the southern city of Bangalore.His announcement came after a video apparently showing him engaging in sexual acts with two women. He says he is innocent and the video is a fake. Nithyananda Swami has a huge following in southern India and his mission has branches in several countries, including the US and Europe. 

Nithyananda Swami, 32, stepped down as leader of the global Dhyanapeetam (Knowledge Centre) organisation soon after the police inquiry was launched. "I have decided to live a life of spiritual seclusion for some indefinite time," the guru said in a statement. "If required, I will return and talk about all that had happened as an independent witness to my conduct with a clean heart and pure soul and in a less prejudiced atmosphere."

"Nithyananda Swami was arrested at Solan [in Himachal Pradesh] along with his associate Gopal Seelam Reddy and they would be brought to Bangalore soon," the city's director general of police, DV Guruprasaad, said. On Tuesday, the authorities raided the swami's sprawling centre near Bangalore.

The video shocked his devotees and angered locals - his ashram near Bangalore was vandalised after TV channels broadcast the video. The guru's followers allege the video was created and distributed by a jealous inmate of the ashram in a bid to defame him. (Source: BBC)

Indiawide IPL crackdown: SRK, Preity teams feel the heat

New Delhi, April 22, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

As Europe got back to business, the volcano of the Indian Premier League (IPL) erupted afresh in India, its detritus now grazing some of the country's biggest names - Preity Zinta, Shah Rukh Khan, Ness Wadia. As IPL team-owners, the source of their funding is being carefully scrutinized by the government, which is trying to locate the deep, deep pockets of what's been dubbed the Indian Paisa League.
Income tax inquiries were conducted at different cities on Wednesday, all home to different IPL franchises. Those close to Lalit Modi, the IPL Commissioner who triggered the IPL explosion with a series of tweets on the ownership of one of its teams, say that the tax questions are aimed at disconcerting team-owners, who have so far supported Modi in his battle to stay on as IPL chairman. But there are enough people who argue there is no hidden agenda; this is what the government promised in Parliament - uncovering legal violations and corruption - in the billion dollar league.
In Chandigarh, home to the Kings XI Punjab, a court has summoned Zinta, Wadia , and their co-owner Mohit Burman, on July 23. The reason: they have failed so far to provide their balance sheets and details of their accounts. In Kolkata, income tax officials visited the offices of Shah Rukh's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), located within the headquarters of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). In Mumbai, IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi was questioned again at the Four Seasons Hotel where he's staying about a multi-million dollar contract for the broadcasting rights of IPL.  In Chennai, an Income Tax survey was carried out by nearly 40 officials at the office of India Cements, which owns the Chennai Super Kings. N Sreenivasan, who owns India Cements, is also the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Working on a three-pronged inquiry into the source of funds of all IPL team-owners, the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax officials and the Corporate Affairs Ministry are conducting detailed checks on the financial transactions of all teams. Foreign exchange violations are allegedly being uncovered, with funding coming in from tax havens like Mauritius.
Early this morning, the Income Tax officials today conducted "surveys" as tax officials call them, at four different locations, including the offices of the two groups who hold the rights to telecasting IPL matches: World Sports Group and Sony Multi Screen Media (MSM). Tax officials also visited the home of the WSG Chairman, Venu Nair. The tax officials are trying to connect the dots between these groups and IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi amid allegations of kickbacks.

The Mumbai Indians franchise, meanwhile, has filed its IPL equity holding pattern. According to the filing made public today, 98.3 per cent of the equity of the Mumbai Indians franchise, IndiaWin Sports Pvt Ltd, is held by Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Ltd (RIIHL) and the remaining 1.7 per cent is held by Teesta Retail Pvt Ltd.  

Final Sri Lanka vote count confirms Rajapaksa triumph

Colombo, 21 April (SANS Correspondent):

Final results from Sri Lanka's general election confirm that President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition has secured an overwhelming victory. His alliance of parties has secured the biggest landslide victory seen in the country since 1977, although on the lowest turnout since independence. The results came after repolling in two parts of the country hit by violence on election day two weeks ago. Mr Rajapaksa narrowly failed to win enough seats to alter the constitution. It won 144 seats in a parliament of 225 seats. The traditional opposition party is reduced to almost a rump with only 60. Only two other groups won seats. Parts of the Tamil-dominated north and east fell to an alliance seen as a proxy for the defeated Tamil Tigers.And the party of the defeated and now jailed presidential candidate, Sarath Fonseka, has seven MPs including General Fonseka himself. He may or may not be permitted to take his oath in parliament on Thursday.

'Miracle of Asia': There is little doubt that the president, who was himself re-elected in January, scored so well because he is seen as the man who last year rid the country of the separatist Tamil Tigers in an all-out military victory. For that he is hugely popular, especially among the rural Sinhalese majority. The pragmatically inclined leader says that through economic development he will make Sri Lanka into the "miracle of Asia". He now has vast powers until at least 2016 - if he can encourage just six opposition legislators to defect, he will have a two-thirds majority which will help him change the constitution. The Sunday Times newspaper said the country also expected him to maintain standards on media freedom and accommodating dissent.Human rights campaigners say there are blemishes in that regard. A new report by an international media group places Sri Lanka fourth among countries in which it says journalists are killed and governments fail to solve the crimes. 

Profile: Mahinda Rajapaksa 

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a former Buddhist lawyer who has described himself on his website as "a rebel with a cause". The high points of his career in politics are the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009 and the election win over Sarath Fonseka in January 2010. In both triumphs, his critics say he displayed a ruthless streak and a capacity to condone or overlook the use of violence if it served his political purposes. During his first stint in the top office he was accused of presiding over a crackdown on dissent. His supporters were alleged to have been involved in the murder of journalists who were critical of the government, claims rejected by the authorities. The most high profile example of this was the murder of newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunge in January 2009.

His case was all the more remarkable because he wrote an editorial - published posthumously - which accused President Rajapaksa's government of being responsible for his death.

"In the name of patriotism you have trampled on human rights, nurtured unbridled corruption and squandered public money like no other president before you," Mr Wickrematunge's editorial said in words addressed directly at the president. The president and his supporters strenuously deny any involvement in the murder.

Nationalist

Despite the criticisms and concerns over his leadership style made by former President Kumaratunga, Mr Rajapaksa has maintained his support among Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority. His supporters point to continued economic growth during his first term and say he ensured that food supplies remained constant after the devastating 2004 tsunami. When money from the West looked as if it may dry up because of concerns over human rights abuses towards the end of the civil war, the president tried to offset this by making overtures to China. His support in the south has remained constant largely because he has remained closely associated with the Sinhala nationalist cause and is seen as a man of the masses.

"He comes across as the homegrown country boy [to the poor farmers and fishermen] whom they feel comfortable with," analyst Jehan Perera told the Associated Press. As labour minister, Mr Rajapaksa tried to push through legislation to guarantee the rights of workers - but failed after complaints from big businesses. While in charge of fisheries and ports, he became popular for his scheme to find new housing for slum-dwelling fishermen.

Hardliner

Mr Rajapaksa, now 64, became the country's youngest ever parliamentarian in 1970 at the age of 24.

He went on to become leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, prime minister in 2004, and then president in 2005. He comes from a political family - his father, DA Rajapaksa, represented the same region of Hambantota from 1947 to 1965. When Mr Rajapaksa became prime minister, he was seen as someone who favoured a negotiated settlement with the Tamil Tiger rebels. But after signing a poll deal with two nationalist parties, his stance became increasingly hardline.

He launched his campaign for the presidency by rejecting the rebels' demands for Tamil autonomy. After four years of bitter fighting, President Rajapaksa hailed the defeat of the rebels as a vindication of his tough and uncompromising stance against them.

(Source: AP/BBC/Reuters')

Life sentence for poaching-- New Law in Bangladesh

''proposed law lists 14 species of frog, 108 species of mammal, 578 species of birds and 96 species of reptile as wildlife''

 Dhaka, Apr 21 (SANS Correspondent):

The wildlife conservation law of Bangladesh will be amended with the provision of life term imprisonment and fines of up to BDT 3 lakh for poaching and killing of wild animal. The move to amend the three-decade old law is seen as an attempt by the government to convey a stern signal to poachers that it is determined to prevent the possible extinction of wild animals from illegal poaching and killing. The forest department has just sent the draft of the Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Act 2010 to the ministry of forest and environment for approval by the cabinet. Forest and environment ministry joint secretary Joynal Abedin Talukder told that the draft of the amendment is nearing completion. "We'll send it to the cabinet after a review."

The proposed law prohibits poaching, catching, killing and trading of wild animals. However, there will be some  exceptions, including the provision for killing of nine vermin species, like crow, raven, rodent and bat, which are harmful to crops. It has also provision for rearing some species. These exceptions will be made with recommendations from the Wildlife Advisory Board.

The amendment provides for a fine of Tk 25,000 to Tk 3 lakh, and imprisonment from two years to a life term for those convicted. The existing law only allows fines of between Tk 5,000 to Tk 20,000 and terms of imprisonment between six months to two years. The proposed law lists 14 species of frog, 108 species of mammal, 578 species of birds and 96 species of reptile as wildlife.

Until 1973, there was no law enacted for wildlife conservation, with the Forest Act 1927 being in force. The Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation) Ordinance took effect from July 17 the same year. In 1980, reserved forest initiatives, such as development of national forest, wildlife sanctuary and game reserve, was announced to facilitate safe breeding of wild animals' research. Since then, 245,813 hectares of forest land have been brought under reserved forest.

Conservator Tapan Kumar Dey of the forest department told that a section of people, ignorant of wildlife law and the impact of killing of wild animals, are indiscriminately killing them for money. "Many wildlife species have been extinct and many are threatened due to such poaching," he said.

According to environmentalists, many species, including rhinos, wild buffalo, borosinga, neelgai and wild goat, have already been extinct. IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red Data Book 2008 identified eight species of amphibious animal, 58 species of reptile, 41 species of birds and 40 species of mammals as endangered. Environment activists called for proper implementation of the existing law and making it time-befitting.

Prof Anwarul Islam, chief executive of Wildlife Trust, who is also a member the government's Wildlife Advisory Board, said "The existing law doesn't match the present socio-economic condition nor reflect international convention and protocols on wildlife conservation. It doesn't provide for enough punishment for offences relating to wildlife.'' He said the secretariat of CITES (Conservation on International Trade of Endangered Species), to which Bangladesh is a signatory, requested the government to update the existing law in conformity with the international instrument. Prof Islam hoped that the new law would play an important role in conserving the wildlife and biodiversity. "But the government's sincerity and mass awareness about the law will be needed for its proper enforcement," he said.

IPL row: I-T dept raids World Sports Group, Multi Screen Media offices

Mumbai, 21 April, (SANS Correspondent) :

The income tax department on Wednesday morning raided the offices of World Sports Group and Multi Screen Media which handle the broadcast rights of the Indian Premier League. Tax sleuths had visited the BCCI office last week on Wednesday. The department had used special technology that allows direct data transfer from any electronic storage device including computers, mobile phones and pen drives to access the data. Various agencies, including income tax, enforcement directorate and directorate general of service tax are closely coordinating in the investigation into the IPL tax and money trail.

Abhishek, Ash to celebrate third anniversary in US

                                                                               Mumbai, 21 April (SANS Correspondent):

Bollywood star couple Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai are set to ring in their third wedding anniversary Tuesday in the US, according to sources close to the actors. Abhishek's father Amitabh Bachchan on his blog Sunday said that the couple was taking a flight to New York. A source close to the couple told IANS from Mumbai, "The two have gone to an undisclosed destination and will be back in time for the music release of Raavan on April 24."
Abhishek too posted on his Twitter page: "...It's Houdini time again. Have managed to abduct the wife. See you all soon." According to another source, the duo have been planning this holiday so that they could spend some time together after keeping busy with their respective shooting schedules.
Last year, the actors took out time for a week-long vacation while they were shooting for Mani Ratnam's Raavan, which is among their most awaited films this year. On their first anniversary, Abhishek was busy shooting in Miami for Dostana, but wife Aishwarya joined him there.
The couple got married in 2007 in a grand wedding ceremony at Bachchan's residence Prateeksha in Mumbai.

South Asia businesses and tourism hit by air crisis

SANS News Desk, 20 April:

Business and tourism in South Asia are increasingly being hit by airline inactivity caused by the spread of volcanic ash from Iceland. The export of garments and perishable goods from the region to Europe has been severely affected, as has the tourism industry in South Asia.No country in the region has escaped from the economic impact of the crisis.But officials say the priority is dealing with thousands of people across the region who are unable to fly.A spokesman for Pakistan International Airlines told the BBC that he expected the company to lose up to $25m because of flight cancellations to Europe. 

Tourism in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives has also been badly damaged. For Nepal and Bhutan the crisis is even more serious because this time of the year is peak season. Meanwhile, exporters in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have borne the brunt of exporting losses. 

Huge consignments of garments in Dhaka and Colombo are waiting to be loaded onto aircraft. In Bangladesh an estimated 350,000kg of garments is stockpiled at the airport."We are worried that buyers may reject these shipments because they are so late," Bangladesh Garments and Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Abdus Salam Murshedy said. 

According to figures from the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 41,435 passengers have been affected by the flights crisis and it will take several days to clear the backlog.

(Source: BBC)

UK firm chosen for 250 MW Power plants In Bangladesh

Dhaka, April 20 (SANS Correspondent) :  

The government is going to sign a deal with a British company to add 250 megawatts electricity to the national grid by the next three months through two rental power plants. According to the deal, UK-based Aggreko will provide the electricity by August from two plants in Khulna and Ghorashal. An initial contract was signed at Dhaka on Tuesday between Agrekko Asia managing director Debajit Das and Power Development Board secretary Azizul Islam at the power ministry.
Power secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the signing that Aggreko will provide 100MW of electricity by late June this year and the rest by mid-August. The final contract, however, will be signed after the nod from the cabinet committee on purchase. Finance minister AMA Muhith and prime minister's adviser on power Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury were also present at the signing ceremony along with state minister for power Enamul Haque.
Agrekko was picked directly by a high-level committee headed by the power secretary for generating power, bypassing the regular public procurement rules. The committee was formed earlier this month by prime minister Sheikh Hasina and comprises representatives from the Power Development Board, National Board of Revenue, law ministry, power ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
A power ministry official, asking not to be named, told that public procurement rules will not be effective for any power sector project in the future. He added that the two power plants would go into production by the next two months. "Of them, the Khulna power plant would start within June 22 and the Ghorashal power plant would start on July 28."
On Tuesday, the government has also approved three power projects. A meeting of the Executive Committee for the National Economic Council, chaired by the prime minister, gave the green light to the power plants which would altogether generate 450MW. Tk 879 crore has been approved for a 150 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant in Sylhet and Tk 1201 crore were approved for a 150 MW Combined Cycle Power Station in Chandpur. Another Tk 40 crore was given for construction of Liquid Fuel System for the 150 MW Sirajganj Peaking Power Plant.

Dock workers threaten to close down Ctg port

Chittagong, April 20 (SANS Correspondent): 

The pro-Awami League Dock Workers Union Council (DWUC) in Chittagong Port has announced a move to halt all activities of the port April 27 demanding reinstatement of all workers removed under the reign of the caretaker government. Ali Ashraf, Convener of the DWUC, made the announcement while leading a demonstration by the same group in front of the port building around noon on Tuesday. Workers had been removed during the caretaker government through formation of a Dock Workers Management Board. They warned that if their demands were not met, they would go ahead with the program of bringing the port to a standstill indefinitely.
Earlier, the Dock Port Workers and Employees Federation, another workers’ union that is backed by Chittagong city Mayor ABM Mohiuddin, observed a demonstration program demanding the same. They only stop their program following assurances from the River Minister in a meeting.

Cop gunned down in Dhaka

                                                    Dhaka, April 20 (SANS Correspondent):

The second officer of Bangshal Police Station was gunned down by unknown criminals and his friend sustained bullet wounds at Dholaikhal in the capital early Tuesday.The deceased was identified as Gautam Chakrabarty. Additional Deputy Commissioner Walid Hussain of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said Gautam challenged three youths in Dholaikhal area on way to his Wari residence by his friend's jeep at about 2:30am for their suspicious movement.

When he was searching the bodies of the youths, one of them opened fire on him and fled away, leaving Gautam dead on the spot. Gautam's friend Azam, who was driving the jeep, also received bullet wounds during the incident. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. DMP Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque visited the DMCH where the body of Gautam was sent for autopsy.

Hizb-ut Tahrir's Mahiuddin arrested In Dhaka

Breaking news 

 

Dhaka, 20 April (SANS Correspondent):

Uttara police have arrested banned Islamist outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir's chief coordinator Mahiuddin Ahmed.  Deputy DMP commissioner, Uttara Zone, Nesarul Arif told they picked him up early on Tuesday from his Green Road house. Mahiuddin, also spokesman of Hizb-ut Tahrir in Bangladesh, and an associate professor of the Institute of Business Administration of Dhaka University, is facing charges of reorganising the group.
The government of Bangladesh on Oct 23 last year banned the Islamist outfit, saying it posed threat to public safety.

Bangladesh Budget to be announced June 10

                                                  
                                                   Dhaka, 20 April (SANS Correspondent):

The upcoming budget for 2010-2011 fiscal year of Bangladesh will be announced on June 10. Finance Minister of Bangladesh AMA Muhith disclosed it to reporters after a pre-budget meeting with the Non-Medium Term Budgetary Framework ministries at the Finance Division on Tuesday.
The finance minister said the figure of this years’ budget will be over Tk 1,30,000 crore and the Annual Development Programme size is likely to be more than Tk 38,000 crore. Muhith said all the ministries will be brought under the MTBF next year. He urged the ministers concerned for making a five-year budget plan and taking urgent steps to implement it.

Sri Lanka migrant stand-off in Indonesia port ends

SANS News Desk: April 20:

Sri Lankan migrants who have been stuck on a boat off the coast of Indonesia have finally left the port of Merak. After a six-month-long stand-off, they are now in buses on their way to a detention centre in Indonesia. The Sri Lankans had been refusing to get off their boat until they were guaranteed safe passage to Australia to live there. The resolution brings an end to a crisis that has plagued both the Indonesian and Australian governments.

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry spokesman told the BBC that the majority of the 200 Tamil Sri Lankan refugees were now in buses headed for Jakarta's airport, to be relocated to other parts of the country. Teuku Faizasya said the Sri Lankans had agreed to cooperate after lengthy negotiations.

Indonesia had made no promises to the refugees, he added, only assuring them that once they were in a detention centre, the proper immigration procedures would be carried out to determine who amongst them had refugee status. The biggest obstacle to a resolution in this crisis was that the Sri Lankan refugees had refused to get off their boat until they were promised a home in Australia. That was their original destination, when they set sail on their long and treacherous journey six months ago.

They say they are fleeing persecution in Sri Lanka and face discrimination there because they are Tamil. They have refused to be relocated to their homeland. It is not clear whether Australia has agreed to take the Sri Lankan refugees.

Recently, the Australian government said it would temporarily stop processing asylum claims from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan because of the number of people from those two nations arriving in the country by boat.  

(Source: BBC)

India raises interest rates to curb inflation

New Delhi, 20 April (SANS Correspondent):

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has raised key interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point in an attempt to curb near double-digit inflation. The rise was the second in a month and was in line with analysts' forecasts.The repo rate - the rate at which the central bank lends to commercial banks - was raised to 5.25% from 5%.The cash reserve ratio - the percentage of banks' deposits they must keep in cash - was raised to 6% in a move to drain money in the financial system.

It also raised the reverse repo - the rate it pays to banks for deposits - to 3.75%. Annual inflation has risen sharply over the last few months, from 0.5% in September to 9.9% in March, its highest in 17 months. "Developments on the inflation front are worrisome," RBI governor Duvvuri Subbarao said in a statement. "With the recovery now firmly in place, we need to move in a calibrated manner in the direction of normalising our policy instruments."

Link Road with flyover opens to traffic In Dhaka

Dhaka, 20 April (SANS Correspondent):

The much-awaited Bijoy Sarani-Tejgaon Link Road was opened to traffic on Tuesday. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at about 10:30am inaugurated the 1,114 metres long and 60 feet wide road, which connects the Old Air Port Road with Tajudding Ahmed Sarani near Nabisco intersection in Tejgaon.

Chief adviser to the last caretaker government Fakhruddin Ahmed on December 16, 2008 inaugurated the road although some important tasks including construction of a 669 metres long and 18.29 metres wide overpass at Tejgaon level crossing and demolition of Rangs Bhaban were unfinished at that time.

A total of 24 structures including a portion of 22-storey Rangs Bhaban came under acquisition to build the Road while Rajuk since first week of November, 2007 had already demolished 44 illegal structures standing on the planned link road.

The executive committee of the National Economic Council in the last week of August 2007 approved the plan to build the road at an estimated cost of Tk 120 crore, later revised it to Tk 114 crore. However, the allocation for the overpass was increased from Tk 39 crore to Tk 47 crore.

Europe starts to resume flights

SANS News Desk: 20 April: 

A small number of flights have taken off from northern Europe after five days of inactivity by the spread of volcanic ash from Iceland. Planes have been taking off from Paris, Madrid and Frankfurt. However, many flights remain canceled. There is hope that many routes within Europe will be able to resume operations on Tuesday. But UK air traffic officials said, a new ash cloud spreading from Iceland cast doubt on planes to reopen UK airspace.

The first flights have been taken off from Scotland, and the flights ban has been lifted in the north of England. But British Airways says it has canceled all short-hauled flights, after the UK air traffic body NATS, warned of more volcanic ash.

Tharoor urges PM to probe charges against him

New Delhi, April 20, (SANS Correspondent) :

Shashi Tharoor, Who quits from the union council of ministers over IPL row, insisted rthat he had done nothing 'unethical' or 'illegal' and said he has urged PM Manmohan Singh to probe the charges made against him. Making a statement in the Lok Sabha, he said, 'I have done nothing improper, unethical and much less illegal. I have requested the PM to investigate through the charges against me. It is important to me that my name is cleared as he had lived a life of probity throughout his career abroad.   

Indian Minister of State Tharoor Steps down

New Delhi, April 20, 2010 (SANS Correspondent):

As he arrived late at night to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his home, the writing was on the wall: Shashi Tharoor was on his way out.

A sign of the new times for the Minister of State for External Affairs - he didn't use his official car with the traditional "lal batti" or red beacon, but his private Maruti 1000 for his second meeting with the PM on Sunday which lasted nearly 45 minutes.

And then came the resignation. Tharoor told the PM and Congress President Sonia Gandhi that he didn't want to embarrass the government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has forwarded Tharoor's resignation to President Pratibha Patil with a recommendation that it may be accepted, a PMO spokesman said.

A little before midnight, came the announcement that the President of India had accepted Tharoor's resignation from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect. The resignation of Tharoor was sent to the President in Pune where she is on an official visit.

The minister has been accused, by the Opposition, of misusing his position as he lobbied for an IPL franchise for Kochi, one eventually won by a consortium that included as an employee Tharoor's girlfriend, Sunanda Pushkar, who was gifted equity worth 70 crores. The controversy began exactly a week ago, ironically with a tweet on Twitter sent not by Tharoor but by IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi.

After fast-paced events through the week that were embarrassing for the party, the Congress made up its mind at a core committee meeting, earlier on Sunday, that Tharoor had to go. The PM met with Sonia Gandhi, his senior-most ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and AK Antony and senior leader Ahmad Patel; the Congress core committee reportedly told the PM that it was untenable for Tharoor to continue.

What cinched the deal against Tharoor is, more than anything else, the timing of the controversy. With Parliament in session, the party didn't want the PM to have to defend Tharoor. With crucial legislation pending, the Congress also didn't want to stall Parliament proceedings with the sort of drama witnessed on Friday when Tharoor tried to defend himself and was shouted down by the Opposition.

Tharoor, now internally acknowledged as an embarrassment, had annoyed many in the Congress by stoutly refusing to resign. In an interview to NDTV earlier this week, Tharoor had said there was no question of him resigning because he hadn't done "anything wrong".

Earlier on Sunday, Tharoor's close friend, Sunanda Pushkar, as reported first by Indian news channel NDTV, decided to surrender the 70-crore stake she was gifted by the consortium that bought the Kochi IPL team for Rs 1,530 crores last month. Pushkar's offer was seen by some as an attempt to win the Minister of State for External Affairs a reprieve from his party. Her decision, according to the BJP, only proves Tharoor's misconduct as a public servant. BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "The stain of corruption is not washed by return of bribe money." (Watch: Fraud done under minister's patronage, says BJP) After his resignation the opposition party said: "It's a victory of truth."

But speaking to NDTV, Pushkar's lawyer, Ashish Mehta, said her decision had nothing to do with Tharoor. Mehta said she has informed Rendezvous Sports World of the Kochi consortium of her decision. Sharing a statement issued by her, Mehta quoted, "I am a professional with 20 years of experience. Given the deeply unpleasant publicity, I can no longer find the enthusiasm required to associate myself with any IPL activity in the future," Mehta said that Pushkar has returned her sweat equity voluntarily and seeks no compensation for services rendered so far.

On Friday, the Opposition made it impossible for Tharoor to present his defense in Parliament. He was forced to table his statement after his speech was drowned out. The Congress is worried that the PM could be put through similar scenes.

Tharoor, a writer and a former Under Secretary General in the United Nations, earns the dubious distinction of becoming the first minister in the UPA-II to go under the cloud of corruption charges.

- Edited by SANS News Desk.

NEW NEWS BLOG HAS BEEN CREATED

Dear readers,
new blog has been created for serving the news of all over South Asian nations, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. Beside this Top news of world also be published here.
So stay connect with us...

Anwarul Karim Raju
Editor-In-Chief
South Asian News Service (SANS)