Pakistani war prisoner languishing in BD jail

DHAKA: A Pakistani solider, who had fought the 1971 war against India, is still alive and is languishing in a Bangladeshi jail.

The jailed Pakistani solider, identified as Abu Bakar Shah, was stationed in East Pakistan during the 1971 war with India.

After the end of the war, authorities had claimed that Shah had embraced martyrdom.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Embassy in Bangladesh has confirmed that Abu Bakar Shah is still alive.

According to the embassy, he is in a jail in Bangladesh’s capital of Dhaka. TrendPK

Don’t underestimate us: Afridi

DHAKA: Captain Shahid Afridi warned World Cup rivals not to underestimate his team, saying the players had turned a new leaf after the match-fixing scandal.

Afridi admitted Pakistan had been blown away by the scandal, which saw former captain Salman Butt and two leading pacemen, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, punished for their alleged involvement.

All three were banned for a minimum of five years by the International Cricket Council, which ruled them out of the World Cup, and also face criminal proceedings in England.

“I think we’re really going through a very tough situation,” Afridi told reporters in the Bangladeshi capital on Saturday, ahead of the marquee tournament opening on February 19.

“But I am very happy because we are trying to rebuild the team and keep the morale high. I am confident the team is in very good shape now.

“We all know how important the World Cup is for us and for our country. The message for other teams is that no one should underestimate us.”

Afridi’s team will play practice matches against Bangladesh and England in Dhaka over the next few days, before their first Cup match against Kenya in the Sri Lankan town of Hambantota on February 23.

The Pakistan captain said his team was “focused and united” under his leadership.

“They feel hungry to win a big event and want to play good cricket,” he said, adding recent wins in New Zealand had bolstered the team’s morale.

“We have a very good bunch of youngsters and some experienced players,” said Afridi. “It is good to see Kamran Akmal back in the team. Misbah-ul Haq is in good form and Younis Khan is also batting well.

“I am also very happy with our bowling. We have two genuine spinners and some good fast bowlers, especially Shoaib Akhtar.” Afridi said fans would see a vastly improved Pakistan in the World Cup. “Inshallah (God willing), we will achieve our goal,” he said.

Afridi paid tribute to manager Intikhab Alam and coach Waqar Yunus for keeping the team in good spirits amid the controversy.

“They are really doing a very good job,” he said. “They have assured the atmosphere in the dressing room is healthy. We are trying to keep the boys together as a unit.”

Pakistan was initially due to co-host the tournament with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but were stripped of hosting rights after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team in March, 2009.

Afridi said he hoped international cricket would return to his country soon. “We are desperate to host the best teams. I am sure that will happen in the near future.”

Pakistan, World Cup winners in 1992, have been drawn with reigning champions Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Canada in group A of the preliminary league. Four teams from the group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Afridi said he wanted Pakistan to meet India in the April 2 final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

“That would be the perfect final for the cricket-loving people in both countries,” he said. AGENCIES

Bangladesh miffed with Shahrukh

Click above for more event stills

Just recently the King Khan of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan returned from his trip to Bangladesh and along with him his entire performance troupe consisting of Rani Mukherjee, Arjun Rampal and Eesha Koppikhar. Though every thing was hunky dory right through the schedule, it seems now matters have flared owing to certain hurt sentiments and ideologies.

It is learnt that the Bangladeshi public are pretty peeved with the Khan for a number of reasons as certain local newspapers from the neighbouring country claim, but most importantly being the grouses of SRK being treated like a VVIP, him smoking in public, lack of moral behaviour of the troupe and also insulting the Bangladeshis on home soil.

We break it down a bit, to analyze each point, the VVIP treatment that SRK and troupe received was apparently uncalled for as the organizers and nor the government have delegated a VVIP status to SRK.

While smoking in public is banned for the general masses in Bangladesh, the Khan was busy puffing away while cameras rolled and the audience watched on. As for the moral activity, the paper claims that the foreign dancers who accompanied the performance troupe indulged in certain amoral activity while at the hotel.

But by far the most infuriating of all was the apparent sidelining and insulting of the Bangladeshi public, as SRK continued to speak in Hindi and English, while he performed in the most of Bangladeshi liberation.

However it is surprising to note that though the entire show had approximately over 30000 people gathered the organisers were lethargic at admitting them to the auditorium, besides this another fact to think about is even though the Bangladeshi government has paid the stars to perform at the show, why not impose certain rules and regulations, if not then why complain post the event?

Apart from all these there are also complaints about the five hour show starting well behind schedule, and even questions being asked about the permission that was granted to remit an astronomical sum in terms of foreign currency to the celebrities. What ever be the case it certainly seems like our Bollywood stars will steer clear of zones like these.

Four dead as two trains collide in Bangladesh

DHAKA: At least four people died and 60 were injured when two passenger trains collided at a station just outside the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Wednesday, hospital staff told AFP.

Doctors at one hospital in the Narshingdi district reported four people had died and 26 were being treated for injuries, while another hospital said it had admitted 35 injured. AGENCIES

Bangladesh extradites most wanted Briton: police

DHAKA: Bangladesh has extradited one of Britain’s most wanted men two months after he was arrested in Dhaka in connection with a 2003 double murder in London, police said Monday.

Ayub Khan, 27, who was on Scotland Yard’s most wanted list, was detained in the Bangladeshi capital in August over the killing of Amarjit Singh, 52, and his nephew Rajinder Singh, 35, in 2003.

The victims were gunned down near a hotel they owned in east London, reportedly with a submachine gun, following what police believed at the time was a row over parking.

Khan was handed over to British police on Sunday night after the completion of his extradition formalities, airport police chief Shamsuddin Saleh Ahmed said.

“He was flown back to Britain on an Emirates flight. British officials accompanied him,” he told AFP.

Local media said Khan, who is originally from

Bangladesh extradites most wanted Briton: police

DHAKA: Bangladesh has extradited one of Britain’s most wanted men two months after he was arrested in Dhaka in connection with a 2003 double murder in London, police said Monday.

Ayub Khan, 27, who was on Scotland Yard’s most wanted list, was detained in the Bangladeshi capital in August over the killing of Amarjit Singh, 52, and his nephew Rajinder Singh, 35, in 2003.

The victims were gunned down near a hotel they owned in east London, reportedly with a submachine gun, following what police believed at the time was a row over parking.

Khan was handed over to British police on Sunday night after the completion of his extradition formalities, airport police chief Shamsuddin Saleh Ahmed said.

“He was flown back to Britain on an Emirates flight. British officials accompanied him,” he told AFP.

Local media said Khan, who is originally from

Ferry capsizes in Bangladesh, dozens missing

DHAKA: A ferry was struck by a sandbarge and capsized in the River Shitalakkhya near the Bangladeshi capital and about 50 passengers were missing, though officials said on Monday that many may have swum ashore.

About 30 of 100 passengers on board were rescued after the collision on Sunday evening and six were in hospital. Rescue teams said they had recovered no bodies in the swirling river as of noon (0600 GMT).

Police said it appeared most of the remaining passengers had managed to swim ashore.

Only a small number, they said, may still be unaccounted for though rivers at this time of the year are swollen by monsoon rains and have strong currents.

A police official earlier told reporters the ferry, carrying passengers across the river, had been rammed at Narayanganj, 20km (12 miles) from Dhaka.

Bus fire in central China kills 24

BEIJING: A fire on a shuttle bus carrying steel factory workers in central China killed 24 people and injured 19, state media reported Monday.

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Bus fire in central China kills 24

Ferry capsizes in Bangladesh, 50 missing

DHAKA: A ferry was struck by a sand barge and capsized in the River Shitalakkhya near the Bangladeshi capital and about 50 passengers were missing, witnesses and police said on Monday.

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Ferry capsizes in Bangladesh, 50 missing

Movie Preview: Hello Darling

Hello Darling is a film about three young, beautiful, smart girls (Gul Panaag, Eesha Koppikhar Narang and Celina Jaitley) who work in a fashion design company in Mumbai.

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Movie Preview: Hello Darling

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