The New Nation - Internet Edition

New Nation Desk

The UK has just announced about $500,000 (Taka 3.4 crore) contribution to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) for treating people with diarrhoea. This will help ICDDR,B treat 1000 patients a day with saline, antibiotics and provide food and electricity for the temporary wards.

$400,000 of this amount is additional money from DFID, $100,000 is being allocated by UNDP out of the $1.8 million previously provided by the UK (DFID) through UNDP for flood relief.

The recent flood has seen a rapid escalation of the number of patients and ICDDR,B is now treating four times their normal capacity. ICDDR,B has appealed for additional tents, beds, staff, IV saline, and pharmaceuticals to provide treatment to the increasing number of patients arriving every day at the hospital in severe states of dehydration. Up to 30% of these patients could die if they did not receive the life saving and immediate support that ICDDR'B provides.

Responding to the recent floods in Bangladesh, the UK has now given $4.2 million (Taka 28.8 crore) of immediate aid, providing food, water, shelter and life-saving medicines reaching almost 1 million people in the worst-affected districts. The assistance has been provided through UNDP, the Chars Livelihoods Programme, and the ICDDR,B.

The new DFID Country Representative Chris Austin said, "The monsoon is not yet over here though water has receded in many places leading to a spread of waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea. The Government of Bangladesh and the non-government organisations such as ICDDR,B are doing a fantastic job to deal with these effects. And the UK is glad to be helping.

But we are well aware of the possibility of further rain and resurgence in the flooding, and we stand ready to provide even further suppoort if needed."

Every year, the UK contributes $ 240 million (Taka 1646 crore) through DFID in support of Bangladesh's development efforts, making it the largest bilateral partner.

BSS, Dhaka

The Brahmaputra-Jamuna has continued receding and is likely to fall further while the Ganges-Padma may rise at a slower rate during the next 24- 72 hours, Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) said in its latest observation report on Friday.

The Padma at Goalundo and Bhagyakul also receded slightly and may also follow the trend which may help improve the flood situation in the districts of Manikganj, Munshiganj, Faridpur, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur,Gopalganj,Chandpur and in the upazilas of Dohar and Nawabganj in the Dhaka district

The small rivers surrounding Dhaka and Narayanganj marked fall and are expected to fall further during the next 24-72 hours, improving the flood situation in the Dhaka city and on its eastern suburbs during the next 24-72 hours, the FFWC report added.

The Brahmaputra-Jamuna during the next 24 hours is likely to fall by 13cm and may flow 13cm below danger level(DL) and may also fall by 11cm during the next 48 hours in the flood hit Sirajganj. It may slide by 5 cm at Aricha, flowing 6 cm below DL. The river has also maintained its falling trend at its entry point at Noonkhawa, Chilmari and Bahadurabad, the FFWC said.

The Meghna at Bhairab Bazar is likely to fall by 8 cm and may flow 25 cm below DL during the next 24 hours.

The north eastern rivers Surma, Kushiyara and Manu in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Maulvibazar are also falling. Only the Khowai at Habiganj rose by 4 cm. The Gumti at Comilla marked fall by 3 cm at Comilla.

BSS, Dhaka

The Export Promotion Bureau ( EPB ) will organize 21 trade fairs and five single county fairs in different countries during the current fiscal 2007-08 to explore newer markets for Bangladeshi products and boost exports.

EPB Director(Fair) A M M Azhar told BSS today that Bangladesh will organize fairs in different countries including USA, Germany, Kenya, Vietnam, Turkey, UAE, Italy, Russia, Japan, Honk Kong, Nepal, Senegal, India, Myanmar, Belgium, Sri Lanka, Chine and Canada during this fiscal.

'The number of the fairs will be increased if, any country invite us to join in its international fair during the current fiscal', he said.

Azhar said, they gave priority to those countries for organizing fair where the use of Bangladeshi products are less.

A fair of readymade garment will be organized in Russia, as Russians are yet to used to the Bangladeshi ready-to-wear products though Moscow had a large market, he said.

A single country fair on pharmaceuticals products will be organized by the EPB in Vietnam, he said.

Various local products including readymade garment, leather and leather goods, shoes, pharmaceuticals, handicrafts, plastic items, sea fish, bicycle, ceramics and ICT will be available in these upcoming fairs abroad, he said.

BSS, Mymensingh

A six-year-old baby girl Jesmin was strangulated to death allegedly by her aunt Bilkis Akhter at village Digarkanda in Baira Union in Sadar upazila here on Thursday afternoon.

Jesmin, a pre-primary student of a local BRAC School and daughter of Bachhu Miah and Khodeja Begum of Digarkanda, was strangulated to death following a trifling incident

Police said, following a trifling incident took place yesterday between Khodeja and Bilkis, mother and aunt of Jesmin.

Annoyed with the incident, Mosharraf Hossain, punched his wife Bilkis that angered Bilkis to take revenge on Khodeja. Later, in the last afternoon when rain started, Bilkis called Jesmin to her house and allegedly strangulated her by pushing cloth into her mouth and binding rope around her neck.

Bilkis, then kept the kid's body under the mud of her house and put firewood on the top of the digging earth in order to conceal it

As Jesmin was missing after the incident and despite of a massive search she was not found till 10 PM last night, Khodeja suspected Bilkis that she might have killed her daughter. The house of Bilkis was then found under lock and key and she went out of her house.

Suspicion on Bilkis was raised with the passage of time and other members of the family searched the house of Bilkis and at one stage they found the body of Jesmin under the earth of her house. Family members caught Bilkis and informed the local Union Parishad Chairman.

A police team led Assistant Police Superintendent of Kotwali Police Station Apple Mahmud rushed to the spot and nabed Bilkis. Apple Mahmud told BSS that Bilkis confessed her involvement in the killing following a quarrel with her sister-in-law.

The body was sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) morgue for autopsy. A case was lodged in this regard.

BSS, Narayanganj

A worker was killed inside a knit garments factory allegedly by two fellow workers of the same factory at Ukil Para under sadar thana in the early hours of on Friday.

The victim was identified as Mahmudur Rahman Mona, of Fatikchhari upazila of Chitagong district

Police arrested two alleged killers, who were identified as Tito, 16, and Polash, 25.

Police said Mona was atacked by Polash and his friend Tito following an altercation over asking for a glass of water from Polash, who is also a nephew of Mona, a week ago.

Mona slapped on the face of Polash as he delayed to bring the glass of water. Polash became angry but remained silent for the past couple of days.

Polash along with Tito chopped Mona with sharp weapon at around 2 am today while he was sleeping at his work place at Suleman Hosiery at Ukil Para in the town.

They were caught by other workers of the factory when they tried to escape the scene. Later, he was handed over to police this morning.

The body of the victim was sent to Narayanganj General Hospital for autopsy.

A murder case has been lodged with Narayanganj police station.