The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

National Workshop on Biodiversity Conservation, jointly organised by the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh and the Global Forest Coalition, was held at the Cosmos Centre here on Saturday.

The themes of the workshop were Conservation, Sustainable Use and Benefit Sharing, Protection, Restoration and Sustainable Use;

Institutional and Socio-economic Enabling Environment and Knowledge Assessments and Monitoring, according to a press release.

About 55 participants from various organisations like the UNDP, Forest Department, Arannyak Foundation, IUCN, PROSHIKA, NISHORGO SUPPORT PROJECT, SEHD, POROSH, RDC, CCEC, teachers and researchers from Dhaka and Jahangirnagar universities, IUB, NSU and different other universities, and many other NGOs participated in the workshop.

Representatives from different indigenous groups from Chitagong and the Chitagong Hill Tracts, and 'sal' forest area also participated.

Amanullah Khan, an adviser and patron of the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB), who is also the chairman of UNB, spoke as the guest of honour.

Professor Harunur Rashid, vice chairman of the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB), who is also the chairman of Bangla Academy, inaugurated the workshop, while WTB Chief Executive Professor Md. Anwarul Islam welcomed the delegates.

Farid Uddin Ahmed of Arannyak Foundation, Mr D Shahriar Kabir of Independent University Bangladesh and Mr Mamunul Haque Khan of the UNDP coordinated the workshop.

Amanullah Khan urged the government to pass into law and take necessary steps to implement the proposed Biodiversity and Community Knowledge Protection Act of Bangladesh drafted in 1998 as a follow-up of the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 that adopted the Convention on Diversity (CBD), which was subsequently ratified by Bangladesh in 1994.

Khan also suggested tightening up the existing laws relating to the preservation of the protected forest areas, prohibition of hunting of wildlife while at the same time ensuring their strict enforcement

The participants felt that afforestation or social forestry implementation by exotic species in different areas of the country as well as destruction of swamp forests of Sylhet division as important ongoing issues that required atention.

They recommended that at least 10 per cent protected areas must be functionally present with representation from all different forest types in the country and government should take necessary actions in this regard immediately.

They felt that there was an urgent need to involve indigenous people in biodiversity conservation. The group identified a number of databases and other resources that could serve as a starting point for restoration activities.

The workshop also identified different institutions that are involved in biodiversity conservation.

Among others, Professor Kazi Zaker Husain and Dr Jashim Uddin of Dhaka University, Razia Quader of Dharitri, Prof Harunur Rashid of IUB, Dr Rezaul Karim, formerly ESCAP, Shamsur Rahman and Haradhan Banik of Forest Department, Enam Ul Haque of WTB, Professor Dwijen Sarma, Naser Khan of POROSH, Professor Zahed Uddin Mahmood Khan, Dr Md. Mofizul Kabir and Professor Mahfuzur Rahman of Jahangirnagar University, Alamgir Hossain of NSU, Dr Hasan Sajed of PROSHIKA, Mowdudur Rahman of CCEC, Shayer Ibne Alam of IUCN and MA Hashem of NISHORGO participated in the discussion.

The representatives from different indigenous groups also participated in the discussion.

UNB, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Advisor Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed have greeted Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea Kim Jong and Premier of the Cabinet Kim Yong on the occasion of 59th founding anniversary of the country that falls on Sunday.

In separate messages, the two Bangladeshi leaders hoped that the friendly relations that so happily exist between the two countries would be further widened and deepened in the day's ahead. They also wished good health and happiness of the two North Korean leaders and continued peace, progress and prosperity of the brotherly people of North Korea.

UNB, Madaripur

Robbers looted valuables worth about Tk 2 lakh from two houses in Kharakandi and Utrail villages in Shibchar upazila Thursday midnight injuring a woman.

Sources said a gang of dacoits, numbering 10/12, stormed into the house of Fazlur Rahman Munshi of Kharakandi village and looted cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth Tk 1.25 lakh. They also injured housewife Shilpi Akter, 20, when she tried to resist them. Another gang of bandits looted cash and valuables worth about Tk 75,000 from the house of Selim Mollah of Utrail village on the same night

Separate cases were filed with the police.

BSS, Panchagarh

An unidentified person, 40, was electrocuted while stealing electric cables in village Kamatpara under Debiganj upazila in the small hours on Friday.

Police said the victim was electrocuted while stealing electric cables of the Rural Electrification Board with his associates but the others were unharmed and could escape the scene after the incident

Police filed a UD case in this connection with Debiganj police station.

BSS, Chuadanga

Police arrested one alleged terrorist and recovered one country made shuter gun from his possession at Badanpur village under Damurhuda upazila of the district on Friday.

Police said, the arrested terrorist was identified as Alim, 30, son of Faraz Ali of Badanpur village.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of police raided the area and arrested Alim with one gun. A number of dacoity, robbery and extortion cases are pending against him.

BSS, Brahmanbaria

Bangladesh Riffle (BDR) on Friday recovered a statue made of black stone from an area near Shahabazpur Bridge under Sarail upazila in the district

The statue, weigh about 4kgs and estimated to be worth Taka four lakh, was recovered from an abandoned state, the BDR sources said.

BSS, Feni

A total of 30 villages and several streets of the town were inundated in a flash flood in the district due to incessant heavy rain on Thursday and Friday.

Water Development Board sources said the Muhuri and the Kahua rivers have been flowing at 13.5 cm high over the danger level flooding different villages including Ratanpur, Durgapur, Alka, Malipathar, Khaniamora, Sripur Gabtali in Parshuram and Fulgazi upazilas in the district

Besides, about 15 villages in Sarsadi, Subhapur, Radha-nagar and Rajapur unions under sadar, Chhagalnaia and Daganb-huiyan upazilas were also flooded.

Different areas in the pourasabha including Rampur, Shaheed Shahee-dulla Kaisar Road and Academy Road in the main town were also inundated.