The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff reporter

Anwarul Islam Litu has been suffering from the deadly blood cancer and now undergoing treatment at the Hematology Department in BSMMU.

Litu,a highly educated youth appealed to the rich people and organisation of the society for providing him financial assistance to save his life.

He needs at least Tk 10 lakh for the treatment but he has no financial capabilities to bear the high costs for the treatment

Prof Jalilur Rahman, Head of Hematology Department of BSMMU said, though the treatment is highly expensive, but curable if proper treatment is ensured.

After completing his Masters degree in English from Dhaka University, he established English Study Centre at Savar , which became very popular within a shortest period for his extra-ordinary teaching methods .

Recently he started his conjugal life but suddenly the deadly blood cancer is about to destroy his every dreams of happy life.

His newly married wife is managing her dearest husband's treatment costs taking loans from the r relatives, well -wishers and the dearest students of the English Study Center. But it became quite impossible to bear the whole expenses in such a way.

She appealed to rich people for providing them financial assistance so that they can restart their conjugal life. Assistance can be sent to the following address.

Anwarul Islam Litu

Account No: 20485-2

Agrani Bank , Jahangirnagar University Branch , Savar

Mobile: 77120494, 01715046400, 01710026354

Staff Reporter

Greater unity among the Islamic Ummah is needed to fight against the war against humanity waged by the US in the name of 'war against terrorism' and the hegemony of the west against the rights of the Palestinian people.

Speakers said this at a discussion meeting on 'Hegemony of the West against the Rights of Palestinians' in observance of the 40th anniversary of the Al-Quds Day at the Supreme Court Bar association auditorium.

They also called the war against terrorism a crusade against Islam and Muslims led by George W Bush.

The discussion was organised by Al-Quds Commitee Bangladesh.

Former Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Hossain was special guest, while Ambassador of Palestine in Bangladesh Shaher Mohammad and Ambassador of Iran in Bangladesh Hasan Farazandeh were speacial guests and eminent columnist Farhad Mazhar presented keynote paper.

Syed Mudassir said the Islamic world should forge a greater unity to create a global consent against the repression of the Israelis on the Palestinian people.

He said, "We sympathies with the struggle of the Palestinians and share their sufferings and condemn the violation of their rights.

Farhad Mazhar in his keynote paper said, "Not only the Muslims but also the people around the globe who believes in humanity and democracy need to forge greater alliance to fight against the Zionism, racism, terrorism and imperialism of the US and the Israel."

He said global consent could be created by the real ideology and philosophy of Islam and the Muslim community should understand Islamic philosophy and make the international community to feel that Islam was the ideology of peace and the verse of Allah was for all.

The eminent columnist said the US interest in the Middle East was oil and they were looking for the same in Bangladesh.

Shaher Mohammad said the Arabs were the first residents of Jerusalem but Israel has evicted the Palestinians from their own land.

He said the Palestinians would continue their struggle against the unlawful occupation and reserve their right to fight to regain it

Hasan Farazandeh said Israel was demolishing all the human norms and values, they were made a godown of arms by the US and the international community should support the Palestinian people in their struggle for their rights.

ANM Abdul Mannan, Professor of Dhaka University and Chairman of Al-Quds Commitee Bangladesh presided over the meeting.

Staff Reporter

Mutual Trust Bank held a painting competition of young artists at the Fine Arts Institution of Dhaka University yesterday.

At the competition best painting of 8 students from Dhaka division were selected for the next phase.

About 326 students of different schools in city took part in the competition titled "Bangladesh The Way I Like to See It".

Rafi Hassan Rahman, Maruf Ahmed, Sangeda Haq Sarna, Fairaz Zahin, ANM Ferdous Ali Rabbi, Farina Islam, Aminul Islam Sabbir, Amit Sutradhar won prize.

Renowned artist Quayum Chowdhury, Rafiqun Nabi, Abdus Shakur were the judges in the competition.

In the prize giving function managing director of Mutual Trust Bank Safikur Rahman, , Ramendu Majumdar of Expressions Ltd, among other, were present

UNB, Chapainawabganj

The target of Aus paddy production could not be achieved in the district in the current season. Farmers said some 98,240 mts of paddy have been produced against the target of 1.19 lakh mts.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources said some 55,336 hectares of land were cultivated exceeding the target of 50,135 hectares in the current season but the output target was not achieved due to various reasons.

While contacted DAE deputy director Ashim Kumar told that unfavorable weather and shortage of quality seeds were the main reasons behind shortfall in production.

UNB, Comilla

Bangladesh Rifles and Highway Patrol Police, in separate raids, seized huge quantum of smuggled Indian cloths, worth about Tk 3.50 crore, from Dhaka-Chitagong Highway early Friday. A team of BDR 33 rifles batalion raided near Rahat Petrol Pump in Sadar (Dakshin) upazila at about 1:30am when smugglers unloading Indian cloths from a covered van.

Sensing the presence of BDR men, the smugglers fled the scene, leaving behind the cloths.

Later, 248 bales of saree and three piece set, worth about 2.75 crore, were recovered from the van.

In another drive at the same time, a special team of Highway Patrol Police recovered 50 bales of Indian saree and three piece set, worth about Tk 75 lakh, from a truck at Kotbari area.

The seized goods were deposited with local customs office.

BSS, Dhaka

The retail price of the most of essentials remained almost stable in the city markets, while the price of vegetables declined further as its supply continued to increase, a market report of Bangladesh Riffle (BDR) said here on Friday.

The BDR report said the price of coarse rice in different markets, including Kamal-apur, 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 yesterday while in Kolkata per kg coarse rice is being sold at a price equivalent to Bangladesh Taka 21.42.

The price of one-kg packet of flour was between Taka 31 and Taka 33 in ordinary markets yesterday while the price of the item was Taka 30 in BDR-run open markets and Taka 29 at BDR-run sales centres. In Kolkata, the flour is being sold for Taka 26.31 per kg, the report said.

The price of imported lentil (mashur) is between Taka 60 and Taka 62 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 62.60 per kg.

Onion (imported) was sold at Taka 38 to Taka 44 per kg in ordinary city markets while its price in Kolkata was Taka 33.57. Onion at Taka 35 per kg in BDR-run open markets and Taka 28 at BDR-run sales centres.

The price of imported gram (chhola) was between Taka 50 and Taka 58 per kg in different retail markets yesterday while in Kolkata, the item is being sold at Taka 54.38.

The item is being sold at Taka 56 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 28.07 in Kolkata and Taka 28 in BDR-run open markets.

The price of green chili, however, is ranging from Taka 84 to Taka 110 per kg in ordinary city markets. The item is sold at Taka 90 at BDR-run open markets. The price of green chili in Kolkata is equivalent to Taka 52.63.

The potato is being sold at Taka 19 to Taka 20 per kg in ordinary markets. The price of potato in BDR-run open market is Taka 19 and at BDR sales centers Taka 18. In Kolkata, the price of the item is equivalent to Taka 15.78.

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 105.26 per litre.

Palm oil is being sold at Taka 73 to 76 per liter in ordinary markets. In Kolkata, the price of palm oil is Taka 99.99 per litre.

The item is being sold at Taka 73 per kg in BDR-run open markets, the report added.

The total programme would cost around Tk 38 crore in several phases. Funds came after joint appeal by International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and BRCS appealed for emergency assistance to help the flood victims on July 3.

Speaking at a press conference Thursday BRCS Chairman Professor Dr. Md. Abdur Rab said, "We do things in the most organised way to support victims and when disasters happen we all act like a family to strengthen our effect"

"Our strength is our volunteers-about 200,000 in 64 districts. But what is more important is when appeals for help is sent donors respond so quickly and that makes us happy and proud," said the chairman.

Following a need assessment of the flood-affected areas BRCS already began its voluntary donation of the relief goods in the disaster-prone areas since August last, says a press release.

By now 4th phase of the programme is being implemented under which a total of 44,700 families have already received relief goods.

The relief package for each family includes 20kg rice, 5 kg lentil, two litres of soybean oil, 500 grams of powder milk, one kg salt, one saree and one lungi. Beside this, BRCS from its own sources and partners have already supported 13,000 families with relief worth Tk. 58 lakh. The relief goods mainly comprise of dry food including flatened rice, potato, lentils and many other dry foods.

BSS, Chitagong

Members of the Coast Guard in cooperation with the Customs authorities and police seized huge foreign currencies from a microbus near Chitagong Shah Amanat International Airport on Friday.

Sources said, working on a secret information, a team of the Coast Guard intercepted a city bound microbus near the airport and after searching it seized 60,000 US dollar.

A youth and the driver of the microbus were arrested in this connection.

During interrogation the arrested youth and the driver told the law enforcers that the foreign currencies belonged to a person named Mohammad Mohsin, who arrived by a Bangladesh Biman flight (BJ-048) from Dubai landed here at 10.15 AM.

Mohsin kept the currencies in a packet in the microbus and left the airport area by a three wheeler asking them to return to the city by the microbus.

The names of the arrested persons could not be known immediately.

BSS, Dhaka

Speakers in separate discussions here yesterday urged the government to take steps for removing disparity between private and public school teachers to help raise the dignity of this community, considered as backbone of the nation.

They said despite same qualification and experience, the government school teachers have been enjoying more facilities than the private school teachers, creating a wide range of disparity between them.

Teachers and Workers Oikyajote and Bangladesh Teachers Association organised their respective discussions at Nayapaltan and Daniya of the city, marking the World Teachers' Day declared by the UNESCO.

Leaders of the two organisations said the World Teachers' Day has been observed internationally since 1994, whereas the Day has not yet been observed in Bangladesh officially, a press release issued by the Association said.

Chief Coordinator of Oikyajote Principal Mohammad Selim Bhuiyan chaired the discussion held at Nayapaltan. It was addressed, among others, by Mohammad Zakir Hossain, Abul Mohammad Farah, Azam Ali Khan and Mohammad Abdul Momen.

The discussion organised by the Association at Daniya was chaired by its vice-president Mohammad Ali and participated by Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Mollah, Tofazzal Hossain and Abdus Salam.

BSS, Chitagong

A group of drug peddlers at Gobindarkhil under Patiya Pourasabha in the district have regreted about their wrongdoings and agreed to give up the illegal profession.

Police sources said 13 persons including a female drug-peddler also gave writen assurance last night in presence of local people, expressing their regret and willingness for not involving themselves in illegal drug trade in future.

The drug peddlers were identified as Abu Syed, 35, Mohammad Shahjahan, 22, Abdul Mannan, 30, Mohammad Rubel, 16, Mohammad Titu, 18, Laila Begum alias Lailani, 38, Saidul Alam, 28, Mohammad Ismail, 20, Mohammad Mohiuddin, 22, Abdul Majid, 50, Abdul Mannan, 28, Nazim Uddin, 28 and Mafijul Hossain, 28.

The gang members engaged in drug trading responded positively to a call made by the community police who asked them to shun their illegal activities or face legal consequences.

The drug peddlers at a meeting with the local people including the members of the community police last night made commitment that they will not be involved in illegal drug business in future.

Sources said the gang had been involved in drug trading at Patiya pourasabha and other parts of the upazila area for a long time.