The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Moulvibazar

The holy Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of the Hindu community, is being celebrated in the district as elsewhere across the country with much enthusiasm and religious fervour.

The five-day celebration began on Wednesday at every mandap with performing of Bodhon ritual and Shashti puja.

Sources said a total of 556 puja mandaps were erected at six upazilas in the district and necessary steps have been taken to ensure smooth and peaceful holding of the festival.

Of the puja mandaps 114 mandaps were erected at Srimongol while 35 at Moulvibazar sadar, 82 at Kamolganj, 107 at Baralekha, 124 at Kulaura, 55 at Rajnagar and 49 at Juri.

The District Administration has allocated 80 metric tonnes of rice for distribution among the different puja committees.

Besides, Hindu Kalyan Trust has distributed Taka 82,000 to 59 puja committees.

BSS, Madaripur adds: The holy Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of the Hindu community, is being celebrated in the district amid fanfare and religious fervour.

With performing of Shashti Puja, the five-day festival began on Wednesday and will be concluded with the immersion of the goddess Durga on the day of Bijoya Dashami.

Puja committee sources said a total of 270 mandaps have been erected in the district and necessary steps have been taken to ensure smooth and peaceful holding of the festival.

Devotees have been joining in the rituals of the puja in large numbers. Prasads are being distributed among the visitors.

Meanwhile the holy Durga Puja is being celebrated in the district as elsewhere across the country with much enthusiasm and religious fervour.

The five-day festival began on Wednesday at 126 mandops in the district with performing of Shashti puja.

Puja Committee sources said necessary steps have been taken for ensuring smooth and peaceful celebration of the greatest festival of the Hindu Community.

The District Administration has allocated rice as grant for the puja mandaps, the sources said.

BSS Gaibandha adds: The five-day long holy Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of Hindu community, began at all seven upazilas of the district on Wednesday with due religious fervour and festivity.

District Administration sources said, a total of 453 puja mandaps have been erected in the district this year, which were 48 more than last year.

Local Administration has taken special security measures in and around the puja mandaps for holding the festival in a peaceful manner. Joint forces and ansar have been deployed there to maintain law and order situation.

The Puja Udjapan Parishad has decided not to beat drums and musical instruments during prayers time of Muslim community.

Meanwhile, local Administration has distributed 70 tonnes of rice among the poor and distressed of Hindu community on the occasion of Durga Puja.

BSS Rajbari adds: The five-day long Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of Hindhu community, began here on Wednesday with due religious fervor and festivity.

The biggest crowd gathered at a puja mandap in a remote village that attracted thousands of people of the district.

People are now visiting the 200-year-old sites of the Puja Mandap at Maliat village under Pangsha upazila of the district where 120 separate statues have been installed on the occasion of the festival.

Dulal Chandra Paul, who and his associates made all the statues, said that it took six months to finish the task.

BSS, Hatibandha

Non-governmental organisation ASOD distributed huge quantity of relief goods among the flood-hit distressed people of five Union Parishads under Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat district recently.

The relief goods were distributed under the financial assistances of the Irish Aid and assistances of donor agency Concern Worldwide, Bangladesh in two separate distribution ceremonies organised at Hatibandha Alimuddin Degree College ground and Goddimari High School premises.

A total of 2,200 flood-affected distressed families of Dauabari, Patikapara, Sindurna, Singhimari and Goddimari UPs were provided with 66 tonnes rice, 6.6 tons pulses, 4.4 liters soyabean oil, 7,000 piece soaps, 700 cartons biscuits and 11,000 packets oral saline under the programme.

Each of the beneficiary family received 30 kg rice, three kg pulse, two litres soyabean oil, one kg salt, three toilet soaps, 10 packets biscuits and five packets oral saline.

Officials of the Armed Forces, Hatibandha UNO Lutfar Rahman, Deputy Chief executive of ASOD HK Debnath, representative of Concern Worldwide Bangladesh, ASOD Coordinator Emdad Hossain, concerned UP chairmen and members were p[resent during the distributions.

BSS, Chuadanga

Twenty-four recipients of GPA-5 in this year's HSC and Alim examinations from different college and madrasahs under four upazilas of the district were accorded reception on Wednesday.

Organised jointly by the Chuadanga District Administration and Darshana Sugar Mills authorities at the conference room of the deputy commissioner with Sanjoy Kumar Chowdhury, additional deputy commissioner (General) in the chair, the reception was attended by MA Mannan, Deputy Commissioner of Chuadanga as the chief guest.

Among others, Ashraf Ali, managing director, Darshana Sugar Mills, Helaluddin, ADC (Revenue), Chuadanga, Professor Siddiqur Rahman, Professor Sheikh Mohammad Israfil and Professor Md. Mostafa Kamal, Dr M. Hasan, SM Sadik-Bin-Hanif and Asma Akhter spoke on the occasion.

The GPA-5 holders were given certificates, prize bonds and medals.

BSS, Bagerhat

Over 100 fishermen of the 18 mechanised fishing boats capsized in the sea hit by heavy storm originated from recent depression in the Bay of Bengal have been still missing, many of them are feared dead.

Altaf Hossain, a owner of mechanised fishing boats quoting one of his boatmen, who managed to survive the mishap said many of the fishing boats had taken shelter at different areas in the coastal belt soon after the storm began.

"Besides, Hossain said, around 70 fishermen of the capsized boats swam ashore. Later on, most of them returned to their home safely. Meanwhile, Commander of Mongla West Zone Coast Guard captain Abidur Rahman said the members of the Coast Guard continued the rescue operations in different points of the Bay of Bengal searching the missing fishermen.

BSS, Chuadanga

The month-long Sanitation Programme 2007 was formally launched at Jibannagar upazila in the district on Wednesday.

Jibannagar Upazila Administration and Jibannagar Upazila Public Health Engineering Department jointly chalked out an elaborate programme that included procession, discussion meeting and distribution of leaflets. Jibonnagar UNO Ashraful Islam opened the sanitation month held at upazila parishad auditorium. The function was addressed by engineer Shamol Kumar Sikdar, pourasabha chairman Moshiur Rahman, UP chairman Khalilur Rahman, Principal Maulana Abdul Khaleque and local social workers Abdul Latif Amal and Shahjahan Kabir.

The speakers stressed the need for making the sanitation month a success and achieve total sanitation coverage throughout the upazila by year 2008.

BSS, Habiganj

An elderly woman was killed and 10 others were injured in a clash between two rival groups of villagers at Sakura Bhumihin Para under Nabiganj upazila over buying a fishing net on Tuesday. Police and eyewitness said, the deceased was identified as Marful Bibi,60,of Sakura Bhumihin Para under Nabinagar upazila.

The incident took place following an altercation btween two villagers Akash Mia and Zarina over buying a fish net. Soon they were joined by their supporters which turned into a bloody clash leaving Marful Bibi dead on the spot. Ten others were injured in the clash. Of them two were shifted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital. Police rushed to the spot and arrested three persons named Bobly Begum,55, her son Afzal Mia,28 and Bikuli Begum,25 wife of Afzal Mia in this connection.

Youth strangulated

NATORE, Oct 20: Unknown assailants at Naopara village in Gurudaspur upazila strangulated a youth to death on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Rafiqul Islam of the village. Police suspected that the terrorists following a previous enmity killed Rafiqul at dead of night and then threw the body into the Boral river. His body was recovered from the river on Wednesday morning from near Agran village in Boraigram upazila. A case was filed, reports UNB.

One gets life for killing wife

BARGUNA, Oct 20: A court here sentenced a man to life term imprisonment in absentia on Thursday for killing his wife 10 years ago. The convict was identified as Noorda Raj alias Khokan of Charpara village under Taltali thana. The court also awarded Khokan and his accomplice Wares Miah to seven more years' imprisonment each for destroying evidences of the case. According to the prosecution, Khokan following a family feud strangulated his wife Khadija Begum to death on the night of December 29 in 1997 and hanged the body from a tree near their house to prove that she had committed suicide, reports UNB.

Construction work progressing

BANDARBAN, Oct 20: Construction work of 30-metre long Bajalia Bridge on Bandarban-Keranihat road here is going on in full swing. Roads and Highways Department has been constructing the bridge at a cost of Tk 2 crore. Official sources said heavy vehicles would be able to ply on Bandarban-Chittagong road after completion of the work of the much-expected bridge. The bridge constructed decades ago collapsed during the flood in 1997. People of the district are happy for constructing the bridge again after long 10 years, reports UNB.

Nine held with firearms

SIRAJGANJ, Oct 20: Police arrested nine young men along some lethal weapons from near a bridge in Kazipur upazila Monday night. Acting on secret information that some miscreants were preparing to commit a crime in the Sonamukhi Bridge area police raided the area at dead of night and arrested them. They recovered three 'ramdaos', three Chinese axes, three sharp knives and one dagger from their possession. One Rubel of nearby Panchgasia village, who came to help police, was stabbed by the miscreants leaving him critically injured. He was sent to the local hospital where his condition was stated to be critical. A case was filed against the miscreants, reports UNB.

One killed, 15 hurt in road mishap

COMILLA, Oct 20: A man was killed and 15 others were injured in a head-on collision between two buses at Harindhara on Comilla-Sylhet road in Burichang Upazila on Wednesday morning. Police said a Kishoreganj-bound bus from Chittagong collided with another bus coming from the opposite direction at about 7 AM, leaving a passenger dead on the spot and injuring 15 others. The dead was identified as Alauddin, of Muradnagar Upazila in the district. Of the injured, five were admitted to Comilla CMH in critical condition, reports UNB.

Housewife killed

NOAKHALI, Oct 20: A young housewife was beaten to death allegedly by her husband at Gamchhakhali village in Hatiya Upazila on Eid-ul-Fitr night. The victim was identified as Sabina, 23. Police said Sabbir Ahmed beat up his wife Sabina mercilessly at one stage of altercation on the night, killing her on the spot. On information, police recovered the body and arrested Sabbir and his father in this connection, reports UNB.