The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

The joint forces in special drive against unauthorised business of clinics, pathologies and nursing homes in Rajshahi in three days till on Wednesday jailed one clinic owner and arrested five persons including a Rajshahi Medical College (RMC) Professor for illegal practices.

The team consisting of metropolitan magistrate Rabiul Alam, Lt Col Muhammad Aminul Islam and Major Abdullah Al Baki also sealed off five private clinics and collected over Tk 5 lakh in fines from different clinics and pathologies.

The mobile court of metropolitan magistrate Rabiul Alam with the joint forces jailed Mustafizur Rahman, one of several owners of Al Arafa Clinic for one month and fined the clinic authority of Tk 50,000 for different irregularities including running the clinic with forging documents.

The arrested persons include Dr Abu Raihan Khondoker, an Associate Professor of Bio Chemistry department of RMC. He was arrested from Lesar Diagnostic Centre after joint forces seized a number of blank papers of pathological reports carrying Raihan's signature.

Sources in the joint forces said, the clinic authority used to cheat patients by giving medical investigation reports at their will using Raihan's pre-signed papers. Dr Raihan was, however, granted bail from court later.

Other arrestees include lab assistant Mirajul and technologist Shahadat of Lesar Diagnostic Center, Dolphin clinic manager Badiuzzaman and laboratory assistant Lutfar Rahman.

The pathology of Al Arafa Clinic, Laboratory and X-ray sections of Ekota Clinic, x-ray unit of Lab Fair, Amina Clinic and Garib-e Newaz Clinic at Talaimari areas were sealed off during the raids.

Sources in the joint forces told reporters that the operation was still going on. Lesar Diagnostic Center was fined with Tk 1 lakh, Dolphin clinic was fined with Tk 2 lakh while Rajshahi Cancer Hospital was fined with Tk 40,000, Janata Clinic with Tk 60,000, Jana Sastha Clinic with Tk 20,000, metro diagnostic center with Tk 50,000, and Seba Nursing Home with Tk 20,000.

During the raid, the joint forces warned some other clinic authorities for shunning unauthorised practices. The raiding officials said, situations are worse than expected after similar raids in June last.

Some organisations are running pathologies and laboratories without any approval while a few have any skilled technicians for performing critical medical examinations.

Most patients of these clinics and pathologies were given wrong treatments that sometimes caused deaths. A few those who have approval were not following rules of functioning properly.

Many of the clinics employed brokers for hiring patients.

The sources also said, nearly 150 clinics were operating unabatedly in Rajshahi for years despite government approval was given to only 31 clinics and 24 diagnostic centers. The raiding teams also advised government doctors and medical staffs for not being concerned with such unregistered organisations.

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Case lodged on behalf of patient with Barisal Sadar upazila magistrate court against physician, health assistant and director of Barisal Shere Bangla Medical College Hospital for miss-treatment.

Munim Hassan, magistrate of the court, directed officer in charge of Barisal Kotwali model police station to take necessary action after proper investigation on Tuesday afternoon.

Court sources said Rustam Ali Howladar of Chandpura union under Barisal Sadar upazila and complainant of the case alleged that Asma, 13, his daughter, was brought to SBMCH outdoor for treatment of a tumor on right wrist on September 11, 2007.

Dr. Humaun Kabir, the physician on duty at outdoor without any examination ordered Nur Muhammad, the nurse on duty, to remove the tumor by surgical operation using local anesthesia. Accordingly the tumor was removed.

However during dressing on September 13, October 2 and 3but it was found that the wound became infected and caught septic and anti-biotic medicines were prescribed which failed to improve the condition of the patient.

Then Asma was referred by Dr. Humaun to take admission at surgery unit of SBMCH after his condition deteriorated on October 06.

Doctors of surgery ward opined that due to using date expired local anesthesia injections, infections were grown and may be turned to gangrene or cancer, if it is not amputated immediately.

Dr. Maniruzzaman, director of SBMCH, was informed about the allegation of miss-treatment and inelegancies of his staffs, but ignored all, the complainant alleged in the case file.

Dr. Humaun and Nurse Nur Muhammad denying the allegation said infection was grown due to negligence of the patient and her guardians about post operative cares and she already referred for further better treatment.

Dr. Maniruzzaman, director of SBMCH, was not available for comment.

BSS, Rangpur

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in separate drives arrested four criminals and seized huge quantities of contraband goods from different places in Dinajpur, Joypurhat and Bogra districts during the past 24 hours till on Thursday afternoon, RAB sources said.

The elite force seized 396 bottles smuggled Indian phensidyl and arrested two persons from a Dhaka-bound imported apple-laden truck (Dhaka-Metro-ta-14- 5482) from Hilli Land Port in Dinajpur at Joypurhat town in front of RAB camp on the Hilli-Dhaka highway at 10:30 PM on Thursday night.

The arrested persons are: truck driver Abdul Momin, 28, son of late Lal Chand Ali of Sobuznagar area in Bogra town and his helper Aminur Rahman, 30, son of Nobanur Mandal of Churipotti area in Hilli town under Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur. RAB also seized 73 pieces high quality smuggled Indian sari and five 3-pieces from Bizul frontier village in Birampur upazila of Dinajpur last night. None could be arrested during the raid.

The elite force arrested notorious extortionist and mugger Shameem, 25, son of late Mahfuzur Rahman of Sutrapur area in Bogra town from Yakubia Girls' High School Mour in Bogra. Shameem is an absconding accused of a number of criminal cases including mugging and extortions.

RAB also seized 14 bottles of phensidyl in abandoned condition after searching a passenger coach Salma Paribahan (Dahka-metro-Ba-11-0276) at Chondihara point on the Dhaka-Bogra highway in Bogra during the period. Besides, the RAB arrested criminal Abdul Motaleb, 45, son of late Mokbul Hossain of village Bhatbadi in Lalmonirhat district from Sherpur Food Village point on the Dhaka-Lalmonirhat highway in Sherpur upazila of Bogra and seized 68 fake notes of Taka 500. The law enforcers caught the criminal, who is a member of an organised gang of fake currency traders, after searching the Lalmonirhat-bound night coach DR Enterprise (Dhaka-Metro-Ba-14- 0994) from Dhaka at the point during the period.

After filing separate cases against the arrested persons, the RAB handed them over to concerned police stations today, the sources said.

BSS, Dinajpur

A court here on Wednesday sentenced six persons to life imprisonment for killing a villager over a dispute related to land and money.

Court sources said District and Sessions Judge of Dinajpur Mohammad Zahidul Islam fined the convicts Taka 5,000 each, in default, to suffer two years more in prison. The convicts are identified as Shahjanan Ali, Shamsher Ali, Shafiqul Islam, Taijul, Nazmul and Amam Uddin of Ronjoypur village under Nawabganj upazila of the district.

The prosecution story, in brief, is that the convicts fatally injured one Alam of Satani Jamia Village of the same upazila with sticks on September 30, 1998 over a land related dispute.

Alam died in Rangpur Medical and Hospital after five days of the incident. The victim was first admitted to Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital and later shifted to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital as his condition deteriorated.

The Victim's elder brother Mokbul Hossain filed a case in this connection with Nawababganj thana accusing 6 persons. Police submitted charge-sheet before the court accusing the same persons after investigation.

The court after examining witnesses and relevant documents handed down the verdict.

Correspondent, (Bauhal) Patuakhali

There is a complain against a bridge which is being built for own interest of a person across a canal at Chandkathi under Dhulia union under Baphal upazila. But there is another bridge over the same canal within hundred yards of that bridge.

It is known from complain that the new bridge is being constructed by the Patuakhali district council costing Taka 2 lakh. The tender was invited on 14th August and opened on 16th August. The person is an officer of Bhola district council, who influenced about the bridge. On behalfs of local people advocate Bidur Dash complained to the authority but no action was resulted. Locals also have informed to Pranesh Ranjon Shutrodhor, the chief executive of Patuakhali district council. But he replied telling he received a claim against the bridge.

Young brother killed by his elder

CHITTAGONG, Oct 27: A young man was killed by his elder brother at Charia village in Hathazari upazila Thursday. The victim was identified as Abdul Halim, 28. He has recently returned home from Dubai. Local sources said Abdul Hamid hit his younger brother Halim with a sharp weapon at one stage of altercation over land dispute, that left him killed on the spot at about 7AM. Police recovered the body and sent it to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. A case was filed with the thana, reports UNB.

Minor boy killed in road mishap

MUNSHIGANJ, Oct 27: A minor boy was killed in a road accident at Uttar Medeni Mondol village in Lauhajang upazila on Dhaka-Maowa highway Thursday morning. Local people said Nirob, 7, son of Darji Mosharraf Hossain died on the spot when a Khulna-bound passenger bus from Dhaka ran over him. Police seized the bud but its driver managed to flee the scene. Transport movement on the highway was disrupted for about half an hour following the accident, reports UNB.

Terrorist held

GAZIPUR, Oct 27: Detective Branch Police of the district arrested two local terrorists from a residential hotel at Topkhana Road in Dhaka city Wdnesday night. The arrested were identified as Rafiqul Islam alias Tablet Rafiq and his accomplice Swapan. Rafiqul hailed from Kauraid village in Sreepur upazila was wanted in a number of criminal cases, police said, reports UNB.

Son kills mother in Joypurhat

JAMALPUR, Oct 27: A man allegedly killed his mother and injured four other family members at village Gopinathpur in Sadar upazila on Monday. Police said Shah Jamal Bhutto following a family feud started beating his wife Zarina Begum in the evening and when his mother Shahar Banu, 60, along with others tried to resist him he hacked them indiscriminately leaving Shahar Banu dead on the spot. The injured Bhutto's stepmother Razia, cousin Joynal, aunty Basiran and Zarina were admitted to the district general hospital. Local people caught Bhutto soon after the incident and handed him over to police, reports UNB.

Valuables looted

FARIDPUR, Oct 27: Robbers looted valuables worth Tk 10 lakh from the passengers of a bus at Majhkandi on Dhaka-Khulna highway Wednesday morning leaving one injured. Police said a gang of robbers boarded the Khulna-bound bus from Faridpur town in the guise of passengers and took control over the steering when the bus reached Majhkandi at about 6.30 AM. They looted cash, mobile phone sets and other valuables worth Tk 10 lakh from the passengers and fled the scene in a microbus, which was following the bus, reports UNB.

3 held with heroin

JESSORE, Oct 27: Police arrested three people along with 500 grams of heroin from Gazipur village in Benapole port thana on Tuesday. The arrested were identified as Delwar Prokash, his wife Lipi and co-villager Faisal. Acting on a secret information police raided the house of Delwar and arrested them along with the drug. A case was filed in this connection, reports UNB.

Two housewives killed

BRAHMANBARI, Oct 27: A pregnant housewife was allegedly killed by her husband at Daulatpur village in Nasirnagar upazila Wednesday. Police said Puhad Mia locked in altercation with his wife Sejeda Khatun, 33, mother of four children, over a family feud in the afternoon. At one stage, he kicked Sajeda on her belly, killing her on the spot and fled the scene. Another report from Sylhet adds: Another young housewife was strangulated to death allegedly by her neighbours at Khasrupur village in Balaganj upazila Wednesday morning, reports UNB.