The New Nation - Internet Edition

The journalists, press workers and general employees of The Bangladesh Observer and the Weekly Chitrali in a general meeting held at the news section of the daily on Sunday, reiterated their resentment over the intransigence of the owners to pay the long outstanding dues and wages of the employees that lingers the management-employees crisis in the country's oldest Prime English daily.

The meeting unanimously also decided that the journalists, workers and employees of The Bangladesh Observer and the Weekly Chitrali will observe token hunger strike on November 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. at Observer House to press home their long outstanding demands, says a press release.

Presided over by Md. Ashraf Ali, Bangladesh Observer Unit Chief of Dhaka Union of Journalists' (DUJ) and News Editor of The Bangladesh Observer, the meeting was addressed among others by the Editor of The Bangladesh Observer, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Belayet Hossain, Solimuddin Selim, Press and General unions Presidents respectively Pranayan Khisha, Nazrul Islam, Zahirul Huq, A. T. M. Solaiman, Shahjahan Mozumder (News Editor), Md. Obaidul Hoque, Azizul Haque, Delwar Hossain, Md. Nurul Islam, Tarun Tapan Chakrabarty, Khalilur Rahman and Mobarak Hossain.

Speakers urged the government to compel the owners to pay the legal dues and wages of the journalists, workers and employees of The Bangladesh Observer who are now passing their days in great distress, without further delay.

A 27-member Action Committee was also formed unanimously in the joint meeting with Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury as Convenor and Md. Ashraf Ali, Unit Chief of Observer Unit of DUJ, Belayet Hossain, President Press Workers Union and Salimuddin, Selim. President, Employees Union as Joint Conveners.

BSS, Chittagong

The passing out parade of 35th batch of recruits of the Bangladesh Air Force was held here at the Recruits' Training School at BAF Base Zahurul Haque yesterday.

Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal S M Ziaur Rahman reviewed the spectacular parade and took salute at the impressive march past. He also distributed certificates and awards among the outstanding recruits, an ISPR press release said.

Speaking on the occasion the Chief of Air Staff said, "The recruits must achieve the traits of honesty, uprightness, dutifulness and patriotism and should receive different training in order to discharge duties properly imposed on them in Bangladesh Air Force."

Air Marshal S M Ziaur Rahman hoped that the new airmen would become world-class airmen acquiring professional knowledge and efficiency.

He called upon them to remain prepared for supreme sacrifice, if necessary, to safeguard the independence and sovereignty of the beloved motherland.

AC-2 Morsalin Miah was adjudged the best all-round recruit among the passed out recruits for his best performance in General Service Training and Academics. AC-2 Md Mostafizur Rahman Pathan was adjudged the best recruit in Academics. AC-2 Md Rajib Hossain was adjudged the best recruit in General Service Training. AC-2 Shahidur Rahman Commanded the smartly turned out parade.

Among others, senior BAF officers along with senior officers of Armed Forces, wife of the officers and guardians of the recruits witnessed the parade.

Earlier on his arrival at the parade ground the Chief of Air Staff was received by Base Commander, BAF Base Zahurul Haque Group Capatain Anisur Rahman.

BSS, Sirajganj

Work for preparation of voter list with photographs and national ID cards will be started in Sirajganj from December 9 next.

A meeting of the coordination committee of the voter list and national ID project was held at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner on Sunday.

With Deputy Commissioner of Sirajganj Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil in the chair, the meeting was attended by Lt Colonel Sajjad Hossain, Major Jahangir, Major Kamaruzzaman, Major Ferdous and Major Wadud of the Joint Forces, ASP Nazrul Islam, Sadar Upazila UNO and assistant registration officers were present in the meeting.

It was decided in the meeting that a total of 148 voters registration centres will be set up to register about four lakh voters in Sadar Upazila.

BSS, Dhaka

Adviser on Health and Family Welfare, Water Resources and Religious Affairs Major General (retd) Dr ASM Matiur Rahman yesterday stressed the need for creating awareness among all sections of people of eye diseases and their prevention by taking treatment on time.

Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion on the World Vision Day-2007 at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital, the health adviser said many children lose their vision permanently due to preventable eye diseases and non-availability of treatment in due course of time.

He emphasised the need for awareness and care so that not a single child loses eye sight because of carelessness of some one.

Dr Matiur Rahman directed the line director of the national eye care programme to provide the primary-level educational institutions with vision charts to test eye sights of the children, a PID release said.

The theme of the World Vision Day of this year is 'let the child see'.

The adviser said if a child suffers from blindness or poor vision, the child continues to suffer for a long time in life. So, the child fails to contribute positively to the socio- economic life. The Vision Day has laid emphasis on preventing blindness of the children, he added.

Pointing out to the success of the media campaign in creating awareness, he said once the country had an acute problem with the prevalence of blindness and lack of vision at night due to shortage of vitamin-A. But the media campaign and the raising of awareness of blindness due to vitamin-A shortage has virtually disappeared.

He said the primary eye care has been included in the primary health care services. Ten basic messages to prevent blindness of the children have been included in the training course for the health workers at the field level.

Dr Matiur Rahman further said but we have more to do to prevent the eye diseases and blindness as 14 lakh people today in the country cannot see properly or read because of lack of spectacles. Of them, about six percent is suffering from cataract troubles and about 12,000 children have cataract problems.

The function was presided over by Professor Syed Maruf Ali, line director of the national eye care programme and the national eye science institute and hospital. DG of Health Directorate Dr Mohammad Shahjahan Biswas, President of Bangladesh Eye Physicians Association Professor Syed Modasser Ali and former DG of Health Directorate Professor Dr Mizanur Rahman, mong others, spoke on the occasion.

BSS, Dhaka

Three persons were sentenced to death by a Court here yesterday for killing leader of the Maxi Owners Association Borhan at Dhamrai two years ago.

Sixth Additional Sessions Judge Mohammad Altaf Hossain handed down the verdict in a crowded courtroom in presence of the convicts.

After announcing the verdict, three convicts Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Mizan, Mohammad Sharif Hossain and Abdur Rahim were sent to jail.

According to prosecution witnesses, Borhan, Secretary of the Maxi Owners Association, was beaten to death by the convicts due to a previous enmity on July 21, 2005.

Soon after the murder, victim's mother filed a murder case with Dhamrai police station.

The verdict was delivered as the convicts confessed their involvement in the murder before the court.

BSS, Dhaka

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury has said the present caretaker government is working relentlessly for translating the people's aspiration into reality.

The people's aspiration for living in an atmosphere free from discrimination, corruption and repression, which prompted them to fight for the country's independence, has not been fulfilled during the last 36 years, he said.

The foreign adviser was speaking at a reception, organized by the Red Crescent Durse Samad Medical College on its campus, in Sylhet on Sunday.

Chaired by President of the Red Crescent Society Dr Abdur Rab, the function was addressed also by former Adviser of the caretaker government Prof Sufia Khatun, Vice-Chancellor of the Metropolitan University Prof Kabir Chowdhury, Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the Sylhet unit of the Red Crescent Society Prof ANA Mahbub Ahmed and AKM Ahadus Samad, and Director of the Sylhet Red Crescent Hospital Dr AKM Abul Hossain.

Dr Iftekhar said the present government has ensured the independence of the judiciary from the executive, established the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission and reconstituted the Election Commission in line with the aspiration of the people.

He said the country's image has already been brightened in the international arena by initiating the process of trying the powerful corrupt persons.

Dr Iftekhar urged all to work together for creating a social movement to fight against the corruption.