The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Children of martyred intellectuals demanded of the government to constitute special tribunal for the trial of war criminals.

They demanded this yesterday at a view exchange meeting among organisation of children of martyred intellectuals 'Prajanma 71', Sammilito Sanskritik Jote and leaders of Ekattarer Ghattak Dalal Nirmul Committee at the residence of National Professor Kabir Chowdhury.

Speakers at the meeting demanded the war criminals could not be allowed to participate in election.

President of Prajanma 71 and son of martyred intellectual journalist Sirajudin Hossain, Shahin Reja Nur said our parents were killed because they wanted independence of the country.

We got Bangladesh in exchange of their blood. Now it is the duty of the government to try the murderers, he said.

Prof Kabir Chowdhury said the Ggovernment had taken steps to punish corrupt people and now they could also form a commission to make a list of war criminals and collect information about them.

Journalist Shahriar Kabir said, "The present government is a pro-liberation one. We hope that they will try the war criminals being the representative of the martyrs and the whole nation."

Justice KM Sobhan said after Second World War, war criminals were tried in special tribunal under special law. So in our country the war criminals could not go unpunished.

Prof Muntasir Mamun, engineer Rabiul Hossain, Shamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, sculptor Ferdousi Priyavashini, Tauhid Reza Nur and singer Kalim Sharafi, among others, spoke at the meeting.

BSS, Dhaka

The price of most of the vegetables and green chilly continued to come down with the increasing supply of winter vegetables to the city markets, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) market report said here yesterday.

Besides, the supply of different species of fish also increased to the markets, the markets report added.

The retail price of most of the essentials including rice remained almost stable in the city markets on Thursday.

The essentials including rice are, however, being sold at a cheaper price at BDR run markets comparatively to other open markets in the city, the BDR report added.

The marker report said the price of coarse rice in different markets, including Kamalapur, New Market, Karwanbazar, Kalyanpur, Kachukhet and Mohammadpur, ranged between Taka 22 and Taka 24 per kg on Thursday.

Rice was being sold at Taka 22 at BDR-run open markets and Taka 20 at BDR-run sales centres yesterday while in Kolkata per kg coarse rice was sold at a price equivalent to Bangladesh Taka 21.62.

The price of one-kg packet of flour was between Taka 37 and Taka 38 in ordinary markets yesterday while the price of the item was Taka 38 in BDR-run open markets and Taka 35 at BDR-run sales centres. In Kolkata, the flour is being sold at Taka 25.22 per kg, the report said.

The price of imported lentil (mashur) is ranging between Taka 62 and Taka 64 per kg in ordinary markets, while it is being sold at Taka 64 in BDR-run open markets and Taka 58 at BDR-run sales centres.

In Kolkata, the price of the lentil is Taka 61.26 per kg. Onion (imported) was sold at Taka 52 to Taka 56 per kg in ordinary city markets while its price in Kolkata was Taka 32.43. Onion is being sold at Taka 54 per kg in BDR-run open markets and Taka 45 at BDR-run sales centres.

The price of imported gram (Chhola) was between Taka 45 and Taka 52 per kg in different retail markets yesterday while in Kolkata, the item is being sold at Taka 57.65.

The item is being sold at Taka 52 in BDR-run open markets and BDR-run sales centres. Sugar is being sold at Taka 30 to taka 32 per kg in ordinary markets compared to Taka 25.02 in Kolkata and Taka 30 in BDR-run open markets.

The price of green chilly, however, is ranging from Taka 40 to Taka 60 per kg in ordinary city markets. The item is sold at Taka 36 at BDR-run open markets. The green chilly in Kolkata is being sold at a price equivalent to Taka 32.43.

Potato is being sold at Taka 21 to Taka 22 per kg in all the ordinary markets. The price of potato in BDR-run open market is Taka 21 and at BDR sales centres Taka 18. In Kolkata, the price of the item is equivalent to Taka 16.21.

Soybean oil is being sold at Taka 88 to Taka 90 per litre in ordinary markets, while it is available at Taka 90 in BDR-run open markets and Taka 81 in BDR-run sales centres. In Kolkata, the price of soybean oil is Taka 104.50 per litre.

Palm oil is being sold at Taka 78 to Taka 82 per liter in ordinary markets. In Kolkata, the price of palm oil is Taka 99.09 per litre.

The oil is being sold at Taka 84 per kg in BDR-run open markets, the report added.

UNB, Dhaka

Monipur High School in city's Mirpur area has accorded a reception to its 450 meritorious students, including 314 GPA-5 holders, for their remarkable achievements in examinations. Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Ekram Ahmed attended the occasion as chief guest while chairman of school managing committee and Dhaka district Deputy Commissioner Kamal Uddin presided over.

Speaking on the occasion, Ekram Ahmed termed meritorious students as assets of the country. He called upon all concerned for grooming the students as proper leaders of the country.

Later, chief guest handed over crest and certificates among the successful students.

Headmaster of the school Ahad Ali, school managing committee members, Habibur Rahman, Khadija Akhter Shilpi and MA Hamid, among others, were also present on the occasion.

Monipur High School in the city's Mirpur area has earned the 3rd place among high schools across the country, as its 314 students secured A+ (GPA-5) in SSC examination this year.

BSS, Beijing

The number of miners killed in a coal mine gas leak in southwest China has risen to 32, with three still missing, State media reported Friday.

Rescuers found the bodies of three more miners in Qunli coal mine in Guizhou province in the early morning on Friday, the Xinhua news agency said, adding to the earlier toll of 29 dead.

Relatives of the miners have arrived on the scene and officials are negotiating compensation with them, the report said.

Further investigations showed the gas leak occurred at 1:44 pm (0544 GMT) Thursday, it said, although how it happened is unclear.

Xinhua said earlier 86 miners were working in the shaft at the time of the accident.

Fifty-two people were rescued but one died after emergency treatment, according to earlier reports.

China's coal mines are among the most dangerous in the world because safety standards are ignored in the quest for profits and the drive to meet the nation's booming energy demands.

BSS, Dhaka

The United States Army will conduct a medical readiness training exercise (MEDRETE) in association with Bangladesh Army in Comilla and Haimchar in Chandpur from November 12 to 15, a US Embassy press release said here yesterday.

The Army will also conduct a combat first responder (CFR) course with the Bangladesh Army in Comilla.

The purpose of the exercise is to improve security cooperation, facilitate joint medical operability, provide training and education for medical operations, and deliver humanitarian assistance to the local population.

The US Army team of medical personnel includes pediatricians, an ophthalmologist, a veterinarian and a dentist.

Side by side with their Bangladeshi counterparts, they will also provide medical and dental treatment, family planning, and veterinarian services while learning new techniques and procedures from each other during the training.

BSS, Rajshahi

Various types of rabi crops like vegetables, potato, garlic, wheat, gram and maize could be made more profitable if the cultivation BARKHE-3004 variety of rice could be expanded at farmers level during aman season in the region.

Scientists and some successful farmers revealed this at a meeting titled "Crop-cutting of BARKHE-3004 and field day-2007" jointly arranged by Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and People's Resource Oriented Voluntary Organisation (PROVA) at Raninagar village under Godagari upazila here on Thursday.

In addition to scientists and extension workers, around 200 farmers attended the crop-cutting ceremony. Country Director of IRRI Bangladesh Dr Joynul Abedin and Deputy Director of DAE Rabindra Kumar Majumder addressed the ceremony as the chief guest and special guest respectively with Godagari DAE Officer Mosharraf Hossain in the chair.

PROVA Executive Director Abu Muhammad Musa in his speech highlighted the various features of the variety and said its grain is long and slender. It is a short duration crop and its life-span is on an average 120 days, which is one month less than that of other varieties.

He said being a short duration crop, the farmers could adjust its time of planting and go for rabi crops especially wheat, vegetables, potato and maize. Therefore, he said, inclusion of this variety in transplanted aman cropping pattern, it has a vital role to formation of crop-diversification system.

The average yield is 18-22 mounds per bigha, which is also encouragong. Flag leaves are wide and erect that does not lodged easily. So it could be cultivated as an early crop in a very cost- effective way.

After cultivation of transplanted aman in the deep tube-well commanding area, cultivation of some cash crops like potato, wheat, maize and vegetables have already become very popular in some areas of the region.

However, in most of the cases cultivation and production of rabi crops are delayed due to the cultivation of long term transplanted aman cultivation. Farmers could easily cultivate the advanced variety rice BARKHE-3004 to overcome the problem and fetch a good economic return in this field.

Referring to the gradual declining of cultivable land the speakers said there is no alternative of crop diversification to increase annual crop production in the limited land to meet the national demand. Farmers could play a vital role in this regard.

BSS, Dhaka

Popular singer Asif has formally joined environment watchdog 'Paribesh Bachao Andolan' (POBA-Save Environment Movement).

The POBA held a discussion on the occasion at its office in the city with convener Abu Naser Khan in the chair. Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahir, Fulah Hossain, Abdur Rahman, Farhana Rahman Poppy and Dr Ashraful Alam, among others, addressed the meeting, said a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Asif said everyone should play an active role to save the environment. He appreciated the role of the POBA in raising awareness among the people about environmental issues.

Asif said he would incorporate environmental issues in his songs in future and try to encourage other cultural performers to work for the environment.

Other speakers welcomed Asif and said his joining the environment movement will give them new inspiration and strength, the release said.

UNB, Jhenidah

Prisoners of the district jail began hunger strike on Friday morning to protest what they said irregularities inside the jail.

About 700 prisoners went for the strike protesting the supply of low quality food, high price of canteen foods and "torture" by jail police and also demanding removal of three jail police-Nazrul, Siraj and Kala.

However, it could not be immediately known how long the prisoners would continue their hunger strike.

Civil Surgeon Dr Shamsul Haque, who is acting as jail super, admitted the beginning of hunger strike. He said a senior official was holding talks with the prisoners in a bid to end the stalemate.