The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

The seasonal monga that repeats every year mainly due to job crisis of the farm labourers during the lean period of 'Aswin and Kartik' is being faced successfully by massive government steps taken this year in greater Rangpur, officials said.

The situation remained under full control this year following coordinated and diversified steps taken by the government under proper supervision and assistance of the armed forces that lessened extent of the seasonal job crisis, bite of the current monga and created wage-earning facilities almost everywhere in the monga-prone areas, they added.

Monga is under control due to massive ongoing programmes in various forms.

A huge number of poor and distressed people are being assisted to earn livelihoods through implementation of the programmes creating job and income-generating facilities in the area.

Besides, distribution of huge quantities of rice worth about Taka 100 crore under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme and massive post-flood relief and rehabilitation activities of the government for the distressed and flood-affected people have been helping to keep the Monga situation under full control, officials said.

Each of the nearly 10 lakh distressed and vulnerable families will receive a total of 50 kg rice with 10 kg every month during the five month period from August to December next under the ongoing VGF programme.

Various government, non-government organizations (NGOs), donor agencies and development partners are also playing important roles through implementing programmes in containing the situation and the area is expected to be fully monga-free within a few years, they added.

The easy-term and interest-free loans, agro-loans, training for unemployed youths, women and girls on various trades, distribution of various allowances, farming of vegetables, pisciculture, rearing of poultry birds, animal husbandry, cultivation of high-valued crops under the NCDP and early variety BRRI Dhan-33 and expansion of cottage industries are also helping them, they said.

Distressed people of the river erosion and flood-prone areas of all 35 upazilas in Rangpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and Kurigram are now getting various assistance including VGF, VGD and the daily wages under the ongoing Taka 27.94 crore post-flood infrastructure rehabilitation activities of 'Palli Karmo Sahayak Foundation'(PKSF).

The ongoing poverty alleviation, income-generating and social welfare activities of various government departments and NGOs, CARE-Bangladesh, USAID, World Food Programme (WFP), DFID and other donor agencies, are playing very important roles in facing the situation and achieving self-reliance by the poor and distressed people, they said.

Besides, they said the ongoing well-coordinated massive programmed initiatives for monga eradication project of PKSF in 2,493 char villages of 168 UPs under 18 upazilas of Nilphamari, Rangpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts has created huge job opportunities for about one lakh distressed labourers including women at this peak hour of the seasonal crisis.

Eleven NGOs including RDRS, TMSS, SSS, SKS, Ganoswastho, Padokhkhep, Uddipon, POPI, GUK and ASOD are implementing earth works for rehabilitation of the damaged portions of roads, raising homesteads of the poor, community places, educational and religious institutions in flood-hit and poverty-prone char areas of these districts under the PKSF programme from September 22.

A total 96,311 men and women labourers have been earning a daily wage of Taka 70 in cash for 41 consecutive days under the PKSF programme in the flood-hit areas helping the affected people in facing the monga situation during the lean period this year, officials said.

The 'Souhardo' programme of CARE-Bangladesh, VGD programme of the WFP, risk reduction project, char livelihood project, northwest crop diversification project (NCDP), social afforestation programmes and many other government projects being implemented are also contributing a lot in facing the situation.

In addition, the agro-based crop diversification project, animal husbandry, pisciculture and rearing of poultry birds, cottage industries, NGO-assisted small scale enterprises and interest-free loans are contributing to the rural economy in facing the situation by the monga-hit people of greater Rangpur.

BSS, Joypurhat

The overall law and order situation improved significantly following arrests of 3,389 different offenders during a series of anti-crime drives conducted by police in the district since January last, police sources said on Saturday.

Official sources said the arrested included absconding terrorists, listed criminals, inter-district dacoits, smugglers, gamblers, addicts, absconding convicts and other anti-social elements.

Police also recovered huge quantities of Phensidyl, ganja, wine, fertilisers, smuggled goods, robbed and stolen goods and many other illegal things during the period.

Number of crime like murders, dacoities, robberies, rapes, cow-lifting, extortion, mugging, abduction, reduced significantly in comparison with the previous year, they added.

A total of 315 criminals were arrested in January, 314 in February, 323 in March, 324 in April, 326 in May, 354 in June, 324 in July, 332 in August, 314 in September, 348 in October and 115 persons during the first ten days of November, the police officials said.

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Aminul Islam Shahin, 29, organising secretary of Gournadi upazila Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) under Barisal district, has been critically injured under police torture.

However police claimed Shahin was injured while he tried to flee away during a police raid in Pinglakati area of Gournadi Friday night. Family and local sources said Shahin has rivalry with his uncle Abubakar. Police, instigated by Abubakar, raided the house of Shahin to arrest him. Family members of Shahin denied to open the door at mid night and requested the police to come in the morning. But police broke the door and forcibly entered the house. Meanwhile Shahin tried to escape through window. Police led by Sub-inspector Manzur Morshed and Assistant Sub-inspector Nazrul Islam nabbed Shahin after chasing and put barrel of a gun inside his mouth and threatened to shoot. Shahin begged for his life but police mercilessly beat him with rifle and left him unconscious on the spot. Family members rushed Shahin to Gournadi Hospital and later to Barisal SBMCH after his condition deteriorated. Till writing of this report his condition was critical. Abdul Hye Sarkar, officer in charge of Gournadi police station, claimed Shahin was wanted in a criminal case but he succeeded to flee away in the dark of night. However, Sarker expressed his ignorance of Shahin's injury. SI Manzur Morshed also denied any torture on Shahin. Shahin tried to flee away out of fear and might have got injured, Morshed claimed.

BSS, Barisal

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-8 in separate drives arrested 31 criminals, including drug traders, from different places of the region recently.

They said 400 maunds of jatka, 60 small packets of ganja and 100 bottles of Phensidyl were also seized during the period.

According to the sources, the elite force raided Patharghata fish landing station at around 12 noon on Wednesday and seized 400 maunds of jatka and rounded up 14 fishermen in this connection.

The fish was sold on the spot at Taka 2.25 lakh and the money was deposited to the government fund.

The RAB members seized 100 bottles of Phensidyl from a fish-laden truck in Chadamari area of the city on Tuesday.

Four persons, including the driver of the truck, were arrested in this connection.

The RAB members picked up one Sanjib,25, at Neamoti village under Bakergonj upazila yesterday noon and recovered 60 small packets of ganja from his possession.

The elite force also unearthed a huge quantity of equipment of fake fruit juice factory worth about Taka 25 lakh from Nawabpara area of Patuakhali district town at around 12 noon, the sources said.

Five persons---Jamal Hossain, 45, Jalal Ahmed,42, Tuhin,40, Farook, 42, and A Halim, 45,---were arrested in this connection.

Daulatkhan police rounded up seven alleged criminals, including an accused in several cases, Ferdaus Ahmed,45, when they were taking preparation for looting crops from the fields of innocent farmers.

The arrested were handed over to concerned police stations after filing cases against them.

Timber seized

MONGLA, BAGERHAT, Nov 12: Naval forces seized a mechanized boat fully loaded with smuggled Sundari timber from Mandartala canal at Amratala Ghat in the upazila on Thursday. Police said the naval forces seized the boat and the smuggled timber, worth to be Taka two lakh from the canal and handed over those to the Changmari office of Forest Department for taking legal action. None was arrested in this connection, reports BSS.

One gets 14-yr RI

CHUADANGA, Nov 12: The District and Sessions Judge and also the Special Tribunal here Judge Sarkar Abul Monsur Ahamad in a judgement sentenced one person to suffer 14 years rigorous imprisonment and to pay a fine of Taka five thousand in default to suffer one month more rigorous imprisonment on charge of trying to abduct a young girl. The convict is Shukur Ali, 36, son of Mofazzal Mondal of village Parmetol under Mirpur Upazila of Kushtia district, reports BSS.

Terrorists surrender

CHUADANGA, Nov 12: Three terrorists of village Ibrahimpur under Damurhuda upazila of the district surrendered to the police on Thursday in response to the call of the officer-in- charge of the thana with a hope to return to normal life. Those surrendered to police are Jalu , 28, son of Toju Mondol, Tufan, 30, son of Dilu Mondol and Bokul, 30, son of Mohir Uddin. Police said they were wanted in connection with two dacoity cases and one murder case, reports BSS.

Workshop on resistance of money l aundering held

CHUADANGA, Nov 12: A daylong workshop 'on the resistance of money laundering' organized by the Bangladesh Bank was held here in the district council auditorium on Saturday. A total of 50 bank officials of different commercial bank branches of the district took part in the workshop. With Ashutosh Biswas, assistant general manager of Agrani Bank, Chuadanga region, in the chair, the workshop was attended Mohammad Zakaria, deputy general manager, of the bank as the chief guest, reports BSS.

Hashish recovered

BRAHMANBARIA, Nov 12: Railway police recovered one kg of hashish from a Bhairab-bound local train in the district on Friday. Railway police said acting on a tip-off, they recovered the hashish from a hole near a wheel of the train. None was arrested in this connection, reports BSS.

Pest attack aman paddy

CHANDPUR, Nov 12: A large area of aman paddy land has been attacked by pest in different areas of the district. So far, 4082 hectares of land were attacked by pest. According to Agriculture Extension Department office sources, 3000 hectares of land have been restored from the attack of pest by applying medicine. The badly affected upazilas are Chandpur, Hajiganj, Faridganj, Haimchar and Shaharasty. The paddy lands were also attacked by other pest, reports BSS.

Opinion sharing meet held

RAJBARI, Nov 12: A views-sharing meeting on the activities of community police was held on the premises of sadar thana on Wednesday. Presided over by ASP M Masum Ali, the meeting was addressed by police super of Rajbari Mohammad Moniruzzaman as the chief guest. Rajbari pourasabha chairman Mohammad Ali Chowdhury, ASP M Gias Uddin, sadar UNO Shaila Farzana, trainee ASPs Monalisa Begum, Yeasmin Khatun and Shariful Huq, officer-in-charge of sadar thana Sirajul Islam, among others, spoke on the occasion. The meeting was participated by union Parishad chairmen and members, journalists, teachers and imams, reports BSS.