The New Nation - Internet Edition

A.T.M.Nurun Nabi

The severe hurricane has damaged standing crops of five lakh hectares of land on last Thursday night in the Southern Bangladesh with warning that the aman production in the country during the current fiscal might be additional short of target by about 10 lakh metric tonnes. After the back-to-back floods had ravaged the country's northern part in August, experts apprehended less production of aman by five lakh metric tonnes, meaning that the aman target of 1.30 croremetric tonnes will not be achieved.

In this backdrop, government must keep its watchful eyes on the supply line of the essentials to check artificial crisis and price hike.

Howbeit, the Department of Agriculture is reportedly planning to cultivate boro in the land affected by hurricane. But experts are of the view that boro does not grow in the land submerged by saline water.

In the National Budget 2007-08, government allocated taka 2154 crore to the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, up from taka 1450 crore in the revised budget of the previous fiscal. The allocation to the Ministry of Agriculture amounted to taka 4332 crore, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock taka 551 crore, Ministry of Environment and Forest taka 252 crore, Ministry of Land taka 352 crore and Ministry of Water Resources taka 1411 crore.

In the Thursday hurricane, it is feared that one million cattle died, hundreds of shrimp hatcheries were affected, thousands of houses destroyed, trees uprooted, and roads and culverts damaged, needing a huge amount of money to rebuild. Though it is too early to arrive at correct statistics of economic losses, yet it can be said that the amount would not be less than taka 10,000 crore.

A former college teacher said, government might transfer fund from the less important projects in different ministries to the emergency fund for immediate starting of the reconstruction works. There is example that the past governments in no loss of time started to overcome massive losses occurred in nation wide floods in 1988, 1998 and 2004 with own resources than depending on arrival of foreign assistance.

In the past, workers of different political parties reached the savaged areas with all they had. In addition, the government had mobilised its resources. As a result, it became possible to heal the wounds quickly. As the interim government has no political workers that they would rush in aid of the affected people In this conditions, political and social workers irrespective of parties and ideology should not hesitate any more to land there to help survivors. Side by side with national reconstruction work in the south, government should keep eyes on the movement of the essentials so that none creates artificial crisis to raise the price of all the food items, rice in particular.

Parveen Haque Sikder, Chairperson of National Bank Limited (NBL) formally inaugurated bank’s 100th branch at Bhaluka, Mymensingh. A discussion meeting was held on the occasion.

The Chairperson in her inaugural speech said that NBL would put remarkable contribution in the business development of Bhaluka. Helena Rahman, A B Tajul Islam, Zakaria Taher, Shahadat Hossain, Lt. Col. (Rtd.) Md Azizul Ashraf, Psc and A M Nurul Islam Directors of the Bank also attended and spoke on the occasion.

M Aminuzzaman, Managing Director of the bank mentioned in his speech that the banking network of NBL had further suged ahead in the greater Mymensingh district..

“Our Bhaluka branch will fulfill the cherished desire of the people of this locality for modern banking facility,” added the managing director.

Among others, Md. Abdur Rahman Sarker, Additional Managing Director of the bank delivered his welcome address and A K M Salah Uddin Khan, Manager of Bhaluka Branch delivered his vote of thanks.

Besides, Kazimuddin Ahmed Dhanu, Ex-Chairman, Bhaluka UP and Businessman, Ghulam Mostafa of the invited guests also spoke on the occasion.

The elites and businessmen of the area were present in the opening ceremony and assured co-operation..

Dr. Shahabuddin M. Hossain, a Senior Economist of International Monetary Fund. Washington D.C. passed away in Minnesota, U.S.A on November 11 at the age of 49 (Inna lillahey Rajeun). He was the Advisor to the Governor of Bangladesh Bank (2004-2006).

Dr. Hossain was the only son of late Ahmed Hossain of Village Satyanagar, Feni. He studied Economics in Dhaka University wans secured First Class in the Master's Degree. In 1983-84 he received an M. Phil Degree in Economics and again completed his Doctoral Degree from Cambridge University in 1987-91.

He joined the Department of Economies, University of Dhaka and remained there from 1986 to 1991. In 1991, he joined the exclusive IMF Economist Programme (EP) of young professionals through a globally competitive recruitment process.

He left behind her wife ,daughter and host of relatives to o mourn his death.

The directors of the board, the governor and all his colleagues at Bangladesh Bank condoled his death and expressed sympathy for the bereaved family.

The Society of Neurologists of Bangladesh and sanofi-aventiy Bangladesh, jointly organised a scientific seminer on "Recent advances in epilepsy" today in a costly city hotel. Prof. Louis Pierre Genton, renowned Neurologist and Epileptologist, Consultant, Epileptology, University Hospital Nord in France presented the key-note paper, highlighting the unique role of sodium valproate, chrono formulation in particular in treating epilepsy patients effectively.

The scientific session was inaugurated by Iftekharul Islam, Managing Director of sanofi-aventis Bangladesh, while Prof Anisul Haque, President of the Society of Neurologists of Bangladesh chaired the programme. Among others, Prof A. K. M Anwar Ullah, Secretary General and Prof Quazi Deen Mohammad, Vice President, Society of Neurologists of Bangladesh; Sheikh Nahar Mahmud, Director, Business Operations and Dr. Rezaul Farid Khan, Director, Medical Affairs of sanofi-aventis were also present in the programme and shared their valuable inputs on different aspects of epilepsy.

Globally it is estimated that there are nearly 50 million patients suffering from epilepsy, of which three fourth belongs to developing countries. 1.5-2.0 million people are suffering from epilepsy in Bangladesh. Epilepsy is often maltreated in our country, especially in rural areas, due to low level of education and lack of knowledge among the general people. There, epilepsy is treated by 'quacks', or 'kabiraj' instead of qualified doctors. But epileptic patients can live normal life like a healthy person, if he/she gets proper treatment with appropriate medication and care.

As a leading global healthcare company, sanofi-aventis has chosen to be active in major humanitarian and social causes 'because health matters'. As a part of its social commitments, sanofi-aventis Bangladesh has joined hands with the physicians' community to support in various campaigns against epilepsy-and related issues.