The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

The condition of most of the roads in the district has become deplorable due to the recent flood. Many potholes and cracks have developed in all the important roads of the district creating serious problems to the vehicular traffic and pedestrians alike.

Now it is a very common scene to observe in the district that rickshaws and other vehicles are plying through dilapidated roads. Though the roads are in bad shape for a long time yet those are not repaired for reasons unknown to all. The roads which are in pitiable conditions district town to Khuniya Gachh, Rajpur, Kulaghat and other places and Hatibandha town to Goddimari, Patkipa Para, Dowani and other lanes and bylanes of the district.

An official of Lalmonirhat LGED told this correspondent that the allocation for the construction and repairing of roads are not satisfactory. A passerby cannot walk easily through the roads due to bad shape. Rickshaws overturn now and then on the busy roads injuring the passengers due to so many cracks and holes. But the authorities concerned are not taking steps to repair the roads for smooth plying of vehicles, widely alleged some passengers. Cracks and potholes have developed on many points of the many narrow roads. Two vehicles cannot ply side by side at a time through the roads.

Passengers traveling on rickshaws are afraid of accidents. Besides the rickshaws jump off and on so badly that the passengers on board get hurt on the head against the rickshawhood and sometimes they get hurt in the waist when the rickshaws jerks. An auto rickshaw driver said he has to toll a lot to drive his vehicles on the deplorable roads and has to consume extra fuel needing extra money to purchase fuel.

Most of passengers of tempo and buses said poor condition of roads causes sufferings to commuters. Passengers have alleged that overloading and reckless driving cause frequent road accidents on those roads. Passengers are allegedly huddled into the buses like cattle or sheep. Most of the buses plying along those roads are condemned ones. Passengers are carried most of the time on rooftops when there is no space for them to stand inside the buses. The buses usually arrive and depart late and ply at the maximum speed to cover the lost time. Consequently road mishaps occur along the route every now and then. It is reported that the passengers are off and on subjected to extreme humiliation and harassment by the conductors and helpers. The authorities concerned should look into the matter and take proper steps for the interest of the mass people without any delay. The Executive Engineer of Lalmonirhat LGED Enamul Haque told This correspondent that his office has already send profiles of different roads repairing in the district that was damaged by the recent flood and of these profiles, some have already been approved by the concerned higher authority and the repairing of these vulnerable roads has been started. And most of the repairing works of some roads would be started in the last week of this month December, he added.

BSS, Rangpur

Market prices of onion marked a sharp fall by over 50 percent within a span of only five days everywhere in the northern districts of the country, market sources said.

The sources said the consumers had been purchasing imported Indian onion at the rate of Taka 55 to 58 per kg for a quite long time till last Saturday and the same is now being sold at Taka 25 to Taka 27 per kg in the local markets.

Onion retailers and wholesalers on Wednesday told BSS that huge supply of imported Indian onion to the local markets and appearance of the early variety locally produced onion are the reasons behind the sharp fall in onion prices and the trends would continue further.

On the other hand, the common consumers were found very happy while purchasing onion at the rates within their reach after long time at different markets in Rangpur town on Wednesday.

While talking to BSS on Wednesday, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur Kamal Shariful Alam told that there are possibilities of further fall in onion prices as the early variety onion had started appearing in the local markets. Besides, onion prices might remain within the reach of the common people from now and onwards as the DAE has fixed an enthusiastic target for producing 3,81,720 tonnes of onion from 63,620 hectares of land in the northern region during the current Rabi season, he added.

He said special steps have been taken to increase production of spicy crop onion during the current Rabi season and a bumper production of the crop will further help the common consumers.

"Onion production in the region would continue to increase due to the new impetuous being given to the sector by various organisations and the crop is being cultivated twice a year during the summer and winter seasons in place of only once during the winter in the past," he said.

BSS, Narsingdi

The government has allocated a total of 2682 tonnes of rice for Narsingdi district under the test relief programme and food for work programme for the current fiscal year (2007- 2008).

Official source said the rice will be utilised soon for implementing the rural infrastructure maintenance programme and rural infrastructure development (Food for work) programme through different projects in six upazilas and six pourasabhas of the district.

Of the total allocation 1149 tonnes of rice was sanctioned for implementing test relief programme and 1533 tonnes for food for work programme.

Meanwhile a total of 813 projects have been taken in the six upazilas and six Pourasabhas of the district against 1149 tonnes of rice under rural infrastructure maintenance programme (Test Relief).

Projects under rural infrastructure development programme (Food for Work) would be taken up very soon, official sources said.

Our Correspondent, Jessore

The International Protest Day against Women's Repression was observed in Jessore with a discussion and cultural function on 25th November at the Hall Room of Shishu Neloy Jessore with Archona Biswas Secretary Joyoti Director Jessore in the chair. Director Banchteshekha Jessore Miss Anjela Gomes attended the function as chief guest. Social worker and former teacher Babu Tarapad Das and the Director of village Women Development Songstha Jessore Diptikona Baroi attended the function as special guest. The function was addressed among others by Advocate Nasima Khatoon, Supia Parveen Shikha, Beauty Sarker and Bithika Hazra.

A total of 11 representatives of 12 members organisations participated in the conference .

JU Correspondent

The 37th founding anniversary of Jahangirnagar University Journalists' Association (JUJA) would be celebrated on 8th December in befitting manner on the campus.

On the occasion JUJA has taken a day long elaborate programme including rally, seminar, symposium, reunion, reminiscence, reception to the philanthropists and grand cultural programme.

Noted media personalities of the country will take part in the seminar titled

"Investigating Journalism to Explore Irregularities and Corruption".

The present and former members of JUJA and the JU students serving in media have been requested to register their names to participate in the function. For more information contact please 01819864011 and 01715322959.

BSS, Chittagong

Acute shortage of timber for making furnitures has been hampering the production of the Fidco Furniture Complex (FFC) at Kalurghat industrial area in the city.

The FFC is one of the three full-fledged furniture manufacturing enterprise owned by Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation (BFIDC) under the Ministry of Forest and Environment has been struggling with supplying furnitures ordered by different public and private organisations due to non- availability of raw materials, officials said.

The Fidco has a reputation of making high-quality furnitures. The authorities usually collects and purchases required quantity of timber from the specified areas called "Kup" in the reserved forest which is allocated by the forest department.

Officials said they have been facing shortage of timber as the forest department did not allocate them "Kup" to collect timber in recent past.

Forest department sources said they were compelled to stop giving permit to the FFC authorities for collecting timber as number of mature trees in the reserved forests is due rampant destruction and felling of trees in the past.

FFC officials said they have cancelled many supply orders due to shortage of timber and were now trying to collect timber as much as possible by participating in the timber auction conducted by forest department.

But the quantity is not sufficient to complete the work of the pending orders as well as taking fresh orders from the interested parties.

The FFC authorities think that it would not be possible for them to supply furniture worth about Taka 12.15 crore to the government and non- government organisations within the stipulated time if they failed to manage the adequate quantity of timber.

Engineer Mohammad Shakil Ahmed, AGM of FFC told BSS that despite existing problems the organisation has been earning profit. The FFC has made a profit of Taka 2.39 crore in the last two years, he added.

PIROJPUR, Dec 4: A court here on Thursday convicted four persons and sentenced them to life term imprisonment for throwing acid on a girl in 2005. The court also fined the convicts-Zikir Hossain, Kabul Chowkidar, Minu Chowkidar and Sarwar Talukdar-Tk 30,000. Zakir, Minu and Sarwar were tried in absentia. According to the prosecution, the convicts threw acid on the body of Tania Akhter Shimu, 18, after breaking open a window of her bedroom when she was asleep at night at Cholima village in Sadar Upazila on August 12, 2005, leaving her critically injured. After examining the records and witnesses, Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Modina Begum pronounced the verdict, reports UNB.