The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

A week long programs on HIV/AIDS with slogan 'prevention of AIDS-our commitment, take the leadership' started on November 29 ended in Barisal on Wednesday emphasizing on upbringing moral values in personal, family and social lives and combined efforts of class of the society with commitments.

Association of Voluntary action for Society( AVAS), a prominent non-government organization of Barisal region arranged these programs funded by UNFPA included quiz and debate competitions in educational institutions and motivational discussions in religious institutions, rally, cultural functions, different types of peoples awareness programs including hoisting boards, banners,festoons,posters, lauding cassettes and CDs about HIV/AIDS.

The closing ceremony of the week long program held at Barisal BDS auditorium with a day long round table conference between the 53 prominent leaders and personalities of different professional, social, religious, cultural organizations, groups and classes.

Rahima Sultana Kajal, executive director, presided over and Murad Ahmed and Mousimi Jahan, project officials of AVAS conducted the program which was attended by Santosh Kumar Talukdar, additional divisional commissioner, Kazi Mortaz Ahmed, deputy commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police,Dr. Aziz Rahim, principal of Barisal SBMC,Dr. Maniruzzaman, director of Barisal SBMCH, as chief and special guests.

In the round table discussion it was revealed that number of AIDS patients in Bangladesh was detected as 626 till 2000 and it has been increased as 223 in 2006 and 333 till November 2007 and thus Bangladesh is rapidly advancing as a high risked HIV/AIDS country.

The participants emphasized on developing moral values in observing religious, social, personal and family lives as well as increasing awareness in the society for taking preventive and precautionary steps in sex life and attitude. Sermons in religious programs and functions, curriculum in text books, regular blood test and checkup of expatriate nationals and foreigners after entering inside our country, compulsion of submitting medical certificate before marriage registration and issuing health cards to the sex workers and their clients, also suggested by them.

They also called for more cautions and hard implementation in ensuring safe blood transfusion, using one time usable and dispensable injecting syringe, controlling drug addiction, learning lessons from success in HIV/AIDS prevention in Thailand and Egypt.

HIV/AIDS patients also be encouraged to prove their accountability to the society and society also have to ensure social rights of their living without any humiliation and fight against this deadly disease could only be won by a total combined and sincere efforts of all classes and professions of the society.

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Separation of judiciary started to give positive results in quick disposal of cases in Barisal. In last 29 days since separation of judiciary on November 01, 2007, total 778 criminal cases have been disposed, while the number of newly filed cases in this period was 738.

Advocate Mirza Salahuddin Ahmed, public prosecutor of Barisal district judge court, expressing his satisfaction at the number of disposed case, said that previously one fourth of this number of disposal could not be achieved.

Magistrates of the lower courts before separation of judiciary were so busy with their executive functions that they could not afford enough time for judicial function, the PP added.

He further told that executive magistrates had to attend so many executive functions including protocol duty of ministers and other high officials in this divisional city and gate way of southern region.

The administrative magistrates could not sit in their court before afternoon and even then on many occasions they could not attend the courts for the whole day as urgent matters suddenly had to be attended by them.

Date after date litigant public and justice seekers had to go back home in vain after long whole day wait. Worst sufferers were they who had to come with witness and the persons accused and bound to attend court, he told.

Now the picture in court areas is totally different after separation of judiciary. Four courts acting in the capacity of judicial magistrates sitting regularly at 9-30 am in the morning of the office days and continued till the work load is done.

Chief metropolitan magistrate Mainuddin Islam takes cognizance of the cases and hears the bail pettions.This court even works up to 8 or 10 PM at night.

There are three other courts engaged for carrying functions of judicial magistrates in Barisal.

Almas Mridha, in the additional chief judicial magistrate, Khademul Keyes, senior chief judicial magistrate and Debasis Nag, senior judicial magistrate, conducted trial of the cases systematically distributed by contingence court of chief judicial magistrate.

Advocate Mirza Salahuddin, the PP however said that at least one more court is need as cognizance court as one court is not enough for taking cognizance of the cases of ten upazila magistrate courts of Barisal district.

President of Barisal district Bar Association Advocate Dilip Kumar Ghosh and Secretary Advocate Syeed Golam Masud Babul also expressed the same views. Theses courts function regularly free of any external pressure to the satisfaction of the lawyers and litigant public.

However at present 10,043 criminal cases are pending but disposal rate is very good, they added.

Biplob Kumar Roy assistant public prosecutor wanted early dates of the cases and said long dates are often given in cases which discourage litigant public and otherwise every thing is going well after separation of judiciary including the the controlling of crowd inside the court room.

BSS, Rajshahi

Speakers at a discussion meeting here on Tuesday stressed the need for taking effective steps to make the government hospitals and clinics accessible for poor and low- income group people.

They also said the existing hospitals should be made functional properly for the sake of ensuring better health services to the rural people, especially the poor and destitute.

They made these observations at a meeting arranged on the occasion of presenting a report of public opinion conducted on 'Rajshahi City Hospital' and 'Godagari Sadar Hospital' held at GDRC conference hall.

Local unit of Health and Environment Journalists' Forum (HEJF) in collaboration with ActionAid Bangladesh (AB) conducted the survey earlier.

Unit Chief Akbarul Hassan Millat presented the survey report depicting some grim pictures being prevailed in the two hospitals, which were brought under the survey.

With HEJF President Mustafizur Rahman Khan Alam in the chair, Acting Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation Rezaunnabi Dudu and Chief Health Officer Dr. Rizvi Sultan addressed the meeting as the chief and the special guests respectively.

Among others, Editor of Dainik Barta SMA Kader, Editor of Sonaly Sangbad Liakat Ali, NGO leaders Sarwari Kamal and Afzal Hossain, ActionAid Representative Rezwan Siddiky and journalist Shafiqul Islam also spoke on the occasion.

The speakers said importance should be given to make the jobs of the service-providers, especially the physicians, surgeons and technicians, accountable and transparent so that the beneficiaries can get regular services from them.

They opined that the rural people must be brought under a sound healthcare network through reactivating the rural hospitals in the greater interest of overall development of the nation.

BSS, Rajshahi

A tribunal here today sentenced two persons to life imprisonment for raping a teenaged girl in the district five years back.

Judge of the Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and

Child Repression AKM Sirajul Islam found the victim guilty of the charge and handed down the verdict. The convicts identified as Abul Hasem and Sirajul Islam, both of Gangopara village under Mohanpur upazila, were also fined Taka one lakh each. They are absconding since getting bail from the court.

According to the prosecution story, in brief, is that the convicts forcibly raped the girl in a betel leaf field at the Gangopara village on the night on October 16, 2002. She was going to her grandmother's house at a nearby village.

A case was lodged with Mohanpur police station on the following day. Police after completing investigation pressed charges accusing them.

After examining the recorded depositions of seven prosecution witnesses, the tribunal pronounced the verdict.