The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Rangamati

With a view to reducing the quantity of poor people from Sadar upazila of the district, Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board (CHTDB) in the current financial year has undertaken a project titled 'Poverty Alleviation Programme through Rearing Highbred Cow'.

The implementation process of the project of Taka 15 lakh has already been kicked off through the Department of Livestock, Priyonath Barua, District Livestock Officer (DLO) said.

40 farmers have been selected to implement the programme and everybody of them will get a cow as well as cowshed making materials. A three -day- long training on cow rearing will be imparted to the selected farmers to derive optimum outcome of the project, the DLO added.

Necessary vaccine, medicine and technical support will be provided free of cost to the farmers and experts of the Livestock Department will oversee the overall activities of the beneficiaries to succeed the programme.

DLO said adding, that a revolving system has been kept to make viable and extend the programme taken by CHTDB, a major development agency of the hilly region.

No farmer under the project will be allowed to sell or hand over the cow to other person as per deal between authority and beneficiaries concerned and every beneficiary has to hand over the first kid of cow to the authority, the DLO said adding, the authority will distribute the calves of cow taken from beneficiaries to other farmers following the revolving system.

There is a great opportunity to cultivate livestock in the Chittagong Hill Tracts as natural environment and weather of the region favour the sector very well, Priyonath Barua said.

People can alleviate poverty and create employment using the vast land and the most favourable atmosphere of CHT in Livestock sector as well as we will extend all-out help for them who will come forward in the sector, the DLO assured.

Our Correspondent Monirampur

With the help of Manusher Janno Foundation, Parittram (a voluntary Human Development organisation) observed International Dignity Day on December 9. On the occasion a rally, discussion meeting, oath ceremony and cultural function were launched.

Presided over by Ashak Das, Rina Roy Director of Manusher Janno Foundation was the chief guest. Parittram director Millon Das, Bikash Das, Prof Abdul Khalequr Moni, Dr. Sk. Keramot Ali. Arun Kumar Nandan, Md Elahi Box, Principal Tapash Kundu, Press Club President AKM Nesaruddin Khan, Prof Abdul Alim, Babul Akhtar, Md Ashraf Ali, Ratan Das, Student leader Tapan Das spoke among others.

Earlier the participants paraded upazila Sadar and taken oath at the foot of Central Shahid Minar. Rina Roy the chief guest administered the oath.

BSS, Chittagong

Speakers at a seminar have called upon the government to provide increased assistance and proper logistic support for expanding backward linkage industries so that the country could survive in global export market.

They also laid emphasis on widening the country's export basket which has shrunk with limited exportables and the diversification of export goods to reduce trade deficit.

Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Chittagong organised the seminar on ITC Trade Map and Product Map" on Wednesday afternoon as part of its national export promotion training programme 2007-2008 aiming at improving efficiency and knowledge of stakeholders of export-import trade.

The seminar was held in the local BGMEA conference room with Controller of Export and Import Department, Chittagong, M Shamsul Alam in the chair.

BGMEA first vice president M A Salam attended the seminar as the chief guest. CCCI Director Mahfuzul Haq Shah, Assistant Director of EPB, Chittagong Md. Tofazzal Hossain Khan and and Begum Rahima Akter, among others, took part in the discussion. M A Salam said the country has achieved a substantial growth in export sector in past three decades following the combined efforts by private and public sector.

In this context, he said, the country's export was 348 million US dollars in 1972-1973 fiscal which reached at US$ 12,178 million in 2006-2007 and readymade garments sector alone has shares 76 percent of total export earnings.

He said there was no alternative to developing further the backward linkage industries and diversification of export goods for country's survival in the competitive global market.

Our Correspondent, Madaripur

An NGO named Asa of Madaripur disbursed interest-free loan amounting to Taka 50 thousand through its Kulpuddi breach among 25 Sidr- affected families, ASA source said.

Loan disbursement ceremony was inaugurated by Md Baharul Islam Chief of the NGO of Madaripur district.

Regional manager Mostafa Kamal and branch manager Md Monir Hossain were present at the ceremony.

The aforesaid NGO also disbured Taka 21 lakh interest- free loan for rehabilitation among one lakh and 50 thousand.

Sidr- affected families, the NGO also stopped realisation of installments of repayment from the Sidr- affected families for the same ground, NGO source said.

BSS, Thakurgaon

Begum Rokeya Day and World Human Rights Day was observed here with a slogan 'Right of women is Actual Human rights.'

To mark the day, local NGO Manab Kallyan Parishad (MKP) in cooperation with Diakonia-Bangladesh organised a discussion at RK Estate High School.

With Zahedul Islam Swapan, headmaster of the school in the chair, the discussion was addressed, among others, by MKP coordinator Sadequl Islam, teachers Mizanur Rahman, Ferdous Ara, Ratna Banu and Rasheda Khatun, Inspector of Schools Abul Khair, forum member Monwara Begum and students school Soma and Nur.

The speakers recalled the contribution of Begum Rokeya and highlighted it for the development of women. They demanded implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Farms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) of the UN and the policies taken for the development of the women.

The speakers also demanded to bring back the mortal remains of Begum Rokeya from India to Bangladesh and bury at her village at Pairaband in Rangpur.

Terrorist gunned down in Pabna

PABNA, Dec 15: A leader of a local terrorist gang was shot dead by his rivals at Mangalgram Bazar in Faridpur Upazila here Thursday morning. The deceased was identified as Abdul Khalek, 38, chief of infamous 'Khalek Bahini'. He was accused in a number of cases, police said. Local people said that some 10/12 miscreants opened fire on Abdul Khalek, 38, when he was sitting at a tea stall at the bazar at about 11 AM leaving him dead on the spot. Later, a man, introducing himself as Raju Ahmed of outlawed party Janajuddha, claimed to the journalists over mobile phone that Khalek was killed for his terrorist activities in the locality, reports UNB.

Two killed in road mishap

GOPALGANJ, Dec 15: A motorcyclist was killed when a bus hit his bike at Batikamari on Muksudpur-Boroitola road on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Qaiyum Dhali, 38, of Batikamari village in Muksudpur upazila. Another report from Habiganj adds: Mithu Malakar, 7, daughter of Banu Malakar was crushed under the wheels of a Sylhet-bound coach when she was returning home from school at Madhabpur poura area on Dhaka-Sylhet highway on Wednesday, reports UNB.

Govt employees suspended

HABIGANJ, Dec 15: Two employees of Deputy Commissioner's office here were suspended for taking bribe for renewing licences of firearms on Wednesday. Sources said joint forces arrested office assistant Chandra Kishore Das and MLSS Abul Fazal of Judicial Munshikhana branch red handed when they were taking bribe from the people, who came to renew licences of their firearms. Later, the Deputy Commissioner suspended the employees instantly, reports UNB.

Drug peddlers held

COX'S BAZAR, Dec 15: Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members in a drive arrested three drug peddlers along with 400 pieces of sex stimulant Yaba tablets from stadium area in the town Tuesday. The arrested were identified as Raisul Islam of Dhaka, Shamsul Alam of Kolatoli area of the district town and Shahjahan Muntasir of Yusuf Khil village in Sadar Upazila. Raisul said he was engaged in supplying these tablets to different customers since long. He also said Shamsul and Muntasir smuggled the drugs into the country through Teknaf border, reports UNB.

Prisoner dies in B'baria

BRAHMANBARIA, Dec 15: An under-trial prisoner of the district jail died of cardiac arrest at Sadar Hospital Tuesday night. The dead was identified as Rashid, 30, an accused in a case filed under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. Jail sources said Rashid complained about his chest pain when the jail authority was searching his body just after he was brought to the jail on Tuesday. He was first taken to the district jail hospital and later shifted to the Sadar hospital where he died at about 9.30 PM, reports UNB.

100 new poultry farms set up in Chuadanga

CHUADANGA, Dec 15: A total of 100 new poultry farms have been set up in four upazilas of the district under the supervision of District Livestock Department during the last five months. District Livestock Department sources said 19 farms have been set up in Sadar upazila, 33 in Alamdanga, 40 in Damurhuda and 8 farms in Jibannagar. Chuadanga District Livestock Department has fixed a target for setting up 220 poultry farms in private sector during the current fiscal, reports BSS.