The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Farmers have already started planting early variety of Boro, dedicating their full efforts in achieving a record production as fixed by the government in the country's northern region.

Preparation of Boro seedbeds is still on and the farmers are also making their lands ready for further plantation after harvesting the T-Aman paddy.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the government has fixed a production target of 59,58,980 tonnes of Boro rice from 15,08,137 hectares during the current Rabi season against over last year 56,78,523 tonnes from 14,40,261 hectares.

They said a total of 67,876 hectares of more lands would be brought under the Boro farming this year to recoup the losses caused by the recent floods in the region.

Deputy Director of DAE, Rangpur, Kamal Shariful Alam said special emphasis has been given on using the latest technology and quality hybrid seeds this time to help the farmers achieve the target.

"Hybrid varieties of Boro paddy will be cultivated on 50,000 hectares of land out of the total 1,17,140 hectares in Rangpur alone," he said.

Similarly, he said, initiatives have been taken for farming of the hybrid Boro variety in other districts of the region to increase the overall rice production this year.

Increased yield of Boro is expected this year because of the training being provided to the farmers along with all possible facilities including fertilisers and other agri-inputs, DAE sources said. The army personnel are closely monitoring the overall fertiliser, diesel and power supply situation for smooth farming of Boro crop this season, the officials said.

BSS, Gazipur

A skeleton was recovered from a pond of Itabhata village under Sadar Upazila on Monday.

After identifying clothes and shoes recovered along with the skeleton, local people confirmed it of one Rashedul Islam's, who went missing four months and seven days ago.

Police sent the skeleton and other evidences to Gazipur Sadar Hospital morgue for necessary examination.

Family sources said Rashedul Islam, son of Nasir Uddin of Itabhata village was a hotel owner, aged about 26, went missing from August 2, 2007 night. At that fateful night a few of his friend called him out of his house by a mobile phone and since then Rashed was missing.

Rashed's wife Morsheda Begum filed a general diary in this connection with Joydevpur police station.

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Barisal Govt. B M College Authority will take steps for punishment against 21 agitated female students of Banomali Ganguly Girls Hostel for ransacking hostel office protesting increased meal charges and raids of the hostel authority in their room to seize cooking utensils.

Dr. Sirajuddin Ahmed, Principal of the college, denying, giving details said actions would be taken on the basis of the report of a 4-member inquiry committee headed by Dr. Bimol Majumdar, head of Mathematics Department.

Another source said decisions in this regard already has been approved in a meeting of the academic and disciplinary council of the college held on Thursday presided over by Begum Shamsunnahar, vice-principal and head of the disciplinary committee of the college.

In that meeting college authority decided to cancel allotment of seats of 6 female students residing in rooms Nos. 1-6 of the hostel according to the report of the investigation committee submitted on December 1.

Actions against other fifteen residential students of room no. 8-22 would be decided after their appearance with guardians before the chairmen of respective departments within December 13 for giving reply of show cause notices about their active participation and involvement in the incident.

Sardar Ali Akbor, Hostel Super, said actions would be taken according to the decisions approved by college academic and disciplinary committee on the basis of the report of the inquiry committee.

Mentionable female students of Banomali Ganguly Hostel became agitated after college authority increased charges of daily meal from Tk. 23 to Tk.30 and describing the cooking in rooms as illegal and unsafe, raided the rooms and seized cooking utensils from the students.

After the raid female students bursting in agitation started procession, threw brickbits to super's room and ransacked hostel office on early November 25 night demanding immediate resignation of the hostel super and assistant super, canceling the increased meal charge and developing standard of meal.

The college authority controlled the situation with the help of police and forming an inquiry committee ordered to submit report within four working days.

They, reviewing the overall situation, said rate of increase of meal charges was justified according to the present market price and suggested for taking strong steps to maintain discipline and proper academic atmospheres on the campus.

BSS, Chittagong

A museum on the Liberation War started its journey Sunday aiming at collecting, preserving and displaying mementos, relics of glorious Liberation War in 1971 and other historic movements.

Twelve eminent citizens and freedom fighters (FFs), who are the architects of the noble initiative, formally declared the journey of the museum styled "Muktijoddha Jadughar, Chattagram" open at a grand reunion of FFs, family members of martyred FFs and noted personalities representing various professions at a community centre in the city.

FFs and eminent citizens attended the function highly appreciated the initiative to float such an important facilities in Chittagong and said it would help preserve and afresh the memories of most historic events of the nation before the future generations.

Writer and wife of martyred FF Begum Mustari Shafi presided over the reunion function. Eminent FF and chief of the museum Faruk-E-Azam, Bir Pratik, poet and journalist Abul Momen, former vice-chancellor of Chittagong University Prof Alamgir Mohammad Serajuddin and Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, among others, took part in the discussion.

Organisers demanded the government of allocating adequate facilities and a piece of land for establishing the museum. Around 100 FFs announced at the function that they would hand over some important objects to the museum authorities soon.

The organisers told the gathering that the core aim of the museum is to conserve, collect, display mementos and relics of 1971, and those of anti-British freedom struggle side by side with focusing on the geographical uniqueness and other cultural and ethnic heritages in the area.

The museum will fulfill the necessity and lack of an institution in the port city to preserve and carry out the historic background and pioneering role of Chittagong played during various crucial moments of the nation from the anti- British movement to 1971, they said.

Moshurikhola Darbar Sharif, Narinda, Dhaka has conducted relief and rehabilitation programme in the cyclone-hit areas. Shah Muhammad Ahsanuzzaman, president, Moshurikhola Hazrat Shah Ahsanullah a ® Complex, Dhaka appealed to all government institutions, non-government organizations and philanthropists to extend all sorts of help to the distressed people, says a press release.

He led relief team recently and distributed relief materials-rice, chira, molasses, milk powder, sugar, wax candle, match and sari, lungi, Punjabi, shirt, three piece, pant, wrapper, children's clothes and warm clothes worth about taka Nine lac ninety three thousand seven including cash one lac thirteen thousand tow hundred four in the cyclone-affected area of Kalaia, Bilbilas, Ulipur, Karkhanagram and Karkhanarchar of Baufal thana, Patuakhali district. The team also helped to repair and reconstruct educational and religious institutions, including orphanages.

Shops gutted in Mymensingh

MYMENSINGH, Dec 17: A fire that broke out at Balipara Bazar in Trishal upazila here early on Saturday gutted six shops. Fire Brigade sources said the fire originated in a shop from an electric short circuit at about 4.30AM and soon engulfed the other shops. On information, firefighters from Sadar upazila rushed to the spot and put out the blaze at about 7AM. Fire fighters estimated the extent of damage by the fire at Tk 30 lakh, reports UNB.

500gm heroin recovered

DINAJPUR, Dec 17: BDR jawans recovered 500 grams of heroin worth Tk 55 lakh from a train at Hili Railway Station in the district on Thursday. Acting on a tip-off, BDR men raided the Khulna bound train from Syedpur at 11 AM and recovered the heroin. A case was filed with the railway police station. UNB Magura Correspondent adds: Police recovered 22,042 pieces Indian spurious injections from a bus at Beltala area on Magura-Jessore road Thursday night, reports UNB.

Jute mill workers observe token hunger strike in Khulna

KHULNA, Dec 17: Workers of six state-run jute mills here on Saturday are observing a token hunger strike demanding payment of their arrear dues and bonus ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Sources said the workers gathered in front of Aleem Jute Mills at 9AM and started their programme, which will be continued till 5PM today. The decision was taken at a meeting, held at the Crescent Jute Mill on Friday. The workers also threatened to put barricade on Khulna-Jessore highway in the city from December 17 if the authorities fail to meet their demand by Sunday. The workers and their family members alleged that the authorities are not clearing their arrear dues even after assuring them several times. It is to mention that Jute and Textile Secretary Abdul Jalil and BJMC Chairman Ataharul Islam sat with the jute mill officials and employees last week to solve the problems of the mills. But the meeting ended without any settlement, reports UNB.

3 policemen closed to police line

DINAJPUR, Dec 17: Three patrol policemen of Parbatipur thana here were suspended and closed to the District Police Lines on Thursday for negligence of duty during a highway dacoity. Sources said highway robbers looted cash and valuables from the passengers of a night coach on Parbatipur-Syedpur road on December 10. During the dacoity a team of patrol police led by ASI Tafizuddin was on duty but they did not take action against the robbers. A robbery case was filed with the Parbatipur Thana, reports UNB.

Phensidyl recovered

CHUADANGA, Dec 17: Members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) recovered 84 bottles of Indian smuggled Phensidyl from Uthali Mollabari area under Jibannagar upazila of the district on Thursday. Police said, acting on secret information, the BDR men rushed to the spot and recovered the Phensidyl. The Phensidyl was being carried by a rickshaw van, reports BSS.

One electrocuted in Chuadanga

CHUADANGA, Dec 17:One person was electrocuted at village Kalidaspur under Alamdanga upazila of the district on Friday. The dead was identified as Shaidul Islam, 27, son of Ismail Hossain of the same village. Police said Shaidul while working at his residence came in direct contact with a live electric wire and as a result he died on the spot, reports BSS.

Two cattle traders killed in B'baria

BRAHMANBARIA, Dec 17: Two cattle traders were killed in a road accident at Betbari on Comilla-Sylhet highway of the district on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Alauddin, 46 and Jamaluddin, 35. Police and local sources said, an Ashuganj-bound local bus ran over two cattle traders while they were going to market to sell cattle. They died on the spot, reports BSS.