The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Price of onion marks significant fall in the northern districts in recent weeks following arrival of local and imported onions.

Market sources said the consumers had been purchasing imported Indian onion at Taka 55 to 58 per kg for a quite long time till the first week of November and the same is now being sold at Taka 20 to Taka 23 per kg in the local markets.

Onion retailers and wholesalers on Thursday told BSS that adequate supply of imported Indian onion and arrival of early variety of locally produced onion in the markets are the reasons behind the fall in onion price and the trend would continue further.

On the other hand, the consumers were found happy while purchasing onion at a rate within their purchasing capacity in recent weeks at different markets in Rangpur and other northern districts.

While talking to BSS on Thursday, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur Kamal Shariful Alam said that there are possibilities of further fall in onion price as the early variety onion had started arriving in the local markets.

Besides, onion prices might remain within the reach of the common people from now as the DAE has fixed a target to produce 3,81,720 tonnes of onion from 63,620 hectares of land in the northern region during the current Rabi season, he added.

Special measures have been taken to increase onion production during the current Rabi season and a bumper production of the crop will further help common consumers and the crop is being cultivated twice a year during the summer and winter seasons in place of once during the winter season.

BSS, Gaibandha

The 5-day training on arsenic mitigation and safe drinking water concluded at the office of a local NGO at Nashratpur under Sadar Upazila in the district on December 15.

Small initiatives by local innovative NGOs (SMILING) and PRIP trust jointly organised the training programme with financial support from European Commission.

The objective of the training was to create awareness among the people about danger of arsenic in the water.

SM Shahidullah, Director , Training of SMILING Project and Allama Al-Raji, Senior Programme Officer of PRIP Trust conducted the training sessions as resource persons.

About 30 NGO activists participated in the training course.

BSS, Jhenaidah

Victory Day was celebrated in the district headquarters in a befitting manner.

The day was heralded with a 21-gun salute on December 16. District administration, Muktijodda Sangsad and different socio-cultural organisations placed wreaths at the Shaheed Muktijoddha Smriti Shoudha on Sunday morning.

The national flag was hoisted atop public and private buildings after sunrise.

In observance of the day, students of different educational institutions and Scouts, Rovers, Girl Guides and members of Police, Ansar and VDP organised rallies and march pasts and displayed physical exercises at the Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman Stadium.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Abu Sayeed Fakir and Police Super Mohammad Abul Khaer took salute and delivered speech there.

Improved diets were served in hospitals, jails, orphanages and children's centres.

Special prayers were offered at mosques and temples seeking peace and prosperity of the nation.

Shocheton Nagorik Shamaj in cooperation with Transparency International, Bangladesh organised an art and recitation competition, discussion and a cultural function on the occasion of great victory day.

The discussion was chaired by Advocate Sheikh Selim. Following the discussion prizes were distributed among the winners of the competition.

A reception was organised for Freedom Fighters and the families of the martyred Freedom Fighters at the Sadar Upazila auditorium in the afternoon.

Victory Day was also observed at four other upazila headquarters with much enthusiasm.

UNB, Madaripur

DB police in their separate drives arrested four people and recovered 180 bottles of Indian phensidyl syrup from Sadar and Rajoir upazilas on Monday.

Acting on a secret information DB raided the house of drug peddler Latif Hawladar at Ghatakchar village in Sadar Monday night and arrested Latif's wife Joynab and his son Mamun along with 140 bottles of phensidyl syrup.

In another drive DB police also arrested Kabirul, 28, and Shahida Begum, 42, and recovered 40 bottles phensidyl syrup from Takerhat Bandar in Rajoir upazila.

Separate cases were filed.

Our Correspondent, Chuadanga

Health Department, BRAC and Chuadanga Press Club organised a view exchange meeting on "Creation mass awareness for Cradication T.B at Chuadanga Press Club Association Hallroom with Azad Malita president of Chuadanga Press Club in the chair recently. The meeting was inaugurated by D.C of Chuadanga Abdul Mannan as che chief guest. Moffijuddin S.P, Zr. Ratan Kumar Shing, Mokbul Rahman were present as the special guests.

Advocate Belaluddin, journalist Shah Alam Soni, journalist Mizanul Hoqu Mizan, Mafujuddin Khan, Rajib Hossan Kachi took part in the discussion meeting.

UNB, Kishoreganj

Miscreants strangulated a teenaged girl to death after gang rape at Katiarchar area in Sadar upazila Monday night.

Police said a gang of miscreants abducted Beauty, 18, daughter of Lal Mia at Bagadia village in the upazila at night when she came out of the house to respond to the call of nature.

Later, they took the girl to a remote field in Katiarchar and strangulated her to death after rape.

Local people on Tuesday morning found the body lying on the field and on information police recovered the body and sent it to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

In another incident, a businessman, who was critically injured after miscreants chopped him at Ekrampur area in the town on Sunday evening, succumbed to this injuries at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital early Tuesday.

Our Correspondent, Rangamati

The government in attendance upon Public Works Department (PWD) is implementing here three projects costing Taka 7.48 crore and the work of the projects will be accomplished this financial year, officials concerned said.'

In order to extent government health service comprehensively among the people of the district the government is constructing a building to set up a coronary care unit at Rangamati General Hospital.

The 5-storeyed building started in 2006-07 financial year costing Taka 2.67 crore is on the verge of completion, PWD sources said.

The official activity of the cardiac unit is schedule to commerce by June 2008, health department sources at Rangamati said.

The government is constructing a police barrack at a cost of Taka 3.81 crore with accommodation of 400 policemen under overseeing of the department at Shuki Nilgonj, the new police line. The construction work of the 4-stroeyed police barrack building was kicked off in 2005-06 financial year.

BSS, Rajshahi

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-5, in anticrime drives, arrested two alleged drug-peddlers and seized heroin, Phensidyl and other smuggled goods from different areas in five northern districts during the last 24 hours till Monday noon, RAB sources here said.

Acting on tips-off, the elite force picked up the drug-peddlers identified as Noyan, 20, son of Dablu and Mojahar Ali, 30, son of Amir Ali with 87 bottles of Phensidyl and 100 grams of heroin during the separate raids on different places in Rajshahi, Bogra and Chapainawabganj districts.

In another operation at Ahsanganj Railway Station under Atrai Upazila in Naogaon district, another RAB team seized huge smuggled goods like sarees, wrappers and woolen dress valued at around Taka 1.48 lakh. However, none could be arrested in these connections.

Another squad of the elite force also seized 60 kilograms of copper and brass scrap materials during a raid on Shyampur area under Motihar thana in the city in an abandoned condition.

After recording separate cases in these connections, the arrested persons and the seized goods were handed over to concerned police stations.

BSS, Rangamati adds: Police arrested two persons including a drug peddler from two separate places in the district on Saturday.

The arrested persons were identified as Afzal Hossain 38, of Suromoni village under Mothbaria of Pirojpur district and Imran, 19, of Porapahar of Rangamati.

Police sources said Afzal was arrested from Manikchhari check-post, about eight kilometres off the district town when he was going to Chittagong by a bus carrying 2 kg ganja.

Our Correspondent, Monirampur

Pneumonia disease takes serious turn in Jessore. 12 infants were died in one month last while over two hundred were admitted in the Jessore 250-bed hospital.

According to the hospital source the infants are Aduri (9 month) Rojani (3 and half months) Aduri (one an half months) Al-Amin (Two months). Purnima (one month). Bakul (one month), Nupu (two hours), Nasrin (one months), Baby (3 days), Baby ( 1 hour), Jharna (one day) and Shapla (5 months).

According to the source, on last day of the last month some 10 infants were admitted in the hospital. Of them 8 were attacked by Pneumonia. The source added the situation is worsening day by day. The source claimed on last November a 5 infants were admitted in the hospital. Of them 23 infants were died under treatment.

MOULVIBAZAR, Dec 16: One stop service for issuing passports has been introduced here on Monday. Deputy Commissioner of Moulvibazar Mohammad Alkama Siddiqui formally inaugurated the service. He also handed over passports to 15 applicants. The deputy commissioner said, under the new system passport will be delivered to the applicant in the afternoon without police verification report if he submits his application in the morning, reports BSS.

THAKURGAON, Dec 16: General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 66 Infantry Division Major General Syed Fatemi Ahmed Rumee held views sharing meeting with the chiefs of the district level government offices, representatives of the civil society bodies and journalists at the Circuit House here on Wednesday. Brigadier General Abdul Wazed Thakur, local camp commander, Lt Colonel S Shahed Kamal, deputy commissioner in charge of Thakurgaon Motiar Rahman, police super Masud-ul-Alam were present on the occasion, reports BSS.

NARSINGDI, Dec 16: Narsingdi Mukta Dibash was celebrated in the district with various programmes and enthusiasm in the district on Wednesday. Narsingdi Zila Muktijoddah Sangsad and other organisations chalked out elaborate programmes including colourful procession, discussion and cultural function to mark the historic day, reports BSS.

NARSINGDI, Dec 16: A day-long workshop on community policing was held on the premises on Alamdanga police station on Monday. Officer-in-Charge of Alamdanga police station Kazi Jalaluddin Ahmed chaired the function while police Super of Chuadanga Mofizuddin Ahmed attended the function as the chief guest. Among others, ASP Milu Ali Biswas, UNO Khan Mohammad Razaunnabi, former upazila chairman Mokbular Rahman, pourasabha chairman Hasibul Haque addressed the function, reports BSS.

LAKSHMIPUR, Dec 16: Police arrested a drug trader and recovered 270 bottles of Phensidyl from Rasulganj village under Sadar upazila of the district on Thursday. The arrested was identified as Ismail Hossain, 35. Police said, acting in tip-off, they arrested Ismail and recovered the phensidyl from his possession, reports BSS.

GAIBANDHA, Dec 16: The DB Police held a youth and recovered Phensidyl from Circular Road of the town on Thursday. Police said, acting on a tip-off, a team of plain- clothes DB men led by Sub-Inspector Ashok Singh conducted the drive and held the youth, along with 20 bottles of Indian phensidyl. The arrested was identified as Wahed Miah of Mazampur village under Sadullapur Upazila of the district, reports BSS.

BRAHMANBARIA, Dec 16: Rice has been distributed among 1344 distressed people in 13 unions under Nasirnagar Upazila of the district on Tuesday and Wednesday. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Shawkat Ali and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mohammad Abdul Hai, among others, were present at the rice distribution function, reports BSS.