The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Narsingdi

The cultivation of traditional rice 'Kalijira', a fine aromatic variety of rice, of the district, has been decreasing day-by-day. Farmers have no interest to cultivate Kalijira rice due to law production, sources said.

Kalijira is famous for special flavour and fineness. It is mostly used in preparing palao, biryani, payesh, khichuri, jardaur etc., which has a great demand both at home and abroad.

However, the cultivation of Kalijira started here over 100 years ago when the 'Zamindar' families used to prepare payesh with this rice.

The places like Shibpur, Belabo and Monhardi upazilas were famous for kalijira cultivation. Now-a-days the farmers have lost their interest to cultivate this rice. A small number of farmers of the upazilas cultivate kalijira with special interest only for their families use.

The farmers urged the local Agricultural Department to look up the matter seriously to save the indigenous variety of rice from its verge of extinction.

BSS Kushtia adds: One of the top terrorists in the district Selim alias Saltu, 28, was killed in a gun battle between Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the terrorists in a field adjacent to Lahinipara graveyard in Sadar Upazila in the early hours of on Mondays.

RAB sources said, the gun battle took place when a RAB team raided the area on the basis of secret information that a group of miscreants had assembled there to commit a serious crime.

Listed terror Selim died on the spot during the encounter and the RAB recovered a firearm and four cartridges from the spot.

Police sources said five murder cases were pending with the police against Selim.

BSS Joypurhat adds: Victory Day was celebrated in the district headquarters in a befitting manner on Sunday.

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

In observance of the day, different socio-political organisations, students of different educational institutions arranged various programmes including marchpast by the children and juvenile organisations, scouts and rover scouts at the local stadium in the morning.

Deputy Commissioner of Joypurhat Nitai Pada Das took salute in the march past.

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. District administration organised a discussion at Shaheed Dr Abul Kashem Moidan in the evening with ADC (General ) Zulfiqar Ali Haidari in the chair. Among others, deputy commissioner Nitai Pada Das, police super Shafiqul Islam and vice-chairman of Joypurhat pourasabha Nanda Lal Pasha. Keynote paper was presented by Prof. Aminur Rahman Bakul.