The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

A three days training workshop for journalists about reporting on 'Bird Flu and Pandemic Flu Awareness and Preparedness' has been inaugurated in the auditorium of local government and engineering department (LGED) at Barisal on Tuesday.

Forty journalists from print and electronic media of Barisal and Jhalakati districts participating in this training workshop organised by Press Institute of Bangladesh in collaboration with UNICEF.

M A Halim, director training and administration of PIB, presided over the inauguration ceremony and Manjure Elahi, commissioner of Barisal, inaugurated the program, as chief guest.

Ahsan Habib, UNICEF programme coordination officer and Prof. Shah Sajeda, were special guests of the inauguration ceremony.

Parvin Sultana Rabbi, trainer PIB delivered the welcome address and Shamima Chowdhury, trainer PIB speaks on workshop methods.

Dr. Sunil Chandra Gayen, principal scientific officer of Barisal regional animal disease research center and laboratory, addressed as resource person of the workshop on the first day.

Participants of the workshop called the organisers that concerned authorities must clearly define the real terms and terminologies about the subjects of reports which could be easily understandable to mass people before training the media people.

BSS, Khulna

Adviser for LGRD and Cooperatives M Anwarul Iqbal on Tuesday said the children are the future guides of the country and our responsibility is to build them as educated and worthy citizens.

"The children should be given an overall clear idea about the culture, history and heritage of the country side by side providing support to the under privileged with a sense of humanity, " the adviser said while inaugurating a five-day education and pleasure trip camp of the children at Goalkhali Government Shishu Paribar here.

Organised by Nari and Shishu Unnayan Parishad, Dhaka, the function was chaired by the parishad chairman Alhaj Shafique Ahmed.

Acting mayor of KCC Moniruzzaman Moni, Deputy Commissioner, DIG of police, local police commissioner and police super also spoke at the function.

The adviser said the government is implementing multifarious development programmes for the women and children so that the street urchins do not go astray.

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Leaders of the hide and skin merchants association of Barisal claimed that raw hide worth Taka one crore has been smuggled from different hide collection points.

Mahmud Alam and Shainur Rahman Shain, president and secretary of the association claimed that at least 5000 pieces of raw hide worth Taka one crore has been smuggled from this region to India on and after Eid-ul-Azha day.

They said that hide smugglers from different border district of south and western regions according to pre-plan came Barisal and collected raw hide from persons or families who sacrificed animals by offering higher price than other collectors in disguise of hide traders or agent.

The association sources said this year members of the association collected about 20 thousand pieces of cowhide and 10 thousand pieces of goat hide worth Taka 3 crores.

In last year they collected 25 thousand pieces of cowhide and 13 thousand pieces of goat hide worth Taka 5 crore, they informed.

On other hand they expressing their frustration about probable profit in business as collection of hide was about 20% less, said the region was severely Sidr affected and political leaders and many rich peoples abstained from visiting their native areas and sacrificing animals.

However while the number of sacrificing animal were less, then the collection price was 30% higher in Barisal region than previous year.

Association sources said the tannery owners of Dhaka offered only Tk.70-80 for per square feet of cow hide and Tk. 40-45 for per square feet of goat hide, whether they collected it from local people and hide collection agents as Tk.100-120 and Tk.50-60 respectively.

Besides cost of preservation and primary processing of hide also increased except the price of per sack of 70 Kg. salts decreased to Tk.440 from Tk.550 than last year.

The cost of per labour for per night increased 40% from Tk.500 to Tk.700 and costing of transportation to Dhaka also increased as rent of hide carrying per truck increased to Tk.8000 per trip from Tk.5500 than previous year.

The leaders of the Barisal Hide and Skin Merchants Association also said that the hide market depends on the tannery owners of Dhaka and banks provide soft loans to traders of Dhaka for purchasing hide which facilitates them to collect hide and skin in competitive price.

Traders of hide and skin in Barisal do not receive any bank loan facilitated to compete in market and ff the traders of Dhaka do not increase the price, the merchants of Sidr affected southern region including Barisal will sustain heavy loss in business, the frustrated Barisal merchants said.

BSS, Khulna

The Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims, was celebrated throughout Khulna on Friday in befitting manner and with religious fervor.

The main Eid jamat was held at Khulna Circuit House Maidan at 8 am and second jamat was held at Town Jame Mosque at 8-45 am in the morning. The Pesh Imam of Khulna Town Jame Mosque and Principal of Khulna Alia Madrsha Moulana Abu Saleh led the jamat as Imam.

Mayor in-charge Moniruzzaman, former Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad Shaikh Razzaque Ali, Deputy Commissioner Firoz Alam, political leaders, high government officials and cross-section of people attended the jamat.

At Khalishpur the main Eid jamat was held at 8 am. Besides this, Eid jamats were held at all the Eidgah Maidan in all the 31 wards of Khulna City Corporation and all the Main Mosques in the Khulna City including Baitun Noor Mosque at New Market, Baitul Aman mosque at Farazipara, Alia Madrasha Mosque, Baitus Shaharaf Mosque at Rupsha and Ahle Hadith Mosque at Ferighat.

Eid jamats were also held at all the 9 upazilas of the district.

Police ensured tight security measures at all the Eidgah Maidans, police said.

BSS, Netrakona

Two persons, including a young girl, were killed in two separate accidents in Jaria and Takurakona areas under Netrakona district on Tuesday.

Police and witnesses said a young girl was crushed under the wheels of a speeding truck at Takurakona on Netrakona-Mahanganj highway on Tuesday afternoon.

The tragedy took place when a Netrakona bound truck from Mahanganj ran over Sumita Das (15), daughter of Babul Das of village Catta under Barhatta upazila of the district. Sumita was returning home from Netrakona town with other family members during the accident.

Being informed, police rushed to the spot and seized the truck and sent the body to Netrakona Sadar Hospital for postmortem.

In another incident, a man was run over by a Mymensingh bound speeding passenger train near Jaria railway station under Purbadhala upazila of the district. Railway police sources said the victim was identified as Yousuf Ali (60) of Purbadhala West-para area.

On receiving information, a team of railway police rushed to the spot and recovered the body. The body was sent to sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for postmortem.

BSS, Bogra adds: An old man and a child were killed in two separate road accidents on Dhaka-Bogra highway on Monday.

Police said, Habibur Rahman,60, was killed by a Bogra bound coach when he tried to cross the road at Mirzapur Bazar point.

Eight year old Emran was overrun by a BRTC bus at Induil Bus stand on Bogra- noagaon road on Monday.

Meanwhile, one person was killed and two others were injured in a road accident at Rajarhat on the Jessore-Khulna road in the district this noon, Fire Service and hospital sources said.

The dead was identified as Rehana Khatun, 27. The injured are Abdullah Al Maruf, 38, husband of Rehana Khatun, and their daughter Mita, 4. The sources said the accident took place when a speeding truck hit a motorcycle carrying the victims who were returning home from Monirampur.

Rehana Khatun died on the spot and others received serious injuries.

After the accident, firemen rushed to the scene and took the injured to the Jessore General Hospital.

BSS, Chittagong

General Secretary of Chittagong Union of Journalist (CUJ) Imamul Islam Latifi died of liver disease at Chittagong Medical College Hospital early hours of Tuesday at the age of 65.

Latifi, an executive member of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ),Vice-President of Chittagong Press Club and Directer of Chittagong Journalist Cooperative Housing Society (CJHS) worked in different news organisations at various capacities including The Observer Group of Publications, Dainik Janata, Gonakantha, Desh Bangla, Dainik Massal and Dainik Purbacon.

He was also associated with a number of educational and socio-cultural organisations of the country.

Imamul Islam latifi left behind two sons, professional colleagues and a number of well wishers to mourn his death.

His namaz-e-zanaja will be held at his village home at Mirersarai at 3 pm. He will be buried at his family graveyard.

Leaders of BFUJ, DUJ, CUJ, Chittagong Press Club and CJHS in separate massages expressed their deep condolences at the death of Latifi.

They also conveyed their heartfelt sympathy to the members of the bereaved family and prayed for peace of the departed soul.

BSS, Gaibandha

Prices of vegetables have registered a significant fall with the arrival of winter varieties in the local markets.

Vegetable farmers of the district said they have achieved a satisfactory yield this year due to favorable climate and the use of high yielding varieties of seed.

Local market sources said brinjal are being sold at Taka 12 to 14 per kg, bean at Taka 10 to 12 per kg, cauliflower at Taka 5 to 8 each piece, cabbage at Taka 8 to 10 each piece, gourd at Taka 10 to 15 each piece, pumpkin at Taka 12 to 16 each piece, new potato at Taka 18 to 20 per kg, tomato at Taka 8 to 20 per kg, Lalshak and Palongshak at Taka 6 to 8 per kg and green chili at Taka 20 per kg.

BSS, Narayanganj

The members of Christian Community here on Tuesday celebrated Christmas with Jubilation and enthusiasm.

The highlights of the day's programme included Christ mas prayer, Christmas carol, confession of vice, cutting and distribution of Christmas cake and cultural function.

St. Paul Church at Chashara (Roman catholic) and Baptist church at Charargop (Protestant) chalked out programmes separately marking the day. Both the churches were illuminated.

Father Shankar led the prayer at St. Paul Church at 8.30 am. while prayer was conducted at Baptist Church at 10 am.

The Christians participated in the congregation and listened the verses from the holy bible.

Narayanganj Pourashava Chairman Selina Hyat IVY attended a cultural programme at St. Paul Church as chief guest.

Police were deployed around the churches to ensure safety and security.

BSS, Gaibanadha

Members of DB police in a special drive arrested two persons with 40 litres of country-made wine from Khankasharif area here on Tuesday night.

Police said, acting on a tip-off, a team of the DB police led by Sub Inspector (SI) Ashok Singh and SI Mokbul Hussain halted a rickshaw van in khankasharif area of the town and recovered 40 liters of country-made wine worth about Taka 16,000 from the van. The police also held two persons on charges of carrying the wine that was brought to the town from Sadullapur area.

The arrested were identified as Stiar, 21, son of Arman Ali of Khordo Ruhia village of Sadullapur upazila in the district and Monir, 22, son of Khaju Sheikh, of Laldighi village of Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district.

A case was filed with Sadar thana in this connection.