The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Two employees of BRAC, one of the leading NGO in the country, were assaulted by people while tried to collect installments of micro-credit loans in Tiakhali area under ward 26 of Barisal City Corporation on Wednesday noon.

Police rescued Tapan Kumar and Sheuli Begum, the two BRAC employees from the agitated people and later released from kotwali police station after interrogation on the same day.

Local peoples said the BRAC employees went to areas and created pressures on their micro-credit clients to pay installments on Wednesday noon.

Nipa Begum and Laily Begum, two clients of BRAC alleged that they quoting the media report about postponed of collection of micro credit installments in Sidr affected areas beg time for payment.

Then the BRAC employees becoming agitated rebuked them and advised to collect loan from media sources.

This attitude created resentment and agitated local people to assaulting the BRAC employee.

Police rushed to the spot and bronsut the situation under control and rescued the hostages.

The assaulted BRAC employees said they went to the Tiakhali area for collection of micro-credit installments by the order of Hafizur Rahman, Rupatali branch manager of BRAC as official instruction about postponement of installment collection yet to be reached to them.

BSS, Chittagong

Continued erosion, hazardous transportation system, lack of modern utility services like power, healthcare, safe drinking water and telephone have turned the once vibrant island Sandwip into a place of untold misery.

Lives and property of people of Sandwip, an island approximately 10 nautical miles off from Sitakunda coast surrounded by sea, remains at stake due to regular attack of natural calamities like tidal surge, cyclone and flood.

Officially 5,000 and unofficially 7,000 to 8,000 people were killed in Sandwip upazila when devastating cyclone hit the country's coastal zone on April 29 in 1991.

At least 30 percent out of about 4 lakh people of the island were forced to migrate to safer places in Chittagong city and other parts of the country as their homesteads were destroyed following unabated erosion.

According to the official records the Sandwip island had emerged about 3,000 years ago on the Bay of Bengal and the total area of the island was about 630 square km in the 15th century which was reduced to only 80-90 square km as the island eroded into the Bay of Bengal and the Meghna.

At least eight unions of the island-Katgar, Batajora,

Hudrakhali, Izzatpur , Dirgaparh, Nemosti, Rohinee and Amirabad were abolished from the map in the last 60 years.

Apart from uncountable numbers of private and public establishments devoured in the sea over the period, Sandwip upazila sadar had to shift fro Harishpur to Harameah, about 5 years back.

"Each year many families were forced to leave their homesteads either to safer places in the island or other parts of the city saying goodbye to their beloved ancestral homes," said Mohammad Jasimuddin , President of Sandwip Adhiker Sangrakkhan Committee (SASC).

There are instances that a family had to shift their home four to five times in last 50 years due to ferocity of nature. Many affluent families became poorer as they lost their assets and traditional means of subsistence following cyclone, tidal surge and erosion, he said.

Major portion of the embankment surrounding the island stretching about 58 km either damaged completely or partially incapacitating it to protect the land and its inhabitants from tidal surge or inundation during the rainy season

At least 2,000 families, most of those earn their living by fishing or doing petty jobs at Azimpur, Rahmatpur, Maitbhanga, Sarika, Harispur and Musapur unions have been residing on the embankment, close to the sea with risks as their original homesteads devoured in the sea.

"Where can we go? Who will provide us with money for purchasing land for building new home? Struggling with the sea and natural calamities is our fate." Anjali, 40, Anu Bala, 25, Kajal, 30, and Priyalal, 35, of Jaladashpara of Azimpur union told BSS.

"Our beloved homeland Sandwip - once resourceful and historic place will be vanished from the map in near future if such abrasion by sea and river goes continuously," SASC President Mohammad Jasimuddin said.

Health Secretary AKM Jafarullah Khan, who hails from Sandwip viewed that construction of a sustainable embankment can protect the island from devouring in the sea and also during natural calamities.

He told a views sharing meeting organized by SASC recently at Sandwip upazila sadar that sufferings of the people of Sandwip could be minimized to a greater extent if sustainable embankment and safe jetties at both Sandwip and Sitakunda are constructed, and power supply is ensured.

He said the government has been actively considering to formulate a coordinated development schemes to address the problems of the island.

He said at least five secretaries of different ministries including power, water resources, shipping, law, and health and family planning are scheduled to visit Sandwip in the middle of January to witness the problems physically and ascertain the ways of their solutions.

Meanwhile, Water Development Board (WDB) officials here said the construction and repair work of 12.4 km out of a total 58 km embankments including a sluice gate at a cost of about Taka eight crore under a three-year scheme titled "Rehabilitation of Coastal Polders most at Risked" was progressing fast which will be completed by June next year.

Serajul Islam Bhuiyan, Assistant Engineer of WBD, Chittagong told BSS that about 39 out of 58 km embankment need to be repaired and two out of a total 26 sluice gates were washed away while two are under threat following continuous erosion.

He said they have submitted proposal to sanction money for constructing embankment stretching six km which was damaged completely. He is hopeful that the tender would be floated in January next on availability of fund.

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Workers of a restaurant at Godagari have beaten the owner of the restaurant to death demanding taka 400 arrear salary on Friday morning. Police have arrested the killer and his wife in this connection.

When the owner of the restaurant Enamul Haque(50) was supervising his restaurant at Mohisalbarihat under Godagari worker of the restaurant Abdus Salam and his co-workers demanded arrear salary of taka 400 from Enamul but Enamul said that due to holidays of Eid-ul-Azha the business was dull and he had paid him(Salam) taka 600 salary before the Eid that is why he was unable to pay him the arrear taka 400 then.

But Abdus Salam continued insisting for the money and there was an altercation with Enamul and Abdus Salam and other restaurant workers in this issue.

At one stage of altercation, Abdus Salam and his co-workers started to beat Enamul mercilessly and left him unconscious infront of the restaurant. He died on the way to hospital.

Sadiqul, brother of the victim filed a case with Godagari thana accusing five persons in this connection.

Police arrested restaurant worker Abdus Salam and his wife from their house but other accused managed to escape.

BSS, Rajshahi

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested five alleged criminals including four drug-peddlers and seized heroin, phensidyl, pesticides and scrap materials from different areas in three northern districts during the last 24 hours till this noon.

RAB sources said, acting on secret information, the elite forces rounded up the drug-peddlers including a female identified as Monjira Begum, 38, Noyan, 19, Zanif, 30, and Mahbub Hassan, 31, with 85 grams of heroin and 67 bottles of phensidyl during separate raids at different places in Rajshahi and Joypurhat districts. In two other drives conducted at separate places in the district, they also seized 414 bottles of contraband pesticides and 20 kilograms of copper and brass scrap materials. However, none could be arrested in these connections. The RAB forces arrested a wanted criminal identified as Mimi, 25, son of late Ashraf Babu after raiding his home at Sultannagar in Rangpur town.

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

Body of Sidr victim recovered

Bagerhat, Dec 28 : After 43 days of the catastrophic cyclone 'Sidr', one more body was recovered from Khuriakhali village in Sharankhola upazila Friday noon, raising the death toll to 683 in the upazila by official count. The dead was identified as Rakib Hawladar, 12, son of Dulal Hawladar of Southkhali village in the upazila. Local people found the body in a paddy field. Later, the victim was buried in the family graveyard, report UNB.

One killed in road mishap

Jhenaidah, Dec 28: A microbus driver was killed and four people were injured in a road accident in main Bus Stand area in Kaliganj upazila on Friday. The dead was identified as Nintu, hailed from Vuteeargati village in Sadar upazila. Witnesses said the accident occurred at about 1pm when a bus rammed into a microbus, coming from opposite direction, leaving five people, including the microbus driver, injured. The injured persons were admitted to the district Sadar Hospital where Nintu succumbed to his injuries. A case was filed with the policen, report UNB.

Fertilizer dealer arrested in Jamalpur

Jamalpur, Dec 28: A fertilizer dealer was arrested at Tulshipur Bazar in Sadar upazila Wednesday night for cheating in weight. Police said they arrested dealer Bijan Kumer Chando, also the general secretary of Jamalpur district town Awami League, following an allegation that his manager Nupur was selling fertilizer to the farmers by removing 5-7 kgs fertilizer from each sack. On information, UNO Kazi Ashraf Uddin, Upazila Agriculture Officer and DB police rushed to the spot and seized 78 sacks of TSP fertilizer and 53 sacks of MOP fertilizer from Bijan's shop. A case was filed in this connection. When produced on Thursday a magistrate sent Bijan to jail hajat rejecting his bail prayer, report UNB.

3 held along with phensidyl

Satkhira, Dec 28: Police arrested three people along with 3000 bottles of phensidyl syrup and Tk 2 lakh in cash from Nolta in Kaliganj upazila Thursday. Acting on a secret information, police raided the house of Jahurul Islam and seized the phensidyl syrup. They also arrested phensidyl peddlers Jahurul, Alamgir and Sagar from the spot. Police said Jahurul had been engaged in phensidyl peddling since long, report UNB.

Mustard seed farming

Jhenidah, Dec 28: Some 7,994 hectares of land have been brought under mustard seed cultivation in six upazilas of the district in the current season with an output target of 7,994 mts. Department of Agricultural Extension sources said of the total land 1,734 hectares will be cultivated in Sadar uapzila, 1,660 hectares in Kaliganj, 950 hectares in Kotchandpur, 1,750 hectares in Moheshpur, 1,250 hectares in Shailakupa and 650 hectares in Harinakundu upazila. DAE sources said necessary steps have been taken to ensure supply of quality seeds and fertilizers at fair prices among the farmers to make the scheme a success, report UNB.

Boy slaughtered in Natore

Natore, Dec 28: Slaughtered body of a boy was recovered from a crop field at Noapara village in Bagatipara upazila on Thursday. The dead was identified as Somrat, 12, son of Abdul Jalil of the village. Police quoting family sources said Somrat went missing since Wednesday afternoon and his slaughtered body was recovered on Thursday noon. The motive behind the killing could not be known, report UNB.