The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

The campaign for eradication of social superstitions has been proved successful with positive results in the remote char areas in all five districts of greater Rangpur.

Nari Adhikar Unit (NAU) of Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) with financial support from the Embassy of Netherlands in Dhaka has been conducting the motivational works among the poor backward people of the disaster-prone char areas in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur and Gaibandha.

The activities are focused on creating mass awareness about legal aids, gender issues, repression on women and children, human trafficking, child marriage, dowry, marriage and birth registrations, polygamy, safe motherhood, maternal mortalities, health and sanitation, safe drinking water and other related issues.

As a part of the activities, NAU has been organising village and union level workshops, public hearing meetings, discussion, staging of Gononatoks and rallies in the char areas.

Local elite, community leaders, UP chairmen and members, teachers, journalists, imams, matchmakers, guardians, adolescents, students, farmers, workers, day-labourer have been taking part in the programmes.

The two separate committees were formed earlier at every union of Roumari upazila in Kurigram for preventing trafficking of women and children and eliminating repression on women and children, dowry and child marriage, are successfully running their activities that achieved huge successes so far.

Since beginning of the activities, the NAU had saved dozens of adolescents from child marriages in the char areas by motivating their parents and now the char people have started their own efforts of getting rid of all sorts of social superstitions there.

Earlier, it could not be even thought about of a dowry-free marriage and almost all the marriages were child marriages in the char areas of these districts.

Talking to BSS, Rabeya Khatun of RDRS said that their campaign has created an atmosphere in the char areas for combating the social curses. The common people are cooperating everywhere for making a society free from any such curse and superstition.

Local public representatives and elite told BSS that the ongoing motivational activities would have positive impacts in the society.

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Three members of a family died and two others fell sick allegedly after taking toxic foods at a remote village in southern most Upazila Tekhnaf on Monday.

Sources at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) confirmed death of three sisters - Hosn-e-Ara Begum (18), Afroza Begum (16) and Nisha Begum (06). Parents of the girls - Ali Ahmed and Monwara Begum - have also been undergoing medication.

Police quoting the statements of the ailing parents of the victims said that all the five members of the family had fallen sick after taking meal in the night on Thursday.

The ailing members of the family were initially taken to Cox's Bazaar hospital. They were later shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) following fast deterioration of their condition.

Hosn-e-Ara Begum and Nisha Begum succumbed to their wounds at the hospital hours before dawn while Afroza died at 5:10 on Monday morning. Ali Ahmed is a share-cropper at village Rangikhali of Tekhnaf Upazila in Cox's Bazaar.

It could not be learnt immediately what sort of toxicity actually caused the death of three family members.

A case of un-natural death was recorded with Tekhnaf police station in connection with the incident.

Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam inspected the on going modernisation works of BNS OSMAN under the Chinese technical assistance and overall supervision of Bangladesh Navy Dockyard, Chittagong on Sunday, says a ISPR Press release.

After inspection on the occasion, Chief of Naval Staff addressed officers & sailors where he urged everyone to devote for acquiring professional knowledge for the best use of new technology as well as to take the challenge of maintaining the operational state of Bangladesh Navy Ships at the highest level. He also added that the Re-commissioning of BNS KHALID BIN WALID has created more promotional scope for officers and sailors. Besides, Navy Chief expected that inclusion of new technology in BNS OSMAN will definitely enhance the capabilities of Bangladesh Navy.

Among others, Commodore Commanding Chittagong, Commodore Superintendent Dockyard, Commodore Commanding BN FLOTILLA, Director Navy Intelligence and a good number of officers, sailors and dockyard staffs were present on the occasion.

Ambassador of United Arab Emirate, Khalfan Batal Al-Monsury inspected the cyclone affected area on last 14th December, 07. He distributed &handed over relief materials of the Khalifa Bin Jayeed Al-Nahiyan Foundation.

At that time, Charge d Affairs of the Embassy Gazi Abdullah Bin Ashor, Representative of Al-Nahiyan Foundation Nadir Abdul Rahman Al-Mulla, nominated representative of Embassy, Monjurul Haque Badal, Ubaydul Haque & other companions and Deputy Commissioner of Jhalakathi Horiproshad Paul, Commanding Officer of Jhalakathl District Army Camp Lt. Col. A. K. M. Iqbal Azim, Second-in-command Major Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Additional Deputy Commissioner K. M. Rahatul Islam, acting Superintendent of police, Jhalakathi, Md. Abdur Razzak, Upazilla Nirbahi Officer Dr. Golam Faruk, Army Camp Commander Lt.

Al-Imran, local elected representative and elile wee present on the occasion, says a press release.

Our Correspondent, Laxmipur

Laxmipur Press Club election for the term of 2007-08 was held on 30 December at Sadar Upazila auditorium. A.K.M. Mostaqur Rahman of the Daily Naya Diganta was elected president and Kamal Hossain of the Daily Bhorer Kagoj, General Secretary, respectively.

Other Office bearers are senior vice-president Gaji Gias Uddin of the Dialy Janata, Joint secretary Nizam Uddin of the Daily New Nation, treasurer Monarer Rahman Khokan of the daily Amader Shomoy, cultural secretary Mohiuddin Bhuiyan Murad of the daily Janakantha/ Channel I, Sports and welfare secretary Abdul Malek of the Daily Desh Bangla, executive member Abbas Hossain of the Daily News today/ Radio Today, Azizur Rahman (Azam) of the daily Bangladesh Today.

BSS, Sherpur

Police arrested 10 persons including two alleged terrorists in a drive at different parts of the district on Friday.

The arrested persons identified as local JCD former leader Jitendra Muzumder, 38 and local JCD leader Rezaul Karim Rumi, 32, of Gauripur village in the district. They were accused in different cases and absconding for a long time, Police said.

Others arrested persons were Shafiqul Islam, 33, Tareq, 30, Mizanur, 26, Waziuddin, 32, Farhad Ali, 31, Mosharraf, 30 Nurul Amin, 33, and Aziz, 30.

Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

After seven days long training on Bamboo made materials, making candle, rearing animal and small trade some 52 physical disabled persons include 12 female and rest other 40 male of Lalmonirhat sadar and Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat district have been allocated wheel chairs, try-cycle and hand cash money at Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service RDRS in Lalmonirhat Harivanga office on Sunday. These physical disabled persons got allocation under the project Risk Reduction of Disaster of RDRS funded by jointly DFID, UNDP and EC.

The Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner DC Rafiqul Islam, co-ordinator of community health project CHP of RDRS Dr. Selima Rahaman and the official of concerned project distributed allocation to these physical disabled persons.

Each physical disabled person get Tk 5 thousand to invest on training purpose that will make self-sufficient. Physical disabled Samina Begum,35, told ," I am trained on small trade by RDRS and get donation a wheelchair and Tk 5 thousand. I will start small trade by this allocation at near my house at the village Harati."

Another person Laizu,21, told that she was burden in her family. She was trained on making candle at RDRS and she hopes that she will invest the allocation Tk 5 thousand like this purpose at her home.

Physical disabled Omar Ali,45, Shafiqul Islam,50, and Belal Hossain,38, and others had been looking very smile face getting wheelchairs and try-cycle and hard cash by RDRS. Most of invest the allocation in small trade and now they are committed that they will not out of home for begging.

UNB, Dinajpur

Farmers cultivated potato on 80,000 hectares of land in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts with an output target of 3.20 lakh mts.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said of the total, 40,000 hectares have been cultivated in Dinajpur, 21,000 hectares in Thakurgaon and 19,000 hectares in Panchagarh district. The farmers are expecting bumper production of potato this season due to favourable weather.

DAE sources said farmers cultivated high yielding Diamond, Klerila, Binala, Hira, and Dhira varieties with the hope of earning windfall profit.

They said measures have been taken to ensure supply fertilizers, pesticides and other necessary inputs at fair prices among the farmers to make the scheme a success.

RAJSHAHI, Jan 1: The common people in the city have been affected badly following repeated price hike of rice in different markets. Sources said the price of rice is going up almost every day causing suffering particularly to the middle and low-income group of people. They said an organized syndicate is manipulating the market to earn windfall profit. Visiting Shaheb Bazar, New Market, Talaimari, Binodpur and other major markets of the city Saturday this correspondent found that the low quality Shwarna rice is being sold at Tk 28 per kg, which was sold at Tk 25 a few days back. Besides, BR-28 rice is being sold at Tk 32 per kg while Parija variety at Tk 29, Miniket at Tk 36, Kalijira (old) at Tk 66/68, Kalijira (new) at Tk 64/66, Kataribhog at Tk 45/48 and Radhuni at Tk 55/57. Some rice traders said that sudden rise in paddy price has caused the price hike of rice in the local markets, reports UNB.

KISHOREGANJ, Jan 1: A schoolboy died in a fire at a quilt shop at a market in Bajitpur upazila on Friday night. The deceased was identified as Abdul Matin, 14, a student of class five and son of Abdul Hamid of Tangosairpur Bazar. Local people said Matin went to his father's quilt shop of the bazar to sleep at 10pm. But local people finding fire in the shop at dead of night rushed to the spot but could not rescue the boy. Later, after extinguishing the fire they recovered the charred body of the boy from the shop. Two other adjacent shops of the bazar were also gutted in the fire. The reason behind the fire could not be known immediately, reports UNB.

DINAJPUR, Jan 1: A housewife was killed as her husband pushed her under a running train at Abdulpur village in Chriribandar thana Saturday. Local people said as Pankaj Chandra Das Bablu, 28, used to torture his wife Golapi Rani Das, 20, for dowry she filed a case against him with the local police station. On Saturday morning, Bablu went to his in-law's house and after managing his father-in-law he convinced Golapi to return home along with him, reports UNB.

RAJSHAHI, Jan 1: Body of Shahida Sultana Lovely, who was allegedly slaughtered by her husband in America on December 20, was buried at her village home at Gosaildas in Godagari Upazila Saturday night. Earlier, body of Lovely, 33, reached Zia International Airport at about 1:30 PM by a flight of American Airlines and later her body was brought to her village home. Thousands of people took part in her Namaje Janaza. Later, she was buried at Daingpara Mosque graveyard. Family sources said Lovely went to America on May 26, 2001. There she married Bangladeshi expatriate now American citizen Solaiman in 2002. He hailed from Anowara Upazila of Chittagong. Solaiman had been working in a hotel in New York. On December 20, Solaiman following a quarrel tortured and slaughtered Lovely, mother of a child. US police later arrested him, reports UNB.