The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Netrakona

Netrakona district town and its adjoining areas have been experiencing severe cold and foggy weather condition during the last one week. According to the weather experts, on rush of shivering cold wave from the Himalayan hilly region and absence of sufficient sun ray during the day time due to dense fog forced the mercury to fell down abnormally in the district town which is situated about 35 kilometers south off from the Garo hilly region of India.

The intensity of the could worsens after mid-day and turns extremely unbearable in the evening. The cold weather condition caused extreme sufferings to the local people especially to the floating and poverty-stricken people here as they could not able to purchase the warm clothes. Meanwhile, many old aged men and women and children were affected by different cold related diseases like cold fever and cough in various parts of the district, local physicians and hospital sources said. Local people from different walks of life including leaders of different socio-cultural and political organisations had drawn the attention of the government, NGOs and well-to-do persons of the society for sending warm cloths for the cold-stricken floating and poor people of the district immediately.

Our Correspondent, CHT

You must use the insecticide-treated mosquito nets especially for your children because the children remain unprotected when you go out of home for work, Adviser for Ministry of Health and Family Planning, Water Resources and Religious Affairs Major Gen Dr. ASM Matiur Rahman (Rtd) said.

Addressing as chief guest in the inauguration function of Long Lasting Insecticide-treated Net (LLIN) Distribution,' the adviser requested the beneficiaries not to put off the mosquito nets taking in their house.

A total of about 50 thousand insecticide-treated mosquito nets will be distributed in the first phase among poor people living in the hilly district with a view to registing malaria.

Referring to the LLIN as primary prevention, the chief guest in his inaugural speech said 'we cannot eradicate malaria but we can control it.

Chittaong Hill Tracts Regional Council (CHTRC) chairman Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma alias Santu Larma as special guest in his speech expressed his feeling, as the authority concerned didn't involve the CHTRC in the programme.

The CHTRC chairman urged the authorities to involve the traditional leaders such as Headman, Karbari to get better outcome from the philanthropic programme. Upholding the malaria situation in frontier areas, Santu Larma said neighbouring countries also should kick off malaria resisting programme in their respective frontier areas alongside Bangladesh.

Referring tot he economic condition in hard to reach areas, he urged the government to work for meaningful poverty elimination from the hilly region.

AKM Jafar Ullah Khan, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also delivered his speech as special guest in the function held on Thursday afternoon at the auditorium of Rangamati Hill District Council (RHDC) with Jagat Jyoti Chakma, chairman of RHDC in the chair. Shajhan Biswas, Director General, Directorate of Health Services, Dr. Duangvadee Sungkhobol, Representative, World Health Organisation (WHO), Nurul Amin, Deputy Commissioner of the district, Farque Ahmed, Director, BRAC and Civil Surgeon of the district Dr. Mohammed Abdullah, among others, spoke the function jointly organised by Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, World Health Organisationn and BRAC. Government and non-government officials, journalists and beneficiaries attended the programme.

BSS, Dinajpur

Police recovered an old Chinese pistol from Chhoto Haripur Kabirajpara village under Parbotipur Upazila of the district on Thursday.

Police said some day-labourers found the pistol covered with rusts while digging earth at the homesteads of Abdul Khaleque and informed the matter to Parbotipur police.

Later, police rushed to the spot and recovered the pistol.

A general dairy was recorded with respective police station in this connection.

UNB, Sirajganj

A month-long agriculture, industries and trade fair began on Sirajganj Government University College ground on Thursday.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil inaugurated the fair as chief guest.

BSS, Dinajpur

A month-long trade fair-2008 was inaugurated by Chairman of Satabganj pourashava Mohammad Omar Farooq Chowhury on Tuesday at Boromath aimed at promoting local products.

A total of 65 stalls of different products were set up in the fair.

The inaugural function was presided over by president of local press club Mohammad Abdus Sattar.

Nirbahi officer Mohammad Abdul Hashem, principal of Satabganj Degree College Aminul Islam, district press club president Chitta Ghosh, Secretary Golam Nabi, among others, spoke on the occasion.

BSS, Patuakhali

The work for preparation of voter list with photograph and national identity cards has been started again in the Patuakhali pourasabha areas of the district.

Sources said, the preparation of voter list remained suspended a Sidr-hit coastal areas including Patualkhali.

Registration and taking of photographs in nine wards of the pourasabha will be concluded on January 5.

Besides, data collection, registration of voters and taking of photographs will be started in Laukathi, Badarpur and Itabaria unions of Sadar upazila from January 7 and will be continued till January 14.

BSS, Khulna

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) caught two drug peddlers red-handed while selling drugs at Dumuria in the district on Tuesday.

RAB personnel also seized ten bottles of Phensidyl from their possession.

The arrested were identified as Ayub Ali, 25, and Shafiqul Islam, 26, of cluster village under Boyra upazial of the district. They were handed over to concerned police station on Wednesday.

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Team of UNICEF and South Asia Partnership (SAP) Bangladesh distributed winter cloths among the Sid distressed people of Uzirpur upazila under Barisal district on Sunday.

A H Towfiq Ahmed, Barisal district coordinator of UNICEF, Nahida Akter, relief coordinator of SAP BD operated the relief distribution.

The program was organized with assistance of South Asia Partnership Bangladesh(SAP BD) at Uzirpur high school, Uzirpur and Borakota union parishad field in presence of Abul Kalam Azad, union parishad chairman of Uzirpur.

RANGAMATI, Jan 8: Rajguru Sreemat Agrabangsho Mahathero, chief priest of Rangamati Royal Buddhist Monastery, died at the district General Hospital on Saturday night. He was 94. Agrabangsho Mahathero, the highest Mahasangha Nayak of Bangladesh and India, had been suffering for long from old age complications and respiratory problems. His body was kept at Rajbihar under special arrangement. His funeral will be held three months later after the completion of religious rituals. Agrabangsho Mahathero was given the title of Mahasangha Nayak at a ceremonial function at Parbatya Vikhkhu Sangha on March 13 in 2001, reports UNB.

CHAPAINAWABGANJ, Jan 8: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) fired 32 rounds of bullet on smugglers at Kamalpur frontier in Shibganj Upazila early on Sunday. BDR sources said BSF jawans of Najirkhali border outpost fired bullets at about 4 AM when a group of Indian smugglers were sending 15/20 camels to Bangladesh by cutting barbed wire fence near border Pillar No. 188. However, there was no report of any casualty. Commander of 28 Rifles Battalion Lt Col Saiful Islam Saif said a protest letter was sent to the BSF following the fire on the border, reports UNB.

COMILLA, Jan 8: Police arrested four dacoits along with arms at Charpara village in Chouddagram Upazila here Saturday night. Police said when the bandits were taking preparation for committing robbery they raided the village near Chiora Bazar and arrested them. They were identified as Nurul Islam, Alamgir, Sohel and Jalal of Singrail village in the upazila. Police also recovered a light gun, one round of bullet, one sharp weapon and a mask from them, reports UNB.

MYMENSINGH, Jan 8: At least 20 people were injured in a fierce clash at Rotibari village in Muktagachha Upazila on Saturday. Police said there was a longstanding enmity between Karim Faraize and Nurul Islam of the village over land dispute. When Karim Faraize went to cultivate the disputed land along with his supporters on the day Nurul Islam and his men resisted them, triggering the violent clash, reports UNB.

SAVAR, Jan 8: A young housewife allegedly committed suicide at Baghbari in Ashulia Thana on Friday night. Police said Amena Begum, 18, second wife of Badshah Mandal of the area, committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling of her bedroom at about 9 PM. Neighbours of Amena found her in hanging condition and informed the police. Later, police sent the body to Savar Hospital morgue for autopsy, reports UNB.

GAIBANDHA, Jan 8: Body of a newborn baby was recovered from a potato field at Fulbari village under Sadullapur Upazila in the district on Sunday. Police said body of a one day-old baby was kept at one Tajul Islam's potato field on Saturday night. On information, Sadullapur thana police recovered the body wrapped in a polythene bag on the following day and sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy, reports BSS.

COMILLA, Jan 8: The day-long 25th festival of the tribal community ' preservation of tradition and culture' was observed here on Sunday. Upajati Kallyan Samity, organised the festival at Kotbari in the city. Hundreds of tribal people in the district took part in the festival, reports BSS.

RANGPUR, Jan 8: The daylong workshop on illiteracy was held here at Motaher Complex in the town on Saturday. The workshop jointly organised by Mass-line Media Centre and Literacy Research Foundation. Former Principal of the Carmichael College Mohammad Mozammel Haque was present as the Chief Guest. A total of 15 teachers took part in the workshop and they distributed education equipment's among the trainees, reports BSS.