The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon

The number of Private Clinics and Pathological Laboratories in Thakurgaon district is increasing day by day. But the services rendered by these clinics and Pathological Laboratories are reportedly substandard. As a result the patients are being deprived of proper health services, it is alleged.

The number of such clincis and path labs increasing day by day though the standard of service is decreasing, alleged the local people and the patients. They said the clinics most of it were established by the doctors working in different government hospitals are not following government rules and ordinance.

These are not following the standard of medical services. Three nurses and 80 square feet of space for each ten beds, they added.

Besides, shortage of necessary equipment and lack of hygienic conditions in the clinics to make the matter worse, said the patients. The clinics charge abnormally high fee from the poor patients from the remote villages. Local people have also alleged that doctors of the government hospital, usually discourage the patients to stay in the hospital and refer them to the private clinics and pathological laboratories are also doing thriving business charging high rate for various tests. Local people urged upon the authority concerned to look into the matter and take necessary measures to uplift health service to the suffering people.

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation has extended its rocket steamer service on Dhaka-Chandpur-Barisal-Khulna up and down routes to seven days a week and also revised the station schedule of Barisal-Chittagong coastal shipping service.

Khalid Newaz, assistant general manager of BIWTC Barisal station said the new time and station schedules of the both routes has been introduced from Friday on the occasion of the first anniversary of the present caretaker government.

According to the new time schedule five days a week service of the rocket steamer will ply on every from both ends on the longest major river route of the country.

On Sun,Tues,Wednes and Friday rocket steamer will go up to Morelganj of Bagerhut and on Satur,Mon and Thursday will go up to Khulna river port.

On every day of the week rocket steamers plying on up and down services will also touch Hularhut, Jhalakati, Barisal, Chandpur stations, the sources added.

On other hand the time and station schedule of the once a week service of the coastal shipping vessel MV Baro Awlia on Barisal-Chittagong-Barisal route has also been changed.

On new schedule this coastal vessel will touch Daulatkhan station of Bhola district at 9 PM on Thursday night and 1 AM on Saturday early hours on up and down journeys. This ship will also leave Barisal port for Chittagong on 7 PM Friday night instead of 9 Pm, said the station manager.

BSS, Rangpur

Various development projects being conducted by Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) here at the cost of Taka about 12.50 crore for the current fiscal year are progressing fast in the district, official sources said.

According to the development statistics supplied to the journalists by the joint forces and LGED officials here, the government allocated a total of Taka about 34.93 crore for implementation of various development projects of LGED during the 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 fiscals.

Due to various reasons, less than 25 percent works for the 2005-2006 fiscal have so far been completed against an allocation of about Taka 10.52 crore coupled with similar lower progress for the 2006-2007 fiscal against an allocation of about Taka 11.90 crore for conducting development projects.

After joining of new executive engineer Anwarul Haque of LGED here recently, progress of various development projects at the cost of Taka 12.50 crore for the current 2007-2008 fiscal now stands at over 40 percent and those for the previous two consecutive fiscals got momentum, the sources said.

Concerned officials said that progresses of the development works for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 fiscals were very poor and the present LGED authorities are trying their best for completion of all projects including the unfinished ones of the previous fiscals by this fiscal year. Talking to BSS today, LGED executive engineer Anwarul Haque hoped that he could finish all ongoing development projects for the three consecutive fiscals including the current one ensuring best quality works by next June.

On the other hand, local elite and conscious citizens expressed their dissatisfactions on the very poor performances of LGED during the past two consecutive fiscal years and appreciated progress of the current fiscal.

They also asked the authorities concerned for completion of the ongoing uplift projects to accelerate the ongoing government programmes like development of the rural infrastructures, poverty alleviation, communication and economic activities in the district.

BSS, Rangpur

Detective Branch (DB) of police here arrested five gamblers red-handed with Taka 31,781 in cash and other goods and equipment for gambling from Palichara area under Kotwali Thana here today.

Police said, acting on a secret information, a DB police team suddenly raided a place inside bamboo cluster and arrested the five professional gamblers while gambling inside a makeshift tent.

The arrested gamblers were identified as Shaju Mia, 40, Shahanoor, 32, Nobibar Rahman, 31, Anwar Hossain, 30 and Aminul Islam, 34 of several villages in the adjoining areas.

Sub-inspector Aminul Islam of DB police filed a case in this connection with Kotwali police station today and later the arrested persons were sent to jail hajat when police produced them before a Rangpur Court today, the sources said.

BSS, Gaibandha

District Administration has chalked out fortnight-long programme to mark the successful completion of one year of the Caretaker Government.

Sources said the programme included bringing out procession, discussion, essay competition among the students, musical soiree and documentary film show.

As a part of the programme, a procession against corruption was brought out on Monday that paraded the main streets of the town. Deputy Commissioner of Gaibandha Quazi

Md. Anwarul Hakim inaugurated the procession as the chief guest.

Senior government officials, UNOs of seven upazilas of the district, teachers and students of different institutions and journalists took part in the procession.

Forged notes seized

NILPHAMARI, Jan 13: One person was arrested along with 32 fake notes of Taka 500 denomination at Boragari bazaar under Domar upazila of the district on Tuesday night. The arrested person was identified as Akhter Hossain, of Tupamari Union under Sadar Upazila. Police said Akhter Hossain bought a cow from one Anwarul on Tuesday night and gave the seller 32 Taka 500 notes, reports BSS.

OMS of rice begins

in Meherpur

MEHERPUR, Jan 13: Open market sale (OMS) of rice has been started in the district on Wednesday. District food department office sources said a total of 12 OMS centers, two each in Gangni and Mujibnagar upazilas, two in meherpur pourasabha and six in sadar upazila will sell rice at Taka 25 per kg. A total of 500 metric tons of rice has already been allotted for distribution under the OMS programme in the district. A person can buy maximum three kg rice from the OMS center every alternate day, reports BSS.

Huge drugs seized in Natore

NATORE, Jan 13: Police and Natore Circle of Narcotics Control Department in 27 drives in different places of the district seized huge quantities of Drugs and arrested 17 persons in these connections. During the drives, conducted recently, they seized 570 grams of heroin worth about Taka 75 lakh, three kg ganja, two ganja plants, 54 liters of locally made wine and 65 bottles of phensidyl, reports BSS.

Warm clothes distributed in Kurigram

KURIGRAM, Jan 13: District Administration distributed warm clothes from Chief Adviser's relief and welfare fund among distressed of the district on Monday and Tuesday, official sources said. UNO of the district distributed 14,020 pieces of warm clothes among the poor people here. Besides, more five lakh taka was allotted from the fund. The district administration would buy warm clothes with the money for distribution among the distressed here, the sources said, reports BSS.

2 drug traders arrested

FENI, Jan 13: Two drug traders of Parshuram Upazila were arrested by police from their respective village homes on Wednesday night. The traders, identified as Abdul Matin of Chaitalia village and Alamgir Hossain of Kolapara village, were arrested on the basis of secret information. A number of drug and criminals cases were pending against them in different thanas of the district, reports BSS.

10 sentenced to 3 years RI in Meherpur

Meherpur, Jan 8: A special court here on Monday convicted 10 people and sentenced them to three years rigorous imprisonment in connection with August 17 serial bomb blasts. The convicts are Rashedul Hasan, Qumrul Hasan alias Lotus, Shamim Hossain of Gangni upazila in Meherpur district, Mostafizur Rahman Shahin, of Pabna district, Sabbir Rahman, Tanveer, Anwar alias Jahid Hossain, Khandakar Arifur Rahman Arif, Saniur Rahman alias Chhotan, Shamim Iqbal alias Sumon of Chuadanga district. The court also fined them Tk 5,000 each. If they failed to pay the money, they would have to suffer three months more in prison. Six of the convicts-Mostafizur, Sabbir, Tanveer, Anwar, Rashedul and Qumrul - were tried in absentia. According to the prosecution, as a part of countrywide serial bombings, the convicts simultaneously exploded bombs at several important points, including in front of the DC office, near District and Sessions Judge Court and district Awami League Office, in the town on August 17, 2005.