The New Nation - Internet Edition

Diesel lifting changes lot of more people including Rly officials in Lalmonirhat

Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

Bangladesh Railway incurs a huge loss due to theft of diesel from the railway loco shade at Lalmonirhat by a syndicate of dishonest traders in active involvement allegedly of a section of corrupt officials there. A contingent of joint forces raided the shade and rounded up some of those involved recently.

Lalmonirhat railway station is the divisional headquarter of railway's west zone. Regularly, thirty-five trains move to 84 destinations under this division. There is a Loco Shade where engines of trains get necessary services. Taking advantage of this, a strong network of diesel fuel lifters and smugglers was formed alleged by the unscrupulous railway officials and local tout class people. The network has been running its illegal trades for 36 years.

This illegal trafficking of diesel has changed the lot of several people including railway officials. This network has allegedly been conducting their illegal trade in collaboration with the railway officials and staff. But no action has so far been taken against them.

Many people in Lalmonirhat town have become millionaires over night through this business. Several petty railway officials have built luxurious houses and opened shops in the town through their underhand deals with the above dishonest traders.

The honest employees protested against the illegal trade and lodged complaints to the higher authority of Bangladesh railway, but due to unknown reasons no actions were taken. However, these honest people were harassed for their protests.

A fourth class employee of the shade told the correspondent that the dishonest traders smuggle out diesel from the Shade at dead of night and sell those at four points of the town namely BDR road, BDR gate, Uttora Road and Puran Bazar in the town.

For this illegal trade the Lalmonirhat railway faces a loss of Tk 30 to 36 lakh per month, a source close to Lalmonirhat Railway Divisional Mechanical Engineer's (DME) office informed.

After a long period, the joint forces led by the army conducted a drive against the network on January 20 and rounded up 14 persons including ten railway officials. Joint forces have already dismantled the network of smugglers and, based on information given by those arrested, are searching for others involved. Suspected railway officials have already been suspended. Their termination from service hinges upon verdicts of the courts.

When contacted, Divisional Manager Kazi Rafiqul Alam denied the allegation that railway high officials get a share of the money. He told that his office did not receive any allegation like this. Lalmonirhat Divisional Railway Mechanical Engineer FM Mohiudding expressed similar opinion. However, he was silent regarding taking bribe from the smugglers.

The Lalmonirhat Divisional Railway Enginner AFM Masudur Rahaman told that the total affair of the loco shade is under DME. The Officer In-charge (OC) of Lalmonirhat Railway GRP police denied talking with this correspondent over the matter.

Most of the staff members of Lalmonirhat railway were happy to receive the news of raid by joint forces and arrest of some of the culprits.

Minor girl escapes marriage at Nandigram

BSS, Nandigram

A minor girl escaped from marriage at the intervention of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Nandigram upazila in Bogra district on Friday last.

Officials said parents of both sides arranged the marriage ceremony of adolescent Shohagi Khatun, 14, daughter of Shahjahan Ali of Damgara village with Sohel Rana, 17, son of Saiful Islam of Rahman Nagar area in Nandigram Pourasabha area.

On receipt of the news, UNO M. Abdur Razzak with Officer-in- Charge of Nandigram thana Tobarak Ali Sarker and police forces rushed to the spot stopped the marriage of the minor girl with the boy to save their futures.

The UNO successfully convinced parents of both sides to refrain from giving the early marriage and also bad effects of the child marriage.

United efforts to combat domestic violence stressed

BSS, Rangpur

Speakers at a discussion on Monday stressed the need for upholding cooperative attitude and joint efforts to bring down domestic violence and social crimes to zero level for building peaceful and violence-free families.

Mithapukur Upazila Paribarik Nirjatan Protirodh Jyote (PNPJ) organised the meeting for preventing domestic violence against women and creating change-makers at Hena Memorial Mohila College in Mithapukur Upazila town.

Chaired by Acting Principal of the College Prof Khwajanur Rahman Khwaja, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Lecturers Golam Mostafa, Rezaul Haque, Mizanur Rahman, Shakila Parveen, Hasina Zaman, member- secretary of PNPJ Pradip Kumar Goswami and Subhash Chandra Sheel of Gano Unnayan Kendra.

Over 70 participants including teachers, civil society members, professionals, public representatives, women community leaders and NGO activists attended.

The speakers discussed various types of domestic violence and repression against women in almost every family due to lack of awareness and opined for undertaking a collective initiative by the civil society for building a crime-free society with no domestic violence.

Later, a 25-member change makers' committee comprising teachers and employees was formed in the meeting with a view to building violence-free families through conducting awareness building activities in the area.

Bird Flu breaks out in Netrokona

Our Correspondent, Netrokona

An incident of outbreak of bird flu virus has been reported from a poultry farm at Ananda Bazar area of Netrakona district town here on Saturday night. Local Official sources here said, after receiving a confirmation report of outbreaking bird flu virus in the farm from the District Livestock Department, number of four separate culling teams under the supervision of Joint Forces and District Administration and livestock department conducted operation simultaneously in around the one kilometre area of the poultry farm on Saturday night and culled some 1539 chickens, 136 ducks and 94 pigeons from different poultry farms and residential houses.

Earlier, district livestock department sent two dead chickens of the bird flue virus affected poultry farm to the Central Livestock Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Dhaka where the dead chickens of the farm were tested positive for the disease, the sources said.

Meanwhile, all the concerned officials including the officials of Livestock Department were put on alert and advised for taking all necessary preventive measures to check spreading of bird flu virous by the higher authority, the official sources added.

Fake Army man arrested in Borguna

BSS, Borguna

A fake army member was caught red-handed by local people at Sonakhali village under Amtoli upazila of the district on Thursday.

Police and local people said, Humayun Kabir,24 of Sonakhali village, identified himself as army member and tried to blackmail the people in cyclone-affected area.

He was collecting huge amount of money from the affected people and ensured them he will distribute relief goods among them. Local people suspect him and handed over him to upazila nirbahi officer. Later, Amtoli Assistant Commissioner (land) handed over him to police.

A case was filed with Amtoli police station in this connection.

Teachers' confce held in Pirgacha

BSS, Rangpur

The primary teachers conference of Rangpur district was held on Friday at Nasumamud primary school premises under Pirgacha Upazila.

A total of about 1,000 teachers from 151 primary schools took part in the conference.

The conference, presided over by upazila nirbahi officer Goutam Kumar, was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur Khondaker Atiar Rahman.

Normal academic activities resumes at NPMCH

BSS, Rangpur

Normal activities at Rangpur Northern Private Medical College and Hospital (NPMCH) resumed today after 25 days of its closure since January 1 because of a persisting uncertainty among all concerned over a number academic issues

RNPMCH sources said the decision to bring back normalcy to the college was unanimously taken at a meeting of teachers, guardians and students on January 23 with a complete cooperation from the joint forces in resolving the problems faced by the institution.

Local joint forces commander Lt. Colonel Kazi Kaiser Hossain, psc, senior army officers and elite of the city visited the collage this noon and expressed their satisfactions over the latest developments on the campus.

The NPMCH authorities, teachers, guardians and students also expressed their gratitude to the visiting army officials for their all-out efforts in bringing back normalcy to this prospective educational institution.

Founder of NPMCH Johurul Haque, its Chairman Begum Rokeya Lovely, Principal Prof Dr Abdul Mazid, Vice-Principal Dr Ekramul Hossain Swapan, BSS Staff Reporter Mamun Islam, senior teachers, directors and students were present during the visit. The authorities are now working for constituting a new governing body of the college with efficient, dignified and respected people in society shortly for infusing dynamism into the management.

The NPMCH authorities have also steps for completing registrations of the present 24 first year MBBS students at the earliest and conduct admission process of the newer students for the current academic session as soon as possible.

Blood grouping week begins on RU campus

BSS, Rajshahi

A week-long blood grouping programme began on the Rajshahi University (RU) campus on Saturday under the auspices of "Swajon", a voluntary blood donation organisation.

The blood groups of as many as 150 students were identified on the first day of the programme, inaugurated by RU chief medical officer Dr. Mirja Yajed Beg. Chairman of the Biochemistry department of RU Professor Rejaul Karim, Pofessor Anwarul Karim and Dr. Nadina Begum, among others, also addressed the inaugural ceremony.

Outlaw killed in shootout with RAB

PABNA, Jan 29: An outlawed party leader was killed in a shootout between his cohorts and RAB members at Goyeshbari village in Ataikula Thana early on Sunday. The dead was identified as Mohammad Ali, a regional leader of Purba Banglar Communist Party (Janajuddha). He was accused in a number of cases, including 10 murders, RAB sources said. Acting on a tip off, RAB members rushed to the village where the outlaws were holding a clandestine meeting at about 5 AM. Sensing their presence, the extremists opened fire on them forcing them to fire back, reports UNB.

Arms, ammunition seized

GOALANDA (Rajbari), Jan 29: Police in a drive recovered five firearms, 44 rounds of bullet and a sharp weapon from a night coach at Doulatdia Ghat in the Upazila early on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a patrol team of Goalanda thana police searched a Chittagong-bound night coach of Shohag Paribahan at the Ghat at 1:30 AM and recovered a foreign-made revolver, an Italy-made pistol, three shutter guns, 44 bullets and a 'ramdao' (sharp weapon) from a bag. Later, police arrested eight passengers of the bus in this connection, reports UNB.

2 killed in road mishap

BAGERHAT, Jan 29: Two people were killed and 10 others injured in two separate road accidents in the district Saturday. Sources said a Dhaka bound bus from Khulna turned turtle at Madrashaghat in Mollahat Upazila after hitting a standing truck at night, leaving Ibrahim Sheikh, 17, helper of bus driver, dead and injuring 10 passengers, reports UNB.

20 hurt in Kurigram clash

KURIGRAM, Jan 29: At least 20 people were injured in a fierce clash between two groups of people at Khewarchar village in Roumari Upazila here on Friday. Local people said there was a longstanding dispute over the ownership of a plot of land between Ifazuddin and Shahjaman of the village. They said an altercation ensued in the morning between them when Ifazuddin along with men went construct a house on the disputed land. Later, both the groups equipped with lethal weapons attacked each other leaving 20 people injured, 12 critically. Later, on information, police and BDR rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, reports UNB.

Passport broker arrested

BENAPOLE, Jan 29: BDR jawans on Saturday evening arrested a passport broker here while going to India illegally along with 15 passports. Acting on a tip-off BDR halted broker Touhidul, son of Haji Saber Ali Morol of Collegepara area, at the check-post in the evening. Later, searching his body they recovered 13 Bangladeshi and two Indian passports. BDR said Touhid had long been engaged in reaching passports to Bangladeshi terrorists who had been hiding in India in exchange of money, reports UNB.

One killed in Dinajpur

DINAJPUR, Jan 29: A man, who was seriously injured in an attack by his rivals here on Thursday, died at hospital on Saturday. The dead was identified as Majedur Rahman, 45, of Teghora village of Birol Upazila. Police said Nurul Islam and his men of the village attacked Majedur on Thursday night following past enmity over land, leaving him seriously injured. He was rushed to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday afternoon. A case was filed against seven people, reports UNB.