The New Nation - Internet Edition

30,000 patients get free treatment at Hamdard stall

Staff Reporter

Nearly 30,000 people got free treatment at Hamdard stall in the Dhaka International Trade Fair so far, Managing Director Hakim Yousuf Haroon Bhuiyan told newsmen yesterday.

Apart from the Hamdard Hakims several well-known physicians provided free treatment at that time, he said. They include National Professor Dr Nurul Islam, Prof Dr Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Prof Hasan Mohammad Khan and Associate Prof Dr Rashed Mohammad Khan.

On Monday from 11 am to 6 pm Prof Hasan Mohammad Khan and Associate Prof Dr Rashed Mohammad Khan provided free treatment to patients at Hamdard stall in DITF ground.

Meanwhile, Hamdard brou-ght three new products in this trade fair. The new three products are Fevnil, Hamdard Chyabanprash and Jinsant. These products already have drawn attention of people, the Managing Director added.

Kazi Mansur-Ul-Huq, Director Information and Public Relations of Hamdard said, "Fevnil is a medicine, which offers effective cure to fever and kidney related complications. Hamdard Chyabanprash cures people from cold and fever and Jinsant is a good medication to physical weakness."

Nearly 120 different medicines of Hamdard are available at the DITF stall, he said.

Reunion of LLB alumni Feb 23

BSS, Dhaka

The reunion and annual picnic of the Alumni Association of the first batch LLB honours, LLM students of Dhaka University will be held on February 23 next.

All concerned have been requested to contact Advocate Atiqul Karim on phone no. 8122318 and 01911723397, said a press release.

Price of essentials cheaper in BDR-run markets

BSS, Dhaka

Price of essential items were cheaper on Sunday in the BDR-run sales centers and markets compared to those in the city's ordinary markets, according to a BDR market report released here on Monday.

Besides, the report said, the prices of essential commodities including rice are in stable.

Flour in packet is being sold between Taka 41 and 43 per kg in the ordinary markets, it said adding the item was sold at Taka 41 per kg in the BDR-run open markets and Taka 34 in the BDR-run sales centers. The price of one kg flour in Kolkata is equivalent to Taka 24.13.

Coarse rice was sold in different markets between Taka 28 and 30 per kg, while the price of the same item in the BDR-run sales centers is Taka 25.In Kolkata markets, it is being sold at Taka 22.41.

Onion was sold at Taka 16 per kg in the BDR-run open markets and at Taka 15 in the BDR-run sales centers. Price of onion in other city markets were between Taka 15 and 17. The item is being sold in Kolkata at Taka 8.62.

Potato is being sold from Taka 12 to Taka 14 per kg in the ordinary markets, while its price in the BDR-run open markets is Taka 13. In Kolkata, price of the item is Taka 8.62.

The price of soybean oil ranges between Taka 97 and Taka 100 per liter in the ordinary markets, while it is available at Taka 98 in the BDR-run open markets and at BDR-run sales center at Taka 90. In Kolkata, price of the soybean oil is Taka 100 per liter.

Palm oil is being sold between Taka 84 and Taka 88 per liter in the ordinary markets, while it is available at Taka 86.50 per liter in the BDR-run open markets. In Kolkata, price of the palm oil is Taka 77.58 per liter, the BRD market report said.

DU admission test of 'Gha" unit Feb 8

DU Correspondent

The admission test of 'Gha unit' under Social Science Faculty of Dhaka University will be held on February 8 at 10:00am.

The seat plan of the test will be available in front of Arts Faculty and at the university website (www.un-ivdhaka.-edu.com) that was given following Roll number this year.

A total of 45,252 students of different groups against 800 seats will appear in the examination.

Besides, the MBA admission test of IBA of the university will be held on the same day at 3:30pm.

Separate lane for rickshaws demanded

Staff Reporter

Leaders of Dhaka Metro-politan Rickshaw Owners Association urged the Caretaker Government (CG) to make lanes for rickshaws in all roads in the city for safe plying.

They also urged the CG to discuss with rickshaw owners, representatives of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and traffic department before taking any decision on the fate of rickshaws in the city streets.

This was urged at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday organised by the association.

Md Mujibur Rahman, member secretary of the association, read out a five-point demand paper, while Md Mahtab Uddin Mia, Convener of the association, chaired the conference.

Leaders of the association urged the CG to improve the city traffic management system and to evict illegal rickshaws in phases.

They demanded to set up separate stands for parking of rickshaws in the city streets.

They protested the comment of Joint Commissioner of Traffic Police 'This is the perfect time to remove rickshaws from city streets' and said many of villagers burdened with loans from NGOs come to the city to ply rickshaw to repay their loans.

"If the government withdraws rickshaws from the city streets many rickshaw-pullers will become jobless. As a result, their families will face tough time for their survival and city commuters will face difficulties in transportation," said one of the leaders of the association.

DMP observes its 33rd founding anniversary

UNB, Dhaka

Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday (Monday) observed its 33rd founding anniversary at its headquarters in the city.

The started its journey on February 1, 1976 with 12 police stations. With the passage of time and significant increase of population in different areas, the number of police stations have been gradually raised to 33.

DMP strength has now risen to 24,408 including cops and officials.

Home Adviser Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin formally inaugurated the programme by cutting a big cake. LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal and IGP Noor Mohammad were, among others, present at the function.

2 to die for murder

UNB, Chittagong

Two young men are to walk gallows for murder of a money exchange trader in Chittagong in 2006.

Speedy trial tribunal judge Shafiqul Karim convicted Akter Hossain Rubel, 32, and Mofassel Hosain Raju,30, and sentenced them to death.

Rubel broke down in the dock after hearing the verdict while Raju was tried in absentia, as he remained fugitive since the incident. Both of them are residents of Agrabad in the city.

According to the prosecution, Rubel and Raju abducted Salimullah at gunpoint from Agrabad industrial area in the evening of October 13, 2006.

He was taken to Nazirpool of Double Mooring area and stabbed to death.

The following day, police recovered the body of Salimullah from near a culvert in the area. After investigation Rubel and Raju were prosecuted.

Fake arms factory unearthed in Bagerhat

BSS, Bagerhat

Police in a drive recovered a fake arms factory at Paschim Sonalikhali village in Morelganj upazila Sunday afternoon and seized a foreign-made firearm, ammunition and arms making materials from the factory.

Police said local people held a miscreant, Masum Sheikh, at Putikhali in the upazila Saturday night and handed over him to the police.

Later, as per his confessional statement police raided Sonalikhali bazar in the afternoon and arrested arms manufacturer Enayet Khan.

According to Enayet's statement police unearthed the arms factory and recovered one firearm, ammunition and arms making materials from the factory and his cowshed.

The recovered materials include a foreign-made revolver, 101 bullets, eight gun-butts, 10 barrels, 30 springs of gun, four triggers, a drill machine and two gas cylinders and three iron cutting machines.

Police said Enayet had long been supplying firearms among the local terrorists and forest bandits.

A case was filed.

Abrupt rejection of Khokon's statement not correct: Gayeswar

Staff Reporter

The rejection of Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon's statement about detained party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's call for reunification of the BNP by its Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain not only cast doubt on the unity move but also triggered differences of opinion among the leaders of the latter's own group.

Barrister Khokon, who met Begum Zia on Friday at her prison, told media that the detained former Prime Minister directed the divided party leaders to unite themselves and the nationalist forces before the next general elections.

"She has also directed the party leaders to participate in the general elections at any cost, even without her," he claimed.

BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain at a press conference on Sunday rejected Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon's statement, saying, "I doubt as to whether Begum Zia has at all given such a directive to reunite with the misguided leaders of party."

Barrister Khokan, one of the counsels of Begum Zia and her detained sons, threw a challenge to Khandaker Delwar Hossain asking him to prove his statement wrong the same (Sunday) evening.

Reformist BNP leader Major General (retd) ZA Khan yesterday told journalists that the fate of the reunification move had now become uncertain following the negative comment of Khandaker Delwar Hossain, who also asked the reformist to make a comeback leaving the reforms agenda and three expelled leaders, including the former party Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan.

"The party cannot be reunited unless Begum Zia cancels her expulsion order against Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Ashraf Hossain and Mofiqul Hasan Tritpee," he said, asserting that the expulsion was one of the major issues, which divided the BNP.

It may be mentioned here that Mannan Bhuiyan and Ashraf Hossain were expelled from the party and Khandaker Delwar was appointed its Secretary General by Begum Zia hours before her arrest in October last year. While, BNP Office Secretary Mofiqul Hasan Triptee was expelled by Khandaker Delwar later for siding with the reformist group led by Mannan Bhuiyan.

As per the party constitution, either BNP Chairperson Begum Zia or its National Standing Committee is empowered to withdraw any expulsion order.

Meanwhile, anti-reformist BNP Joint Secretary General Gayeswar Chandra Roy yesterday said, "The abrupt rejection ( by Khandaker Delwar Hossain) of Barrister Khokon's statement was not correct."

"One has to check and crosscheck before rejecting any important thing," he said, while talking to journalists at his residence.