The New Nation - Internet Edition

Prices of essentials cheaper in BDR-run markets

BSS, Dhaka

Prices of essential items were cheaper on Thursday 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 Friday.

Besides, the report said, prices of essentials including rice have been remained stable in different city markets from last few days, it said.

Flour in packet is being sold between Taka 41 and 42 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 per kg flour in Kolkata is equivalent to Taka 24.13.

Coarse rice was sold in different markets between Taka 29 and 30 per kg, while the price of the same item in the BDR-run sales centers is Taka 25 and in Kolkata markets, it is being sold at Taka 22.41.

Onion was sold at Taka 14 per kg in the BDR-run open markets. Price of onion in other city markets were between Taka 14 and 18. 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 12. In Kolkata, price of the item is Taka 10.34.

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

Palm oil is being sold between Taka 87 and Taka 90 per liter in the ordinary markets, while it is available at Taka 87.50 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.

Hilsha fish was sold at different markets from Taka 250 to Taka 300 per kg, the report said.

Int'l seminar on welfare of disable in city tomorrow

BSS, Dhaka

A five-day international seminar on "One for all-Persons with disabilities' Self Initiatives in Development (PSID)' will begin here on February 10 following its formal inauguration today.

Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed will inaugurate the seminar at Dhaka Regency Hotel and resort tomorrow at 6 pm. Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Douglas Foskett will join the function as the special guest.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Protibandhi Kalyan Samity (BPKS) Saiful Islam will preside over the inaugural function while its executive director Abdus Sattar Dulal will deliver the welcome address, a BPKS press release said on Friday.

BPKS is organizing the seminar to highlight PSID, an initiative for the welfare of disabled. A total of 12,000 disabled persons are leading self-reliant life with the implementation of PSID method in the country's 30 districts, it said.

Many local and foreign organizations dealing with the disabled persons have expressed their interests for implementing the PSID method, the press release also said.

Malek visits two instts under Social Welfare Ministry

BSS, Dhaka

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Social Welfare Ministry Brig Gen (retd) M A Malek yesterday paid a surprise visit to two institutions run by the ministry.

The special assistant to the Chief Adviser first visited Mirpur National Special Education Centre and went round different rooms of the inmates and the administrative building.

Malek expressed his resentment over absence of most of the officials and employees at the office and also mismanagement of the institution.

Later, he visited Al Nahiyan Shishu Paribar and School at Mirpur and expressed satisfaction over proper management of the institution.

Akheri Chahar Shomba on March 5

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh is to celebrate the holy Akheri Chahar Shomba on March 5 as the National Moon Sighting Committee today said, the moon of the Arabic month of Safr of Hijri year 1429 was seen in the sky on Friday evening.

The committee made the announcement at a meeting presided over by its chairman and Law and Religious Affairs Adviser AF Hassan Ariff.

Religious Affairs Secretary Muhammad Ataur Rahman, Islamic Foundation Director General Mohammad Fazlur Rahman, Principal Information Officer Iftekhar Hossain, among others.

Family awareness to reduce neonatal mortality stressed

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh has halved its under-five child morality during the last decade but yet to set any target to reduce the mortality of neonates, who make up 55 percent of the total child deaths annually, a neonatal conference was told on Friday.

"It is important to set a target for reduction of neonatal deaths in line with the millennium development goals (MDGs) 4 and 5," Prof Mohammad Shahidullah of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) said at the policy session of a three-day international conference here.

Bangladesh Neonatal Foundation (BNF) in association with UN International Children Fund (UNICEF) and Save the Children, USA, organised the conference at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC).

Prof Shahidullah said around 120,000 neonatal deaths are being occurred annually in the country, most of which could be prevented through family awareness and ensuring safe delivery by trained persons at homes where 85 percent birth take place.

But things have not been improved much due to inadequacy of trained birth attendants (TBAs) and skilled birth attendants (SBAs) at local levels, he added.

Prof Shahidullah said the highest importance should be laid on the reduction of neonatal deaths considering their high proportion in child mortality in the country which, experts say, is on track to achieve maternal and child health related MDGs by 2015.

In this context, he urged to fulfil the vacant posts of health staffs at the grassroots levels.

"We have failed to keep doctors at village levels, but we will take care of it," observed health ministry additional secretary Abul Kalam Azad, who attended the concluding session as the chief guest.

He reaffirmed the government's commitment to reduce the child mortality at least by two-thirds in line with MDGs.

Prof MQK Talukder, a noted pediatrician, said the reduction of neonatal and child mortality could not be possible unless the issue of breastfeeding is included as a major intervention to it.

He said the exclusive breastfeeding could alone save many lives.

Opposing any further pilot project in this context, he said piloting of anymore projects would be wastage of money.

Extensive Boro

BSS, Barisal

Farmers have been busy planting Boro seedlings under an extensive programme during the current season in 11 districts of the Barisal Agriculture Extension Zone (BAEZ).

Officials told BSS here yesterday that the farmers are expecting a record bumper crop as more lands have been brought under Boro cultivation this year in the region.

They said special programmes like Small Hold Support Project (SHSP), Integrated Area Development Project (IADP) and Barisal- Patuakhali Integrated Agriculture Development Project (BPIADP) were undertaken to make the current Boro cultivation a complete success.

Besides, as many as 9,150 contact farmers were given training on the latest agro-technology for farming as well as protecting and harvesting the output economically within the zone this year.

Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) supplied 1.3 crore KGs of improved seeds to the farmers side by side with fertilizers, insecticides and other inputs for higher production of Boro paddy in the region.

The joint forces have been closely monitoring the overall supply of fertilizers, insecticide, power and diesel to the farming areas. Power pumps and other power-driven irrigation equipment were also provided to the farmers to grow more Boro paddy this year.

BADC has, so far, installed 274 Power Driven Deep Tubewells (DTWs), 4,855 Shallow Tubewells (STWs) and 1,256 Low Lift Pumps (LLPs) side by side with fielding 19 DTWs, 42,538 STWs and 14,357 LLPs in the Boro cultivation areas.

DAE arranged the setting up of several demonstration plots for making the farmers aware about the modern agro-based technology on Boro cultivation to score, according to the officials, the highest yield this year.

They said Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) and other commercial banks will disburse short-term loans among the small and marginal farmers for making the program a success.

Additional Director of DAE Bashir Uddin told BSS that all modern technologies for cultivation have been applied on 58,225 hectares of Boro lands to recover the loss of Aman paddy caused by last year's floods and cyclone sidr.

Of the total acreage, he said, 2,28,048 hectares have been brought under Uphashi variety of Boro, 77,006 hectares under hybrid variety of Boro and 23,640 hectares under high yielding local variety of Boro.

Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB), DAE, Public Health Engineering Depar-tment (PHED), Power Development Board (PDB), Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) have undertaken special programmes this year for brining more lands under the Boro cultivation.

Meanwhile, farmers have already planted Boro seedlings on 2,50,670 hectares of lands including 32,535 hectares under high breed, 1,93,705 hectares under uphashi and 24,430 hectares under high yielding local varieties till now.

Plantation of the seedlings have been gaining momentum day by day for completing the programme within March 15 next, the officials said. Earlier, the farmers prepared seedbeds on 23,318 hectares in these Districts.

Int'l art show in city from today

BSS, Dhaka

The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh will hold a 16-day International Art Exhibition on the occasion of Ekushey February and UNESCO declared Inter-national Mother Language Day.

Distinguished artists from India, Nepal, Malaysia, Germany, Greece, USA, Spain, UK and host country Bangladesh will participate in the exhibition beginning on February 9, press release said here yesterday.

The exhibition will be opened at the auditorium of the Society every day from 4 PM to 8 PM.

It will be inaugurated by Prof. S M A Faiz, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dhaka, as chief guest.

Mrs. Jahanara Abedin, wife of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin will attend the ceremony as the special guest.

JU bird fair on Feb 15

BSS, Savar

A day-long bird fair will be held at the Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus on February 15.

Considered as an annual event on the JU campus, the bird fair is being organised by the Zoology Department, JU, in cooperation with Step Media Limited and Wild Life Rescue Centre.

The day-long fair includes the inter-university bird identification competition, exhibition of birds' photographs, eye-catching witnessing of birds for children at JU lakes and painting competition for them and speech competition on birds.

Every year, the JU authorities organise this fair on the campus with a view to creating mass awareness to preserve the birds and visitors from far and near come to witness the fair.