The New Nation - Internet Edition

Army Chief urges cadets to render services to the nation

BSS, Comilla

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed on Saturday called upon Cadet College students to render services to the nation with honesty and sincerity on completion of their studies.

He made the call while inaugurating the 25th founding anniversary and reunion programme of former Cadets of Comilla Cadet College.

Addressing a function organised to mark the anniversary, General Moeen expressed satisfaction over the performance of the college in academic and sports arena.

He said 24 more seats would be sanctioned to enroll more students at the college.

Earlier, the Army Chief opened the celebrations releasing balloons and cutting cakes while the cadets staged a spectacular march past offering an honour guard to him.

He also unveiled the cover of a souvenir published on the occasion. The college compound witnessed a festive mood with the reunion of its former students.

The army chief also exchanged greetings with the cadets and former cadets of the collage.

Adjutant General of the Bangladesh Army and President of the Governing Council of Cadet Colleges Major General M Motiur Rahman, Area Commander of Comilla Cantonment and General Officer Commanding of 33 Infantry Division Major General M Anwar Hossain, Principal of Comilla Cadet College Captain M Musleh Uddin, Senior Civil and military officials, and former students of the college attended the function.

36 nabbed on various charges in Rajshahi

BSS, Rajshahi

Police arrested 36 persons including an alleged drug-peddler on various charges from different areas of the city and nine upazilas of the district on Friday.

Police sources said of them, 14 including the drug-peddler were picked up from different areas in the metropolis while 22 others from nine upazilas of the district.

Police arrested the drug-peddler identified as Zakir Hossain, 22, and seized 20 bottles of phensidyl and 16 liters of country- made liquor during two separate raids at different places in the city.

After recording separate cases in these connections the arrested persons and the seized goods were sent to the court.

Traffic police lodged 27 cases under the motor vehicles ordinance and seized nine motorbikes and a tempo for either without registration or not having valid documents during drives against the non- registered motor vehicles and other document related malpractices in different parts of the city during the time.

Gouripur Newsletter

Valentine's Day observed

Our Correspondent, Gouripur

The Valentine's Day was observed in Gouripur Upazila of Mymensingh district. The effect of Valentine touched the mind of young people especially college and university going students and newly married couples. They were seen to buy on this occasion.

On this day these young people received Valentine message through he mobile phones, Valentine cards and enjoyed Valentine music and improved foods. Some young girls went out wearing colourful dresses.

Swarasati Puja observed

Swarasati Puja, the religious festival of Hindu community was celebrated in Gouripur Upazila of Mymensingh district on Monday peacefully. Through the emersion of Goddess Swarasati, Hindu devotees end their puja after three days of its festivities.

Swarasati is the symbol of study in Hindu mythology. So most young Hindu people and students celebrate Swarasati Puja in the premises of educational institutes, clubs and important places of this upazila.

Basanta celebrated

The spring of Bengali was welcomed as Falgon has approached with particular variety of flowers and chirping of birds. The Bengali month of Falgon was celebrated with traditional festivities in Gouripur Upazila in Mymensingh district by different socio-cultural organisations.

BRAC celebration

The listed BRAC family in Gouripur Upazila of Mymensingh district went to Dhaka as BRAC would celebrate its 35th anniversary at the Army Stadium in the capital city through an evening of music and entertainment.

Original schedule to be held on December 15, the 35th anniversary celebrations were postponed in order to pay tribute to the victims of cyclone Sidr.

Noise pollution

Hand-tructors or local made small lorries ply on the main roads through mid town of Gouripur Upazila in Mymensingh district frequently. Vehicular's sound of these are so much that people cannot bear it. Besides, another objectionable and disturbing thing was the sound pollution created through the mikes for advertisement.

Alleged snatcher lynched in Ctg

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

An armed snatcher was lynched and three of his accomplices were beaten mercilessly following an aborted shooting bid at city's GEC square on Friday.

The injured was identified as ABM Shihab Uddin, a 3rd year student of History Department of Chittagong University and son of ABM Muslem Uddin under Laxmipur district.

He is now undergoing treatment at the casualty department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

The lynched snatcher was identified as Mohammed Rubel (25) while the injured snatchers were Saker Hossain (25), son of Amir Hossain, Rejaul Karim (24), son of Shamsul Alam and Sumon, son of Mohammed Solaiman.

All of them are residents of city's Baizeed Bostami area. They were rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for treatment.

Police and eyewitnesses said that the gunmen attacked ABM Shihab Uddin in front of Naval Museum at about 12:45 PM and took away his wallet and cell-phone. The attackers shot at Shihab when he raised alarm and attempted to resist the hoodlums. They boarded an auto-rickshaw disappeared the scene.

Responding to the alarm locals and the passers-by managed to note down the number of the auto-rickshaw and subsequently informed it to nearby on-duty patrol police.

Police, took immediate action and informed the CNG number to each on-duty traffic sergeant at different points of the city. On-duty sergeant at GEC Squire Mohammed Shariful Islam blocked the road when he saw the wanted auto-rickshaw.

Sensing danger, the snatchers were trying to flee away the scene by firing gun shots targeting the police men but in the meantime pedestrians cordoned the snatchers off and subsequently beaten them and torched the auto-rickshaw.

Rubel was beaten to death on the spot and three of his accomplices received severe injuries in the mass beating. Police rushed to the spot and recovered the injured snatchers.

Body of the lynched snatcher was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) morgue for autopsy. A case was recorded with Khulshi police station in connection with the incident.

In another incident a person named Mohammed Nurunnabi (35) received injuries by the snatchers at city's Battali station yesterday evening.

He is now under treatment at the casualty department of the CMCH.

Details of the incident could not be known till the time of filing this report at about 8:00 p.m. as the victim remained unconscious.

Huge Indian sarees recovered in Gaibandha

Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

The police of Gobindagonj Thana in a drive held two persons with huge Indian sarees and a microbus at Tarafmamun area of the upazila in the district on Thursday night.

Sources said acting on a tip off a team of police led by sub-inspector Akterazzaman halted a microbus bearing No Dhaka-Metro-Cha-11-0791 on Gobindagonj Ghoraghat road at Tarafmamun area and recovered 235 pieces of Indian Saris from the microbus. the police also held two persons on charge of carrying the Indian clothes.

The arrested persons are Delwar Hossain, son of late Abdul Hossain of East Parulia village at Sadar Upazila in Joypurhat district and Tapon, Son of Anil-Chandra at Masterpara area of Gobindagonj Pourashava in the district.

A case was filed with Gobindagonj Thana under Special Power Act of 1974 in this connection. The police said there they are active members of smugglers of the area.

Vision-2020 committee in Manikganj formed

From A Correspondent

The first ever district level Vision-2020 committee has been formed in Manikganj recently with an aim to prevent and cure blindness in the country.

A meeting was held recently in this regard at civil surgeon office with civil surgeon Dr Zamal Uddin Bhuiyan in the chair. Chief Guest Prof Syed Maruf Ali, line director of National Eye Science Institute formally announced the 25-member committee.

Country Director of Orbis International Dr Abu Raihan, Dr Jalal Uddin and Dr Abdur Rashid of National Eye Science Institute, Khondker Humayun Kabir of Dream Bangladesh and Imrul Hasan Khan of Orbis International where present, among others, on the occasion.

The meeting named Dr Zamal Uddin Bhuiyan as chairman, eye specialist of Manikganj sadar hospital as vice chairman and eye specialist of Manikganj eye hospital as member secretary of the committee.

News briefs

Eight injured in cylinder explosion

SAVAR, Feb 18: At least eight people were injured as the gas cylinder of a truck exploded at a CNG filling station here this on Saturday noon. Local sources said the cylinder blew off with a big bang when it was being refilled in a CNG filling station-Energy Plus Limited-at Savar Upazila bus stand at about 1:45 PM, injuring eight persons, including the truck laborers. Some of them sustained critical injuries. The injured were rushed to a local hospital, reports UNB

Minor boy wounded in bomb explosion

BRAHMANBARIA, Feb 18: Five bombs were recovered at a remote char in Banchharampur Upazila on Friday after the explosion of a bomb that wounded a minor boy. Police said some boys while playing found six bombs in abandoned condition in the Char of Titas River at noon. At one stage, a bomb was exploded with a big bang when Saidur Rahman, 9, son of Kitab Ali, was trying to open it, leaving him seriously injured. He was first rushed to the Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to the Dhaka Pangu Hospital, reports UNB

Girl guides craft training camp ends in Barisal

BARISAL, Feb 18: A five-day long regional craft training camp of Bangladesh Girl Guides Association (BGGA) ended here on Friday. Sulaiman Sikdar, Principal of Barisal Islamia College, distributed certificates among the 20 trainees. A cultural function performed by the girl guides was also held. Presided over by Razia Begum, former commissioner of BGGA, the concluding session was also addressed by Begum Faizun Nahar, Barisal regional secretary of BGGA, and Hosneara Begum, camp commander and regional trainer, reports UNB

Husband kills wife

SYLHET, Feb 18: A woman was killed allegedly by her husband at Niazul village in Goainghat Upazila on Wednesday night. Local people said Jamaluddin, 35, locked into altercation over a trifling matter with his wife Rahela Begum, 28, at about 10 PM. At one stage, he strangulated her to death. Being informed by local people, police recovered the body on Thursday morning and sent it to the morgue for autopsy. Later, the law enforcers also arrested Jamaluddin from a nearby village, reports UNB

UP Chairman held

JHENIDAH, Feb 18: Chairman of Nittanandapur Union Parishad in Shailakupa Upazila here was arrested on Friday noon on charge of misappropriating VGF rice. The arrested chairman was identified as Chand Ali. Local people informed Shailakupa Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahmudul Hossain Khan that chairman Chand sold out some VGF rice in the black market depriving the card holders. Later, the UNO visited the UP office in the morning and found that three 50kg bags of rice missing from total allocated 78 bags. Police later arrested the chairman. A case was filed in this connection, reports UNB

Man beaten to death in Sylhet

SYLHET, Feb 18: A man was beaten to death while trying to stop quarrelling of two groups of people during a football match at Palpara village in Golapganj Upazila on Thursday. The dead was identified as Nurul Islam, 40, son of Late Mokbul Ali of the village. Witnesses said a member of Shahid Mostafa Kamal Gold Cup Football Tournament Committee beat up a fan, Jewel, as he tried to cross the football ground during its tiebreaker session. Later, an altercation ensued between the committee members and sympathisers of Jewel. At that time Nurul Islam, maternal uncle of Jewel, was beaten up mercilessly when he tried to settle the dispute. He was rushed to the Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital where the attending doctors declared him dead, reports UNB.