The New Nation - Internet Edition

RCC implements Tk 109 cr project

BSS, Rajshahi

Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has been implementing a development project aimed at attaining economic prosperity and poverty alleviation in the metropolitan areas.

Sources said the four-year project styled "Secondary Towns Integrated Flood Protection (Phase-2)" is being implemented with the objectives of promoting economic growth and alleviate poverty in the metropolis by providing a flood-free and secure living environment within the framework of integrated flood protection. Talking to BSS Superintending Engineer of RCC Ashraful Haque said the Taka 109-crore project would be executed in four components like flood protection works, urban drainage system and environmental improvement including solid waste management, sanitation and slum improvement and capacity building and implementation assistance.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) and OPEC have been extending financial support to implement the project.

RCC has been constructing large and open unlined drainage outfalls in addition to improving the existing drains aimed at reducing flooding of low-lying urban areas and to improve environmental conditions.

Engineer Ashraf said the project would focus on upgrading the conditions of the poorest and needy groups of people particularly in the slums.

It would also promote active participation of women in municipal management and services through urban governance reforms and support to gender and development activities.

Road improvement works for small stretches connecting slums and solid waste disposal facilities are also included in respective subcomponents.

Apart from this, Water Development Board (WDB) will develop and rehabilitate the 19-kilometer city protection embankment along with its existing infrastructures like drainage regulators and bank protection spars and groins from Berpara to Satbaria point.

On successful implementation, the project would contribute a lot to make the city more hygienic and habitable, officials added.

Call to eradicate TB under DOTS programme

BSS, Rangpur

Speakers at a meeting at Pirganj stressed the need for bringing all tuberculosis (TB) patients under the direct treatment of short-course (DOTS) programme to eradicate the TB from society.

Pirganj Upazila DOTS committee, BRAC and upazila administration jointly organised the meeting of upazila DOTS committee under the National TB Control Programme at Upazila Parishad auditorium yesterday.

Presided over by District Manager of BRAC Rabindra Nath Sarker, the meeting was attended by Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Dr Abdur Rahim as the chief guest.

Medical Officer Dr Shahjahan, Junior Consultant Dr Minhajul Islam, Upazila Primary Education Officer Nobez Uddin, Medical Officer of BRAC Dr Tahmina Rahman, District Health Education Officer Liyakat Ali and BRAC Upazila Manager Nizam Uddin were present as the special guests.

Upazila level government officials, NGO activists, UP chairmen and members, local elite, members of upazila DNOTS committee and journalists took part in the meeting.

The speakers on the occasion said that massive public awareness campaign should be conducted through collective efforts for popularising and making the DOTS method successful for TB patients treatment.

Interest free loan distributed

BSS, Gaibandha

District Nursery Owners' Association (DNOA) distributed interest free loan among the nursery owners' in four upazilas of the district on Thursday.

The loan was given under the post-flood rehabilitation programme. Agro Forestry Improvement Partnership (AFIP) project of inter cooperation provided the fund to recover the losses of the nursery owners' caused by devastating floods in last year, sources said.

Deputy Commissioner Abu Mohammad Yousuf formally distributed the loan to the beneficiaries as chief guest at a function at Public Library auditorium in the town here.

With DNOA Chief Abdul Mottalib in the chair, it was addressed, among others, by local agriculture officer M Mozaffar Rahman, officer of AFIP Project Khandoker Hossan Abu Obayed and General Secretary of Fulchhari Upazila Nursery Malik Samity M Saidur Rahman.

A total of Taka 4.81 lakh was distributed among 87 nursery owners of Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Shaghata upazilas in the district.

25 arrested on various charges in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Police in separate anti-crime drives arrested 25 persons including suspected criminals from different places in the district last night.

Police sources said the arrested persons include absconding warrantees and accused persons in various cases, listed terrorists, smugglers, drug traders, muggers, thieves, extortionists and other anti-social elements.

Police also recovered eight live cocktails from a students' dormitory at Rangpur Medical College and Hospital, huge quantities of stolen goods, ganja, phensidyl, locally made wine and other illegal goods during the drives.

Of the total, Kotwali police arrested five persons, Badarganj four, Gangachara two, Taraganj one, Mithapukur three, Pirganj two, Pirgachha three and Kawnia police five.

The arrested persons were sent to jail hajat today according to court orders, the sources said.

Annual sports competition held in Kishoreganj

Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj

Annual sports competition of Kishoreganj Govt Mohila College was held at its playground recently. Deputy Commissioner Md Sultan Ahamed formally inaugurated the sports competition while Principal Professor Md Ashrafuddin presided over sport function. The function was addressed a among others, by Deputy Commander of Joint Forces, Major Salauddin-Al-Murad as special guest, Vice Principal, Rabindranath Chowdhury, Journalist Md Abdul Latif, Prof Lutfur Rahman, Dr Md Ali and Dr Hossna Begum. Later, the special guest Major Salauddin Al-Murad distributed prizes among the winners of the sports and cultural competition.

UP complex inaugurated in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

The newly-constructed Kafrikhal Union Parishad Complex under Mithapukur Upazila was inaugurated today.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Mithapukur AKM Masuduzzaman inaugurated the complex as the chief guest at a simple ceremony.

Local UP chairman Abdul Baten Mian chaired the function that was attended by Upazila Engineer Ruhul Amin as the special guest.

The inaugural function was also addressed by the local elite, public representatives and upazila-level government officials.

The Local Government Engineering Department built the Kafrikhal UP Complex at a cost of over Taka 35 lakh.

Workshop on high valued crops held in Gaibandha

BSS, Gaibandha

A day-long workshop on collection of high value crops and its marketing management system was held at North-West Crops Diversification Project (NCDP) at Golapbagh Market of Gobindaganj upazila town in the district on Saturday.

Organized by NCDP the workshop presided over by principal Abul Kalam Azad, Chairman of Gobindaganj Pourashabha while deputy secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture M. Azimuddin Ahmed Chowdhury addressed it as the chief guest.

Among others it was addressed by UNO of Gobindaganj Kabir Al-Asad, NCDP manager Mominul Haque, upazila Agriculture officer Mir Abdur Razzak, DAE officer Khorshed Alam and local press club president Zahidur Rahman Tuku.

A total of 30 farmers of NCDP marketing group participated the workshop.

Inaugural ceremony of REOPA held in Narsingdi

BSS, Narsingdi

The inaugural ceremony of the project Rural Employment Opportunities for Public Assets (REOPA) was held at Zila Shilpakala Academy on Tuesday.

Local Government Division and UNDP jointly organised the function.

Deputy Commissioner Zillur Rahman attended it as chief guest with Project Director Akmal Hossain in the chair.

Officials of the project Sarmista Das Barua, Mobarak Ali, Roma Saha and Mokbul Hossain spoke on the occasion.

The project is being implemented by Local Government Division with the Assistance of UNDP and European Commission to alleviate poverty.

Renovation works of Zaigirhat-Balarhat road begins in Mithapukur

BSS, Rangpur

The Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) launched renovation work of the five-kilometer long Zaigirhat-Balarhat Road in Mithapukur Upazila at a cost of Taka 47 lakh.

Executive Engineer of Rangpur LGED Anwarul Haque formally launched the carpeting and seal coating works of the road at a simple ceremony this morning.

While addressing the occasion, he asked the concerned officials and contractor to ensure quality of works and complete it within the scheduled time on next one-month period.

Mithapukur Upazila Engineer Ruhul Amin, Sub-assistant Engineers Ezaharul Haque and Kawsar Alam, contractor Abdullah Al Mamun and local elite were present on the occasion.

Huge smuggled Indian clothes seized in Comilla

BSS, Comilla

Members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), in different anti-smuggling drives, seized huge quantity of sarees and three-pieces worth over Taka 48.85 lakh on Tuesday Wednesday.

BDR sources said, the first drive was conducted at Shahaber Bazar area on Wednesday which seized 807 pieces of Indian sarees worth about Taka 40.28 lakh. In another drive on Tuesday, members of the boarder guards also seized 8 bundles of high quality Indian three-pieces worth over Taka 8.57 lakh from near the Kanan Hotel of Suagazi under Sadar Dakhin thana.

Discussion on loan disbursement held in Sirajganj

BSS, Sirajganj

A discussion on 'distribution of loan' arranged by Sirajganj District Co-operative Land Mortgage Bank Ltd was held at its hall room in the district town on March 5.

President of the Bank Abdul Latif Mandal addressed the function as chief guest with chief of the district unit Amzad Hossain in the chair.

Local officials Abul Hossain, Abdur Rob, Mahbubul Haque and Ruhul Amin, among others, spoke.

News Briefs

Two convicts held in Rangpur

RANGPUR, Mar 9: Police arrested two absconding convicts from different places in the district at separate drives conducted last night, police sources said. The sources said Kotwali Police arrested notorious criminal and absconding convict Motiur Rahman, son of Khabir Uddin of Robertsonsganj area in the city and Kawnia Police netted convict Mohammad Alam, son of Sofur Uddin of village Thakurdas. Both of the arrested convicts had been absconding for a long time after being punished for various terms by different Rangpur Courts in their absence. The arrested convicts were sent to Rangpur Central Jail when police produced them before different courts today, the sources said, reports BSS.

Bus owner's assoc poll

NILPHAMARI, Mar 9: The election of district Bus- minibus Owners' Association will be held on March 23. According to the schedule, nomination papers could be submitted till March 10, while list of the legal candidates will be published on March 12, sources said, reports BSS.

One held with arms in Faridpur

FARIDPUR, Mar 9: Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered a foreign made revolver with two bullets in the district town on Thursday. The members of elite force conducted a raid at a grocery shop at Haji Shariatullah Market in the town and arrested the owner of the shop with the revolver. The arrested was identified as Abdus Sattar, reports BSS.

Free medical camp ends in Rangpur

RANGPUR, Mar 9: A three-day free medical camp organised by Rangpur Prime Specialised Hospital Ltd (RPSHL) for the poor and distressed hare-lipped and palate patients ended in the town today. Chief Surgeon of the Plastic Surgery Department and Associate Professor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Dr Sharif Hassan formally launched the operations. Specialist Plastic Surgeons and experts from both home and abroad conducted the operations at the RPSHL operation theatres.

A total of 120 poor patients were operated free of cost. Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd (DBBL) provided financial assistance in this respect.

8 arrested

in B'baria

BRAHMANBARIA, Mar 9: Members of the district police in different anti-crime drives, arrested eight persons on different charges from various parts of the town on Wednesday. The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Jamal Miah, 20, Abu Hanif, 32, Abdur Rouf, 50, Mohammad Nazir, 22, Reza-e-Rabbi, 24, Bacchu Miah, 25, Nuruzzaman, 40, and Rassel, 18. Police sources said that separate cases were filed in Sadar Thana of the district, reports BSS.

Drugs destroyed

SIRAJGANJ, Mar 9: Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) destroyed huge phensidyl, locally made wine, bandrole of bidi and ganja on Roypur Quami Jute Mills premises in the town on Wednesday. RAB sources said, RAB seized different type of drugs during its drives in the district. On Wednesday RAB destroyed 4088 bottles of phensidyl, 130 liter wine, nine kg ganja and huge bandrole of bidi, reports BSS.

Fine realised

BARISAL, Mar 9: A mobile court has conducted drives at city's hotels and realised Taka 1.90 lakh as fine as those lack environmental certificates. First class Magistrate ATM Mahabubul Karim led the mobile court. He was accompanied by supervisor of the Department of Forest Mohammad Tota Mia, Assistant Researcher Sanwar Hossain, court officer Quamruzzaman and ASI Amir Hossain. District administration sources said, the mobile court conducted drives at Katpotti area, Sadar Road and Line Road areas of the city.