The New Nation - Internet Edition

Plum farming changes farmer's fortune in Sirajganj

BSS, Sirajganj

Farming of 'Kulboroi' (Plum) have changed the lot of Abdus Salam Ranju, of Protab village under Ullapara Upazila in the district within a short period.

Ranju, who was unemployed only a few years ago now employed over 30 people to look after his expanding farm. He has become a source of inspiration to many unemployed youth in the locality.

After graduation in 1984, Ranju had opened a medicine shop at Ullapara Upazila town but it was looted by a gang of dacoits in 2000. He had been passing hard days since the incident.

Encouraged by Upazila Agriculture Officer, he raised a high yielding 'kulboroi' garden in the village in 2004. After getting a good yield he became more enthusiastic to expand his garden.

In 2006, he planted 900 high yielding 'kulbori' saplings in five bighas of land. The saplings were collected from the nursery of Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU) in Mymensingh and from different tree fairs. The yield was so good that he had earned a profit of Taka five lakh in 2007.

Abdus Salam Ranju had no reason to look behind. He took a project of farming 'kulboroi' in 37 bighas of land and invested Taka five lakh in developing his farm. This time he diversified his project by including nursery and fishery with it.

Different high yielding kulboroi grafts are available in his nursery. Besides, he cultivated brinjal, onion and radish in the farm. Some olive and lichi saplings have also been planted.

At present, there are 1,300 high yielding kulboroi trees in his garden and he is expecting to produce around 500 mounds of kulboroi in this season.

People from far away places come to buy high yielding kulboroi grafts from his nursery and they also get inspiration after seeing his success. He sales each of the kulboroi graft at a price between Tkaa 50 and Taka 60.

Talking to BSS Ranju said he had earned about Taka 70 lakh last year by selling about 2 lakh kulboroi grafts. He has also expanded his nursery at Birampur in Dinajpur taking three bighas of land on lease.

At present 30 workers are at work while he and his brother supervise the farm.

Nalchity (Jhalakathi) Newsletter

Our Correspondent, Nalchity

Drug peddlers held

Elite Force RAB arrested two alleged drug peddlers along with 28 bottles of Phensidyl syrup at Hagar village in Nalchity Upazila on Monday afternoon. Acting on secret information, RAB-8, Barisal conducted the drive at the village and arrested Abdul Hannan (38) and Mannan Farazi (35) while they were selling Phensidyl.

The RAB men also recovered 28 bottles of Phensidyl from their possession.

Later, the arrested were handed over to local police station. A case was lodged with the Nalchity Police Station in this connection.

Bangladeshi killed

in S. Arabia

road Mishap

A Saudi expatriate of Nalchity town named Abdul Gaffar died by a road accident in Riyadh on Sunday.

Family sources said, Gaffar was run over by a speedy car while he was crossing a street close to Batha Market in Riyadh. He was brought to a hospital immediately where he succumbed to his injuries.

Family members came to know this shocking news over telephone Tuesday from a close relative residing, there. It at may be cited that Gaffar, father of a minor child and son of Late Abdur Rahman, had been working in Riyadh for 6 years.

Body recovered

Dead body of an unidentified youth (25) was recovered by Nalchity Thana police from Nandikati village under Nalchity Pourashava on Tuesday night. Police said, local people found-he dead body lying in the crop field on that evening and informed them.

Later, police recovered the body that bore injury marks and marks of strangulation.

They sent it to Jhalakati Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Founding centenary of Pyari Mohon Girls' High School March 15

Our Correspondent, Naogaon

One hundred the year anniversary of Naogaon Pyari Mohan Girls High School will be observed on 15th March.

Deputy Commissioner Md. Shefaul Karim will remain present as chief guest, while Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Abu Zubair Hossain, district education officer Md. Harun Ar Rashis Sarker and Vice-President of the said school governing body Professor (Retd) Md Moyeen Uddin will be special guests.

Additional deputy Commissioner (general) Md. Saeed Noor Alam will be chaired in the ceremony.

Noted Ray Saheb Pyari Mohan Sanyal was a prominent Zaminder, Philanthropist, educationist and social worker, who established Pyari Mohan Girls' High School at his own cost, which was then first girls' high school in whole of the defunct Naogaon Sub-Division, consisting of then total nine police stations (now upazila), in 1909, for promoting the higher education of then neglected girls students.

Officials urged to discharge duties with sincerity, honesty

BSS, Gaibandha

A views-exchange meeting on development and coordination was held at the conference room of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Sundarganj Upazila in the district on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abu Mohammad Yousuf addressed the meeting as the chief guest.

With UNO of Sundarganj M. Barad Hossain Chowdhury in the chair, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by upazila agriculture officer M. Shafayet Hossain, Pourasabha chairman Nurunnabi Pramanik Saju, Head Teacher of Shibram Government Primary School M. Nurul Alam, Dahaband UP chairman Abdul Majid Mondal and local Press Club president M. Shajahan Miah.

The meeting discussed about development issues like agriculture, education, communication and law and order. The Deputy Commissioner assured the meeting of solving the ongoing problems in the upazila.

He also urged the upazila level officials and the public representatives to discharge their duties with sincerity and honesty for expedite the pace of development activities in the upazila.

Technology fair concludes at BAU

A four-day long Technology Fair-Cum-Training for NGO's Field Officers on Food-Security for Sustainable Household Livelihoods (FoSHoL)' was concluded at the Conference Room of the Faculty of Agriculture of the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU).

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Musharraf Hossain Mian was present as chief guest while the closing ceremony was attended by Ratan Kumar Dutta, Director General, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Dr. M.G. Hussain, Director (Administration and Finance), Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), as special guests, says a press release.

Sponsored by International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the 'Technology Fair-cum-Training for NGO's Field Officers' were jointly organised by the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Bangla-desh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), and FosHoL-Coordination project. Eminent Agri-Scientist and Representative IRRI Professor Dr. A T M Ziauddin explained the aims and objective of the course.

Chaired by Professor Dr. Md. Shah-E-Alam, Director, BAU Research System (BAURES), the ceremony was addressed among others by Professor Dr. S. M. Altaf Hossain, Dr. Abdus Satar, Dr. Md. Nurullah, Sajjad Hossain, A K M Rafiq and Tariq Aziz. Md. Nazibur Rahman, BAU Registrar conducted the function.

Later, the chief guest Vice-Chancellor distributed certificates among the 21 participants of the training drawn from CARE and Action Aid.

75,800 hectares of land brought under boro cultivation in Nilphamari

BSS, Nilphamari

A total of 75,800 hectares of land have been brought under boro cultivation in the district during the current season.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said irrigation facilities would be provided to 45,000 hectares of land at Dimla, Jaldhaka, Kishoreganj, Syedpur, and Nilphamari Sadar Upazila under the Teesta Irrigation Project.

Sources also said rest of land would be irrigated by shallow tube-well, deep-tube-well and other means.

Bandarban farmers achieve successes thru’ 'Satabdi' wheat cultivation

Our Correspondent, Bandarban

Cultivation of wheat at Langirchar of Sangu river in Bandarban supervised by local NGO Watch has achieved successes which gave pleasure among the farmers of the locality to cultivate more.

A non-govt organisation Watch has distributed seeds and fertilisers among the farmers free of cost, consequently the farmers of the locality were encouraged to cultivate wheat on 25 hectares of land. The farmers achieved bumper production of wheat.

The wheat named 'Satabdi' is produced well on the char land. The farmers of Bandarban encouraged by Watch has got a new possibility of producing wheat in the coming year.

Watch president Islam Co said that he had distributed 5 kg wheat seed and 15 kg fertiliser to the farmers per head. This wheat have been cultivated experimentally in 50 plots.

Month-long trade fair ends in Panchagarh

Our Correspondent, Panchagarh

A month-long trade fair ended on 4th March in Panchagarh Stadium. Over 70 stalls, 2 pavilions circus, corky, doll dance, raffle draw, Jattra have been set up at the fair. The fair began on 25th January which has been organised by Panchagarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Deputy Commissioner, Panchargarh, Md Hafiz Uddin was present as chief guest while local Joint Force Commander Lt Col. Tareq Be Nazir as the special guest.

Superintendent of Police Md Harun Or Rasid and Chairman (In charge), Panchagarh Pourashava, Md Abdul Kader were also present as the special guest. The function was addressed among others, by Iqbal Kaiser Mintu, President, Panchagarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The fair compound was overcrowded as singer Momtaz from Dhaka rendered song on the occasion on the concluding day.

International Women's Day observed in Kishoreganj

Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj

International Women's Day was arranged on Friday in Kishoreganj district as elsewhere with Various programmes taken by Women Rights Group.

Popi, ASA, Prottasha and District Women's office jointly organised a discussion meeting at Kishoreganj Press Club open stage on Saturday.

Presided over Sanjida Khanam, Executive Director of Bandhan Society and it was addressed among others by Shahe Newaze Khan Dilruba, Sadar UNO as chief guest Shaheen Hyder.

NUK, organised a colourful rally in the town. Acid Survivors Foundation organised a candle light vigil on the occasion of the International Women's Day 2008.

News briefs

WDB officer arrested

for taking bribe

in Khulna

KHULNA, Mar 11 Joint forces arrested an official of Water Development Board in Koyra upazila of the district on Sunday afternoon on charge of taking bribe. Police said Shashank Kirtania, 40, section officer of WDB was arrested from the premises of his office when he was taking Tk 10,000 as bribe from a contractor promising him to manage a contract. Shashank was handed over to the Koyra police station later, reports UNB.

Two killed in Gazipur road mishap

GAZIPUR, Mar 11: Two people were killed and two others injured in a tragic road accident in Maleker Bari area of Sadar upazila on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway Sunday morning. Witnesses said a Dhaka-bound passenger bus from Kaliakoir ran over four pedestrians when they were crossing the road at about 10:30am killing one of them on the spot and injuring the rest critically. Local people rescued the victims and one of them aged about 28 died on way to Sadar hospital while the two others were admitted to the same hospital in critical condition. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. The driver fled away along with the bus. A case was filed, reports UNB.

Mother, daughter

receive burn injuries

GOPALGANJ, Mar 11: A woman and her daughter sustained severe burn injuries as miscreants hurled acid at them at Jalirpar village in Moksudpur upazila Friday night. Police quoting local people said following a land dispute neighbor Tulu Bagchi along his cohorts threw acid on Milan Mondal, 47, and her daughter Laxmi Mondal, 12, when they were gossiping sitting on the veranda of their house at about 8pm, injuring them critically. Local people hearing the hue and cry of the victims rushed to the spot and admitted them to Moksodpur Health Complex. A case was filed, reports UNB.

One burnt to death

KURIGRAM, Mar 11: A septuagenarian woman was burnt to death in a fire that broke out at her house at Krishnapur village in Sadar upazila early Saturday. Police said the blaze originated from a burning mosquito coil in the house of Bulu Bewa, 75, wife of late Fajaluddin of the village, at about 1:30am and soon engulfed the entire house burning the sleeping woman to death. Later, fire brigade on information recovered the charred body and sent it to the Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, reports UNB.

Poura chairman

arrested in Natore

NATORE, Mar 11: Police arrested Bonpara Pourasabha chairman and BNP leader Saturday night on charge of torturing his stepmother and a maidservant. Sources said poura chairman Sanaullah Noor Babu also BNP poura unit president following a family feud beat up his stepmother Momta and domestic help on February 29, leaving them seriously injured. After the incident, Babu's father Dr Saber Ali filed two separate cases on Thursday against him, reports UNB.

Boro cultivation

NETRAKONA, Mar 11: Some 1.66 lakh hectares of land have been brought under Boro paddy cultivation in 10 upazilas of the district in the current season exceeding the target of 1.44 hectares. The upazilas are Sadar, Atpara, Madan, Mohonganj, Khaliajuri, Kalmakanda, Durgapur, Barhatta, Kendua and Purbadhala. Sources said farmers have brought more lands under cultivation exceeding the target to recoup the losses caused by three consecutive floods during last year's Aman season. Department of Agricultural Extension sources said steps have been taken to ensure supply of quality seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs at fair prices to make the scheme a success, reports UNB.