The New Nation - Internet Edition

Strengthening of local govt for democratic good governance stressed

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Chairman and members of union parishad, the grass root organ of local government, called free, fair election before national assembly election and autonomous, strong local government to establish sustainable democratic good governance.

Chief Guest of the programme also called for participation of the defense force in government for the sake of the nation and democracy.

The regional gathering programme was organised by Bangladesh Union Parishad Oikya Jote at Barisal Aswani Kumar Hall on Saturday and presided over by Muhammad Hossain Sikdar, chairman of Kashipur union parishad of Barisal city outskirt.

Prof. Dr. Anisuzzaman, chairman of philosophy department of Dhaka University and businessman Sharfuddin Santu, were chief and special guests of the program.

About more than eight hundred chairmen and male, female members from 339 UP of 40 upazilas under 6 districts of Barisal division invited as 3 representatives from each union through local upazila nirbahi officers and financed by unknown sources to participate in these grand gathering.

Matiur Rahman and Sajjadul Islam Molla, UP chairmen, took part as chief and special discussants and among others Khondokar Wahidul Islam,, Shaila Sharmin, Abdul Matin Sardar, addressed the programme.

The UP chairmen and members said everybody emphasized on strengthening autonomous local government, for sustainable democratic government and good governance. However, local lawmakers, administration and ministers always controlling union parishad preventing this body from working freely for the interest and development of the mass people.

They alleged that power for execution of collecting revenue, budget and planning for income and expenditure and development works written in paper, virtually never implemented and always prevented by those vested corners.

The UP chairmen and members said they prefer election of local government under this non-political, impartial caretaker government before national assembly, because of conducting fair election, free from interference of political government and their controlled administrative machinery.

Vegetable cultivation changing lot of farmers in Sirajganj

BSS, Sirajganj

Cultivation of vegetables have been changing the lot of the farmers in the district.

Graho, 50, a UP chairman of Naogaon had cultivated vegetables beside his pond adjacent to his house. He sold the vegetables in the local markets and earned Taka 7,000 per day during the season.

In the last three months he had earned a total of Taka six lakh as profit by selling vegetables produced in his farm.

Encouraged by the success of Graho and some other people, many farmers in the northern districts and different parts of the country have been growing vegetables in their fallow land.

Graho, UP chairman of a Naogaon Union Parishad set up a vegetable farm in Tarash Upazila in Sirajganj district beside nine ponds and 24 bigha of land.

He started cultivating gourd, bean, chili and papaya investing only Taka 20,000. He sold 300 gourds, two mounds of gourd leaves and five mounds of bean everyday and earned Taka 7,000 per day.

During the last three months, he also earned Taka 3,000 by selling green chili, papaya and other vegetables per day. He employed 25 workers for cultivating vegetables while he and his wife supervise their work.

CWASA in dilemma to ensure sufficient water supply

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Chittagong Water and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) under its existing strength will not be able to address the water demand of the city.

The CWASA in the face of its repeated failure in supplying sufficient water is apparently encouraging installation of deep tube wells in the private arrangement and so far eased licensing for the domestic deep tube well users.

Finding no alternative the government is going to adopt open underground water policy to cope with the growing demand of water for nearly six million citizens.

The government has cut the license fee since May 15, 2007 and might consider further reduction of fee in the view of dry-season water scarcity.

The CWASA became absolutely unfit of addressing the city's water demand when two gigantic projects - Madhunaghat Water Supply project and Mohara Water Treatment Plant - were stalled on various reasons.

Modhunaghat Water Supply project with 450 million liters of water treatment capacity a day was approved on August 26, 1999 and tender was approved by the committee on September 7, 2003.

The proposed Mohara Water Treatment Plant with 90 million liters of treatment capacity a day was approved on September 6, 2003.

The project which was scheduled to begin 2006 and was targeted to complete by 2009, is now reeling under the legal battle.

The high court issued a stay order on November 6, 2006 when second lowest bidder submitted writ petition against the purchase committee claiming that they deserved the work order.

The lowest bidder at a meeting with the CWASA in February this year agreed to withdraw the writ in the greater interest of the public.

It is learnt that CWASA is likely to go for re-tendering after writ is officially withdrawn.

However completion of the two projects will not be possible before next three days even though those commence this year, Engineers attached to the projects asserted.

A top CWASA official claimed that they were working hard to install six more deep tube wells by the next financial year. Construction of a deep tube well has already been completed and three others are expected to be finished by June next.

Compensation money distributed among poultry farm owners in Gaibandha

Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

Compensation money was distributed among the small stakeholders of native poultry farms of two upazila in the district on March 13 aimed at recovering the loss due to bird flu.

Office sources said a total of Tk 67,873 was distributed among 287 small stakeholders of Gobindagonj and Sadullapur upazilas in the district as their native poultry were culled recently due to bird flu attack.

District Livestock Officer Dr. M. Mokarram Hossain formally distributed the compensation money amounting Tk. 27,058 among 55 affected small stakeholders of Kalikanduba area under Gobindagonj pourashava in the district on Thursday as chief guest while UNO of Sadullapur upaizla M. Farid Uddin Ahmed also distributed Tk 40,815 among 232 small native poultry farm owners of Ekbarpur village under Edulpur union of the upazila in a function held at the auditorium of the upazxila parishad in the district on Thursday as chief guest.

Respective upazila livestock officers, veterinary surgeons and local elite including the journalists were also present on the occasion.

Kazi Nazrul Islam college inaugurated in Pragpur

Renowned educationist and researcher Dr. Mahammad Fazlul Haque and the artist Shubarna Kazi, grandson of Poet Nazrul inaugurated Kazi Nazrul Islam College at Pragpur, Daulatpur, Kushtia and Nawab Sirajuddaula College at Gulagram, Daulatpur, Kushtia.

The ex-treasurer of Islami University Prof Mahtabuddin Sarker presided over the inaugural session of Kazi Nazrul Islam College at Pragpur while Pirncipal Md. Qudrat-e-Rabbu made his welcome speech.

The Headmaster, Md. Altaf Hossain presided over the inaugural session of Nawab Sirajuddaula College at Gualgram while principal Md. Muniruzzaman made his welcome speech.

4-year old girl violated at Kaptai

CHT Correspondent

A young man of 35 years raped a four-year-old girl child on March 13 at Mantur Colony under Kaptai upazila, about 50 kilometres off the district headquarter, police said.

Police are looking for the alleged rapist Abdul Jabbar, son of late Ashraf Ali of Dakhaiya Colony of the same upazila, source added.

The man allured the child girl to give chewing gum and took her to a vacant house of Nantur Colony and violated her at around 11.30 AM on March 13.

Being informed, guardians of the victim rescued her and took her to Rangamati Hospital, police added.

Imam Uddin, father of the victim, lodged a case on Friday night against the man with Kaptai Thana in this connection.

News briefs

2 held with

fake notes

Dinajpur, Mar 14: Police arrested two people along with fake notes of Tk 25,000 from Gazipur village in Nababganj upazila Thursday. The arrested were identified as Laisur Rahman, 40, and Wahedur Rahman, 38. Police said acting on a secret information they intercepted Laisur and Wahedur and recovered 55 notes of Tk 100 and 39 notes of Tk 500 denominations after searching their bodies. A case was filed, reports UNB.

125 houses gutted

by fire in Thakurgaon

Thakurgaon, Mar 14: Some 125 dwelling houses of 70 families were gutted in a devastating fire that broke out at Jasaipara village in Peerganj upazila of the district Thursday afternoon. Witnesses said the fire originated from the kitchen of Mansur Ali at about 2pm and soon engulfed the nearby houses. Firefighters from Peerganj extinguished the fire after three hours of hectic efforts with the help of local people. The fire brigade sources estimated the loss from fire at about 15 lakh. The affected families are passing their days under the sky, reports UNB.

Dacoits lynched

Gazipur, Mar 14: Two suspected robbers were beaten to death and two others injured critically by angry mob in river Sitalakkhya in Sreepur upazila here Thursday night. Local people said a gang of robbers came by a trawler to Singhasree area on the bank of the river under Kapasia upazila at midnight and tried to commit robbery there. As the locals started shouting, hundreds of nearby people came to the spot and chased the robbers. Sensing danger when the bandits were trying to flee by the trawler the chasing people caught four of them. They later gave them a mass beating leaving two of them dead and two others seriously injured, reports UNB.

Prisoner dies in Dinajpur jail

Dinajpur, Mar 14 (UNB)- A prisoner died of cardiac arrest at district jail here Thursday, jail sources said.

Jail authority said Dulal Chakravarty fell unconscious while taking bath in a pond in the jail compound. He was taken to jail hospital immediately. Later, he was rushed to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital where the attending doctors declared him dead. Dulal hailed from Rajbati Gunjobari area of Sadar upazila. He was arrested seven days ago under Narcotics Control Act. Family sources claimed that Dulal died due to torture in the jail.

Touchstone made statue recovered in Madaripur

Madaripur, Mar 14: RAB members recovered a touchstone made statue of Lord Krishna worth about Tk 10 million from Bakshakhola village in Moksudpur upazila of Gopalganj district Thursday. A team of RAB-8 of Madaripur camp went to the house of Bazlu Sheikh in the guise of buyers and arrested Bazlu's son Khokon Sheikh along with the statue when they were trying to sell it. A case was filed, reports UNB.