The New Nation - Internet Edition

Farmers urged to enhance fish production

BSS, Rajshahi

Speakers at a views-sharing meeting on Sunday urged the farmers to enhance fish production through best uses of the existing natural resources.

They also said, the fisheries sector has been meeting 80 percent demands of the total animal protein and there is no alternative to boost its production to achieve self-sufficiency.

District Fisheries Office (DFO) arranged the meeting at the conference hall of its divisional office aimed at devising ways and means to raise fish output.

In addition to 40 fish farmers, hatchery owners and seed-traders, all the district and upazila level fisheries officials and hatchery managers attended the meeting.

In his address of welcome, District Fisheries Officer Aminul Haque informed that the DFO has set a target of producing 47,197 metric tons of fish during the current year against the last year's attained production of 40,189 tons in the district.

He also said 40,870 hectares of water bodies have so far been brought under the fish farming and 25,168 people are involved for the purposes.

Divisional Deputy Director Shawkat Ali, Senior Upazila Fishery Officer Rafiqul Islam, Hatchery Managers Ruhul Amin and Yeasmin Rahman and fish farmers Rawshan Ali Bachhu and Abdul Wahab addressed the meeting as resource persons.

Taking part in the open discussion, most of the farmers said, due attention should be given on adequate supply of the need-based inputs especially chemical fertilisers for the sake of attaining the fish production target.

They said that they are facing acute fertiliser crisis at present. If the crisis is not met as early as possible, they said, the production would be hampered at a greater extent. In this context, they said, fertilisers are very essential for growing aquatic vegetations for the culture fishes.

Thousand bottles of phensidyl smuggled to Barisal each week

Our Correspondent, Barisal

About thousand bottles of Phensidyl are brought to Barisal city each week. It was disclosed by one Kamruzzaman alias Kamrul who was arrested by RAB recently with one hundred and six bottles of Phensidyl. Kamrul was brought to remand for three days by police.

Kamrul was arrested by RAB members at night from Kashipur area of Barisal city. Three other companions of Kamrul however managed to escape Kazi Nurul Islam QAO of RAB filed a case as complainant under Section 25 (kha) of Special Powers Act of 1974 where in Kamrul and 3 others Biplob, Jashim Majhi and Pijush of Bhat, thana road, were impleded as accused.

I.O. of the case Shahidul Islam prayed for five days remand but the court granted remand for 3 days. Brought on remand Kamrul divulged many important information. It was known that Kamrul Biplob, Jashim and Pijush formed a huge syndicate which used to bring about a thousand of bottles of Phensidyl to Barisal city every week. More than 1500 bottles are brought from across the border by microbus, out of which thousand bottles are brought to Barisal city. It is further learnt that syndicate is yet active inspite of arrest of Kamrul. Among the lot Pijush is an old man at smuggling of phenisdyl and arms and uses his motor cycle, Bajaj Discover (Barisal A 11-25-27) for distributing phensidyl, but being very clever he has managed to erade law and police. According to reliable reports Pijush is till active in Barisal city on his motorbike.

Housewife commits suicide in Gopalganj

Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

One Ratna Begum (20), a housewife committed suicide by taking poison due to failure to give dowry at Karpara village under Gopalganj Sadar Upazila recently.

It is learnt Ratna, daughter of Yousuf Ali, a poor van driver married Hafizur Rahman, son of Rafique Sardar Karpar of village under Gopalganj two years ago and her father gave Taka 25,000/- as dowry.

It is learnt that Ratna's husband Hafizur Rahman and her father- in-law Rafique Sardar gave pressure to Ratna to bring Taka 50,000 as dowry from her father's residence.

But Ratna failed to bring Taka 50,000 from her fathers residence. Her father is a poor van driver. Ratna Begum was eight months pregnant. Hafizur and her father-in-law Rafique Sardar tortured physically for which Ratna Begum drank poison on March 12 in Wednesday Morning and she died Gopalganj Sadar hospital.

AUD case has been registered with Gopalganj PS in this connection.

Interest free loan distributed at Sadullapur

BSS, Gaibandha

Interest free loan was distributed among the people of less income group of Sadullapur Upazila in the district under Risk Reduction Programme on Thursday.

Sadullapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer M Farid Uddin Ahmed formally distributed the cheques in a simple function at the auditorium of the Upazila Parishad as the chief guest. A total of Taka nine lakh was distributed among 132 beneficiaries at Rasulpur and Faridpur Unions of the Upazila each of them received the loan ranging from Taka 5000 to 15,000.

District relief and rehabilitation officer Mrinal Kanti Dey, Upazila Project implementation officer M. Kamrul Ahsan and UP chairman, local elite were present on the occasion. The loan will be utilised for micro business, goat rearing and other income generating activities so that they cam change their livelihoods.

The loan will be paid with in two years and a half.

Over one lakh unfit vehicles ply in Chittagong

BSS, Chittagong

A total of 1, 19,031, out of 1,56,023, different registered vehicles are plying greater Chittagong region without valid documents particularly fitness.

Officials of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said, of those, about 35 thousand are running in the Chittagong city while rest in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati districts.

Sources said police and BRTA officials seized over 3000 fake licenses in the year 2007 during routine drives. They observed that there are huge quantity of fake licenses in the hands of a section of drivers and vehicle owners.

Apart from causing frequent accidents due to plying of unfit vehicles by unskilled drivers, the government has been depriving from huge chunk of revenues from the sector every year.

On the other hand, vehicle owners and drivers on condition of anonymity told BSS that obtaining or renewing licenses or regularising the other documents are not an easy task as people often face untold sufferings by a section of BRTA officials even submission of all valid papers to this effect. They also alleged that concerned officials do not complete the process timely even after fulfillment all preconditions for obtaining fresh licenses or renewing necessary documents showing various faults for having money as bribe for the job.

Talking to BSS, drivers and owners of vehicles complaint that a gang of brokers are involved in processing fake driving license, fitness certificates, tax-tokens and other documents in cooperation with some dishonest BRTA officials.

"Drivers and owners are compelled to take help of the brokers in obtaining driving licenses and having renewal of other documents due to harassment by the BRTA officials" a number of the sufferers alleged.

Sagir Ahmed, a businessman alleged that he went to BRTA officer directly with all necessary valid papers required for updating fitness certificates of his car and his driving license in February last but he failed to complete the process after repeated attempts due to non-cooperative attitude from the officials concerned who showed him various frail reasons.

Finding no ways, he sought help from a broker who assured him of doing the job within short time on condition of paying some extra money. "I agreed with his proposal and surprisingly the things were done within couple of days by the broker" he said.

News Briefs

Bangladeshi killed in BSF fire

Sherpur, Mar 15: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) gunned down a Bangladeshi national at Kharamura frontier in Sribordi upazila early Saturday. The victim was identified as Marak Sangma, 35. BDR sources said BSF troops opened fire on Sangma near main pillar no.1098 of the border, at about 12:45am while he was collecting firewood, leaving him dead on the spot. BDR sent a letter to their Indian counterparts protesting the incident, reports UNB.

Boy killed in road accident

Sylhet, Mar 15: A minor boy was killed in a road accident at Umanpur village in Jointapur upazila on Friday. The dead was identified as Sufian, 8, son of Furkan Ali of Hamu Dattapara village in the upazila. Police and witnesses said the accident occurred at noon as a taxicab ran over Sufian when he was crossing the road with his mother. He died on the spot. Police seized the taxicab but its driver managed to flee. A case was filed, reports UNB.

One killed in B'baria clash

Brahmanbaria, Mar 15: A man was killed and 20 other were injured in a fierce clash between two rival groups at Urkhulia village in Nabinagar upazila Friday morning. Local people said an altercation took place between Shah Alam, son of Nurul Islam of the village, and his co-villager Anwar on Wednesday over fishing in a disputed pond in the area. Following the altercation, supporters of Shah Alam and Nurul Islam, equipped with lethal weapons attacked each other at about 11:30am triggering the bloody clash that left 21 people injured from both sides, report UNB.

Farmer killed

Nilphamari, Mar 15: A farmer was killed and two others were injured in a bloody clash at Ranachandni Dakkhinpara village in Kishoreganj upazila here Friday noon. The dead was identified as Bishadu Mahmud, son of Abbas Ali of the village. Police said Bishadu locked into an altercation with his neighbour Rashidul Islam for blocking his irrigation canal. At one stage Rashidul and his supporters attacked on Bishadu with sharp weapons and sticks, leaving him dead on the spot injuring two others, reports UNB.

College student electrocuted in Jessore

Jessore, Mar 15: A college student was electrocuted at Bhogti village in Keshabpur upazila here on Friday. The dead was identified as Belal Hossain, 17, son of Moser Ali Sardar and also a student of a local college. Police said Belal came in contact with a live electric wire as he touched it mistakenly while talking to his father standing beside it, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to the local health complex where the attending doctors declared him dead, reports UNB.

Eight houses gutted

Comilla, Mar 15 (unb) - Eight houses were gutted when a devastating fire broke out at Chandishkar village in Chouddagram upazila early Friday. Local people said the blaze originated from the kitchen of Ali Hossain Miaji at about 1:30am and soon engulfed seven other adjoining houses burning down the valuables of four families. Later, fire fighters on information, rushed to the spot and put out the blaze after one and half-hours of frantic efforts with the help of local people, reports UNB.

Indian cloths seized

Comilla, Mar 15: BDR jawans seized huge Indian cloths worth about Tk 1.8 crore at Paduabazar in Adarsha Sadar upazila early Friday. Acting on secret information, a team of BDR 33-rifles battalion conducted the drive at the bazar and recovered 12,722 pieces of sari, 12,547 three pieces and 1,547 other cloths while being smuggled from India. The seized cloths were deposited to local customs office, reports UNB.

UP chairman arrested in Rajbari

Rajbari, Mar 15: A UP chairman was arrested for cheating in weight while distributing rice under Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) programme at Habaspur union in Pangsha upazila on Wednesday. The arrested Chairman of Habaspur Union Abdul Alim, however, fell sick on the following day of his arrest and was sent to BSMMU in Dhaka. Official sources said Abdul Alim withdrew 4,710 kgs of government rice from the government godown for distribution among 157 distressed people under the VGD programme on Tuesday. He distributed 23 to 27 kgs of rice to each instead of 30 kgs. After receiving the complaint, Joint Forces arrested him along with 200 kgs of rice and handed him over to the police. Pangsha Upazila Project Implementation officer filed a case in this connection on Wednesday night, reports UNB.

Four held with phensidyl

Naogaon, Mar 15: Police in separate drives arrested four drug peddlers and recovered 250 bottles of Indian phensidyl syrup from Sadar and Manda Upazilas on Friday. Acting on secret information, police raided Manda ferry ghat area and arrested drug peddlers Habibur Rahman, 22, Quaiyum Ali, 28, Abu Jahin alias Sona, 47 along with the contraband drug. Later, following their confessional statement police arrested gang leader Rafiqul Islam alias Manju, 40, from bus stand area in the town. A case was filed, reports UNB.