The New Nation - Internet Edition

Wheat field being destroyed by rats in Madaripur

Our Correspondent, Madaripur

Cultivators of wheat of the district are expressing their helplessness as their crops are being eaten up by rats.

They are helpless before the devastating tiny animals. Two floods engulfed paddy, jute and sugarcane last year, in the November of the same year Sidr destroyed 'koloi, mushoori and paddy field.

A farmer Eskander of Krishnanagar village under Kalkini Upazila of the district said that former managed a loan of Taka ten thousand from Krishi Bank to cultivate wheat but rats are cutting his crops. How could he repay his borrowed money with nuisance interest, if such devastating nuisance is going on, he told.

According to the Agriculture Extension Department source, 850 hectares of land have, been brought under Wheat cultivation which is 240 hectares more than the target. Most of the farmers have become dependent on wheat after the destruction of other crops like jute, paddy, sugarcane, koloi, mushuri by two devastating natural calamities last year, Agriculture Extension Department source said.

A wheat farmer Belal Bepari of Madaripur Sadar said that he had brought 60 of his total land under wheat cultivation as the price of flour is higher than rice. But he expressed his disappointment as most of the wheat plants have already been destroyed by rats. Another farmer Abdul Wazed Bepari said that he earned lot of money by selling wheat last year, So he cultivated wheat this year with a great hope but the devastating rats shattered his hopes.

The above farmers expect that government would come forward to prevent the nuisance of the rats.

DAE receives Tk 93 lakh govt allocation for aus, betel leaf cultivators in Jhalakati

UNB, Jhalakati

Local office of the Department of Agricultural Extension has received Tk 93 lakh government allocation for rehabilitating the cyclone-affected aus paddy and betel leaf cultivators of the district.

Of the total, seeds and fertilizer worth Tk 70.50 lakh will be distributed among 7,500 aus paddy cultivators while Tk 22.50 lakh in cash among 750 farmers for betel-leaf cultivation.

Each aus cultivator will receive five kgs of seeds and 33 kgs fertilizer for their cultivation on per bigha of land.

DAE sources said that farmers have set a target to bring 23,380 hectares land under aus cultivation this season with an output target of 35,815 mts.

But as the department has received the allocation, they have decided to bring 24,380 hectares under aus cultivation exceeding their target and are expecting to produce 2,450 mts aus paddy more from the extended land.

The seeds and fertilizer and cash will be distributed among the farmers on the basis of the upazila-level list prepared by the Agriculture Department.

Early marriage foiled in Gobindaganj

BSS, Gaibandha

Upazila administrations and union parishad with the help of classmates foiled a marriage ceremony of an under aged girl at Kochmordan Baraipara village under Gumariganj Union of Gobindaganj upazila in the district on Saturday last.

Administration sources said the marriage of Amena Khatun, 14, daughter of Aminul Islam of the village and a student of Pargayra Girls' High School was fixed with another minor boy Matiur Rahman, 16, son of Sekender Ali of Bara Sohagi village under Fulbari Union of the upazila in the district on Saturday.

All preparations were also taken to complete the occasion.

Being informed by her classmates UNO of the upazila Kabir Al-Asad with OC of the thana AKM Mosaraf Hossain and local UP chairman Faruque Kabir Ahmed rushed to the spot and stopped the marriage of the minor girl with the teenage boy to save their future.

Later, the UNO successfully convinced parents of both sides to refrain from giving the early marriage and also briefed them about bad effects of the child marriage.

The local people became very happy for the initiative taken by UNO and OC in saving two children from the curse of early marriage.

1.39 lakh shrimp enclosures brought under registration in five southern districts

UNB, Bagerhat

Some 1,39,206 shrimp enclosures have, so far, been brought under registration in five districts of the southern region.

After the registration, shrimp cultivation is going on in full swing on 1,83,304 hectares in Bagerhat, Khulna, Jessore, Satkhira and Narail districts.

Of the total, 46,499 enclosures were registered in Bagerhat, 47,084 in Khulna, 25,730 in Satkhira, 15,008 in Jessore and 4,885 enclosures in Narail.

Deputy Director of Khulna Divisional Fisheries Department Joydeb Kumar Biswas said the government made registration of the shrimp enclosures mandatory in 2007 after a European Union delegation, while visiting the country's shrimp enclosures, suggested for it to maintain quality of shrimps.

Official sources said different foreign countries rejected a number of consignments of shrimps several times due to its low quality.

It was not impossible to find out the enclosures from which the low quality shrimps were exported but after registration, it has become easier now, the sources said.

At present, there are 32,000 shrimp depots in different places in the region, officials said. According to the Khulna Shrimp Quality Control office, farmers of the region earned foreign currencies worth Tk 23 crore by exporting 40,000 mts of shrimp abroad during the last fiscal year.

International Women's Day observed in Rangpur

Our Correspondent, Rangpur

International Women's Day was observed in a befitting manner in the district on March 8.

Different government and non-government, socio cultural organisations and civil society bodies observed the day by organising various programmes to mark the day.

A discussion was held in the morning. District Administration, Zila Department of District Women's Affairs and Jatiyo Mohila Sangstha jointly organised the discussion.

Khandkar Atiur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur was present at the function as the chief guest while Sanag Sabrika Doctor Hagara Khatun as special guest. District Mohila officer Samim Araa Begum presided over the function.

The programme was addressed among others, by Bagum Rokeya foram Savanatry Marhamatunasa Ad. M.A Basartipur.

Discussion on 'Kidney Day' held in Manikganj

Following the key massage "Amazing Kidney" World Kidnesy Day was observed allover the world on March 13, 2008. Grameen Kalyan (A peer organisation of Grameen family) organised a rally and followed by discussion meeting among with its local beneficiaries/service recipients and staffs involved with these interventions at rural levels, says a pres release.

GK also published a book for awareness building on Kidney disease and its prevention, which has been distributed among the people as an education material that would be useful in their daily life as a tool of preventive measure in protecting Kidney.

The importance of the world Kidney Day has been discussed over several local meetings. A grand rally organised under the leadership of Sheikh Abdud Daiyan Managing Director, Grameen Kalyan, through the participation of mass people at Singair Upazila, Manikgonj. Tajbinur Rahman DGM, Abu Nayem Shaju Regional Manager, Abul Kalam Azad Sr. Manager, Md Nazimuddin Manager also participated at the meeting.

Mother, daughter receive acid burn injuries

Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

A woman and her daughter became victims of acid violence at Jalirpar under Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj district on Friday last. (Milon Rani Biswas (45) and her daughter Laxmi Rani Biswas (23) got severe acid burn injuries on the facets as their neighbour Tulu Biswas threw acid on them at about 10 PM on Frday Police said, adding that the incident occuned as sequel to previous enmity.

The victims got admitted to Rajair upazila health complex.

A case has been registered with Muksudpur P.S. in this connection.

News Briefs

Young man killed in Sirajganj

Sirajganj, Mar 18: A young man was strangulated to death by unidentified miscreants at Rampatti village in Enayetpur upazila early Tuesday. On information, police recovered the body of Bellal Hossain, 23, son of Haider Ali from his room this morning and sent it to the Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. Police said that he might have been killed following a land dispute. A case was filed in this connection, reports UNB.

Husband goes to gallows for killing

wife in Dinajpur

Dinajpur, Mar 18: A man was convicted and sentenced to death by a special court here on Tuesday for killing his wife for dowry in 2004. The condemned convict is Jatish Chandra Roy, son of Bhromor Chandra Roy of Mahadevpur village in Birganj upazila. According to the prosecution, Jatish had used to torture his wife Moyna Rani, daughter of Chakradhar Roy of Sundarighat village in the same upazila, for dowry since their marriage. At the fateful night of March 14, 2004, Jatish tortured Moyna to death as she refused to meet his demand. After the incident, victim's father filed a murder case against six people, including son-in-law Jatish, with Birganj thana. After examining records and witnesses, Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Badsha Alamgir found Jatish guilty and pronounced the verdict. The court, however, acquitted five others as their guilt was not proved.

Girl burnt to death in Sylhet

Sylhet, Mar 18: A little girl who received serious burn injuries in a fire incident at Najirgon village in Companiganj upazila five days ago died at a hospital here Sunday. The victim is Fatema Begum,8, daughter of Sirajuddin of Najirgon village of Companiganj upazila. Sources said Fatema was injured seriously as a fire broke out from a lamp in her house on March 11. She was rushed to Osmani Medical College Hospital where she succumbed Sunday, reports UNB.

One killed in road mishap

Keraniganj, Mar 18: An elderly woman was killed and two people were injured in a road accident at Abdullahpur area here on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Ayesha Begum, 60, wife of Abdul Majid of the area. Local sources said a Dohar-bound bus from Dhaka ploughed through a rickshaw at about 8:30am and then ran over pedestrian Ayesha, killing her on the spot. Rickshaw-puller Hamid and its passenger Abdul Jabbar were also injured in the accident. They were admitted to a local clinic.

Madrasah student dies after falling from rooftop in Barisal

Barisal, Mar 17: A madrasah student, sustained injuries on Sunday, died at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital on Monday night. The dead was identified as Kabir Hossain, 17, son of Mofizul Islam. He was a dakhil examinee of Patarhat Senior Madrasah. Family sources said Kabir alongwith his friends were gossiping on the rooftop of three-storied laboratory building of Patarhat RC College building on Sunday afternoon. Suddenly, Kabir fell from the rooftop onto the ground, leaving him seriously injured. Kabir was immediately rushed to Barisal SBMCH in critical condition where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday night, reports UNB.

Arms trader arrested in Faridpur

Faridpur, Mar 18: An arms trader was arrested along with two revolvers and four magazines from a bus at Kanaipur in the town Sunday. The arrested man is Shahidul Islam, son of Mohammad Mozammel Haq of Benapole in Sharsha upazila of Jessore district. Acting on a tip-off, a RAB team raided a Dhaka-bound bus of Hanif Paribahan from Benapole and arrested Shahidul along with two foreign revolvers and four magazines, reports UNB.