The New Nation - Internet Edition

Eid-e-Miladunnabi observed in dists

BSS, Rajbari

The holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi was observed on Friday in the district with due religion fervour and solemnity.

Different religious and socio-cultural organisations observed the day through elaborate programmes, including discussions, essay competition and cultural events.

District administration, Rajbari Islamic Foundation and Asma Memorial Trust, Baliakandi jointly arranged such a programme at Rajbari Zila Shilpokola Academy in the afternoon of the day.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Mahfuzur Rahman attended the function as chief guest with Deputy Director of Islamic Foundation of Rajbari unit SM Akram Hossain in the chair.The function was addressed, among others, by Prof Shajahan Ali, Mawlana Aawabullah, Mawlana Abul Ershad Serajum Munir and Dr Serajul Islam.

Another Waaz mahfil was also held at Rajbari Zila School ground organised by Furfura Sharif Peer of Rajbari Unit on Saturday evening.

Mawlana Nurul Alam presided over the function.

BSS Rangpur adds: The holy religious occasion of Eid-e-Miladunnabi, the birth and death anniversary of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM), was celebrated in the district as elsewhere in the Muslim world with due respect and religious fervour on Friday.

Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh (IFB) organized several discussion meetings on the occasion in its auditorium, RCCI High School and College and Amashu High School and Mulatol Alia Madrasha auditoriums.

Deputy Director Abul Kalam chaired the main discussion meeting held in IFB auditorium and Deputy Commissioner Khondker Atiar Rahman as chief guest.

Nor'wester causes huge damage in Gaibandha

Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

Nor'wester lashed 4 unions of Sadullapur Upazila in the district on Friday night at about 7.30 PM leaving a trail of destruction of dwelling houses and standing crops.

Sources said, the affected unions are Rasulpur, Kamarpara, Damodarpur and Faridpur.

More than two thousand katcha and thatched houses were razed to the ground and the standing crops, particularly maize and vegetables, on yard and land were damaged.

A large number of trees fell on the roads during the storm. The storm also broke branches of many fruit bearing trees causing a loss of fruit.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abu Mohammad Yosuf visited the affected areas Niamat Nagar, Mohisbandi, Chhandiapur, Mirpur and Tarafphazil of the Upazila on Saturday morning. The DC also assured the storm affected people to give all kinds of help and assistance from the government. ADC (General) Abul Bayes Miah and UNO of the upazila Farid Uddin Ahmed were also present on the occasion.

Sources said, a cash Tk. 30,000 and 6 metric tonnes of rice have been distributed among the victims of the areas on urgent basis by the District Administration.

150 houses gutted in Chittagong

BSS, Chittagong

Over 150 semi pucca and thatched houses were burnt to ashes in a devastating fire in the slums of Jelepara of Shitalpur under Sitakund Upazila in the district on Saturday.

Fire Brigade sources said valuables worth over Taka 30 lakh were destroyed while the fire fighters saved property valued at about 50 lakh.

The fire, which originated from an oven of a kitchen of a house at about 11.50 AM, was extinguished at 2.30 PM by the Fire Service workers with support from the local people, they added.

Bumper wheat production likely in N-region

BSS, Rangpur

Farmers of the northern region are expecting a bumper production of wheat this year as they have already started harvesting the crop after achieving farming target for the first time in a decade, farmers and officials said.

Because of the special steps taken by the government including motivational campaign and post-flood agri- rehabilitation programme, the farmers were encouraged in wheat farming and they were provided training and quality wheat seeds, fertilizers and other necessary inputs this year. Officials concerned told BSS today that the farming target was achieved for the first time this season in a decade as the growers cultivated wheat on their lands and in the vast char areas in the river basins and the crop grew well everywhere due to favourable weather.

The farmers started harvesting the ripe crop everywhere in the region and the yield rate at this early harvesting stage is very satisfactory that predicts a bumper production of the important crop.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) had fixed a target of producing 4,69,220 tonnes of wheat from 2,22,962 hectares of land and the farmers have cultivated the same in 2,17,733 hectares, which is only 5,229 hectares less than the fixed target during this season.

DAE sources said a target of producing 2,33,600 tonnes wheat from 1,10,762 hectares was fixed in eight districts under Rangpur Agriculture Zone where the farmer have cultivated the crop in 1,10,400 hectares this season.

On the other hand, the farmers have cultivated the crop in 1,07,330 hectares against a production target of 2,35,620 tonnes from 1,12,200 hectares in another eight districts under Rajshahi Agriculture Zone this time.

Besides, the landless, small and marginal farmers have cultivated wheat in vast tract of the sandy char lands in the river basins this time that will add to the overall production of the crop to achieve the fixed production target.

The sources said the departments concerned including the DAE, the Armed Forces, BADC, BARI and many NGOs, had taken special steps to make the wheat-farming programme a success.

The DAE-fixed target of producing the wheat in the region could not be achieved during the past one decade due to various reasons, including diversification of crop farming and less interest of farmers in wheat farming.

Deputy Director of DAE, Rangpur Kamal Shariful Alam told BSS that harvesting of wheat has already begun in Rangpur and other northern districts and it will continue till mid-April.

Congenial atmosphere to spread civic education underscored

Our Correspondent, Comilla

A twelve-day long civic education programme for the students concluded in Comilla on Wednesday under the program 'Institutionalising Democracy in Bangladesh: Civic Education Program for the High School and Madrasa Students.'

One thousand five hundred students from twenty institutions representing class eight to ten received school bags and different materials on civic education through the program. Change Makers, a civic education and human rights organization ran the program supported by the American Center, US Embassy, Dhaka.

The program was inaugurated by noted social worker and Ekushey Padak winner Dr Zobaida Hannan at the Nawab Fayjunnesa Govt. Girls' High School while senior citizens, teachers, journalists, legal professionals, doctors and religious leaders attended as guest speakers at different institutions. Change Makers' president advocate Tanbir ul Islam Siddiqui moderated the programs.

Aim of the programme is to influence the society to spread civic education as an important step towards institutionalizing democracy in the country with the objectives to demonstrate the impact and usefulness of civic education on young citizens, develop students' knowledge about civic life and shape character and commitments and help to create an atmosphere for taking nationwide civic education program.

Among other issues, constitution of the people's republic of Bangladesh, fundamental rights, state of emergency, human rights, civic duties, national parliament, corruption, terrorism as a global threat, human trafficking etc. were discussed with the students. Later, the guests received questions from the students on the above mention subjects.

Call to protect water resources from degradation

BSS, Rajshahi

Speakers at a symposium here on Saturday underscored the need for taking an effective and urgent step to protect the existing water resources in the region particularly in its vast tract of Barind area from all sorts of destructions.

They also laid stress on proper management of the existing water resources to protect the country from ecological degradation for the sake of safeguarding the ecological balance along with survival of all living beings.

They were addressing the symposium titled "Overall Sanitation in Ensuring Sound Live" held at the City Bhaban.

Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) in joint collaboration with World Health Organisation and Unicef arranged the programme in observance of the World Water Day. Mayor-in-charge of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Rejaunnabi Dudu, Chief Executive Officer Korban Ali, Civil Surgeon Dr Sazedul Karim and DPHE Executive Engineer Saifur Rahman addressed the meeting as focal persons with DPHE Superintending Engineer Abul Bashar in the chair.

Divisional Coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) Sayeed Ahmed Kabir, District Project Coordinator of DPHE Moniruzzaman and NGO leader Raihan Ali took part in the open discussion, among others.

Highlighting the importance of the major rivers and their tributaries for defending environmental balance along with maintaining a sound biodiversity and aquatic vegetation speakers observed that normal flow of the rivers have a vital role in recharging the groundwater table that is being destroyed gradually.

Likewise, they referred to various forms of pollution of water and its contamination and noted that effective measures should be taken against water and environment pollutions on an emergency basis. Due attention should be given on using surface water for irrigation purposes to lessen the pressure on ground water. Terming the unabated use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides in the cultivation lands and industrial, solid and clinical wastes as harmful for living beings they favored for enforcing the organizations and the persons concerned to follow the government's policies in this regard. They also underscored the need for creating awareness on water and sanitation among children through primary education and said, steps should be taken to protect the existing water resources from pollution and other endangering condition.

The participants advocated for building an effective programme for coordination among the experts and the government and non- government organization concerned so they could put in their best and concerted efforts to formulate a time fitting plan for proper water resource management.

Drug-peddlers held, arms, drug seized in Rajshahi

BSS, Rajshahi

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-5 arrested four alleged drug-peddlers and seized a firearms, phensidyl and ganja from various places in three northern districts recently.

On a tip-off, a team of the elite force conducted a sudden raid at Terakhadia under Boalia Police Station in Rajshahi city and seized a shooter gun. However, none could be arrested in this connection.

In another sudden raid at Yousufpur under Puthiya Upazila of Rajshahi district, a RAB team seized a taxi-car and recovered 472 bottles of phensidyl after searching the vehicle and arrested two persons, including the driver of the car. They were identified as Jakir Hossain, 30, and Saidur Rahman, 24.

They arrested two other drug-peddlers identified as Abdul Matin, 42, and Jamal Uddin, 27, and seized 164 bottles of phensidyl and one kilogram of ganja during four separate drives at various places in Rajshahi, Rangpur and Joypurhat districts.

The arrested and the seized goods were handed over to the concerned police stations after recording separate cases.

Voter listing completes in Mymensingh

BSS, Mymensingh

The work on preparing a fresh voter list with photographs and national identity cards (NIDs) is going on in full swing in Mymensingh district.

District election office sources said the voter listing in six upazilas of the district out of the total 12 has already been completed.

The upazilas where voter listing has been completed are Mymensingh Sadar, Muktagacha, Phulpur, Trishal, Bhaluka, Gaffargaon.

The sources said a three-day training programme for the concerned officials began in Gouripur Upazila today.

News Briefs

Agri fair

CHANDPUR, Mar 24: A three-day long agricultural fair will begin from March 22 at Chandpur Hasan Ali High School ground. Joint Agricultural Secretary Fakhrul Ahsan will inaugurate the fair. About one hundred stalls from eight Upazilas of the district will participate in the fair, reports BSS.

Current nets seized in Chandpur

CHANDPUR, Mar 24: The Coast Guard seized 3.40 lakh metres of current nets worth Taka two crore being used by the fishermen catching Jhatka in the river Meghna on Tuesday. They raided at Haimchar, Nilkamal, Shatnal areas of the river and seized the current nets, a number of boats and 200 tonnes of Jhatka from the fishermen. The current nets were set on fire on the bank of the river in front of the public, reports BSS.

Book fair in Comilla

COMILLA, March 24: A week-long book fair inaugurated here with a call to read more book for enriching knowledge. The fair began at local Shilpakala Academy auditorium on Thursday. Deputy Commissioner Monzurur Rahman inaugurated the fair as a chief guest. A total of 30 stalls have been set up in the fair, reports BSS.

Workshop on post literacy

CHAPAINAWABGANJ, March 24: A day-long workshop on 'Post literacy and continuous education for human development' was held at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner here on Thursday. Informal Education Bureau and Ministry of Primary and Mass Education organised the workshop with Deputy Commissioner Sirajul Hoque Khan in the chair. Director General of the bureau Rafiquzzaman and Project Director Zayedul Hoque Molla were present as chief guest and special guest respectively, reports BSS.