The New Nation - Internet Edition

No alternative to quality education for more prosperity: Zillur

BSS, Chittagong

Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman on Saturday said absence of good management and lack of adequate number of teachers are key-challenges in the way of ensuring quality education in the country.

"The government has been working relentlessly with effective reforms and necessary supports to improve the overall state of education," he said adding, "there is no alternative to quality education for more progress and prosperity."

The Adviser said this while addressing as the chief guest the prize giving ceremony of annual sports and cultural competition- 2008 of the Ispahani School and College (ISC) here.

Managing Director of the Ispahani Group of Companies M. Salman Ispahani presided over the function held on the ISC premises with a large number of students, guardians and elite of the city attending it.

Chairman of the Chittagong Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board Dr. Mohammad Yousuf, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) of Chittagong Jafar Ahmed and Principal of ISC Professor Hasina Zakaria, among others, also addressed the function.

The Adviser said massive commercialisation of education at all levels is also a big obstacle in ensuring quality education. "People want quality education but absence of good teachers and standard educational institutions particularly at the secondary and higher secondary levels is a big challenge," he said.

Keeping this in mind, he said, the government is seriously contemplating a drastic reform in the existing teachers' training system to overcome the problems.

In this respect, Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman said providing necessary financial supports and other logical facilities to the teachers is also a prerequisite to achieve coveted results in the education sector.

Referring to various problems arising out of forming and running managing committees of different educational institutions, he said the government is actively thinking about reshaping such bodies in the greater interest of the education sector.

"An order will be issued soon to limit the number of institutions for a government official to become chairman of their managing committees simultaneously," he said. It will also be made mandatory through the order that the meetings of such committees must be held on the premises of respective institutions, not in government offices, he added.

The Adviser urged the richer section of the people to contribute their best in establishing more educational institutions in the country in supplementing the government efforts to improve the quality of education.

Later, he handed over prizes among the winners in various disciplines and attended a cultural function participated by the students of ISC.

Storm kills 3, uproots trees, damage houses in Magura, Rangpur

Our Correspondent, Magura

One person was killed and a large number of dwelling houses were razed in a storm that lashed Magura district on Thursday evening.

The storm also uprooted many fruit-bearing trees.

The victim was identified as Bhim Chandra Biswas of village Akrampara under Sadar upazila of the district. We was caught in the storm while returning home from a local market on bicycle.

At least two persons were injured in the norwester.

A report from our Rangpur Correspondent said, two persons died and 250 people sustained injuries when a severe storm battered Mithapukur and Pirganj upazilas in Rangpur on Monday night.

The two ill-fated persons were identified as Mustima (10) of village Pasgachi and Salina (55) of village Kadinabad.

Emadpur Mirzapur, Balahat and Hazratpur unions under Mithapukur upazila and Birhampur, Paegacy and Tukuria unions under Pirgacha upazila bore the major brunt of the calamity.

The storm also caused extensive damage to standing rice and other crops in the two upazilas.

Govt construction work hampers due to excessive price of materials

BSS, Narsingdi

The construction work of a number of important projects in the district were left half-done due to excessive price of construction materials.

Officials of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Roads and Highways, Public Works Department and Education Engineering Department expressed their frustration on in prices of construction materials in the monthly coordination meeting held last week.

It was said that the price of cement, MS rod, brick, stone chips and sand have increased considerably which is hampering construction work of a number of essential infrastructures in the district.

The price of MS rod has increased by Taka 2000 to 2200 per metric tons and being sold at Taka 62,000 to 65000 per metric ton which was 42,000 to 44,000 per ton three month ago.

Naogaon district Muktijoddah Committee formed

Our Correspondent, Naogaon

A new 101-member Naogaon District Muktijoddha unit has been formed recently at a meeting presided over by Md Mozammel Haq prominent freedom fighter.

Freedom fighters Md Abdul Malek, general secretary of Naogaon district Awami League, former district commander Shafiqul Islam Khan and president of the district Communist Party branch, commander Md Moinul Haq Mukul were elected Convener, joint convener and secretary respectively while AZH Ibrahim Hossian Tara and Abu Daud Masood Reza were made joint secretaries.

The meeting prayed for early recovery of the ailing general secretary Awami league Abdul Jalil who is now undergoing treatment in Singapore.

Agriculture fair held in Kishoreganj

Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj

A one-month-long Industry Trade and Agriculture Fair began from 25th March at Kishoreganj's new stadium. Deputy Commissioner Sultan Ahmed inaugurated the fair. About 125 stalls from the 13 upazilas of the district participated in the fair.

News Briefs

One killed in Sirajganj road mishap

Sirajganj, Mar 29: A boy was killed and 25 people were injured in separate road accidents in the district Saturday morning. Local sources said a bus ran over a boy at Ramgati Moholla in the poura area at about 10:30am. The deceased was identified as Injamul, 13, son of late Dulal in the area. The body was taken to morgue for autopsy. Meanwhile, 25 people were injured as a bus plunged into a roadside ditch at Chala in Ullapara upazila at about 10am. Thirteen of the injured were admitted to Ullapara Health Complex and Sadar Hospital. Of them, condition of four was stated to be critical, hospital sources said, reports UNB.

Ward commissioners held in Bogra

Bogra, Mar 29: Joint forces early Saturday arrested two Ward Commissioners and a district Juba League leader from their residences in the town. The arrested were identified as ward no.8 commissioner and local Jamat-e-Islami leader Ershad Bari, ward no.7 commissioner and BNP town unit leader Delwar Hossain Pashari alias Hiru and District Juba League general secretary Sagar Kumar Roy. Acting on a tip-off, the joint forces raided the houses of Ershad, Delwar and Sagar in the town's Jamilnagar, Sutrapur and Badurtala areas at about 1:30am and arrested them, reports UNB.