The New Nation - Internet Edition

OMS dealer, two others held for selling rice in black market

UNB, Barisal

Rapid Action Battalion members arrested a dealer along with his two accomplices from Bhatar Khal in the city for selling OMS rice in the black market on Tuesday morning.

Acting on a tip off, a team of RAB-8 arrested dealer Kabir Hossain, also a local BNP leader, after they found three sacks of rice, out of 21, missing from his store.

On interrogation, he confessed that he had sold the rice in the black market with the help of Siraj and Jasim.

The three arrested were handed over to the police. A case was filed.

Another report from Brahmanbaria adds: Three people, including an OMS dealer, were arrested from Sadar upazila on the same charge on Tuesday.

The arrested were identified as dealer Mojibur Rahman and his accomplices Kausar and Abdul Awal.

1.3 kg heroin seized in C'nawabganj

UNB, Chapainawabganj

BDR jawans, in separate drives in different frontier areas of the district, seized 1.3kg heroin and other Indian contraband items on Tuesday night.

Acting on a tip off, BDR members of Diar Manikchar outpost in Sadar upazila chased two smugglers when they entered into Bangladesh territory through the border at about 9 pm.

Sensing danger, the smugglers fled the scene leaving behind the heroin worth Tk 1.36 crore, BDR sources said.

In other raids BDR teams also seized 285 pieces of India sari from Hakimpur border area, 1542 spare parts of shallow machine from Ekchar and 185 kgs of zinc from Monabosha. None was arrested during the drive.

BDR members deposited the seized goods, including heroin, to their headquarters.

Light quake jolts country

UNB, Dhaka

A light earthquake, measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale, jolted the country early yesterday.

The epicentre of the tremor that was felt at about 01 hours 10 minutes 22 seconds (BST) was about 196 kms South-south east from Agargaon Seismic Centre in Dhaka (Northeast of Rangamati near Bangladesh-India border), said a Met office bulletin.

Gatco case: Probe report against Khaleda on May 11

UNB, Dhaka

The CMM court has further extended the time for submission of investigation report in Gatco scam case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia and set May 11 for it.

The report was scheduled yesterday but the Investigation officer pleaded for extension when the case record was put up to the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani.

Khaleda, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 13 others were accused of corruption in awarding contract to Gatco for handling the Kamalapur Inland Container Terminal.

Arrested in September last year Kaleda was accused in three corruption cases - Gatco, Niko and Baropukuria. But no charge sheet has yet been submitted to the court in any of the cases.

Another report said investigation officer of Anti-Corruption Commission today submitted charge sheet against former minister Barrister Aminul Haq in the case of accumulation of wealth beyond known source of his income amounting to Tk 76.74 lakh.

Metropolitan magistrate Golam Rabbani accepted the charge sheet and sent the record to the Sessions Judge's court for trial.

Fund raising concert for immunization begins tomorrow

UNB, Dhaka

In a noble initiative to helping the children across the world to immunize against the fatal childhood diseases, a fund raising concert will be held at the Winter Garden of Hotel Sheraton on Friday evening.

The Dhaka Sheraton Hotel and the Ntv are jointly organizing the concert in association with Nescafe, Panasonic and Rahimafrooz in relation to the 'Check out for Children' programme for the Unicef.

The organizers informed this at a press conference held at Hotel Sheraton yesterday.

Acting general manager of the hotel Mahfuzur Rahman said 'Check out for children' is a global partnership between Starwood hotels and Resorts and Unicef.

"When checking out of their hotels, Starwood guests are invited to donate US$ 1 or local currency equivalent to the unicef's immunization programme worldwide," Rahman said.

He mentioned that last year Dhaka Sheraton Hotel raised Tk 360,000 for donation.

Unicef chief of Communication Christine Jaulmes described her organization as the world's leading advocate and aid agency in promoting and protecting the rights of the children.

She said over 7,000 unicef staffs in over 150 countries are helping to promote child health, development and survival by providing essential medicines, vaccines, education, health and emergency supplies.

Programme chief of Ntv Mostofa Kamal Syed, head sales of Radiofoorti Ehsan Mahboob and assistant communication manager of Sheraton Jayed Shams Mahbub, among others, were present.

The entrance fee for the concert is fixed at Tk 700 for individual and the tickets will be sold at Sheraton Hotel lobby, organizers said.