The New Nation - Internet Edition

Boro cultivation faces setback due to leaf blight disease in Barisal

Tapan Chakrabarty, Barisal

Boro cultivators of Agailjhara and Gournadi Upazilas of Barisal district are facing a serious problem as disease like Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) and Bacterial Leaf streak (BLS) are quickly spreading in Boro paddy-fields. These diseases have spread in hundreds of acres of Boro paddy-field and the growers have panicked. Sidr has spoiled the previous paddy cultivation and this time it would practically be all over for them if they fail to reap the Boro harvest. Peasants of these two upazilas have invested almost everything including money taken on loan and now while the harvest is almost near this new problem has struck. Jahangir Howladar of Diashur village, who is an Irri Block Manager and is a Boro cultivator expressed great disappointment as Boro paddy on his 3 bighas of land are drying out due to BLB disease. The disease has also attacked Boro paddy of Surai Khalifa. Abu Akon of the same village. Even Irri block of Rajihar village of Agailjhara have been attacked by BLB and BLS. Peasants like Shukder Bepari, Diten Mistry, Monju Haldar informed that BLB has spread vickly after rain a few days ago. No preventive medicine or chemicals has been of any help. Assistant Agricultural Officer of Agailjhara Md Khalilur Rahman informed that stormy weather, excessive use of urea, lesser use of potash fertiliser are reasons for such disease. Medicine like Hinosan should be applied against such disease. But Hinosan is not available in market. He advised use of 6 kg potash fertiliser per bigha of land. This year Boro has been cultivated on seven thousand five hundred hectares of land in Gournadi and on eleven thousand hectares of land in Agailjhara Upazila. But the farmers are uncertain about reaping the harvest due to BLB and BLS.

Newsman killed in road mishap

Our Correspondent, Muktagacha

Destiny Correspondent was skilled and Jai Jai Din Correspondent was injured when a motor cycle collided with a truck on Mymensingh-Tangail highway at Bachukhali under Muktagacha Upazila here on Sunday.

Sub-Inspector Nobi Hossain and witnesses said Sorisabari bound motorcycle rider was coming from Mymensingh.

The dead was identified as Khorshed Alam Mukul (35), son of Musarrof Hossain, Destiny Correspondent of village Maijbari under Sarisabari thana of Jamalpur district. The injured motorcycle rider Zakaria (37), Jai Jai Din Correspondent, Sorisabari was admitted to Muktagacha Health Complex.

Motivation rally for voter list held in Rangpur

Our Correspondent, Rangpur

A grand rally for motivation of the people to become voter was held at the Mithaputhur upazila headquarters in Rangpur recently.

Nearly 25,000 people attended the rally. The activists of different political parties and professional groups also attended the rally.

A two-hour long march was also organised on the occasion. It was followed by a discussion on the preparation of voter last.

Call to stop sluice

gate construction

on Kalakhali

Canal in Pirojpur

Our Correspondent, Pirojpur

People of Kalakhali Union under Pirojpur Sadar Upazilla strongly protested the decision over constructing sluice gate in four canals of the Union.

If the Sluice Gates are constructed, the cultivation of coconut, betelnut and other crops will be hampered seriously, the locals said in a protest meeting at Rajarkathi High School premises.

Md. Maniruzzaman and Asit Baran Biswas, leader of Anti-Sluice Gate Construction Committee assured the local people that any how they would stop the construction. Executive Engineer of the Pirojpur Water Development Board told the locals to indulge over law.

A vested quarter also threatened the Anti-sluice Gate Construction Committee to file extortion case against them.

World Health Day

observed in

Gopalganj

Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

The World Health Day 2008 was observed in Gopalganj with befiting manner in Gopalganj on April 7 last.

The programmes of the day including inaugurating function, colourfull rally, discussion meeting and health affairs film show.

The programmes of the World Health Day 2008 was inaugurated by Mahamud Hossain, ADM, Gopalganj, at Gopalganj district Shilpakala Academy premises at 900 AM. After inaugurating they brought out a colourfull rally from Gopalganj district Shilpakala Academy premisess at 9-30 AM and paraded through main roads of the Gopalganj town.

Annual sports of Panchagarh Govt Girls High School held

Our Correspondent, Panchagarh

The annual sports and cultural function of Panchagarh Govt. Girl's High School was held on March 19. Deputy Commissioner Md. Hafiz Uddin formally opened the sports competition as the Chief Guest. While District Education Officer Md. Akhtaruzzaman as the Special Guest. The function was presided over by Lutfa Begum, Head Teacher, Panchgarh Govt Girl's High School. The function was also addressed among others by Assistant Teacher Maolana Mohamed Ali, Ferdows Ara, Abu Taleb, Rasida Khatun. Later Deputy Commissioner's wife Mrs. Fatema Hafiz distributed prizes among the winners.

Declaration of two weeklies in Rangamati cancelled

BSS, Rangamati

The authority concerned cancelled district following non-publication of the newspapers for long official sources said.

The newspapers are the Saptahik Banabhumi and the Saptahik Parbotiyo Bangla.

The declaration of the two weeklies were cancelled under the printing and publicaiton act, 1973 as these are not been published for long.

News Briefs

Wife killed by husband in

Mymensingh

Mymensingh, Apr 5: A housewife was accidentally killed by her husband at Dhamsur village in Bhaluka upazila Friday morning. Police said Ruhul Amin at one stage of altercation with his uncles Hanif and Manik over a land dispute tried to hit them with a sharp weapon but missing the target the weapon hit his wife Sakina, 30, accidentally who was standing beside them. She died on the spot. In another incident, three-year-old Sabbir Hossain, who was in the lap of his mother, was injured after he was hit by a brick during a clash between two rival groups at Charipara village in Muktagachha upazila on Tuesday, reports UNB.

Body recovered

Narayanganj, Apr 5: Body of an old man was recovered from a ditch at Chatlar Math area under Fatulla thana on Friday. The deceased was identified as Abdus Sattar, 55. On information by local people, police recovered the body that bore some injury marks and sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy. UNB Bhairab correspondent adds: Body of a rickshaw- puller was recovered from Moheshpur village in Poura area on Friday. Sources said Mozibur Rahman, 30, went out of his house with his rickshaw on Tuesday afternoon and remained missing. Later, local people found the body in a paddy field in the area on Friday afternoon, reports UNB.

Sarbahara leader gets 10-yr RI

Barisal, Apr 5 (UNB): A court here on Thursday sentenced a leader of outlawed Sarbahara Party to 10 years rigorous imprisonment under Arms Act. The convict was identified as M Imam Hossain Sikdar, a Sarbahara leader of Aduna village in Gournadi upazila. After examining eight witnesses, Joint District and Sessions Judge-1 Wahiduddin Sikdar handed down the verdict in the crowded courtroom. According to the prosecution, Rapid Action Battalion, acting on a tip off, arrested Imam Hossain from Dhaka on July 12, 2005 and as per his confessional statement, a shotgun and a sharp weapon were recovered from his village home, reports UNB.

5 drug peddlers arrested

Brahmanbaria, April 8: Police arrested five drug peddlers with 13 kg ganja from different places under Koshba upazila of the district on Monday. Police said the arrested persons were identified as abdul Quddus, 26, Monir Hossain, 35, Abdul Karim, 54, Jamal Mia, 50 and Shafique Mia, 40, reports UNB.

Land official suspended

Sirajganj, April 8: A land official has been suspended for his alleged involvement in illegally leasing out a piece of land at Ullapara in the district recently. The suspended official was identified as Abdul Latif, assistant land officer of Hatikumrul union under Ullapara Upazila. Additional deputy commissioner (Revenue) of the district issued his suspension order on Sunday, reports UNB.

Opinion sharing meet held

Bogra, April 8: A views exchange meeting between police and journalists was held in the district on Monday. Superintendent of police Akram Hossain organised the meeting attended by Additional SP Mainul Rahman and journalists, among others. They discussed law and order situation in the district. The SP sought journalists' cooperation in improving law and order, reports UNB.