The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pahela Baishakh celebrated with much enthusiasm at RU

RU Correspondent

Various departments and cultural organisations of Rajshahi University (RU) celebrated Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla New Year-1415 with much enthusiasm on the campus on Monday.

The programmes were held to mark the country's major traditional event include colorful procession, Baishakhi fair with marchers in masks and traditional dresses rendering folk songs and band music.

Students and teachers of Fine Arts department arranged a colourful procession at 8 am which marched through the whole campus in a mask and traditional dresses rendering folk song including Baisakhi song "Eso Hey Baisakh Eso eso"- Welcome Baisakh, welcome.

Students of the Public Administration and Mass Communication and Journalism Department organized colorful rallies as well as stalls including rural culture, Pithpuli utsab and games of the countryside like Hadudo, Lathi Khela etc in front of the Mass Communication and Journalism dept. at campus celebrating the same. These departments also arranged the daylong program without help any financial supports from any corporate.

The department also arranged a three-day Baishakhi fair and folk song including gamvhira featuring rural cultural at the Charu Chattar on the campus without any financial support of any corporate organization.

The Marketing department and its cultural organization BIBARTAN jointly organized programmes including a band show and folk song at the Business Studies Chatter on the campus.

The Folklore and Philosophy department arranged a Baishakhi fair and cultural programme on the campus celebrating the traditional event. Traditional food items, dress and ornaments putted on display. The Socio cultural organizations of RU also chalked out programmes to marks the day. The mobile phone operator Grameen Phone sponsored the daylong celebration programmes including country's cultural function, Band songs of D-Rock Star, BORTOMAN etc. There also held an art competition among the students of different schools. Group Of Liberal Debaters (GOLD), Central debate organization of RU displayed a Teacher-student humor debate at Dean's complex premises according to maintain it's tradition. There spoke different dept. teacher Prof.Satill Siraj, Azam Santonu , Prof. M. Rabiul Islam ,Prof .Murshida Ferdous Bin Te Habib, Prof.Abul Hasan, Prof.Sahana Shirmain and Dr.Sadekul Arefin Matin on the opposition of students of several dept. on the topic of "Ai Campus Er Pran Chattrora Noi Sikkhokrai".

Prof. M. Shahidullah, chairman of English dept. was the moderator of the debate session.Prof.Azam Santonu , Moderator of GOLD opened the cover of annual souvenir "AURORA" after completing debate session. The central Sangscritik jote organized two-day cultural function at Folklore Chattar.

Biswa sahitto kendro arranged two-day book exhibition at Folklore Chattar on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh.

Badhon and Swajon, two voluntary blood donation organitions, arranged pantha and pitha festival on the campus to welcome 1415.

The Jatiiotabadi me Chattradal (JCD) RU unit organised a two-day long free blood group test and donation program in front of the central Library of RU in association with Sandhani, a blood related organisation.

The Bikalpo Sahitya Sangsad held a discussion and cultural programme on the premises of shaheed Minar on the campus marking the traditional events.

Besides RU, some private university of Rajshahi like Asian University Bangladesh, Northern University, Southern University, University of Information and Technology arranged several of programme like mangu Sovajatra, cultural functions at their own campuses to observe the Pahela Boisakh.

The RU administration took tight security measures for the Pahela Baisakh celebrations.

Farmers urged to increase food production

BSS, Barisal

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Post and Telecommunications Brig. Gen. (retd) MA Malek today said the government has taken various steps to ease availability of seeds, fertilizers, power and agri-inputs for farmers to increase food production in the country.

Referring to the food crisis across the world, he urged farmers to enhance production to tackle the emergency.

The special assistant said this while addressing a view- exchanging meeting with professionals and local elite in the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner here.

Social Welfare Secretary MA Hai Hawlader, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Mohammad Aminul Islam, Deputy Commissioner Manzur-e-Elahi and professionals, among others, addressed the meeting with commissioner of Barisal Division Mohammad Harun Chowdhury in the chair.

The special assistant said the government is giving subsidy in diesel for the farmers besides taking various rehabilitation programs to minimize the damage of natural calamities in the last year, a press release said.

He directed all concerned including the local administration to cooperate farmers for increasing food production. No negligence in this regard will be tolerated, he added.

Three suspected criminals held in Rajshahi

BSS, Rajshahi

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-5, in different anticrime drives, picked up three suspected criminals including a drug-peddler and seized smuggled goods and ganja from different areas in Natore and Dinajpur districts in 24 hours till this afternoon, RAB sources here said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of the elite force conducted a sudden raid to Ekdala area under Natore Sadar Upazila and arrested two persons identified as Monsur Ali, 50, and Khoda Baksha alias Khodezul, 50, and seized huge smuggled goods like sari and panjabee valued at around Taka 6.74 lakh from their possessions.

In another raid conducted to Kanchon Colony area under Kotwali Police Station in Dinajpur district, a RAB team arrested the drug-peddler identified as Kayum Mian, 40, with 2.8 kilograms of ganja.

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

Father, son electrocuted in Netrakona

BSS, Netrakona

A young man and his father were electrocuted to death at village Charpara under Kalmakanda upazila of Netrakona district in the early hours today.

Police and local people said, the two victims were identified as Mohammad Farhad (25) and his father Alauddin Mia (58) of the village charpara.

Eye-witnesses said, in a tragic incident, Farhad was electrocuted to death when he caught a fallen live electric-wire in front of his house to remove it from there. At that stage, the victim's father Alauddin rushed to the scene and tried to save his ill- fated son by embracing him. Then, Alauddin was also electrocuted to death with his son on the spot.

Local people said, the live electric wire was disconnected from an electric pole and fell on the house premises following squally winds last night.

A pall of gloom was descended in the area following the tragedy. An unnatural death case was recorded with Kalmakanda upazila police station, the sources added.

27 arrested in Khulna

BSS, Khulna

Police in separate drives arrested 27 persons from different places of the city on Saturday.

Sources said police raided deferent places in the district and arrested them. They were accused of deferent cases. The arrested were sent to the court.

Revolver recovered in Barisal

BSS, Barisal

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered a foreign made revolver from Kagashura village under Sadar upazila in the district last night.

RAB sources said, acting on a tip off, a team of the elite force raided the house of one Shamsu Sikder at the village and recovered the revolver from his kitchen. None arrested in this connection.

Bumper maize production likely in Hussainpur

A Correspondent, Kishoreganj

The Farmers of Hossainpur upazila in Kishoreganj district expecting a bumper production of maize in the current season.

They are getting interest in maize cultivation due to its increasing demand, high price, favourable weather and its lower production cost than IRRI-Boro paddy, wheat potato and other crops.

The farmers have cultivated 427 hectares of land in the Hossainpur upazila, department of Agriculture Extension official said. The cultivation process of maize is easy and production costs less than that of IRRI-Boro paddy.

4-day Ikebana workshop begins in Ctg

BSS, Chittagong

A four-day Ikebana workshop began here today. The Ikebana Society and Nippon Academy, Chittagong have jointly arranged the workshop in cooperation with the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and Japanese Embassy in Dhaka in the auditorium of the Ashma Khatun City Corporation High School and College, a press release said.

Acting CCC Mayor Alhaj M Manjur Alam spoke at the inaugural function of the workshop as the chief guest.

Honorary Consul General of Japan in Chittagong and president of Bangladesh Ikebana Society Mohammad Nurul Islam, workshop coordinator and local ward commissioner Neaj Mohammad Khan, co-patron of the event businessman Salahuddin Khan, Ikebana artist Maleka Khan and Principal of the college Prof Ajoy Kumer Hore, among others, spoke at the function.

Alhaj M Manjur Alam said every human being should maintain close relationship with the nature as the nature is an inseparable part of the human life. He said one can make his surroundings beautiful and attractive by practising Ikebana apart from getting mental peace from it. Forty female students of different CCC-run schools and colleges are participating in the workshop being conducted by noted Ikebana artist Maleka Khan.

World Vision, ADP provides Health Care services in Mymensingh

Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

As part of their Livestock Health Care (LHC) programme under the ongoing 45 lakh Taka post flood rehabilitation project '07, Mymensingh ADP of World Vision has provided 603 cattle, 202 goats and 114 poultry birds with health care services at a daylong camp at Char Gobodia Reg. Primary School premises in shoal area under Sadar Upazilla.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sahida Akhter inaugurated the camp as chief guest with Programme Officer of World Vision Adolf Marak in the chair while ULO Nakibullah Siddiquee personally supervised the services rendered to cattle, goats and poultry birds belonging to the local people. Local UP Chairman Emdadul Huq Mondol, community leaders, teachers and leading farmers were present on the occasion.

World Vision Mymensingh ADP has been implementing a 7 lakh taka LHC programme from February 08 to provide with a target to provide livestock health care services to 4000 cattle, 2000 goats and 18000 poultry birds in flood affected shoal areas of sadar upazila.

99 nabbed on various charges in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Police in separate drives arrested 99 persons including suspected criminals, from different places of the district during the past 48 hours till this morning, police sources said.

The arrested persons included absconding warrantees, killers, robbers, brokers, gamblers, smugglers, drug- peddlers and traffickers, criminals, anti-social elements, thieves and suspected criminals.

Police also seized huge quantities of contraband smuggled goods including ganja, fermented wine and phensidyl, stolen goods and other illegal things during the raids.

Police arrested three notorious members of an orgainsed gang of cheats Ahad Ali, 23, Kamal Hossain, 28 and Bahadur alias Raju, 29, rapist Tayeb Ali, 32, and another cheat Mafu, 32, from different places during the drives.

Of them, Kotwali police arrested 30 persons, Gangachara four, Taraganj four, Badarganj three, Mithapukur 12, Pirganj 23, Pirgachha seven, Kawnia seven and DB police arrested nine persons during the period.

The arrested persons were sent to jail hajat when police produced them before different Rangpur courts, the sources said.